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Reading Heart

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  1. Actually, in part I agree and disagree with all of you. At the core of it, faith is believing something that you can not prove.. you yourself might have evidence, but it's not empirical, it's personal. As the actual word, faith has two definitions Complete trust of confidence in someone or something Strong belief in God or the doctrines of religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather then truth..
  2. Thought I'd add this as a bit of encouragement for all who might read this today, may your day be blessed and your eyes be open to the beauty around you.
  3. Good morning folks, my best wishes for everyone who reads this, regardless of who you are or where your life has taken you.
  4. This a problem that most of us have at some point or another and therefore this something we all have to learn, it's not always easy, but its definitely worth it, I will also keep you in prayer, brother. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12
  5. Well, anything can become a problem if it becomes more important to you then God, but if something helps you grow in love and mercy, then your on the right track. One of the things I like about the show is how it demonstrates how to be a good friend, and my favorite episode is 'crusaders of the lost mark' because of how shows one what loving one's enemies is about. Also, that episode brought to mind the following verse which sang in my head for a week or two after that particular episode. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
  6. Fear is a weapon of the enemy, I have a number of verses that I use to battle it, but here is one or two. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2nd Timothy 1:7 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 [NKJV] As to that, I had a point where I wasn't getting messages sent to me by PM, but later I was, so it may just be a momentary fluke of some sort. Bible study is a good idea, though spending time taking in nature and worshiping the Lord can also be a good thought, and spending time in prayer is good, and music isn't a bad idea. Also, your welcome to PM me at any time if you desire to discuss something.
  7. My favorite verses... wow, there are quite a few... ok, let's begin. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! Proverbs 16:16 Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous, do not be terrified do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19: 11-13 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. Isaiah 43: 2 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose Romans 8:28 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1st John 3:18 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1st John 4:7-8 Yes, I have a certain affection for the 14-17th chapters of John, the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians, the 8th chapter of Romans, but really, there are so many good verses, I love all of the Word. All of these have been important to me in life.
  8. Hmm, best examples I can think of with regards to persistence: Applejack in the Mane Attraction, Twilight in Applebuck Season, Rainbow Dash in Hurricane Fluttershy... Hmm, actually, that last one, if you take the clip where she says 'One more time, I've got to know we gave it our all' you get the essence of what persistence is about, not giving up. Which is actually Rainbow Dash in a lot of ways, though all of the Main Six have their moments. If I was trying to show this off in Sunday School, I'd likely take several clips of Rainbow talking about not giving up.
  9. I considered very carefully if I was going to respond to this at all, as I respect Sunwalker, but don't agree with him above. But I have a more a more ecumenical stance then Sunwalker above, I am non-denominational myself, and view the living stones of the church as the people who believe in and acknowledge Jesus as Lord and in his resurrection. I have no problem working with any christian of any denomination, despite any general disagreements we might have. This includes, in my view, all of the various denominations of which I see catholic and greek orthodox as part of, but like Sunwalker, I prefer to look for common ground between the various groups rather then differences. I also recommend the book Mere Christianity, it's good book, and well worth reading. But regarding differences between people who believe in Jesus is the son of God, rose from the dead and have chosen to make him Lord, I tend to look to the following verse. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 If your going to cover the catholic doctrine of apostolic succession, I must point out that both the eastern orthodox also claims and can support this point, I also feel that one should cover the general protestant response to it. All of that said, why are there so many different denomination groups in existence today? In my view, the same reason there are so many languages, because if the splits were the result of the devil's work, they would fail. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38-39 [NKJV] I view it as a work of God to push his people into spreading out beyond their own traditions, because if it had not been of God the protestant reformation would have come to nothing, as was indicated in the scriptures with regards to the apostles long ago. I generally think that God was displeased with general the state of the church at the time of the protestant reformation and used it to alter the direction of the church.. mind you, that's the general protestant view of the matter, but many of them think that they are right or some other group is right. I disagree with them, I believe that God used it to incorporate differences, to highlight various different truths of his word, as each of the various denominations have focused on one aspect or another, and to spread out to the rest of the world. God loves diversity, any look at the multitude of fruits, vegetables and horde of animals in the world should prove this. For that matter, all of the different planets and star systems we have been discovering in the universe should further prove it. The sad part to me, is not that there are so many groups out there, but that they are so divided today, generally I believe that the Lord is now shifting things the other way more toward unity, and the devil is fighting it, which is why there have been so many church splits over ridiculous things.
