cuz humans and demons work hand in hand to twist God's word.

Originally posted by Karma88:

i`m a free thinker .

Make fun of that .

ehz..fun to be free???how about at least a clap for effort?? =p

Originally posted by Sleepy Mosquito:

I wonder if they have a Country Harvest Church?

must u bring devastation to everyone??let the vicious cycle ends with us =p

Originally posted by Sleepy Mosquito:

Whatever denomination you go to. Just be sure that the church operates in a non-cult like manner. Let me first declare that I do not believe that all Christian denominations are cults, in fact many of them are pretty helpful and very legitimate. But i've seen and heard of many seedy denominations with very cult like behavior. I'm not going to mention them by name for fear of being sued for descrimination or for disturbing religious peace.

By cult this is what i mean,

• Extensive efforts to exclude followers from basic contact with non-followers
• Extraction of funds/donations as a condition for their brand of salvation
• Coersion to take extrodinary efforts in procuring funds for donations to the cult i.e. Forced to take Loans, take Morgages, sell property.
  
• Extensive guilt trip for failure of either or both of the above points

Everyone wants to find a comfort group and most find this in religion. But do not be blinded by evil efforts disguise behind the name of religion and prey on the weak in spirit.

Just in case anyone is wondering, I'm born Catholic and although i am rather lapsed at most times, i do not view the church as a cult as the church has only taught me how to interact with non-Catholics with the decency and honor as any other regular human being. That and i have never been coerced into giving money; i only give what i can and sometimes i don't give anything at all. Again, that is not to say that other non-Catholic christian denominations are cults. Most are very fine and life helping religions.

Just watch out for the cults and take care.

woah..sounds damn familiar..lol

Originally posted by Omnia:

Is the bible really the sole source of truth ? Why give us the bible if it aint gonna be useful ?

The bible is indeed useful, but only if it comes with an Authority to interpret and teach it. By itself, its usefulness is limited. Don't take my word for it; the bible itself says that the pillar and foundation of truth is (surprise, surprise) ... the church ! (1Tim 3:15) Ironically, the idea that one can learn the truth from one own's reading and interpretation of the bible is not supported by the bible.

You advise that I place more trust in the bible than in humans. Sounds great but if you step back and think about it, placing one's trust in the bible means placing one's trust in men! How can this be ?

Consider the following: How do we know what should be included in the bible ? How do we know that the bible has 73 books (or 66 in your case), not one book more or one book less ? Did God give us a contents page for the bible ?

No he did not. It was men, in the form of the church who decided the contents of the Christian bible in the 4th century. But don't worry, Christians (or Catholics at least) believe that God guided their decisions.

Nope, church teachings (at least that of the Catholic Church) do not contradict scriptural truth; they do however differ from your interpretation of the bible.

Thanks for the well wishes but the book of Revelations should not be read literally to mean that only 144,000 persons would go to heaven. But if you want to read it literally (which you should not), I would not be one of the 144,000. Why? Because the 144,000 have to be Jewish male virgins (Rev 7:14 & 14:3-4), which I'm not. St.Peter (he was married) and Mother Mary (not a male) would also not qualify.

And a final point to add about paganism and Christianity: if pagans wore pants, does that mean that Christians should avoid wearing pants at all cost ? There is always the possibility that pagan religions have some minute elements of truth in them (which have unfortuntely been severely distorted), hence the vague similarities. We will never know for sure but the possibility is there.

