Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 3:57 pm
WoW lol Bell, what religion are you?
John 3:1-18 NIV
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!”
5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10“You are Israel's teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
John 3:7 Amplified Version
Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).
John 3:3 New Living Version
Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, [ Or born from above; also in 3:7.] you can never see the Kingdom of God. "
Acts 4:12
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved .
1 Peter 1:23 New Living Version
For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
These verses are all about "beiing Born Again." Meaning, when you accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you become a new "birth" in Him. You die to yourself. You give up "your" rights to your life, and you let Him take control.Revelation 20:15
15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
You see, when we're "born again" we receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts, that helps us live for Christ. He helps us to do things, that with out Him we couldn't. By accepting Him, we accept, Christ, so we also accept God Himself.John 14:15-31
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15“If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
Sin is plainly, "not doing the will of God." Anytime you deny Him, you sin. Any time you worry about something, you sin. If you gossip, you sin. If you curse, you sin. If you think wrong about someone, you sin.Ecclesiastes 7:20 NIV
20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.
Romans 3:11-1810As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good,
not even one.” 13“Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways, 17and the way of peace they do not know.”
18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
This verse is the real BIGGY for those that, either don't believe, don't wanna believe, or that say "I'll do my own thing right now. Maybe later I'll concider God." Plain and simple, "If your not with Me, you are against Me." If you don't accept Him, then you're an enemy of Him. This is straight from God's mouth.Matthew 12:30
30“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
This is the verse, one of many, that says "Jesus and God are one in the same." Jesus has the authority of God to cast of Heaven, or let into Heaven.Matthew 28:18-20
18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Sorry Bell, but, lol, I got to say this: (not to diss, only to explain. I used a very objective source for the Mormonism information).In 1816, Joseph Smith and his family moved to Palmyra, New York, where, in 1820, a religious revival occurred. Joseph, a very young 14-year-old boy, was very intrigued by thenumerous preachers and what they had to say. However, he was also confusedbecause each church claimed to be the "true" one. He decided to turn to theBible for assistance. There he found the scripture: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraidethnot; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).
This inspired Smith to go to a nearby grove and pray for guidance. During this prayer, God and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him there and commanded him not to join any of the existing churches because the Church originally organized by God would soon be restored upon the earth.
In 1823, Smith had another vision, this time of an angel named Moroni. The angel directed Smith to a hill near Palmyra; buried under this hill was a religious history of an ancient American civilization inscribed on golden plates. Four years later, Smith translated this record (which was written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics) into what is now known as the Book of Mormon . In 1830, Smith established the "Church of Christ" in Fayette, New York; however, later revelation (in 1838) commanded that the name be changed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Mormon teaching is the 3 levels of Heaven Bell listed above.2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
Christian belief has nothing to do with us becoming "gods" or "having the power" of them. This is where many religions differ from Christianinty. They become "ME" focused. They try to say that we as humans, "have the ability" to become gods or be like gods.The highest degree of glory, and the one LDS members strive to reach, is the Celestial Kingdom . This Kingdom is reserved for those who received the testimony of Jesus, believed in his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial. Entrance into this Kingdom requires a temple marriage and sealing (see below); people are able to dwell in the presence of both God the Father and Jesus Christ for all eternity. Latter-day Saints believe that eternal life is the greatest of all God's gifts, and the Plan of Salvation is His way of making it available to them. They also believe that every person has the potential to become a God with all the power and glory that God the Father possesses.
It is also said "if a religion can be founded by only one man, it is not concidered "true". As it is "one man's view."18For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
and this:Entrance into this Kingdom requires a temple marriage and sealing
This is condradictory to what Christ said when asked about this from the Saducees. But here's what the LDS Church says proves "eternal marriage":Marriages performed in the Church's temples do not end at death; rather, both the marriage and family relationships are sealed for "time and all eternity."
And what Christ said:“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
Matthew 22:30
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
Mark 12:25
When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
Luke 20:34-36
34Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels.
John 3:5-7
5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
1 Corinthians 7:1-9
1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of selfcontrol. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Verse 27-28
27Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
John 3:15-21
15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Luke 23:39-43
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don't you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[f]”
43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”