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Christianity [OT] The Word became flesh and dwelt among us

I could have sworn that 2000 years of tradition (part of the kingdom of man) have helped to shape me as a Christian.
We could all be better. We were told we could move mountains with a mustard seed of faith. Praise God he has had mercy on us after the rubbish we’ve done in his name. If your identity is in the outward appearance of your faith then how much more should you be inside where the spirit of God works in you?
 

showernota

Member
My belief is that someone born on a deserted island, with only a Bible, can enter the Kingdom. The basic tenant of my faith is Christ died for our sins. And through His sacrifice, our repentance of our sins, and the continual application of his Word in our daily lives is what ensures our eternal life with Him.
 

Cycom

Banned
This is a separate issue. If a person cannot trust the eye-witness testimony written by Jesus' followers then everything ends up being subjective and relative.



So, why do you not trust the claims made by the New Testament authors?
Mankind has the Gospels and the New Testament scriptures due to eyewitness accounts of the people that were there whose testimony was written down and passed down the generations. People and traditions.

Are you claiming I don’t trust the NT authors?
 
My belief is that someone born on a deserted island, with only a Bible, can enter the Kingdom. The basic tenant of my faith is Christ died for our sins. And through His sacrifice, our repentance of our sins, and the continual application of his Word in our daily lives is what ensures our eternal life with Him.
This is supported in the truth of Romans 2:12-16
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law(T) will be judged by the law.13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey(U) the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,(V) they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets(W) through Jesus Christ,(X) as my gospel(Y) declares.
 

Chaplain

Member
Mankind has the Gospels and the New Testament scriptures due to eyewitness accounts of the people that were there whose testimony was written down and passed down the generations. People and traditions. Are you claiming I don’t trust the NT authors?

What I do know is that Jesus asked His followers to live as He lived and obey His words. Those words and teachings were written by the NT authors. Scripture allows each of us to know and discern between truth and falsehood.

“Truth is never determined by looking at God’s Word and asking, “What does this mean to me?” Whenever I hear someone talk like that, I’m inclined to ask, “What did the Bible mean before you existed? What does God mean by what He says?” Those are the proper questions to be asking. Truth and meaning are not determined by our intuition, experience, or desire. The true meaning of Scripture—or anything else, for that matter—has already been determined and fixed by the mind of God. The task of the interpreter is to discern that meaning. And proper interpretation must precede application.” (John MacArthur, The Truth War, xx-xxi)

“The Bible constantly exhorts believers to beware of false prophets (Matt. 7:15), to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), and to watch out for the doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). But there is no way to recognize error unless we know the truth; counterfeits cannot be detected unless we know the genuine article. Likewise, there is no way to determine what is false about God unless we know what is true about him. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). A” (Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, 18)
 
Mankind has the Gospels and the New Testament scriptures due to eyewitness accounts of the people that were there whose testimony was written down and passed down the generations. People and traditions.

Are you claiming I don’t trust the NT authors?
People who were prepared by God to be eye witnesses. It wasn’t by happenstance or the good Of history. Their hearts were prepared, their minds clear and their hands steadied by God for our sake that we would understand Jesus, the sacrifice, and give us all that we need to bring the cheer of the kingdom of God to men. The power was not in the ceremony, oaths, or traditions. It was the power of God.
 

Cycom

Banned
People who were prepared by God to be eye witnesses. It wasn’t by happenstance or the good Of history. Their hearts were prepared, their minds clear and their hands steadied by God for our sake that we would understand Jesus, the sacrifice, and give us all that we need to bring the cheer of the kingdom of God to men. The power was not in the ceremony, oaths, or traditions. It was the power of God.
After the death of our Lord, how were the gospels and the rest of the NT put to word save by the hands of men (50-100 years after his death)?
How was that then brought through the centuries for you and I save through the traditions of men?
 

#Phonepunk#

Banned
Hands of men who were divinely inspired

Traditions that were divinely inspired

Just because men were involved doesn’t mean a thing. You realize who created men, don’t you?

Feel like people with no clue what they are talking about think it’s some kind of gotcha that God didn’t write and publish The Bible himself with no men involved.
 
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Cycom

Banned
Hands of men who were divinely inspired

Traditions that were divinely inspired

Just because men were involved doesn’t mean a thing. You realize who created men, don’t you?

Feel like people with no clue what they are talking about think it’s some kind of gotcha that God didn’t write and publish The Bible himself with no men involved.
Yes.

and

Yes.

The rest of your post seems somewhat confrontational.
 

Cycom

Banned
Nebuchadnezzar only needed a dream interpreted by Daniel to understand that God is ruler of all things. People don’t need the Bible or a perfect interpretation of it to know God. Although, it is a blessing that we have it.
I can’t imagine the faith being passed down 2,000 years without the holy scriptures. Unless you’re arguing that Christianity could be passed down strictly orally?
 
