Comments on: Seeking that elusive relationship with God

By: Tom C.

Tom C. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:56:40 +0000

Tom,

You need to be signed into your blog account for your gravatar to appear when you post comments elsewhere.

Tom

By: Tom C.

Tom C. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:35:03 +0000

Bill,

I read this essay shortly after you posted it.

My birthday was about a week and a half ago. Wife gave me a copy of the little book by Brennan which your essay spring-boards from. Began reading it yesterday, and yes, it is true-to-form Manning.

Like you, I’ve studied the Bible since I was old enough to shuffle through Middle English (sometime in 3rd grade). In my mid-50′s I realize that all of my “knowledge” has left me dry and bereft of emotional intimacy with God–Abba.

Manning is right. The most important experience we can have is union with the God Who furiously longs for us–to FEEL that longing. Is there any doubt why the wedding metaphor is so prevalent in Scripture, especially in the Gospels and Revelation?

By: John Bougard

John Bougard — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:34:17 +0000

How are you guys doing? Have you visited our blog? http://esoriano.wordpress.com/ I’ll be happy to hear comments from you guys… Take care!

By: Bill Lollar

Bill Lollar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:15:57 +0000

Hi, Tom. I checked the settings in WordPress and it’s set to allow your gravatar to display. I’m not sure how these things work exactly.

By: John Bougard

John Bougard — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:26:15 +0000

Hi Tom,
Thanks Tom M, I am very happy with your reply. First of all I am not a protestant or orthodox or a pentecostal. I am a Christian. As to what Church I belong, you can find it on the blog. It is actually the blog of our Presiding Minister. What I can assure is that you will read something different, something new from what you are usully hearing from different religous denomination of our time. We are very happy to hear from you even if it will be a good comment, critical or something that will contradict our beliefs.
I know that you are all good people and that you are all seeking the grace and relationship with God. Especially when I read this article “Seeking that elusive relationship with God”. It is just that there are a lot of things written on the article that really caught my attention. I am just a simple member in our congregation yet I beleive that with the little Biblical knowledge that I have learned from the Bible (courtesy of our Presiding Minister), I can tell that the author of the article do not have enough knowledge of the Bible teachings. If we are all saying that we are all Christians, we should not contradict each other, we should be one when it comes to things of faith (1 Cor. 1:10, 1 Cor. 13:11, Ephesians 4:5-6).
I am not encouraging everyone to join us, my appeal is to examine all the different faiths and compare them. Be meticulous when it comes to our soul, we only one soul and if satan capture it, it is very hard to win it back. People are very meticulous when it comes to food, clothing, when choosing freinds, in everything… if we are meticulous with these things, we should be more meticulous when it comes to our soul.
Here is the link of our blog: http://esoriano.wordpress.com/
Thanks again for your reply. May the grace of God be with you all! Take care!

By: Tom M.

Tom M. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:38:26 +0000

Bill- I have a gravatar, but I don’t see how to tie it into the sight? Any tips?

By: Tom M.

Tom M. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:36:56 +0000

John,

Please post a link to your blog by all means then, using the ‘website’ link in the comments field! With regard to studying scripture, I think that people should read and study the Bible more than all other sources of Biblical knowledge combined. That said, i think you are representing a narrow view. Whether you are protestant or orthodox or pentecostal or whatever, your heritage of faith probably goes through someone who benefited from studying Biblical analysis written in a book. Also, I don’t think it is right to trivialize scripture by saying we can just read a verse and all agree as to what it means.

By: John Bougard

John Bougard — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:35:27 +0000

Preachers and leaders on the Bible are always ready to answer all questions from their detractors and they always find time to entertain them (1 Peter 3:15). Remember what Lord Jesus Christ said on Matthew 9:12. If you are happy that somebody praises or made good comments on your article, you should be happier when there are people who critcize your beleifs because you will have a good chance to preach to them what you think will give them the right way towards salvation. Well, I am not suprise when you said that you do not have the interest in debating “off-topic” with me. That is always the escape rope of majority of the preahers of our time. They are the same kind of people indicated in Jeremiah 51:30. I am not off topic. You aksed lot of questions from your article regarding serveral things which you said you cannot tell the difference etc. and what I said is that if you only have a good kwowledge of what the Bible is saying, you should have not ask those questions because all of the answers are written in the Bible.

You said that the scribes and pharisees followed the STRICT letter of the law. Isn’t it that one of the most important commandment from the Bible is “Love”? (Oppose this and I will prove it to you). How can you say that they follow the STRICT letter of the law if they do not have love. Come to think of it. They follow some and they neglect others, that is definitely wrong (James 2:10). They are not a STRICT follower. Does it make sense? Sure it is! you too said that they do not have love in their hearts yet you said that they follow the STRICT letter of the law. Now, that does not make sense.
I am chalenging you to a peaceful debate. You can choose a topic. If you are man enough to defend your faith like what the first century Christians did before, let’s get it on!

We also have our own blog. We are always ready whenever there is someone who criticize our faith. I would like to invite you to visit our blog. Just send me a reply and I will give you the link. Please have sometime just like I did when I visited your blog. Thanks for your time. Take care!

By: Bill Lollar

Bill Lollar — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:35:26 +0000

John,

The Scribes and Pharisees were highly trained teachers and defenders of the Law of God, similar to the conservative evangelicals of our day. They knew God’s Word inside and out. The sad thing is thisâ€¦their zeal for a BOOK and their religious traditions kept them from loving God and loving their neighbor as the Law commanded. They followed the strict letter of the law, but without love in their hearts, which is why they crucified the Son of God for messing with their religious idolatry.

If you are unwilling to engage with the issues I’ve addressed in this articleâ€”hungering to know God more deeplyâ€”then please move along to someone else’s blog and post your judgmental comments there. Frankly, I don’t have the time or the interest in debating off-topic issues with you. Get your own blog if you want to pontificate about how unbiblical everyone else is and how right you are!

By: John Bougard

John Bougard — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:15:04 +0000

Dear Bill Lollar,

Please read 1 Timothy 4:16. If you are a preacher or a religious leader, you should learn from this verse. Isaiah 34:16, the Bible is complete and everything is on it. This is my love for you and for your followers to say the truth even if it will hurt. Your beliefs are not Biblical. It shows on your article and from your reply…