Posted on 11/16/2008 12:15:27 PM PST by TaraP
I just find bits and pieces in all of them that resonate. But Doug Batchelor is really logical in his reasoning and very easy to understand.
I think God gave us free will, that is why there are so many denominations of Christianity. It is up to us to find the truth.
But the real message of the Gospels is found in Luke 10:27 & 28
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
A bit off the Topic..
But I am reading some of the GNOSTIC GOSPELS
In the Gospel of Phillip..GOD is referred as a Man-eater
God is a man-eater. For this reason, men are sacrificed to him. Before men were sacrificed, animals were being sacrificed, since those to whom they were sacrificed were not gods.
What do you take this to mean?
Just trying to see if the Gnostics as well speak of the 2nd Coming or a rapture event.
Sound like a possible translation variable. Usually there is only one translation for GNOSTIC GOSPELS. It appears to need more crossing with different translations to find the real meaning.
Perry Stone as well.
Perry Stone, he's the one I heard identify Ezekiel's "exceedingly great army" in the vally of dry bones prophecy with the Israeli Defense Force.
I'm sorry, but that's goofy.
As for John Hagee... (watch that, and tell us if you think Hagee's orthodox.)
God is a man-eater. For this reason, men are sacrificed to him. Before men were sacrificed, animals were being sacrificed, since those to whom they were sacrificed were not gods.What do you take this to mean?
Gnostic gospels? I thought we were talking Christian eschatology.
It's an oblique reference to a Hall and Oates song.
Actually, I would not begin to try and hazard a guess. Unlike the true Word of God, the Gnostic "gospels" have no coherent reference to the Bible.
Are you sure? Is your suggestion that salvation comes by doing? Or is the good news about the person and work of Jesus Christ? See Romans 10:9.
I said it was the message. Not the way of salvation.
I think that if you get your heart right with God and love your fellow man, the rest will fall into place.
But knowing that man is not perfect, Thank God for the gift of eternal life. If not for that, I don’t know that any of us would make it to Heaven.
“On the subject of the end times”
As a layman it seems to me that there is a significant theological difference between pre-trib believers and post-trib believers. Pre tribs are looking for the Lord to return for them, and post tribs are looking for the tribulation??? If we have a choice, think I’d rather believe the first. You know, like when at the ascension the angel said, “why stand ye hear gazing, this same Jesus will return after you are persecuted beyond belief during that future tribulation that you deserve because you are so evil in Christ” Somebody isn’t reading their Bible if they think the Lords return is anti-climatic to the tribulation. I guess post tribs chant, “come tribulation come”. I’ll stick with “come Lord Jesus come, thank you!!”
If we have a choice, I would rather believe in Santa Claus and getting lots of presents.
All we know for sure is that Christ will return, resurrect all men giving rewards to His saints and punishing the unrighteous.
Most of this tribulation/rapture stuff is mainly an intramural squabble between camps of futurists and generally amounts to a lot of speculation with little Bible support, IMO. The futurists are missing the main attention of Bible prophecy, that is, the person and work of Jesus Christ. All the talk of future tribulation/Israel/worldwide war misses the mark.
You said "the real message of the Gospels". How does the real message of the gospels not involve salvation as the primary focus? Gospel means good news. The good news is all about Jesus Christ.
If we have a choice, think I’d rather believe the first.
You don't have a choice. What is has nothing whatever to do with what you want.
I’m sorry that you found such offense to my posts.
I was just trying to state that Jesus told his followers that Loving God with all your heart, soul and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself was the most important thing. We all must get our hearts right. This is the parable of the good samaritan. The text clearly states that is how you inherit eternal life.
More of Luke 10
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
No offense at all. I was just trying to point out the true message of the Gospels is not a matter of justification by good works. I realize that some folks might isolate a portion of the Bible, like Luke 10, and come to that conclusion, but in the overall context of the entire Bible that is not a viable interpretation of the text.
How does one obtain a right heart, or are we born that way?
But knowing that man is not perfect, Thank God for the gift of eternal life. If not for that, I don’t know that any of us would make it to Heaven.
How does one obtain eternal life?
When prophecy is fulfilled it will be obvious. Especially to believers. You will not have to force the happenings of today into the prophetic events foretold by those in the Word of God.
Additionally, there is no “rapture” of the church before the tribulation. There is ONE second coming of Christ, and that is when He arrives at Armageddon to defeat His enemies and gather His people. After this, the millineum. This is one of the BIGGEST frauds, that of pre-tribulational rapture, ever rought on the church. There is no Biblical support for this, it was not taught by the early church pastors.
This is the parable of the good samaritan.
This was not a parable. That is a mistake so many people make. Jesus almost always started his parables with “the Kingdom of Heaven is like...” The good Samaratan was an actual story, just like the rich man and Lazurus.
If you read the rest of the Bible, you know it is impossible for man to keep the law. The Bible says if you break any one law, you are guilty of breaking them all. The only way of salvation is through Jesus Christ. When the lawyer answered Jesus, and Jesus said, “Thou hast answered right,” remember who Jesus was talking to. These men did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus told the man what the man already knew; but the lawyer already knew that he hadn’t, and couldn’t keep the law. If you would have read a little farther than verse 28, you would see the man try to justify himself. Why? Jews only considered the law applicable to their JEWISH neighbors, even though they knew better, as this man obviously did by asking “Who is my neighbor?” He had broken the law. Jesus (God) knew it, too. Funny how God has a way of putting a man in his place, ain’t it? This man tried to tempt Jesus, and Jesus turned it around on him!
“There is no Biblical support for this”
The apostles all taught the imminant return of Christ. Christs coming does not wait on the tribulation. Count on it.
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