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Gary Patton

The Myth of the Existence of a Christian Nation - 1 views

"The Myth of the Existence of a Christian Nation" Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) came to earth and established His movement to serve the world with Christ-like love, among other reasons. He didn't die on ...

christians christianity government spiritual growth scripture Matthew non-violence peace-making peace politcs political-action

started by Gary Patton on 20 Jan 13 no follow-up yet
Gary Patton

Every Jesus Follower's Spiritual Weapons - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

Scripture bible corinthians weapons war peace demons warfare

shared by Gary Patton on 20 Dec 11 - No Cached
  • The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 22 Dec 11
       
      Jesus commands His Followers to wage peace ...not war as He clearly says in Matthew 5:38-45 at http://diigo.com/0kmlr. And, as Ephesians 6:10-17 at http://diigo.com/0m0cu reminds us, our real enemies are Satan and his demons ...not the humans they motivate... no matter how evil those people may seem. Because of these truths, the only weapons that will work are our supernatnatural ones, particularly prayer. This passage also reminds us that our biggest battle sometimes can be in our minds where demons and Mr. Sin (http://diigo.com/0j8w4) manipulate our fleshly thoughts with powerful emotions. We can only control these in the power of Holy Spirit as it says in Galataians 5:19-25 at http://diigo.com/0m0c1.
  • For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.(E) 4 The weapons we fight with(F) are not the weapons of the world.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 01 Jun 12
       
      Unlike people in the world, Jesus Followers do not have to fight the attacks by very powerful demonic forces which everyone alive experiences using the Follower's own strength. We can do nothing of any value or protect ourselves from the demonic except in Jesus' strength and power as our Master makes very clear by what he says in John 15:5 at http://diigo.com/0jv2h . Jesus commands His Followers to wage peace ...not war as He clearly says in Matthew 5:38-45 at http://diigo.com/0kmlr. And, as Ephesians 6:10-17 at http://diigo.com/0m0cu reminds us, our real enemies are Satan and his demons ...not the humans they motivate... no matter how evil those people may seem. Because of these truths, the only weapons that will work are our supernatural ones, particularly prayer. This passage also reminds us that our biggest battle sometimes can be in our minds where demons and Mr. Sin (http://diigo.com/0j8w4) manipulate our fleshly thoughts with powerful emotions. We can only control these in the power of Holy Spirit as it says in Galatians 5:19-25 at http://diigo.com/0m0c1.
  • On the contrary, they have divine power(G) to demolish strongholds.(H) 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,(I) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient(J) to Christ.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • 2 Corinthians 10:1-7
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 01 Jun 12
       
      "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)
  • Gary Patton on 20 Dec 11
     
    2 Corinthians 10:1-7 compliments what what Jesus Followers are told in Galatians 6: ? are told about the weapons we must use when waging peace on behalf of the Kingdom of God in this life!
Gary Patton

Jesus Warns Great Evil Exists Around Us & Tells Us What To Do - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

bible scripture matthew Islam islamism islamization evangelism jihadism jihad

shared by Gary Patton on 28 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • beware of men, for they will hand you over to the (G)courts
  • as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles
  • do not worry
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and (M)children will rise up against parents and [b]cause them to be put to death
  • I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so [a]be (E)shrewd as serpents and (F)innocent as doves.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 17 May 12
       
      Jesus Followers are commanded here to exercise discernment and wisdom, in the context of our Master's over-arching command to demonstrate and exercise gentle, peaceable love, while relating to family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues throughout our daily lives. We must love others regardless of what they do or say as noted in John 13:34-35 at http://diigo.com/0l8po . This is especially true when dealing with those of other faiths and sharing Jesus' Gospel because we are His ambassadors here on planet earth. We must NEVER forget that we live in a foreign Kingdom under the influence of Satan who hates everybody, especially Jesus Followers. Jesus' command and why He shares it here is important to remember, every day, in view of the aggressive and widespread advance of radical, violent Islam throughout the world and the current Islamization of Canada and the dangers here of Islamism that Prime Minister Harper warned about in his Sept. 9, 2011 interview on CBC TV at http://diigo.com/0koug . Abroad also, Christians worldwide are currently experiencing organized and Government-sponsored or, at least, unopposed genocide in most Muslim-dominated countries. Christians are persecuted heavily by Hindus in some countries, like India, as well. For more information to pray and give effectively to support persecuted brothers and Sisters I recommend http://www.BaranabasAid.org as a trust-worthy organization. They specialize in helping the persecuted church. Jesus' warning takes on a powerful and troublesome other dimension in the modern world. Many Christians do NOT appreciate it because they forget the companion warning to this one that our God left for Jesus Followers. Holy Spirit inspired Jude to caution the Body of Christ (Messiah) about rwhat he and other Bible writers called "false teachers" at http://diigo.com/0neqs . Anti-Christ, false teachers often were, Jude warns, in the pulpits and pews of some First Century gatherings ('churches' in mistranslated Greek in
  • Matthew 10:15-21
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 17 May 12
       
      Christian: Great Evil Lurks Around You ...Know What To Do? In Matthew 10:16-18 of the God's New Covenant, Jesus (Yeshua) warns His first plus His present day Followers that the world is filled with demonically-inspired evil and evil people. And this situation may be even worse in our modern world for many reason including the greater nearness of the end-of-days and Satan's desperation to keep as many as possible separated from Father God. Overt persecution is a current, ever-present experience in Canada for Christians ...especially active Jesus Followers. This is also true in the U.S. The Lord shares here how Jesus Followers should behave in dealing with others in the cruel and hostile environment in which they must live and work as ambassadors of God's loving Kingdom that will come in its fullness some day ...sooner than many Christians believe. We are to do so, however, in the context of Jesus' over-arching command to love others. gfp (2011-11-02+)
  • Matthew 10:15-21
  • Gary Patton on 28 Feb 12
     
    Jesus warns His Followers how to deal with others and to be wary in the world. We are to do so, however, in the context of Jesus' over-arching command to love others ...regardless of what they do or say. gfp (2012-02-28) 2012-02-28
Gary Patton

Trouble, Jesus' Warning about- Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

matthew sheep wolves trouble scripture persecution joy hope

shared by Gary Patton on 16 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Gary Patton on 16 Feb 12
     
