Posted on 09/04/2014 6:53:59 PM PDT by Kartographer
“As I read the news, I can’t help but wonder if we are in the last hours before our Lord Jesus Christ returns to rescue His church and God pours out His wrath on the world for the rejection of His Son,” said Rev. Graham in a post on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) website.
“I don’t know if we have hours, days, months, or years—but as Christians, God calls us to take the truth of the Gospel to the ends of the earth,” said Graham. “Our job is to warn sinners of the consequences of sin and show them that God is loving and gracious, willing to forgive if we come to Him in repentance and faith.”
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
I’m wondering too. And I despise admitting it, with much schadenfreude at those who predicted The End to no avail. Having studied Revelations at length (concluding “pan-millenial” is right: it will all pan out in the end), just seems way too much of it is coming to pass. If that Icelandic volcano blows soon “turning the moon to blood”, Ebola taking out much of the population, and ISIL pouring blood across the Middle East, yeah - seems pretty likely it’s time.
The Bible promises that heaven will be occupied by people of all nations, tribes, and tongues. Being Christian has nothing whatsoever to do with ethnicity. Christ died for both the Jew and the Greek. I’ve known Christians of Jewish heritage, Lebanese heritage, Korean heritage, and a number of Japanese heritage.
Come to understood the true sin nature of all humanity and the absolute holiness of God and you will see that none of us deserves heaven. That’s why His grace is far beyond amazing. He is clearly a god of love, but the Bible tells us He is also a God of wrath who will judge according to strict justice. His Word promises that He will not clear the guilty. Because of His holiness He cannot wink at sin and still be God. Putting all your hope and trust in Christ Jesus is the one and only road to eternal life. Christ died as a substitute for sinners. On that cross He paid the sin debt of those who believe in Him and He paid it in full.
Maybe this would help both of you...
The Gospel Defined and Discerned
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=81901181950
God believes everyone CAN go to heaven, hence my earlier comments. God's opinion matters a lot more than anyone who lives here.
That’s an issue that Christ alone can take up and His words are clear. “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” If everyone can lead good lives and get into Paradise, (many paths to the mountain top) then the life, death, and resurrection of Christ is superfluous. Indeed, Buddhism; Hinduism; and Judaism predated the birth of Christ. Why add Christianity?
Not all who call themselves Christians will enter the Kingdom of God. And there will be those who do not understand they are Christians that will enter the Kingdom of God. Christianity is called that because we follow Jesus Christ.
Additionally, no matter how wonderful of a person we are, we are still sinful. Salvation is a Gift of God, there are no works we can perform to earn it.
Acts 16:
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
You should have read some of the threads here about Franklin Graham, when he brought home his two missionaries to be treated for Ebola.
I am still being stalked for defending him and his Christian missionaries, some really lashed out at them and wanted them to recieve their fate, in Africa.
As we know, they both lived, and will hopefully continue their good work, in some fashion.
>>Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me”.>>
What about humans who lived before the birth of Christ - they all go to hell ? What about folks who lived in the deepest , darkest jungles of Africa and elsewhere many moons ago before TV & computers and even books ? They a;; must go to hell ? Sorry - no sell .
My personal opinion is that God knows the people who strive daily to be as much like him as they can. They stumble frequently, but they get up and try again. I think that those are the people who go to heaven, and your wife sounds like that kind of person.
I sent you a Freepmail about that.
My sister’s brother-in-law tells about a village (I can’t remember where) where missionaries came telling about Jesus, and the people there, though they had never heard about Christ Himself, immediately received the Gospel with joy because they had believed there was to be a Savior like that and just didn’t know His name.
Abraham didn’t know Jesus’ name. But he believed God’s promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. And God credited his faith as righteousness, because God knew that Abraham’s sin would be paid for in full by a Savior Abraham didn’t yet know.
All sin HAS been paid for by Jesus’ death. The only sin that’s not forgiven is that which a person refuses to repent of because their heart is hard.
The bible is clear that only the Father knows when, but why the book of Revelations if it is not a guide for us to recognize that it is coming?
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
I’m sure you don’t care about many of the comments here. Some people are so “devout”they somehow think they are little Gods dispensing His judgments.
I’m not sure what God’s rules are on this but whatever they are they exist quite independently of the posters here.
I can’t even begin to understand people saying you condemned your wife to hell by not converting her.
I’m sure they can gyrate all around claiming that’s in the bible somewhere.
Sweet to think those sentimental thoughts but that ain't what the Bible says.
Scolding or lecturing God won't work out well for ya in the end.
There is no person on earth who can convert another person. Only the Holy Spirit can give a person faith, according to the Bible, and I think the posters on this thread probably understand that.
28"Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29"Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 30"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.…
By the way, anyone who ever predicted the end was nigh prior to 1948, simply did not know his scriptures. The end-times passages in the Bible mention Israel specifically.
Then why are you misleading people with your comments here?
Unless one is trusting in God's righteousness he/she cannot dwell in God's presence. One's good works are wonderful and a gift from God but one must not trust that his/her works are enough for eternal life. Only God is perfect.
Domo arigato !
Franklin, one can only hope that something good came out of your dad’s lifelong Democrat votes.
Maybe he helped usher in the Anti-Christ. Well, he would have voted for 0bama, twice...
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