Group items tagged

God's Incredible & Unfathomable Love For All Wo(men) Romans 8:29-30, in the context of the entire passage of verses 28-39, is the New Covenant's clearest statement of what theologians call the "Doctrine of Predestination". I will outline one position on this controversial and emotionally-charged word below. Predestination is a highly contentious word both inside and outside the organizational church. This contention flows almost completely from how one defines the word. The promise tucked inside of verse 28 is also a fantastic one as I note in the e-Sticky Note on that verse. Your heavenly Father starts by telling you how He handles it when we screw up. Then finally nearer the end of the passage, God explains, using an incredible metaphor, how much He loves all humankind, irrespective of their current state of "election", and without us having to earn His love in any way, shape or form. gfp (2012- 05-05 )

As also confirmed in Verse 33, no person or being in this world nor in the spirit realm can condemn God's "elect", at any time nor in any way. This is God's promise here regardless of his/her character, or sin, or current level of their conformity to Jesus' image. The fantastic promises regarding the breadth, depth and height of God's unfailing and unending love for us, outlined in verses 32-39 below, are NOT dependent on our loving God or even seeking Him, first.

As confirmed in Verse 31, no person or being in this world nor in the spirit realm can condemn God's "elect", at any time nor in any way. This is God's promise here regardless of the elect person's character, or sin, or current level of their conformity to Jesus' image.

Followers of Jesus have this incredible promise from their heavenly Father God to depend on when confronted with any and every trial in their lives ...no matter how dis-stressing! It's a fantastic encourager during tough times and a wonderful companion to the promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 at http://diigo.com/0jmgy . Don't let anyone try to convince you of the lie that you have to love God first and seek Him before He will save you. The Bible says in Romans 3:3 that "no one seeks God". The only thing you need to do to know that you know you're saved is outlined simply in Romans 10:9-10 at http://diigo.com/0lk6j and 1 John 4:15-17 at http://diigo.com/0qe80 .

Here is another clear promise of the surety of a Jesus Follower's salvation in Christ and the truth of the doctrine that we are "once saved and always saved". Or guaranteed salvation is also promised in John 10:22-30 at http://diigo.com/0jv8q, Philippians 1:6 at http://diigo.com/0lzi8 as well as here at Romans 8:28-39 at http://diigo.com/0lc07 . Please never forget that God elected those He has "predestined" to spend eternity with Him now and in the life after this one as it says in verses 29-30 immediately below. This predestined election applies regardless of one's current state of conformity to Jesus' image. God loves all his creation, especially we humans, more than we can ever understand in this life. Incredibly, your heavenly Father picked His elect for salvation before we were ever born. He did so at the beginning of time. And He did it pre-knowing we would be sinners and hate Him as it says in Romans 5:8 at http://diigo.com/0mphg plus elsewhere in the Bible.

Followers of Jesus have this incredible promise from their heavenly Father God to depend on when confronted with any and every trial in their lives ...no matter how dis-stressing! It's a fantastic encourager during tough times and a wonderful companion to the promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 at http://diigo.com/0jmgy . Don't let anyone try to convince you of the lie that you have to love God first and seek Him before He will save you. The Bible says in Romans 3:3 that "no one seeks God". The only thing you need to do to know that you know you're saved is outlined simply in Romans 10:9-10 at http://diigo.com/0lk6j and 1 John 4:15-17 at http://diigo.com/0qe80 . e-Sticky Note #1 on Verse 28 "those who are called" Here is another clear promise of the surety of a Jesus Follower's salvation in Christ and the truth of the doctrine that we are "once saved and always saved". Or guaranteed salvation is also promised in John 10:22-30 at http://diigo.com/0jv8q, Philippians 1:6 at http://diigo.com/0lzi8 as well as here at Romans 8:28-39 at http://diigo.com/0lc07 . Please never forget that God elected those He has "predestined" to spend eternity with Him now and in the life after this one as it says in verses 29-30 immediately below. This predestined election applies regardless of one's current state of conformity to Jesus' image. God loves all his creation, especially we humans, more than we can ever understand in this life. Incredibly, your heavenly Father picked His elect for salvation before we were ever born. He did so at the beginning of time. And He did it pre-knowing we would be sinners and hate Him as it says in Romans 5:8 at http://diigo.com/0mphg plus elsewhere in the Bible. e-Sticky Note on Verse 29-30 Predestination mentioned here is a key part, some would say the most, key part, of the theology (beliefs about God) of those people who call themselves 'Calvinists' or sometimes people of the "Reformed Tradition". For these and other folks who reject bo

"Every Jesus Follower's Spiritual Weapons" 2 Corinthians 10:1-7 outlines the spiritual weapons and their offensive power that complements the "spiritual armour" that Jesus Followers are told about elsewhere in the New Covenant (Testament) that I outline in my e-Stick Notes below.. It is these DEFENSIVE weapons that we are to use while behaving non-violently in the world while waging peace ...not war... on behalf of the Kingdom of God in this life as Jesus commands in Matthew 5:38-45 at http://diigo.com/0kmlr . gfp (2011-12-20)