    In Matthew 10:16 of The Contemporary English Version of the God's New Covenant, Yeshua (Jesus) warns present time Jesus Followers that the world hasn't changed since their Master's day. The Lord shares here how God's people should behave in dealing with others in the cruel and hostile environment in which they must live and work as ambassadors of God's loving Kingdom that will come in its fullness some day soon. gfp (2011-11-02)
Gary Patton

How Islamic Can Christianity Be? - The Gospel Coalition Blog - 0 views

thegospelcoalition.org/...ow-islamic-can-christianity-be

christianity gospel evangelism Islam islamization

shared by Gary Patton on 22 May 12 - No Cached
  • My wife and I had been working with Muslims for years and were aware of this training, commonly referred to as the Insider Movement.
  • when I first read about Insider Movements, I had the same reaction she did. I was hopeful and excited.
  • Could this be the tool that causes a spiritual awakening in the Muslim world? Over time, as we continued our ministry to Muslims in the Middle East, I realized the answer to my question was "No, it will not."
  • ...28 more annotations...
  • The Insider Movement (IM) remains a hot topic in missions circles.
  • This issue is extremely complicated and extremely important, making it difficult to write about.
  • Rebecca Lewis, a proponent, defines the IM as follows: Insider movements can be defined as movements to obedient faith in Christ that remain integrated with or inside their natural community. In any insider movement there are two distinct elements:
  • This definition is broad and can be interpreted many different ways---which is one of the difficulties in pinpointing the teachings of the movement.
  • those opposed to IM seem to assume that proponents are syncretistic heretics.
  • The IM advocates I've met are wonderful people.
  • They are winsome, intelligent people who love the Lord and want to see Muslims saved.
  • we need to address the dangerous practices within the movement, which varies to some degree from person to person and country to country. Therefore, my critique may not apply to all IMs. Nevertheless, the following key issues need to be addressed.
  • many other IM advocates believe the gospel can be found within the Qur'an, if you correctly interpret the text. But the gospel cannot be found in the Qur'an, because the Qur'an did not come to us through the inspiration of God as found in the Bible.
  • There is also an arrogant attitude---almost imperialistic---involved in this assertion.
  • IM practitioners seek to keep new followers of Jesus within their socio-religious networks. For support their cite various texts in the Bible (1 Corinthians 7:17-24, 9:19-23; 2 Kings 5:15-19). Therefore, a Muslim who follows Jesus remains a Muslim.
  • I agree that Muslims who follow Christ shouldn't be required to take on the name "Christian."
  • We find among many IM advocates a belief that Islam can be redeemed---we should not abandon the religion but rather change it from within and welcome it into orthodoxy.
  • How Islamic can Christianity be? Can a Muslim who now follows Jesus fast during Ramadan? Can a Muslim who follows Jesus use the Islamic prayer stances? Where do we draw the line? These are tough questions.
  • While the word Christian can have a very negative connotation among Muslims, encouraging MBBs to retain the title "Muslim" can be confusing at best and deceptive at worst. Advocates for using the title "Muslim" argue that it literally means "one who submits to God." This is semantically true. However, the word connotes much more---namely, one who follows the religion of Islam by confessing, "There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet."
  • Some argue that God used Muhammad to bring monotheism to the Arabs---a kind of John the Baptist for the Arabs. This is a dangerous concession.
  • Rejecting Muhammad as a prophet does not require denigrating him before Muslims; it means we should not say more than necessary.
  • We can be respectful and identify the positive contributions he made to society without agreeing that he is a prophet.
  • How Islamic Can Christianity Be?
  • I never encourage MBBs to retain the title Muslim. Nor do I encourage them to take the title Christian.
  • Recent Bible translations for Muslims have created a frenzy by moving "Father" and "Son" language about the Trinity from the text to the footnotes.
  • What if the only understood meaning is physical and sexual? How do we translate without losing or grossly misrepresenting the biblical meaning?
  • the decisions about how to make the Bible comprehensible in other cultures are not easy or made lightly.
  • Some in the IM prefer to talk about Muslims "entering the kingdom of God" as opposed to "joining" Christianity.
  • We should view as suspect any form of church planting that does not seek to connect believers with the universal body of Christ and promote unity.
  • emphasis on the kingdom of God can downplay the importance of the church.
  • Missionaries and academics have wondered aloud whether the problem extends beyond Western politics, military intervention, and spiritual bondage to the very way we present the gospel. Could our methods be to blame? Could more sophisticated contextualization unlock many more hearts for Christ?
  • we can introduce Muslims to Jesus through the Qur'an
  • Gary Patton on 22 May 12
     
    This article explains the dangers of what's called the "Insider Movement" i.e. evangelizing Jesus Followers using the Qur'an and telling Muslims they can follow Jesus while remaining part of Islam. The article is written by a couple who have shared Jesus', not Isa's, love wit Muslims for many years in the Middle East. gfp (2012-05-21)
Gary Patton

William Wilberforce : Biography - 0 views

www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REwilberforce.htm

biography heros slavery slave

shared by Gary Patton on 04 Dec 11 - Cached
  • At seventeen Wilberforce was sent to St. John's College. Following the deaths of his grandfather in 1776 and his childless uncle William in 1777, Wilberforce was an extremely wealthy man. Wilberforce was shocked by the behaviour of his fellow students at the University of Cambridge
  • After leaving university he showed no interest in the family business, and while still at Cambridge he decided to pursue a political career
  • "Wilberforce was little over five feet tall, a frail and elfin figure who in his later years weighed well under 100 pounds. His charm was legendary, his conversation delightful, his oratory impressive. He dressed in the colourful finery of the day and adorned any salon with his amiable manner.
  • ...49 more annotations...
  • his object in life - no less than the transformation of a corrupt society through serious religion
  • In 1784 Wilberforce became converted to Evangelical Christianity. He joined the Clapham Set,
  • In 1787 Thomas Clarkson, William Dillwyn and Granville Sharp formed the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
  • nine out of the twelve members on the committee, were Quakers.
  • Wilberforce's nephew, George Stephen, was surprised by this choice as he considered him a lazy man: "He worked out nothing for himself; he was destitute of system, and desultory in his habits; he depended on others for information, and he required an intellectual walking stick."
  • Charles Fox was unsure of Wilberforce's commitment to the anti-slavery campaign.
  • In May 1788, Charles Fox precipitated the first parliamentary debate on the issue.
  • writing, on the other hand, was to be discouraged, since it would open the way to rising above one's natural station."
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 04 Dec 11
       
