Eighty percent of all the U.N. General Assembly resolutions criticizing nations for human-rights violations are aimed at Israel. There are over 120 nations who sign on as sponsors/co-sponsors of these resolutions and they are the usual Islamic Arab, African, and Asian countries, but increasingly, because of oil interests, and growing anti-semitism other nations have joined in the mob-rule voting against Israel. It now appears that the U.S. is the only friend that Israel has, but with our current President even we appear to be indifferent to the tenuous situation in Israel. Don’t take my word regarding the consequences; let’s see what Jesus has to say about this situation.
Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: Quite obviously, this is at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King (Jesus) say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. This is after the Tribulation Period and after the the day of the Lord, and the judgment here is for the nations existing at that time. It does not include the raptured saints, since they will already have glorified bodies and be with the Lord.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Jesus was Jewish, His brethren in this case are the Jews. During the Tribulation Period and the day of the Lord it will seem as if the entire world is against the Jews, those who help the Jews will be the sheep and they will enter into the Millennial Kingdom. But the goats…
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. This means, “Since you were not for my brethren, you were against me.” Woe unto those goat nations who side against Israel for they will suffer eternal damnation!
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
If you are for the Jews, let your Federal elected officials know it.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Why We Should Protect The Jews.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Church Bulletin Sayings
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
On the way home from church one Sunday little Jason cried all the way home. Finally his dad asked what was wrong. Jason replied, “The preacher said he wanted us kids brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys.”
A chapter a day keeps the Devil away.
When you're on your knees you can't stumble.
God always puts omnipotence back of His commands, and we can do anything we ought to do. ~Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.
The Bible says that Christians are “living stones.” But some long-faced church members look more like tombstones.
What makes the Dead Sea dead? Because it is all the time receiving but never giving out. Why is it that many Christians are cold? Because they are all the time receiving but never giving out. ~D.L. Moody
So live that when people speak evil of you, no one will believe it.
There are three crowds in every church: those who don’t know what’s happening, those who wonder what’s happening, and those who make things happen.
The house of many mansions requires reservations in advance.
*A village pastor, who had a weakness for trout, preached against fishing on Sunday. The next day one of his members presented him with a fine string of fish and said hesitantly, “I guess I ought to tell you, Parson, that those trout were caught on Sunday.”
*The minister gazed appreciatively at the speckled trout, and said piously, “The fish aren’t to blame for that.”
Those who complain about the way the ball bounces are often the ones who dropped it.
Having common enemies is a poor basis for fellowship. ~ Curtis Hutson
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three days before you need it.
Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.
Without Christmas there would be no Easter.
Good marriages are not the result of finding the right person but being the right person.
People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.
*A pastor always used the phrase, “It could be worse,” when some calamity would come his way.
*One day a friend said to him, “I have something to tell you, and you won’t be able to use your favorite phrase. I dreamed last night that I died and went to hell.”
*“It could be worse,” said the preacher.
*“How could it be worse?”
*“It could be true.”
When you bury the hatchet, make sure it’s not in your neighbor’s head.
It’s impossible to make wisdom hereditary.
We aren’t sinners because we sin, we sin because we’re sinners.
One time Billy Sunday was asked what he did to get people to come to church. He answered, “I set myself on fire. Then the people come to watch me burn.”
Come next Sunday morning and watch our Pastor set himself on fire! It’ll be cool!
*Note: We regret that the immolation scheduled for today (see last week’s bulletin) has been canceled by the pastor due to his lack of interest. He has promised, however, that if you come next week his belly will be full of fire.
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
Look forward to some success, not backward at some failure.
Grace is God giving himself for us; Lordship is us giving ourselves to Him.
A person who is temperamental is 50% temper and 50% mental.
Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever hate.
A Sunday School teacher said, “Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.” One of her youngsters said. “My mom looked back and turned into a telephone pole.”
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
People who are green with envy are ripe for trouble.
Unsolicited advice is a form of criticism.
If you're too open-minded, your brains will fall out.
Don't worry about what people think; they don't do it very often.
Truth’s most becoming garment is simplicity. ~ Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.
What do you have when you have 20 people and 20 different opinions? A Baptist Preacher’s Fellowship.
The trouble with some of us is that we’ve been inoculated with small doses of Christianity, which keep us from catching the real thing.
Turn to The Bread of Life! Or be toast!
Going to a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
The Bible can be read through in 60 hours. ~ G. Campbell Morgan
Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.
Feelings come and feelings go
And feelings are deceiving,
My trust is in the Word of God,
None else is worth believing.
~ Martin Luther
A person who can’t stand the smell of sheep dung probably ought not be a shepherd. ~ John Browning.
We shouldn’t go by our feelings, but we should have feelings as we go.
~ Lige Ledbetter
The Bible is a love letter from God, but to many it is an unopened letter.
A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep its eyes on the spot where the crack was.
*While waiting to catch an airplane, a friend asked a man if he knew for sure that he was going to heaven. He answered, “I hope so.”
*My friend said, “Oh, you’re just going ‘space available.’ You ought to get a reserved seat.”
No dying man has ever said, “I’m sorry I was a Christian.”
Love means giving.
A day hemmed in prayer never comes unraveled.
No man is high born until he is born from on high. - Dr. Bob Jones Sr.
It’s axiomatic that when a preacher prepares a message aimed at a particular person, the Devil will keep that person out of church that day.
Synonym: a word you can use when you can’t spell the other one.
Q: What do you call someone whose opinion differs from your own?
A: A radical.
*An argumentive person asked a preacher, “What is a miracle? Give me an example.”
*The preacher turned him around and gave him a good swift kick in the seat of the pants. “Did you feel that?”
*“Yes, I sure did!”
*“Well, it would have been a miracle if you hadn’t!”
For thirty pieces of silver Judas sold himself, not Christ.
Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, and the past perfect.
We cannot avoid growing old, but we can avoid growing cold.
Dear God: The Preacher's sermon sure hit home with a lot of people this morning. You should have been there.
Faith is the ability to not panic.
He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
The most important things in your home are the people.
Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.
It’s hard to be humble when you believe you’re a child of the King!
When a man has not a good reason for doing a thing, he has one good reason for letting it alone. ~Sir Walter Scott
Since God is our Father and we’re His children, we’re all brothers and sisters and our family tree is the cross.
Many people believe that admitting a fault means they no longer have to correct it.
Self always wants to be crowned, but God says it must be crucified.
My besetting sin is exaggeration. In fact I’ve cried a bucket of tears over it!
Age is mind over matter; if you don’t mind, it don’t matter!
To stay youthful, stay useful.
The heart that loves is always young.
The measure of a man’s greatness is not how many men serve him, but how many people he serves.
God will lower the gate of warning, sound the bell, flash the red lights, but He won’t keep you from crossing the tracks.
What a big difference there is between giving advice and lending a helping hand!
A good rule; give God the first part of every day, the first day of every week, and the first part of your income.
Church sign: Free trip to heaven. Info inside.
Prayer: Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!
A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
Exercise daily - walk with the Lord.
The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
Salvation: best bargain in town.
Now is the time to invest in eternity.
A pessimist is one who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a casket.
I like the optimist who fell out the window on the twentieth story and was heard to say as he passed the second floor, “Safe so far!”
Man's way leads to a hopeless end - God's way leads to an endless hope.
We don't change God's message - His message changes us.
Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.
Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited -until you try to sit in their pew.
It’s a paradox that most people who make a fuss about Bible versions don’t read it anyway.
I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?
When you’re flat on your back, you look up.
The chances are about 10 to 1 that when someone slaps you on the back, he wants you to cough up something.
Open-minded or empty-headed; it depends on whether you’re defining yourself or someone else.
When in doubt...faith it!
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.
Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.
ATTENTION: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.
If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
We can never evangelize the world until the evangelized become evangelists.
Prejudice is a time-saver. It enables you to form opinions without bothering to get the facts.
John 20:29...blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
2 Corinthians 4:18, While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. ~Antoine De Saint Exupery
Be ye fishers of men. You catch ‘em - He'll clean ‘em.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
What the world really needs is one more hymn: “I Did It Thy Way.”
The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time. ~Abraham Lincoln
*One Sunday morning a lady said to the pastor, “I did not like your sermon this morning.”
*To which he replied, “Neither did the Devil. Classify yourself and come back next Sunday.”
Give God what's right - not what's left.
If God is your Copilot - swap seats!
As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
Be careful of the words you say,
To keep them soft and sweet;
You never know from day to day
Which ones you’ll have to eat!
Church signs:
*Let us take you to our leader.
*Come early if you want a back seat.
“The Passion of Christ,” you’ve seen the movie, now read the book.
Peace and freedom never come at bargain prices.
Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
Don't let your worries get the best of you, remember,
Moses started out as a basket case!
