Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Not So Secret Rapture
reformed.org ^ | W. Fred Rice

Posted on 01/14/2011 5:57:52 PM PST by topcat54

Evangelical book catalogs promote books such as Planet Earth: The Final Chapter, The Great Escape, and the Left Behind series. Bumper stickers warn us that the vehicle’s occupants may disappear at any moment. It is clear that there is a preoccupation with the idea of a secret rapture. Perhaps this has become more pronounced recently due to the expectation of a new millennium and the fears regarding potential Y2K problems. Perhaps psychologically people are especially receptive to the idea of an imminent, secret rapture at the present time. Additionally, many Christians are not aware that any other position relative to the second coming of Jesus Christ exists. Even in Reformed circles there are numerous people reading these books. Many of these people are unaware that this viewpoint conflicts with Scripture and Reformed Theology.

(Excerpt) Read more at reformed.org ...


TOPICS: Theology
KEYWORDS: crusades; endtimes; eschatology; rapture
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 2,141-2,1602,161-2,1802,181-2,200 ... 3,381-3,392 next last
To: Dr. Eckleburg
1 John 3:4 is clear
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him

7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
For a non-Calvinists (Catholic or a Protestant: Pentecostal, Methodist etc.), we believe in repentence and we believe that some can fall away into sin.

For a Calvinist, this means that they fall into the depths of despair as since they do not believe in repentence, then anyone who does not do what is right the Calvinist believe they were never really Christian
2,161 posted on 01/30/2011 2:09:44 PM PST by Cronos
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2133 | View Replies]

To: betty boop; kosta50; Alamo-Girl; xzins; HarleyD; Dr. Eckleburg; MarkBsnr; YHAOS; metmom; Cronos; ...

snip: Oh, the “dialogue” goes like this:

kosta50: Who determines if you should believe, God or man?
betty boop: Ultimately, I do — in response to God’s living appeal, given in four revelations....

kosta50: Then you are the final and supreme authority that determines if you are “saved” or not “saved.” From your response, it seems you believe that man is the ultimate god.

Spirited: The great apocalyptic prophet Fyodor Dostoevsky observed that free will ultimately exists for just one purpose: to either accept or reject salvation by Jesus Christ. By extension, Hell exists for those who willfully choose it.

kosta has confused the right use of free will (to accept salvation) with the fatally wrong use of free will (to reject salvation) which he quite naturally equates with “Ye shall be as God.”


2,162 posted on 01/30/2011 2:11:19 PM PST by spirited irish
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2143 | View Replies]

To: Cronos; HarleyD; Quix
You are correct that his earlier books are clearer

lol. "Clearer?"

Try "not yet formed." "Less mature." "Incomplete."

The later Augustine learned from not only the mistakes of the church hierarchy which was racing toward gnosticism by following Pelagius, but from his own mistakes.

May we all progress according to the same vector as Augustine.

Post tenebrux lux (From darkness to light.)

2,163 posted on 01/30/2011 2:19:00 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2152 | View Replies]

To: Cronos

Apparently all you can do is re-post older posts of yours that have already been answered.

Running in circles won’t get you anywhere, Cronos.


2,164 posted on 01/30/2011 2:24:31 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2161 | View Replies]

To: Cronos

Do not post excerpts without source information.


2,165 posted on 01/30/2011 2:28:56 PM PST by Religion Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2074 | View Replies]

To: Cronos; Quix; HarleyD; metmom; RnMomof7; Gamecock
Traditional Lutherans and Anglicans do indeed believe in double predestination.

Like the rest of the secular world, the more liberal the church, the less likely they will be to understand and embrace the doctrine of God's election.

For your education, here is an excellent article on Luther's embrace of the doctrine of double predestination...

DOUBLE OF NOTHING:
MARTIN LUTHER'S DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION

But as has been said dozens of times, a belief in predestination is not a requirement for salvation. The only requirement for salvation is God's grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

There is enormous comfort and assurance in believing the words of Christ -- "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you"

2,166 posted on 01/30/2011 2:36:28 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2158 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg; MarkBsnr; Religion Moderator; Cronos; metmom; RnMomof7; Quix; Gamecock; ...

>> “”The hall monitor strikes again. Latin is civilized. Why are you against it?” <<

.
Hard to call latin anything other than the official language of all who would negate the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
(Lieyers, occultists, Illuminists)


2,167 posted on 01/30/2011 2:48:04 PM PST by editor-surveyor (NOBAMA - 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2154 | View Replies]

Comment #2,168 Removed by Moderator

To: Cronos

Walter Martin’s assertioin was that . . .

