Angela Groberg wrote:
I saw him on TV 6 yrs ago..thought he was a phoney..but then I decided to donate just to prove there would be no miracle from God...to my shock I had a huge financial miracle happen..so I tried it again..and once again I got another miracle..so I decided to do it every paycheck for the last 6 yrs..I have had miracle after miracle. But when i donate to other ministries i dont get any miracles. Even though I still believe in those ministries I never see any miracles to he honest. I dont know what happened here but I'm gonna keep donating because God honors His ministry for some reason.maybe he didnt follow the tax laws but I dont think he is a bad man..He is called and favored of God. I pray for his release and that all will be well in his future in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.SINCERELY angela groberg in utah.

Mike wrote:
Suffice it to say the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. When he is ready to send a plague, it won't be the wimpy covid19. What we are seeing in the response is what fear of death among unbelievers can generate.
Some here may remember a request a couple years ago for prayer for my grandson, who had a rare incurable cancer. He lost that round yesterday. I would appreciate prayer for my daughter and son in law and family in our shared grief, that in this time the Lord might draw them closer to himself and each other. We are not allowed to go and be with them, not because of the virus, but because of that fear of death that imprisons so many.

Anony wrote:
Trump said that this pandemic was a "hoax" generated by Democrats.
So is this story about Pelosi attempting to fund abortion.
What if we had known about this virus in November when Trump knew? Where would we be?
Did you ever consider that God is uniting us in this crisis what Trump attempted to divided individuals and nations before the crisis? We are becoming united.
A government is not run based on impulse, or Trump's gut feeling. It is run by God.
"A little child shall lead them" just might mean this big baby in the White House leading us to destruction.

And if he knew about it in November, why would he call it a hoax generated by the Democrats?

Phil Casamento wrote:
@James Thomas. I say this out of love: You are mistaken. The law is the righteousness of God and it is good and holy. Wrath comes upon us for disobedience, that is not to say that the law is wrath. Rather wrath is consequence for not fulfilling all righteousness. Christ fulfilled all righteousness for his people and by grace gives us his righteousness. The law was given for transgression to show us our sinfulness and God's utter holiness, which thereby points us to Jesus Christ the Righteous. Read Roman's 6,7, and 8 for a fuller understanding of the purpose of God's law. And also Galatians 3.

So is our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, the law? That seems to be the only conclusion that can be drawn from your comment.

And one other question. What is the wrath of God?

Dr. Tim wrote:
The biblical order of events is pre-trib rapture, seven-year tribulation WITHOUT the saints who got saved prior to the rapture, second coming of Christ, millennial reign, great white throne judgment, eternity.

Two very important clues are given; the voice of the archangel and the last trumpet sound.

Michael is the archangel and spoken of in Daniel 12:1 **after** the 70th week aka tribulation has concluded.

Upon the last (seventh) trumpet sounding "our Lord, and his Christ shall reign for ever and ever" ..... not a mere 1,000 years. (Rev 11:15)

If you are looking for the rapture Paul spoke of, it comes after the 1,000 year reign of Christ and the 70th week tribulation when Satan is loosed.... Gog & Magog (Rev 20:7-10).

May want to closely examine Rev 20:9.... "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city" Seems like the saints were not raptured before the 70th week but were waiting on the Lord in hope for the resurrection of the just and unjust.

Mike wrote:
"WHO Declares Coronavirus Outbreak a Global Public Health Emergency"
Oh oh. Looks like we'll need a global public health solution.
1. Instill abundance of fear worldwide. Use media to report every sickness as probable Covid 19.
2. Wait for panic buying at grocery stores.
3. Wait until the "public" demands solution to shortages and disease.
4. Drag fear and anger on through the US election. Use quarantine as much as possible.
5. Await emotional US electorate to remove Trump, install any Democrat to save us.
6. Continue with globalist one-world agenda, now that temporary Orange-man thorn in its side is removed. Swamp critters all over the world rejoice.
7. Covid 19 now burns itself out, which it would have done anyway, in its reality as a disease, and certainly in its usefulness as a tool.
8. Wait for Jim/Lincoln to once again independently declare he doesn't criticize sitting presidents.

Jim Lincoln wrote:
I can't see how any Christian can support Mr. Trump đź‘Ž

John for JESUS wrote:
The point being made with Romans 13:11 was that “we believed” and it was okay. Also, in John 9:35-38 the man says “I believe”. I wanted you to see that there is nothing wrong with saying “I believed” as it is used in scripture without it being considered a sin. If someone were to ask why I was saved, it is because I believed and God saved me.

Listen J4J, my sole purpose of challenging you was to learn what was at the bottom of your system of belief. After much coaxing we finally got there. I get it. There really is no need to continue launching verses in defense of that as it will change nothing for either of us. Your entire system of belief stands on a completely different foundation than mine.

John for JESUS wrote:
1) In all fairness, there is no other way to state it. It was “I” who believed, not God for me, otherwise I would of said He believed for me and not for others...

