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He is simply making the point that we are to take our opportunities when they present themselves to us. Christians are not the only ones to realize such wisdom; as MacArthur points out, the Greeks, or at least Lysippos, thought it important enough to create a statue to the idea.

It's just an encouragement for us to not be lazy, but to move out in service to Christ when we see an opportunity to do so.

How are we to discover or learn what our spiritual gift is?

Sadly, hucksters often use religion as a pretense for their own-financial gain. We are not talking here about hardworking and godly pastors and leaders who are paid well by their churches or other organizations. Instead, we refer to the hypocrites who see religion as a way to make a quick dollar and who intentionally prey on unsuspecting people, taking advantage of them for their money.

Who are these people you speak of? Are they real, or have you just imagined them? If they are real, what are their names so I can check them out and verify your accusations concerning them.

Depends on what your definition of “good” is, I suppose. Never met one, actually.

I never did either, but I heard about one: my wife's first husband.

A distinction needs to be made here. The questions asked: Whom shall I marry, what job shall I take, where shall I go to school? are all questions asking to know God's will of decree---those things He has determined that He will do, which nothing can delay, hinder, or overthrow (Isaiah 46:10-11).

But the 5 passages MacArthur uses are those that speak of duties God requires man to do, hence God's will of precept. God does not answer questions relating to His will of decree, one must look back in time to see what that was.

Further, of the 5 statements of God's will of precept that MacArthur mentions, only the first is a 100% possibility: either one is saved, or one isn't. The other 4 only admit to degrees of obedience by man. For example, no one is fully controlled by the Spirit all the time, no one is fully sanctified, or suffering, or saying thanks all of the time. So, our obedience to these commands is not 100%. Therefore, how can we do the tings we desire (Ps. 37:4) if we know that we are not living fully godly lives?

Answer: we do the best we can, make the best decisions we can, confess our sins and trust God for the future.

Is God asking you to move out by faith in some area of your life or ministry?

A couple of points: 1) God did not ask, He commanded. 2) He commanded by direct revelation. There was no question in Abram's mind that it was God who was talking to him, and there was no doubt as to what it was that God wanted him to do.

It is much different when we do not have direct revelation to tell us just where and how God wants us to do "something."

How does one discover what their spiritual gift is?

What about “obtaining spiritual effectiveness?” How wonderful it would be to have some spiritual effectiveness to maintain.

What is freedom? I'm only free if I can articulate, to your satisfaction, my systematic theology?

How about this: "I'm not baking a cake for you because I don't want to."

I agree that father Morris is an extremely poor example of a Christian.

If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven’s scenes, They will find the streets are guarded By United States Marines.

3rd line should read:

They will find the streets abandoned

I do know that he’s sadly getting sola Scriptura and sola fide wrong. And that’s what should concern evangelicals.

This is an excellent point, and the one anybody thinking of this matter should consider carefully.

I have talked to many people who do not believe as I do, but the alarming thing is to realize that they do not correctly understand what it is that I do believe. Therefore, it is unavoidable but to conclude that the decision they have made to reject the truth is that they do not understand the truth. If they did, and continue to reject it, then all discussion on my part is ended.

the Marine Corps, although Marines are often loathe to admit it, is a component of the Department of the Navy”

Yeah. The Men's Department!

I wonder how many of these 3,000 will become infected? And, what will be the government's response to them when they return home? How long will they have to wait for treatment?

This is not how we should use our military personnel. Boots on the ground to fight the ebola virus. Air strikes against the dreaded ebolas. Why didn't we try sanctions first?

The most important feature of Christianity is: It is true.

Your post parallels my own experience, almost to the letter; especially the part about those who criticize the doctrines of grace not understanding them correctly.

John Owen, writing about the question of for whom did Christ die, explained it this way as be reduced the question to three points: 1)either Christ died for all the sins of all men, in which case all are saved-universalism. 2) or, Christ died for some of the sins of all men, in which case no one is saved. 3) or, Christ died for all the sins of some men-and this is what the Bible teaches and is the truth.

Thanks for you good posts in this thread-may your tribe increase.

I think I have seen all the YouTube videos, including the Q and A sessions. It all has been very good and biblically accurate.

I wonder, though, about those who attend and watch who might be in a charismatic church, or one that is heading in that direction, as to how they should go about re-directing the leadership of their church to avoid further entanglement in this system of aberrant theology and ministry.

I especially thought the point made about how the modern music influences and opens the door of a church to allow in also the theology afterwards was spot-on accurate. I see many churches that, after embracing contemporary music, have no leg to stand on when they try to fend off the inevitable theological compromises that follow.

the holy Catholic church

And here is your error. There is no capital letter with the word, "catholic." The word means, "universal". The reference is to the church, the universal one consisting of Christians of all nations, kindred, and tongues; the entire body of Christ. It does not refer to the particular Roman Catholic Church as you suppose. And, one further point: Latin doesn't make it more true or right.

Interesting. I guess God really IS a respector of persons, since he picks and chooses who receives the Holy SPirit.

This statement reveals that you completely misunderstand "grace." It is precisely because God is no respecter of persons, but because of His grace that He chooses some and not others. It is His sovereign choice. No merit in a person influences God's choice to save, and nothing sinful in another that influences God's choice to allow some to remain in their unregenerate state. Remember John 1:12; those who did receive Christ did so, not because of their own will, or by any human motivation, but they were born, or received Christ, as a result of God's will (and this is referring to God's will of decree, or His sovereign will).

The Doctrines of Grace are richly displayed in John's Gospel. Another helpful passage in understanding this is Ephesians 1:3-11.

"Christ died for sins once, but the Catholic mass is a rememberence of Christ’s sacriface on the cross."

Wrong! If the Catholic church really believes in transubstantiation, then it is actually a re-sacrificing of Christ at every mass and not just a "rememberance".

I was thinking the same thing, and you have said it well. There is an eternity of difference between a re-presentation and a remembrance---between the idolatry of the Mass and true worship of a Savior who once offered Himself, once He died, and once He was resurrected to live forevermore.