The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "…and in conclusion…"
This bulletin was typed by the seek-and-ye-shall-find method.
Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.
With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
Character is not made in a crisis - it is only exhibited.
When you get wrinkled with care and worry, it’s time to get a faith lift.
Our generation has seen television go from infancy to adultery.
Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.
For a Christian, life is not divided into the secular and the sacred. To him all ground is holy ground, every bush a burning bush, every place a temple of worship. (There is no difference between what is sacred and what is secular, it is all sacred.)
-Dr. Bob Jones Sr.-
Justice is getting what you deserve.
Mercy is not getting what you deserve.
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.
Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
A plateau is a high form of flattery.
Brains and beauty are nature’s gifts; character is your own achievement.
The Bible is the only book who’s Author is always present when one reads it.
God never does for His children what His children can do for themselves.
The best ability is dependability. -Dr. Bob Jones Sr.-
Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?
If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!
Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in the courthouse?
Blessed is he who has learned to admire, but not envy; to follow but not imitate; to praise, but not flatter; to lead, but not manipulate.
Your strength is seen in what you stand for; your weakness in what you fall for.
Paul and Silas were accused of turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6). God doesn’t turn the world upside down: He turns it right side up.
You’re stuck with your debt if ye can't budge it.
When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
A bicycle can't stand up on its own because it is two tired.
Some people refuse to come forward in church until escorted by pallbearers.
The man who has not been to church for thirty years is usually the one who says that modern preaching is behind the times.
What the church needs more than anything else is fewer people telling the church what it needs more than anything else.
To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own. ~Abraham Lincoln
To realize the worth of the anchor we need to feel the storm.
The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.
A lot of money is tainted - It taint yours and it taint mine.
Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
As long as you are something, God is not everything; but when you are nothing, Christ is all.
The man who looks back, sooner or later goes back.
If ye don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything.
College is an institution, which a lady attends to gain her MRS degree.
Epitaph on an atheist’s tombstone: All dressed up and no place to go.
By perseverance the snail reached the ark. ~Spurgeon
To the timid and hesitating, everything is impossible because it seems so. ~Sir Walter Scott
He had a photographic memory that was never developed.
Impossible is a word found only in the dictionary of fools. ~Napoleon Bonaparte
When we start thinking defeat, too often the Devil has the victory already.
There is no tragedy as tragic as combining high mentality with low morality. ~Dr. Bob Jones Sr.
College is a place where non-conformists conform to the prevailing standard of non-conformity.
When I got up this morning I discovered that someone had stolen all my stuff and replaced them all with exact duplicates. ~Steven Wright
Experience is a good teacher, but a hard one. She gives the test first and the lesson afterward.
You don’t have to be listed in “Who’s Who” to know what’s what.
Christians never meet for the last time.
A person never gets too busy to attend his own funeral.
Faith will not make the sun rise sooner, but it will make the night seem shorter.
He had a photographic memory that was never developed.
Prosperity begets friends; adversity reveals them.
We are on the wrong track when we think of friendship as something to get instead of something to give.
When it comes to giving, God sees the heart, not the hand; the giver, not the gift.
When it comes to giving, some people will stop at nothing.
When God gives to you, He never has any less; He still has just as much. God is infinite; when He gives us a part of Himself, He’s still infinite.
The door to the room of success swings on the hinges of opposition. ~Dr. Bob Jones Sr.
Be careful playing devil’s advocate, you might become the real thing.
If you aim at nothing, you’re sure to hit it.
The trouble with an opportunity is that it’s more recognizable going than it is coming.
Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
Some people fail to recognize opportunity because it usually comes to them dressed up in overalls and looks like work.
Blessed is the man who expects nothing for he will never be disappointed.
The pessimist says, “If I don’t try, I can’t fail.” The optimist says, “If I don’t try I can’t win.”
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden couldn’t complain about how much better it was in the good old days.
Have you heard about the dial-A-Prayer service for atheists? You call a number and nobody answers.
Live your life so that when you die the preacher won’t have to lie.
To make a long story short, don't tell it.
God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
What the Foxes said to Samson: If you go ahead and set our tails on fire, remember us in a book of martyrs.
What one egg said to another; Don’t get unequally yolked to a bad egg.
One nice thing about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.
You should never say "no" to a gift from a child.
No matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
We gain the strength of the temptation we resist.
You can find the shortest sermon on a thousand traffic signs: Keep right!
It wasn’t the fruit on the tree that caused all the trouble; it was the pair on the ground.
Welfare rolls are made from our dough.
A family altar would alter many a family.
The sermon that you like the most is not likely to be the one that will do you the most good.
Many people treat God like a spare tire; they only think of him in an emergency.
Scripture forbids polygamy: no man can serve two masters.
The proof of a real preacher is when his congregation goes away not saying “What a lovely sermon” but, “I will obey God.”
When did the cock crow when everyone in the world heard him? On Noah’s ark!
God’s will never contradicts His word. ~ Dr. Curtis Hutson
A clean Bible means a lean soul. ~ D.L. Moody
It took more than nails to hold Jesus to the cross. The bonds of love held Him there. ~ Rolla O. Swisher
No amount of riches can atone for poverty of character.
Whatever you dislike in another person, be sure to correct in yourself.
What you love and what you hate, reveal what you are. ~ Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.
Don’t blame the rule if you don’t measure up.
God has given us the privilege of making the choices of life, but He sets the consequences. ~R.J. Little
The most dangerous place to be on a Sunday morning is the road between a late-running Christian and his church.
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
The wisest man’s description of a wise man is found in Proverbs 11:30, “He that winneth souls is wise.”
Learn from the turtle-it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.
It’s all right to sit on your pity pot every now and then. Just be sure you flush when you are done.
The woods would be silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
Confessing your sins is no substitute for forsaking them.
If a hypocrite is between you and heaven, then he’s closer to heaven than you are.
The best mathematical equation I’ve ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
Do the math. Count your blessings.
Yard-by-yard is mighty hard, but inch-by-inch is a cinch.
People always see the bad side. Nobody ever puts up a sign that says, “NICE DOG.”
A pastor needs the head of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of a rhinoceros.
It is dangerous when our yearning capacity exceeds our earning capacity.
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut save you thirty cents?
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
Sunday School lessons are like babies: easy to conceive but hard to deliver.
http://dennyschristianwritings.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Did The Church Replace Israel?
When we say the “Church” who are we talking about? The “Church” is the worldwide body of believers of all ages, some of whom sleep in the ground. This is the Church of God…which consists of people whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. There is another definition of "church," that “local church” on the other side of town, or the one you attend. There was a local church in Corinth, there was one in Thessalonica, one in Ephesus, one in Philippi, and so on. There are several “local churches” in your town but these are not the type of church I'm referring to here.
In some denominations there is a false doctrine called Replacement Theology, (also called Supersessionism), which means that the Church has replaced (or superceded) Israel as God’s Chosen People. Attention, the Church has not replaced Israel!
Replacement Theology has not only led millions of Christians astray over the years but it has encouraged persecution of Jews through the centuries, including the Holocaust.
God has neither rejected nor replaced Israel and the Jewish people. His covenant with them is unconditional and non-transferable. God’s covenants and promises were never based on Israel’s good behavior, but were based on God’s faithfulness toward His people. Although the Jewish people have suffered the consequences of breaking God’s Laws, as we all do, they have not been replaced or rejected. Romans chapter eleven makes this quite clear.
When Jesus came to Earth, did he establish a new religion? Did he do away with the old Jewish religion? Matthew 5:17, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Note: The expression, “the law” refers to the first five books of the Old Testament (the Torah in Hebrew or the Pentateuch in Greek), and “The Prophets” refers to the last seventeen books of the Old Testament (five major and twelve minor).
No. Jesus did not establish a new religion, but He did fulfill it! To fulfill means to: 1. accomplish, achieve, complete, realize. 2. execute, discharge, observe. 3. meet, answer, fill, comply with. 4. end, terminate, conclude.
Romans 10:4, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
If a man were to complete a painting…as he applied that last stroke of the brush he would be completing it. The painting would be finished. The painting would be ended, but not destroyed. Now we have a new painting, but not a new religion; not a new God.
When Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets He did not destroy them but He did end the idea that a man could become righteous simply by obeying the Law. The story of God does not end with the Old Testament, as the Jews would have us believe, but the story of God is eternal, and goes on and is never ending. In the New Testament we have the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy.
In Jesus’ day, the truth that God had given to Israel had evolved from the Faith of God into the Jewish religion, Judaism. It had become a religious system of strict do’s and don’ts; shalt’s and shalt nots. If a person violated one of these strict rules the religious police would haul him before the Sanhedrin where he would be judged and then beaten. The Sanhedrin had evolved into powerful, self-serving, rich, upper-class politicians. (See my blog posting, What Does the Term “Jew” Mean?)
