Posted on 02/19/2015 9:39:57 AM PST by Alex Murphy
I have read this over a couple times since you posted it.
a. The Baptist in the original post is quite frankly off base. Way of base. Those Coptics died in the name of Jesus. May we be so brave when our time comes.
2. You are correct in #4. I hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith, 1646. Sadly there aren’t any (or many)Presbyterian churches that hold to it as then written. What many won’t understand it the WCG is not above or even equal to Scripture. But, in my mind has the best summary of what Scripture teaches about God, man, salvation and the Christian life.
Might as well make the same determination for Catholics as with Copts then - unless you are speaking totally outside what the author asserted.
Acts 2:36-47 gives a pretty good summary of what was done by those guilty of crucifying Jesus in order to obtain forgiveness of their sins (v. 38, together with Matthew 26:28 which invokes the blood of Jesus Christ as the cleansing agent, see also, Colossians 1:13-14) and become a member of God’s people (verse 47). In Acts 20:28 obedient Christians (in this case, the overseers [or, elders, v. 17] of the congregation of Christians located in Ephesus) are said to be responsible for feeding the church of God, purchased with the blood of Christ.
A similar path was one Saul (later called Paul) traveled to be cleansed from his sins (he described himself as “the chief of sinners.”) Acts 9:6: “...Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou MUST do.” Read the three accounts in the book of Acts of Saul’s conversion and see what he was told to do: Acts 22:16: “And, now why tarriest thou? arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” He was given no other instructions per the scriptures.
The sinful people in Corinth (I Corinthians 6:9:11) were said to have been ‘washed,’ ‘sanctified,’ and ‘justified’ in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. What had they done? Acts 18:8: “...many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” A further bit of insight into the Corinthians’ obedience is found in I Corinthians 12:13: “For by one Spirit are we (Saul, now Paul, includes himself in this statement) all baptized into one body...” (see Colossians 1:18 for a definition of “the body”).
Thanks for meditating on these things!
In terms of those teachings ... that sounds right.
But you never know when one particular individual may have ignored those false teachings, and may indeed be a Christian “in spite of those teachings”. It does happen.
Finding New Connectors to God
We will explore the four types of claires ... clairvoyance (pictures), clairaudience (hearing), clairsentience (feelings) and claircogniznace (knowing) ... trying to discover one that resonates with you to help you better connect with the Divine power and bring awareness to where you are spiritually. The retreat will combine the Hatha physical experience and meditation practice of Yoga. This retreat will be semi-silent (silence will be observed at all times except during our group sessions). - https://www.sinsinawa.org/MoundCenter/RetreatDetail.cfm?num=580
Zentangle Workshop
Zentangle is a pen and ink meditative art form. The class consists of two sessions in which the participant will learn to draw eight to ten patterns. Interspersed with the drawing will be mindfulness and meditative exercises. "Almost anyone can use Zentangle to create beautiful images. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being. - https://www.sinsinawa.org/MoundCenter/RetreatDetail.cfm?num=591
We invite you to walk the labyrinth and discover a new, yet ancient way to pray . . . to meditate.
The labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool, founded as early as 200 B.C.E. Its history includes use in Crete, Tibet, Greece, Celtic spirituality, early European art, and in the Christian tradition.
And no longer offered:
A Circle of Drums This workshop is a high-energy, hands-on presentation emphasizing collaborative, creative individual expression while also exhibiting the benefits of synergetic group dynamics. Bill uses an ensemble of beautiful drums and percussion instruments from around the world to facilitate a meaningful team-building experience that celebrates the expansive nature of human potential and the ecstatic response to group rhythm-making. It is our hope that everyone who participates in the experience will enjoy a powerful body/mind/spirit encounter that will last a lifetime! - https://www.sinsinawa.org/MoundCenter/RetreatDetail.cfm?num=536
God knows their heart, not us.
If they were trusting Jesus at the last, they will be saved.
If not, they won’t.
It’s not for us to determine. We’ll find out when we get there if we need to know.
That phrase about says it all. However, the truth is that "There is NO WAY unto the Father, but by ME"-Jesus.
However, The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, (Psalms 34:18) in the context of faith in the true God and salvation by grace, not merit, and the Coptics both hold to key salvific Truths and due to their persecution are more likely to have a depth of faith that is real.
