New Posts

Guojing · 2025-11-21T04:51:37-0600

sovereigngrace said:
LOL. Just change the Bible to suit your false teaching. This is another reason to reject Pretrib and Premil.

I was supporting your point that the olive tree refers to true Israel

Brother Del · 2025-11-21T04:44:22-0600

This is one of the better threads I've encountered here in the forum, lots of sharing, no shouting, obviously a bunch of people who are genuinely concerned for the lost, as am I.

For what its worth, and this is just my opinion, I think there are far too many brothers out in the streets preaching that were never called by God to do so, or were called by God but have not put the necessary preparation into their ministry to be effective.

For anyone who may already be in the street preaching, or believes that God may be placing such a burden on their hearts, I highly recommend the book.
"The Ministry of Gods Word"
by Watchman Nee

If you are unaware of Brother Nee, he planted many churches in China before spending the last twenty years of his life in prison for his faith in Christ. He's Chinese obviously, so one must keep in mind that he has a much different way of seeing things than we do here in the West, and as far as I know, he never learned English and all of his books are translations, which can lead to some confusion when trying to grasp the profound thoughts that God so clearly placed upon his heart. That being said, the book I mentioned above is the best explanation I have read about how the Holy Spirit works through men to deliver divine revelation sufficient for saving faith.

Unfortunately, Nee had a protégé named Witness Lee who travelled to America and a rather creepy cult has sprang up around the person and his teachings, which has caused many to lump them both together. They are worlds apart.

If we truly desire to serve God through evangelism, we must first be sure that this is also Gods divine will for our life. Sharing Christ through our example, our love, and always being willing and ready to boldly profess Christ when the Spirit moves upon our hearts to do so is the duty, and should be the desire of every believer. However, being called by God to the ministry of an Evangelist is a much different thing, and requires a level of surrender and devotion that would be uncommon for the average saint.

I hope that most of us here have had the experience of speaking the truth into the heart and mind of another individual by the Spirit, watching the Spirit work in that persons life through direct revelation, with power and conviction, its a truly blessed thing to be a part of. It certainly has not been the norm in my own experience, but I have experienced it, it's humbling to say the least.

But being a part of that ministry as a matter of daily occurrence, has been the domain of a select few of Gods chosen servants. I believe that scripture and history declare this to be true.

Sorry for the long post.

Yah alone be praised.

Christsfreeservant · 2025-11-21T04:28:27-0600

“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:2-9 NASB1995)

This is a picture of what it should look like if our faith in Jesus Christ is of God, and not of the flesh. For to be sanctified is to be made holy, and to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. We are recipients of God’s grace, and God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return.

[see Titus 2:11-14; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; and Romans 12:1-2]

Now, it is important to note here that God is always faithful. He will always do what he said he would do. But if he promises judgment on certain people, and they repent, he may relent as he did with Nineveh. But we need to understand what the will of God is for our lives and what all he requires of us, because he does not promise salvation from sin and eternal life with God to all who merely profess his name, but then who go on living in sin and in disobedience to our Lord’s commands. We must be faithful to the call of God.

But does that make us perfect? No! Might we still fail in some areas? We might. Could we still sin? Yes! (1 John 2:1-2). But the Scriptures, as a whole, make it quite clear that if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, and if we do not repent of our sin, and if we will not obey God, that we will not have salvation from sin, and we will not inherit eternal life with God. So we cannot just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then consider that God will be faithful in letting us into his heaven when we die.

Examples of the Above

“I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:23-27 NASB1995)

What was Paul teaching here? He was not teaching works salvation, but he was teaching that how we live matters to God, and it matters for our salvation from sin and our eternal life with God. We cannot just make professions of faith in Jesus Christ and then go on living for the flesh, doing whatever it is that we want to do without regard for God and for his commands. Is God still faithful? Amen! But we must be faithful, too. For if we disobey our Lord, in practice, we will not have eternal life with God.

And one more chapter over, and Paul gives the example of the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. God was displeased with most of them, and he put most of them to death because they were practicing idolatry, drunkenness, revelry, and immorality, and they grumbled against God and they put God to the test, and they refused to repent. So, not only did they not get to go into the Promised Land, but they did not get to enter into God’s eternal rest (salvation from sin and eternal life with God).

