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 vehicles 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 ...
You really don't know, do you? Until Calvin, nobody in the world thought that God predestined men to hell.
The belief wasn't challenged until the rise of gnosticism in the fourth and fifth centuries when Pelagianism seeped into the church. To combat that error, Augustine articulated a sound defense of God's predestination in his "Treatise of the Predestination of the Saints."
You really don't know, do you? Gnosticism predates Christianity and was brought into it almost immediately until it was declared heretical.
Your quotes do not show predestination to hell. We acknowledge predestination of the saints (or individuals anyway) to heaven. We do not acknowledge predestination of individuals to hell. And Thomas Aquinas does not offer an argument for it.
lol. Mark, you write with great authority.
And it's all your own.
In this case, I'll agree with the Roman Catholic bible. You're free to differ.
Oh, maybe not.
Fundamentalist could be understood as a sub class of Evangelicals, but the former are the latte , and generally the term is either for self-described evangelicals or according to a basic doctrinal criteria, just like but “born again” are, but with distinguishable aspects.
There are other surveys which distinguish specific btwn Prot denoms, and manifests a consistent contrast between evangelicals ones and others. See the whole collection: http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/RevealingStatistics.html#Sec4
The church is not constituted to rule over the lost world, and the sword of men is sanction for the civil authorities whose domain that is:
“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36)
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)
” By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,” (2 Corinthians 6:6-7)
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
“For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13)
“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” (Romans 13:3-4)
Contra:
Pope Pius IX, The Syllabus (of Errors): “[It is error to believe that] The (Catholic) Church has not the power of using force, nor has she any temporal power, direct or indirect.” Section V, Errors Concerning the Church and Her Rights, #24. http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/P9SYLL.HTM
http://biblelight.net/freedom.htm (site ref for this, not all)
50 feet? Were i live (18k per sq mile) that could be a lot of space, which we need to put the snow.
I nee only just briefly address 2 things
As re the sedevacantists holding with Church teaching on Scripture but the succession of the Popes, they actually think the chair has been empty since either the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958 or Pope John XXIII in 1963, due to the embrace of Modernism, or of having otherwise denied or contradicted solemnly defined (as they see them) Catholic dogmas
As re SS type, it means sola (not solo) scriptura.
Good weather sites:
http://www.wunderground.com/radar/mixedcomposite.asp?region=a5&size=2x&type=loop&MR=1
http://www.wunderground.com/US/Region/US/2xpxJetStream.html?MR=1 (that’s the issue)
http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/Current.aspx?animate=true
http://www.accuweather.com/video/774044729001/is-a-record-cold-sat-era-globa.asp?channel=vbbastaj (that’s the anti AGW man)
What effect(if any) the religious background of the President (and his staff) has on foreign policy would make for an interesting debate since it seems you’ve given a good deal of thought to the subject.
I simply don’t have much to contribute that would be of any value and thus I’ll have to step back.
“It is pertinent to my point.”
I understand it is but you can understand why I don’t want to comment on areas a way beyond my knowledge.
Cheers, it was a pleasure jousting with you! We really must again soon.
Not everyone gets a Road to Damascus experience
The knowledge of Who Christ IS comes directly from God. It is a Spiritual revelation.
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. I Corinthians 12:3
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. - I Cor 2:6-16
With Spiritual discernment, the Scriptures come alive within us.
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. - John 6:63
If all of my reasoning and sensory perception is telling me to run but God is telling me to stay, I will stay.
Gods Name is I AM
Thanks for all your wonderful posts.
OMG! Some of the verses "agree" with an already established Trinity??? Do you mean that the Jews already believed in a triune God as implied in the OT and the NT writers confirmed it in their writings? Or, are you saying that your "church" had already made dogmatic statements concerning the Trinity and good, old Paul accommodated y'all and put it all down in his epistles?
I can only imagine how much your seeming refusal to admit you might be wrong about something from time to time would seriously irritate your wife. It sure would me.
Ssssnap!!! Good point, Hoss.
Are you thinking about present day Jews? I believe the Jews of the OT certainly knew about the devil. They had the book of Job, right? Just who do you think it was talking about?
AMEN!
Proverbs 6:12-14
A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
He winks with his eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.
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