 

yes,the bible is the sole source of truth is it not??since jesus passing back then and so his disciples.next best thing we got is bible aint it?

by itself, the usefulness is limited only becuz of our own inderstanding.and i agree with 1tim.also agreed is that we should not only read the bible on our own and pray for understanding.but nor do i agree with places of worship that is based on traditions rather den truth like wat jesus himself said.

i dont understand how can placing faith in wat is written equates to placing faith in humans?know that though written by humans, the author is God.though some translation are not that wonderful,the esscence remains the same.

yes indeed it was men that decided what to include but like it was written, all scriptural are beneficial and good for teaching ya?

den at least the RCC would like to answer y they use rosaries,multiple intercessor,easter,xmas,confessional to a human,mary was virgin n sinless just to name a few..

is 144000 merely symbolic??the answer is indicated by the fact that after mentioning of 144k, rev 7:9 refers to a great crowd which no man can number.if 144k is not literal,doesnt it then lack meaning to the great crowd?viewing it as literal will agree with jesus' statement at Matt22:14 regarding the kingdom of heavens.many invited,but few chosen.

last paragrapgh..pagans does have a certain truth in them and like u said, twisted. satan might even be considered to be the top few most powerful and wonderful creation of God.he had the truth in him, yet he did not stand fast in the truth.the whole pagan thing started with him too.anything that steer humans from true worship of God is a treasure of satan.

Originally posted by deathmaster:

is God needed to impose upon men a so-called morality?

so does it mean that people will go around killing, raping and plundering if they knew that there is no God looking over them, watching their every moves?

and ironically, it is exactly these few faiths which commit most of these killings, raping and plundering over the past century.

i.e. the Christian americans against the muslim arabs. The buddhist monks bloody riots in Myanmar, Hindu Tamil separatist civil war in Sri Lanka. Bosian War, with its ethnic genocides by Christians and Muslim in former Yugoslavia. not to mention the world wars,fought mainly by the christian European countries. the atomic bomb drop by the Americans, (on whose dollar notes ironically said "in God we trust"...)

most recently, the attack on Georgia by Russia.

All this already violated the commandment of "Thou shalt not kill", and the other seemingly righteous moralities which does not seem to be closely observed by the practicers of the respective faith.

think back on noah if your know the story.God has allowed humans to run free then, only to know that every inclination of man was bad.

the few faiths u cited,are they worshipping the true God?there is but 1 true God yet so many lousy imitations.indeed the incidents u cited are against God's moral standard. and the emotions you feel regarding this is just.but let not this make u curse God for there is no trace of unrighteousness in God.

Originally posted by 24/7:

Part II

Innocent!! I’m against paganism and if u read properly, I was emphatically stating a point, NOT supporting paganism in Christianity. Just because the Trinity doctrine resembles a pagan belief doesn’t allow a believer to reject it completely. Many other beliefs within Christianity have been alleged to have been derived from pagan doctrines as well (e.g. Horus parallels with Jesus). Should we disbelieve Jesus Christ then?

In fact, I’m so against heretics that I believe that God would not allow ungodly doctrines (as u alleged, Trinitarianism) to thrive for millennia while allowing the supposed Arian “truth” to remain suppressed, only for the JWs to revive it in recent centuries. Here, I would caution against the threat of false teachings nearing the end times WITHIN God’s flock ( Jude, Timothy).

At this point, you might be tempted to cite Jesus as an example and allege that He was misunderstood for His time as well. But pls remember that within 3 years, in the face of secular and religious politics, Jesus’ teachings proved its mettle and it has spread throughout the world since then by the works of the apostles. Arianism has been around for ages, if it is a true doctrine, it would have been recognized by now.

 

I’ll leave this to the RCC members to clarify.

For example, Hinduism (properly understood, it’s not “triune” as u claim it to be)

“The trinity is interpreted in various forms in Hindu philosophy. A widely accepted belief is that it represents earth, water, and fire. The earth, or Brahma, is seen as the originator of all life and hence is regarded as the Creator. Water is the sustainer of life and hence is the Preserver and is represented as Vishnu. Fire destructs life and hence is the Destroyer and is represented as Shiva”

and

“Early western students of Hinduism were impressed by the parallel between the Hindu trinity and that of Christianity. In fact the parallel is not very close, and the Hindu trinity, unlike the Holy Trinity of Christianity, never really "caught on". All Hindu trinitarianism tended to favor one god of the three; thus, from the context it is clear that Kālidāsa's hymn to the Trimūrti is really addressed to Brahmā, here looked on as the high god. The Trimūrti was in fact an artificial growth, and had little real influence”

I don’t want to sound repetitive. Refer to above.