God seemes to preordain some folks to Heaven. Such as John The Baptist.

He did not believe He preordained anyone to hell.

I think that’s a pretty Biblical perspective.

That sounds like the God I know.


2,169 posted on 01/30/2011 4:00:18 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2158 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

Latin is a dead language.

hmmmm.....


2,170 posted on 01/30/2011 4:07:03 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2167 | View Replies]

To: Cvengr
The Japanese would not have spent 400 years under Egyptian rule if they had the same mindset during the rule of the samurai. I really don't think that they would do the same.

Insofar as the Japanese might be associated with Shinto, Shinto practices the same.

I am not speaking of Japan under Shinto. They were subjugated by the Chinese.

2,171 posted on 01/30/2011 5:29:27 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2043 | View Replies]

To: Quix
Any male refusing to be taught by Holy Spirit’s wisdom through Angel-Gal is at least at risk of being an idiot.

This post is one of the most idiotic posts I have ever seen on FR. What in the world are you on, Quix?

2,172 posted on 01/30/2011 5:31:49 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2048 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock
Persecution of the Waldenses in France

The Waldensians were heretics, regardless of the romance that you would bring to their story. The Dominicans were charged with dealing with the Waldensians. The Jesuits were charged with dealing with the Reformers. We see which order fulfilled their duty.

2,173 posted on 01/30/2011 5:36:27 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2076 | View Replies]

To: metmom
Do you have so little on Calvin that you have to go digging back in his family for something to use against him?

It is useful to understand a man, so as to understand why he commits such evil.

2,174 posted on 01/30/2011 5:37:48 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2083 | View Replies]

To: Alamo-Girl
That does not ensure that they [His sheep] will follow.

None of the verses that you posted say any different. There aren't any in the entire Bible, regardless of anyone's rose coloured glasses.

2,175 posted on 01/30/2011 5:42:15 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2115 | View Replies]

To: Quix
Extensive research indicates that a large brilliantly lit UFO in a somewhat typical demonstration . . . blotted out the sun and made the movements described.

Extensive research in the consumption of brandy, perhaps.

Then the Vatican system took over and easily manipulated MOST of the peasants and even elevated persons and their perspectives to the Vatican’s will on the matter—and has been doing so ever since.

And various hallucinogens.

Deceptions from the enemy’s camp are not to be misconstrued as successfully trashing the truths of God and Scripture, however.

Anyone who combines Scripture with space aliens deserves derision in copious amounts.

2,176 posted on 01/30/2011 5:45:45 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2055 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg
Repent. God forgives a contrite heart.

Calvin believed that only the elite selected from before the universe was created would be saved. Therefore it does not matter what any individual does. If selected, they cannot avoid Heaven. If not selected, they cannot avoid hell. Why would you even post something like this? If your belief system were in force, then your admonition is invalid. If it is not, then it would mean something.

An interesting thought - your belief system only means something if it is not true.

2,177 posted on 01/30/2011 5:49:54 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2119 | View Replies]

To: HarleyD
And there you go. Thanks for admitting that you don't REALLY believe in the infallibility of scripture. Few Catholics will make such an admission. It puts them at odds with early Church teaching (and teaching as late as the 1600s). But then it's not the first major doctrine the Church has changed from what was taught by the fathers. The Church has left its first love a long time ago.

That's not what I said. I said that you do not have infallible Scripture in your hands. The Early Church did. That separates them from your bunch. The early Nicene fathers never taught that the interpretation was infallible through Church teachings. They knew what was inspired and what wasn't. Jerome, Chrysostom and others must be turning over in their crypts.

Really? The Church has always taught that.

I don't have to be a Pope to read what the early church fathers wrote on the inspiration of scripture and declared at council after council. The Church plainly no longer follows the teachings of the fathers. This is a case in point. It is disingenuous for Catholics to pretend that they do.

Interesting statement. Which Councils are you referring to?

2,178 posted on 01/30/2011 5:58:18 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2134 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg
Thanks, Gamecock. Everyone would benefit by reading... FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS

In the same fashion that one would benefit by reading Hans Christian Andersen. Only less true.

2,179 posted on 01/30/2011 6:00:50 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2137 | View Replies]

To: Cronos
Yes, their lapdogs follow them, not realising that the Calvinists would have their heads at the first sign. The OPC/PCA has dreams about reincarnating the Geneva police-state

Only with female clergy.

2,180 posted on 01/30/2011 6:01:58 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2142 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 2,141-2,1602,161-2,1802,181-2,200 ... 3,381-3,392 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson