CLV Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and operative, and keener above any two-edged sword, and penetrating up to the parting of soul and spirit, both of the articulations and marrow, and is a judge of the sentiments and thoughts of the heart.

The Word of God is "living" and "operative." Two words that some do not associate with His Word. We tend to think of the Bible as the Word of God. But it is not. The Bible comes from the Word of God. Yet it is incomplete...

CLV John 21:25 Now there are many other things also, which Jesus does, which, if they should be written, one by one, I am surmising not even the world itself would contain the written scrolls.

CLV John 20:30 Indeed then, many other signs also Jesus does, in the sight of His disciples, which are not written in this scroll.

CLV Num 21:14 Therefore it is said in the Scroll of the Wars of Yahweh: The gushing river at the terminus! And the wadis of Arnon!

CLV Jos 10:13 So the sun stood still, and the moon, it stayed, until the nation had avenged itself on its enemies. Is it not written in the Scroll of the Upright? The sun stayed in midheaven, and did not rush to set for about one robust day.

CLV Eph 3:3 for by revelation the secret is made known to me according as I write before, in brief,

So we "hear" His Word...

CLV Ro 10:16 But not all obey the evangel, for Isaiah is saying, "Lord, who believes our tidings?"
17 Consequently, faith is out of tidings, yet the tidings through a declaration of Christ.

Strong's

G189 akoe ak-o-ay'
from G191;

hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard).

So it is important that we have the living presence of God in our lives and that we "hear" what He has to say.

Also, in Heb 4:12 we see the word "keener."

Strong's

G5114 tomoteros tom-o'-ter-os
comparative of a derivative of the primary temno (to cut; more comprehensive or decisive than G2875, as if by a single stroke; whereas that implies repeated blows, like hacking);
more keen.

CLV 2Tim 2:15 Endeavor to present yourself to God qualified, an unashamed worker, correctly cutting the word of truth.

The question is, do you have the living presence of God in your life?

My answer...YES but not YOUR god, MINE.

CLV Mark 12:29 Jesus answered him that "The foremost precept of all is: Hear, Israel! the Lord our God is one Lord.

CLV Deut 6:4 Hear, Israel! Yahweh is our Elohim; Yahweh the only One.

Your quote reinforces my reply and my belief. ~ thanx

CLV Luke 1:17 And he/ shall be coming before in His sight in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers onto the children, and the stubborn to the prudence of the just, to make ready a people formed for the Lord."

what entity revered as God would not be for everyone? if you have God within your life, doesn't your God apply to anyone seeking God?

Not really...It applies to me and my belief and really, that's all I need.
My contentment and my belief does not hinge on anyone else's approval.
Does yours?

Well...mine hinges on the approval of my God, and only of my God. And, my God upholds the same standard towards anyone following Him, making Him their God. but the beauty about that standard is it is different for each follower. Yes, there are similarities amongst like believers. but each follower has their own personal walk, their own personal experience unlike many other followers.

but just like with you and your God, my walk with my God does not require anyone's approval. in fact, the majority who believes in my God would disapprove of my walk with my God. and to be honest, that is absolutely how I prefer it

See, that's where I lost my religion.
I realized that religion required me to believe in someone else's impression of my God as God applied to my own life.
When I was told my Belief in God was wrong because I didn't agree with doctrine or scripture I saw religion for the control it was.
My God requires nothing from me, in turn, I require nothing from my God.
We exist in sync realizing that I am part of My God and My God is part of me.
It releases both of us from trying to live up to someone else's expectations.

Describe God.
Thanks.

And now for something completely different. A Hindu fable:

It was six men of Indostand, To learning much inclined, Who went to see
the Elephant, (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation,
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant, and happening to fall, against his
broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl: "God bless me! but the
Elephant, Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried, "Ho! what have we here, So very
round and smooth and sharp? To me 'tis mighty clear, This wonder of an
Elephant, Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal, And happening to take, The squirming
trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the
Elephant, Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand, And felt about the knee. "What most
this wondrous beast is like, Is mighty plain," quoth he; "'Tis clear
enough the Elephant, Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man, Can
tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an
Elephant, Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun, About the beast to grope, Than, seizing on
the swinging tail, That fell within his scope, "I see," quoth he, "the
Elephant, Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan, Dispute loud and long, Each in his own
opinion, Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL:
So oft in theologic wars, The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter
ignorance, Of what each other mean, And prate about an Elephant, Not one
of them has seen!

BigD
Ephe 3:8 (CLV) To me, less than the least of all saints,
was granted this grace: to bring the evangel of the
untraceable riches of Christ to the nations

Don't need to, just look around and within.

You just did (to a degree).

CLV Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and operative, and keener above any two-edged sword, and penetrating up to the parting of soul and spirit, both of the articulations and marrow, and is a judge of the sentiments and thoughts of the heart.

Living and Operative.

how about an example of knowing God is with you, and helping you, in order for me to see that God is the same as I have read Him to be for others?



there is also a concept of divine intervention or coincidence. as a believer, I view it as divine intervention.

example: your boss asks you to work over when your normal routine is to leave and be at certain places. but the time your boss asks you to work, one of these places gets robbed and someone is shot.

now, is that coincidence or God intervening for you?

I have personally had a few incidents like this that something happened and kept me from being somewhere. and then later on I learned something bad took place and I would have been there or possibly involved.

to me, this is God's divine intervention.

so, when I realized what this was, it was no longer believing in God via faith only. to me, this was hardcore fact there is a real God who is helping me while I was blindly believing He was real.

basically, I have so much proof now there is a real God that it no longer is a matter of faith. where my faith now lies at, is at the point of expecting God to always intervene on my behalf

For me, I speak to God, and He speaks to me. It is pretty much that simple. I also speak to Jesus, and He speaks to me.

They lead me and guide me. And have been doing so since I was 18.

I remember the day Jesus first spoke to me. I was in the back seat of a car, going to a prayer meeting on Friday evening. I was reading a Bible at the time. Jesus kinda jumped right out of the page and introduced Himself. And that was it. He said, "You will be hearing from me."

And I did.

When I was a teen, I used to Astral Project. I traveled to many places. When I spoke to Jesus He told me I was not to do that anymore. But that He would take me. and he has.

I first read the Bible (I do mean the whole Bible) when I was 14. I wasn't a Christian yet but I felt it was an important book. I have since read it several times.

I study and research the Scriptures in Ancient Greek and Hebrew. This is not something I could do if I did not have His help and guidance.

I do know where you are coming from iam. I have had so many experiences like that. But we have to remember that this is not DH land. There are atheists here and skeptics.

It would be nice if there was a Chrisitan Only forum here.

And furthermore, the problem with a Christian Only forum is who gets to decide who is a Christian? Who is the arbiter of such things? The Pope? Jerry Falwell? And what do they agree on? For instance, I believe in God the Father, the Creator, the Trinity, in Jesus as God's divine son, in Jesus as the Savior, in the Resurrection and the Crucifixion, and so on, and yet there were self-righteous Christians on the DH Christian Only forum who said I was not a Christian. I just didn't believe EVERYTHING exactly as they did, so I was not a Christian, according to them. I follow Jesus only, and that's not good enough. You have to follow Paul, John, Ringo, and George, and the entire Old Testament and every blasphemy against God in it, or you're not a Christian, according to them. So no, a "Christian Only" forum is unworkable, in my opinion. Who decides who is a Christian? Aye, Matey, thar's the rub.

That was dh. Here it is what the individual feels.