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 ...
I plan to go on criticizing
RAMPANT, RAGING, HORRENDOUS
IDOLATRY,
BLASPHEMY,
HORRIBLY DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES
WHEREVER I feel led to do so—particularly on FR re Vatican related junk whenever Rabid Clique Types of RC’s insist on brazenly posting outrageously horrid stuff.
More of a Michael Moorcock vision, I'd hazard.
Having an explanation that people are conditioned to accept will be useful in the anti-Christ’s grab of power. What with the UFO phenomena being treated so seriously, I think that many people will fall for that explanation.
I don't think that you'll find many Catholics listening to Coast to Coast AM.
read Ephesians 1:22-23 and then talk to me again.
read 2 Thessalonians 2:15, then talk to me about keeping the Apostolic Tradition.
Whoever coaches the style of your postings ought to be fired.
Many of us have a DECREASING MOTIVATION to try and teach pigs to sing or fly.
If you return to Christianity, the Gadarean swine will dispose of themselves.
Jesus=Word of God, Body of Christ=The Church got it?
“sorry if you don’t like history,”
I neither said nor indicated such but bang on.
“but everyone should know Church and Bible History”
Well said but not well done. Jesus explains his own illustration and you miss the import entirely...entirely!
“How else can you know God?”
While that may seem a tough one, I’d say reading the Bible and praying for the enlightening effects of God’s spirit. But hey! That’s just me.
“ignorance of history is the devil’s playground!”
Jesus said “Your word is truth” and “the truth will set you free”. (John 8:32 and 17:17)
I thought that was idle hands.
More misrepresenting what you said, eh?
And then demanding that you defend what they made up about you, or explain why you *believe* it.
It gets back to the old *Have you stopped beating your wife?* type question. It's loaded. All it is is a trap.
Everyone with any reading comprehension can see what you posted in 801 and sees what is going on here.
The RC church does indeed nullify God's word with its tradition, just like the Pharisees did.
How about starting with the train wreck Benny Hinn and the unctuous and oily John Hagee? And their hankies?
2 Thessalonians 2:15 "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."
You contend that this verse negates the idea of sola scriptura? This and your preceding statements just cement my belief that some have no clue whatsoever about it. No sane Christian will deny that the early church relied completely upon the message preached to them and spread by the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ. It is also undeniable that the early believers received the writings from those who were charged with feeding and nurturing them in the developing revelations from God. That these groups of believers made up the "church" is correct but it was not one church but many scattered throughout the entire region. As devotees shared the gospel and people believed and received the Holy Spirit they also began to share the good news of Jesus Christ and they gathered together in their homes to worship, to share in blessings and to exhort each other in the Lord. Pastors and elders were named, then bishops to keep order among their own flocks and to ensure the clarity of the doctrine. They WERE united in the faith even though they were far apart one from the other - they were all together the Body of Christ even as we are still today.
There was a church in Ephesus, in Jerusalem, in Thessolonica, in Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, Colosse and Rome and as the word spread many, many more were started. The writings of the apostles and others were shared and copied, studied, preached and rejoiced over. That there was this universally accepted group of writings as from God was clearly evident. When the church in Rome and others set about to compile a volume of these writings they most certainly relied not only upon the accepted traditions of the churches but their own confidence in God's revealed word. To think they did this without the leading and provision of God himself is ridiculous. God is to whom we owe all glory and thanksgiving for his holy Scriptures, not man and certainly not those who would boast that this imparted some mystical power in them to continue to decide what was reveled or not outside of Scripture.
Finally, I am somewhat stunned by your assertion that "in my mind, sola scriptura leads me to become my own pope". I can only attribute this to some necessity to get a dig in. But let me assure you, I do not think of myself in that way nor would most "Protestants" if you ever asked them and then actually listened to their answer. I can no more create my own truth than I can create the Mona Lisa. Granted, some try, but put up to the original, the fakes are discovered by the experts. There are experts in the Bible and the Lord has given them to his church as teachers, evangelists and pastors and any worth their salt better be an expert in the Word or the fakes get found out and disgraced soon enough. It's happened in the past and still goes on today, the wolves are recognized by the truly Spirit-filled believers and cast out into the woods where they belong. So without the Holy Spirit and God's Word - the Bible - we would not be able to tell who is really teaching the truth. It is and will remain our authority and no man can take the place.
Don't send others off to do your work and get back to you.
If you want someone to read Scripture, post it for them.
We are not your lackeys.
why do you accept the Bible as God’s Word, if not for the Church teaching it? do you think the Bible fell out of the air from heaven? No, Jesus gave His authority to a Church, you just don’t believe it!
Luke 10:16 “He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me”
Who is Jesus referring to when He says “he who rejects you”?
Yes, we do and it ain't looking so hot for you.
Ahhhhh . . .
issued from the Vatican or the local Diocese, I wonder.
Or maybe they fluttered out of the sky on white hankys with gilded writing . . . perhaps claiming to be Mary’s musings at heavenly tea.
LOL.
Do not badger another to discover personal information. If he or she does not wish to answer your question, let it be.
Ah yes, what colour Pentecostal hanky do you use to clean up the Miracle Spring Water? Is it embroidered with the monogram of Aimee Semple McPherson?
OTOH, you get a pope like most of the ones the Catholic church has had, and they lead the whole denomination astray.
And when someone tries to be the church back on track, out of the hands of some immoral, corrupt, greedy power monger, who fancies himself as Christ’s representative on earth, he’s branded a heretic and sent to hell (ex-communicated) by said evil, vile pontiff.
Somehow, I don’t think that that abuse of binding and loosing is what Jesus had in mind when He gave them that privilege ( or whatever you want to call it). I don’t think that Jesus would have meant it to be abused to blackmail someone into submitting to demonically motivated corrupt human being.
Even if it were every man his own pope, it would mitigate the damage done to others by keeping it smaller in scale. It would only be the people who followed that individual instead of the case of the Roman pontiffs who led millions off the spiritual cliff to their own ruin.
>> “Where does it say that? <<
.
Every time baptism is mentioned, belief comes first, with the acceptance of Christ as Lord of all, then comes baptism.
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