And while some persons will hold to and not deny their faith due to cultural pride, the context weighs in favour of at least some or most of these dying as Christians because they would not deny him and become Muslim, which option i presume was given them.
That even could be the day of one's salvation. Meanwhile, are we walking consistent with saving faith daily, and in such as closeness that if our next step takes us into eternity it would just be as the other steps we took as we walked in fellowship with Christ;
hoping and looking forward to seeing Him, and doing works so as to have something to show our gratitude to Him for drawing, convicting, opening our hearts and saving us by faith in His sinless shed blood? Need to do so consistently and better.
The only hope that can save Muslims is to cry out to Jesus...
I watched a video of a Muslim man who was emotionally torn in heart seeking God and tried in vain to find him via Hours of study in ISlam....when Islam didn't “answer” him after seeking with tears and agony he told “allah”...he no longer could believe him....within seconds of ‘denying allah’ the man heard himself cry out to Jesus.....and Jesus made himself known to him as Savior and was saved. His testimony is amazing.
Muslims know of Jesus so I do believe He is standing ever so close to them when their “heart breaks” from Islam and He is quick to act.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
the arrogance of those holding on to the 16th century tradition of men is amazing to behold.
no Christians existed before the 16th century? lol
Aha, so the answer was in the Bible all along!
:-)
Check your local ordinances and fire codes though.
I'd hate to see one get in trouble, just for doing what they should....
And just think...it could be named after the Montana Southern Baptist (who should perhaps be barred from sending any representatives to any future SB conventions) and it seems like hardly anyone here would be rushing to Moore's defense.
Burn baby burn. Your smirk-face argument -- first, then maybe Moore, in effigy.
Why are they not lined up to berate you for criminal excerpting and italicization?
Should I ping the usual suspects accusers?
You know, those who love you so very very much they lecture you as for 'love' even as they berate you for italicization of paragraphs taken from an article heading a thread (when they could scroll up just a wee bit and read the same thing --- but make it out to be that it's all your fault for whatever was said in an article) or else tell you what a hater you are for asking a question, while they lecture--'love', but give no other answer....
Your questions are evil-boll weevil, fearless leader. Chiefly, because they come from you.
I suspect this could be one of those instances where one and one and one do not make three...because in the end, they still all add up to one.
Correct, we don't know, but it IS on an individual basis. Each one makes his own decision about his relationship with Christ.
Amen. None of us here will be organizing heaven. That will be the owner of the place. Jesus did say there are many mansions and I suspect it will be a diverse crowd occupying them. How we organize things here will also be reversed according to Jesus. The first will be last and the last first.
It’s a pretty fair assessment that if the teachings are wrong, then the people under those teachings are not Christians. You can’t say that in any ONE person, but you can say that “in the aggregate” ... which is as far as we know.
For example, if people live under the teachings of a cult group like Mormons ... those teachings don’t produce Christians. We can say that “in the aggregate” ... BUT ... you may find a Mormon sitting under those teachings, who has ignored them, not believed them, and instead, took his understanding STRICTLY from the Bible and not from any of the materials and false doctrines of Mormonism. In that manner, you may find someone who “looked like a Mormon” on the surface ... but never was, because he REJECTED those false doctrines, and truly accepted Jesus, the Messiah of Israel as his Savior, per the Bible, alone.
The same is possible with a Copt, here and there, but it would not be true “in the aggregate”!
Yes, I did not know of their association with Mark. What I was also alluding to was the Copt’s potentially Gnostic “Gospel of Thomas,” among other things:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Thomas
Mrs. Don-o, I am honored you took the time to respond to my post. You have a lovely heart.
My wife and I will keep you and your family in our prayers.
Please take appropriate care of yourself to heal as well as possible.
Like as they must resort to do so often with Scripture, that is blatant Roman reading into the text of a reply, and in which i essentially said the opposite.
To hold that no Christians existed before the 16th century is as untenable as to hold that no Caths are children of God today, even if they be relative few, as is the case with liberal Prot denominations.
Of course, to be consistent, a historical RC cannot allow that Prots such as myself are born again children of God (or that Catholic rulers are not to exterminate the "heretics" in his country), and must contend with V2 RCs who allow otherwise. Of which are many blind leading the blind.
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.