      When you're starving, "half a loaf is beter than none"! And God seldom uses perfect people to advance His Kingdom!
  • "Following the publication of the privy council report on 25 April 1789, Wilberforce marked his own delayed formal entry into the parliamentary campaign on 12 May with a closely reasoned speech of three and a half hours,
  • "Everyone thought the hearing would be brief, perhaps one sitting. Instead, the slaving interests prolonged it so skilfully that when the House adjourned on 23 June, their witnesses were still testifying."
  • on 10th July 1789: "Whether the bill goes through the House or not, the discussion attending it will have a most beneficial effect.
  • Wilberforce initially welcomed the French Revolution as he believed that the new government would abolish the country's slave trade.
  • the government published A Declaration of the Rights of Man asserting that all men were born and remained free and equal. However
  • During this period he could only find twenty men willing to testify before the House of Commons. He later recalled: "I was disgusted... to find how little men were disposed to make sacrifices for so great a cause."
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 04 Dec 11
       
      "Seldom do great and difficult quests proceed with ease!" ~ gfp
  • the visit was a failure as Clarkson could not persuade the French National Assembly to discuss the abolition of the slave trade
  • Wilberforce believed that the support for the French Revolution by the leading members of the Society for the Abolition of Slave Trade was creating difficulties for his attempts to bring an end to the slave trade in the House of Commons.
  • On 18th April 1791 Wilberforce introduced a bill to abolish the slave trade.
  • "a war of the pigmies against the giants of the House".
  • defeated by 163 to 88.
  • In March 1796, Wilberforce's proposal to abolish the slave trade was defeated in the House of Commons by only four votes.
  • a dozen abolitionist MPs were out of town or at the new comic opera in London.
  • In 1804, Clarkson returned to his campaign against the slave trade and toured the country
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 04 Dec 11
       
      Note that Clarkson's 'rest' lasted about 8 years and Wilberforce is not here noted to have advanced the cause during Clarson's absence from the frey. But, who among avserage men has heard of Thomas Clarkson as winning the abolitionists cause against slavery?
  • William Wilberforce introduced an abolition bill on 30th May 1804.
  • t moved to the House of Lords.
  • advised Wilberforce to leave the vote to the following year.
  • In 1805 the bill was once again presented to the House of Commons. This time the pro-slave trade MPs were better organised and it was defeated by seven votes.
  • In February, 1806 Lord Grenville was invited by the king to form a new Whig administration.
  • Grenville's Foreign Secretary, Charles Fox, led the campaign in the House of Commons to ban the slave trade in captured colonies.
  • was little opposition and it was passed by an overwhelming 114 to 15.
  • In the House of Lords Lord Greenville made a passionate speech
  • the bill was passed in the House of Lords by 41 votes to 20.
  • In January 1807 Lord Grenville introduced a bill that would stop the trade to British colonies on grounds of "justice, humanity and sound policy".
  • "Lord Grenville masterminded the victory which had eluded the abolitionist for so long...
  • Wilberforce commented: "How popular Abolition is, just now! God can turn the hearts of men".
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 04 Dec 11
       
      However, the Bible itself does not make a strong case for the abolition of slavery and really only for the equality of men before God and in his Kingdom ...not in the world!
  • The trade was abolished by a resounding 283 to 16.
  • it was the largest majority recorded on any issue where the House divided.
  • a generous tribute to the work of Wilberforce:
  • Wilberforce made it clear that he considered the African Institution should do what it could to convert Africans to Christianity.
  • In July, 1807, members of the Society for the Abolition of Slave Trade established the African Institution, an organization that was committed to watch over the execution of the law, seek a ban on the slave trade by foreign powers and to promote the "civilization and happiness" of Africa.
  • The African Institution carried the torch for antislavery reform for twenty years and paved the way for later humanitarian efforts in Great Britain."
  • Some people involved in the anti-slave trade campaign such as Thomas Fowell Buxton, argued that the only way to end the suffering of the slaves was to make slavery illegal. Wilberforce disagreed, he believed that at this time slaves were not ready to be granted their freedom. He pointed out in a pamphlet that he wrote in 1807 that: "It would be wrong to emancipate (the slaves). To grant freedom to them immediately, would be to insure not only their masters' ruin, but their own. They must (first) be trained and educated for freedom."
  • we ought to rejoice in every opportunity of bringing them under their present sufferings, and secure for them a rich compensation of reversionary happiness."
  • (Perronet Thompson) single-handedly abolished apprenticeship and freed the slaves. He filed scandalised reports to the colonial office. Wilberforce told him he was being rash and hasty, and he and his colleagues voted unanimously for his dismissal. Wilberforce advised him to go quietly for the sake of his career."
  • the Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery. Buxton eventually persuaded Wilberforce to join his campaign but as he had retired from the House of Commons in 1825, he did not play an important part in persuading Parliament to bring an end to slavery.
  • William Wilberforce died on 29th July, 1833. One month later, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act that gave all slaves in the British Empire their freedom.
  • How far the memoir was Christian, I must leave to others to decide. That it was unfair to Clarkson is not disputed. Where possible, the authors ignored Clarkson; where they could not they disparaged him. In the whole rambling work, using the thousands of documents available to them, they found no space for anything illustrating the mutual affection and regard between the two great men, or between Wilberforce and Clarkson's brother."
  • Wilson goes on to argue that the book has completely distorted the history of the campaign against the slave-trade: "The Life has been treated as an authoritative source for 150 years of histories and biographies
  • its treatment of Clarkson, in particular, a deservedly towering figure in the abolition struggle, is invalidated by untruths, omissions and misrepresentations of his motives and his achievements is not understood by later generations, unfamiliar with the jealousy that motivated the holy authors. When all the contemporary shouting had died away, the Life survived to take from Clarkson both his fame and his good name.
  • left us with the simplistic myth of Wilberforce and his evangelical warriors in a holy crusade.
  • Gary Patton on 04 Dec 11
     