God commissioned Israel to witness to the Gentiles, but they refused to witness to the “gentile dogs,” and the record of Jonah is a good example of that. Should we witness to the Jews? Yes.
Genesis 12:1-3, Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. All families!
Genesis 22:16-18 (Abraham again), And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. All the nations!
Genesis 28:13-14 (Jacob...Israel), And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. All the families!
Isaiah 42:6, I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; Light of the Gentiles.
Isaiah 49:6, And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Light to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:44-47, And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy (note), and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. The light of the Gentiles!
Romans chapter eleven would never have been written if the Church had replaced Israel.
Romans 11:1-11:36, I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (The remnant refers to believing Jews. The election of grace refers to all believers, Christians; this includes the remnant, believing Jews.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (all believers including the believing remnant) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (See Romans 9:6)
8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. (this is a quotation from Psalms 69:22-23)
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? (for some yes; for believers, no.) God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. (See Acts 13:45)
12 Now if the fall of them (Jews) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: (because…)
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation (To copy the Gentiles) them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. (Save some of them? Through Paul’s ministry God might save some of them.)
15 For if the casting away of them (Them = Israel, non-believing Jews, throughout the rest of this chapter) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy (the firstfruit here is Jesus and the lump is Israel): and if the root be holy, so are the branches (the root here is God and the branches are the rest of the tree, which is Israel).
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree (believing gentiles), wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root (God) and fatness (blessings) of the olive tree (Israel);
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, (remember…) thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. The church is not Israel and Israel is not the church.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they (Israel) abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou (believing gentiles) wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these (Israel), which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (the fulness of the Gentiles refers to the end of the ‘times of the Gentiles’ at the end of the tribulation period, when God returns to dealing with national Israel.)
26 And so all Israel shall be saved (see Romans 9:6): as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they (Israel) are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they (believers) are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye (believing gentiles) in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their (Jews) unbelief:
31 Even so have these (Jews) also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. (Gentiles should try to witness to them.)
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all (the rest of the world).
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Monday, June 21, 2010
FAITH IS NOT A WORK
noun (Not a verb. If it were a verb it would imply work.)
1.confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2.belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3.belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4.belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5.a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
6.the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.
7.the observance of an obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.
8.Christian Theology: the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.
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Luke 7:44-50
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Thy faith…note that this was not faith that Jesus had, but it was faith that she had. Did her faith save her? Yes, Jesus says so. But use common sense, does this mean that she saved herself? No, of course not, it means that Jesus saved her because she had faith in Him.
Luke 18:35-42
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
Whose faith saved this man? Was it Jesus faith? Jesus said: thy faith hath saved thee. Because it was the man’s faith that saved him, did the man save himself? No, of course not.
Luke 23:35-44
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Did this man have faith? Yes, he had faith in Jesus, otherwise he would not have said Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Note that he was saved in the manner of Old Testament saints. When saved people die today they do not go to paradise first…they go to heaven immediately. This man was saved because he had faith in Jesus. He wasn't saved because he belonged to the First Baptist Church, or the Methodist Church, or any other church. He didn't belong to any local church.
Heb 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. "Without faith..." whose faith is this referring to? Our faith.
1 Thess 1:2-3
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Work of faith…does this mean that faith is a work? No, this means work done because you have faith.
1 Thess 3:10
10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
Perfect that which is lacking in your faith? See faith definition #3.
Ephesians 2:8-9, says:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
We are saved by God, because of His grace toward us. It is by His grace through our faith. It is our faith in Jesus Christ, but some people would have us believe that it is not our faith but that it is Jesus’ faith. Now, it is true that Jesus was faithful to do that which He came to Earth to do, that is to die on the cross for our sins. But we must have faith in Him, we must trust in Him. Because of verse nine, above, nothing pertaining to our salvation can be by any work on our part, so some people erroneously say it is the faith of Jesus, and they cite:
1 Thessalonians 5:24,
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
To understand the context in this verse it is necessary to read the preceeding verse,
verse 23, And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is faithful to do what? He is faithful to sanctify you wholly and preserve you blameless. See faith definition #7.
1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jesus was faithful to do what He came here to do, that is to die on the cross for our sins. He is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Everyone has faith of some kind. My dog is faithful to me, I am faithful to my dog, but this is not the faith that Ephesians 2:8-9 refers to.
Ephesians 2:8, says:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith… It is God’s grace but our faith. We must trust in the finished work of Christ. We must make a choice, to have faith in Jesus or to reject faith in Him. Jesus doesn't make this choice for us.
The faith that is essential is the kind that we find in Acts 26:18 where Jesus said:
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Our faith that is in Jesus. See faith definition #1 and #8.
According to the dictionary:
WORK
Etymology: Middle English werk, work, from Old English werc, weorc; akin to Old High German werc work, Greek ergon
Function: noun, verb, adjective.
1. activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something: a. sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result, b. the labor, task, or duty that is one's accustomed means of livelihood, c. a specific task, duty, function, or assignment often being a part or phase of some larger activity.
2. a. energy expended by natural phenomena, b. the result of such energy - sand dunes are the work of sea and wind, c. the transference of energy that is produced by the motion at the point of application of a force and is measured by multiplying the force and the displacement of its point of application in the line of action.
3. a. force applied multiplied by distance an object is moved equals work b. force, applied in pounds x distance moved, in feet = work, expressed in foot pounds.
The word faith does not measure up to the dictionary definition of work. No energy is transferred, therefore, faith is not a work. Faith is a belief that a person holds. Yes: one believes, or no: one does not believe. It’s analogous to, “Do you like chocolate or not? Yes or No.” It requires no sustained physical or mental effort. No work takes place.
The book of James makes it abundantly clear that faith is not a work. People are in error when they cling desperately to the idea that faith is a work.
James 2:14 says, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”
James 2:17-18, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
Obviously, according to the word of God, faith is not a work. The point James is trying to make here is that good works are evidence that a person has faith, but faith by itself without works is not proof that a person has faith. Do you like chocolate? If you chew up and swallow a pound of chocolate every day this is work and it is evidential proof that you do like chocolate.
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
If the Lord is not willing that any should perish then why would He not give everyone faith? The fact is that God gives us the ability to have faith but He does not give us faith handed out to us on a silver platter. God wants us to choose to have faith in Christ of our own free will. God doesn’t force faith upon us. It’s our choice to make, to believe in Him or to reject Him.
According to God’s word we are not saved by any work on our part. Since some men believe that faith is a work these people, therefore, grasp at straws to claim that Ephesians 2: 8-9 means it is Jesus that provides the faith…that God the Father provides the grace and God the Son provides the faith. This is in agreement with Calvinistic views. Wouldn’t this be another gospel?
Did you choose to believe in Christ or did some unseen power force you to believe, as the Calvinists would have you believe? God doesn’t force us to believe in Him. We choose to believe in Jesus of our own free will.
When God permits us to make our own choices He is not giving up any of His sovereignty. God, of His own permissive will, gives us permission, to make our own choices. Do you believe in Him or not? It’s your choice. Faith is not a work.
Romans 12:3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
“…dealt to every man the measure of faith.” This does not mean that God forces faith upon us, this means that God has given every man the ability to have faith in Him. God has not forbidden some people to have faith in Him.
In Romans 3:3, with reference to unbelieving Jews, For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? In this instance the expression ‘…faith of God…’ doesn’t mean faith given by God, it means the Faith of God, like The Jewish Faith, or The Christian Faith. See definition #5. Those people who claim that Ephesians 2:8 means ‘Jesus faith’ like to point to this verse as proof that Jesus provides the faith we need to be saved. But one can see that this is simply a case of those people twisting scripture to fit their own private interpretation.
Can a person be saved in a church that is different from your own? Yes. A church never saved anyone. Only Jesus can save. A person can be saved in the middle of the Sahara Desert, he doesn’t have to be in a church. The thief on the cross wasn’t in any church, in fact he was mostly surrounded by unbelievers. For a person to be saved he must have faith in Jesus. That is, to believe that we’re sinners and that we cannot save ourselves, but that Jesus died on the cross as our substitute and then arose from the grave three days later. We’re not saved by what we know, we’re saved by who we know. Do you know Jesus? We don’t have to hold a PhD in Theology to be saved, we just have to know Jesus.
http://dennyschristianwritings.blogspot.com
Monday, April 5, 2010
THEOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING
Chapter one THE SCIENCE
So-called anthropogenic global warming as promoted by liberal left leaning politicians is an evil hoax being perpetrated for the covert purpose of controlling the people of the world. The perpetrators intend to tax wealthy countries into poverty and control poor countries by donating to them token payments for their loyalty. Global warming is being presented as a worldwide catastrophe endangering the very existence of life. The truth is that it is not presently happening; furthermore, mankind will never be the cause of global warming. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/8284223/Himalayan-glaciers-not-melting-because-of-climate-change-report-finds.html
All the hyperbole about climate change is not so much about global warming or cooling as it is about centralization of the global economy and usurpation of national sovereignty by supranational governing entities, such as the United Nations. One could say it is about the creation of a one-world government.
