http://bibleforums.org/blog.php/51342-tomtgm A free online Christian Community. Active, moderated Christian Message Board. en Sat, 18 May 2013 21:46:43 GMT vBulletin 60 http://bibleforums.org/images/misc/rss.jpg http://bibleforums.org/blog.php/51342-tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3375-Are-your-thoughts-what-you-think-they-are Mon, 08 Oct 2012 05:31:44 GMT Does what other people think matter? So often in our lives we get trapped into someone elses issues of what matters to them. Why is it that we can so easily get caught up in what others are doing? For the most part we live our lives according to... Does what other people think matter? So often in our lives we get trapped into someone elses issues of what matters to them. Why is it that we can so easily get caught up in what others are doing?

For the most part we live our lives according to a set of standards that we have compiled for ourselves. When other people do things that we find offensive than we immediately throw up a wall in order to protect our values.

We like to think that we do what we do because it is the right thing to do. Why would we do something that we think is wrong? Now we are getting to the real issue.

We all do things at times that we already know is wrong before we even do them. Why would we do something that we already know is wrong before we even start, but we continue to move forward with this act of rebellion to our own knowledge of what is right or wrong. We know it is wrong and harmful yet we continue with the act. Even in the mist of the act, we continue to suppress our thoughts that are telling us to stop. Why would we do such things as these, unless we are just subject and defenceless to our thoughts.

I have mentioned in my other post about our thoughts not being our own. We see how humans can be so self mutilating, why would someone purpose to harm themselves? The truth be told, they don't. What they are, is subject to the thoughts they have. Just because you have a thought does not mean you are responsible for the thought. We all have thoughts that we just don't know where they came from. So we learn to discern our thoughts. Sometimes our thoughts are so convincing that we are overtaken. It isn't until afterwards that we see the effects of what we just did. Remembering Judas Iscariot, when he was overtaken by his thoughts. Afterwards he realized what he did and killed himself.

If we are honest with ourselves, we know there are multiple times when we do things that we know are wrong. Why would we do that? I remember Paul telling us that he has the same issue. Every human has the same issue. We do things that we would not have done if we were not overtaken by emotions that were triggered by thoughts. Emotions and feelings are nothing more than a manifestation of our thoughts. Our thoughts control our emotions and feelings. When we can't control every thought we have, then how can we control every feeling or emotion? We can't. None of us can.

God does control every thought we have. Satan would not have you believe that. Satan can only do what God allows. So those who don't believe that God is in control, believe that they are, simply put that Satan is in control of those whom God has not opened their eyes. Jesus said that he came to open the eyes of those whom the Father has preordained to be saved. Saved from what? That is a big question. Just to start, we are saved from our thoughts with the truth, saved from the bondage of Satan, saved from spending eternity in the lake of fire. We have to humble ourselves to the fact that we are not in control. Be meek in our approaches to God. Do not be boastful about anything, but be subservient to our creator God. When you or someone else makes a mistake and is offensive, remember, how many times you failed when you were overtaken by your thoughts and feeling. Remember what Christ said "forgive with the same measure you would have God forgive you". In other words, if you think you are in control, and fail to submit to Gods Sovereignty, you think you are in control. Than beware. God may hold you responsible for everything you were in control of.

