Bible Believing Christians

Christie smith shared a photo

March 2, 2021 10:25 pm

Yes, I believe our pets will be in heaven. Do you?

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Kelly jeau Larson

God as the controller uses the injustices caused by humankind's sin and fall to show that without Him human beings are no different than animals (verse 18), in their dying (verses 19–20), and in the appreciation they receive after death (verse 21), so as the conclusion: 'the remedy to life's enigma ... View More

March 4, 2021 Edited

Tina Byrd

It wouldn't be heaven without our pets

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1 March 4, 2021

Marsha Whitehair

Animals are innocent and no evil exists in them therefore they will walk beside us in heaven!!

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3 2 hours ago

Kelly jeau Larson

I also wondered if they will speak and commend us for how we treated them be God, and condemn others for the mistreatment.

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1 1 hour ago

Kelly jeau Larson shared a photo

16 hours ago

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Kelly jeau Larson

March 4, 2021 9:56 am

Habakkuk 1:1 (1) The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. New King James Version This is a very simple introduction. We begin to see immediately some of Habakkuk's character. He removes himself a... View MoreHabakkuk 1:1 (1) The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. New King James Version This is a very simple introduction. We begin to see immediately some of Habakkuk's character. He removes himself almost entirely from the book. He is not worried about himself or his pedigree. His book is just a narrative of his conversation with God. All we know about Habakkuk is that he was the prophet at the time. He is an obscure character, not appearing anywhere else in Scripture. In effect, there is nothing to learn except from what he says; the Bible contains no extraneous details about him. It is possible to extrapolate a few things about him. He may have been a Levite, one of the singers or musicians in the Temple, perhaps one of the sons of Asaph, because he writes a very fine song in the third chapter. Even his name is uncertain. It seems not even to be Hebrew but foreign, an Akkadian word. Moreover, its meaning is disputed, the best guess being that Habakkuk means "embracer," almost like "hugger"—one who wrestles. In a way, that is what he does throughout the whole book. He embraces God, wrestles Him, for an answer—similar to what Jacob did—and he does not let go because he wants God to answer his troubling questions. The date of the book is also uncertain. We know a general time, that it was probably written within twenty-five years of Jerusalem's fall in Judah, somewhere between 610-585 BC. This was right after Nineveh fell to the Babylonians in 612, and about the time that Nebuchadnezzar was besieging Tyre and before he came against Jerusalem. His first attack on Jerusalem occurred in 604, so the general consensus is that Habakkuk was probably written sometime during Nebuchadnezzar's seige of Tyre. The awesome might of the Chaldeans was just one country away, and Judah itself was sinking further into sin. Josiah, one of Judah's best kings, had died, and his sons had come to the throne, and they had failed to hold the country together morally. Judah was beginning to fear that they would be next in the domino of nations that were falling, and they were terrified because word had reached them of what the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, did to those they conquered. Judah's day of reckoning was near, and so Habakkuk's cry to God is only a natural response of a man who loved his people and his nation. We can see that Habakkuk's situation fits current circumstances quite closely. The fall of Israel is not too far off. This land is sinking further into sin, and no one seems to want to stand up to stop it. It could go quickly, even though we are the world's superpower. Just one terrorist who says he has a briefcase-size nuclear bomb could hold this country hostage, because no President would want to give up Houston, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, or any city in the United States to call the bluff of some terrorist group or some nation who decides that America needs to be cut down to size. Not only that, things are happening in the church itself that make people ask questions, even of God Himself. "Why are you doing this, God?" "Why is the church disintegrating?" "Who are these people that have come in and destroyed the doctrines of the church?" "Why have You allowed it to happen?" Many of us have asked questions like these. They are the same questions Habakkuk was contemplating. He did not know what to think because what was happening did not seem to follow what he knew of God. "Why would God work this way?" Like Habakkuk, we want to reconcile what we know of God with what is happening because we understand that He is sovereign. However, sometimes with God, it seems that two and two do not quite equal four, but with God two and two always make four. Our perspective is just not the same as His. So, we must go to God for answers when things do not seem to be going the way we expect them to. In this is the real value of this little, obscure book: It helps to answer some of these kinds of questions. Notice that Habakkuk calls his message, his prophecy, a "burden." This is a very important word. Sometimes God's ministers, especially the prophets, had to deliver messages that people really did not want to hear. Often, speaking God's words is a burden because they are not always sweetness and light. Sweetness and light seem to come only at the end of the message, as a quick conclusion to the matter. What is so burdensome are the heavy, depressing terrible things that are the main part of the message. In addition, we all know what often happens to the messenger who bears bad news—sometimes he gets his head cut off! People who hear bad news too often take their wrath, their disappointment, their frustration out on the messenger. So it is no wonder Habakkuk says this is a burden! He bears a heavy load: He must tell his people something that they will despise, and because he says it, they will despise him. Thus, as he begins, Habakkuk says, "All right, here goes. You will not like what I have to say here, but read on." And so he presents his "burden." — Richard T. Ritenbaugh To learn more, see: Habakkuk