Placing Burning Coals on Another's Head Paul, quoted from Proverbs 25:21-23 here to make a crucial point for his First Century readers and Jesus Followers today. He did so to demonstrate that our heavenly Father does not overlook fairness and justice although He substituted New Covenant 'grace' for Old Covenant 'law' when He sent Jesus to die for us as outlined in His New Covenant. (You can read about Jesus' crucifixion in Matthew 27:27 to Mathew 28:20 at . Proverbs 25:21 at confuses some people because its Jewish cultural context is not clear from its words. A "burning coal" was essential in Biblical Palestine each morning so Jewish families could re-light their cooking fire for the day after it died out during the night. In each Jewish village, one man carried a pot of coals from home to home to assist the homemaker who needed one. "Burning coals" are blessings not torture instruments in this Proverb as some think. "The head", in Jewish culture was the place on another's body where one anointed them with precious perfumes and oils as a extension of an oral blessing on them. (gfp 2011-10-24)

In this verse, please go with the equally acceptable translation noted in (B) of "made powerless"! This makes clearer that "Mr. Sin" is finished and cannot resurrect himself as the flesh (what remains in your human nature after rebirth) continues to do in ALL Christians. You are clearly past tense dead to the power of "Mr. Sin" operating through your flesh to control your behaviour. You can read more about Mr. Sin in the short articles by Dr. Gillham at http://diigo.com/0j8w4 .

How's this for a miracle .. you are a dead wo(man) and really alive for the first time. But only when you believe this truth. This verse makes even clearer that "Mr. Sin" is dead, powerless and cannot resurrect himself as can your flesh (what remains in your human nature after rebirth) continues to do in ALL Christians. You are clearly past tense dead to the power of "Mr. Sin". As I noted above, you can read more about Mr. Sin in the short articles by Dr. Gillham @ gfp (2011-09-08)

You do NOT have "two natures" Please believe it!. Then act on the truth you say you believe by keeping on keeping on abiding/resting/walking in Jesus, you dead wo(man) you!!!! Because when Jesus sets you FREE, you're free indeed as you're also promised at < http://diigo.com/0jiq6 > . gfp (2011-09-08)

There are four other short verses attached below. Don't miss the e-Sticky Note comments on each of these.

The author means Satan's influence is present in the form of his diabolical power exercised by his troops, demons. Only Almighty God is everywhere-present, all-powerful and all-knowing according to the Bible.

Jihad is an Arabic word that describes the peaceful or violent expansion of Islam as "the only way" as stated in the Constitution of the Muslim Brotherhood. This monstrous and multiple-tentacled organization was founded and is headquartered in Egypt. It operates stealth-jihad organizations funded by Saudi Arabian, Wahhabi-sect money in every non-Muslim democracy and other country in the world according to experts in Islamic terrorism like Raymond Ibrahim and Tawfik Hamid. However, most Westerners fear AlQaeda the most. In the statements of all violent Jihadists and their groups directed at European or American audiences, they maintain that the terrorism they inflict on the West is merely reciprocal treatment for decades of Western and Israeli oppression. (The common term used by many American politicians for this is "blowback".) Yet in writings directed to their fellow Muslims, their hatred is presented, not as a reaction to military or political provocation, but as a product of religious obligation. For instance, when addressing Western audiences, Osama bin Laden used to list any number of grievances as motivating his war on the West. These included, among others, from the oppression of the Palestinians to the Western exploitation of women, and even U.S. failure to sign the environmental Kyoto protocol. All these were designed to be intelligible from a Western perspective and mask their real intent using taqiyya, Qur'anic approved "liefare". However never once, according to Raymond Ibrahim, did bin Laden justify Al-Qaeda's attacks on Western targets simply because non-Muslim countries are infidel entities that must be subjugated ...as violent Jihadists read the Qur'an. Indeed, he often initiates his messages to the West by saying, "Reciprocal treatment is part of justice" or "Peace to whoever follows guidance". Regrettably, he means something entirely different from what his Western listeners understand by words such as "peace," "justice," or "guidance." Wes

al-Mahadi or "Twelfth Imam" In Shi'a Islam, al-Mahdi will come at the end of days to bring the world to Islam for Allah. he will arrive in the midst of man-created world chaos or cause it after his arrival. His followers are called "Twelvers". The top government leaders of Iran and the real leaders, the "Mullahs" are Twelvers and based on a secret, recent video they released to their military and others, they believe only chaos will bring him back to earth. Joel Rosenberg, author of "The Twelfth Imam", and others argue they wish to expedite the Madhi's return by raining nuclear chaos on the Middle East i.e., on Israel, thereby creating the necessary ingerdients for his return. Sunni Muslim theology also includes a belief in, plus an eschatological* expectation of, the "Twelfth Imam" or the Mahdi, according to Mr. Rosenberg. * es·cha·tol·o·gy (sk-tl-j) n. 1. The branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind. 2. A belief or a doctrine concerning the ultimate or final things, such as death, the destiny of humanity, the Second Coming, or the Last Judgement.

