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Gary Patton

NextReformation.com - 0 views

  • Centered Sets, Bounded Sets and the Search for Ekklesia
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    "Centered Sets, Bounded Sets and the Search for Ekklesia" outlines a new way to view whar traditional Christianity calls "church" which is ekklesia in our Scriptures.
Gary Patton

Jesus is Living in You and Out of You - Bible Gateway - 0 views

  • apart from Me you can do nothing
  • he who abides in Me
    • Gary Patton
       
      Jesus makes clear in this verse that that as you rest, remain, stay in Him, He will live His life out through you. Jesus' servant and our fellow Follower, the Apostle Paul, uses expressions like "live" and "walk in the Spirit" to command the same behaiour for us in Galatians 5:16 & 19 at http://diigo.com/0m0c1. This is re-confirmed in other words by Paul in Galatians 2:20 at http://diigo.com/0jggi. gfp (2011-09-27)
  • John 15:5
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    In John 15:5 (New International Version of the Bible), Jesus makes a startling but freeing statement of His truth.
Gary Patton

The Christmas Story - Bible Gateway - 0 views

  • Luke 2:1-20
    • Gary Patton
       
      This passage expands on the story of the birth of Jesus as told in Matthew 2:1-12 at http://diigo.com/0m5rj from that Apostle's perspective. That account features the Wisemen's visit to Yeshua/Jesus from the Far East.
  • And she (E)gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a [d]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
    • Gary Patton
       
      This is the Bible's description of the first major event in Yeshua's/Jesus' earthly life ...his "cradle'. This is followed by His: 2. coaching 3. cross, & 4. coronation.
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    Luke 2:1-20 in the NASB describes Yeshua's/Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem and the reason for the season Christians call Christmas.
Gary Patton

Why You Can't Afford to Live Without Integrity | Keep Pressin' Ahead - 0 views

  • The “peace” described in this passage refers to the Spirit of God confirming that everything is OK.
  • Why You Can’t Afford to Live Without Integrity
    • Gary Patton
       
      This article address the issue of 'integrity' from a Christian perspective. gfp (2012-01-25)
  • Everyone – both believers and non-believers – wants to see positive change in their life.
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  • So why is it that genuine and lasting change so rarely occurs?
  • Here’s why.
  • Authentic living means that our words and our actions tell the same story on a consistent basis.
  • Being a person of integrity begins with getting real … with ourselves and with God. Having a sober self-assessment is essential to being honest with others.
  • God put you here for a purpose,
  • Remember, having integrity doesn’t mean being perfect, but it does means being real.
  • live authentically
    • Gary Patton
       
      There is only one way that a Jesus Follower can live authentically. That is by living our lives as the "dead wo(men) walking" that the Scripture says we are ...allowing Jesus to live his life out through us, moment to moment (http://diigo.com/0mr15).
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    This article address the above question from a Christian perspective.
Gary Patton

"Why Jesus Came and Walked the Earth" - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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    In John 3:16-17, God shares His "Good News" about Jesus gift in a nutshell and adds a warning!
Gary Patton

Jesus Lives His Life Out Through His Followers - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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    In John 14;12, in context, Jesus explained to his first Disciples, and through them to us, how after His resurrection they and we would do "greater things". This is because as He promises in ?, He would come to live in them through the power of Holy Spirit living in them and us.
Gary Patton

God's Shadow Activity in the Old Testsament" - Video by Greg Boyd, .S. Christian Theolo... - 0 views

  • God's Shadow Activity
    • Gary Patton
       
      In this video, Greg Boyd, a Jesus-Following theologian, expands on his thesis of a seemingly hateful and vengeful "God Coming Out of the Shadows" by sending Jesus ...His R-E-A-Lity (Relational-Engaging-Authentic-Loving/Life-giving)
Gary Patton

Christian Reconstructionism ...What it is! - Paul McGlasson - 1 views

  • according to the Bible, faithful people don’t know everything.
  • Christian Reconstructionism is a powerful mix of religious and political ideas gaining enormous strength in the American church and society
  • Christians have a unique “worldview” with unique access to universal truth“Christian laws” should be put in place at local, state, and federal levelsChristianity and American culture are two sides of the same coinThe proper, God-given role of Christians is to dominate the earth
    • Gary Patton
       
      The first of these 4 bullets is the ONLY one that conforms to the Bible without twisting its truths.
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  • growing buzz surrounding these ideas, along with serious confusion about what it all means.
  • Do Christians really have a biblical mandate to turn the judicial code of the Old Testament into the civil law of society?
    • Gary Patton
       
