I love my engagement ring. I designed it. I would still like to wear it. But I just do not know if it would feel right doing so. Therefore, I totally get where you are coming from with this.

I'm trying to understand how what the Pilgrim engages in isn't imaginative prayer. In chapter 2, when he's spending the summer in the forester's hut, he achieves self-acting prayer in the heart as follows:

"I set about reading The Philokalia in the exact order [my starets] had bidden. I read it once, and again a second time, and this reading kindled in my soul a zealous desire to make what I had read a matter of practical experience. I saw clearly what interior prayer means, how it is to be reached, what the fruits of it are, how it filled one's heart and soul with delight, and how one could tell whether that delight came from God, from nature or from temptation.
"So I began by searching out my heart in the way Simeon the New Theologian teaches. With my eyes shut I gazed in thought, i.e., in imagination, upon my heart. I tried to picture it there in the left side of my breast and to listen carefully to its beating. I started doing this several times a day, for half an hour at a time, and at first I felt nothing but a sense of darkness. But little by little after a fairly short time I was able to picture my heart and to note its movement, and further with the help of my breathing I could put into it and draw from it the Prayer of Jesus in the manner taught by the saints, Gregory of Sinai, Callistus and Ignatius. When drawing the air in I looked in spirit into my heart and said, 'Lord Jesus Christ,' and when breathing out again, I said, 'Have mercy on me.' " (emphasis mine)

This looks to me like he's imagining his heart while praying the Jesus Prayer. However, later in the book, in chapter 4, he cautions a fellow traveler, who has gone blind in his old age, against imaginative prayer, even as he instructs him in how to achieve self-acting interior prayer via imagination:

" '...can you not picture your hand or your foot as clearly as if you were looking at it, can you not turn your eyes to it and fix them upon it, blind as they are?'
" 'Yes, I can,' he answered.
" 'Then picture to yourself your heart in just the same way, turn your eyes to it just as though you were looking at it through your breast, and picture it as clearly as you can. And with your ears listen closely to its beating, beat by beat. When you have got into the way of doing this, begin to fit the words of the Prayer to the beats of the heart one after the other, looking at it all the time. Thus, with the first beat, say or think "Lord," with the second, "Jesus," with the third, "Christ," with the fourth, "have mercy," and with the fifth "on me." And do it over and over again. This will come easily to you, for you already know the groundwork and the first part of praying with the heart. Afterwards, when you have grown used to what I have just told you about, you must begin bringing the whole Prayer of Jesus into and out of your heart in time with your breathing, as the Fathers taught. Thus, as you draw your breath in, say, or imagine yourself saying, "Lord Jesus Christ," and as you breathe out again, "have mercy on me." Do this as often and as much as you can, and in a short space of time you will feel a slight and not unpleasant pain in your heart, followed by a warmth. Thus by God's help you will get the joy of self-acting inward prayer of the heart. But then, whatever you do, be on your guard against imagination and any sort of visions. Don't accept any of them whatever, for the holy Fathers lay down most strongly that inward prayer should be kept free from visions, lest one fall into temptation.' "

How is this picturing of the heart while saying the Jesus Prayer distinct from using imagination in prayer?

Landon Caeli said:

But you mentioned it effecting international trade... Now you're backpedaling. Are you now saying international trade isn't effected by the tariffs? Only Americans feel the crunch?

Click to expand...

How can you not understand that post. If you buy corn, it's going to come from Iowa. If you buy oranges, they'll likely come from California. Some basic foodstuffs that you buy can be home grown. But check out your pantry. I literally just walked into my kitchen and 5 of the first 6 things I looked at were from Pakistan, China, Italy, UK and Thailand. Put tariffs on those and they'll cost me more.

I'm typing this on a Dell laptop. They are made in the US but the components all come from all parts of the world. Every tariff on each country (which YOU will pay) means I will pay more for it. My T shirt was made in Vietnam. The tea I'm drinking now is from Sri Lanka. I just made a salmon sandwich for lunch. The salmon comes from Canada. I made the bread from Australian flour but the yeast comes from China.

We bought a new barbeque yesterday. A Weber. Some are made in the US, but some in China and Taiwan. Possibly using steel from Australia. If the US puts a tariff on our steel, then Weber in the US pays more for it to make them, then we'll place a tariff on your goods and the importer here pays yet more again.

Look, you are locked into the international trade to an extent which is difficult to convey. Arbitrarily messing about with tariffs on a whim, which is what Trump it doing, messes with world trade. Everyone suffers. Because we live in a global village. And when all the deals are done, all the tariffs are paid for, all the extras for the dongles and gizmos and materials and foodstuffs that you import are paid, the prices will rise and it's you who'll be paying the extra.

Plus, you completely avoided this: 'factory employment has dropped by more than 40,000 jobs since April, while the ISM index of manufacturing activity fell in October for the eighth month in a row.'

Trump told you that the tariffs would bring manufacturing back to the US. It didn't, it isn't doing it right now and it won't in the future. He lied to you. Did I really need to have to point that out to you?

He said tariffs wouldn't raise food prices. It did, it is now and it won't change until he removes the tariffs. Again, he lied to you. It's what he does.

I suppose this Emperor traveled back in time to 68 CE and deposited 15,000 documents in the Dead Sea Caves. These documents have been dated to 300 BCE.

Haha, it looks like the characters will be able to take a nap in Kirby Air Riders. That's so cute and funny!