2) And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:11

Is it okay to say “we” believed? That is the plural of “I”. Was Paul not giving God glory for their salvation?! They were the ones who believed, while God was the one who saved them.

John for JESUS wrote:
1) I also quoted Romans 2:15.
2) Is that a reference to Logos?
3) I believed and they didn’t. The Bible gives examples of why people reject Him in general and sometimes specifically. However, it doesn’t say as much about why people believe except to say it is out of love. It is appreciation and gratitude for what Jesus did for us.

2) Yes, the English word logic is derived from the Greek word Logos. The bible interchanges Logos with Theos and Theos with Agape. All are one and the same. That's the wisdom of God but if you want to go with the wisdom of man, definitely go with logic.

3) "I" ...... I thought so. Even the RCC and most Arminians try to give a little honor to God with their false doctrine of prevenient grace. But not J4J.

John for JESUS wrote:
Yes, all mankind.

So everyone knows what your reply means, you said "the ability to believe is given us from birth".

I asked "All mankind or ???"

To which you replied "Yes, all mankind."

Well.... that is interesting. And you apparently see that view supported by Acts 17:26-30.

Not wanting to put words in your mouth but may I assume this ability to believe unto justification of life is what most would call reason? Logic?

No matter because it was never my intent to convince you. I just wanted to get to the bottom of what you believe because after all these years you never really made it known. But I will leave you with this:

1 Cor 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

Think on that, J4J, and then perhaps answer one more question, if you would. If all mankind receives the ability to believe unto justification of life at birth, what makes you differ from those who reject the gospel?

John for JESUS wrote:
You are right, that’s why I am okay if people want to say that faith is a gift, even if that is not what Ephesians 2 is saying because ultimately the ability to believe is given us from birth and to whom we believe in is Himself a gift in that God didn’t have to send His Son, but He did.

John for JESUS wrote:
Lurker...
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬

We receive the Holy Spirit by faith and without the Holy Spirit we do not belong to Christ. How can someone be “elect” and not even belong to Christ?! Jesus is the object of our faith. Faith is the obedient act of repentance from sins and trusting in Jesus for our salvation.

It wasn't quite the direct answer I was hoping for but I'll work with the text you cited.

Faith comes by hearing.

Hearing comes by the word (Logos) of God.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word [Logos] was with God, **and the Word [Logos] was God.**

So if one is able to hear, that hearing is by God (Logos). And if one has faith, that faith comes by hearing which is by God.

John for JESUS wrote:
“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:8‬
God is the Justifier of those who believe.

But we have yet to get all the way to the bottom of the matter.

John for JESUS wrote:
1) I believe I have. The ability to want to believe is created within sinners from birth. Through natural revelation and by God sovereignly placing them in the time and place they are, so that they should seek Him. God has done nothing but help sinners to become saved because He loves the whole world and doesn’t take pleasure in the death of sinners.
2) God has decided to make Israel His elect nation to whom the promises belong and Gentiles have been grafted in for a time so that they may inherit the promises through faith.
3) I think I just did. The Jews are the elect and others are grafted in. All are elect who are in Christ.

Who/what is the first cause of justification unto life for everyone who believes? Is it God's choice, man's decision or something else?

I'm asking for biblical proofs, as many as you want, to establish your answer with your exposition to follow, if you want. And I'd hope you'd gather your proofs from the new covenant age writings of the bible.

John for JESUS wrote:
People accusing me of being an Arminian don’t know what Jacob Arminius believed. He believed, like Calvin, that people had to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit in order to believe. He believed the Holy Spirit then allowed people to decide for themselves if they wanted to believe in Jesus or not. Calvinism teaches the Holy Spirit makes you believe without exception. So you see, they are both wrong! The biblical view is that the preaching of the gospel enables people to believe should they want too. The salvation of the sinner is completely dependent on what Jesus has done for them and is received by faith.

I will likely regret getting involved in yet another topic discussion but... in broad terms I can agree with what you said with one exception. But, you have yet to descend to the bottom step of your system of belief and establish: "should they want to".

You have man, not God, determining who is elect (called) and who is not. You have man ultimately in charge of his eternal fate. It is your doctrine of election which differs from those of us you contend with.

John UK wrote:
Hi Lurker,
But there is another faith (not saving faith) which is a gift of the Spirit. And we know that the Spirit gives the gifts to different people that all may profit and that all may be important to the assembly of Christians. This gift of faith is mentioned in 1 Cor 12:9 and Paul mentions it again in 1 Cor 13:2 as having "all faith that could move a mountain".

I looked up the verses you mentioned and see what you mean. We both know that faith's initial role in the unconverted is to justification of life. But beyond that surely faith doesn't just lie dormant but must serve other purposes that bring glory to God which I believe is what you are getting at. I don't have a strong opinion about the matter but will bear it in mind as I continue personal study.

John for JESUS wrote:
The salvation which God gave them and results in eternal life is the gift of God.