And your beliefs are?
What...Do you believe? Why...Do you believe it? Where...
Do your beliefs come from?
ISSUE #2
GOD WOOS (LOVE BEGS) HIS ENEMIES INTO VOLUNTEERING TO FOLLOW HIM... OR DOES HE?
Col.1:21 "And, you, who were once alienated and enemies in you mind by wicked works, yet not hath He reconciled."
Wouldn't it be great if God shows us by His example that wars can be won by wooing?... Whichever side did the best wooing would woo the other side into laying down their weapons and surrendering... We are not quite sure how some proclaiming Orthodox Christian Churches came up with their Wooing Doctrine... It could be because as we explained in ISSUE #1 most Churches no longer believe or teach that our God is sovereign in all things... This is definitely one area where they consider Him lacking in His Sovereignty... They teach that God gives out invitations to every individual to come and follow Him... However, it is strictly a voluntary call... God must not interfere with their free will... The church can't teach that man is able to come to God without any Divine help...That would be teaching a known Heretical Doctrine... So wooing we presume would be considered help without interfering with one's will... Thus, for their scripture proof... Draw in John.6:44 changes from the Greek definition(to Drag)... To the Churches' definition (to Woo)... Also, see ISSUE #1 for more information on to Draw...
2.An Individual Command as to His disciples (and all true followers)...Matt.9:9 "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, "Follow Me" And he rose, and followed Him." Some other scripture where Christ gives the same command are: Matt.4:19,8:22,16:24...Mark.2:14,8:34...Luke.5:27,9:23,9:29...John.1:43,21:19...Note, none of these scriptures include the words "If you want to" after His command...
God's command tells us to die to our fleshly desires by totally giving up our life and will to serve a Righteous God.. He is to be #1 in our life... This type of devotion that He asks of us makes the love we have for our families (expression of our greatest human love) seem as hate in comparison... Luke.9:23,24 "And He said to them all, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Luke.14:26,27 "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife and children and brethren and sister, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."... All in all a way of life that we can't see any of God's enemies being wooed into living... Dragging them would be a hard enough task...
In conclusion we believe the scriptures are clear on the following points:
Since it is God who gives His people the ability to be willing followers...It will be God who gets all the Glory for our reconcilation... And man's will and ability get none... Again, how is one willing and able to come in truth to follow Christ... A quote from a good friend of our says it all: "REGENERATION MUST COME BEFORE EVERYTHING"!!!!
Butch time to head to...
ISSUE #3
PlEASE OUT
Guest Teachings:
DOCTRINAL ISSUES FACING THE CHURCH TODAY
Heb.4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and intents of the heart."
Rom.5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find that God invites, entices, allures an enemy or anyone else into following Him...HE COMMANDS THEM...
1.A General Command that is given to every person born and they are responsible to comply... Mark.12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."Acts.17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God overlooks; but now commands all men everywhere to repent:"
All persons born have an even greater problem than just being one of God's enemies... They are DEAD ENEMIES (Spiritually Dead to God/With a Sin Nature)... Spiritually Dead Men are UNABLE to Walk With God/Talk To God/Hear God... An example is Nicodemus in John.3:1-8...Nicodemus came to Christ thinking that he understood His teachings... He also thought that these teachings had to come from God... Christ explained that he could not have any true understanding of the kingdom of God until he was born again(Spiritual Birth)...
Eph.2:5 "Who were dead in your trespasses and sins."...
Is.59:2 "But your iniquities have separted between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."...
1Cor.2:14 "A natural man does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."...
The barriers caused by mans' sin nature make it impossible for anyone to understand the call of the true Gospel in his condition... Much less be willing to let go of those fleshly barriers and give his life to Christ...
Job.14:4 "Who can bring a clean thing out of a unclean? Not one."...
Jer.13:23 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do, that are accustomed to do evil."...
Today we see more calls than ever before to follow Christ...Thousands come down the aisle saying Yes to the call... However, there still remains many who do not choose to follow Him... When ask of those who readily accept... How do they come to Him so easily when others will not?... They credit their human will for their ability to say Yes... One man's will over that of another... How sad it is to hear that people think they have a more willing will than someone else... Because the Scriptures declare that it is God who breaks down any barriers that prevent His sheep from following Him... Many will hear the call and may bring Christ into their lives... But true followers are His Chosen and He brings them into His life on His Terms and by His ability...
Matt.22:14 "Many are called, but few are chosen."...
John.10:3 "To Him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear His voice; and He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."...
John.10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"...
1. Christ commands:
His Sheep to Follow Him...
2.Christ changes:
Their Nature/Heart/Will...
3.Therefore, His Sheep:
Hear and Know His Voice... 4.Therefore, His Sheep:
Willing follow Him In Truth...
John.1:12,18 "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: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will on man, but of God."...
1Cor.1:29 "That no flesh should glory in His presence."...
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THE LORD'S SUPPER, by Joe Slowiaczek
THE COVENANTS, by Joe Slowiaczek
WATER BAPTISM, by Joe Slowiaczek
CALVINISM VS ARMINIANISM, by Joe Slowiaczek