So, please know that you cannot stop reading at 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 and assume that because you made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ that all your sins are forgiven and heaven is now guaranteed you upon death. For Jesus Christ made it clear that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands. For not all who call him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who are obeying God’s commands (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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God is Faithful
An Original Work / November 21, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Servus · 2025-11-21T04:17:38-0600

Perpetual Student said:
You are a rational and intelligent man. You do things with a purpose, to convey a certain message.
Either you have the courage to state your message clearly, unambiguously or you don't have that courage.

I watch YouTube shorts. Sometimes when one comes up that addresses the topic of a thread I post it. That's all there is to it. And once in a while someone way over reacts to it.

RamiC · 2025-11-21T04:16:33-0600

9Rock9 said:
So, do you think the Bible is completely without error in everything it touches on?

Which one?

Without an infallible reader, I do not understand the purpose of appealing to it's infallibilty anyway.

Tom D · 2025-11-21T03:44:45-0600

Love old torn socks

WSPD

.Mikha'el. · 2025-11-21T03:16:52-0600

MOD HAT ON!

Thread closed permanently!

MOD HAT OFF!

Bob Crowley · 2025-11-21T02:31:22-0600

He might have escaped human justice, but he would not have escaped God's judgement.

The same comment would apply to every other murderer throughout history who thought he got away with it.

Larniavc · 2025-11-21T02:17:20-0600

bob121 said:
When the house lights dim and the first chord rings out, something shifts inside me—like stepping from fog into sunlight?

Share your "holy ground" moment: What sound, smell, or sight instantly shifts your perspective and tells you, "I am now in God's presence"?

Is entering worship only in a Church?

Finally, what's one sentence that captures that feeling?

What does this have to do with ethics and morality? Shouldn’t it be in the Christians Only section?

bob121 · 2025-11-21T01:56:45-0600

RandyPNW said:
Yes. I just suffer knowing these things, that in this fallen world we have to suffer. And being Christians we suffer the rejection of the world around us. These things are extremely painful and difficult to accept. But accept it we must.

I think with me it's more resignation that ambition to suffer. I simply have to relinquish my will when God calls me to suffer whatever I have to suffer. I pray against it, perhaps, but I try to take my concerns to the Lord. Knowing God can relieve us of suffering and still wills that we suffer is one of the hardest things I experience in life.

But you're right. We have to surrender our will and let God have His way, without rebelling, complaining, or losing our spiritual composure. We aren't trying to achieve some superior level of spirituality--just maintain our spirituality and call to endure what God wills that we endure.

We should not prescribe what suffering anybody else has to suffer. We are all individuals. We should always let God speak first, before we judge what somebody else is going through. We can only judge sin--not circumstances.

Thank you so much for your deeply honest post, RandyPNW. Your reflection on the spiritual difficulty of accepting suffering and your focus on resignation over ambition truly resonate. It is indeed one of the hardest things we experience in life—knowing God can relieve us, yet willing that we endure.

My own experience with suffering has drawn me immeasurably closer to God, fostering a deeper trust in His will. I believe this process may be part of His loving plan. When we are comfortable, we humans tend to drift far away from Him, feeling we can reject Him entirely—“Why do I need God when everything is well?”

Yet, when we witness or endure great pain, our cries and pleas go to the One who promises: if you believe in my Son, your suffering here and now is real, but it will pass. When you awaken in glory, all will be forgotten.

May the Lord continue to bless you. Have a wonderful day/night.

bob121 · 2025-11-21T01:34:28-0600

linux.poet said:
A traumatic childhood, a bad forum website (not this one), two good forums incompetently run (also not this one), and so on. Everywhere I go, I peel back the layers of lies, corruption, problems, and issues. The first round was peeling out my dad’s lies and exposing his deeds of darkness. It is this rejection of evil that broke my mind for awhile as I kept going. I couldn’t go along with what other people were doing, and that led to avoiding a lot of wasted time and bad relationships that could have eaten up my life.

