Hello world,
I decided if I was going to connect with people on a blog, it should be about something vitally important and relevant to us all. So, why not about God?
I searched the web for something like a Q&A format on God, for people searching for God, or others who simply want to get to know Him better. And I couldn't find anything like what I had in mind. So I guess I have to create one!
Most of the Q&As I have to share were my own questions about God. I searched the bible until I came up with the answers. (Though I have found the more you look for answers, the more you find and often there is more than one answer to any question). I wanted God's answers not just another person's opinion. The process was essential to me in deciding to become a Christian after I had set out to prove it to be invalid, irrelevant and outdated, history, a story, a fable.....in fact anything as long as it wasn't true!
Would love to hear from other people's personal Q&As, so feel free to add, comment etc as I go on.
The order of questions will be different for everyone, so I can only start with my own search for the truth about God......
Q1: Is the bible a trusted source on God?
2 Peter 1:20-21
...Above all, you must understand no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 4:12
...For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Q 2: Just how many Gods are there?
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time.
Psalm 53:1
... The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’.
Isaiah 44:6
..."I am the first and the last; apart from me there is no God."
Isaiah 43:10-11
...Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no saviour.
That's it for now. Let's see who is searching out there......
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Does this actually work? Can anyone really read this on the net...just checking?
ReplyDeleteLooks like it but it doesn't turn up on a google search...not sure how to do that so will just keep blogging in the mean time.
ReplyDeleteTake 2
Who is Jesus?
Romans 1:3-4 (Paul)
...his Son, who through his human nature was a descendent of David, and through the Spirit of Holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God...
2 Corinthians 4:6 (Paul)
...For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
John 8:42 (Jesus)
... “for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.”
John 9:33
...If this man (Jesus) were not from God, he could do nothing.
John 8:58
... “I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
Luke 2:34-35
...This child (Jesus) is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.
Luke 5:21
...The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralysed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
I am the impatient type so lets continue...
ReplyDeleteTake 3
Even the disciples had to learn who Jesus was
Luke 9:18-20 (Jesus to the disciples)
..."Who do the crowds say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "The Christ of God."
Luke 18:31-34
...Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be turned over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again. The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
2 Corinthians 5:16
...So from now on we regard no-one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ this way, we do so no longer.
“Why do you believe?”
Romans 10:20
...I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.
Acts 17:27
...and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
“I’m quite happy with my life, why should I believe in God?”
Jeremiah 2:27
... They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!'
Jeremiah 22:21
...I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.
“Why did Jesus have to die for me, I’m not such a bad person?”
1 John 1:8
...If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Mark 2:17 (Jesus)
...I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
[This does not mean the people who are ‘righteous’ are not called by God, but that unless they recognise that they are sinners too they will not beable to accept Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins since they will not beable to understand it. Such a sacrifice would only mean something to them if they were able to acknowledge that without it they would be lost (the wages of sin is death; the soul who sins is the one who will die)]
"Why shouldn't I just do whatever I want?"
Galations 6:7
...Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked (ie fooled). A man reaps what he sows.
“I’m OK, I do good things, why do I need God?”
Proverbs 14:12
...There is a way that seems right to man but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 21:2
...All a man’s ways seem right to him but the Lord weighs the heart.
Proverbs 16:2
...All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.
Isaiah 57:12
...I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.
Isaiah 64:6
...All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags...
1 Corinthians 4:4
...My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
Galations 6:3
...If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Galations 2:21
...I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
"I hate religious people!"
Galations 4:16 (Paul)
...Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
“It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Hebrews 4:2
...For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
2 Corinthians 1:13-14
...For we do not write to you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.
Luke 1:37
...For nothing is impossible with God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
...For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God...v 20 .Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? v 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
"Only the gullible believe."
1 Corinthians 2:4
...My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
1 Thessalonians 2:3
...For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
Colossians 2:8
...See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Collosians 2:2-4
...My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no-one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
"Has the bible changed?"
Hebrews 13:8-9
...Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.
"How can I find out if God is real?"
John 7:17 (Jesus speaking)
... ‘If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.’
Shall we continue....? Why not, it might be awhile till I do this again...
ReplyDeleteTake 4
“What evidence is there for GOD?”
Romans 1:19-20
...since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse...
Creation
Hebrews 11:3
...By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what was seen was not made out of what was visible.
Ecclesiastes 8:17
...No-one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.
The apostles testimony
1 John 1:1-3
...That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.
Galations 1:11-12 (Paul)
...I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
Galations 1:20 (Paul)
...I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.