After usurping the banking, investment, insurance and auto industries and attempting to nationalize our health care, the present administration will be redoubling its efforts to enact CO2 legislation in order to control the industrial sector of our economy.
Most of our atmosphere consists of nitrogen (78 percent by volume) and oxygen (21 percent by volume), while greenhouse gasses, primarily in the form of water vapor, comprise the remaining one percent (that is 1 %) of air. Nevertheless, if it were not for the greenhouse gasses the mean temperature of earth’s climate might be as much as 40C degrees lower, according to one website.
When it comes to our ability to control global climate, the fact is we probably have less control than a butterfly has in a tornado.
Theogenic instead of anthropogenic global warming will occur, but man will not cause it, and all the carbon credits in the world won’t help in the least. It will be caused by increased solar energy emanating from the sun and subsequent increased water vapor in the atmosphere, and there is no way of preventing it, unless Al Gore can control the sun. Maybe it has already started! Check what just happened to the sun on the first of August 2010: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/13dec_globaleruption/ also see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/19/two-solar-flares-sunspot-geomagnetic-storms_n_1608566.html?utm_hp_ref=science&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl23%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D171529
The global warming phenomenon will be a two-stage process. The initial stage will be a catastrophic atmospheric apocalypse but the final stage will be wonderful. Early in the initial stage when this occurs people will complain that it is unbearably hot, especially if this coincides with summer. If it occurs during the fall, it will be spring in the opposite hemisphere and people in both hemispheres will complain about the unbearable heat. In the initial stage there will be much suffering.
As the initial process continues, the suffering will progressively get worse and the liberal politicians will deceitfully harangue, “We told you so. Quickly, give us your money so we can stop it.” People will be ordered to park all privately owned vehicles that get less than 35 miles per gallon. Airline flights will be prioritized and only people with a compelling reason will be allowed to fly. Gasoline cost will triple when the carbon credits are factored in. But global warming won’t be the result of anything man does and there is nothing man can do to stop it.
When we think of water we tend to think of liquid water such as we drink, however, water can exist in three forms:
Solid (ice).
Liquid.
Gaseous (vapor).
All three forms are H2O.
Polar ice will begin melting and water on the Earth’s surface will begin evaporating, and the earth will suffer a severe drought much like the dust bowl of the 1930’s in the western U.S. The rate of evaporation will depend upon the relative humidity, which in turn depends on the temperature. During this early step in the first stage the relative humidity will not get high enough for the gaseous H2O to condense into rain.
Solar radiation will upset the Earth’s core and cause a violent earthquake; and combined with the blowing dust, the landmasses, as we know them, will be changed. Because of the dust storms the sun and moon will barely be seen and the stars will fade from view.
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/21/scientists-a-solar-storm-could-have-the-power-of-katrina/
Today’s atmosphere consists of:
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% argon (an inert gas)
0.038% carbon dioxide
1-4% water vapor (H2O) (I don’t know why this percentage is given as variable, it shouldn’t be since the Earth is a balanced ecosystem, but I copied these numbers from a website. Besides, most people know you can’t have more than 100 percent.)
The molecular weights, or masses, of the above atmospheric gases, rounded off to the nearest whole number, copied from a website are:
Nitrogen – 28
Oxygen – 32
Argon - 40
Carbon dioxide (CO2) – 44
Water vapor (H2O) – 18
Air – 29
From the above weights one may see that gaseous water is much lighter than the other atmospheric constituents, therefore, this evaporated H2O will rise fairly rapidly away from the Earth’s surface. Today the atmospheric temperature decreases 2 degrees Celsius (3.5 degrees Fahrenheit) for every one thousand feet of increase in altitude. At the present time water vapor rises until the temperature drops to its saturation point and then the vapor condenses into microscopic liquid water droplets known as clouds. These microscopic cloud particles do not freeze until reaching extreme sub-zero temperatures unless they first encounter a solid particle upon which they condense into large drops of water or hail.
The water vapor will rise from the lakes, rivers, and oceans. The heat will cause violent dust storms. Rivers will dry up. Water vapor cannot form into rain or hail unless it has a nucleus, such as a dust particle, onto which to form. The pure water vapor and clouds in the freezing upper atmosphere will condense onto the airborne dust particles forming hail, which being heavier will fall toward the Earth but the rising air currents will carry the smaller hailstones back up, in a continuous churning process. There they will merge with other hailstones until they become heavy enough to finally fall to the earth, causing death to many creatures struck by these massive hailstones.
Water will continue to evaporate because of the rising heat and the altitude at which the water vapor reaches saturation will progressively become higher and higher. Because of continuing earthquakes, windstorms, and volcanic eruptions there will be dust particles providing the nucleus for hail. The volcanic eruptions will be more severe than Mt. Pinatubo (which erupted in 1991, the dust shade of which caused the Earth’s worldwide temperature to drop .5 degrees Celsius)
The water, which evaporates from the landmasses, will cause a severe drought leading to drinking water shortages; food and potable water will probably be rationed by the government, and hoarding will likely be made unlawful.
Eventually the temperature will stop rising and the altitude at which the water vapor reaches saturation will stabilize at some very high altitude. The water vapor will be concentrated in the upper altitudes. These clouds will form a greenhouse blanket over the entire Earth, sheltering the Earth from the direct rays of the sun. This blanket of clouds will cause the Earth to be heated evenly, and there will be no more storms because the solar rays will no longer directly strike the Earth’s surface, eliminating thermal air currents; the only air movement will be that which is associated with the rotation of the Earth. Because of this blanket of greenhouse gas, sufficient heat will be encapsulated to prevent another ice age or nuclear type winter.
In the second and final stage of global warming, a state of equilibrium will be reached where, protected by the cloud cover, the Earth’s surface temperature will stabilize, the air will be nearly saturated and once again water condensation will equal evaporation.
The temperature at the poles will vary only a few degrees from the temperature at the equator. There will be no more rain or hail because there will finally be no more dust particles, onto which to form rain or hail. Instead the Earth will be irrigated by water vapor condensing onto vegetation as dew, and a mist that will condense during the slightly cooler air of the night, thus liberally watering the Earth. Temperature variation from summer to winter will be insignificant.
Because of the enormous mass of water in the atmosphere, the atmospheric pressure at sea level will be more than double the 14.7 psi, which is now standard. Using the model of the atmosphere advanced by Joseph C. Dillow’ in his book, THE WATERS ABOVE: EARTH’S PRE-FLOOD VAPOR CANOPY, in which he proposes the hypothesis that it was possible for the pre-flood atmosphere to entrain the equivalent of forty feet of liquid water, which would increase the sea level atmospheric pressure to 2.18 times today’s 14.7 psi at sea level, resulting in a new sea level barometric pressure of 32 psi. This increased atmospheric pressure will result in a hyperbaric chamber effect where there will be no illnesses, and wounds will heal rapidly. This will permit mankind to live to be over 900 years of age. With each breath a person will inhale twice as much oxygen than is possible today, and fatigue from normal physical work will be unknown.
Horizontal visibility may be reduced due to haze. Jet propulsion, as we know it, may be discontinued because of the increased fuel consumption at the necessarily lower altitudes flown. Today’s internal combustion engines would develop twice as much horsepower but fuel consumption would also double. Calibrated airspeeds flown would be significantly slower even if the horsepower were maintained at double the original rated power.
Of course today’s engines will not be strong enough to withstand twice as much power so they will have to be throttled back. In fact oil refineries will probably no longer exist making any discussion of transportation, as we know it, meaningless. On the other hand, man-powered flight may truly be practical, with no more effort than riding a bicycle today! http://images.gizmag.com/hero/1525_02.jpg
There will be no more seasons, as we presently know them. Crops may be planted and harvested without regard to the time of year. The former deserts will be moist. At the present time large areas of the Earth are uninhabitable deserts or frozen wastelands; after global warming these areas will be prime land in which to settle.
Global warming is coming and the transformation period will be quite traumatic, but after it stabilizes the overall result will be very good. Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven!
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Chapter two ATMOSPHERIC WOES REVEALED
If you are wondering why the sun’s energy will increase, well wonder no more!
1 Peter 1:7 (all Bible verses below are King James Version)
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Gold is refined by fire, but this also seems to indicate that men’s faith here on Earth will have been tried by fire when the Lord returns.
2 Peter 3:6-7
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: The sinful pre-flood world perished in the flood.