    Some key bibliographical background on the famous Englishman who, allegedly, was single-handedly responsible for the freeing of slaves in the British Empire after many years of fighting in thr English Parliament.
  • Gary Patton on 04 Dec 11
     
    So you thought William Wilberforce was responsible for getting England to abolish slavery, eh? Not so! gfp
Gary Patton

A testimony To CHUCK COLSON : Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - 0 views

flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com

christianity christian christians testimony

shared by Gary Patton on 06 Dec 11 - Cached
  • ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations…. I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.’” (Haggai 2:6-7, 21-22)
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 06 Dec 11
       
      Interestingly, President Obama quoted a Psalm that confirms how God would have all God-fearing wo(men) react to His shaking the earth. It's @ . gfp (2011-09-13)
  • only half of all born again Christians say they even try to share the Gospel with even one unsaved person one time – one time – a year
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 06 Dec 11
       
      This behaviour is in direct disobedience to what Jesus commands His followers in the Scripture at . gfp (2011-13-12)
  • I believe the Iran threat to U.S. and Israeli national security will be one of the top issues facing the U.S. in 2012 and beyond, and I have to be honest that I remain deeply concerned by the support Ron Paul is getting in Iowa — and elsewhere in the country — given Paul’s policy of appeasement and weakness towards Iran.
  • Gary Patton on 06 Dec 11
     
    On the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, Joel Rosenberg, a Messianic Jewish author delivered this talk, "A Wakeup Call" to a simulcast conference called "The Gathering Storm".It bears reading.
  • Gary Patton on 25 Apr 12
     
    Mr. Colson will be missed. He was well-used by his Master!
Gary Patton

"The Gospel" (Good News) of the REAL Yeshua (Jesus) ...Not the Isa of the Qur'an - Bibl... - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

Jesus matthew Sermon scripture gospel evangelism

shared by Gary Patton on 22 Dec 11 - No Cached
  • Blessed are the [c]poor in spirit, for (E)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.    4 “Blessed are (F)those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.    5 “Blessed are (G)the [d]gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.    6 “Blessed are (H)those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.    7 “Blessed are (I)the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.    8 “Blessed are (J)the pure in heart, for (K)they shall see God.    9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for (L)they shall be called sons of God.    10 “Blessed are those who have been (M)persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for (N)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.    11 “Blessed are you when people (O)insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
  • Matthew 5:1-11
  • When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on (B)the [a]mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 (C)He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying
  • Gary Patton on 22 Dec 11
     
    In His "Sermon on the Mount", quoted in Matthew 5:1-11 from God's "New Covenant" with those who would Follow Him, Yeshua (Jesus/ Isa), the First Century Palestinian, shares with His first Disciples (Learners) what has become know since antiquity as His "Sermon on the Mount" and "The Beatitudes". Yeshua's public talks always were directed primarily at His then and future Followers. Only secondarily did He intend them for the thousands of people often listening. (Huge crows followed him because of His popularity as a Rabbi (Teacher) and the power of what He said. People at the time and since say his talks were unlike anyone had come to them before Him. (Matthew 7:28) No one who has come after him has come close to his power and influence ...including Muhammad, Islam's principal Prophet. This will be attested to by anyone who reads these to men actually said in both the Gospels and the Qur'an. For His Followers, Jesus' words are a road map for their post-salvation lives as born-again people. What they meant to the crows you can discover in my Sticky note below. gfp (2011-10-24)
Gary Patton

Red Letter Christians » Following Francis: The Veneration of (Imperfect) Saints - 0 views

www.redletterchristians.org/veneration-of-imperfect-saints

Scripture saint lifestyle christian religion relationships

shared by Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • why even bother trying to follow his example
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      Jamie's is an interesting question. Initially, I reacted that the Bible tells me to only model Jesus. Then, I remembered Paul said: "Follow me as I follow Messiah".
  • “Don’t call me a saint.  I don’t want to be dismissed that easily.” 
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      Ms. Day's is a VERY interesting point. For me, it seems to be the opposite of that of too many Christians who don't realize that every Follower of Jesus is called a Saint by the Apostles in our Bible.
  • St. Francis of Assisi is a man who deserves to be honored and esteemed for his selfless devotion to Christ and the continued, positive influence his movement has had in building the kingdom of God. 
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      Given these reasons for his suggested reverence of St. Francis, would Jamie also suggest we "revere" celebrities not singled out by the Catholic or Orthodox churches who have benefited human kind in a way not normally associated with "building the Kingdom of God", e.g. Albert Einstein, Bill Gates ...to name only a couple to make my point?
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Some of those failings, he never acknowledged, but many he clearly repented for in his life.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      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.
  • We venerate them as fallen, broken, thoroughly human individuals who, despite their mistakes, pursued obedience to Christ at any cost, thus changing their world (and ours) as a result. 
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      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.
  • They are deserving of our esteem because they refused to allow their own weaknesses to be used as excuses to live merely “good”, but ultimately mediocre lives. 
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      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).
  • The Veneration of (Imperfect) Saints
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      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)
  • followed Jesus in and through his own sinful nature,
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      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 do not venerate Francis because Jesus is not enough.  I follow in the footsteps of Francis- human and flawed- because his steps so clearly follow those of Jesus Christ.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 26 Feb 12
       
      I say: Amen!
Gary Patton

Trouble Lies Ahead - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

bible scripture matthew sheep wolves trouble persecution joy hope

shared by Gary Patton on 09 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • Matthew 10:16-18
  • be (B)shrewd as serpents and (C)innocent as doves
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 09 Mar 12
       
      This warning takes on a powerful and different dimension that many Christians do NOT appreciate because they forget the companion warning that Haoly Spirit insired Jude to caution the Body of Messiah about re false teachers. They are Jude warns in the pulpits and pews of some churches, still today.
  • beware of men, for they will hand you over to the (D)courts and scourge you (E)in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • the Gentiles
  • Gary Patton on 09 Mar 12
     
    In Matthew 10:16-18 of the New American Standard Bible Version of the God's New Covenant, Yeshua (Jesus) warns his first and present day Jesus Followers that the world hasn't changed since their Master's day. The Lord shares here how God's people should behave in dealing with others in the cruel and hostile environment in which they must live and work as ambassadors of God's loving Kingdom that will come in its fullness some day ...sooner than many Christians believe. gfp (2011-11-02)
Gary Patton

