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Most Jesus Followers would work from the premise that Yeshua's/Jesus' words during his last Supper on earth, 'till His return at the end of times, were inspired by God's Holy Spirit ...like all His other recorded comments in the Scriptures.

Like many scholars, including some Christian ones, statements like this one are often rooted in a disbelief of the supernatural plus a denial of the possibility that God gave Gamaliel, the Grandfather, a prophetic "word of knowledge"! Prophesy can place the words in the elder Gamaliel's mouth who did live at the time of Jesus who also prophesied the soon-coming (about 40 years later) destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Scripture makes clear, not 'presumably', that Jesus discussed His replacement of an Old Covenant commandment with a New Covenant one while explaining the NEW symbolism of the bread and wine as remembrances and tokens of His sacrificed body and blood on behalf of all who would believe ...NOT the Jews deliverance from Egypt... but all humankind's route to deliverance from the penalty of our sin nature and sins (Romans 3:23 & 6:23) through Him!

I'm not so sure the Bible documantation of Jesus' miracles are responsible for the horrors Mr. Sullivan seems to attribute to them.

Is using Matthew 5:13-16 to justify spending one's time in so-called "social action" really Biblical? Are we wise attempting to get worldly people to obey what they cannot and do what only Jesus Followers are commanded? Does it not seem a waste of time and energy better spent "making disciples" (Matthew 28:18-20) ...one on one (2 Timothy 2:1-2)... God's clearly commanded plan?

How "worksy" is this statement? I thought it was Holy Spirit Who "shapes us into spirital people" using his lovingly slow process of sanctification ... not our disciplined, hard work by depriving ourselves to train our subconscious... as it says in Romans 8:29-30 at http://diigo.com/0lc07 .

But, in my humble opinion, Mr. Moll hasn't proven this concluding statement nor his thesis which isn't even a scientific theory because it can neither be replicated nor tested.

I wonder, assuming this is true, might what psycology calls our subconscious be the residence of Christian flesh. However, I believe the existence of a 'subconscious' is, like 'evolution', a thesis that is usually stated as a fact and truth but no one can prove. Neither is a scientific theory and are certainly not proven theorems because they are not replicable through experimentation.

There is no command that we fast in either the Old or New Covenant that I can find. Verse 16 for me is a suggestion not a command. If I'm correct, why do Christian pulpiteers and writers talk about Jesus' quote here like, as this writer says, it should be taken as "an assumption" that Jesus Followers for all time should fast? Why not just consider it what it was? In context, I suggest that Jesus was teaching about an appropriate attitude to take in our relationship with God and our worship of Him. To do so, Jesus used illustrations about how to fast a worship activity practised by the Jews of his day and Old Covenant characters with whom they were familiar. His illustrations were made to a group of religious Jews when He was teaching them on a hillside by using inappropriate fasting practises which some of them followed that He and everyone else present probably observed regularly. Likewise, because Holy Spirit "drove" Jesus into the wilderness without food or water for 40 days for reasons unique to Jesus' ministry, why is it often taught that we must imitate that one time happening, as far as we know, in our Masters life? Undoubtedly, fasting can be healthy for some when properly practised. It may also have positive spiritual implications when done for reasons God leads the faster about. But, much of the super-spiritual things taught about fasting for spiritual reasons do not seem to have any real Biblical support. It is Holy Spirit Who "shapes us into spiritual people" using his lovingly slow process of sanctification ...as it says in Romans 8:29-30 at http://diigo.com/0lc07 ... not our disciplined, hard work by depriving ourselves to train our subconscious as Rob Mol says in this article. Undoubtedly, fasting can be healthy for some when properly practised. It may also have positive spiritual implications when done for reasons God leads the faster about. But, much of the super-spiritual things taught about fasting for spiritual reasons do not seem to ha

The crux of Arminianism lays in its assertion that human dignity requires an unimpaired freedom of the will.Sounds good, eh? But, I struggle with where one may find in the Old or New Covenant a commitment that God has committed to our having "an unimpaired freedom of the will". You? gfp (2012-04-05)

Arminianism * "The crux of Remonstrant Arminianism lay in the assertion that human dignity requires an unimpaired freedom of the will." ~ Encyclopedia Britannica at http://diigo.com/0pgpt I find this crux statement hard to accept and believe for two reasons: 1. I can't find this so-called "Biblical truth" promised anywhere in the Old or New Covenant, and 2. I have watched our loving heavenly Father cause/force/lead ...please use whatever word you wish that makes you comfortable... me and others I know or have heard stories about to do things which we didn't want to, or would rather not, do! I've watched the latter, common (really typical, in my opinion) phenomenon throughout my Christian life of about 30 years. What we ARE promised, however, is among other blessings that: 1. God will NEVER send, or allow, anything to touch us without it first passing through His loving fingers or that we can't handle in His strength (1 Corinthians 10:13 at http://diigo.com/0jmgy ), and 2. He ALWAYS will work out for each Jesus Followers' "good" ("best", if you permit me) anything that He does send or allow into our lives because of His incredible, undeserved love for us! (Romans 8:28-39 at http://diigo.com/0lc07 ) When I resist what I know is God's will ...desiring or insisting on my unimpaired freedom..., I've discovered that He always gets His way. (Duh!) Plus I also sense that I'm resisting the inevitable because my flesh is simply not happy with Holy Spirit's Lordship in my life. (Duh!) When the desire to resist what God wants persists ...but, more importantly, too often wins for a while..., one may be wise to start wondering if s(he) really is a Follower of Jesus. Unsure about the above? Try this credo on for size and monitor how you feel about it: * "Lord, anything...Any time... Anywhere... At any cost!" ~ Art Yonner, (1930-2011) U.S. Wordteam missionary

This passage is another clear promise of the surety of a Jesus Follower's salvation in Christ and the truth of the doctrine that we are "once saved and always saved" as also promised in John 10:22-30 at http://diigo.com/0jv8q and in Romans 8:29-38 at http://diigo.com/0lc07 as well as here in Philippians 1:6 at http://diigo.com/0lzi8.