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. As the flood destroyed the sinful pre-flood world, so shall the sinful post-rapture world be destroyed by fire when God pours out His wrath upon His enemies.
2 Peter 3:10-13
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. When the Christ haters least expect it God will pour out His wrath and there will be global warming such as the world has never experienced.
Revelation 6:12-17
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; The sun and moon will be mostly obscured due to dust in the atmosphere.
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. “Stars of heaven” can be one of two things, Angels, or a meteorite shower, but not literal stars because a star is a sun.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. “Heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together” probably means it cannot be seen due to dust in the atmosphere caused by high winds and dry earth. “Every mountain and island moved,” due to the earthquake. Perhaps the plate tectonics phenomenon will reverse course.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 7:14-16
14 These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. These are Chistians who have gone through the suffering of the tribulation period and are now in heaven.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. They are finally relieved of their terrible suffering from the severe famine, drought, and blistering heat of the sun during the last half of the tribulation period.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Revelation 8:7-13
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. “Hail and fire mingled with blood” probably refers to massive hailstones able to kill men and animals which explains the mingling with blood. The trees and grass will be extremely dry from the drought so that they easily catch fire from any source of ignition, such as lightning.
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; “Mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea” probably a volcano like Mauna Loa on Hawaii’s Big Island. Mauna Loa is presently the world’s largest active volcano and it spews dust and flowing lava into the ocean when it erupts. The heat and earthquake will have upset the earth’s equilibrium so that it will cause a catastrophic volcanic eruption.
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Possibly caused by tsunamis, a series of catastrophic ocean waves generated by ocean floor movements, which may be caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides beneath the ocean; and/or an asteroid striking the ocean.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; A large meteorite burning as it falls through the atmosphere where it breaks up into smaller chunks which fall over a wide area.
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. The star may possibly be a sulfuric meteorite or something similar.
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. Volcanic dust combined with blowing dust will block the sky.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! What happens following this is chronologically later.
Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth…because this will be a horrible time of excruciating pain and agony! BUT WAIT! Christians, those who have placed their trust and belief in Jesus, will not be here! They will be with Jesus in heaven! If you want to avoid this time of pain and suffering be sure that you are a Christian. See my blog posting: HOW TO KNOW YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN
Revelation 11:3-6
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. Note: they shall prophesy 1,260 days, which is three and one half years according to the Jewish year.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. “…that it rain not in the days of their prophecy…” Thus it will not rain for three and one half years!
Revelation 16:8-12
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. “…upon the sun…and…scorch men with fire.” The sun’s rays will further increase in intensity.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. Heat from the sun, and heat from increased water vapor (a greenhouse gas).
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, That kingdom is full of spiritual darkness and possibly darkness caused by dust in the atmosphere as in 6:12 above.
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. At this time it has not rained for perhaps more than three years so the Euphrates, as well as other rivers, will have dried up.
Revelation 16:17-21
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. Voices, thunders, a great earthquake…such as has never been. Bail out! Bail out! Now! You don't want to be here! Click this link: HOW TO KNOW YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. This event is chronologically later than 6:14.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. This event is chronologically later than 8:7.
After all this chaos…
Isaiah 65:17
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. The Earth will achieve a new equilibrium and calm will be restored, but it will be a new environment. It will truly be new. The temperature at the poles will vary only a few degrees from the temperature at the equator. There will be no more rain or hail because there will finally be no more dust particles onto which to form rain or hail. Instead the Earth will be irrigated by water vapor condensing onto vegetation and a mist, which condenses during the slightly cooler air of the night, thus liberally watering the Earth. Temperature variation from summer to winter will be insignificant.
Isaiah 65:20-22
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. If a person who dies at one hundred years of age is considered a child, then what will be the normal life expectancy of a person?
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. The increased atmospheric pressure will permit mankind to live to be over 900 years of age. With each breath a person will inhale twice as much oxygen than is possible today, and fatigue from normal physical work will be unknown.
Isaiah 65:25
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 11:6-9
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
The Earth will achieve a new equilibrium and calm will be restored, but it will be a new environment, and it will have a new King. The Kingdom of Heaven will be ruled by a King from heaven. JESUS.
http://dennyschristianwritings.blogspot.com/
Saturday, March 28, 2009
DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN?
This is a question every dog lover ponders. When a beloved pet dies, children especially are anxious to know the answer to this question.
A friend of mine was sleepily driving our church van, picking up children one Sunday when a little girl who was a regular attendee asked him, “Do dogs go to heaven when they die?”
A loaded question, innocently asked. Equally innocently he yawned and answered, “No, Honey, dogs don’t go to heaven.”
“I hate you! My dog just died,” she bawled, “I’m never going to your church again!”
That woke him up. “Oh! Well, uh...you see…uh, I don’t know…uh, let’s ask the pastor!”
If someone asks if dogs go to heaven the first thing one can immediately and truthfully answer is, “Dogs don’t go to hell.”
Genesis 1:25, And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. God saw that it was good, and everything that is good is bound to be in heaven. Heaven will surely be Edenic. We know that according to Revelation 19:14 horses will be in heaven and in Revelation 22:2 at least one of the trees that was in the garden of Eden will be in there.
We quite correctly consult the Bible to get an authoritative answer to this important question, but the Bible was not written for the sake of dogs, it was given for man’s sake. When God speaks to a dog He must speak in dog-talk. The Bible does not directly address this issue except as it pertains to man.
Let’s see what the Bible does say regarding animals and plants. Romans 8: 19,20, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature (including dogs) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.” In Genesis God said cursed is the ground for thy sake. Note that the Earth (including dogs) was not cursed for anything that the Earth (or dogs) had done. Continuing in verses 21 and 22, “Because the creature (including dogs) itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation (including dogs) groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Since the curse all of creation has had to continually keep regenerating itself through a cycle of death and rebirth. Before the curse there was no death so regeneration was unnecessary, and sometime after we receive the manifestation of sons of God, the Earth will be as it was before the fall of man and your pets and flowers living at that time will live forever. I believe it’s quite clear that some dogs will be in heaven.
Dogs are not guilty of sin, therefore they are not sinners like mankind so they do not need to be saved from hell. Some dogs will be in heaven, but will your dog be in heaven?
Matthew 21:21-22 says: "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
The most important consideration is: Will you be in heaven? If you want to make sure that your dog makes it to heaven then you must first make sure that you are there. If your dog is not there, remember, all you have to do is ask and he will then be there. Read my blog post: HOW TO KNOW YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN
http://dennyschristianwritings.blogspot.com/2008/12/children-of-god-what-bible-says.html
Saturday, December 27, 2008
LOVE
There are three words in the Greek language for love. Eros, which refers to sexual desire. Really the word eros doesn't mean love in a strictly technical sense but refers only to a basic animal instinct to copulate. The expression "make love" is a misnomer since it 's not love, it may be "making whoopee," but it's certainly not love. The word eros is not found in the Bible.
The second Greek word for love is phileo. This refers to friendship as one friend to another, brotherly love, the brotherhood of mankind, love of an object or thing. If we say we like someone or a group of people in a friendly way this would be an example of phileo love. Phileo type love is mentioned only a few times in the New Testament.
The third Greek word for love is agape. This is similar to phileo love but is of a more intense character. To the people for whom we have agape love we would use the words dear, beloved and we would be affectionate and charitable to these people. The love most often mentioned in the Bible is agape love.
Agape love has a spiritual characteristic. It is not based on sight, unlike carnal love, but is based on how we feel in our heart. We are to love God whom we have not seen.
Agape love's main characteristic is giving. It is no mistake that in the New Testament the word agape is often translated charity. If the Bible says that loving is the same as giving then by God's definition that's exactly what it is. The characteristic opposite to agape love is demanding. It's giving versus demanding. If a person gives of himself then he is a loving person. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” And that's just what Jesus did for us, "...Christ died FOR us," according to Romans 5:8. Jesus gave! Jesus is a life giver! Amen? He gave his life and in so doing gave us life.
We should spend less effort looking for love and more effort being someone others can love. The love of God is unconditional. He didn't say, “if we do such and such He would love us,” Many people do not understand this and try to lay burdens on us. The fact is that God hates sin but He loves sinners. God loves us so much that even though we were at enmity with Him He gave His precious son Jesus to die for us.
Some people are not capable of loving because they can't bring themselves to give. They say, “I'm not giving away anything because I need everything I've got.” These people are often described as self-centered, demanding, selfish, and unfeeling. They are often starving for love, but what they don't understand is “if ya wanna git, ya gotta give!” If you want to be loved you’ve got to be lovable. A lovable person is a giving person. Giving is like “gifting,” giving something just because you want to, not because you owe the person. It's just that simple. This does not mean that if you give out a little love you have a right to demand a payback!