]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3375-Are-your-thoughts-what-you-think-they-are http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3344-Thought-of-the-day-9-2-12 Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:28:57 GMT Adam was created on the sixth day along with Eve. After the sixth day God look upon the earth and said that, what he had created was good. Adam and Eve were created good. They were not recreated. Creation stopped on the end of the sixth day. So what... Adam was created on the sixth day along with Eve. After the sixth day God look upon the earth and said that, what he had created was good. Adam and Eve were created good. They were not recreated. Creation stopped on the end of the sixth day. So what changed? The only thing scripture teaches us that changed was the introduction of Satan in the Garden. This was the predestined act that God had already knew was going to happen. The book of life was written before the foundations of the earth. So God already knew that man was going to fall before he created them. So what exactly does scripture say about this event? First we understand that temptation comes from our thoughts. Our thoughts lead us to acts of rebellion and sin. Adam was created good with the ability to be swayed by his thoughts to sin against the Father. This did not happen until Satan came on the scene. We were created good, with the ability to be tempted into sin. Thus when Adam listened to Eve who was deceived by Satan he now sinned and the Father can have nothing to do with sin. So Adam died spiritually. And we all are descendants of Adam so we all have the same weakness to sin, it is our thoughts. When we are born again, the truth will set us free. Free from what? Free from the lies that Satan places in our thoughts of doubt, self worth and many many more. The lies are endless. The only power that Satan has on man is in his thoughts. Man can not separate these thoughts on his own. It is the grace of God who opens our eyes to see the truth, thus Christ says to go and sin no more. How do we go and sin no more? Because the true regenerate man who is born again, is born into the truth and set free from the bondage of our own thoughts. You are either a slave to God or a slave to Satan. There is no middle ground called a slave to yourself, this is just a lie from Satan. God tells us that we will not be tempted by more than we can handle. Satan can only do what God allows. We all live with sin in our thoughts all day every day, even Paul shares this with us. Jesus tells us to discern our thoughts, know the truth. The only people that can come to Christ are those that the Father has sent to him. Christ told the disciples that they did not chose him, that the father chose them. We are all a slave to our thoughts, and it is the truth that will set us free. Do not believe your thoughts if they differ from the wisdom of Gods word. And only the elect of God's children will see the truth. Only those that God has predestined to receive his word. Our souls are doomed every one, because of our weakness to discern our thoughts with the truth, and this truth only comes from God. When God opens our eyes to see the truth, than we can truly forgive, truly love, truly respect God for who he is and his awesomeness. It is easy to forgive, when you see another person as a good soul trapped in a body that can not see the truth. So he is trapped in lies and can not see the truth. Jesus said that he is the truth and that no one comes to the Father except through him. Only Christ can free you from the lies in your thoughts. And it does not matter how much you know the Bible, if God has not opened your eyes to humble yourself to the fact the he is in control. In control of every word your mouth is ever going to say. Some of you know this truth and many of you do not. Your salvation depends on God revealing this truth to you. Humble yourself and ask him to reveal the truth to you through his word. All mankind is doomed until the are born again into the truth, the truth that sets you free to be a child of the truth, and to purpose to not sin. ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3344-Thought-of-the-day-9-2-12 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3340-Did-Jesus-say-that-he-was-God Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:10:32 GMT Is Jesus God? Investigate these interesting claims… Others were convinced that Jesus was God: Paul: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.”1 John: “He existed in the beginning with God.”2 Peter: “you must worship Christ as... Is Jesus God? Investigate these interesting claims…


Others were convinced that Jesus was God:


Paul: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.”1
John: “He existed in the beginning with God.”2
Peter: “you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.”3


But what did Jesus say about himself?
Did he ever identify himself as God? According to the Bible…absolutely! Below are some of his statements made while on earth, in their context.


He said he was equal to God…


“Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.” The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!” At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.4


“The Father and I are one.” Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”5


Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”6


After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.”7


Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?”8


How he described himself…


Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”9


Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me.”10


so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”11


Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”12


What he said he was sent here to do…


But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”13


for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.14


“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”15


However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”16


(1) Col 1:15
(2) John 1:2
(3) 1Peter 3:15
(4) John 8:56-59
(5) John 10:30-33
(6) John 12:44-46
(7) John 13:12-14
(8) John 14:6-9
(9) John 6:32-35
(10) John 8:12-14
(11) John 10:7-11
(12) John 11:21-27
(13) Matthew 20:25-28
(14) Mark 9:31-32
(15) John 3:16-18
(16) John 6:37-40


Tom Moran ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3340-Did-Jesus-say-that-he-was-God http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3337-How-can-I-receive-Salvation Mon, 27 Aug 2012 03:29:55 GMT Is your boat sinking? Are you about to drown? Is there no ship in the horizon that can help you?


Salvation is something that is offered to someone in need of some form of help. If you are on top of your game and you don't need anything from anybody, than you are free from needing any form of salvation. Most of the world holds to this position, that they don't need salvation. They don't need to be saved from anything.


So before you can possibly be saved, you have to believe that your boat is sinking. You cannot receive help if you don't believe that you are already damned to eternal hell. So for the sake of this lesson, let's assume that you believe that your boat is sinking. You are going to hell if you don't do something about it. But unfortunately there is nothing you can do about going to hell. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. So we need to know, what is it that can keep us from going to hell. What is this salvation?


Christ came to us from the Father in heaven. He was sent here on behalf of the Father, to teach us this very thing. Christ himself told us that he was our salvation. He and he alone can provide what is needed to escape the wrath of hell and spend eternity in heaven. Salvation from hell is having atonement for the crimes already committed against God. Or in other words, crimes against God need to be paid for. So how are we going to pay him for the crimes we have already committed towards God? Well he told Moses to take a clean animal and prepare it at the altar for a sacrifice. A sacrifice for the atonement of sins against God. This animal, like all creatures that are not human, do not have a soul. So this means that they do not sin. Man has a soul and can reason, so therefore he is capable of being selfish. So this sinless animal is prepared to have its blood shed on the altar for our sins. So this is the plan that God has in place for our atonement of sins! To have sinless blood shed. Why don't we sacrifice animals today? Because Jesus Christ came to earth for one sole purpose. That was to be that very sacrifice once and for all. He allowed himself to be killed in order for his sinless blood to be shed for the atonement of our sins.


Christ shedding of his blood is our salvation, if we chose to accept it. What does it mean to accept salvation from Christ? Believe that what he said is true and have a desire to follow his work and study his teachings. Christ not only died and shed his sinless blood for our atonement of sins, he also escaped death on the third day of his burial. Jesus walked on the earth for 40 days after his death and was seen by more than 500 people at one time. Jesus said he created the world and he was God. Salvation comes from being set free of Satan's grip by knowing the truth. There is only one place you can find the truth and that is in listening to or reading the Holy Bible.


