?

I want to make some pottery lotion bottles. My clay shrinks 12.5%, and I need to figure out how wide the neck should be (in the wet, unshrunk stage) in order for the plastic collar of the plunger unit to fit. I'm thinking it won't work to just figure 12.5% and add that to the collar diameter of 2.5 cm. It has to be exact. I used to know how to figure this, but I can't find my notes and for some reason I can't remember how. Help!

Thanks so much!

Cindy

In the next life, in heaven on earth, does the free will of one person extend to his being allowed to harm or make miserable another person? Will God still allow us the freedom to hurt each other in any way or to damage the joy of another? (Please don't answer "We won't want to"; You would be correct, but that's not the point of this question.)

Will people in hell have the ability and power to damage the happiness of one another or of the people in heaven?

If you answered "No," which is a reasonable answer, please think of the person you love best, and who is not following Jesus. Maybe a parent or a child or grandchild or a dear friend or lover. If you were to get a phone call in the next five minutes telling you that person (perhaps a professing and vehement atheist) had died suddenly in a car accident. If there is no reason to believe that she had the opportunity or the inclination to repent in her last few moments, can you imagine your agony? And God loves her MORE than you do. Think of His agony. Think of the agony of those who love you as they watch your agony. That's a lot of pain, and of course it is a domino effect amongst those who truly love one another. In the next life, it would be an INFINITE domino effect, since we will all know and love one another and love those beloved by our loved ones. Think of all those souls in agony over their own loved ones in hell, over one another's agony, and not least at all, over the very agony of God, who cannot but experience it ALL at once.

But will God's agony over losing this dear one diminish or wink out when He regretfully consigns her to hell (whatever that looks like)? Will He forget His love for her? Will it turn to hate? God does not change. His faithfulness endures forever. And if His pain does not diminish, will yours? In a place where love is all, will you refrain from loving this person whom God COMMANDED you to love? Does she still have free will? Will God allow her to hold out for all eternity, a "successful rebel" to her own detriment and causing the sorrow and agony of all those who love her and who love those who love her, including God Himself?

And should this dear one, seeing a true picture of God, who He really is, and seeing and experiencing His agony over her sins and her loss, fall to her knees and from her heart repent and believe the gospel, would He refuse her -- His own dear child?

What do you think? Where does free will end and protection of its victims begin? And how great is the mercy of God, which endureth forever? Is it even possible that our tradition has been misguided?

(BTW, I can back all of this up scripturally, but if you search you'll find many articles that will do it better than I could do here.)

Jesus has just been giving His disciples a run-down of what to expect in the last days (Matthew 24) and then He launches into this parable in ch. 25. It's followed by the Parable of the Talents. I'd copy and paste it here, but it makes the question so long . . .

As I see it, the bride of Christ is the church, without whom it would seem impossible to hold the wedding, so who are the 10 virgins? And why ten? If they represent Israel, I would expect 12.

Oil symbolizes anointing, but can anointing be bought and sold in the marketplace, or lent among friends? And if a friend could lend it, would she thereby be diminished? It seems she would have the same amount of anointing as she had before. Maybe the oil represents something else in this story?

Why are the girls waiting all alone in the dark? The bridal procession included everyone, from what I can learn. Why weren't the bridesmaids assembled together along with the bride herself, with everyone joining the bridegroom as he led the way to the wedding feast? It's not all that easy to find good sources on Jewish wedding customs of the day, but this arrangement doesn't sound like the wedding traditions I was able to find anything out about.

I guess that covers the questions I can think to ask. This parable is a real puzzler to me and I'd appreciate any help in understanding it.

This parable looks simple, but it's not. And yes, it IS a parable . . . "without a parable He did not speak to them (the crowds)." Here's the parable in Luke to save you looking it up.

`And--a certain man was rich, and was clothed in purple and fine linen, making merry sumptuously every day, and there was a certain poor man, by name Lazarus, who was laid at his porch, full of sores, and desiring to be filled from the crumbs that are falling from the table of the rich man; yea, also the dogs, coming, were licking his sores. `

And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the messengers (angels) to the bosom of Abraham--and the rich man also died, and was buried; and in the hades having lifted up his eyes, being in torments, he doth see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, and having cried, he said, Father Abraham, deal kindly with me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and may cool my tongue, because I am distressed in this flame. `And Abraham said, Child, remember that thou did receive--thou--thy good things in thy life, and Lazarus in like manner the evil things, and now he is comforted, and thou art distressed; and besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that they who are willing to go over from hence unto you are not able, nor do they from thence to us pass through.