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I can’t imagine the faith being passed down 2,000 years without the holy scriptures. Unless you’re arguing that Christianity could be passed down strictly orally?
There is no such thing as Christianity. Gentiles are grafted onto Jews not the other way around. Christ did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it.

The Gospel is not Christianity. If you want to hang something on to that word then live like Christ. But you don’t need a denomination, ceremonies or such things to spread the Gospel or live like Christ. The church isn’t a location but a people. It isn’t a tradition, but a celebration of the Kingdome of God and his mercy through the sacrifice of his son.

That we have teachings and is great. They are blessings. But if God can use a donkey to warn, or give dreams and interpretations to a most Neb the king, And to forgive gentile sinners, or to heal the centurion’s servant according to the Gentile Centurion’s faith... then God can do all things.
 

Cycom

Banned
There is no such thing as Christianity. Gentiles are grafted onto Jews not the other way around. Christ did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it.

The Gospel is not Christianity. If you want to hang something on to that word then live like Christ. But you don’t need a denomination, ceremonies or such things to spread the Gospel or live like Christ. The church isn’t a location but a people. It isn’t a tradition, but a celebration of the Kingdome of God and his mercy through the sacrifice of his son.

That we have teachings and is great. They are blessings. But if God can use a donkey to warn, or give dreams and interpretations to a most Neb the king, And to forgive gentile sinners, or to heal the centurion’s servant according to the Gentile Centurion’s faith... then God can do all things.
It’s those teachings/traditions (brought to us by holy men and women) that are responsible for the spread of Christianity throughout the world. Or does God evangelize through other methods?
 
It’s those teachings/traditions (brought to us by holy men and women) that are responsible for the spread of Christianity throughout the world. Or does God evangelize through other methods?
People are called to obey. When they obey great things happen. I am not saying that man has not played a part in the spreading of of the Gospel. But if religion and the ceremonies thereof are all we got out of it then it would have been a complete waste of time and blood.

The fact is, the Gospel has not changed. The religion that has grown up around it has. When we put more effort into traditions than we do the word we run the risk of being as the Pharisees. They ran around with lawyers, angling for power within a structure under the power of the Romans trying to find their Place in that power structure. They were in fact grafting themselves onto the Roman tree.

God had other plans. We are called to be on Gods plan.
 
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I can’t imagine the faith being passed down 2,000 years without the holy scriptures. Unless you’re arguing that Christianity could be passed down strictly orally?
Also, Judaism Was doing quite fine as an oral tradition. It was not the law that they stumbled over or their recollection of it. It was the gardening of hearts and not understanding the mercy of God and the true nature of sacrifice.
 

Bolivar687

Banned
People are called to obey. When they obey great things happen. I am not saying that man has not played a part in the spreading of of the Gospel. But if religion and the ceremonies thereof are all we got out of it then it would have been a complete waste of time and blood.

The fact is, the Gospel has not changed. The religion that has grown up around it has. When we put more effort into traditions than we do the word we run the risk of being as the Pharisees. They ran around with lawyers, angling for power within a structure under the power of the Romans trying to find their Place in that power structure. They were in fact grafting themselves onto the Roman tree.

God had other plans. We are called to be on Gods plan.

But what about the traditions and ceremonies that are rooted within Christ's ministry as recorded in scripture? This is how we receive sanctifying grace - fasting, prayer, communion, confession, anointing of the sick, a consecrated and celibate priesthood.

We are a liturgical people - God devoted an entire book of the Torah to liturgy. The original Messiah (anointed king) King David was a musician and one of his most enduring legacies is the Psalms. His son's greatest legacy was arguably the Temple. After the empire split, the Kings of Judah were always at their spiritual height when they took care of Israel's liturgical needs. When they returned to civic matters, they faltered. Scripture makes a huge deal out of how Nebuchadnezzer had taken the sacred vessels from the sanctuary during the Babylonian captivity.

The Gospels are accounts of the ministry of the Son and his institution of the New Covenant.

You should also be careful of saying Gentiles were grafted onto Jews. Their covenant was a compromise and Christ came to fulfill the law that existed before, "from the beginning" (Matthew 19:8). The bread and wine formula of the eternal sacrifice echoes the priesthood of Melchizedek, the king of Jerusalem and priest of God that predates the Mosaic covenant in the days of Abraham. The completion of the old covenant was concluded with the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D as foretold by our Lord. Christiainity is the promise from the prophets, that "the nations shall know that I am the Lord the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever." (Ezekiel 37:28).
 

Ornlu

Banned
I agree with Sakura Doritos Sakura Doritos in the sense that we should be a people who worship God, rather than a people who worship our religion. I do find value in the traditions of the Church, as well. I also agree that an oral tradition should be fine; all pre-writing civilizations used oral tradition, many quite well.