  10. Hmm, this is a hard one, I read proverbs the most, as it's easy to set to a monthly schedule, since it is separated into 31 chapters... but is it my favorite? I have plenty of books of scripture that I love... so I'm going to separate them into the general categories New Testament Favorite Gospel: John Favorite Letter: Romans Revelation is also a favorite of mine, but it fits more into prophetical then either of the above categories, so that makes it a unique book in the new testament, though it compares to certain old testament prophetical books. Old Testament Favorite Historical Book: Genesis Favorite Prophetical Book: Isaiah Favorite Poetical Book: Proverbs
  11. Contemplating how to demonstrate care and consideration in action

  12. Seeing as how I've done this for several other ponies, as I'm not as artistic as some folks, next in my list of ponies to cover, seven ‘reliable’ things that Applejack can teach us about honesty, which I think she does fairly well at demonstrating. Reliability is honesty in action, the truly honest individual is one that others can rely upon. Real honesty is more then what you say, it’s rooted in what you do and who you are. Honesty and honor are two sides of the same coin, holding to one will produce the other Like it or not, if you are honest about it, where you came from will shape where you are going, your choices can make this a strength or weakness True strength is not found in what a pony does, but in who she is. Always be true to who you are, anything else is not worth the struggle. The things that you love should inspire drive and devotion.
  13. Personally, I read several different versions these days; My preference is for the NIV and the NKJV.. to get both the meaning and the literal translations as much as possible. but I have several other bible translations, as well as a topical bible and strong's exhaustive concordance, but that's me. As to the verses in Ezekiel 23, God uses some harsh language about what he considers spiritual harlotry and immorality, as in unfaithfulness to Him. Of course, if your interested studying God's view of sexuality, try Song of Songs, though it's also an excellent allegory for God's love for his people.
  14. So, since I have now done this for rainbow and twilight, now to visit the kindest of ponies with seven ‘adorable’ things about fluttershy that can teach us about kindness Kindness, gentleness and love are close companions, they come with each other. Real kindness does not give up on people, it sees worth even in those that others do not. Kindness to others has a power that is often invisible until you see people changing because of it. Deep inner wounds are also a chance for strong personal growth, be kind to those with them, you never know when they may end up helping you. Often those who have gone though the most hardship, possess some of the greatest untapped potential. Real love cares more for others then one’s own self, and those who love this way will make great sacrifices for those whom they love. The shy and quiet ones often have hidden depths that are very much worth the effort to get to know. [Plus, they are often adorable when you get to know them]
  15. I already did this for Rainbow Dash, I decided that I'm going to do this for each of my favorite ponies.. so here's seven ‘magical’ things about life that Twilight Sparkle has to teach us. True leadership is found in contribution and service, not in control and manipulation. A real leader will seek to raise others up with them, not try to rise up by pushing others down. Knowledge is worth having, but it takes wisdom to understand how to properly apply it Mercy is a powerful thing, and being merciful is worth the reward of seeing lives changed, real compassion involves giving people second and third chances. True humility involves knowing who we are, but also in neither making a big deal about it, or making it out to be less then what it is is. Anxiety is not worth our time, don’t be too focused on future problems, you can’t change the future, only the present. Communication is the key to success in relationships, never assume that people will just know the problem, talk to your friends about your needs and desires.
  16. Seeing how I'm not as artistic as some, I decided that I'd go with something different then pictures, while I enjoy them.. so, here's seven 'awesome' things we can learn from Rainbow Dash, and some of the things I have enjoyed about her growing in the series. Loyalty is more then just an actions, it's a way of life Confidence is necessary to succeed, but one should be careful about become overconfident If you really care about something, you should give it 20% more then 100% Real loyalty will try to build and support others in need. Ambition will take you far, compassion will carry you beyond that Your principles are more important then your dreams True greatness involves rising with others, not in making yourself look good.
  17. I'm with in agreement with the above post, I have no idea what the band there is like or what their songs are about, I'd only add the following to what Sunwalker has said above, from the prospective of following what we are taught in the Word of God: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
  18. It's not always the same for everyone, everyone will be tested on their faith, sooner or later. This is the nature of love, that it be allowed the freedom to grow, though I disagree with you some on one aspect of this, part of the problem here is surrender, and everyone has to go though it, sooner or later. But there is a joy that comes from learning to abide in His Presence beyond anything that can be put into words, though learning to do so can be hard or easy, depending on how deep our surrender is. Maturity in the walk with Christ is something that all of us can reach, the key is Love.. Love the Lord with All your Heart and Soul and Strength and Mind.. and Love your neighbor as yourself.