If you have a need for an audio bible on disk for the reading impaired, let me know and I will send you a copy of the bible on CD, otherwise go to: "http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/"


By Tom Moran ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3337-How-can-I-receive-Salvation http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3334-Thoughts-of-the-day-8-24-12 Sat, 25 Aug 2012 06:15:01 GMT I have been addressing a lot of the same hurdles lately. The hurdle of the season seems to be that of the bible itself. I talk with people about the Lord all the time. Most people don't necessarily dismiss God, they just have their own opinion of who and what God is. The primary reason for such diversity is that people don't have a basis for what they believe. They believe what feels good and makes since to them. I am being conditioned in my evangelism to be more careful in approaching an issue without first confirming someones disposition on scripture. It does absolutely no good to discuss morality or ideology with people who have gathered their thoughts and beliefs on anything other than scripture. I spoke a couple months ago with a pastor of the local United Methodist church on a Monday morning. We started out OK, until I brought up scripture to him, and than he informed me that scripture was indeed fallible. He not only pastored here in town but 45 mile west of here at another Methodist church as well. It appears that the assembly is short on pastors these days. My point is that without the Bible as a basis of our beliefs in God, than we are left with our thoughts and feelings. Don't let me confuse you here, feelings are a manifestation of our thoughts. I ask people, "Do you know the Bible" their automatic answer is "yes". Then ask "Do you believe the Bible?". You get a different answer. Some say yes. I ask my 10 year old son where he mother was, and his response was "She is at the pool reading!" I ask him again if he knew she was at the pool, or do you just believe that she is at the pool? He told me that he believed that she was, but he didn't know that she was. I feel that this has a lot to do with the people I have been working with lately. They believe the Bible to be a document worthy of respect. They don't know exactly why they believe that, they just do. They don't actually know the Bible, they just know of it. I know that when I address people on this subject, that they are right where God wants them to be, so I have to be gentle to address the issue of why they have not taken the time to get to know scripture. Ignorance of the work of scripture is what I think is at the root of peoples mixed thoughts about the Bible and what it teaches. If they don't have respect for scripture (the Bible) than they don't care about whats in it. It is a lack of knowledge about the works of the Bible that keep people away. Ignorance has always been a deterrent to growth. Scripture says that people are willfully ignorant of the things of God. That they don't want to know. I believe that to be the very truth, they don't want to know. So we have to leave them alone. Always be available to them, just wait on the Lord to lead them in His timing. I do want to however post an article on "Why do we believe so much on the Bible". This is going to take a few days, but I will have it soon. I know that I told you that I was going to do an article on "Sin". But this one I have started a couple times and I will hopefully have it soon, this is very difficult issue to summarize.
Until then
God Bless
By Tom Moran ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3334-Thoughts-of-the-day-8-24-12 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3322-Why-do-we-worry Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:07:44 GMT Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

To wonder about something or be concerned is an attribute that God created us with. We are called to be concerned about our health and our relationship towards God and others.

Worry on the other hand is nothing more than a lack of faith and trust. Worry is to fear the unknown. Fear is the real culprit. Worry is the effect of fear. To not fear something is to not be worried about it. God did not create us to worry, however he did create us with the ability to worry. God did not create us to sin, but he created us with the ability to sin. We Fear all sorts of things, like losing a job, what others are thinking, about your kids out late, your spouse and who they are with and how they are. This fear is brought on by the lack of knowledge. If you knew what was going to happen, and how it would all turn out, than you wouldn't worry anymore. We worry about what we don't know. Well unfortunately, there is an awful lot we don't know, so this leaves the door wide open to worry about everything we don't understand. I know that there are some of you that do that very thing. You are "Worry Warts" and you think that if you don't worry about it, than who will? People worry about death a lot also, this one worry might be the most harshly effectual worry of them all, because this worry wont go away until the issue goes away. So they take this worry to the grave with them. Worry is to fear the unknown. The what if.

I don't think that anyone needs to be told, that worrying is bad for them. There are those of you who would say "I don't worry that much" or "I have to worry about certain things that need to be addressed", and that "not worrying about anything is considered irresponsible". When I was a young child I worried all the time, in fact I wound up with terrible stomach pains that I had until the Lord took worry away from me. All from worrying about life in general, nothing specific, just general things that kids should not have to worry about. Or adults either for that matter. My Mom who is still alive today is a worrisome person. Hospitals are overrun with people who worry. Some worry about their health, so they run to the Dr.'s office. Some worry so much that the side effects drive them to their Dr's office. The side effects of worrying are astronomical, like; headaches, sinus, back, stomach, nerves, anger, depression, anxiety, fear,.Your Dr. cannot help you when your symptoms are all self induced from worrying. Worrying is at an epidemic state today.