But what about the traditions and ceremonies that are rooted within Christ's ministry as recorded in scripture? This is how we receive sanctifying grace - fasting, prayer, communion, confession, anointing of the sick, a consecrated and celibate priesthood.

At first I thought you were talking about "grace" as commonly used in Christianity. I didn't realize that "sanctifying grace" was a specific Catholic definition. Reading that was a head-scratcher. I grew up attending Catholic church, and had legitimately never heard the term before. It seems a bit backwards, to be honest, to tie the word "grace" to the term at all.
 
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But what about the traditions and ceremonies that are rooted within Christ's ministry as recorded in scripture? This is how we receive sanctifying grace - fasting, prayer, communion, confession, anointing of the sick, a consecrated and celibate priesthood.

When I say traditions I mean the expression of our faith through outward appearances. Denominations have their own traditions. You are no less a "Christian" because you are a Catholic or a Baptist. As long as you believe in God sacrificed his son so that mankind can have salvation of our sins then the machinations of tradition and ceremonies are inconsequential. Going to church on Saturdays vs Sundays, abstaining from eating certain foods, clothing choice, choice of music. All of that is a personal decision and hopefully one you checked with God if that is where you personally needed to be.

Grace has always been provided. Receiving sanctifying grace? What does that even mean. God sending his child to be sacrificed was grace. Mankind lasting as long on this earth with the wicked things we've done is Grace. Being ushered into the kingdom is grace. Walking every day in the path that has been set forth for you is grace. Fasting, Prayer, communion with God and the saints, confession, anointing of the sick... all those are tools to help us. They are not grace, it is grace that we have received them. They help us on our walk in the grace that has been given. On a celibate priesthood, I get it that if one can walk in that way, then it is good that they do. As Christ said it would be better to not marry if at all possible. But there was no countenance against one to marry. That is a very personal choice. Having a denomination that holds that as a requisite to priesthood is absolutely a machination of man.

We are a liturgical people - God devoted an entire book of the Torah to liturgy. The original Messiah (anointed king) King David was a musician and one of his most enduring legacies is the Psalms. His son's greatest legacy was arguably the Temple. After the empire split, the Kings of Judah were always at their spiritual height when they took care of Israel's liturgical needs. When they returned to civic matters, they faltered. Scripture makes a huge deal out of how Nebuchadnezzer had taken the sacred vessels from the sanctuary during the Babylonian captivity.

I am not sure what you are arguing. I am not saying that people who follow Christs are not to be priests. But not all shall be shepherds. And not all will be teachers. Not all will be the head a synagogue or church. Priesthood is the head of the physical body. A father to his family. A pastor/priest to his flock. The Psalms use many metaphors and Christ teaches in parables. It our duty to understand the past and to learn from the mistakes of the people of the past and to learn of the faith of the faithful. We are blessed to have the ability to read the Bible and to search the history books to get a greater understanding that adds context.

The Gospels are accounts of the ministry of the Son and his institution of the New Covenant.

We do not disagree.

You should also be careful of saying Gentiles were grafted onto Jews. Their covenant was a compromise and Christ came to fulfill the law that existed before, "from the beginning" (Matthew 19:8). The bread and wine formula of the eternal sacrifice echoes the priesthood of Melchizedek, the king of Jerusalem and priest of God that predates the Mosaic covenant in the days of Abraham. The completion of the old covenant was concluded with the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D as foretold by our Lord. Christiainity is the promise from the prophets, that "the nations shall know that I am the Lord the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever." (Ezekiel 37:28).
The Gentiles received the promise of God to Abraham. They were the branch grafted to the Olive tree. I do not need to be careful. This is the word of God.

Romans 11 11:31

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their [a]fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their [b]fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [c]fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [d]goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?


Gentiles were grafted onto the tree. The root is the promise given to Abraham. That there will be a chosen people and a covenant with them. And the Gentiles have now been brought into that covenant. And if Jews who do not believe in Christ can be be brought back onto that root if they accept Jesus as the Christ instead of waiting for a train that isn't coming. And we should say thanks and keep faithful as a people who can be easily removed from the promise (like corporate churches going progressive.)

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. The promise of Abraham has not been dissolved. It was expanded. It is clear. The law asked for Sacrifices for the sins that people would be made aware that are described in Leviticus.

Israel had strayed from God. They lost the plot and did not consider God in their matters. The remnant of Israel existed. God started to hate the sacrifices of men because they were done without faith and understanding. This is explained in Isiah 1:7-15

7 Your country is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire;
Strangers devour your land in your presence;
And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 So the daughter of Zion is left as a [e]booth in a vineyard,
As a hut in a garden of cucumbers,
As a besieged city.
9 Unless the Lord of hosts
Had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like Sodom,
We would have been made like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
12 “When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more futile[f] sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you [g]spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of [h]blood.