Many Muslims don't like the terms 'Islamism' and 'Islamist'. They say the former confuses a political ideology with a religion and, the latter confuses a moderate Muslim with a violent Jihadist. This expert argues there is NO need to make a distinction because there is none needed because they all mean the same the same! Oh my! Are Westerners being 'conned' by liberal, politically-correct media terminology when they use Islam/Islamism distinction? Is it really Muslim taqiyya (dissimulation)? gfp (2011-10-27)

One may not need to be an Islamic scientist. But, given the danger of western cultural biases that the author mentions below (highligted in red), westerners may NOT understand Islam and the Islamic mind. A further danger is that violent Jihadists use taqiyya (dissimulation) to launch and perpetuate proganda lies. gfp (2011-10-27)

Placing Burning Coals on Another's Head This Proverb confuses some people because its Jewish cultural context is not clear from its words. A "burning coal" was essential in Biblical Palestine each morning so Jewish families could re-light their cooking fire for the day after it died out during the night. In each Jewish village, one man carried a pot of coals from home to home to assist the homemaker who needed one. "Burning coals" are blessings not torture instruments in this Proverb as some think. "The head", in Jewish culture was the place on another's body where one anointed them with precious perfumes and oils as a extension of an oral blessing on them. Jesus' Disciple/Apostle (Learner/Sent-Out-One), Paul, quoted this Proverb from the pre-Jesus (Yeshua/Isa), Old Covenant in Romans 12:20 at http://diigo.com/0kmml to demonstrate that our heavenly Father does not overlook fairness and justice although he substituted New Covenant 'grace' for Old Covenant 'law' when He sent Jesus to die for us as outlined in His New Covenant. (gfp 2011-10-24)

This ancient, pre-Yeshua (Jesus), Old Covenant and Hebrew Proverb, contains and interesting cultural reference that you'll discover in the e-Sticky Note on verses 21-23 below. gfp (2011-10-24)

The first of these 4 bullets is the ONLY one that conforms to the Bible without twisting its truths.

Jamie's is an interesting question. Initially, I reacted that the Bible tells me to only model Jesus. Then, I remembered Paul said: "Follow me as I follow Messiah".

Ms. Day's is a VERY interesting point. For me, it seems to be the opposite of that of too many Christians who don't realize that every Follower of Jesus is called a Saint by the Apostles in our Bible.

Given these reasons for his suggested reverence of St. Francis, would Jamie also suggest we "revere" celebrities not singled out by the Catholic or Orthodox churches who have benefited human kind in a way not normally associated with "building the Kingdom of God", e.g. Albert Einstein, Bill Gates ...to name only a couple to make my point?

Jonathan Dodson adds exciting new dimensions to the standard interpretations of Jesus' "Great Commission" in the article. It is the first of two parts. gfp (2012-03-03)

The only greater "poverty" is its lack of application in their lives by so-called Christians. In North America, a too-common and oft-heard phrase exchanged between so-called Christians is: "I'd din't know you were a Christian!" "Lord, please forgive us although we know what we're doing! gfp"

An argument can be made that at least Jesus and The Father are co-equal, some Christians say. I also hold this belief because the references to Jesus' subservience to His Father are made by the God-man. Jesus is fully God but also fully man. Jesus makes clear that His miracles all were performed by His Father or Holy spirt. Therefore I believe that until Jesus returned to Heaven, He operated on earth without His Godly powers which He'd left behind. As a special human, Jesus therefore, was truly subservient to the other dimensions of God. The passages seemingly ascribing Holy Spirit's alleged subservience to The Fater and Jesus, I suggest could also be described as 'deference' rather than 'subservience'.

While, I agree, of course, Michael does not mention what I feel is the best analogy, i.e., I am my Father's son, the husband of my wife, Karen, and the Father of my daughter, Shawna. These three dimensions are different aspects of the same, one being who is also a spirit in a temporary earth suit because I have the image of God Who is spirit. (Genesis 1:7)

Contrary to what some might feel that Michael is writing here, The Trinity is NOT a divisive doctrine among those who Follow Jesus only among non-Followers. It's a "rock" on which most non-Followers of Jesus stumble" (Luke 7:22-23 at http://goo.gl/hNMmAV). The Trinity is a core belief of our faith in God, The Father (Genesis 1:1) and His salvation through God the Son's, Yeshuaoh's/Jesus', death and resurrection (Romans 10:8-12), plus our empowerment through God, The Holy Spirit, living in us (1 Corinthianss 6:19). As Followers of God, "The One & Only", Who is NOT Allah of the Muslims of Islam or the gods of the polytheistic religionists, we believe in the Trinity, as truth, "in faith" ..."being sure of what we hope for (Biblically: 'know') and certain of what we cannot see". (Hebrews 11:1 & 6) GaryFPatton (2013-11-04 gfp '42)