For the most part people worry about things they can't change, they worry about their past and future events. It is however important to be concerned about current events. Being concerned is to take preventive action towards an issue. If no action is required or can be addressed immediately, than it is no longer an immediate concern. It is important to consider what others are thinking, but only to curb our actions at the moment. We live in the moment, not in the past or the future. Being concerned at the moment is worthy of your thoughtfulness towards others. Taking care of issues when you can in the moment will take care of future and past issues. If you can't fix something right now, than stop thinking about it. Worry is nothing more than a thought brought on by a concern about something or someone. It is OK to be concerned, but don't let the concern turn into worry. If you cant fix it right now, in this moment, than stop thinking about it. Or is it that you think that your worrisome efforts are going to employ God to act?

The Bible tells us that we have nothing to fear with the exception of Gods wrath. And that if we don't fear God than we don't know him. He tells us that those who know him fear him and follow what he says. He says a lot about worry. If fact
Christ came right out and said:

Luke 12:22-26, “Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?’”

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”

Proverbs 3:5-8 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones”

Psalm 139:1-6 "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."

Hebrews 13:6 “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

God knows all men, he knows their thoughts before they think them, he knows everything before it happens. He is God! He allows everything to happen because his will cannot be stopped. It has already been written since before the beginning of time. You are right now, exactly where God wants you to be. He is in control and not you. Worry is to not trust in God. To know God is to trust in him, trust in the truth. Do you believe? Do you have Faith? Do you indeed trust that God created everything for a purpose and nothing can change Gods will? If you really trust in God than you will not worry about anything. God already has it all planned out, he knows every hair on your head, every word your going to say. He is God. He will give you the words to say. He will move you were he wants you to be. He will also give you the comfort to not worry. Just seek him with all your heart, soul and mind. He already knows you, so it is time to get to know him.

So how do we stop worrying, and start trusting in God? It is true that we have issues that need to be taken care of. If you have a bill due and you don't have the money, "oh what to do?" If you cant do anything about it right now, stop thinking about it. To worry is to not trust in God, and the consequences are devastating. To not trust in God, is to side with Satan. Worry comes from Satan, and if you spend one more second with Satan and not trusting in our Lord, than you don't fear God.

Tom Moran ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3322-Why-do-we-worry http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3308-What-is-The-Sovereignty-of-God Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:58:33 GMT The mere meaning of the word “Sovereignty” is to set something apart as totally independent. Take a country for example, once the country becomes independent then they become sovereign. They make all their own rules of government and social living... The mere meaning of the word “Sovereignty” is to set something apart as totally independent. Take a country for example, once the country becomes independent then they become sovereign. They make all their own rules of government and social living standards according to their own wishes and desires. I believe that God in his own way of doing things has shown us indispensably, his character of ”Sovereignty” in the way that he has allowed humans to operate within the confines of Governments set up here on earth. Each Country is in control of the laws that they enforce within their prospective borders. Why would humans chose such a system? How did we wind up here? Nuclear bombs and genocide just to mention a couple. People given Sovereignty will turn to the dark side every time. History continues to show this very fact.God has given us the bible for what purpose? Is it to show us about human character? NO! It is to show us His character and how hedeals with humans! The bible is Gods way of letting us know who we are, what we are and why we are here. It all points to Him (God). God is the reason behind every event on earth and in heaven. God is Sovereign. He has created his own world and universe, that consists of every living creature. He is “GOD”.
God has created a system of government that he is in control of. He Created everything that has been created in six days. Nothing new under the sun has been created since then. Day one he separated light from darkness. Day two he put a canopy of water over the water covered earth. Day three he brought forth land and made all the living plant life on earth. Day four he created the heavens and everything in them (Sun, Moon, Angels, Stars). Day five he made all the creatures in the sea and in the air. Day six God brought forth all the creatures on the land including Adam and Eve. Creation stopped after day six, and nothing new has ever been created since. Things have changed, with the exception of Gods character which never changes, but nothing new created.
There are three entities that were not created however, and those three things are the manifestation of God himself. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. One God three persons of God. These three have been, since before the beginning of time. God the Father is at the helm and nothing happens outside the very will of the Father. This structure that God has set up is a predestined one. The bible tells us that he knows all. He knows how it all ends, who is going to heaven and who is not. He knows every thought you have had and are going to have. He is God and his word tells us this very thing. He is in control, he is Sovereign. He made the rules, he is not making them, he already made them before the foundations of the world was created. God in his Sovereignty has created a world of his own and we are the subjects of that creation, being created in his image.
Man being the subject of Gods creation is the purpose for the earth, sky, animals even the heavens, were all created for man. Why? Why did God create this world and stick man right in the middle and say here, this is all for you? And then ignorant man only knowing what God has allowed him to understand, goes and follows exactly what God had already predestined that man would do. SIN! Disobey God. And immediately following sin, man was removed from the presence of God. Everything has a purpose, a meaning, one that we don’t always or very rarely understand. It is not for us to understand, we are told not to rely on our own understanding, but to trust that our Sovereign God is in control and he knows what he is doing.
There are things that we do understand from scripture and here are just a few that will help you to understand the true “Sovereignty of God”. First and foremost it is important to understand that when God created Adam he created him “Good”. God said after he created everything, after the sixth and final day of creation, that everything he had created was “Good”. Man was created good and man wasn’t re-created bad. Man is still the same. Man is created good, with the ability to be deceived. Eve was deceived by Satan. Did this make Eve bad? No! It did however lay the foundation of sin. Sin is nothing more than disobeying God. And man is unfortunately incapable of discerning his thoughts to keep himself from sinning. Regardless of how much we love God and study his word, we will always be subject to Satan’s lies in our thoughts. It is our thoughts that control us and without the ability to control our thoughts we are subject to being able to do the most heinous of acts towards each other. Jesus told us to discern our thoughts. How do we do this? By knowing the word of God. When you know the truth, lies can’t harm you anymore. Jesus said that he is the truth and that the truth will set you free, free from the bondage of sin. Does this mean we are free from sin? No! Satan is still here to deceive us. But we as true believers have the wisdom of scripture to set ourselves apart from the lies of the world to know lies when we hear them and be able to hear Gods voice when he speaks to us. The only power Satan has on man is in his thoughts.
So there it is in a nut shell. Our Gods Sovereignty lies in his structure of governing human behavior through mans own thoughts. If God didn’t want Adam to sin, than Adam would not have sinned. He would have made sure that Adam remembered and gave him a spirit of righteousness and grace and Adam would have gently reminded Eve that God said “NO”. But we already know that God had a plan and that plan had to come to fruition. No man can come to God and be saved unless God has already prepared him to receive the truth. It is God who decided who is saved and who is lost. It is all for a purpose that we can not and will not understand until we die. At that point God told us that we will understand just as we have been understood.
There is so much to comment of this subject, but I don’t want to write a book. Just share with you, that the only thing you need to be afraid of is your own thoughts. If you have a desire to know that you are one of Gods chosen elect, than you would be praying for a discerning spirit and start to seek him with all your heart, soul and mind.
Tom Moran ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3308-What-is-The-Sovereignty-of-God http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2851-Thought-of-the-day Sat, 11 Jun 2011 06:48:15 GMT The Universe. Wow, what a concept. The Galaxies and endless space all operating on its own. WOW! The Sun is burning and burning and burning for thousands of years now, with no fuel insight. WOW! The Earth is spinning on its axes with no... The Universe. Wow, what a concept. The Galaxies and endless space all operating on its own. WOW!