The remnant of faithful in the cities are the reason why the God still struggled with Israel. And the marked ones in Ezekiel 9:1-11

Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a [a]deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his [b]battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn [c]at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the [d]temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.

5 To the others He said in my [e]hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill;[f] do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly[g] slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the [h]temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the [i]temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”

11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”


The remnant still persisted to see the Christ born on earth. Simeon and Anna as an example: Luke 2:25-38

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 [h]And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow [i]of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to [j]the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.


Christians, messianic Jews, or whatever label you want to use to describe those who follow Christ are the remnant. Those who dwell in lands preaching the Gospel so that the lost can be found and also that the land is not laid to waste. Also those who follow the law written on their heart from Romans 12 who may not have had a witness to Christ but will be judged according to their actions.

Christians are not simply people who pay homage to traditions but those who reason with God, not among themselves, and ask for his action through prayer and fasting. Who seek his will to be done and to be his sanctuary that he takes pleasure in dwelling. Ezekial 8: 5-6

5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary?


We are the temples of God. Not a faction. Not a denomination. Not tradition. Our body. And when we gather together, our bodies. Where the power of god may leave us and mingle in power and glory as we glorify HIM. Not some religion or sect that can die if it gets too big for its britches by taking too much pride in the acts; but HIM. We each have a ministry. What that looks like will be different for many people as fisherman have many baits.

James 1:21-27

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and [d]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone [e]among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.


Religion is corruptible. The word of God is not.
 

Chaplain

Member
Video: John 11:17-44 - How to Survive Grief (9/27/20)

“For in grief nothing 'stays put.' One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral? But if a spiral, am I going up or down it? How often - will it be for always? - how often will the vast emptiness astonish me like a complete novelty and make me say, "I never realized my loss till this moment"? The same leg is cut off time after time.” — C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

 

Bolivar687

Banned
When I say traditions I mean the expression of our faith through outward appearances. Denominations have their own traditions. You are no less a "Christian" because you are a Catholic or a Baptist. As long as you believe in God sacrificed his son so that mankind can have salvation of our sins then the machinations of tradition and ceremonies are inconsequential. Going to church on Saturdays vs Sundays, abstaining from eating certain foods, clothing choice, choice of music. All of that is a personal decision and hopefully one you checked with God if that is where you personally needed to be.

Grace has always been provided. Receiving sanctifying grace? What does that even mean. God sending his child to be sacrificed was grace. Mankind lasting as long on this earth with the wicked things we've done is Grace. Being ushered into the kingdom is grace. Walking every day in the path that has been set forth for you is grace. Fasting, Prayer, communion with God and the saints, confession, anointing of the sick... all those are tools to help us. They are not grace, it is grace that we have received them. They help us on our walk in the grace that has been given. On a celibate priesthood, I get it that if one can walk in that way, then it is good that they do. As Christ said it would be better to not marry if at all possible. But there was no countenance against one to marry. That is a very personal choice. Having a denomination that holds that as a requisite to priesthood is absolutely a machination of man.



I am not sure what you are arguing. I am not saying that people who follow Christs are not to be priests. But not all shall be shepherds. And not all will be teachers. Not all will be the head a synagogue or church. Priesthood is the head of the physical body. A father to his family. A pastor/priest to his flock. The Psalms use many metaphors and Christ teaches in parables. It our duty to understand the past and to learn from the mistakes of the people of the past and to learn of the faith of the faithful. We are blessed to have the ability to read the Bible and to search the history books to get a greater understanding that adds context.



We do not disagree.


The Gentiles received the promise of God to Abraham. They were the branch grafted to the Olive tree. I do not need to be careful. This is the word of God.

Romans 11 11:31

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their [a]fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their [b]fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [c]fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [d]goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?


Gentiles were grafted onto the tree. The root is the promise given to Abraham. That there will be a chosen people and a covenant with them. And the Gentiles have now been brought into that covenant. And if Jews who do not believe in Christ can be be brought back onto that root if they accept Jesus as the Christ instead of waiting for a train that isn't coming. And we should say thanks and keep faithful as a people who can be easily removed from the promise (like corporate churches going progressive.)

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. The promise of Abraham has not been dissolved. It was expanded. It is clear. The law asked for Sacrifices for the sins that people would be made aware that are described in Leviticus.

Israel had strayed from God. They lost the plot and did not consider God in their matters. The remnant of Israel existed. God started to hate the sacrifices of men because they were done without faith and understanding. This is explained in Isiah 1:7-15

7 Your country is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire;
Strangers devour your land in your presence;
And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 So the daughter of Zion is left as a [e]booth in a vineyard,
As a hut in a garden of cucumbers,
As a besieged city.
9 Unless the Lord of hosts
Had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like Sodom,
We would have been made like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
12 “When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more futile[f] sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you [g]spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of [h]blood.