Because the apostles (in Acts) who understood what Jesus (post-resurrection) taught and his mission also understood John 4:21-24 and as John Piper understood it, “The physical temple has ceased to be the geographic center of worship. Now Christ himself is the center of worship. He is the “place,” the “tent,” and the “temple” where we meet God. Therefore Christianity has not geographic center, no Mecca, no Jerusalem.”

Modern churches … well, u know the rest of the story.

And it’s weird, but I think you’ve just indicated your support for the use of “idols” and “statues” in churches – are there statues of God in the church you worship at?

Think you’ve read too much into these verses and my point.

The healed leper merely “glorified” (KJV) God but no mention of worship. Plus the modern understanding of “praise and worship” as we would understand it now is different from those days.

The point I wanted to make was not to merge the 2 “entities” (as you call it), but to affirm the fact that Jesus was worshipped in this situation. As you said in your earlier post, it’s the “action and heart” that determines the worship. And in these verses, among others, it can easily be seen that the ex-leper fell at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. Can you still argue against the fact that this constituted worship? And if Jesus was worshipped, what does that make Jesus then?

Nah, it’s not some mysterious Trinitarian behaviour, but the attitude of UTMOST humility (aka subordination of Christ) expressed in Phil 2:6-9

Not quite sure what ur asking.

Another thing I would like u to consider is this: if Jesus is a creature, means there was a time when he didn’t exist. We know God is love (1 John). What i want to know is: can love express itself without a subject and a context? If the non-trinitarian God was all alone at one point in time (technically not the right term but heck), no angels, no Jesus Christ, no Holy Spirit… how did that aspect of love demonstrate itself without a receiver?

Also, in the non-trin worldview, if the non-trin God really loved the world so much, why did He not come to save the world personally, but sent another His son on his behalf? Isn’t that cowardly and selfish?

the part about paganism is that as a true christian, one should look out for any signs of paganism that was absorbed and being taught.eg idols, rosaries. when i said i was disappted,it was to mean that it had appeared to me that u didnt really cared..maybe it was jus a miscomm.

as for ur hatred of heretics, did God also not allowed humans and satant ample time to try out all forms of goverment possible?did God put a complete stop yet so far?indeed,false teaching within God's flcok is a danger..those of JW will say its the church and vice versa.in fact only God can clarify when the end comes.

the arianism or sth, i dont actually know about it..but since u mentioned JWs reviving it..last i heard was that there were ard 7 mil worldwide baptised persons in JW..n the JW was mainly suppressed not because of its scriptural teachng but bczu of their refusal to take sides in countries.local LSL had even said that they are the most disciplined and wall mannered denominations of christians if not for their choice against serving NS..(i got tis info during my pns days).it appears they are recognized by governments jus not that popular with them.

perharps the easy way to explain trinity is to use hinduism. to hindus, there is but one God.the different deities are but an aspect of God so people can relate easily to the aspect they choose.so likewise in trinity christiandom,we know father is the true God and only true jesus the God can we ever stand b4 God the father and he will fill us with HS the God.

the idols part i dun get it??i have no affilatations with any church as of now.no place to worship.no idols to worship..av idols counted??

if you are able to provide me a huge amout of money now, i too will fall at your feet,kissing them even and thank u..does that considered as me worshipping u?also just b4 i fall at your feet(hope u wash them =p) i gave a loud praise to God actually to glorify his name for sending me a person that gives me money.

we also know God is self existent.so if God is trinity,he the father love son n hs, yet they are actually himself.does it not make him jus another selfish person that love himself?but when jesus is a creature,it will be in harmony of your love expressing in context n subject. meaning, God is moved to wanna share the joy of being alive.since only he exist,the only way to share was to create.thus came jesus and everything else was through him and for him.tats y jesus is also called the only be gotten son.

last paragrapgh..let the scripture answer u in that God has no beginning nor end.also, humans' death was caused by 1 perfect created human.in absoulute justice, wat should be on the other end of the scale??an uncreated almighty God will be an over kill..however, a creature being born as a perfect human would even the scale wouldnt it?

thus in sending his only begotten son to save dust,we see the demostration of utmost selflessness.