The Sun is burning and burning and burning for thousands of years now, with no fuel insight. WOW!

The Earth is spinning on its axes with no strings attached, perfectly balanced in space, rotating around a timeless burning ball of fire that provides heat and energy to sustain life on the planet. WOW!

OK lets look at life on the planet. We know that 114 elements we call Atoms that when arranged in different orders make up molecules that everything on this planet like air, water, land, plants, animals including our bodies are created from. WOW!

The biggest WOW of all is that humans think they have all the answers. The smarter humans try to act the more ignorant they sound.

God has already revealed himself to all of us, everyday all day. When you eat your food and your stomach processes the food to feed your body so you can hear, see and feel, you take it for granted. But God takes it to heart. He is holding it all together, but not for much longer. Christ said it is all coming to an end and it all has a purpose. A purpose that we refer to as “Gods will” What has been written can and will come to pass. “Good things happening to bad people – Bad things happening to good people” This is not the issue. The issue is that we are to trust that when God came to earth 2000 years ago and showed us that we are but dumb sheep that will continue to serve Gods will whether we think we are or not. We are not in control. God is holding everything together. He shows us this in his word the Bible. Ask God to help you and he promises to show you the truth in his letter (Bible) he wrote through the Prophets. Trust that God allows everything to happen to everyone to further his will here on Earth. We can not and will not be able to understand what and why, only that we are to trust that God is truly in control. When you start to doubt. Think outside yourself and look up to the heavens and see his creation.

Amen ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2851-Thought-of-the-day http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2828-The-Law-Does-it-apply-to-you Sun, 15 May 2011 06:16:43 GMT Laws are rules that we use to live by. Every person has a set of rules that they use to function in their life. Our rules are determined by a set of standards that we pick up along the journey of life. Each person that I have met over the past fifty... Laws are rules that we use to live by. Every person has a set of rules that they use to function in their life. Our rules are determined by a set of standards that we pick up along the journey of life. Each person that I have met over the past fifty years has a different variation to almost every law or rule. We have a lot of people that share similar standards and principles but they have a different way of addressing the same situation because of the rules that they apply to themselves. Laws are created to place a similarity in the way that we are to co-exist with each other. Laws are created to protect. To protect people from people, animals from people, people from animals and so on. We have an entire judicial system setup to implement the laws that we have created to protect us. We have a Governmental system setup to continually create more laws everyday to continue to protect us in an ever changing world. The world we live in is constantly changing and so are the laws that govern the worldly affairs.