BibleGateway.com - Keyword Search: God has prepared - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/keyword

bible scripture scripture interpretation corinthians growth

shared by Gary Patton on 28 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • 1 Corinthians 2:9
  • it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—
  • Gary Patton on 28 Nov 12
     
    "How Exciting Is It To be a Jesus Follower" in the "End Times" One Corinthians 2:9 below lets you in on why!
Gary Patton

The Cross and the Sword » Sermon Series by Greg Boyd - 1 views

whchurch.org/...the-cross-and-the-sword

bible sermons kingdom myths church theology cross

shared by Gary Patton on 03 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • The Cross and the Sword
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 12 Mar 13
       
      In the four short Sermons below, Dr. Boyd exposes the dangerous consequences of the myth of the Christian Nation held by many in the body of Christ. GaryFPatton
  • Gary Patton on 03 Mar 13
     
    Dr. Boyd exposes the dangerous consequences of the myth of the. Christian Nation.
Gary Patton

Jesus' Cousin John Baptizes Him - Matthew 3 VOICE - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

bible scripture Jesus baptism theology

shared by Gary Patton on 07 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • Matthew 3 (The Voice)
  • Jesus is the living Branch, the branch of David that extends the reach of the tree of Israel eventually to foreigners and outsiders.
  • a man called John[a] began to travel, preach, and ritually wash people through baptism in the wilderness of Judea. John preached a stern but exciting message.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near.
  • John’s proclamation fulfilled a promise made by the ancient prophet Isaiah, who had said, “There will be a voice calling from the desert, saying,Prepare the road for the Eternal One’s journey
  • The Anointed One, whose way John comes to prepare, will call humanity away from comfort and status; He will call His followers to challenge their assumptions and the things they take for granted.
  • But John is not exactly warm to all those who come to him seeking cleansing.
  •  If you think that simply hopping in the Jordan will cleanse you, then you are sorely mistaken.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Jun 13
       
      As John said 2000 years ago to religious people, then, turning from sinful violations of God's commands is the key to eternal life ...not, baptism, sitting in a church building regularly or reading the Bible! Only Jesus can empower a person to do what's needed for salvation from the coming horrible wrath of God against sinners on earth or at the door to heaven if you die first!
  • God can adopt as daughters and sons anyone He likes
  • To be made right with God, one must truly repent. It means to turn completely away from sin and completely toward God.
  • I ritually cleanse you through baptism[d] as a mark of turning your life around. But someone is coming after me, someone whose sandals I am not fit to carry, someone who is more powerful than I. He will wash[e] you not in water but in fire and with the Holy Spirit. 12 He carries a winnowing fork in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor; He will gather up the good wheat in His barn, and He will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.
  • then, the One of whom John spoke—the all-powerful Jesus—came to the Jordan from Galilee to be washed[f] by John
  • Jesus emerged from His baptism;[h] and at that moment heaven was opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him, alighting on His very body. Voice from Heaven: 17 This is My Son, whom I love; this is the Apple of My eye; with Him I am well pleased.
  • Gary Patton on 07 Jun 13
     