The remnant of faithful in the cities are the reason why the God still struggled with Israel. And the marked ones in Ezekiel 9:1-11

Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a [a]deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his [b]battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn [c]at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the [d]temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.

5 To the others He said in my [e]hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill;[f] do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly[g] slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the [h]temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the [i]temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”

11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”


The remnant still persisted to see the Christ born on earth. Simeon and Anna as an example: Luke 2:25-38

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 [h]And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow [i]of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to [j]the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.


Christians, messianic Jews, or whatever label you want to use to describe those who follow Christ are the remnant. Those who dwell in lands preaching the Gospel so that the lost can be found and also that the land is not laid to waste. Also those who follow the law written on their heart from Romans 12 who may not have had a witness to Christ but will be judged according to their actions.

Christians are not simply people who pay homage to traditions but those who reason with God, not among themselves, and ask for his action through prayer and fasting. Who seek his will to be done and to be his sanctuary that he takes pleasure in dwelling. Ezekial 8: 5-6

5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary?


We are the temples of God. Not a faction. Not a denomination. Not tradition. Our body. And when we gather together, our bodies. Where the power of god may leave us and mingle in power and glory as we glorify HIM. Not some religion or sect that can die if it gets too big for its britches by taking too much pride in the acts; but HIM. We each have a ministry. What that looks like will be different for many people as fisherman have many baits.

James 1:21-27

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and [d]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone [e]among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.


Religion is corruptible. The word of God is not.

I agree with Helscream that a lot of this is being lost in semantics so I want to be brief. I take issue with you repeatedly saying that all traditions and ceremonies are inconsequential, because some of these traditions and ceremonies were given to us by God for our fortification. Confession and Holy Communion are not in the same category as tonsures and vestments. You cannot claim that they are without disavowing the teachings of our Lord and the Apostles as recorded in the New Testament. This is why, to answer your question, a Baptist is most certainly not a Christian in the same way that a Catholic is.

Sanctifying grace is the grace we receive from the sacraments and infused contemplation to help purify ourselves and preserve us against sin. We receive grace from the Holy Cross by which we were redeemed and we receive grace individually when each of us are called. However, we should continually seek to receive and cultivate grace while we are already on the Way. This is the whole point of the Epistles of the New Testament between Acts and Revelation, and so they relate to us the importance of Confession (1 Jn 1:9) and Communion (1 Cor 11:26).
 

Chaplain

Member
This is the whole point of the Epistles of the New Testament between Acts and Revelation, and so they relate to us the importance of Confession (1 Jn 1:9) and Communion (1 Cor 11:26).

They do a lot more than that. For example, 1st Corinthians is written to a church that failed to imitate Christ by boasting in worldly identities that favored factionalism and caused division in Christ's church. The Corinthians failed to understand that if Christ’s finished work on the cross is based on God’s grace (i.e., “the salvation of humankind”), they were morally and ethically bound to turn from their previously held worldview (s) because “the cross “has transformative and epistemological implications as well as social and ethical consequences” for everyone who belongs to God. Their failure to boast in people instead of the cross of Christ (i.e., God’s redefinition of wisdom) hindered “God’s will” from being fulfilled in their lives: i.e., living a cruciform life that “puts an end [to the] old ways of living and thinking by abolishing…self-importance.” If the Corinthians had Godly wisdom, they would’ve understood that each person in the church is part of God’s family and God’s empowered instrument to fulfill divinely appointed purposes in his church. Seen in this light, cross-shaped wisdom (i.e., Paul’s “counter-narrative”) declares that “only God has absolute significance” because Christian identity is rooted in Christ (i.e., “the source of judgment/discernment”). Paul wanted to them understand (all of us as well) that Christians who place their identity using fallen wisdom and knowledge limit “the power of the life-giving Spirit" in their lives. God’s calling points to the cross of Christ which tells humanity that what the world values is objectively wrong because it relativizes God’s absolutes and dehumanizes those who oppose worldly wisdom. God’s wisdom says we “gain [our] identity not from who or where [we] happen to be within society but from who [we] are in [our] belonging to Christ.” This counter-cultural mindset (cf. 1 Cor 2:16; Phil 2:5-8) allows Christians to see all people through the lens of ultimate value because they are created in the Imago Dei. Human wisdom filters reality through sin-shaped lenses which blinds a person from discovering "how the wisdom of the cross applies to his/her situation.” Therefore, knowing and understanding Scripture allows all of us to learn from our ancestor's mistakes and learn how to live sanctified lives that imitate Christ in word and deed.
 