God created his own set of laws and his laws are being implemented each and every day since the creation of the universe. God created laws for nature when he created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He created the law of gravity, time, heat, cold, and the list goes on dealing with laws of nature. When we break these laws, than we get hurt or we hurt someone or something else. God’s laws of nature cannot be broken. They can be modified and scrutinized, justified, harmonized. But they cannot be broken. Some of these laws are sleeping, eating, needing affection and so forth. When these laws are violated than there is going to be consequences. God’s laws are setup to protect us from ourselves.

God created a set of laws for mankind and these laws also have a set of consequences when they are broken. When we look at Adam and Eve and the only forbidden thing in the garden was a tree. God made a verbal law to Adam to stay away from this tree. Because he did not do as the law required, he suffered consequences. And so it is today, we are suffering from the consequences of sinful behavior towards a loving God. We as humans do not like to be told what to do. We have our rules that we have derived from our own experiences and if you don’t agree with us, than you are free to go somewhere else where someone might agree with you. We don’t like to be told what to do or what to believe.

There is one law that God has implemented that holds a deadly consequence, and that is the squelching of the Holy Spirit. God has informed us via his word the Holy Bible, which says that if we do not accept what Christ has done for us on the cross, than we are to suffer the ultimate penalty of death, eternal death in the lake of fire. This one law of God out shines them all. This is one law that has eternal consequences. If you do not accept the truth and continue to believe the lies that Satan feeds you, than the consequence is death (separation from the love of God). Christ died to forgive Adam and all the rest of mankind for their sins against God. To violate this Commandment / Law / Rule, is the ultimate violation to our Creator. ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2828-The-Law-Does-it-apply-to-you http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2822-What-part-of-Dating-is-Godly Tue, 10 May 2011 13:10:52 GMT “The world.” Wow, when I use this word, it gives me chills all over my body. “THE WORLD” When the Bible uses this term, it is referring to Satan’s dominion. Satan is what the Bible calls worldly. The world has many different faces and God has one... “The world.” Wow, when I use this word, it gives me chills all over my body. “THE WORLD” When the Bible uses this term, it is referring to Satan’s dominion. Satan is what the Bible calls worldly. The world has many different faces and God has one face. To be worldly or Godly is something we face everyday and we cannot do both at the same time. There is no fence to ride. You are either on one side or the other. You are either acting according to Gods will “Godly” or you are acting worldly “Sinfully”

No one is ready for a relationship until they are secure in their relationship with Christ. If they are not secure in Christ than they are worldly and they are playing with the devil. If this is what you want than you have a wide field to choose from. But if you want what God wants for you, than you will wait for a Godly mate and God will bring you one in his own timing.

When it comes to dating, there is nothing Godly about it. As a matter of facts the Bible teaches us the very opposite and calls dating downright sinful and purposing to sin.

Do not be deceived into thinking that dating is pleasing to God.
(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.)

Do not choose a mate that is Worldly and not Godly.
(1 Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.)
A worldly mate will lead you down a path of pain and deception. You cannot change another human, only God can change someone.

There is nothing Godly about being sexual aroused outside marriage.
(1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.)
Sexual arousement can come from something as simple as holding hands with someone you are attracted to. Holding hands leads to temptations that can be very powerful. Twelve year old kids are not trying to get pregnant. But they are, because they are playing a game that they cannot control.