linux.poet, I hear you—peeling back those layers of lies and hidden deeds is exhausting work, but it carves out space for truth to breathe. My own childhood carried a different brand of darkness: a father whose rage filled the house. Watching you refuse to pass on any form of darkness is courage in action. Your line “it is this rejection of evil that broke my mind for a while” rings true—saying no can feel like shattering yourself, yet that very break becomes the doorway for Christ to rebuild. Keep shining the torch; your steadfastness teaches awareness and discernment birthed from hard years. There seems to be a connection between difficult upbringings and discernment—pain can sharpen the senses. Thank you for being a voice that names what must be named—your labour on the forums is seen and deeply appreciated.

lucypevensie · 2025-11-21T01:23:39-0600

Holiday season

Servus · 2025-11-21T01:19:09-0600

rjs330 said:
Lol, every bit of that proves my point. Nobody has anything on Trump. If they did, it would have been used against him.

But you aee apparently still convinced otherwise.

He's gotta be guilty. He's gotta be. We've waited so long for this to dethrone him..

Brother Del · 2025-11-21T00:50:42-0600

If anyone wants to be His disciple, which I presume should be the goal of every born again believer, they need to die.

The only people who don't sin are dead people.

Which is why Christ told us to take up our own cross and follow Him.

We die to the world, die to ourselves, and Christ lives through us by His Holy Spirit.

That's the model. That's how its supposed to work.

The sad truth is, that most people who claim to be followers of Christ, don't study their bibles, don't have a prayer life, are never discipled by a mature older brother or sister, seldom hear the truth from the pulpit, and the person to their right and to their left in that pew on Sunday, is in the exact same sad situation as they are.

The good news is... well, its the Good News, if a person truly repents and places their trust in Christ at any point in their lives, God in His infinite mercy and wisdom will redeem them and regenerate them. And at some point, regardless of the circumstances, in His good timing and according to His own will, and for His own glory, He will enlighten their hearts and minds and call them out of the darkness.

How do I know this to be true? Because He did it for me, and many others like me.

In my own estimation, my prayer life sucks, not because I don't have one, but because I do, and its amazing, and I know how much better it could be. My time in the word also leaves much to be desired, not because I do not spend time in His word, but because I know I don't spend nearly enough time in His word, and every time I do, He never fails to give to me some deeper knowledge than I possessed the day before. My obedience also sucks, not because I live in sin, but because He has made me so sensitive to the leading of His Spirit that I find it hard to balance my everyday life with those things I feel led by Him to do.

The reality of this spiritual life we are now living, is that once we truly see Him for who He is, and ourselves for who we truly are, we will never be satisfied no matter how much of Him we receive, or how much of ourselves we give.

If this resonates with anyone, then please accept this humble exhortation. Cultivate a life of prayer. Rise early and seek His face, open up your hearts and mouths to Him daily, take the time to get to know your Father intimately, and prepare to be amazed. I did, and I can sincerely say, its the single most important action I have ever taken.

I'm so far from what I am called to be that I cannot put it into words. But neither can I adequately express how much love and compassion and tenderness and joy and satisfaction I have received and continue to receive from my Father, and that even on my worst days. And I often find that it is in those worst moments, that He actually reveals His deep love for me the most.

Imagine the worlds greatest Dad, teaching His blind, deaf and lame son, how to ride a bicycle. If you can imagine that, minus a few meaningless details, you now know the story of my life.

Father have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Holy Spirit lift the veil.

Unqualified · 2025-11-21T00:29:07-0600

Made some 405 grain yesterday. 64 ezactly. Only took about 2 hours ladle pouring. More speed, less internal ballistic pressure, less drop, more powder. Just about gave up on shooting to 200 with any accuracy. It said would drop 23.3. Little did I know it was moa, which translates to about 48 inches @200. I can make it shoot flatter.

Marilyn C · 2025-11-21T00:11:36-0600

eclipsenow said:
It's a sermon on suffering, so of COURSE it reminds his audience that one day the Lord will return.
The problem for those that want to read it as a future timetable is this happens many times in the book!
EG: The Lord returns at the end of Chapter 6! And there's a triplicate return in 19, 20, 21 - from different 'camera eye' views.
It has the gospel events dressed up in picture language.