      There is NO Scriptural mandate for this whatsoever. The complete Old Covenant legal code was designed for Jews and no one else. Jesus fulfilled the whole law in His death and resurrection for those who believe in and follow him as outlined in Romans 10:8-12 at http://diigo.com/0lk6j .
  • The issue is the twofold rule of love for God and neighbor, which Jesus himself, the true Interpreter of the Old Testament, gives to guide us in applying it to daily life
  • they left a Christian nation
    • Gary Patton
       
      There is no such thing as a Christian nation simply because the Old Covenant talks about a "Hebrew Nation".
  • it is centered in the risen Christ alone, not in any geographical center
  • What is Christian Reconstructionism?
    • Gary Patton
       
      This short article is little more than a sales pitch for the athor's book but does list at least four of the dimensions of so-called Christian Reconstructionism. GaryFPatton (gfp '42™ 2012-07-15)
Gary Patton

Obama: 'Son of Islam'? :: Middle East Forum - 0 views

  • Graham was absolutely right to say that, "under Islamic law, the Muslim world sees Barack Obama as a Muslim, as a son of Islam": according to Sharia, if one's father is Muslim, one automatically becomes Muslim.
    • Gary Patton
       
      The Christian Bible, on the other hand, makes VERY clear that God does not have Grandchildren ...only sons and daughters and that we each must make a choice to Follow Jesus!
  • This would not be the first time in recent months that churches were attacked on similar rumors.
    • Gary Patton
       
      In some Muslim-dominated coutries, Christians are prevented from repairing their churches either officially or unofficially because it violates Sharia law to have a church in a Muslim community. Islamist-provoked rioters or simply outraged Street Muslims regularly trash or even burn Christians churches ...accomplishing the same hateful agenda.
  • Another reason why many Muslims believe Obama is Muslim (a reason Ms. Hasan's article understandably omits) is that, under the Islamic doctrine of taqiyya, Muslims are permitted—in certain contexts even encouraged—to deny being Muslim, if so doing secures them or Islam an advantage.
    • Gary Patton
       
      An English synonym for the Islamic doctrine of "taqiyya" (Arabic) is "liefare" or stealth jihad / stealth warfare to advance Islam. One or more of Qur'an 2:173, 2:185, 4:29, 16:106, 22:78, 40:28, are the verses usually cited by Muslim Imams, Mullahs and all Islamic "Schools of Jurisprudence" as justifying taqiyya.
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  • In other words, if an American president was a secret Muslim, and if he was lying about it, and even if he was secretly working to subvert the U.S. to Islam's advantage —not only would that be justified by Islamic doctrines of loyalty and deception, but it would have ample precedents, stretching back to the dawn of Islam.
    • Gary Patton
       
      So, the Qur'an commands there be a heart-felt enmity, evidenced by fierce hostility, by every Muslim towards every non-Muslim. And this fierce hostility --that is, battle-- ceases only if an Infidel: * submits to the authority of Islam, or if * s(he) becomes a subjugated person (i.e., a "d'himmi" (Arabic), or so-called protected minority that must pay an annual fine and be subject to regular, public humiliation like the Jews under the Nazis), or if * Muslims are at that point in time weak and incapable. But if this commanded, heart-felt level of hate in a Muslim is ever allowed to be extinguished, at any time, this is would be considered apostasy according to the Qu'ran and Shar'iah Law!
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    Raymond Ibrahim outlines why the Islamic world is accurate to consider Obama a "Muslim" like them!
Gary Patton

Rick Warren's Tower of Babel - 0 views

    • Gary Patton
       
      How the so-called "America's pastor" could feel that Christians and Muslims believe in the same God and promote peace simply illustrates the power of politically-correct denial operating in North American including within the traditional church.  That a high-profile U.S. Christian could be so misled by Muslim "taqiyya" ("liefare") would be scary except Jesus warned us to beware of false teachers and our God IS in control. gfp (2012-03-01)
    • Gary Patton
       
      Allah or Allāh is the Arabic word for the so-called One God of Islam. Because Christians and Muslims say the each worship One God is not the same as saying we worship the "same God". He is not YHWH of the Hebrew Pentateuch (Jewish Torah / Muslim al-Tawrāt), nor of the Jews' larger Bible, nor the "God" of the Christian Bible.   A Jesus Follower or Jew who actually reads the Qur'an, the chief Islamic Holy book will quickly discern that Allah is not the Judeo-Christian Almighty God because: * he is not a god with whom one can have a personal relationship as Our's is. * he is fickle and judgemental as Our's is not, and * he allows devout Muslims into his paradise only on the basis of their individual "good works" including murderous jihad e.g., Surah:Ayat 3:97-1040 while Our's requires only faith in His grace as it says at http://diigo.com/0n20e . And these are only three key traits that distinguish the Muslim deity, Allah, from the God of Jews and Christians. To argue, that he is is a lie from the pit of Hell. And please don't be fooled by some Muslim or Christian "false teacher" telling you that the name Allah was used by Christians in some cultural groups hundreds of years before Muhammad came on the scene. That may be true, but, the issue is: "Is Allah a Christian's Almighty God. 
    • Gary Patton
       