When you meet a Godly mate, then they will not touch you until you are married. They will not try and deceive you or your parents. They will always tell the truth, in all situations. And if you find out that the person you are with is deceptive. Than run away and don’t look back. They are not ready for a relationship. ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2822-What-part-of-Dating-is-Godly http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2815-Self-Esteem Sun, 01 May 2011 08:35:35 GMT Self Esteem is becoming a fast growing phenomenon. I guess it is not too hard to understand why this phenomenon is becoming more and more popular. Originally popularized by Phrenology which is the study of the human body and its impact on the mind.... Self Esteem is becoming a fast growing phenomenon. I guess it is not too hard to understand why this phenomenon is becoming more and more popular. Originally popularized by Phrenology which is the study of the human body and its impact on the mind. If you have a small head then you must have a small brain. Short people must have “little mans complex” because they are short and so on. All of which is just one fat lie to keep mankind as far away from the truth as possible. Although it is true that if indeed someone has short comings in their physical appearance, than in most cases people will become self conscience about themselves. The same goes for someone who is a little slower at picking up on jokes or math and some have difficulties with solving tactical problems. All of these things can and most times in humans will create a dislike of themselves or their abilities. This behavior is called a “low self esteem” which Dr.’s revere as being a highly destructive behavior and needs to be treated as an illness.
Self-Esteem is a term that means; “A high regard for ones self” in other words if you don’t have a “High Self Esteem” than you are close to having an illness that needs to be treated by a Dr. We have people seeing Dr.s all over this country at an alarming rate. With what we witness on television, newspapers, in our own town and in our families, we continue to get disappointed in others and this cycle is continuing to drag down peoples self esteem. The world is not getting better so this means that this phenomenon is going to continue to get worse.
The Bible teaches us that this type of lie is what in reality is the destructive component, not the lack of self esteem.
Christ told us that we had two commandments to follow, first to seek out the Father and his love for us, second to love our fellow man as we love our selves. It would appear that Christ knew what he was saying when he mentioned that we love ourselves a plenty. It is this self love that we have that allows us to fall into temptation so easily. We want self gratification and we want it all the time. When we do nice things for others we are always on the look out for our reward. Whether it is a thank you or just a smile, we are still looking for some form of self gratifying response. Some people get caught up in a compulsive lying disorder because they value the self gratifying effects of controlling a situation regardless if it is based on lies. Self Esteem is a giant lie that will continue to keep mankind in the dark about the truth until they come to the realization that we have nothing to be self worthy of. Self Esteem is nothing more than self worship. Even suicide is the most selfish thing a person can do for themselves. They hold such a high regard for themselves that they want to stop the agony, which they feel they don’t deserve.
Christ said that we are to humble ourselves before our creator. He is the God of this universe and is holding everything in his hands. We love ourselves so much that we have little if no regard for Him as the creator. We as humans don’t like to be told what to do, let alone to be told what we are to believe. We don’t like it because we want to feel like we are in control. Well I got news for you. You are not in control. God is in control and he knows right where you are and if you are not with him than you are with the devil. If you are not following and searching his wisdom and understanding, than you are right where Satan wants you. And if that is what Self Esteem is about, than you can have it. Just don’t preach it around me. I worship my God who is my Heavenly Father. I am thankful for his revealing truth in my life, for this body he has created for me to live in, for the family he has provided. I cannot boast about anything because I am not worthy of anything because of my weakness to sin. It is his Grace that is the only thing that keeps me from being a follower of lies. I don’t have self esteem. I have Esteem for my Father in Heaven who is protecting me everyday from the lies in our world.

By Tom Moran ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2815-Self-Esteem http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2814-WHAT-IS-A-CHRISTIAN Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:38:11 GMT A Christian! What is a Christian? There are all kinds of churches out there that claim to be the one and only true church. That everyone else is missing the mark, except them. Well, I kind of fit right in there with the rest of them I guess. Let me... A Christian! What is a Christian? There are all kinds of churches out there that claim to be the one and only true church. That everyone else is missing the mark, except them. Well, I kind of fit right in there with the rest of them I guess. Let me explain:
The scriptures teach that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord than you will be saved. They also say that the Lord is going to say “be gone I never knew you”. So what is going on here? The difference between a true Christian and a false Christian is worshiping in truth. If you worship Christ in lies than I don’t believe that you are saved. So therefore I believe that the rest of the churches that don’t worship in truth are all damned.
Being damned is not something that we do and go into. It is something that we are born into. It takes no effort to remain damned. We are all born into eternal damnation. It is not until we are born again that we have salvation from eternity in the lake of fire. Many churches teach this very truth. The problem I have is the lies that they attach to the truth. I will not go into the lies because I don’t believe that knowing the lies is beneficial. We are called to know the truth so we can identify the lies when we hear them. If we don’t know the truth, then we will not be able to know when we are being lied to.

So are you a true Christian? Do you worship in lies or in the truth? If indeed you are a real Christian you will have a desire to know the truth and nothing else will be more important to you. As new Christians you will be beginning a new way of thinking and responding to circumstances. Some of the first things you are going to address is God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, sin, salvation, conviction, discernment, wisdom, understanding, prayer, forgiveness, love. It is understanding the biblical meanings behind these words before you can begin your new walk with your Father in heaven. The next process is starting to change the way you think about things. The world has one way of thinking and God has another way. The bible teaches us how to think the way God wants us to. If you want to have a relationship with God and have eternal salvation from hell, then you have to read your bible. And search the scriptures for the truth about life here on this planet.

One of the signs of an earnest Christian is to see fruit from their actions. Some of the first signs are a change in the way they talk. You start to see that they have a desire to know the truth. Then you will see them start to spend their time differently. They will stop certain things because theirs desires have changed. Not because they are changing them, but the Holy Spirit has removed certain temptations so they can learn. Now the temptations don’t remain gone in all cases. When the Lord knows you are ready he will allow you to be tempted so that you learn to resist. Maturing as a Christian is a life long journey that we never complete. It is not until we leave this body and are in the presence of Christ that we will know everything that we are to know. Until that time, we as Christians continue to trust that God has a purpose for everything and we are to have faith in what he is doing and just continue on the path laid before us which is to continue to search the scriptures for the truth. In this attempt to find the truth you will have a desire to share it with people.

