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You are soooooooo right my friend!

Roman Catholicism is not the religion of Christ! But then how could it be, when in truth it is the very seat of antichrist!

"Thou art my Son." Here is a noble proof of the glorious Divinity of our Immanuel. "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" What a mercy to have a Divine Redeemer in whom to rest our confidence!

"This day have I begotten thee." If this refers to the Godhead of our Lord, let us not attempt to fathom it, for it is a great truth, a truth reverently to be received, but not irreverently to be scanned.

It may be added, that if this relates to the Begotten One in his human nature, we must here also rejoice in the mystery, but not attempt to violate its sanctity by intrusive prying into the secrets of the Eternal God.

When was Jesus begotten?

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psalms 2:7 KJV

One thing is for sure, it must have been post Genesis 1, because until then, there was no such thing as a "day".

Of course "The Word" is eternally God, made flesh in time.

Luke 1:30-33 KJV
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

The work of salvation was yet future, redemption was pre-planned, but not yet accomplished. The completion was at Calvary, and the application ever since.

Source: Inside CostaRica.com
Link: http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/may/16/costarica10051609.htm

"The Catholic Church Is The Closet Of Gays", Colombian Priest Writes In His Book
SUNDAY 16 MAY 2010
Out of frustration at episcopal inaction, a priest of the Colombian archdiocese of Cali, has written a book on the ongoing homosexual scandals among priests of the archdiocese.

Father Germán Robledo, former head of the archdiocesan ecclesiastical tribunal, wrote that the third largest diocese of Colombia is rife with active and uncorrected homosexuals and heterosexual priests who prey upon young people, have fathered children and used parish funds to pay off the extortion demands of their boy-lovers and the fees for procurers.

The priest has kept his writings in absolute secrecy until they were published, calling it a "bomb" for the clergy of Cali.

"I would think many should be reminded a person make (may) meet God, at any time through death. If Christ doesn't come quickly then you are guaranteed to meet him through physical death. So, the question, should be, are you ready to die? You can die in the next few minutes."
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Amen to that Jim! Hence the exhortation in God's Word to make our calling and election sure.
(II Pet. 1:10)
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John wrote:

"I am yet willing to show you what the expression "only-begotten Son of God actually means, including "when" he was begotten and "why", and hopefully extricate you from the ropes which bind you, and the devil which blinds you.

"The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation." (Ps. 118:14)

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: . .

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 Jo. 5:11a-12)

"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." (II Tim. 1:12)

and . . .

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever." (Jude 24-25)

"And hereby we do know that we know HIM, if we keep his commandments."
(1 John 2:3)
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"We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen;" (John 3:11a)

I must confess I cannot understand how, by “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”(1 Cor. 2:13 )
you can easily conclude by the verses you have cited above (Rev. 13:8, 17:8 & Eph. 1:4) that the “elect were chosen before the world was made”, yet you reject the verses Fred has offered from God's Word, namely (Rev. 13:8 & Heb. 4:3) to prove that Christ, the “Lamb of God”, was slain before the foundation of the world, but in the fulness of time, was born of a woman, came into the world, took on the form of man, and was crucified at Calvary for the sins of His people. How can you reckon this to blasphemy? ?

Though I confess my finite mind cannot fully grasp these things, neither can my finite mind grasp that God chose sinners . . before they were even born and before the “world was made”, as His elect, those whom He would IN TIME, by His grace and in His sovereign good pleasure, save to His praise and glory? ?

This I accept by faith, along with much in God's Word, that to the "natural man is foolish", as we read in 1 Cor. 2:14.

Neil wrote:
"Many Protestants here lack sincerity in faith."
In other words, they're unbelievers.

C. H. Spurgeon calls them "mere professors".

What a miracle conversion really is!

Only God can give a man . . a woman . . vital faith, and that by virtue of the "new birth" and the indispensable work of the Holy Spirit, whose first fruit wrought in the sinner's heart is saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To God alone be the glory!

Thank you both for the encouragement I received through your comments at this thread.

In Christian solidarity,

June
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Avast,

I have endeavored to "speak the truth in love." (Eph. 4:15), and have prayed for both guidance and discernment prior to making my comments here.
What I have said represents the convictions the Holy Spirit has given me in these matters.

