Michael Hranek wrote:
Just were do you find that THE CHURCH is a mixture of "tares and wheat"? Isn't that a Roman Catholic invention that some Calvinists have continued in?
You do know the church is the redeemed born again people of the LORD and NOT a building

Here for your edification is the Bibles take on the problem of "tares."

2Peter 2:1 "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways"

Now who do you think these pew fillers are who are called "many shall follow their pernicious ways."

And Peter is not referring to anemia here.

Mike wrote:
#1] 1 John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

#2] 1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.

#2] Thus God's love only comes to the elect and only then can the sinner respond with love.
The verse teaches that God loves first - Thus it tells us that only after election we will be enabled to love God.

John UK wrote:
#1 In the UK it has become a rarity for anyone to ask the question, "Can I be saved?" This is largely due to the lack of men ministering to sinners, telling them they *need* to be saved.

John is that not relying upon the works of men?

What is God doing just now with UK, US and the other western nations?

Are we to understand that we are on our own? No divine help?

We know from past history that a "Revival" (eg the Welsh one 1906) can make momentous differences to the response of people to evangelising.
What does that tell us about the direct input of God when it happens.
Alternatively what does that say about the current situation?

Mike wrote:
What would be the point of speaking of election to a lost one?

Mike wrote:
True, John. They might be taken aback should they ask "Can I be saved?" and they are told "If you are elect, you're in. But if you aren't, bad luck, dude." That much honesty would never do.

Mike suggests it is wrong to refer to election.

But Mike, election is taught in the Bible. Therefore do you imply that this part of God's Holy Word should not be taught - in case God cannot save the person being spoken too?

Does the "honesty" of God's Word prevent salvation when evangelising the lost?
Isn't this just a little bit too much human works over God's purpose?

Romans 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth)

Mike this being so does that mean that....
9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace

BrotherDon wrote:
If it does not line up with your theology then change your theology, don't change the Bible.

John UK wrote:
Absolutely! This is also what I believe and hope for. And the glory will be far better than we can imagine......

It says that 'we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.' I don't need to understand the second part to glory in the first.

candle lit wrote:
Since man was created perfect in the Garden, wouldn't God in restoration bring man back to that place of perfection

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."

Isn't capitalism wonderful?

DJC49 wrote:
The King James' translation of James 1:2 is unfortunate (bad). Where it mentions falling into divers TEMPTATIONS, the better and more accurate rendering would be TRIALS.

Uses include;
1) an experiment, attempt, trial, proving
a) trial, proving: the trial made of you by my bodily condition, since condition served as to test the love of the Galatians toward Paul (Gal. 4:14)

b) the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy
1) an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from the outward circumstances
2) an internal temptation to sin
a) of the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his divine errand
3) of the condition of things, or a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from the faith and holiness
4) adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test or prove one's character, faith, holiness

Matt 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

On Matt 26:41 Owen says
"There are three things in the words:—
I. The evil cautioned against,—temptation.
II. The means of its prevalency,—by our entering into it.
III. The way of preventing it,—watch and pray."

Question::If temptation is a form of evil - how far is it from sin? Is it a bridge to sin? Thus connected?

Owen goes on to say; "So temptation is like a knife, that may either cut the meat or the throat of a man; it may be his food or his poison, his exercise or his destruction."

On the other hand

This implies that man is not culpable before the bar of GOD till he actually indulges in sin??? Not only salvation by works - BUT sinner by works also???

A neutral state prior to commission of sin???

Col 1:13 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son"

= What "power" of darkness GG - IF the commission of the sin has not taken place???

1John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Hopeful wrote:
P.S. Not to appear flippant, I might add the Scripture that says, "One day is as thousand yrs., and a thousand yrs. as a day." That being the case, only two days have passed since that Scripture was given. If creation itself is tied to the 7 day week, then, we'd be in the 6th day, and the Sabbath day is coming - the time of blessedness and rest in the Kingdom of God. I think the pattern of 6 days of creation and the 7th day of rest holds as a metaphor for the time of man and earth and the curse and redemption and consummation. But, go ahead, rake me over the coals if you disagree.

Ive heard of that theory before.
But surely the "thousand years" = 1 day, - is simply an analogical device to provide the (infinite) extent of God's perception, compared with mortal, rather than literal time?

For example
Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night

Hopeful wrote:
2 Tim. 3:1-4 says, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
For men will be:
*lovers of themselves,

quote
"One cannot speak as a representative of all the people on one hand (as a politician)and as a representative for Christ and His church on the other, and expect to be taken seriously."

Thus God never puts a Christian in government???

But in the meantime.....

"The ASA reportedly admitted that the ad was "representative of the beliefs of a specific group and indicative of their opinion only,"

What the ASA knows about God's Holy Word and Law could probably be inscribed on a pinhead. But it is God and obedience to Him that brings the Church to witness against the Abomination of Sodomy.

This is a direct attack upon Scripture and Holy Law.

Lev 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination"

Satan rules the UK.

Ro 1:32 "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

A true believe wrote:
This had nothing to do with attending church. Caring for the poor and those less fortunate than you is one of the tenants of true biblical christianity.

As for the poor, Jesus reminds us....

Mark 14:7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

As for Obama.....

A true believer wrote:
You are very much mistaken: A biblical ring would be more appropriate. Please familiarize yourself with the book of of 1st John among others.

My son recently told me of a friend of his who phoned the police to report a burglary, happening at that time, at the house opposite. The police arrived 2.1/2 hours later by which time the thieves had well departed.

When I read an article such as this and consider facts like these, I can only be very very sad as to the way in which Britain is going. All authorities and institutions have become a mockery of what they once were.

Regardless of the bleating of some of the sheep on this thread, that Paisley is not as righteous as they are. It is true what Paisley has called for in these perilous times. Not only for the generaton now but for our children and our childrens children.

Rev Paisley's words echo the Lord's.

Matt 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.