By Tom Moran ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2814-WHAT-IS-A-CHRISTIAN http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2813-Oldest-living-things-on-earth Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:58:40 GMT The Oldest Tree A bristle cone pine is approximately 4,300 years old—dated via tree rings. The method may not be perfect, but it is the best we have for dating trees. The Oldest Reef The Great Barrier Reef is less than 4,200 years old—dated via... The Oldest Tree
A bristle cone pine is approximately 4,300 years old—dated via tree rings. The method may not be perfect, but it is the best we have for dating trees.

The Oldest Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is less than 4,200 years old—dated via measuring the growth rate for 20 years.

Even though both are estimated at no more than 4,300 years old, they are the two oldest living organisms on earth.

Why aren’t there older trees or more ancient reefs?

Because God flooded the earth approximately 4,400 years ago destroyed everything except Noah, his family and the animals. ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2813-Oldest-living-things-on-earth http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2811-Insecurity Wed, 27 Apr 2011 04:57:23 GMT Are you insecure? Everyone is insecure about one thing or another. None of us are perfect in all things we do, if fact none of us are perfect in anything we do. So unless you are perfect in every way, then you can and will address insecurity in your... Are you insecure? Everyone is insecure about one thing or another. None of us are perfect in all things we do, if fact none of us are perfect in anything we do. So unless you are perfect in every way, then you can and will address insecurity in your life.

Insecurity comes into play when we are concerned about what others think about us. It plays a part in how we dress, the way we talk and act. Insecurity can and does control some people’s lives in a very negative way. It causes depression, fear, anger, lies. We are all insecure, so don’t think you are fighting this battle alone. Some will deny it, but they just don’t see it.

We become insecure when someone says something about us that is considered constructive or demeaning – When we are ask to do something we have never done before – We have thoughts that we are inadequate.

Having thoughts of inadequacy are what I believe is the most common in all beings that make us feel insecure. That’s right I said feel. Because that is all insecurity is. It is a feeling we get when we are being lied to about ourselves. We start to make changes that make us feel more secure. We want to look good so we wear make-up and cloths that will disguise us in a manner that hides our inadequacies. We lie to people about our past, current or future circumstances. We all feel insecure at times, and it is not a bad thing to feel insecure. It is how we address these feelings when we are faced with our insecurities that make us who we are.

Feeling insecure is not something that we need to be playing with. God allows us to be tempted into a state of insecurity so that we can mature from the experience. We can use these feelings of insecurity to help us to become better people. Or we can let our insecurities destroy our lives. Before we can turn our insecurities into a positive thing we have to identify with what is a lie verses the truth. Satan is very masterful in controlling people’s lives with lies. So let’s stop the insanity and deal with the truth so we can get back on track with maturing as God intended as human beings. First and foremost, if we are not in prayer with our Father continuously than we are setting ourselves up to be tempted into insecurity and a whirl wind of other temptations. So stop and pray when ever you start to feel inadequate about anything. God strengthens those who seek out his wisdom. Do not ask for wisdom and turn around and play with your insecurities. I appreciated a comment I heard not long ago, I am sure you have heard it before; “If you are going to pray for rain, you better take an umbrella”. Don’t ask for help if you are going to continue to relish in sinful activities brought on by your insecurities. ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2811-Insecurity http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2808-Racism-Indifference-Prejudice Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:46:25 GMT Are you proud of who you are? Does the color of your skin make you happy? Do you have the righteous parents? Are your friends the envy of everyone else? Are you cool or what? Most humans rather like the way they are, or else they would stop being... Are you proud of who you are? Does the color of your skin make you happy? Do you have the righteous parents? Are your friends the envy of everyone else? Are you cool or what?

Most humans rather like the way they are, or else they would stop being that way. Unless it is something that we can’t change, we like the way we are. In most cases it is the way others are, that we often don’t like.

This is a very difficult topic because there are so many different ways to approach this issue. I am going to try and share with you my understanding of what is the main issue vs what issue doesn’t exist.

I will start by asking you; if you were able to pick your parents or your country before you were born, would you pick the ones you have? Were you sitting at a round table working out issues with God on who you wanted as parents and what social class you wanted to be born into? Well we all know the answer is NO. NO you did not have a choice. Well you are not alone, neither did anyone else.

People in third world countries that are oppressed, have very little food, no education system, no moral values and than they are looked upon as a third rate society. These people did not choose to be where they are and live the way they do. But just the same, we are quick to say that they are just a bunch of losers. How easy it would have been for you to have been born in a third world country.

Racism is nothing more than identifying one culture from another. Actually we are all one race, ”The Human Race”. And this race is the only one that is intolerant towards its own kind. We are indifferent towards other humans that don’t agree with us, regardless of what country they are from or what skin color they have. Racism is a word that has absolutely no merit. It is a made up word that does not mean anything. Indifference is what people have issues with regardless if it is your brother or someone from around the world. But when we make the distinction about an entire culture we have just stepped into a lie that is hard to overcome.

We don’t like people or things that we don’t understand. Once we are able to get past the indifference which is nothing more than ignorance, than we start to enjoy learning about them. ]]> tomtgm http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/2808-Racism-Indifference-Prejudice