Originally posted by 24/7:

hi domon

The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. For example, it says of Christ that “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). We should not think of God as like a "pie" cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Rather, “the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.” The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into "parts."

Thus, the Son is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, “When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.”.

That’s exactly what I’m saying. Jesus is not God the Father but He is God the Son. Titus 2:13 and Phil 2:6. Refer to above

The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father.  Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father.  They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God.

The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. Thus, they relate to each other personally—the Father regards Himself as “I,” while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as “You.” Likewise the Son regards Himself as “I,” but the Son and the Holy Spirit as “You.”

Refer to above.

pretty well explained in terms of trinity..i applaud u for it.so thus the perfect explanation for a person asking how can father be God, son be God,HS be God yet not 3 but 1 God is that God is too profound to be understood by humans?if this were the true case, only mordern humans understood it n not the faithful of old?

as catholic scholars karl rahner n herbert vorgrimler says in their theological dictionary, trinity is a mystery in the strict sense which cannot be known without rev, and even after rev,cannot be wholly intelligible. if trinity is such confusing mystery den the divine rev of God 1Cor will be bull..God is not a God of confusion. it is so complex that hebrew, greek, latin scholars cannot fully understand. n God wants people to have a r/s with him, how to have a good r/s if you do not fully undertsnad the person? do people have to be theologians to know the only True God and of jesus whom he sent??if so, why did so lil jewish pharisees recognize jesus for who he is?instead, humble fishermen,farmers,tax collectors and housewives know God and jesus far more den the pharisees.even willing to die for it. lastly, dont forget none has ever seen God yet live.how many saw jesus??thousands...

it was based on an earlier claim by another forummer that such idolatry was used not as obects of worship but just as a reminder..it was an answer to him/her. the only thing that jesus wanted us to remember him was the evening meal shared by him and his disciples b4 his death.nth was mentioned to the effect of wearing the thing he died on(with or without him on it). the building of the cherubims given as an instruction by Jehovah God was not repeated again. also of interest is that his own throne was described as having covered by wings of cherubs.so it looked like the case of the cherubs were nth more then parts of a furniture.

even if the cross can be regarded as legal. what about idols of jesus,mary,saints to be venerated???there is but one intercessor jesus. for he himself said so..does not the other idols count in idolatry??

I have the knowldege of what the kingdom of death feels like but I have no idea how bad hell would be. yes the knowledge is already in the bible and I was told in quran also but I never understand it before. Perhaps I refused to understand it before.

somehow after reading this paragrapgh, i felt wat i had posted the whole wall of text is wasted..

the hell and heaven u talk about.the hell would be the 2nd death..u do know about the 2nd death right?

 

In regards to paganism, my response is : So what??

Just because something resembles paganism, it doesnt mean we've the right to categorically reject it. Instead, look at the Bible to see if GOD teaches it in His word and whether it fits in with the whole counsel of the Word of God. Pagans also believe in the concept of GOD, does that mean God is not true? In that case, the score should read as atheists -1, christians - 0. No, right?

The way i understand those religions u mentioned, they teach tritheism, not trinitarianism. HUGE difference. Similarities in name only, not substance.

Proskeuneo ...  I agree with u on the way the word is used differs with the attitude behind it. But if i refer u to John 4:23, where Satan asks of Jesus for that same proskeuneo worship, do u still think its a reverential greeting that he demands?