    Jesus thought Baptism was crucial. gfp
Gary Patton

Was Jesus' Last Supper a Seder? - Biblical Archaeology Review - 0 views

www.bib-arch.org/...jesus-last-supper.asp

bible scripture interpretation Jesus judiasm christianity archaeology history

shared by Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12 - No Cached
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Why would two people, Matthew and Luke, who were the more consistent eye witnesses to the accounts that they report copy Mark? It makes no sense. Mark was a boy while Jesus walked Israel and did not travel about with Him. Mark also was not an original Disciple of Jesus and reported on most the events in his Gospel based on second hand information from the Disciples who did travel with jesus, one can assume. I feel the whole Mathew and Luke copied Mark plus Mark is based on some lost document called "Q" theory of many scholars is rooted in a desire by many to deny or ignore God's supernatural involvement in the documentation of His Son's incarnation and ignores the fact that Matthew and John were eye witnesses to all of what they wrote about. They had no need to copy but had their own perspective on what they heard and saw as do modern witnesses. Likewise, modern research indicates that the reports of most eye witnesses are highly unreliable. If God was not involved, one would have to question the accounts. If that one is not a Jesus Follower and without faith in the supernatural inerancy of the Biblical accounts of both the Old and New Covenants, that's another matter entirely.
  • Thus, in fact we don’t really have three independent sources here at all. What we have, rather, is one testimony (probably Mark), which was then copied twice (by Matthew and Luke).
  • Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      This April 2012 article in BAR analyzes the similarities between the Jewish Seder and what Christians call Jesus' "Last Supper" and the timing of the event based on archaeological evidence. gfp (2012-04-07)
  • ...25 more annotations...
  • the Gospels—with their hatred of the Jewish authorities
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      I wonder why the author construes an historical report of what the writer considered 'truth' and 'facts' as 'hatred'. The history of Christianity may be replete with antisemitism, especially some of the protestant Reformers of the Catholic Church, like Luther particulalrly. However, I feel the charge of hatred in the Gospel accounts of the Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus is an unfair one. The Roman authorities were jst as responsible for the crucifixion of Yeshua/Jesus. In fact the Bible seems to make clear that the sin nature and sins of every person who has ever or ever will live is the real reason for Jesus' death. We are ALL responsible ...not just the Jewish and Roman authorities!
  • John’s timing of events supports the Christian claim that Jesus himself was a sacrifice and that his death heralds a new redemption, just as the Passover offering recalls an old one. Even so, John’s claim that Jesus was killed just before Passover began is more plausible than the synoptics’ claim that Jesus was killed on Passover.
  • the Last Supper could not in fact have been a Passover Seder.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Christian historical tradition labels "The Last Supper" a Seder ... not Jesus. He is recorded to have simply called it the "last time He would eat this bread and drink this wine until ...". It was "the time for passover". That Jesus duplicated many Seder rituals seems to be clear from the Gospel accounts ...even if the timing was off. What's the big deal? The REALLY important thing about the Easter events is that Jesus died for humankind's sin nature and sins. Plus, the other big historical event is His resurrection from the grave as proof that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice on behalf of "all who will believe" in Him and what He did for us!
  • That Christians celebrated the Eucharist on a daily or weekly basis (see Acts 2:46–47) underscores the fact that it was not viewed exclusively in a Passover context (otherwise, it would have been performed, like the Passover meal, on an annual basis).
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Jesus called us to "do this", i.e., celebrate His sacrifice by eating together as a community of Believers in and Followers of Him. He did not call us to celebrate Passover an eternal commandment for Jews only. Jesus claimed that he had come to fulfill "all the [requirements of the] law and the prophets"!
  • Moreover, while the narrative in the synoptics situates the Last Supper during Passover, the fact remains that the only foods we are told the disciples ate are bread and wine—the basic elements of any formal Jewish meal.
  • “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant’” (Matthew 26:26–28=Mark 14:22; see also Luke 22:19–20). Is this not a striking parallel to the ways in which Jews celebrating the Seder interpret, for example, the bitter herbs eaten with the Passover sacrifice as representing the bitter life the Israelites experienced as slaves in Egypt?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      I'd suggest it is more a replacement of, as I note above, rather than a parallel with a Seder!
  • For many Jews (especially non-Orthodox Jews), the process of development continues, and many modern editions of the Haggadah contain contemporary readings of one sort or another. Even many traditional Jews have, for instance, adapted the Haggadah so that mention can be made of the Holocaust.8
  • Almost everyone doing serious work on the early history of Passover traditions, including Joseph Tabory, Israel Yuval, Lawrence Hoffman, and the father-son team of Shmuel and Ze’ev Safrai, has rejected Finkelstein’s claims for the great antiquity of the bulk of the Passover Haggadah.
  • It’s not that rabbinic literature cannot be trusted to tell us about history in the first century of the Common Era. It’s that rabbinic literature—in the case of the Seder—does not even claim to be telling us how the Seder was performed before the destruction of the Temple.b
  • the Holy One, blessed be He
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Here may lie the roots of the similar Muslim practise regarding their reverance, not for God's holy name(s) but, for their human prophet Mohammud. Many Muslims are taught to rever their prophet at a level that approaches worship. The Judeo-Christian Bible reserves worship ONLY for Almighty God ...not the demonically inspired construct called Allah and certainly not a murderous Arab warrior from the 7th Century.
  • King of Kings, the Holy One Blessed be He
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      As I wonder in the e-Sticky Note immediately above, here may lie the root of the similar Muslim practise regarding their reverance, not for God's holy name(s) but, for their human prophet Mohammud. Many Muslims are taught to rever their prophet at a level that approaches worship. The Judeo-Christian Bible reserves worship ONLY for Almighty God ...not the demonically inspired construct called Allah and certainly not a murderous Arab warrior from the 7th Century.
  • Might not Jesus be presenting a competing interpretation of these symbols? Possibly. But it really depends on when this Rabban Gamaliel lived. If he lived later than Jesus, then it would make no sense to view Jesus’ words as based on Rabban Gamaliel’s.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Most Jesus Followers would work from the premise that Yeshua's/Jesus' words during his last Supper on earth, 'till His return at the end of times, were inspired by God's Holy Spirit ...like all His other recorded comments in the Scriptures.
  • Virtually all scholars working today believe that the Haggadah tradition attributing the words quoted above to Gamaliel refers to the grandson, Rabban Gamaliel the Younger, who lived long after Jesus had died.14 One piece of evidence for this appears in the text quoted above, in which Rabban Gamaliel is said to have spoken of the time “when the Temple was still standing”—as if that time had already passed.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Like many scholars, including some Christian ones, statements like this one are often rooted in a disbelief of the supernatural plus a denial of the possibility that God gave Gamaliel, the Grandfather, a prophetic "word of knowledge"! Prophesy can place the words in the elder Gamaliel's mouth who did live at the time of Jesus who also prophesied the soon-coming (about 40 years later) destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
  • And presumably they would have engaged in conversation pertinent to the occasion. But we cannot know for sure.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      A Jesus Follower can know that s(he) knows by faith in the accuracy of our Scriptures. The Scriptures make clear, not 'presumably', that Jesus discussed His replacement of an Old Covenant commandment with a New Covenant. he explains clearly a NEW symbolism for the bread and wine as remembrances and tokens of His sacrificed body and blood on behalf of all who would believe ...NOT the Jews deliverance from Egypt but... all humankind's route to deliverance from the penalty of our sin nature and sins (Romans 3:23 & 6:23) through Him!
  • Having determined that the Last Supper was not a Seder and that it probably did not take place on Passover, I must try to account for why the synoptic Gospels portray the Last Supper as a Passover meal.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      The Last Supper being a Seder meal on the Day of Passover is NOT the key issue for a Jesus Follower as I mentioned in my e-Sticky Note above. The key on the cotrary is Who Jesus was as the God-man and what he was about to do for us on His cross on cavalry.
  • Another motive relates to a rather practical question: Within a few years after Jesus’ death, Christian communities (which at first consisted primarily of Jews) began to ask when, how and even whether they should celebrate or commemorate the Jewish Passover
  • The Quartodeciman custom of celebrating Easter beginning on the evening following the 14th day apparently began relatively early in Christian history and persisted at least into the fifth century C.E.
  • Early on, a number of Christians—Quartodecimans and others—felt that the appropriate way to mark the Jewish Passover was not with celebration, but with fasting.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Interestingly, no where, that I can find in the Old or New Covenants, does God command or even suggest that His people should fast. I have not extensively researched the issue but, I suspect I'll discover that, this propably is a Jewish ritual that was carried on by early Christians, i.e., another man-made tradition. There is the reference in Matthew 6:16-18 where Jesus says: "When you fast ...." This is NOT a command but simply, in context, an observational reference to a practise that was common among religious Jews ...the group to whom Jesus was speaking. I comment further on this issue in e-Sticky Note on the Matthew 6 Scripture at http://diigo.com/0piw0 and in the article on fasting from Christianity today at http://diigo.com/0p9iv .
  • Thus, until Jesus’ kingdom is fulfilled, Christians should not celebrate at all during Passove
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      here again, and depsite what Karl Kuhn says, the issue is not celebrating Passover, but Jesus' command to eat together as a group of his Followers whenever we can and "remember" him.
  • By calling the Last Supper a Passover meal, these Jewish-Christians were trying to limit Christian practice in three ways. Like the Passover sacrifice, the recollection of the Last Supper could only be celebrated in Jerusalem, at Passover time, and by Jews.c
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      This heresy didn't last very long. Some Messianic Jews still today follow Old Covenant feast and other practises that other Christians do not.
  • there are various reasons why the early church would have tried to “Passoverize” the Last Supper tradition.
  • This too is a Passoverization of the Jesus tradition, but it is one that contradicts the identification of the Last Supper with the Seder or Passover meal.
  • Surely the depiction of the Last Supper as a Passover observance could play a part in this larger effort of arguing that Jesus’ death echoes the Exodus from Egypt
  • a widely popular Paschal sermon, which could well be called a “Christian Haggadah,” reflecting at great length on the various connections between the Exodus story and the life of Jesus
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Typology as some call it i.e., seeing Old Covenant people, practises and places as 'types' or 'shadows' pointing to or representing Jesus is common in some Christian circles and with some teachers.
  • Contrary to popular belief, the Catholic custom of using unleavened wafers in the Mass is medieval in origin. The Orthodox churches preserve the earlier custom of using leavened bread.23 Is it not possible to see the switch from using leavened to unleavened bread as a “Passoverization” of sorts?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      And regardless of leavened or unleavened bread or wafers, these kinds of issue are seen by many Jesus Followers as focusing on dead and deadly religious ritual, regalia and rules rather than on relationship, revelation and romance with a living God through Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah/Christ.
Gary Patton