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Christie smith

I confess I've never really given much thought to habakkuk. Prophecy has always seemed so over my head until recently and it still is but I'm trying to learn really for the first time. And I'm not sure who Richard writtenbaugh is because I've never heard of him, but I very much enjoyed this article.... View More

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1 March 4, 2021

Christie smith shared a photo

March 3, 2021 10:33 am

Let's talk about this! Do you believe animals go to heaven? This is my first reason for believing so. What's yours?

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Christie smith

when i was in my 20s, i was struggling with the "animals have no soul" doctrine i had been brought up with. i had a 9 year old himalayan that i couldn't imagine living without, but he was getting pretty old. (turns out he was only "middle aged", and he lived another ten years!) i was expressing to... View More

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1 March 3, 2021

Aaron Moyes

I have kind of a hard time with man made assumptions with regard to our faith. The idea that my pet would be excluded from a meaningful afterlife simply because they are not a homosapien doesn't really pass the common sense test for me. But hey, I have my own interpretation of a relationship to God ... View More

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1 March 3, 2021

Christie smith shared a photo

March 3, 2021 12:09 am

Good night all, sweet dreams.

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Christie smith

February 28, 2021 8:54 pm

Today's sermon at my church was really powerful. If you have time, i encourage everyone to watch it. The sermon starts somewhere around 35 or 40 minutes if you want to skip straight to it. It is on a... View More

Play

Sunday, Feb 28, 2021

youtu.be

Acts 2:1-13 The Spirit’s Fire

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Kelly jeau Larson shared a photo

February 28, 2021 10:04 am

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Kelly jeau Larson shared a photo

February 25, 2021 3:19 am

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Brian

That's my God!

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2 February 27, 2021

Christie smith shared a photo

February 26, 2021 7:10 pm

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Christie smith

February 25, 2021 7:55 pm

If you could strengthen one area of your faith-walk, or eliminate one stumbling block, what would it be?

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Christie smith

Mine would be praying with others. And talking to others about Jesus, unless i know they are Christians too. I think God has brought me HERE for that reason. I have the opportunity to talk and pray online without wondering if i am tripping over my words. Iron sharpens iron, and y'all are truly a ble... View More

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1 February 25, 2021

Christie smith

Sure is quiet in here today! I was really hoping that this would generate some good discussion.

February 26, 2021

Julie Sporisky

I don’t have any trouble talking to people about Christ, whether Christian or not. I would pray for more wisdom when discussing the word of God. My stumbling block is forgiveness for people who have wronged my deceased son and daughter. That one thing is so very hard for me to do.

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1 February 26, 2021

Christie smith

Julie, I can only imagine how difficult that must be! I know in my lifetime when I have struggled with being able to forgive someone I would pray that God would forgive them through me. I don't know if that's really appropriate but it seemed to be helpful. Maybe because I was asking God to help me t... View More

February 26, 2021