2 Peter 1:19
...We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.
John the Baptist: John 1:32-34
...Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptise with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God. ...
John 3:32-34 (John the Baptist speaking of Jesus)
...He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no-one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
The gospel writers
Luke 1:1-4
...Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Who is Jesus Christ?
Colossians 2:9
...For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...
1 John 5:9
...We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.
Jesus’ testimony
John 18:37 (Jesus)
...In fact for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.
John 4:25-26 (Jesus having a drink by the well)
...The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us’. Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am he.’
Luke 22:70 (Jesus trial)
...They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied, "You are right in saying I am."
Mathew 26:63-64 (Jesus trial)
...The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
John 10:30
...I and the Father are one.
John 5:17-18
...Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’ For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God, his own Father, making himself equal with God.’
John 19:7
..."We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God".
John 6:35-40
...Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I have told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up on the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.
The woman by the well: John 4:39-42
...Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So, when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.’
John 8:12
... ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’
John 8:23 (Jesus)
... ‘You are of this world; I am not of this world.’
John 10:7,9
...Therefore Jesus said again, ‘I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.’
John 11:25-26
...Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’
John 14:6
...Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.’
Ok, one more tonight.... I can't resist.
ReplyDeleteTake 5
Jesus predicts his death
John 10:17-18 (Jesus)
...The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.
Luke 9:22 (Jesus)
..."The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
Is the Resurrection true?
Mathew 27:62-64
...The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chirf priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell people that he has been raised from the dead.
V 66 ...So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
Mathew 28: 6 ...He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.
Mathew 28:12-15
...When the chief priests has met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say,’His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this day.
Faith
Hebrews 11:1
...Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:6
...And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Ohhhhh, don't hooollld baack.... is there anybody out there..... (its the song)
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be more of a challenge then I thought. How do you get people to see a blog once you set it up? Not sure how to get this on a google search. Tags? Links? How to do?
ReplyDeleteAnyway will continue, having just returned from a retreat and feeling rather inspired.
“How do you explain all the suffering in the world?”
Romans 9:15
...For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
v 17
...For the Scripture says to Pharoah: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’
v 20
...But who are you O man, to talk back to God? ‘Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
2 Peter 3:9 (Why doesn’t God come now?)
...The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
V 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation....
Why do ‘good’ people suffer?
Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ says:
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
...We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
Temptation
1 Corinthians 10:13
... No temptation has seized you but what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Jenny,good on you!
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts and great work... It's very useful to people who have questions about bible!
Thanks for the feedback, am really interested in other questions people may have to add to this list from their own search for God, for the truth, for the meaning of life, for answers etc :)
ReplyDeleteLet's keep going...
“Did homosexuality exist in biblical times?”
Romans 1:25
...They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is for ever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were filled with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. ...
“I can’t picture God’s people doing anything bad?”
Romans 1:28-32
...Furthermore, since they did not think it worth while to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
What shows the humanness of Jesus?
John 4:6
...Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well...
John 11:5
...Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
John 11:33,35
...When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Jesus wept.
Luke 7:7,9
...But say the word and my servant will be healed. When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel’. Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Frustration when his disciples didn’t have enough faith to heal a boy with an evil spirit.
Luke 9:41
... ‘O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay and put up with you?’
Luke 10:21
...At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.’
Determination
Luke 13:31-32
...At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’ He replied, ‘Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’
2 Corinthians 10:1
...By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you...
1 Corinthians 2:16
...But we have the mind of Christ.
Hebrews 2:17-18
...For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 4:15
...For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.
Jesus produced controversy, and aroused the envy, jealousy, hatred, ridicule, anger, fear and scepticism of others
ReplyDeleteLuke 7:33-34 (Jesus)
...For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners”.
Luke 8:36-37
...Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.
Jesus raises the daughter of a synagogue ruler, Jairus, from the dead.
Luke 8:50,53-55
...Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’...
...They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, ‘My child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up.
What is the foundation of Christianity?
1 Corinthians 3:11
...For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 11:1
... Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
“Who has the right to judge?”
ReplyDeleteOnly God.
Romans 2:1
...You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things..
“Who is righteous?”
ReplyDeleteRomans 2:13
...For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Romans 3:10-12
...There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no-one who understands, no-one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no-one who does good, not even one.
James 2:10
... For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Romans 3:22
...This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.... Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.
For example? Romans 4:3 ...“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
How do we know if this applies to us?
Romans 4:23 ...“The words, ‘it was credited to him’ were not written for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Hi JT, I finally got on your website! This is great! Keep it up! I will help spread the word :)
ReplyDelete