To Risk Perishing or Not To Risk? - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

bible scripture Esther theology risk_reward courage

shared by Gary Patton on 17 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • And if I perish, I perish.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 17 Apr 12
       
      Placed in it's context of a mysogynist, male-dominated culture and society, I feel this is a wonderful example of God-given grace and a way out as promised to His people in 1 Corointhians 10:13.
  • Esther 4:15-16
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 17 Apr 12
       
      Esther 4:15-16 poses an interesting question to us in our day: "From where did Esther get her courage to risk death? And equally important are we guaranteed the same result when we risk for Jesus' Kingdom? gfp (2012-04-17)
Gary Patton

Christian: You Gotta Make a Choice ...Jesus or Money - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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bible Scripture scripture interpretation matthew Jesus christianity evangelism

shared by Gary Patton on 01 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • No one can serve two masters
  • Matthew 6:24-34
  • For this reason I say to you, [b]do not be (D)worried about your [c]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • But [g]seek first [h]His kingdom and His righteousness, and (N)all these things will be [i]added to you.
  • do not (O)worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [j]care for itself. [k]Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Gary Patton

"Doctrine of Retrobation" - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

bible romans predestination double predestination

shared by Gary Patton on 28 Nov 11 - No Cached
  • So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He (B)hardens whom He desires.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 06 Jun 12
       
      Briefly, the doctrine of predestination teaches that God, in his sovereignty, elects those who will receive the benefits of salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ and passes over the rest, who by their sin and rebellion against the holy commands of God, will be sentenced to eternal damnation. This key verse, 18, in the context of the whole passage, seems to many Jesus Followers, to be the other side of the coin from Predestination of "the 'Elect of God" i.e. Predestination of those "not elected". Some Christian theologians call the exercise of God's sovereignty by Him in pre-deciding who will, and, therefore who will not, spend eternity with Him in His Kingdom, "Double Predestination". In using this term, they refer mainly to Romans 8:29-30 in the context of a passage about God's love at http://diigo.com/0lc07 . The reason some add the adjective 'double' to the doctrine of Predestination is because God's 'choosing' or 'election' of some individuals includes His 'non-election' of others ...by definition they say. These Christians also, and harshly some say, call the doctrine of 'non-election' the "Doctrine of Divine Reprobation" (God passing over the reprobate*). Those who use the term argue that, given the eternal consequences of not choosing the Gospel of Jesus (also called Yeshua), a clear warning is crucial to help people better understand the consequences of spending eternity separated from God. Divine Reprobation according to this theology's supporters seems to be Biblical based on the following passages besides this one in context: * Matthew 11:25-26; * Romans 9:17-22; * 2 Timothy 2:19-20; * Jude 4; * 1 Peter 2:8. So Biblically speaking, they argue, anyone who rejects the doctrine that God 'dis-elects' the reprobate has a problem explaining the above passages in Scripture in any other context. * 'Reprobate' is both a noun and a verb. "A reprobate" is an evil person. "To reprobate" is to "condemn to damnation" as explained in the dict
  • For (E)who resists His will?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 06 Jun 12
       
      There are generally "Two Views of Onus in Human Salvation" as I understand the theology of Christian salvation. (For me, theology is simply "what a person believes about God.) Some argue that because God is omniscient*, He knew before the beginning of time who would choose to believe in The Gospel Of Jesus (Yeshua) at all points in the future, He elects them for salvation and empowers their salvation by giving them the faith to do so. Those who follow "reformed theology" reject this theorem because, they say, it denies God's absolute sovereignty and puts the control in salvation in a wo(man)'s choice and hands. (Some call this latter theory re the preeminence of man in salvation "Armenianism".) However, others argue that Romans 3:11 seems to clearly say that "no one seeks God" of their own will. Therefore, some folks believe that anyone who becomes saved does so only because of God's loving grace for that person. God chooses for His own sovereign reasons to gracefully gift those the New Covenant (Testament) calls "the elect" with the faith they need to be saved. Only this way will we choose to believe the Gospel of Jesus and follow Him. In the opinion of some Jesus Followers, it is not our desire that is the onus in salvation and long-term destiny according to Ephesians 2:8-10 at http://diigo.com/0n20e .
  • Romans 9:17-22
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 06 Jun 12
       
      The Lost Are Truly Lost ...But Are The Damned Truly Damned? Romans 9:17-18 and 21-22 in the context of the whole passage is the other side of the coin from Predestination of the 'Elect' i.e. Predestination of those "not elected". gfp (2011-11-21)
  • Gary Patton on 28 Nov 11
     
    Romans 9:17-18 and 21-22 in the context of the whole passage is the other side of the coin from Predestination of the 'Elect' i.e. Predestination of those "not elected". gfp (2011-11-21)
Gary Patton