In fact, if you look at Luke 17:11-19, in particular verse 16, do u still think the healed leper's action only meant to give Jesus a reverential greeting?

i am actually pretty disappted in your nonchalent response to pagansim in christianity.have u considered that nth in the bible truth,the way that God should be worshipped is totally different in all paganistic way in esscene?

i was looking into God's word the bible and dicern that church teachings actualy differ greatly from scriptural truth.hence my standpoint. i m not rejecting churches because they kinda resemble pagans, but because they defiled God's word.think idols,intercessor besides jesus,rosaries beads.are these not banned in bible truth??are these also not the common items found in churches??see my point?

perharps u can enlighten me in the diff of trinitism and triwateverthatwastism.looks pretty much the same to me actually..3 gods merged into 1 and addressed as a singular being..3 distinct features yet one godhead..would thank you in advance..

im glad at least we agree on worship part.. and u just answered your own qns.when satan asked jesus to worship satan,definitely satan meant the type of worship,be it the outside or heart condition that is to be rendered to God.but, we are after all discussing a rather diff situation here.of those that "worshipped" jesus, jesus did not asked for it like satan. and the people that "worship" jesus knew if jesus was man or God.if they know him to be God, why wasnt there any temple built in jesus' name with jesus's statues inside like mordern churches right after jesus died??instead,it took about 4-5 hundred years later that such buildings were built?

to narrow it down,look at luke 17:15-18. the healed samaritian came back praising God (entity 1) in a loud voice 1st. then he threw himself down(ouch) at jesus'(entity 2) feet. and thank him. it is perfectly in harmony with jesus teaching to praise and worship God(entity 1).the samaritian fell at jesus' feet was clearly a profused thanking to a great person.

later in verse 18, jesus asked if there isnt any other(the 9 lepers) coming back to praise God except the samaritian.now if jesus is God,would he have said is there none other who would come back and praise me????notice always jesus does not claim any credit for the good works he done but always attribute them to the rightful one to be praised,that is Jehovah God.in fact when people say jesus is good, he rebuked them saying no1 is good but the father.if jesus is God, does he not rightly deserve such praises and does he need to direct the praises to some1 else???or maybe its just some mystical trinitarian behaviour being exhibited?

my question is, who will want us not to know about God despite even God's own son came down and clarify the true identity of God.

Originally posted by 24/7:

Hi domon,

Revelations 22:3 ...  the way i see it:

There is one throne. God is on the throne. The lamb is on the same throne. The way the verse is written is meant to show that both are together on the throne. I affirm the singularity which u read. How else do you interpret the word "and", when used after a singular object is described?

In that same verse, "and his servants shall serve him". God and the lamb are referred to as "him" not "them". Singular object. This singular frame of reference is used regularly throughout Revelations. 

Jesus is God's son, not God himself. Equal with God and of the same substance. Never was this verse meant to say that God and the lamb are the same. Just because nothing on earth can adequately represent the picture, doesnt mean we should use alternative interpretations to explain them away. Can you answer this question: To whom or what can you compare GOD with?

In regards to paganism, my response is : So what??

Just because something resembles paganism, it doesnt mean we've the right to categorically reject it. Instead, look at the Bible to see if GOD teaches it in His word and whether it fits in with the whole counsel of the Word of God. Pagans also believe in the concept of GOD, does that mean God is not true? In that case, the score should read as atheists -1, christians - 0. No, right?

The way i understand those religions u mentioned, they teach tritheism, not trinitarianism. HUGE difference. Similarities in name only, not substance.

Proskeuneo ...  I agree with u on the way the word is used differs with the attitude behind it. But if i refer u to John 4:23, where Satan asks of Jesus for that same proskeuneo worship, do u still think its a reverential greeting that he demands?

In fact, if you look at Luke 17:11-19, in particular verse 16, do u still think the healed leper's action only meant to give Jesus a reverential greeting?