To receive is nice, but it is better to give. Receiving is not the same as loving. Giving is loving. Except in the case, for example, when someone wants to give us something, instead of refusing the gift, we accept the gift rather than deny that person the blessing of giving.
Love is characterized by giving of one's time as well as one's possessions. If a woman demands that her husband love her, then she is wasting her breath because if he loves her he will freely give his love. But if he goes through the motions just because she demands it, then she is not really the recipient of his love anyway. She, on the other hand, is not a loving person either, for if she loved him she would just give him her love with no strings attached.
It is tragic that so many people don't even know the meaning of love. Most people confuse physical attraction, the erotic drive to have sex, with love. It's understandable that so many people would be confused considering the proliferation of music that bally-hoos sex as true love. Physical attraction by itself is not love. A man may be physically attracted to a prostitute but he's not going to give her anything, he's going to pay for it. And he may get something he doesn't want. Remember that she didn't give it to him ... he paid for it. Physical attraction to the opposite sex is something we will always feel as long as we have these fleshly bodies. Oh yes, it is important that there be a physical attraction, but there must also be a growing desire to give all that one has to the other person.
Too many people are driven by peer pressure to have a good-looking boy or girlfriend, or husband or wife. Then they think of their mate as a possession and what their mate can do for them instead of what they can do for their mate. For example, "I want to marry a rich man." Or, "I want to marry a good-looking chick so I can be the envy of all my friends." Or what about this, "I know he's a jerk... but he's got a nice car."
"In THE PRINCE, a book written in the seventeenth century, the author Nicolo Machiavelli, from whom we get the word "Machiavellian," posed the question, "Is it better to be loved or feared?" Wrongly, his answer was that it is better to be feared. My question is, "Is it better to be married to a beautiful woman who sort of likes you but isn't sure if she loves you, or is it better to be married to someone who looks only so-so but who loves you completely without reservation?" My answer is that it is better to be loved completely without reservation than to be married to someone who only sort of likes you, no matter what either of them looks like. It is better to be loved than to be respected, feared, envied, esteemed, or famous.
After marriage many people say, "Now you're mine." But the truth is that we never own someone. We can never say, "You're mine." We can only say, "I'm yours. I give myself to you." But if someone gives himself or herself to you, you still don't own them.
If you're married to a person who doesn't love you, that person may be attracted to some person other than yourself. Your fear of their infidelity will make your life miserable. To prevent that person from being unfaithful to you, you will feel that you must control them. The method employed in controlling the other person may involve physical or mental abuse. Physical abuse involves violence or the threat of violence. When you use violence any hope of happiness for either of you will disappear. Now you're demanding, not loving. You may be able to force a person to remain faithful, but you cannot force a person to love you. The more you try to force them to love you, the more they will hate you.
Mental abuse takes many forms of manipulation, and mind games, but commonly it involves inferences that the other person would be helpless without you. This leads to feelings of low self-esteem and subsequent unhappiness. We're supposed to make our loved ones happy, not unhappy!
Love means giving. If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. This is what Jesus did with us. He gave his life FOR us by dying on the cross FOR us. This set us free from the law of sin and death, if we accept Him and what He did FOR us. He didn't claim us as his possessions, He set us free. We can do anything we want. We don't have to give our lives to him. We don't owe Jesus anything. But if we love him, we will come to Jesus and surrender all.
Suggested reading:
I Corinthians 7:1-16
I Corinthians 11:3-15
I Corinthians 13: The entire chapter.
Ephesians 5:22-33, I John 4:7-21
THE HERESY OF CALVINISM
John Calvin (1509-1564) was one of the chief leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His followers say that Calvin's brilliant mind, powerful preaching, many books and large correspondence, and capacity for organization and administration made him a dominant figure of the Reformation. His detractors say that he had his dissenters burned at the stake.
What Calvinists believe:
Although many people attribute the acronym TULIP to John Calvin, he wasn’t the one who developed it. But it does accurately reflect his theology. The term TULIP is actually an acronym of the five points of Calvinism. It provides a person a quick understanding of the core beliefs of this doctrine. Listed below are the five parts of the TULIP.
T Total Depravity
U Unconditional Election
L Limited Atonement
I Irresistible Grace
P Perseverance of the saints
Calvinist Doctrine As Explained By A Calvinist:
Total Depravity:
When man fell, sin permeated his entire being. This fall was so complete that man had no desire for God and righteousness. Man is so totally enslaved by sin that he can only choose evil; he cannot choose good. He is incapable of choosing God and His salvation. Man is totally blind and deaf to the gospel. Apart from a supernatural intervention from God, the gospel message absolutely has no effect on a person. This is why Total Depravity has also been called “Total Inability.” Sin saturates every part of man's personality. This includes his thinking, emotions, and will. Total depravity does not mean he is necessarily intensely sinful, it only means that sin has encompassed his entire being.
Unconditional Election:
Unconditional Election is the doctrine that states that God has chosen who will get saved and who will be damned for eternity. Those not chosen to go to heaven are thus condemned to hell according to the doctrine of reprobation. This selection is not based upon the condition of the person’s heart or any of his merits. A person’s humility, love of God, and desire for righteousness are not part of this selection. God has elected some for glory and others for damnation. This election is based solely upon the counsel of His own will. His selection of the elect was done long before the universe was ever created.
Limited Atonement:
God limited His atonement to only those who are elect. When Jesus died on the cross, He did not die for the sins of the whole world; God limited His atonement to only those who are the elect. Christ died to atone for the sins of specific sinners. Calvinists say, “It is obvious that God did not atone for all men, because not all men are saved.”
Irresistible Grace:
The grace that God offers to the elect cannot be refused. God puts into the hearts of the elect an irresistible desire to turn to Him and accept His salvation. This implanted desire is so overpowering that it cannot be resisted or refused. This irresistible desire insures that everyone who has been elected will go to Heaven. None of the elect will ever go to Hell. The Calvinist says “What a comfort it is to know that the gospel of Christ will penetrate our hard, sinful hearts and wondrously save us through the gracious inward call of the Holy Spirit!” The Calvinist will also say, “This doctrine is a great comfort to the Christian who is witnessing; he knows that he will always be successful. When he is witnessing to a person, he has the assurance that if God wants that person to be saved, he will be saved.”
Perseverance of the Saints:
Since God has determined who will get saved and they cannot resist His call, they are unconditionally and eternally secure in that election. Therefore, those who have been chosen to be saved will always stay saved. They cannot resist or lose their salvation. There are no exceptions to the rule. Since there was nothing a person could do to get saved in the first place, there is nothing he can do to lose his salvation. The elect will always do right, if a person sins after he is saved then he was never saved in the first place.
***
Continuing on: A Calvinist would say: A main premise of Calvinism is God’s sovereignty and His complete control over everything. This means nothing happens in the world that is outside of God’s control. Another premise of Calvinism is that God, in His sovereignty, has arbitrarily decided who will go to Heaven and who will go to Hell. God pre-determined (predestined according to Calvinistic definition) the eternal state of each person. Those who were chosen (elected) to go to Heaven are called the elect, and those who were chosen to go to Hell are called reprobates. Calvinists are generally not strong supporters of missionaries.
Calvinistic Election and Predestination is the belief that God has chosen to send certain people to Heaven and the remainder to Hell. This selection, which was made long before the universe was created, was not based on any qualities of the person being selected. It was not based on the person’s heart or their future love for God. It was not based on God’s foreknowledge of who will eventually choose to accept Him as their Savior. (Some Calvinists do take the equally odious view that God based His election on who He foreknew would love Him. This may sound good but this, then, puts God in the devilish position of creating souls that He knew He would cast into the lake of fire.) It was not based on their future humility and repentance. This selection was purely random and arbitrary.
Nobody has a say in the matter. The person selected to go to Hell literally has no hope. Although he may desire to go to Heaven and is seeking deliverance, he has no chance of salvation. Even the person selected to go to Heaven has no say in the matter, he is forced to “love” God. This belief system is called Calvinism, Reformed Theology, the Doctrines of Grace, or Election and Predestination.
Calvinism today is often called Hyper-Calvinism, while other somewhat less harsh views are simply called plain Calvinism. It is important to note that Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism are the same thing! Any theological system less than this is not Calvinism. According to Calvinistic theology, Christ did not die for everyone. He only died to pay for the sins of the elect. Since the person has no say in his eternal state, there is nothing he can do to gain or lose his salvation. As a result, the pre-elected person has “eternal security.”