Bolivar687

Banned
They do a lot more than that. For example, 1st Corinthians is written to a church that failed to imitate Christ by boasting in worldly identities that favored factionalism and caused division in Christ's church. The Corinthians failed to understand that if Christ’s finished work on the cross is based on God’s grace (i.e., “the salvation of humankind”), they were morally and ethically bound to turn from their previously held worldview (s) because “the cross “has transformative and epistemological implications as well as social and ethical consequences” for everyone who belongs to God. Their failure to boast in people instead of the cross of Christ (i.e., God’s redefinition of wisdom) hindered “God’s will” from being fulfilled in their lives: i.e., living a cruciform life that “puts an end [to the] old ways of living and thinking by abolishing…self-importance.” If the Corinthians had Godly wisdom, they would’ve understood that each person in the church is part of God’s family and God’s empowered instrument to fulfill divinely appointed purposes in his church. Seen in this light, cross-shaped wisdom (i.e., Paul’s “counter-narrative”) declares that “only God has absolute significance” because Christian identity is rooted in Christ (i.e., “the source of judgment/discernment”). Paul wanted to them understand (all of us as well) that Christians who place their identity using fallen wisdom and knowledge limit “the power of the life-giving Spirit" in their lives. God’s calling points to the cross of Christ which tells humanity that what the world values is objectively wrong because it relativizes God’s absolutes and dehumanizes those who oppose worldly wisdom. God’s wisdom says we “gain [our] identity not from who or where [we] happen to be within society but from who [we] are in [our] belonging to Christ.” This counter-cultural mindset (cf. 1 Cor 2:16; Phil 2:5-8) allows Christians to see all people through the lens of ultimate value because they are created in the Imago Dei. Human wisdom filters reality through sin-shaped lenses which blinds a person from discovering "how the wisdom of the cross applies to his/her situation.” Therefore, knowing and understanding Scripture allows all of us to learn from our ancestor's mistakes and learn how to live sanctified lives that imitate Christ in word and deed.

I don't see your distinction. We are both saying the Epistles are instructions for those who are already on the path.
 
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Chaplain

Member
I don't see your distinction. We are both saying the Epistles are instructions for those who are already on the path.

Maybe the only distinction between us would be how we view Scripture: I see it as the primary means/instrument that God uses to sanctify a believer and conform them into the Imago Christi. Is this accurate?
 
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I agree with Helscream that a lot of this is being lost in semantics so I want to be brief. I take issue with you repeatedly saying that all traditions and ceremonies are inconsequential, because some of these traditions and ceremonies were given to us by God for our fortification. Confession and Holy Communion are not in the same category as tonsures and vestments. You cannot claim that they are without disavowing the teachings of our Lord and the Apostles as recorded in the New Testament. This is why, to answer your question, a Baptist is most certainly not a Christian in the same way that a Catholic is.

I don't consider baptism or communion ceremony all though they are held via ceremony. I agree that they are rites of passage. I am specifically saying that I do not think that Catholic or Baptists conduct their business in a way that is necessary to receiving salvation through Christ. Extend that to other denominations. I am not saying that I refute their traditions or think God won't uphold the decrees. I am merely stating that the word of God is clear of what is necessary. And while a Catholic may say their Church, and how it is conducted is inspired by God ,then I must give room to the Baptist to do so as well. It is ill advised to judge another man's ministry.

Sanctifying grace is the grace we receive from the sacraments and infused contemplation to help purify ourselves and preserve us against sin. We receive grace from the Holy Cross by which we were redeemed and we receive grace individually when each of us are called. However, we should continually seek to receive and cultivate grace while we are already on the Way. This is the whole point of the Epistles of the New Testament between Acts and Revelation, and so they relate to us the importance of Confession (1 Jn 1:9) and Communion (1 Cor 11:26).

I do not believe in these teachings: The distinction of sanctifying grace vs actual grace. I believe grace is grace. If you want to put a microscope on them, and count them as a blue print to follow Christ as to help someone walk a path then that is fine. Let God be praised that it helps someone and a lost sheep has been found! I also do not hold it against the Catholic Church, for instance, to study what the Church of Christ is and what organization of the body is within it may constitute. But I can ask God for grace directly. I need only ask in prayer. I can ask God to bless my enemies. I need only ask in prayer. I can ask God to forgive my sins .I need only ask in prayer. I need only to seek God's will for my life to cultivate that relationship.

I do not agree with some of the teachings or traditions of the Catholic Church. But as I have tried to be clear, I do not believe some of teachings or traditions of the other denominations as well. I don't need men vying for power during the protestant reformation to tell me how God talks to me. I do not need to drink milk from the mother's tit, I want to be acquainted with the teachings of righteousness so that I may know the difference between good and evil and do good.
 

Chaplain

Member
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A Beginner’s Guide to the Moral Argument
In the past, God has been considered as the highest good, or as the maximally good Being, upon which our values have been based. We’ve used the perfectly good nature of God as the point of reference for all our moral judgments and God’s commands as the standard for what we are obliged to do. However, currently, there are arguments against this view. The New Atheists say that we can be good without God. They provide reasoning from evolutionary biology to explain that morality is merely a tool for survival. Others suggest that morality can exist on its own without any origin, as a fixture of the universe. Both views fail to provide a grounding or point of reference for morality in a consistent manner.

