Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
"NEARLY 2,000 years ago, Jesus, often called the greatest man who ever lived, was unjustly sentenced to death. While he hung on a torture stake, an evildoer hanging next to him said derisively: “You are the Christ, are you not? Save yourself and us.”
At that, another evildoer who was also being executed rebuked the man: “Do you not fear God at all, now that you are in the same judgment? And we, indeed, justly so, for we are receiving in full what we deserve for things we did; but this man did nothing out of the way.” Then he turned to Jesus and petitioned: “Remember me when you get into your kingdom.”
Jesus replied: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.”—Luke 23:39-43.
Jesus had a marvelous hope set before him. The apostle Paul noted the effect that this hope had upon Jesus, observing: “For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame.”—Hebrews 12:2.
Included in “the joy” set before Jesus was living with his Father again in heaven and eventually serving as Ruler of God’s Kingdom. Moreover, he would also have the joy of welcoming into heaven proven and trusted followers of his that would rule with him as kings over the earth. (John 14:2, 3; Philippians 2:7-11; Revelation 20:5, 6) What, then, did Jesus mean when he promised the repentant evildoer that he would be in Paradise?
What Hope for the Evildoer?--That man did not qualify to rule with Jesus in heaven. He is not included among those to whom Jesus said: “You are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom.” (Luke 22:28, 29) Yet, Jesus promised that the evildoer would be in Paradise with him. How will that promise be fulfilled?
The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, were placed by Jehovah God in Paradise, a garden of pleasure called Eden. (Genesis 2:8, 15) Eden was on earth, and God purposed that the entire earth be a paradise. However, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were put out of their beautiful home. (Genesis 3:23, 24) But Jesus revealed that Paradise would be restored and that it would come to include the entire earth.
When the apostle Peter asked Jesus what reward he and his fellow apostles would receive for following him, Jesus promised: “In the re-creation, when the Son of man sits down upon his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also yourselves sit upon twelve thrones.” (Matthew 19:27, 28) Significantly, in Luke’s account of this conversation, instead of saying “in the re-creation,” Jesus is quoted as saying “in the coming system of things.”—Luke 18:28-30.
Thus, when Jesus Christ sits down in heaven upon his glorious throne, along with those who will rule with him, he will establish a righteous new system of things. (2 Timothy 2:11, 12; Revelation 5:10; 14:1, 3) By means of Christ’s heavenly rule, God’s original purpose for the entire earth to be a paradise will be fulfilled!
During this Kingdom rule, Jesus will fulfill his promise to the criminal who died alongside him. He will resurrect him, and that man will become an earthly subject of Jesus. Then the evildoer will be given an opportunity to meet God’s requirements and live forever under the rule of the Kingdom. Surely we can rejoice in the Bible-based prospect of living forever in Paradise on earth!
Life Can Have Meaning--Imagine the meaning that such a grand hope can give to our lives. It can help protect our minds from the disastrous results of negative thinking. That hope was likened by the apostle Paul to a vital piece of spiritual armor. He said that we must put “the hope of salvation” on “as a helmet.”—1 Thessalonians 5:8; Psalm 37:29; Revelation 21:3, 4.
That hope is life sustaining. In the coming Paradise, loneliness will give way to tears of joy as cherished loved ones are brought back to life by “the God who raises up the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:9) Then the frustration of physical frailty, pain, and immobility will be forgotten, for “the lame one will climb up just as a stag does.” A person’s ‘flesh will become fresher than in youth,’ and he will “return to the days of his youthful vigor.”—Isaiah 35:6; Job 33:25.
At that time, when “no resident will say: ‘I am sick,’” the despair of a lingering disease will be merely a fading memory. (Isaiah 33:24) The emptiness of chronic depression will be turned into “rejoicing to time indefinite.” (Isaiah 35:10) The hopelessness of a fatal illness will vanish along with death itself, mankind’s ancient enemy.—1 Corinthians 15:26. "
i heard that story on the news the other day. the teachers want to make the test easier so the kids will pass and they can get their raises/promotions. lol
Hey little lady where you at?