`And he said, I pray thee, then, father, that thou mayest send him to the house of my father, for I have five brothers, so that he may thoroughly testify to them, that they also may not come to this place of torment. `Abraham saith to him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them; and he said, No, father Abraham, but if any one from the dead may go unto them, they will reform. And he said to him, If Moses and the prophets they do not hear, neither if one may rise out of the dead will they be persuaded.' (Luke 16:19-31 YLT)

What is the significance of the rich man? Did he reject Jesus? Refuse to pray the sinners' prayer? What is the significance of his five brothers? What do the crumbs stand for?

What or who does Lazarus stand for? What does his name mean? Is Lazarus saved, washed by the blood of the Lamb? What is the significance of Abraham's bosom? Why is Lazarus depicted as being poor?

Is this parable about the nature of heaven and hell, or is it about something else altogether, and if so, what? Why are the locations depicted Hades and the bosom of Abraham? Why not heaven and hell?

I've always been told that once you die, it's too late to believe on Jesus for salvation. But I started to wonder what verses in the Bible told us that. I could find only two verses that vaguely suggested this idea. They are:

And just as it is appointed for people to die once--and after this, judgment-- (Hebrews 9:27 HCSB)

This is the principle verse used in sermons to "prove" that there's no more chance after death. The problems for me are that, 1. This verse is talking about Jesus not having to offer Himself over and over again as a sacrifice. His one sacrifice was enough. 2. There is no reason whatsoever given here not to insert a second chance between death and judgment or genuine repentance (God is not deceived) after judgment. If this verse were supporting a number of other, more clear statements, it would be acceptable, but it must stand alone, so far as I can tell, and alone, it just isn't specific enough.

If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or the north, the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. (Ecclesiastes 11:3 HCSB)

This could be an obscure reference to the fate of a soul after death, but commentators don't agree on what it means.

I'm interested to hear your seriously considered thoughts on this, brothers and sisters. Thanks!

"If we hold to the belief in an eternal hell, we also hold to the belief that God's power is not powerful enough to rid the new heavens and new earth of wickedness and evil completely." (Razing Hell, Sharon L. Baker)

I've always wondered about this. How can there be no more sorrow or sighing and no more tears, pain, etc., if the damned are forever and ever experiencing conscious torment? And how can something like this be part of the "all things" that are summed up in Christ?

"Which one of you having a slave tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? Instead, will he not tell him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink'? Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, 'We are good-for-nothing slaves; we've only done our duty.'" (Luke 17:7-10 HCSB)

In my last question, I asked about a parable that I really did have a pretty good handle on (at least, I think I do, so far), but I confess that I truly don't understand this one, so if you can give me some genuine insight, and the Holy Spirit witnesses with my spirit that what you say is true meat, I'll be very grateful. I'll be grateful in any case, if you even make a sincere attempt. It's always good to hear from the family.

As a kind of hint, I think that the context (which I didn't include above) may be important to the interpretation of this parable. Jesus told this right after He answered a question about forgiveness, to which His disciples responded with a plea, "Lord increase our faith!"

* So, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but do they represent themselves in the parable, or someone else? ("Which of you, having a slave . . .")

* Who or what is the slave?

* What does the slave's labor in the fields represent?

* What does the slave's duty to serve the master his meal before eating himself represent?

* What is the significance of the meal?

* What does any of this have to do with forgiving 70 x 7, and/or with increasing one's faith?

* And how does this apply to the disciples seeing themselves as worthless slaves?

* Aren't we SUPPOSED to do only what the Master gives us to do?

Looking forward to your insights!

Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent yet another slave, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.

"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.' "But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him, so the inheritance will be ours!' So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others." But when they heard this they said, "No--never!" But He looked at them and said, "Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected-- this has become the cornerstone? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will grind him to powder!"

Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on Him that very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. (Luke 20:9-19 HCSB)

* What does the vineyard represent?

* Who are the wicked tenants?

* Who is the landholder?

* Who is the son?

* Why would the tenants think that they would receive the inheritance if they killed the heir?

I just purchased (and received) a new fountain pen from an ebay seller. There's an unattached spring in the reservoir. I'm pretty sure it doesn't belong there, at least floating around as it is. Here's a link to a photo. http://www.flickr.com/photos/30488860@N04/57669401...

Anyone know how and/or where to attach it? I hate to write to the seller as the pen came from China and the instructions are barely intelligible. I'll do that if I have to, but I feel it unlikely that the seller will be able to communicate with me.

Thanks for any help!

I'm fascinated to be learning how we actually are likely to think not only with our minds but that we do in fact think (at least intuitively and emotionally) in our hearts. Have you heard of this new line of research? (Well not so very new -- neurologists have been studying it since the 1950's, I've learned.) I find it exciting. It gives a whole new dimension to ancient writings and particularly of interest to me, the Bible. Maybe all that stuff about pondering things in one's heart isn't as metaphorical as I thought.

If you look around you, you'll see a church fractured into countless denominations and factions. Yet this is not the will of God. Jesus prayed, "Father, make them one as We are One, that the world may know that You have sent Me."

Can we be one as God is One? How?