 

btw, it is also written in rev that the lamb was at some point sitting at the right hand of God right??so the trinitarian God is also able to split the son part of himself out to sit at his own right hand too??

now u said jesus is God's son and not God himself, yet he is still equal to God and of the same substance??dont u think u not only sound contradictory to trinitarian teaching that jesus is also fully god?and also sound very much like the jewish pharisees that says jesus is blaspheming when jesus claimed to be the son of God and tried to make himself equal to God..

are you not of the same substance of your father?? ie human flesh..is it that different in the case where jesus being the only begotten son of God to be made of the same vibrant energy?

u also said the lamb and God is different which is also my point..the lamb is clearly jesus while God is clearly God..abba father..personal name is Jehovah or Yahweh..not the same guy in some mysterious Godhead.

Originally posted by youyayu:

and you think is funny? tell me your religon and i make fun of it then tell you that i am joking

ask yourself this, are you so agitated because someone has insulted your church,your beloved pastor or is it someone has insulted the true God you profess to love.or is it just some gods that man had made to worship and recruited more people to join?

if the word of God is in you,would you have said such a thing??where is the mild-temperness of Jehovah God that should have being in you if you are his true follower?where is the love for the enemy?perharps when u dwell more in scriptural truth, you will understand more.

btw, i did see much anger frm a fellow chc boy,even harsh language to a mentally unsound old lady at the coffeeshop opp the jurong west chc back den when i was attending chc services.

Originally posted by dumbdumb!:

 not exactly a "yo mama so fat.." kinda joke though.

bwahahahaha..

Originally posted by youyayu:

good.. u go be a beggar and i be a CEO some company

we shall compare which 1 is happlier

if im a beggar and i m doing God's work,preaching his happy ways. the world will hate me bcuz im no longer of this world.yet happy i m bcuz im made enemy of the world bcuz of God and jesus i suffered.

u are a ceo that is rich and powerful,can buy watever u want in this world yet not able to buy a slot to get to paradise.the world loves you for your father is the devil and not God.when this wicked system is swept away by God's mighty arm.where whould u hide your worthless paper money by then?knowing that for being a friend to the world, u made God, the creator of the universe your enemy..

guess you would be happy that way??btw, is that also a teaching of your church??beggars are unhappy people and only ceos are the happy lot??guess i m correct that certain churches are only concerned about teaching material wealth..

Originally posted by youyayu:

there is no source.. no nothing. don't belive everything u see

no idea if such a Holy stone was actually in existence and being bought by some fools at high prices..but i guess my main point is about holy artifacts..not the fools that bought any if any..

Originally posted by youyayu:

go check the church history before saying anything

hmm..i was saying churches nowadays..why so uptight???is it not true that many churhces are more concerned about how much money they are making rather then spiritual growth and if they are actually doing works pleasing to God??

relax,im not targeting just your church..neither am i the only one targeting your church... =)

Originally posted by skythewood:

 concrete proof ==> i once step into a cement that is still wet. it eventually harden to concrete. my shoe print in the concrete is proof i stepped in the cement

damn...i had the same thinking...

Originally posted by Fantagf:

Someone from the church said that they are "forced" to buy the CDs of the pastor's wife, buy 13 pcs.   Pastor using pulpit time to advertise the CD of the wife. 

i heard that rumor true.n was testified true by some members of the church too..no wonder her sales volume so high..the things she sings...so so secular n nothing scriptural about it..

Originally posted by [illvsion revived]:

Jesus is mobile and his audience is 4000 - 5000 not counting woman and children. How to build a church. He taught in the temple and yet ppl want to stone him.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

 Why learn about the kingdom to come?

Luke 17:20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

Don't be confuse it's not heaven He's refering to. 

yeah,if only he built a church,he would have made millions too.but thats not what he wanted ya..he went mobile cuz he knows the end is near and he wants as many people to know the truth as possible.

y learn about the kingdom to come?cuz the end is near.jesus taught in his model prayer that we ask for God's kingdom and sanctifying God's name and his will as top priority.then comes for asking the forgiveness of our sins.

n nope,im not thinking of heaven.

Originally posted by [illvsion revived]:

I beg to defer,

John 12:4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Jesus wasn't penniless.

