Rejoicing in Assurance

Grace to You.org ^ | 1993 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

"You were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance" (Eph. 1:13-14).

The Holy Spirit is God's first installment on your eternal inheritance.

The Holy Spirit's ministry in your life is multifaceted and profound. Among other things He brings salvation, conviction, guidance, and strength. He indwells and equips you for spiritual service and gives assurance of your salvation. He is your Helper and Advocate. He is the Spirit of promise, who seals you until the day when your redemption is fully realized (Eph. 4:30).

Sealing speaks of security, authenticity, ownership, and authority. Ancient kings, princes, and nobles placed their official seal on documents or other items to guarantee their inviolability. To break the seal was to incur the wrath of the sovereign whom it represented (cf. Dan. 6:17; Matt. 27:62-66).

A seal on a letter authenticated it as from the hand of the one whose seal it bore. Legal documents such as property deeds and wills were often finalized with an official seal. Those who possessed the sealed decree of a king had the king's delegated authority to act on that decree.

Each of those aspects of sealing is a picture of the Spirit's ministry. He is God's guarantee that your salvation is inviolable and that you are an authentic member of His kingdom and family. You are His possession-having been purchased with His Son's precious blood (1 Cor. 6:20). You are His ambassador with delegated authority to proclaim His message to a lost world (2 Cor. 5:20).

The Spirit is the pledge of your eternal inheritance (Eph. 1:14). The Greek word translated "pledge" in that verse (arrabon) was used of down payment or earnest money given to secure a purchase. Rejoice in the assurance that God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), has given you His Spirit as a guarantee that He will keep His promises.

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise God for the security of your eternal inheritance. Praise the Spirit for His many ministries in your life. Be sensitive to His leading today so that your ministry to others will be powerful and consistent with His will.

For Further Study

Read Esther chapters 3, 8. What role did the king's signet ring play in the decree of Haman (chapter 3)? The decree of Ahasuerus and Mordecai (chapter 8)?

[MHGinTN]

http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/what-happened-sunken-city-cuba-001883

[Syncro]

re fuzzy

My situation is best described by the following G Larsen cartoon (can't post it on FR)

http://growingleaders.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/my-brain-is-full.jpg

If I put something new in my brain, something has to leave to make room...

[Syncro]

I always thought the entire world was tropical until the Flood

Like sea fossils, evidence of tropical flora and fauna (<^_______that looks right but who knows lol) have been found all over the earth.

It may not even have rained before the Flood. A mist rose up and watered the plants.

I think your are right.

I imagine the mist fell from the firmament also.

Correct also about the direct sunlight. The environment was much more human friendly before the flood.

Heck people lived to almost a thousand years old!

Just a few, but many hit multiple hundreds.

Isn't it interesting that sin caused all these changes that made earth more uncomfortable?

And caused women to request epidurals. (It's the woman's fault quoth Adam)

All of this, Biblically sound tho it is, is possibly considered a myth by adherents of certain belief systems.

[Mark17]

All of this, Biblically sound tho it is, is possibly considered a myth by adherents of certain belief systems.

I would suspect that system would be the system that must be unnamed.

:-)

[Mark17]

Beck has had experience with both.

I'm a mere researcher.

I have long since suspected it is possible that Joe Smith wasn't necessarily trying to start a new false religion. He wrote a fairy tale, to try to make some money. It took off, and he just went along with it.
I have asked them where they believe the Bible is not correctly translated. I have NEVER gotten an answer.

[MHGinTN]

Actually, it is more like Joe stole a short novel by a local minister and with the help of a creep who worked for the printer where the novel was sent for publication, Smith stretched the story using Old Testament passages. Eventually, Smith’s natural intelligence and lack of education came up with The Book of Mormon. Later, when Egyptian funeral papri were circulating in the Eastern United States, Smith’s spiel created the Book of Abraham out of whole cloth.

[Mark17]

Actually, it is more like Joe stole a short novel by a local minister and with the help of a creep who worked for the printer where the novel was sent for publication.