Lol look at this shit....at least we could read
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Half_of_Fla_High_School_Students_Fail_FCAT_Test_152038145.html
I looked horrible in the 70s. ...had a leisure suit, a wide ass tie, and horrible feather haircut!
i think whatever decade you come of age is the best decade. listen to 30 year olds and they will tell you how much better the 90's were than today- ect.
Ya hadda be there.
How about you throwing up White Rabbit!
I know, Jonah....i really do. It doesn't have the same affect on me as it does you.
ROFLMAO....I remember liking it though.....whatever it was, lol.
It is a good start...And it will grow in momentum...We will see...
I am a Ron Paul Dude...
Shermann
Bye Moses that must be a sight!
Thank-you...Gotta run now...My wife just pulled in...Time to take the dog and the cats for a walk!!!
Shermann
occupy wall street is not doing it for you? then try the tea party get togethers- lot's of drugs and free sex too - is what i hear
You're very lucky!
From Grace Slick
Somebody to Love?: A Rock-and-Roll Memoir (1998) by Grace Slick and Andrea Cagan
In Germany I ingested the entire contents of the hotel mini-bar before a show and stuck my fingers in this guy's nostrils because I thought they would fit.
On this incident Paul Kantner remarked: "I remember one night in Germany she spotted a guy picking his nose and she jumped on the guys lap and picked his nose. Half of the audience was grossed out, the other half thought it was great. Hey, half isn't bad!"
I've enjoyed the accommodations offered by police departments from Florida to Hawaii. Any time I saw a badge, something in me would snap.
Jim Morrison was a well-built boy, larger than average, and young enough to maintain the engorged silent connection right through the residue of chemicals.
The first words I ever heard the alcohol rehab counselor say were 'Good morning, assholes!' With that, I liked him right away.
The wiser you get on the inside, the uglier you get on the outside. The world's great gurus have beautiful things to say but they generally look like shit.
Man is the only animal that knows he's going to die, so we invent a heaven to keep from going crazy. Most people are hypnotized by organized religion from childhood.
Loss either teaches you to persist in the face of suffering, or hardens you into a bitter cynic. Sometimes, it does a little of both.
Janis knew more than I did about "how it was", but she lacked enough armor for the inevitable hassles. She was open and spontaneous enough to get her heart trampled with a regularity that took me thirty years to experience or understand. On the various occasions when we were together, she seemed to be holding in something she thought I might not want to hear, like older people do when they hear kids they love saying with absolute youthful confidence, "Oh, that'll never happen to me." Sometimes you know you can't tell them how it is, they have to find out for themselves. Janis felt like an old soul, a wisecracking grandmother whom everybody loved to visit. When I was with her, I often felt like a part of her distant family, a young upstart relative who was still too full of her own sophistry to hear wisdom.
Did we compliment each other? Yes, but not often enough.
Frank Zappa - I Don't Wanna Get Drafted
god is light
beer! and you say MAXIMUM LIGHT didn't add anything to the board- ha.
"AFTER Jehovah God had finished his creative activity, he surveyed all that he had made and pronounced it “very good.” (Gen. 1:31) Everything he had made was perfect. (Deut. 32:4) When sin invaded this righteous arrangement, it was like an undesirable cancer cell invading a healthy body.
Actually, humans have not been the only ones to rebel against God and sin. The Bible speaks of “the angels that sinned.” (2 Pet. 2:4) It was a spirit creature, Satan the Devil, who first led Adam and Eve into their wrong course. (John 8:43, 44) However, nothing can be done for these wicked spirits. They were perfect and made a deliberate choice. Hence, their sin was inexcusable. The stain of their sinfulness will be removed from the universe by their final destruction in God’s due time.—Matt. 25:41.
Similarly, Adam and Eve chose to sin. Although created perfect, they deliberately did wrong. Thus, they voluntarily became slaves of sin, since Jesus himself explained: “Every doer of sin is a slave of sin.” (John 8:34) Eventually they were removed from the scene, when God allowed them to die as a result of their sin-induced imperfection.—Gen. 3:19; 5:5.
It is different with us, however. We, too, are slaves of sin, but not entirely by choice. We are sinners because we were born that way, as if we had been sold as slaves even before our birth. (Rom. 5:12; 7:14) Hence, Jehovah God, in his love and wisdom, has made a provision so that we can get out of slavery to sin, if we really want to.