      The few loving, peaceable and early Qur'anic passages e.g., 2:256, 50:45 & 109:1-6 were laid down when Muhammad was at Mecca and weak. The latter hateful, violent ones e.g. (Qur'an 4.76, 9:5-6, 9:29, & 60:4) were "received" when he was strong and expanding later. The Islamic "Principle of Abrogation is supported by EVERY Islamic "School of Jurisprudence". It states that later, seemingly contradictory verses abrogate and replace earlier ones because in Qur'an 2:106, Allah specifies:      "Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We {Allah} abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things?"
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    • Gary Patton
       
      One could wonder if Mr. Warren is using the Islamic principle of "taqiyya" in denying proven facts. a-Taqiyya is the Arabic word for intentional lying and dissimilitude to advance the cause of Islam. I call it "liefare". It is approved by both Muslim Holy Books, the Qur'an and the a-Hadith. One or more of Qur'an 2:173, 2:185, 4:29, 16:106, 22:78, 40:28, are the verses usually cited by Muslim Imams, Mullahs and all Islamic "Schools of Jurisprudence" as justifying taqiyya. 
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    How the so-called "America's pastor" could feel that Christians and Muslims believe in the same God and promote peace simply illustrates the power of politically-correct denial operating in North American including within the traditional church. That a high-profile U.S. Christian could be so misled by Muslim "taqiyya" ("liefare") would be scary except Jesus warned us to beware of false teachers and our God IS in control. gfp (2012-03-01)
Gary Patton

Red Letter Christians » The Power of Being a Partial Bible Christian! - 0 views

  • the whole history of the church was changed. It was – as usual – not the whole 775,693 words of the whole bible, but the intensity of the few words in specific passages that had the power.
    • Gary Patton
       
      I believe God will attach varying levels of "power" for different people at different times to different passages of Scripture because He is a God who deals with each one of His creations UNIQUELY. Yes, "all Scripture is inspired". But, to be a "PBC" for a moment (Partial Bible Christian), I'll remind you that Scripture also says in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the wo(man) who is not inspired by Holy Spirit cannot accept what he writes in His "good news" whatever version s(he) uses!
  • The activists, the evangelicals, the Pentecostals, and yes, the conservatives and the liberals, can drive us nuts. They are forever telling us that THEY have the truth. And they can make us feel like second-class citizens sometimes, when we do not go along with everything they say. They make me long for “Whole Bible Christians” who leave me alone. But, my friends, it is the folks whose lives are renewed, defined and driven by their favorite verses and passages who are the ones who bring life to the church, who model for us what it means to take discipleship seriously, who make history.
  • we are focused with laser intensity in the words Jesus spoke. Those words are the text for the sermon we call our lives. We find power in those words. We find direction. We find purpose. We find life itself.  In that sense we dare to stand with the great company of “Partial Bible Christians” who have served the Lord faithfully across the centuries.
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    Yes, all scripture is "God-breathed" or "inspired". But not all 31,373 verses carry the same weight for our faith in Yeshua/Jesus. gfp (2012-03-01
Gary Patton

Anger's Upside Benefits: PsyBlog - 0 views

  • Anger can be a legitimate way to get what you want.
    • Gary Patton
       
      For this to be a real benefit for a Jesus Follower, one would need to ensure compalince with Ephesians 4:26 NIV: "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry... (Ephesians 4:25-27 (in Context)) This can be VERY tricky in the heat of the moment and the speed with which people's amygdala triggers. (The amygdala in the brain is the seat of anger, fear, etc. plus many things "fleshly"!
  • Anger is likely to work best when it's justified, if you appear powerful and when the other side's options are limited
  • anger can reduce violence, benefit relationships, promote optimism and be a useful motivating force
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  • but it can just as easily be destructive
  • That's the wonder of human emotions: happy isn't always good and angry isn't always bad (although it may feel that way). An unhappy person is also more likely to spot mistakes and an angry person is highly motivated to act. We need reminding that even scary and dangerous emotions have their upsides, as long as they are used for the correct purpose.
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    This article argues anger is not all bad! gfp (2012-03-08)
Gary Patton