But What About Calvinism? The truth:
Total depravity…reject total depravity. Natural man is depraved but not totally depraved. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood.” These and other verses prove that they are depraved. If one says, “Send B-52’s to Iraq and nuke’em,” it would prove that he is swift to shed blood. But if some preacher tells him the gospel and with the wooing of the Holy Spirit he accepts the good news and believes in his heart that Christ died for his sins, then he was not totally depraved. If an unsaved person, such as the “Good Samaritan,” does a good deed this proves that he was not totally depraved. To be condemned a person only needs to be a little depraved. If a person were totally depraved he would eagerly commit rape, murder, plunder and break every other law. Since the “fall” man is totally lost, not totally depraved, but has no power to save himself. Calvinists say that man is so totally depraved that he is incapable of choosing Christ so God must choose for him. But the Bible says that man must believe. Man must choose to believe of his own free will.
Unconditional election…reject this because there are only four groups in the Bible spoken of as God’s elect: the angels, Israel, believing Israel, and Jesus. We are not angels, neither are we Israel, nor believing Israel, so the only way we can be elect is to be in Jesus. If we were “unconditionally elect” why then should we be obedient? Why then should we be submissive? Why then should we be repentant? We are elect only if we are part of the Elect One, Jesus. To be in the Elect One we must repent, that is, to turn away from our rejection of Christ and believe with our heart and confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus. Note that our saying the sinner’s prayer does not save us, that would make salvation a work, something that we do, but if we say it and believe it, GOD saves us, according to His Holy word.
Limited atonement…reject this because God is not a respecter of persons, we are all created equal in His eyes. Jesus death on the cross was efficacious for everyone. Unfortunately not everyone avails himself of this atonement. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” To believe in limited atonement would mean believing that God limits His love to just certain people, instead of whosoever. Finally, 1 John 2:22 says, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." ...also for the sins of the whole world! That's everyone! He died for everyone!
Irresistible grace…reject this because God’s grace is offered to whosoever and obviously some people do resist His grace.
Perseverance of the saints…reject this. First, it should be rejected because as the Calvinists mean it, it depends upon the principles of the first four points. Calvinists say, God chose to save the elect, so, God makes them persevere. That God makes them do right; that if they don’t do right then they were never saved in the first place. Obviously everyone sins. Nowhere, however, does anyone say how many sins or how heinous of a sin can a person commit before he is deemed to have never been saved in the first place. This is like saying a person can lose his salvation. This system is not eternal security for whosoever believeth. John 3:16 affirms eternal security, but it does not mean that a person will never again sin.
***
Arminianism is named after the Dutch college professor James Harmensen, a.k.a. Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). Arminianism is often called the opposite of Calvinism. While Calvinism represents the extreme view of one aspect of Christianity, Arminianism represents an extreme opposite view of the same aspect of Christianity. Both extremes are equally odious. However, one should note that Calvinism and Arminianism are not completely opposite of each other. They do, however, oppose each other on some issues and this has led some to assume that if you are not a Calvinist, you must be an Arminian.
Although there are some Christians who adhere fully to Calvinism or Arminianism, most don’t. Most Christians have a hard time accepting all of the doctrines associated with either of these two views. If you were to ask them if they were a Calvinist or an Arminian, they would say that they are neither, but are somewhere in-between. Some call themselves Cal-Minians. Some will say they are a three, or a four point Calvinist. Many people call themselves Calvinists simply because they know they are not Arminians. They figure if they are not Arminian then they must be Calvinist.
Calvinism is fraught with clichés. Most people who believe in the philosophy of Calvin vigorously deny that they are Calvinists. Instead they say that they believe in the Doctrines of Grace, or that they embrace Reformation Theology. Sometimes Calvinism is called Election and Predestination. These are clichés that simply mean Calvinism. People do not wish to be identified as a Calvinist because the term immediately causes red flags to be raised.
People react, “Calvin? Isn’t he the guy that had people burned at the stake?”
“Calvinism? Isn’t that a controversial viewpoint?”
Or, “I don’t think any Bible doctrine should be named after a man.”
Calvinists trick the unsuspecting by saying, “But who could be against the Doctrines of Grace?” But the truth is that there is but one Doctrine of Grace, and that is God’s unmerited favor toward us.
Or they say, “Yes, Reformed Theology, you don’t believe that old Catholic stuff do you?” Or, “This is the traditional Baptist view.”
God is sovereign. This means no one, or being, is above God. Does God have to answer to anyone? Yes, he has to answer to himself. Therefore, God will always act in a manner that is consistent with His character. For example, God cannot lie. (Heb 6:18; Tit 1:2) God will not sin. Job 34:12, Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. It is inconsistent with God’s character for Him to choose some people for heaven and condemn others to hell before they have even had the opportunity to live.
When the Calvinists say that God is sovereign, they mean that nothing happens by chance, that God absolutely controls everything that happens. But if this were true it would mean that God is causing babies to be aborted at a horrendous rate. It would mean that God is causing children to be abused. It would mean that God causes sin. Calvinists say that God is causing all these things to happen, but because it is God that is the cause, it isn’t sin. They say God can do anything He wants to because He’s sovereign. How can anyone who has actually read the Bible honestly believe this heresy?
Why did Calvinistic doctrines gain so much appeal 400 years ago? There are three basic reasons. First, the Reformation brought every doctrine under scrutiny and possible reinterpretation. Second, the culture of the Reformers was the upper class and that greatly influenced the formation of the Reformers' new doctrines. Third, there was no separation of the church and state in those days.
The Reformation brought about a large number of changes in Christendom. The Bible was now in the language of the, so-called, common man. Up to this point only church leaders had access to the Bible. But now educated common men could read the Bible. These men were necessarily the upper class owing to the fact that the lower classes were still illiterate, and therefore, couldn't read the Bible. You didn’t have to be a church leader or royalty, nevertheless, you did have to read. Which meant you had to be in the wealthy upper class.
Although it would be nice to say that cultural pressure has not influenced Christian theology, it has. When the Reformers were creating their doctrinal stance, the social culture of the 1500's was fertile ground for the doctrine of Calvinism. The feeling of superiority that was inherent in the upper class Reformers biased their thinking. The upper class felt that they were naturally predestined to go to heaven, while the lower classes were obviously condemned heathens.
Europe, of course, had its royal families who were in a special class all their own because they ruled by divine authority. They had a tremendous feeling of inherent superiority. Although we take equality for granted, the concept was quite foreign to them. The existence of privileged classes was just an accepted fact of life. The superiors lived in excessive abundance while the inferiors lived in deplorable conditions.
Since people were used to the idea that God made special classes here on Earth, the teaching that He would make a special class for salvation didn’t raise any doubts among those who could only believe what they had been told, since they couldn’t read. It actually fit in quite well with the scheme of things. The people promoting this doctrine felt that they were part of the elect. Since they weren’t the ones going to Hell, the idea of Calvinistic Election and Predestination didn’t seem too unfair.
If the feeling of superiority inherent in the upper class, which the Reformers were a part of, had not been a factor, and if the lower classes had been able to read, the Calvinistic teaching of Election and Predestination back then would probably have been quickly rejected. As it was, however, the majority of the people had to believe what they were told, since they couldn’t read for themselves.
While on the subject of classes, some people will deny it but within many supposedly good churches we have classes of Christians. Many of the clergy believe they are in a special class that is superior to the laity. They haughtily view the Election and Predestination teaching they received in their college Systematic Theology course as a mystical teaching that must be kept only among the mature Christians because it is too difficult for the lower class Christians (those who sit in the pews and listen) to handle. The truth is that even Christians with only a little knowledge reject Calvinism.
Interestingly, the reformation started because a priest named Martin Luther read Romans 1:17, “…the just shall live by faith” and he realized that the Roman Catholic Church was leading its flock down a path of destruction. They were teaching a works type of salvation, as opposed to God’s plan that a person is saved by simply having faith in God. But, if the Calvinistic doctrine of Election and Predestination were true, people under Roman Catholicism would have been getting saved all along anyway and the Reformation wouldn’t have even been necessary!
The president of the Synod of Dort erroneously said, “The scriptures must be interpreted according to the catechisms and confessions.” Friends, scripture must be compared and understood in accordance with other scriptures, not with man’s preconceived notions. The Calvinist, Fancois Wendel, acknowledges of Calvin, “Truth compels us to admit frankly that, despite all his fidelity to the Bible, he seems to have been searching the Scriptures more frequently for text to support a doctrine accepted in advance, than to derive doctrine from the Scriptures.” (Wendel, Calvin: Origins and Development of His Religious Thoughts, p. 359)
Since there was no separation of church and state, church doctrines had enormous political overtones. Winners had losers burned at the stake. Henry the VIII broke away from the Catholic Pope not because he favored reformation, he broke away because he wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon. King James I of England (of AV 1611 fame) claimed that he was the head of the Church, so he became an anti-Calvinist Anglican because Calvinists insisted that no temporal ruler could be the head of the church. Parliament at the time was anti-King, therefore they were sided with the Calvinistic Puritans. The Calvinistic Parliament won out for the time and the Calvinistic Westminster Confession was thus written. Later the Anglican King gained the upper hand. So the losing Calvinistic Puritans, facing persecution chartered the Mayflower and immigrated to America.