"Wage Peace ...Not War" - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

Bible romans peace-making war violence scripture peace

shared by Gary Patton on 01 Dec 11 - No Cached
  • give preference to one another
  • Bless those who persecute [d]you; bless and do not curse
  • do not be haughty in mind,
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.
  • BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 01 Dec 11
       
      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)
  • Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
  • Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [g]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “(T)VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
  • If possible, (Q)so far as it depends on you, (R)be at peace with all men.
  • Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
  • For (Y)rulers are not a cause of fear for [k]good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an (Z)avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
  • Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for (AE)he who loves [l]his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
  • YOU SHALL NOT MURDER
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 29 May 12
       
      Please Jesus Follower, do not mistake the Old Covenant commandment to "not murder" as permitting, as some unBiblically teach,: * so-called "just wars", plus * participation as a gun-carrying police person, or * participation as a politician who can vote on declaring war or laws sentencing a person to death for a crime. Jesus' clear, unequivocal call is to be a non-violent person who wages peace on his behalf ...not war... because Jesus came to "fulfill the [Old Covenant] Law'". Our commanded peace-making lifestyle is clear in this passage of Scripture plus Jesus' many commands to His Followers to live a life of non-violent behaviour in every way that I mention below. "Peace is not something you wish for. It's something you [first receive, then something you] make, something you do, something you are and something you give away." ~ Robert Fulghum (1937- ) U.S. author http://diigo.com/0kmml As Mr. Fulghum writes above, Jesus calls us to be non-violent peace-makers throughout His New Covenant with us! e.g.: * Matthew 5:9, the reward for peace-making at http://diigo.com/0kmjn; * His commanded peace-making approach in Matthew 5:38-45 at http://diigo.com/0kmlr and * God's condemnation of violence including war in Romans 12:10-13:9 at http://diigo.com/0kmml. Jesus has no concept of a so-called "just war" Jesus Follower please do not feel that because the State is authorized to use violence to protect society that you are permitted to: * participate in making, as a politician, or upholding, as a gun-carrying justice officer, a State's laws that contain a death penalty, or * voting as a politician or a citizen for your country to participate in a so-called "just war", or fighting in a war as a weapon-carrying soldier. You are not according to Jesus' clear calls to a non-violent life. How do I obey the law you might ask? Simple, I suggest! You will never be "forced" in a democracy to run for an elected office in "the world", as distict from "Jesus'
  • Romans 12:10-13:9
  • You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
  • Gary Patton on 01 Dec 11
     
    In Romans 12:10-13:9 in the pre-Jesus (Yeshua) New Covenant, Jesus' Apostle (Sent-Out-One), Paul, makes clear there are no "Just Wars" as far as Jesus Followers are to be concerned. Jesus Followers are called by our Lord and Saviour to wage peace ...not war. We are commanded to be non-violent radicals not passive pew-sitters. To be Gentlewo(men) Warriors not D.O.O.R.M.A.T.s (members of the "Dependent Order Of Really Miserable And Timid Souls"). You may ask me for my article about ""Real Warriors Are Humble & Meek" if the link doesn't work for you. Paul also includes an interesting Old Covenant Proverb in Verse 20 from Proverbs 25:21-23 the cultural context of which might fool you into thinking something it doesn't mean. To better understand what the Apostle meant, don't miss my Sticky Note on Verse 20. gfp (2011-10-24)
  • Gary Patton on 01 Dec 11
     
    So you think there are just wars, eh? Check this out! gfp
Gary Patton

Jesus Is Living IN His Followers and OUT of Them - Bible Gateway - 0 views

www.biblegateway.com/passage

john freedom christ scripture

shared by Gary Patton on 24 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • John 15:5
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 22 May 12
       
      Jesus Is Living IN His Followers and OUT of Them In this Jesus Following Bible passage, Jesus (Yeshua), as almighty God, makes a startling but freeing statement of His truth. 2011-09-08
  • he who abides in Me and I in him, he (A)bears much fruit
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 22 May 12
       
      Jesus makes clear in this verse that that as you rest, remain, stay in Him, He will live His life out through you. Jesus' Apostle (sent-out-one) and our fellow Follower, the Apostle Paul, uses expressions like "live" and "walk in the Spirit" to command the same behaviour for his First Century Gatherings plus modern Jesus Followers us in Galatians 5:16 & 19 at http://diigo.com/0m0c1 and http://diigo.com/0mqyl . This is re-confirmed in other words by Paul in Galatians 2:20 at http://diigo.com/0jggi where he clarifies that for Jesus Followers that their Master's "yoke is easy and his burden light" because He lives His life out through us making us only "Walking Dead Wo(men)".
  • apart from Me you can do nothing
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 22 May 12
       
      What is it that some Jesus Followers don't understand about God saying in this verse that when we work in our own strength we'll accomplish "nothing" of value? My Friend and Brother David Ryser comments on this phrase in a fantastic Blog posting. And he knows what he's talking about when it comes to New Covenant (Testament) Scripture because he is a Greek Scholar with a Ph.D.. David points out: "Part of the problem [with this phrase] is our poorly translated English Bible…and poor translation leads to poor interpretation…and every version has serious problems. "In several translations, the last part of John 15:5 is rendered, "without Me you can do nothing." This leads us to conclude that with Jesus we can do anything. But the Bible never says this…not in Greek, anyhow…and it flies in the face of what Jesus is teaching in the first part of John 15. "The picture here is NOT of a vine that is not with us. The idea is NOT that we branches could bear all kinds of fruit if the vine were alongside of us. "And yet, how much preaching have we heard about how we can accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God with Jesus at our side? "Rather, the illustration Jesus uses is that of a branch that has been detached from the vine. And the word translated "without" (χώρις) in some of the most popular English versions of the Bible, is better translated as "apart/detached from" as it is in the NASB and the NIV. Just try to tear off a grape branch from the grapevine with your bare hands sometime. You will discover the branch is an outgrowth of the vine…so much so that if you attempt to tear off the branch, it will shred the vine all the way to the root. "Grape branches cannot be torn off. They must be cut off. "And if the branches are cut off from the vine, the life of the vine will not flow through them. Not only will the branches not bear fruit, they will die. We are delusional if we think that we are going to produce and manifest the fruit of the life of
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