Sunni Muslim theology also includes a belief in, plus an eschatological* expectation of, the "Twelfth Imam" or the Mahdi, according to Mr. Rosenberg.

The author is VERY knowldgeable about the Christian Bible, Islam and history. His analysis is VERY well developed and suggests "wine" is oil and "the woman" is Saudi Arabia and her predecessors.

In his book, "The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church", Marvin Rosenthal, outlines a powerful, Biblical analysis of the Old and New Covenants regarding when the so-called "Rapture" of Jesus Followers takes place. Mr. Rosenthal concludes from his well-documented, clear, easy-to-understand and graphics-supported analysis that the commonly-believed "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" theological position of most North American Bible teachers is inaccurate and not supported by a careful Biblical analysis. You can read a short, well-done summary of Mr. Rosenthal's thesis by another Bible teacher at http://diigo.com/0mhvg.

You're too bright to believe in your heart that a perfectly holy God who demands absolute justice would be willing to measure anyone's ability to enter heaven on a "Bell Curve of good works" as the Qur'an suggests in Surah 23:97-104 or any other way but via His loving grace.

If this isn't a description by Jesus, "God, The One & Only" of an executed "Walking Deat Wo(man), I don't know what is!

Do this and you WILL succeed ...and without fretting!

Now, hows that for a simple, easy-to work formula, eh? And the secret to how and why this works you can find outlined in Philiippians 4:11-13 at http://diigo.com/0s0n6 , just a few verses later.

This is what I call: "God's Perpetual Promise of Peace" In late 1998, Karen, my wife, and I were dealing with life-threatening cancer in her colon. At the same time, I was totally disabled having been totally unable to work for the prior 3 1/2 years. I had serious Chronic Fatigue and Immune Deficiency Syndrome. We'd had no income coming in for over three years. This Verse describes perfectly what occurred in Karen's and my lives when we took our absolute terror about our diseases and what might happen to us in the future to our Heavenly Father! You can read more about our experience at or Website "Are You Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired" at http://is.gd/5Mzhms .

You will be intrigued by what you can discover about the relationship between 'insurgency' and a Jesus Follower's warrior-interaction with and commanded-response to present Spiritual Warfare even in the short introduction to: "The Lling and The Stone ...On war in the 21st century". Hammes, Col. Thomas X, USMC. Hardcover Book, 2006. at . If you have any Muslim Friends or neighbours, you also will find helpful the author's insider-based comments on the reality of modern warfare and especially modern, violent, Islamist Jihad around the world. gfp (2011-09-15)

Ephesians 6:10-17 describes the Spiritual Weapons that a Jesus Follower is to use while waging peace on the earth as Jesus commands in Matthew 5:38-45 at http://diigo.com/0kmlr.

Are we wise to repent in secret to Goad alone when our sin has affected one or more other people? Jesus Followers are commanded to forgive and to seek forgiveness of both God and man.

Interestingly, this issue was a sub-plot in the 2012-02-10 episode of the TV police series, "Blue "Bloods". Frank is one of the stars and the Chief of Police of Boston is portrayed each week as an imperfect but moral, Catholic, family man. When Frank's archbishop comes asking for his support for the canonization of a local priest, Frank declined because the Priest had protested the Vietnam War. After checking into the matter further Frank changes his mind and supports the canonization for the reason suggested by Jamie here. The episode is available on line at my time of writing 2012-02-25.

The potential eternal danger for a Jesus Follower in pursuing "better than good", as Jamie rightly implies we should here, is in whose strength we do it?  Jesus makes clear in John 15:5 that there is ONLY one way to produce a life of eternal value  (http://diigo.com/0jvfh).

This article by Jamie Arpin-Rici suggests that all Jesus Followers are wise to venerate saints ...provided that they understand the meaning f veneration". gfp (2012-02-26)

Jamie is suggesting here that a Jesus Follower can have two natures ...a sinful one and also a Christ-like one.  However, Reverend Bill Gillham suggests in his powerful article ( http://diigo.com/0j8w4 ) that this is unBiblical ...although commonly taught in the Body of Christ by many.  This "Dual Natures Doctrine", as some call it, also is implied by the New International Version's (NIV's) translation of the Koine Greek word "flesh" as "sinful nature". I'd suggest that several verses in Romans 6 ( http://diigo.com/0jiqa ) seem to confirm that Rev. Gillham's position on this issue is the correct one.

I say: Amen!