 

ok..im sorry that i said he was penniless.i was actually driving the point of he is penniless as compared to mordern day mega churches that earn 10s of mils a year.(not adjusted for inflation and taxes both in jesus day and now)

jesus had some travel money and i believe judas was the treasurer right?n the verse u quote is the one where a woman had given a bottle of perfume to jesus for anointing him ya?

I know only a few Protestant churches believe in the descend to the world of the dead. Among those are Jehovah witness but I've read bad rumors about them. The other is the Seventh day Advent church. But again this Advent church seems to be overly confidence of their salvation and selfrighteous that they view other Christians as misguided and would not share the kingdom of heaven.

i also heard bad rumors about JWs and 7th day, as well as the RCC and mega churches.but that didnt stop me from observing them and see which of the really apply what they teach.

disclaimer* doing what they teach may not always be right.have to depend on the stuff they teach.in a certain mega church i went before,they were teaching about accumulating material wealth instead of spiritual wealth and boy are they doing it perfectly to their own teaching.

remember that jesus himself was the object of ridicule and humiliation of the pharisees yet he showed how great a man he is by his works.

Resurrection

A.na'sta.sis, Greek translated as resurrection. literally meaning a standing up again, ref to rising up from death.constantly used throughout the bible.any was resurrected back then for awhile.

Is resurrection a reuniting of immaterial soul with physical body?

for it to be possible,we need a physical body and an immaterial soul.do we have an immaterial soul as taught in the bible??nope..too bad then.

Who will be resurrected to share heavenly life with jesus and to do what?

Luke 12:32. it says of a lil flock..meaning not all who had faith in jesus goes up..

Rev 20:4-6 talks about thrones and people sitting upon them and judging power bestowed upon them. they are also happy n holy as they are of the 1st resurrection and the 2nd death has no hold on them.these people will be as kings and priests of God and the christ ruling with him(jesus) for 1000 years.

Jesus demostrated resurrection in john 11:11,14-44 and also Mark5:35-42.

what about people to be raised on earth?

Luke 23:43 says about a paradise.

Rev 20:12,13 talks about the dead both great n small(can mean physical size as well as status) b4 the throne and scrolls opened, also the scroll of life were opened. they will be judged then. also to raise up people to judge them and consign to a second death immediately is not only inconsistent with the bible but also a waste of time.they will instead be raised up and into perfection den judged again like wat rev says about letting loose the serpent in the abyss to try mankind again.

John 5:28 says about all in the memorial tombs will come out.

acts 24:15 mentions a resurrection of both righteous n unrighteous..

Purgatory

according to RCC..the state, place or condition in the next world where the souls of the dead in the state of grace, but yet free from all imperfection, make expiation for unforgiven venial sins or for temporal punishment due to venial and mortal sins already forgiven and by doing so,purified b4 going heaven. (new catholic encyclopedia)

the new catholic encyclopedia is a good book that mentions many of the catholic practices are not based on scriptural proof but on traditions.and yes purgatory is one of such tradition and not a bible teaching..

Hell

this word is found in many bible translations. in some translations,the word grave is found in the same verses instead or the land of the dead. hebrew wors is she'ohl and greek is hai'des, not an individual burial place but a commongrave for the dead. greek word Ge'en.na is used as a symbol of eternal destruction. however,both inside n outside christiandom,it is taught hell is a dwelling place for demons where the wicked after death will suffer some through torment.

Does the bible indicate if the dead experience pain?

ref Eccl 9:5,6 and 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

ref psl 146:4 too

Does Bible mentions what people goes to hell?

Ps 9:17..remember hell is the place of the dead..

Job 14:13 talks about job asking for protection in hell*. God himself said job was upright n righteous man.

Acts 2:25-27, david was speaking concerning jesus. the fact that Goddid not "leave" jesus in hell implies that jesus was in hell for at least awhile ya??(3days?)

there are more issues about hell..but until someone is interested and ask, i will it it as it is for now..too much info to type..