Always be Ready with An Answer - Bible Gateway - 0 views

  • 1 Peter 3:13-18
  • Who is [a]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
  • And do not fear their [c]intimidation, and do not be troubled
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  • sanctify (E)Christ as Lord in your hearts
  • always being ready (F)to make a [e]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (G)hope that is in you, yet (H)with gentleness and [f](I)reverence
  • For (L)it is better, (M)if [h]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
  • Christ also died for sins (O)once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might (P)bring us to God, having been put to death (Q)in the flesh, but made alive (R)in the [i]spirit;
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    1 Peter 3:13-18 commands that we must be ready to be able to respond when someone questions what we believe. gfp (2012-03-08)
Gary Patton

Jesus Is God And Not The Muslim Isa - Bible Gateway - 0 views

  • John 10:27-30
  • My sheep (A)hear My voice, and (B)I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give (C)eternal life to them, and they will never perish
  • I and the Father are [b]one.
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    "Jesus Is God And Not The Muslim Isa" John 10:27-30 makes clear that salvation from our sin nature and sins and reconciliation with a Holy God is available no other way than through Jesus (Yeshua). It also makes clear that He is NOT the Isa of the Islamic Qu'ran and One with the only God who is not Allah. gfp (2012-6-21)
Gary Patton

Insider Movements Among Muslims, Acts 15 and : Questions, Process, and Conclusions - Go... - 0 views

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    The article essentially addresses the question: "Can a Muslim be aa Christian?"
Gary Patton

Why Was the Greek Word "Ekklesia" Translated 'Church' in English Bibles & its Ramificat... - 0 views

  • What is the Significance of the New Testament's use of the Word "Ekklesia?"
  • at the beginning of the Tribulation
    • Gary Patton
       
      It's a shame that many Christian authors cannot stick to one piece of theology at a time, and, by doing so avoid turning some people off, and protect their credibility. This bit of Pretrib Theology, with which all Jesus Followers do not agree and is an arguable interpretation, was a totally unnecessary addition to the key point the author was making. gfp
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    The article documents how the use of the extra-Biblical word "church" instead of accurate translation "assembly" or "congregation" came from those who had a bias towards a hierarchical and unscriptural form of church government. To have translated the word "ekklesia" accurately into "assembly" or congregation" would have exposed their form of church government as being in error. GaryFPatton 2013-09-21 gfp '42
Gary Patton

The Only Way, NOT One Way, to Be Reconciled with Almighty God - BibleGateway.com - 1 views

  • John 14:6
  • “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
    • Gary Patton
       
      Some find Jesus' statement here, in John 14:6, to be 'exclusionary'. They maintain He was only a good and wise man but not God, in the flesh as the Bible maintains He actually said. Many feel that following Jesus is ONLY one way to get back to our heavenly Father. You and you alone will and must decide for yourself Who Jesus is. You have ONLY three choices, I suggest: 1. Jesus was a mad man for saying this! 2. Jesus was a lying when He said this! 3. Jesus is God almighty and came as 'Emmanuel' (almighty God in flesh and bones), lived a sinless life, was crucified, died and was resurrected from the grave as payment in full for the penalty required for your "sin nature" as well as your sins. When you believe and act on this truth, you will live forever with God from the moment you cry out to Him plus live an abundant life in the "hear and now" as well as in the "hereafter".
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    http://diigo.com/0qe5p "The Only Way, NOT One Way, to Be Reconciled with Almighty God" In John 14:6, Jesus make a statement that dramatically affects your future. He says VERY bluntly in the Christian Scripture below that He is the ONLY way to God! GaryFPatton (gfp '42™ 2011-09-08)
Gary Patton

"The Bible Commands Care-fronting & Holding Others in The Body Accountable"Ephesians 5:... - 1 views

  • Ephesians 5:11-14
    • Gary Patton
       
      "The Bible Commands Carefronting & Holding Others in The Body Accountable" at https://diigo.com/0zyty Ephesians 4:11-14 is a command many Christians ignore plus confronting-adverse ones abhor. Peace & love in The King, GaryFPatton (2013-07-01)
  • Don’t get involved with the fruitless works of darkness; instead, expose them to the light of God.
    • Gary Patton
       
      This command is to be applied, I believe, ONLY against those who say they are Christians. I do because the greater context of these few verses seems clearly to be referring to believers behaving contrary to the word of God. Also, there are many other Scritures which command us NOT to judge those outside the Body of The King. For example, you'll discover that people who do not follow Jesus may NOT be judged ...no matter how offensive or sinful their behaviour... in 1 Corinthians 6:9-13.
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    "The Bible Commands Carefronting & Holding Others in The Body Accountable" It,s a command many Christians ignore and confronting-adverse ones abhor. GaryFPatton (2013-07-01)
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