Solving the Problem --In his dealings with the nation of Israel, Jehovah showed that he accepts the principle of repurchase. For example, if an Israelite became poor and had to sell himself as a slave to a non-Israelite, a close relative could repurchase, or ransom, him, if he was able to do so. (Lev. 25:47-49) The price was worked out exactly, so that the repurchase was entirely just.
Jehovah also established the principle of equivalence in handling guilt for sin.
For example, if someone deliberately caused bodily harm to a fellow Israelite, according to justice he had to suffer the same kind of harm. The law specified that “soul [should go] for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, branding for branding, wound for wound, blow for blow.”—Ex. 21:23-25.
Comparably, God would allow for the repurchasing of mankind out of slavery to sin, but this would have to take place in accordance with justice. The price paid would have to be correct, not trivial, as if what was being repurchased had no real value. What was the price? Well, just think. What Adam had given up was perfect, sinless human life with the prospect of living forever. That was very valuable.
Nothing that man possesses is equal to this in value. Even the wealthiest men in the world have to die some time. All their silver and gold cannot prolong even this imperfect life, let alone buy everlasting life. The inspired psalmist said: “Not one of them can by any means redeem even a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him . . . that he should still live forever and not see the pit.” (Ps. 49:7-9) Therefore, help had to come from outside the human race.
God first revealed his purpose to provide this help right after Adam and Eve chose sin instead of obedience. He foretold the coming of a “seed” who would oppose the influence of the wicked spirit creature that had led mankind into sinfulness. (Gen. 3:15) By successive revelations, he identified the family that would produce this seed, or offspring.
Eventually, these revelations focused on an engaged couple named Joseph and Mary, living in Palestine during the time of the Roman Empire.—Gen. 22:15-18; 49:10; Luke 1:26-35.
This couple learned that Mary was going to have a son who would play a pivotal part in removing the stain of sin from God’s creation.
Jehovah’s angel informed Joseph in a dream: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife home, for that which has been begotten in her is by holy spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:20, 21) Here at last was one who could “redeem even a brother.”
Jesus was born a son of Mary, and, hence, was truly a Jew of the family of David. As was later revealed, however, he had actually had a prehuman existence in heaven. His life was transferred by Jehovah’s miraculous power to the womb of Mary, so that God’s Son could be born as a man. (John 1:1-3, 14) In this way, Jesus did not inherit the sinfulness that had crippled all of mankind up to his time.
Like Adam, he was perfect. Unlike Adam, he remained obedient. Hence, unique in human history, Jesus was a man who never sinned. The apostle Peter said: “He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth.” Paul explained that Jesus was “loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners.”—1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 7:26.
Jesus thus possessed the only thing that is equivalent in value to a perfect human life: another perfect human life. When he died, his death was not the “wages sin pays.” (Rom. 6:23) Jesus did not deserve to die. Hence, at his death he sacrificed something that was exactly equivalent to the perfect life Adam had lost.—1 Tim. 2:6.
Jesus’ sacrifice had precisely the opposite effect of Adam’s sin. The apostle Paul said: “Just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22) Jesus was able to use his perfect human life as a price to buy mankind out of sin. “He gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from the present wicked system of things according to the will of our God and Father.”—Gal. 1:4.
Relief from Sin--So now there exists a way out for mankind! A redemptive price has been paid. Does this mean that everyone now will automatically be freed from slavery to sin and will be restored to perfection? Not really. The way this provision works was explained by Jesus himself, who said: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Yes, those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ, through whom God made the ransom provision, will enjoy life everlasting from which Adam’s willful disobedience had cut them off.
Even now, those who really accept Jesus’ sacrifice gain benefits.
Of course, they are still imperfect. God’s time for restoring mankind to literal human perfection has not yet arrived. But if, because of imperfection, they do commit a sin, this does not irreparably break their relationship with their heavenly Father. The apostle John wrote: “I am writing you these things that you may not commit a sin. And yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one.” (1 John 2:1, 2) Yes, if because of imperfection we fall into sin, we can pray to God on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice, confident that Jehovah will forgive us.—1 John 1:7-9.