  19. Spirituality is in essence, the path to the most vital questions, who are we? why are we here? Is there something more? How do we get there? To be spiritual is to be a seeker for the answers, to embrace the answers you find is to be a believer, to believe that are the correct answers is a matter of faith. I'm actually simplifying it considerably, but that's what it involves. Actually, here's a verse that I think covers what is spirituality Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. And here's what I consider an example of something beyond spirituality, more having found it, so this is believer and faith, moving beyond spirituality. Ideally, this is experienced, embraced and studied, rather then just passed over. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
  20. Considering the nature of love in it's various aspects

  21. There are three issues here actually, first is that the languages from which the bible are translated [Hebrew or Aramaic for the Old testament and Greek for the new] either have words that can have multiple meanings, or a language can have tenses another language doesn't. This creates issues for translators, what is the best word choice to use in a particular context. The second issue is cultural, sometimes a statement has a cultural reference that has a context in another language that isn't intended in the original text, or meanings have shifted in the language of which the bible is translated into. You also have the problem of words having multiple definitions, which one do you apply? The third issue is personal, as in the translator has a personal bias, which colors his choices for all of the above, which is why it's a good idea to study who the translator(s) were, as well as when and why that particular translation occered. ------------------------------------------------------ All of that said, here's what someone else said about the problem overall that I think covers it fairly well The fact that there are so many English Bible translations is both a blessing and a problem. It is a blessing in that the Word of God is available to anyone who needs it in an easy-to-understand, accurate translation. It is a problem in that the different translations can create controversy and problems in Bible studies, teaching situations, etc. The differences between the translations can also be a subject of great division within the church body. It is probably wise to have access to at least two or three of the major translations KJV (King James Version), NIV (New International Version), NAS (New American Standard), NKJV (New King James Version), ESV (English Standard Version), NLT (New Living Translation), for comparison's sake. If a verse or passage in one translation is a little confusing, it can be helpful to compare it side-by-side with another version. It is difficult to say which translation is the "best." "Best" would be determined by a combination of the translation method personally considered best and your interpretation of the textual data underlying your translation. For example, the KJV and NAS attempted to take the underlying Hebrew and Greek words and translate them into the closest corresponding English words as possible (word for word), while the NIV and NLT attempted to take the original thought that was being presented in Greek and Hebrew and then express that thought in English (thought for thought). Many of the other translations attempt to "meet in the middle" between those two methods. Paraphrases such as The Message or The Living Bible can be used to gain a different perspective on the meaning of a verse, but they should not be used as a primary Bible translation. -------------------------------------------------- So, the answer to your question is that 'it can be in some ways' this is why we have multiple translations of the bible, and why it's worth your time to read it in several different versions to get all the levels of possible meaning. But if you want something that tries hard to keep to the original text, I think the interlinear bible has english greek and hebrew side by side, with direct word translations and with a number of concordance indicators, Finally, all of that said, the important thing is that God's message gets through and though the translations are not always perfect, the Spirit can give clarity to the true seeker. There are certain things that remain true across all versions though: That God created everything, that Jesus died to redeem mankind, that there is a heaven to rejoice in and a hell to avoid at all costs, that one day God will make all things new. There are differences in variation, but not theme.
  22. Ah, that is actually a good question, because your faith should be your own, not just what you have been taught. However, that doesn't mean that believing what you have been taught is a bad thing, just that you should make sure your 'roots' are 'your roots' not someone else's. I've seen people whose faith was shaken by leaders who fell into sin.. what that tells me is that their faith was placed in the right place, for trusting in men is not putting your faith in God. We do live in a fallen world, one that was once the garden of Eden, that is what the bible teaches, but it also teaches that God will redeem it, we have left Eden and are heading toward the New Jerusalem, trade your sorrow for joy.. Psalm 30: 11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy. Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted Revelation 21:3-4 And then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them [as their God,] and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.” So, your sorrow for a fallen Eden is a sign of the Holy Spirit at work in you, for God also sorrows for the evil of the world, but it's not something to dwell on too much, keep your eyes on heaven, the scriptures tell us to store our treasures in heaven, part of this is believing in God's promise for the world to come, this is the expectation of all of us who follow Christ. Rejoice in that.
  23. Agreed, it frustrates me considerably, and always reminds me of two scriptures 'It is not good to have zeal without knowledge' in proverbs, and the point in Luke were Jesus rebuked the disciples with the words "You do not know what spirit you are of" I've encountered this Steel Accord, generally it's a indication that they think you will think about things the same way that they do, which is not true, generally it's better to go though life realizing that everyone has different ways of looking at things. It also makes one more teachable to realize this.
  24. And you get a Brohoof.. for appropriate use of the 20% cooler remark... mainly because I couldn't resist.
  25. Hello alpine, glad to see your still watching us, my best wishes to you and hope you had a good new years. Now onto a different note.. just because someone posts in this thread, doesn't mean that they are christian, but it does mean that they are interested in what christians among the brony community think about certain things, which is fine from my view point, thinking these things out is a good thing for us to do, regardless of where we come at it from. There is a lot of good things I can say about mlp from a christian viewpoint, but any show that emphasizes kindness, generosity (or charity), honesty, loyalty (or faithfulness), laughter (or joy), and friendship is going to to find those, if it does them right, as those are also christian virtues.
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