It's too all Christians across all time, reminding us that if our governments turn on us - to trust in the Lord with great patience. We're also warned not to be seduced by the wealth of our nations, and trust in those. (Rev 13 has the mark has an alternative Shema prayer to money and the state, rather than God.)

So once again.

IF I gave you a 'prophecy' about a battle on Mars in the year 4000 AD and said "OBEY IT!" - wouldn't that be nonsensical?

John is trying to identify with his mission field. Trying to comfort brothers and sisters in Christ.
And futurists think he's raving about thousands of years in the future for the majority of the book?
It just doesn't add up!

"Toughen up princess - you've got nothing to worry about! Wait till you see what happens in 2000 years!"

I thought it was `toughing up buttercup.` Anyway thanks for the encouragement!

Now are you telling me that the 7 churches which were in Asia, were the ones going through all the difficulties as shown in Rev. 2 & 3 in John`s time?

Mark Quayle · 2025-11-21T00:08:31-0600

A Devil's Advocate said:
Being I am not a Calvinist, I am unfamiliar with the acronym T.U.L.I.P. So my reply is based off of what I got from a quick search.

Total Depravity: This assumes that spiritual death is a cessation of the spirit. If this was true, then I would agree with total depravity. However, I do not believe spiritual death to be the cessation of the spirit, but rather the spirit going into a dormant state where it is no longer sensitive to God's presence. But, it is still capable of responding to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. If our spirit was actually dead, then even the convicting work of the Holy Spirit would be of no use, and we would remain lost.
Also, and I can't say this with absolute certainty, because we are made in the image of God, I believe the cessation of any part of our being: body, soul, or spirit would result in what looks like physical death. God is revealed to us in three persons, but all are still one God. Being in the image of God we too are made up of three parts, as I just described. These three parts are what makes us human. This would explain why in the new age, we receive new physical bodies. Not only to maintain the image of God, but because we cannot exist without all three parts.

Unconditional Election: I heard TD Jakes say once that God choosing to save whomever it is He chooses to save is a great display of His grace because no one deserves salvation. Rather than lose everyone, God chooses to save some. To me this doesn't paint a very attractive picture of God. If God is capable of saving some, then He is clearly capable of saving all, yet chooses not to? This does not sound like the God presented to us in the bible.

Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints: These next three are all based of the premise that it is our sins that separate us from God. That salvation is found in getting our sins forgiven. This same premise applies to almost all forms of Christianity being preached today.

Ours sins are not the problem. They are not what separates us from God. Our sin is a form of behavior. Our sinful behavior is a symptom of our condition, not the cause. Our condition is that of spiritual death. Spiritual death was the punishment Adam and Eve received for their disobedience. Because spiritual death plus spiritual death will always equal spiritual death, we've all come into the world already spiritually dead (separated from God). The symptom of our condition, being separated from God, is that we sin.

Now because it is not our sins that separate us from God, getting our sins forgiven isn't going to save us. We are saved when we place our faith in God for salvation. The forgiveness of sins is what makes salvation possible. Everyone from the cross forward has come into the world already forgiven of their sins (this was made know when God tore the temple curtain). Salvation however (which is found in the resurrection), only occurs once we place our faith in God. So now if God has forgiven all of mankind, then clearly salvation must also be available to all of mankind.

When the Holy Spirit convicts us, it is not of our sin, but of our unbelief. All sin is forgiven, but our unbelief isn't. This we must choose to repent of.

Because the punishment for all sin was forgiven at the cross, there remains no more punishment to be handed out by God. Because there is no more punishment left to be handed out, there is no longer any possibility of spiritual death, separation from God. Because spiritual death is no longer a possibility, there is no way to lose your salvation, or to wilfully lose it by walking away since you can't wilfully choose to spiritually die. That is in God's hands alone.

Having said all this, in the end, I honestly don't think it matters what one believes in terms of salvation, but rather who we believe in for salvation. Anyone who places their faith in God for salvation will be saved, regardless of whatever else they choose to believe.

Now before anyone comes at me with their nickers in a knot claiming that John 14:6 says we must believe in Jesus to be saved... let me be the first to remind you that Jesus is God! Not simply a means too God. He established the fact that He is God in the first part of the verse. Therefore, He is not saying no comes to the Father/God/Me except through the Father/God/Me. This makes absolutely no sense. Why do you need to go through God in order to get too God when going through God means you're already with God?