Chaim Potok’s Wandering Jews
“The Hebrew Torah is,” according to Gerald Bruns, “a monumental example of a binding text; its significance lies not only in what it contains or means but also in its power over those who stand within its jurisdiction.” Just this is the situation of those Christians – like the Baptists I grew up among – whose Bible exercises supreme authority in their traditions. For any readers, then, who treat Scripture as a “binding text,” for any so-called “people of the Book,” who, by dint of historical time and circumstance, must live with others who are not so bound and who marshal weighty arguments for their freedom, the novels of Chaim Potok will go on providing guidance and solace.

Police remove preacher from Speakers’ Corner
The police action effectively enforced sharia law in Speakers’ Corner. They acted to protect Islam from criticism. Ostensibly they were merely acting to protect a brave, but vulnerable woman – but their action also served to silence her. It should have been those making threats who were removed, not Hatun. The result was that a Christian preacher was silenced by police in the home of free speech.


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Bolivar687

Banned
Maybe the only distinction between us would be how we view Scripture: I see it as the primary means/instrument that God uses to sanctify a believer and conform them into the Imago Christi. Is this accurate?

I don't think it is. Scripture itself tells us that scripture alone is insufficient without a teacher (Acts 8:31). It also says that we are liable to interpret and apply it wrongly when we do so on our own (7:12). And, historically, it wasn't the primary instrument. The Church began converting the near east for decades before the New Testament texts were written. It continued this evanglization for hundreds of years before there was a biblical canon, at which point the conversion of Eurasia was unstoppable. And we have more than a milennia of saints converting the world after that, before it became feasible for individuals to own their own Bible.

The primary instrument is most likely the ministry of the Church and the consecrated priesthood of Jesus Christ. It's from them that we receive the divinely-instituted sacraments, hear scripture, learn how to unlock its meaning, and learn devotions. The other side of this, which may be the primary instrument, is our own personal life of private prayer. Our Lord said that some demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting (Mt 17:21). I have come to learn through my own experience that a regimented life of prayer is the only way we can really begin to put aside the captivity of sin. Don't get me wrong, I heavily incorporate scripture as part of that and the sacraments should be plugged into it as well. It's a combination of things and I don't think a person alone on their own with a Bible can do it.

I don't consider baptism or communion ceremony all though they are held via ceremony. I agree that they are rites of passage. I am specifically saying that I do not think that Catholic or Baptists conduct their business in a way that is necessary to receiving salvation through Christ. Extend that to other denominations. I am not saying that I refute their traditions or think God won't uphold the decrees. I am merely stating that the word of God is clear of what is necessary. And while a Catholic may say their Church, and how it is conducted is inspired by God ,then I must give room to the Baptist to do so as well. It is ill advised to judge another man's ministry.

John 6:53 - Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

You are correct, the word of God is clear of what is necessary and John couldn't have made it any clearer than that. But you are wrong that Baptists have the same recourse to their belief in separation of Church and State or the autonomy of local churches as Catholics have for Communion and Confession.

I do not believe in these teachings: The distinction of sanctifying grace vs actual grace. I believe grace is grace. If you want to put a microscope on them, and count them as a blue print to follow Christ as to help someone walk a path then that is fine. Let God be praised that it helps someone and a lost sheep has been found! I also do not hold it against the Catholic Church, for instance, to study what the Church of Christ is and what organization of the body is within it may constitute. But I can ask God for grace directly. I need only ask in prayer. I can ask God to bless my enemies. I need only ask in prayer. I can ask God to forgive my sins. I need only ask in prayer. I need only to seek God's will for my life to cultivate that relationship.

I do not agree with some of the teachings or traditions of the Catholic Church. But as I have tried to be clear, I do not believe some of teachings or traditions of the other denominations as well. I don't need men vying for power during the protestant reformation to tell me how God talks to me. I do not need to drink milk from the mother's tit, I want to be acquainted with the teachings of righteousness so that I may know the difference between good and evil and do good.

I'm not necessarily saying there is distinctions between grace, but what we should seek at different stages of our spiritual maturation. The disciples were called by our Lord (Mt 4:19), they were blessed with his physical presence, and they were protected by his divine power (Mk 4:39). But they were still proud (Lk 9:46), thinking in earthly terms (Mt 16:23), they collectively abandoned him (Mt 25:26), denied him (Mt 26:70), and even after witnessing his resurrection, they still wanted to know when the political Kingdom of Israel was going to be restored (Acts 1:6). It was only after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the beginning of their own ministry as the Church were they able to preach the Gospel fearlessly, even to their own deaths.