Solomon Spalding? And the other dude was Sidney Rigdon.

[MHGinTN]

Oh! You saw the movie.

[Mark17]

Oh! You saw the movie.

Yes, I literally saw the movie on VCR tape, so you can see how long ago that was. I had heard about the Solomom thing years before the movie came out.
I wonder if anyone who must be unnamed, from a certain religion, that must be unnamed, will say the LDS hasn't been around for 2,000 and some years, so they can't possibly be right, even though they claim to be the OTC. Suppose?

:-)

[Elsie]

Quite fuzzy in the conclusions drawn.

 

Upon studying the sonar images, Zalitzki observed what appeared to be unusual formations of smooth blocks, crests, and geometric shapes. Some of the blocks looked like they were built in pyramid shapes, others were circular. 

In July 2001, they returned to the site with geologist Manuel Iturralde, senior researcher of Cuba's Natural History Museum, this time equipped with a Remotely Operated Vehicle to examine and film the structures. The images revealed large blocks of stone resembling hewn granite, measuring about 8 feet by 10 feet. Some blocks appeared deliberately stacked atop one another, others appeared isolated from the rest. Zalitzki said that the images appeared to reflect the ruins of a submerged city but was reluctant to draw any conclusions without further evidence.
.

.

.
 Nevertheless, Iturralde does not discount the possibility that the rock formations are merely the result of the wonders of Mother Nature.

 

 

 

 

 

[Elsie]

Try again.

For some reason your reply (742) didn’t make it.

[Elsie]

My situation is best described by the following G Larsen cartoon (can't post it on FR)

Why not?

[Elsie]

I have asked them where they believe the Bible is not correctly translated. I have NEVER gotten an answer.

Well; GOD directed Joseph Smith to REtranslate the KJV bible to get rid of any errors.

Joseph Smith did as commanded; giving the world the Inspired Version of the Bible: know as the JST: Joseph Smith Translation.

For some unknown reason, SLC has NOT given it's approval to be elevated to the status of 'official' Mormon scripture; preferring instead to use the old KJV.

Try getting an answer for THAT!!!

[Syncro]

It would be a copyright violation.

[Elsie]

Later, when Egyptian funeral papri were circulating in the Eastern United States, Smith’s spiel created the Book of Abraham out of whole cloth.

Now THERE is an interesting story!

[Elsie]

Sidney Rigdon mentioned in LDS scripture

https://www.google.com/search?q=Sidney+Rigdon+mentioned+in+LDS+scripture&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADRA_enUS475&gws_rd=sslSidney+Rigdon+mentioned+in+LDS+scripture

[Elsie]

I’ve posted Larson stuff before.

[Elsie]

Now THERE is an interesting story!

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Kolob is a star or planet described in Mormon scripture.                             

Reference to Kolob is found in the Book of Abraham.

 

 "If You Could Hie to Kolob", the hymn

 

 Kolob as the inspiration for Kobol in Battlestar Galactica

 

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolob

 

 

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Figure	Joseph Smith Explanation[52]	Explanation by non-Mormon and Mormon Egyptologists (quotes are from Deveria)[25][43][53]
1	Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. The measurement according to celestial time, which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit. One day in Kolob is equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of this earth, which is called by the Egyptians Jah-oh-eh.	"The spirit of the four elements (according to Champollion), or rather of the four winds, or the four cardinal points; the soul of the terrestrial world. This god is always represented with four rams' heads, and his image has certainly been altered here. — They have also evidently made a very clumsy attempt at copying the double human head of the god figured above, fig. 2, instead of the four rams' heads. The word Jah-oh-eh has nothing Egyptian in it; it resembles the Hebrew word [redacted] badly transcribed." (emphasis in original) The name hieroglyph above the central figure is Chnm-Re, the Egyptian "First Creator" god who organized everything out of the primordial chaos.

 

 

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Abraham

 

 

[Elsie]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Abraham

Now THERE is an interesting story!