Although a few of them sleeping with their eyes completely or partially open is a little creepy.
Login to view embedded media

Oompa Loompa said:

Deflecting are we?

Click to expand...

In what way? You are claiming this is a problem unique to liberal run cities, rather than just being a big city problem. I see no reason to find that thesis compelling.

Flounders lurk in shallow harbours.

NIKRU

Always in His Presence said:

Why have you not answered my question regarding Romans 10 - for a meaningful debate - BOTH sides have to engage in question and answer - please be so kind in answering my query please

Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Go back to Hebrews -

Heb 9:26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.​

​

Why is the concept of purgatory not mentioned? It is a simply stated sentence. Men die once and after that judgement - period - end of sentence, but not of thought -

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.

Click to expand...

I did answer your question. I said “It means we are saved.”

Our disconnect seems to be exactly what that means. You seem to think it means once you die and are judged there is an immediate entry into heaven regardless of whether or not you still have attachment to any sin. I do not.

It’s also important to remember that Scripture speaks of salvation as being a past event, a present ongoing process and a future event.

For example, in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 we seem to both agree this is in reference to our judgment. A person has died and there is judgment, as your Hebrews 9:26 citation references. Okay. We agree on that too.

You will notice however, Paul is still referring to our salvation in the Corinthians text as a future event that occurs after the person has ‘suffered loss’ and gone through fire.

If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:15)

So, I’ve answered your question, so now would you please answer mine?

We indeed WILL BE saved but only as through fire
What does being saved only as through fire mean to you?

Always in His Presence said:

I don't deal with hypotheticals -

Click to expand...

Then answer a question – at the moment of every believer’s death do you believe they are perfect, completely sanctified with no attachment to sin?

Always in His Presence said:

The concept of purgatory, at best, is theoretical and I'll explain why.

There is a term in theology - exegesis - it means

Exposition; explanation; especially, a critical explanation of a text or portion of Scripture
​

When a teaching or concept is not plainly shown it does not rise to an exegetical level. It requires suppositions, reasoning and possibilities. All of which is demonstrated in your last few posts. (Forgive me, I am not picking on you)

Click to expand...

I am familiar with the terms.

I would contend there are several concepts here I’ve shown that are quite plainly in Scripture. The first is that just become someone is saved, it does not mean they are immediately sanctified. Therefore, God will discipline us as sons in order to bring us to holiness (Hebrews 12:4-14)
We will not see God until we have reached that level of perfected holiness (Hebrews 12:4, 23)

There is nothing in Scripture that indicates that all believers will have reached that state of perfection by the time they die.

There is nothing in Scripture that says that once we’re judged our entry into heaven will immediately follow that judgement regardless of the state Christ finds our soul. In fact, it says quite the opposite. Anything he finds that needs to be burned off before we enter heaven, he will. That is why even when referring to our judgment Paul writes that if any of our work is burned up, we “will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). “Will be saved.” In the future. When Christ is finished removing all that does not belong in heaven.

Sometimes I hear pastor's say 'it's easier sinning w/ other people.' I'm not sure that's accurate. When you're w/ someone else, you're trying to encourage them, set an example for them, & safeguard yourself as well. It's an accountability thing. They're your accountability & responsibility & you're their's.

The Barbarian said:

That's more like 44%, but a small sample size probably makes such a distinction problematic.

Click to expand...

215,000 women is not a small sample size.

as for if it matters at all, that's for the insurance companies to determine, by which we all live today.

again, unforeseen consequences.

too small for you to consider in this generation. which is your right to make that judgement.

I have been thinking well, but there's times you definitely feel like you lost.

But then sometimes you see it, & it's like, "do you really want that?" It's what the world wants. But it's like you're part of the world too

MarkSB said:

Yeah I'm sure that's the reason why. That certainly looks like a tourist destination.

Click to expand...

It's happening in front of a public transportation station. Tourists use public transportation to get around the city they're visiting.

BobRyan said:

2. 2 Tim 3:16 says scripture comes from God, and not "the best idea that primitive man could think up"

Click to expand...

The Greek concept of pneumotheos wasn't what you think it is. It was applied to things like combs and other such religious paraphenalia and was used to indicate that they took on life through their association with the Divine. It wasn't a theory of inspiration.

rambot said:

I also think his brain is now at a place where he shouldn't be running the country. It's too far gone.

Y'all need to make your government far, far younger.

Click to expand...

I don't think anyone should be allowed to be President past 74 in running for a term. That means they would be done at 78. A two term ambition you should start no later then 70 and be done by 78.

Me and my Husband had a good day today. ^w^ =3

I am very grateful to God.

contratodo said:

Prophetically we therefore see truth related to the stars being cast down.

Click to expand...

Seems kind of a leap from poetic imagery like that to Spacemen & Flying Saucers, unless you already believe in SM&FS a priori, and are just looking for some way to stick 'em into Scripture. I don't believe in them, and thus see no rationale in the Bible for doing so .

Single mom needs prayers about relocation and new housing, after suffering in isolation for many years

Well... A proud Jeff Bezos for rivaling Elon Musk!

bling said:

Is it what they had or did not have which caused them to sin?

Click to expand...

Adam and Eve ceased to be individuals the moment God spoke His Words to them, ala Mark 4:15

From that point on it was Adam and the tempter within him, as well as Eve, with the tempter within her.

They left the garden with the tempter intact, in their own sorry hides, predetermined to the death of their own flesh and so on to today

The Mighty Heros