What Jesus is actually saying is that regardless of how you choose to come to God, you will have come through Him. He is the one that made salvation possible. It is only through His forgiveness of sins that anyone can now come into the presence of God for salvation.

I would be careful to agree that what the Bible says, is what matters, and not what we have made of it. On the other side of that, is that "no scripture is of private interpretation"—we must be careful not to jump too quickly to our own conclusions.

To avoid too long an answer, you may be surprised how much like Calvinism your notion of spiritual death, our sinfulness and unbelief (though they say it differently) and not simply our sins, are what condemn us. The difference lies in your idea of the will of the believer to repent and believe being the turning point in undoing spiritual death, while the Calvinist believes the will and faith are results, and not causes, of new birth. It is a gift of God. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to his good purpose." Another word you might find interesting is "Monergism", which speaks of the work of God in saving us being by his own motivation and act, and not ours. (But don't take my short definition there alone. —I don't claim to be a Calvinist and I don't want to misrepresent Calvinism).

Some other things you say are accurate and reasonable, such as the fact that entirely forgiven sin can't come back at us, to undo our spiritual regeneration. My reasoning agrees, but is based mainly on the fact that God will indeed accomplish whatever he set out to do, and it cannot be undone. Thus, even if I am not among those to whom he chose to show mercy, he is to be praised for his consuming power of purity and purpose, all of HIS own doing. If I have only fooled myself, thinking my decision of faith to be of some substance, it makes no difference as to who he is and what he has decided to do. And if I am among those to whom he chose to show mercy, I will not be lost.

Yarddog · 2025-11-20T23:12:39-0600

Vambram said:
Nope. Your post is 100% incorrect.

We'll see.lol

GodDoesListen55 · 2025-11-20T23:00:10-0600

Upside-Down Cake.

JohnClay · 2025-11-20T22:48:10-0600

CoreyD said:
I'm curious to know why this interests you though.

Does it have anything to do with Gods character?

I get the impression that there are different versions of the afterlife throughout the Bible but I guess Christians would view it in a way that makes sure it is consistent and logical. Though the Sadducees (who were Jews) apparently didn't believe in the afterlife. I'm not sure eternal torment is in the Old Testament. Anyway I'm interested in that kind of thing. I guess it also is about God's mercy for people in the Old Testament.

A2SG · 2025-11-20T22:33:23-0600

Always in His Presence said:
And nothing - the facts in the OP showed it was multiple text during a hearing - not an email as you stated - oops

Text, email....is there a significance to the difference there I'm not picking up on?

Always in His Presence said:
You would have to determine what is viable - you are the one who evidently thought it a salient point that you never heard of her before. Sounds dismissive and non viable to me.

You brought the subject up, not me. You're the one who intimated that she was a "viable subject" for some reason. I'm still unclear on why. But if you prefer not to explain why, that's your business. I still don't see how any of this is a problem worth discussing.

Always in His Presence said:
No waiting at all - I'm glad you are content -

Care to correct your error?

-- Always in His Presence, content to wait also - in the middle of the Book of John...

What error? That I said email instead of text? Mea culpa.

-- A2SG, personally prefer a Dortmunder book by Donald Westlake, but you do you....

com7fy8 · 2025-11-20T22:11:13-0600

Fervent said:
an over-emphasis on justification

To me, it seems there is "justification" that is "imputed". This means you trust in Jesus and God "declares" you to be righteous. Well, this does happen > it is like if you have been on a losing high school football team, but then you become a water person on a Super Bowl championship team. You gain the standing of your championship team, just by joining. Like this, when a person first trusts in Jesus, yes we become part of God's kingdom with His righteousness and Jesus Christ's "track record" now as our background history >

"old things have passed away" > in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

But then the water server needs to grow and develop in relating with the coach and players and other servers. And this brings right standing which is more than what comes just with membership. And, like this, in Jesus we need to grow . . . in God's love, how the grace of this love has us submissively sharing with God and sharing as family with one another while the grace of God's love keeps curing and maturing our character so we become more and more gentle and humble and all-loving like Jesus.

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