In Christian love,

I find it curious that you feel compelled to rebuke me for a comment that you consider not in keeping with a “Christian witness”, while at the same time you regard Ian Paisley as “an excellent and pious politician”.
A man, who throughout his career has poured contempt upon and insulted men indiscriminately . . a man who has a reputation for leading protests and fomenting civil unrest, a man who was charged & jailed for “unlawful assembly”. . a man well-known for stirring up sectarian hatred by his inflammatory speeches . . a man infamous for hurling personal insults at heads of state, most notably Brian Cowen.
Unarguably, conversation and/or conduct unbecoming a Christian, not to mention a Christian Minister & certainly not the conduct of a model citizen, nor one who respects the law and the powers that be. (Rom. 13)

link: http://www.newsletter.co.uk/letters-to-the-editor/Opposition-to-39unholy-alliance39.2698366.jp

Opposition to 'unholy alliance'
Published Date: 12 April 2007

I am a Free Presbyterian and cannot understand how the moderator Dr Paisley and a minister the Rev William McCrea, can sit in government throughout the week with members of IRA/SF and then return to their congregations and preach from the Bible.
The same Bible which in Genesis 9 v 6 makes it clear that the penalty for murder is death. The same Bible which in Romans 13 v 3 tells us that rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil. How is it possible for the government of Northern Ireland to be a terror to evil works?
Given the above I find it astonishing that Baroness Eileen Paisley can say that government with IRA/SF is God's will when quite clearly it violates the principles of His Word.
Perhaps the two gentlemen named above would be kind enough to show me from the Bible why I should accept IRA/SF in government? Until then my intense opposition to this unholy alliance will continue.

Widow's disgust at 'lauding' of Adams
Source: 'Belfast Newsletter'
Link: http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Widow39s-disgust-at-39lauding39-of.6391088.jp

Excerpt:
Part-time postman James McFall's widow Muriel, who watched him lie dying in a pool of blood at their home more than 30 years ago, said she was "disgusted" by the programme broadcast on Monday night.

The 70-year-old from Belfast's Shankill Road – one of three IRA victims who contacted the News Letter yesterday – said she could not watch all of the praise for the Sinn Fein president in the hour-long broadcast, given his widely documented IRA involvement at the time of her husband's murder.

"I was just disgusted," the mother-of-five said.
"He and his cohorts are nothing but terrorists – I'd tell him to his face.
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And the unapologetic words of Gerry Adams:

". . . Mr Adams was pressed on how he could condemn Israel for "murdering" nine Turks attempting to break the blockade of Gaza, while not condemning IRA atrocities such as the Enniskillen bombing.

"Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?"
(II Chron. 19:1-2)
These were the words of Jehu, the prophet sent of God to rebuke King Jehoshophat who formed a wicked alliance with Ahab, and most certainly can be applied here:

In answer to your question:
“Does a Christian "perfectly" overcome all iniquity and unrighteousness around him/her?”

As you have said, obviously not, but as Christians are called to be the “salt of the earth”, it is plain to see that no Christian and/or Christian Minister in good conscience should have been party to the setting up of such a wicked and unjust alliance as that of the DUP / SF – IRA.
How you can regard Ian Paisley, one of the chief architects of this sordid deal, who compromised his Christian principles in order to do so, as an "excellent and pious politician" is beyond belief!

Even an irreligious man could discern the the travesty of justice this represents. How much more obnoxious to God must this turning aside of justice be in one who professes the religion of Christ?

Ivan Foster, Retired FPC Minister expounds how we are to understand Rom. 13 in the context of present political realities in N.I., an understanding shared by Pastor Carson, as well as many Christians.

When turning from sin means turning yourself in!
http://www.ivanfoster.net/pdf/July0702.pdf

For the benefit of Avast: “Open rebuke is better than secret love.”
Prov. 27:5
How Are The Mighty Fallen?
Pastor David Carson, pastor /Zion Tabernacle, Chester, England
http://www.protestantoldpaths.org/2009/03/how-are-mighty-fallen.html

Me too Jessica!

A WORD in season:

Romans 8:18-23
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Because the creature 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 groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
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"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20b)

In Christian love,

Dear Jessica,

I sense you are in deep anguish of soul.
I too have sunk to those depths, almost to the point of despair, but have learned in my pilgrimage, by God's grace, to pour out my heart before the Lord, for God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:8)

Though you have shared your innermost feelings with us, and we are truly sympathetic, I would urge you to go directly to the Lord in prayer, whose command the sea and winds obey, that He might bring that same calm and peace into you soul as he has so often brought to mine when "my heart was overwhelmed in me."
(Psalm 61:1-2)

"And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39)

I would also commend to you the prayer of the psalmist as it is found in Psalm 102, of which the heading in my Bible reads:
"A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD"

May you know the peace of God that passeth all understanding. (Phil. 4:6-7)

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
(2nd Cor. 1:3-4)

In Christian love,

Frank,
Once again, in my humble opinion, you're right on the mark.

Frank wrote:
Now this doesn't surprise me at all since he signed the Manhatten Declaration. How can anyone listen to someone who thinks Catholicism represents true Christianity? If someone can be a Christian politician and not compromise their Christian values, then they might just be a first.

The Roman Catholic Church is "MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
(Rev. 17:5)

God's Word gives an apt description of present day politics across the globe, along with an express command to "His people" . . for those with discernment:

Revelation 18:3-4:
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."