Colonial Americans were against everything the King was for. He was Arminian, so they were Calvinists. Obviously for political reasons, Benjamin Franklin wrote the Philadelphia Confession of Faith in 1742 which is a copy of the Calvinistic, Westminster Confession.
The Puritan immigrants on the Mayflower were upper class, having the funds for provisions and passage. They arrived at Plymouth Rock off the coast of what is now Massachusetts and settled in New England. Anyone who dared disagree with their Calvinistic stance was declared to be a witch or warlock and suffered the penalty thereof.
Since children tend to acquire and maintain the same religious views as their parents, if American Colonials had not been Calvinistic that view would not be so widespread in America today.
The popularity Election and Predestination gained during the reformation is still felt today. It has been handed down from generation to generation. Many Christians say, “I can’t understand how Calvinism ties in with the salvation that we hear preached, but since so many denominations and popular preachers teach it, there must be some truth to it.” Even though it appears to contradict the rest of the Bible they assume that it must be one of those “hidden mysteries.”
For example, the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a well-known, highly respected preacher. He said, "Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else… I thank God that He early taught me the gospel, and I have been so perfectly satisfied with it, that I do not want to know any other… I learned the doctrines of grace in a single instant. Born, as all of us are by nature, an Arminian…
Spurgeon also said, "Did not God Himself appoint our parents, native place, and friends? Could He not have caused me to be born with the skin of the Hottentot, brought forth by a filthy mother who would nurse me in her "kraal," and teach me to bow down to Pagan gods, quite as easily as to have given me a pious mother, who would each morning and night bend her knee in prayer on my behalf?" One can see the attitude of superiority here. To be fair to Spurgeon, in later life he repudiated Calvinism and claimed to be a Biblicist.
Another well-known and respected preacher was the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, but he was a Presbyterian, and a person must take his Calvinistic bias into consideration when reading his works.
The word theology means: the study of God. Most seminaries have a course called Systematic Theology, but it is not a course in theology, it is a course in philosophy! John Calvin was not a theologian, he was a philosopher! John Calvin espoused his philosophy of religion. Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” If one wants to study theology he should study it in the Bible, it tells us about God.
Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Those people who claim to love God should read the Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit speak to their hearts, and seriously think for themselves, don’t let some self-serving man tell you what to believe. Reject this man-made heresy variously known as Calvinism, the Doctrines of Grace, or Reformed Theology. Pastors must tell the truth! People should reject the leading of their pastor if he is spreading heresy.
Did God foreknow who would accept Christ, repent and accept by faith the gift of eternal life? Yes, possibly. And with His foreknowledge condemn others to hell? No. People are neither saved nor condemned by God’s foreknowledge, but by God according to their faith.
The shed blood of Christ Jesus is sufficient to atone for all the sins of all mankind. Hebrews 10:10 says, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Once for all, means once for all men and once for all sins. This does not mean that all men get saved, because men must, of their own free will accept Christ, that is, believe in Him, to put one’s trust in Him. When one believes in Him, by that act he repents of his rejection of Christ and is no more at enmity with God.
The process of salvation is like this: All mankind is born with a deathly illness and will die because of that sickness. But when Jesus died for us He left behind a big batch of medicine. That medicine can cure anyone who takes it. The only catch is that you’ve got to actually take it, and if you refuse to take your medicine you will go ahead and die. Some people refuse to take their medicine. They say, “That medicine won’t work,” so they die. You’ve got to believe it works. If you want to live you’ve got to take Jesus’ medicine (His blood atonement). Now, Jesus didn’t make this medicine effective for just a few people, when He formulated that medicine it became effective for everyone who takes it.
“It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Why preach if God has already chosen who will be saved? Do the elect believe, or, are believers the elect?
If it were determined beforehand that a certain man would not accept Christ and was therefore condemned to hell before being born, that man would have a legitimate complaint when he stands before God at the Great White Throne Judgment and accuses God, “Why are you judging me now? You prejudged me before the foundations of the world! I never had a free will. I might have accepted You if You had not already decided that you were not going to save me. I never had a chance.”
ONE HUNDRED verses which disprove the validity of Calvinism:
Matthew 25:41 says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and His angels.” Here we find Hell was created for the fallen angels and not for man. It seems that if Calvinistic Election and Predestination were true, Hell would have been prepared for mankind from the beginning.
The following verses prove that God doesn’t have favorites, nor does He have different classes of people. He does not predetermine, or prejudge some people to go to heaven and others to go to hell. God does not discriminate; we are all equal in His eyes.
Acts 10:34, Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.
2 Sam 14:14, For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
Chr 19:7, Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
Rom 2:11, For there is no respect of persons with God.
Eph 6:9, And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
1 Pet 1:17, And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
Salvation is offered to ALL men:
1 Timothy 4:10, For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1 Timothy 2:3,4, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:6, Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:1, I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1 Timothy 2:4, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:6, Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
2 Cor. 5:15, And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Acts 17:30, And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Isaiah 45:22, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
John 12:32, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Luke 2:10, And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Matthew 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Romans 8:32, He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Romans 3:22, Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Titus 2:11, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Salvation is offered to WHOSOEVER believes:
1 John 2:23, Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
John 11:26, And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 3:15, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 4:14, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 6:54, Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Luke 12:8, Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luke 9:24, For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Mark 16:16, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 3:35, For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Mark 8:35, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
Matthew 10:32, Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 16:25, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
1 John 4:15, Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.Romans 10:11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
I Jn 5:1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Acts 10:43, To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Acts 2:21, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Joel 2:32, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Salvation is offered to ANYONE:
Revelation 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
John 6:51, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 7:37, In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
John 8:51, Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
Salvation is offered to the WORLD:
1 John 2:2, And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:14, And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
2 Cor. 5:19, To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
John 1:29, The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 4:42, And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
John 6:51, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Salvation is offered to EVERY person:
Hebrews 2:9, But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
John 1:9, That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 6:40, And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Salvation is offered to he who BELIEVETH:
Mark 9:23, Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 16:16, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
John 3:15-16, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:40, And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:47, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 11:25-26, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Rom 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 3:26, To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom 4:5, But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 10:4, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.Rom 10:10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
I Jn 5:1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Miscellaneous verses showing anyone can accept the gospel:
1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Peter 2:6, Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Ezekiel 34:16, I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.(NAS)
Isaiah 28:16, Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone {for} the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes {in it} will not be disturbed. (NAS)
John 11:25, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 6:35, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:47, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 6:58, This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Luke 19:10, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.Luke 5:32I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Mark 1:15, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Matthew 18:14, Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Revelation 22:17, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Romans 5:6, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 9:33, As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
John 1:12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 10:9, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 11:25, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 3:18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, andbelieveth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:56, He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
John 7:38, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 8:12, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1 Cor. 15:34, Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Ten verses that appear to prove the doctrine of Calvinism:
Ephesians 1:4, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Answer: Sometimes we forget that God chose to save the fallen human race, but not the fallen angels. Some angels, too, have rebelled against God, but it appears He has made no provision to redeem them (I Peter 1:12). Yes, God chose us to be saved. He didn’t have to, but He chose to make salvation available to the human race. Before the beginning of time God knew we were going to sin and He knew Jesus was going to have to die on the cross to provide us salvation. God had/has a plan (Revelation 13:8 and 1 Peter 1:20).
Ephesians 1:5, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” Answer: The word predestination is not found in the bible. The word predestinated is found and it has nothing to do with a destination. It means, “pre-destined.” God’s plan for mankind was conceived before the universe was created, and is our pre-destiny. We are predestinated to receive the adoption of sons. It is our destiny to obtain an inheritance from God and to be joint-heirs with Christ. We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Ephesians 1:11, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: See above.
I Peter 1:2, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Answer: This says we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, however, we are not elect because of the foreknowledge of God. We are elect because of the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. II Thessalonians 2:13.
Romans 8:29, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Answer: It is God’s foreordained plan from before the universe was created that those who placed their trust in Christ would be conformed to the image of His Son.
Romans 8:30, Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Answer: See Ephesians 1:5 comment on Predestination above.
John 17:9, I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. Answer: This is Jesus’ prayer for the apostles. This is proven by the context, especially 17:12. In 17:20 He begins His prayer for all believers.
Hebrews 4:3, For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Answer: It has always been God’s plan that we should enter into God’s rest.
Revelation 17:8The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Answer: Two books. One is the Book of Life, wherein every person’s name was written from the foundation of the world and from which a person’s name could be blotted out for lack of faith. The other book is the Lambs Book of Life wherein a person’s name is written when he gets saved.Ps. 69:28; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27.
2 Thessalonians 2:13, But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Answer: From the beginning, according to His plan, He chose to save anyone who would believe in him, not condemn them.