Does this mean, then, that sin really does not matter anymore? Because of this loving provision, can we now commit any sin we want to, and be assured that we will be forgiven because of Jesus’ sacrifice? No, this is not the case at all. If we want to benefit from this provision, we have to demonstrate the same attitude toward sin that Jesus has. He ‘loves righteousness and hates lawlessness,’ and so should we. (Heb. 1:9) Like Paul, we should ‘pummel our bodies and lead them as slaves’ to overcome the tendency to sin. (1 Cor. 9:27)
This involves clearly understanding what sin is and fighting to resist it. God will help us in this, and it can result in our real transformation as a person.—Rom. 12:2.
If, however, we do not fight our sinful tendencies, it may be that the apostle Paul’s further words will come to apply to us: “For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment.”—Heb. 10:26, 27.
Finally, those who demonstrate that, in spite of their imperfect flesh, they truly wish to escape slavery to sin have an even more wonderful prospect. They are promised the opportunity of living in a new order where sin will be a thing of the past. It will have been completely eliminated from God’s creation. At that time, “they will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isa. 11:9) The inspired psalmist promises us that “the wicked [or, deliberately sinful] one will be no more.” On the contrary, “the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—Ps. 37:10, 11.
All the bad results of sin—sickness, death, and alienation from God—will be things of the past. (Rev. 21:3, 4) Instead, God’s purpose toward this earth will be fully accomplished.—Matt. 6:9, 10.
Yes, thanks to Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, believing mankind has the wonderful opportunity finally to come out from slavery to sin. Hence, the encouragement of the psalmist is very timely: “Turn away from what is bad and do what is good, and so reside to time indefinite. For Jehovah is a lover of justice, and he will not leave his loyal ones. To time indefinite they will certainly be guarded.”—Ps. 37:27, 28 ".
You don't remember a GodDamn thing from the 60s lol!
Yup...I am lucky though...My wife is the greatest person I have ever met...
Shermann
Nope...But I loved the protests to stop it...I wish it was happening now...
Shermann
Of course not, Luvvy....that was one of the things that fomented the rebellion. But it was just one thing....race inequality, gender inequality....real change...not the hopey dopey Obama kinda change. 250,000 people in one muddy place and no fights. We were brothers and sisters.
And then....there was the LSD spiritual awakening......psyche soap, lol. I know you'll have fun with that one.
Flip Wilson...Nice!!!
Shermann
Draft beer not men!
If that's the way it is me too.
I agree, I can't think of any easy outs I've had in this life. lol
To all that didn't experience the 60's...there will not be a repeat for a long, long time. It was marvelous and to grow up then was truly a gift.
you liked the vietnam war? jk.
the devil made me do it- lol
At this point in time, I would take the late '60's over what is going on now!!!
Shermann
You nasty minded hippy, lol.
good one. i also like: make love not war
I am guessing that is an assumption to make people feel better about themselves...It is also an easy out...
Shermann
Yep. Gandhi is in hell and Dahmer is in heaven. I'd rather be with Gandhi.
It was not one of our favorites...How about....
"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called the Children of God"
Shermann
As you do, we follow teachings of many people...Jesus was just so exceiptional...Mother Theresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. were also exceptional...As were many others.
Shermann
I know or at least that's what I see. Again....I'm commenting on what I'm told.
It's not, a mass murderer says forgive me on his death bed and joins Jesus in the pearlies. Not just to the guy that did good and is the bad guys neighbor.
Logical, lol.
God is not fair Wall!
that's means what? that you don't follow jesus's teaching about being born again- or you just don't want to answer the question?
Exactly....but I will add that there are many other teachers out there worthy of our attention. It's enlightening to hear the same thing in different words/
It doesn't seem fair, Jonah.
Followers
|
40
|
Posters
|
|
Posts (Today)
|
0
|
Posts (Total)
|
33640
|
Created
|
11/06/11
|
Type
|
Premium
|
Moderator chloebware | |||
Assistants |
Volume | |
Day Range: | |
Bid Price | |
Ask Price | |
Last Trade Time: |