Posted on 12/10/2014 6:32:20 AM PST by marshmallow
"Christian unity" is one of those terms that stir up a whole spectrum of—sometimes emotional—opinions.
On the one hand, we know that Jesus prayed to the Father concerning future believers "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you" (John 17:21a, NIV).
On the other hand, charismatics know it is almost pointless to discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12, 14) with Baptists or most anyone else from a mainline denomination. And Protestants of just about any stripe get riled up when they hear Catholics talking about papal infallibility or their adoration of the Virgin Mary.
It's on this latter point that Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and successful author, has waded into a hornet's nest of controversy by telling a Catholic News Service interviewer that Protestants and Catholics "have far more in common than what divides us" and that Catholics do not "worship Mary like she's another god."
Regarding Warren's view that Catholics do not worship Mary, Matt Slick, writing on the website of the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, goes into great detail with material from Roman Catholic sources that say Mary is "the all holy one," is to be prayed to, worshipped, that she "brings us the gifts of eternal life" and she "made atonement for the sins of man."
If that's not putting her in the place of Christ as a god-like figure to be worshipped, then what is it?
"We believe in Trinity, the Bible, the resurrection, and that salvation is through Jesus Christ. These are the big issues," Warren says. "But the most important thing is if you love Jesus, we're on the same team."
To Warren's point about being on the same team, Slick.....
(Excerpt) Read more at charismanews.com ...
If you are going to talk about someone, have the integrity to include him or her.
For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
Stating fact isn’t mind reading. It’s called discernment.
Definitely we must pray, as that is a command, as only God can judge the heart and knows whom He has chosen.
Yep, that’s what Paul said.
“Stating fact isn’t mind reading. It’s called discernment.”
No, these are examples of “mind reading” from your post (#2130)
“You seek the perversion and tp argue,”
SEEK THE PERVERSION AND TO ARGUE - That’s called “mind reading”
“and therefore I have no time for dishonest questions or intentional perversions”
INTENTIONAL PERVERSIONS - “mind reading”
“I know your only design to create arguments,”
KNOW - that’s “mind reading”
“and knew exactly where you were coning from after your second or third post.”
KNEW EXACTLY WHERE YOU WERE COMING FROM - that’s mind reading
“You are a dishonest questioner and willfully perverted in your insistence in perverting the intent of the Scriptures.”
DISHONEST, WILLFULLY PERVERTED, YOUR INSISTENCE IN PERVERTING THE INTENT - that’s mind reading
My mother had a death bed conversion. She was Catholic her whole life. A couple who befriended my parents were born again Christians. The wife, Pam, spent a great deal of time at the hospital as my mother lay dying (at the young age of 41). She once was a Catholic as well. Anyway, I’ll never forget the day Pam and I had a great talk when I was no longer a child, and she told me my mother accepted Christ as her Savior shortly before she went into a coma and died.
Pam and her husband both prayed for my parents for many years prior to this. I accepted Christ about 6 months after my mother’s passing and my father about six months later.
So, death bed conversions do happen.
Mind reading is predicting your answers, not waiting for your responses, or guessing your intent without analyzing your commentary and behaviors.
Spiritual Discernment is something different:
The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of “discernment of spirits” or “distinguishing between spirits.” The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis. The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment. In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.
The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment to enable certain Christians to clearly recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world, and the flesh in a given situation. The church needs those with this gift to warn believers in times of danger or keep them from being led astray by false teaching. See also I Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6; 16:16-18; 1 John 4:1.
And that is what I did, with you and with others in real life. Ask any pastor if they have spiritual discernment.
Heck, ask any worldly person for that matter if they can discern whether someone is genuine in their flattery or speech. I bet there are many who can discern the difference and we do not fault them for being wise in their employment hiring.
Yes!! That thief...what a fortunate day for him, at is were.
I'd like to review some of your discernment. Can you answer this question simply and honestly, "Which denomination, sect, or faith group do you regularly assemble with on Sundays (or Saturdays if that is your tradition) ?
Perhaps you can discern this: I’ve already answered your question. Sorry you didn’t like the answer.
BTW, read post #2135 earlier. Excellent post.
I discern you are a baptized Catholic. After that, who knows ? I suppose I'll just have to discern a denomination based on evidence, or lack thereof.
Christ prayed to the Father just prior to His death on the Cross:
"And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."What you persist in doing contrary to what Christ would have Christians do.20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
I typed something really clever for you in this space, but decided to delete it.
We are making this thread about us instead of the subject.
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