Likewise, the grace we each received when we ourselves were individually called and the grace we received when we came to believe did not stop us from sinning. Even after we come to accept Christ's law and have eliminated habitual sin, we still need to obtain perseverance for the moments when God withdraws his presence and we are tested. This grace is received through infused contemplation: earnestly inviting our Lord, his Father, and the Holy Spirit to dwell within us as we pray and meditate upon these mysteries.

I'm sorry to hear you don't believe in this, because you really should, it's been battle tested over centuries by the Saints and I can personally tell you it really is true and it works. Maybe you feel comfortable asking God for forgiveness directly and hoping that he forgives you, but you could instead find assurance that Christ promised to forgive the sins of those who are forgiven by His priests (Jn 20:23). I know I don't want to take that chance when I could trust in the words of our Lord instead.
 

showernota

Member
I'm sorry to hear you don't believe in this, because you really should, it's been battle tested over centuries by the Saints and I can personally tell you it really is true and it works. Maybe you feel comfortable asking God for forgiveness directly and hoping that he forgives you, but you could instead find assurance that Christ promised to forgive the sins of those who are forgiven by His priests (Jn 20:23). I know I don't want to take that chance when I could trust in the words of our Lord instead.

This is deeply offensive. You stated earlier that you took issue with the view of some posters that traditions and ceremonies are inconsequential, which is understandable. However, I don't believe anyone implied that following those practices negatively affected one's sanctification, or the security of their soul. Yet you're now directly placing doubt on the basic mechanism of forgiveness many believers follow.
 
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Chaplain

Member
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iconmaster

Banned

I think a lot of believers are going to fall away from the faith as the culture increasingly imposes its "soft totalitarianism."

Those who persevere should prepare for a diminished quality of life.

Hope it can wait a couple decades at least...but things are changing fast.
 

showernota

Member
Really great video discussing the issues with the pretribulation rapture belief. I just found FAI, been really impressed with their videos. A lot of focus on prophecy, and great information on current day Middle East issues.
 

Chaplain

Member
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Are the historical narratives of the Old Testament a bunch of myths and legends concocted by Jews writing during the Babylonian exile, as ‘skeptics’ like Richard Dawkins say? What is the evidence for the historicity of history according to the Old Testament? This seminar will focus on presenting the internal and external evidence as it relates to the sweep of biblical history from Abraham’s Ur to Daniel’s Babylon. See the latest archaeological evidence relating to the Old Testament!



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joe_zazen

Member
Recommended by Kyle @ the Babylon Bee. A really amazing sermon from 1985, given to an assembly of pastors about how a denomination dies. Such great pacing and build up, a truly gifted pastor. W.A.Criswell, age 85:



there is 16 minutes of introduction that I skipped.
 

Onikaan

Member
Anyone know anything about Dutch Sheets and what he's involved in? Was told to listen to what he has to say regarding prophecy for the coming months and massive revival in America, but I can't find anything on him being legitimate or not.
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
Anyone know anything about Dutch Sheets and what he's involved in? Was told to listen to what he has to say regarding prophecy for the coming months and massive revival in America, but I can't find anything on him being legitimate or not.
Revival in America?
 

Chaplain

Member
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… stands as a gateway to the saving events of the gospel, and is a mirror in which the Christian mystery is seen in its unity. Here we perceive that the living and the dead are one in Christ, that the old covenant and the new are inseparable, that the Cross and the glory are of one, that the age to come is already here, that our human nature has a destiny of glory, that in Christ the final word is uttered and in him alone the Father is well pleased. Here the diverse elements in the theology of the New Testament meet.
Chapter one of Ravi's new book Recapture the Wonder
We know that hopes come and go and that life returns to the common and the repetitive. If that fluctuation and disappointment were only momentary, we could endure it. But life is not what we thought it would be. The problem with life, then, is not that a man ends up burrowing through garbage looking for something to fill his stomach but that no matter what we have achieved or attained in our life, we still find ourselves burrowing deep within, trying to assuage the hungers of our soul. G. K. Chesterton summed this up when he said that weariness does not come from being weary of pain but from being weary of pleasure.
 

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Video: Should Christians vote for Trump? Eric Metaxas vs David French

"Christian commentator David French debates Christian radio host and author Eric Metaxas on whether Christians should vote for Donald Trump in the US Elections in November." (10/9/20)



Video: 2020 Sovereign Nations Conference: The Great Awokening

James Lindsay says, “this ideology that we’re up against today has cherry picked from the critical theory tradition, from the postmodern tradition, liberal traditions of social justice, [and] liberalism itself to concoct a rather horrifying totalitarian ideology that we’ve worked backwards to explain.” ... How does this ideology shape the human psyche? Why does it exclude the need for evidence and logic? How do we tackle this ideology? How can we formulate a genuine alternative to Critical Race Theory that deals with real injustice and helps real victims?" (10/8/20)

 
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