> General Discussions
What do you do different now?
Mike Gagne:
--- Quote from: Extol on December 26, 2014, 08:26:07 AM ---Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:29-30
The biggest change for me has been the burden of eternal torment being lifted. The burden of guilt I would feel when thinking What if an unbelieving friend or co-worker dies tonight? I could have "witnessed" to him... Not to mention the thousands of unbelievers who die every day who were out of my "reach". And even though I was a "Christian," there was still the little voice in the back of my mind: What if I'm not good enough? Terrifying!
As far as what I "do" differently, I do less, not more. That is, I don't have set times to read the Bible, I don't go to church, I don't sing nearly as much (though my heart sings with much gladness), I don't "raise my hands", take "Communion", etc. Praying is way more fun now, because before, a great deal of my prayers were for dying people to cry out the name of the Lord with their dying breaths so they could be saved. Now, my prayers are filled with thanksgiving and confidence. It truly is a great comfort to know that God knows what He is doing.
--- End quote ---
that's says a lot ,so true. I do take rest in knowing it is God which worketh in me both to will and do of His good pleasure!!
rick:
--- Quote from: Lewis on December 22, 2014, 11:57:07 PM ---Thank you, rose, that's a good point: If this knowledge is only information and doesn't produce a change, then it didn't do much good.
--- End quote ---
There are no wasted moments or knowledge in God’s plan according to my understanding. The reason I say this is because not one of us including all of humanity does not have free will.
Whether one chooses to believe it or not, everyone is exactly where God intended that one to be, if the knowledge I have brings no change, was it a waste of time? God forbid, at the white throne judgement I’ll know what it is, why it is and its eventual outcome.
It’s an ongoing process we go through and only through hindsight can one begin to understand any change. Its about growing and this growth will continue until the coming of Christ on His 2nd return which then we shall be change completely and be as He is if this is God’s will for whomever.
If you are a new comer here, always remember your being here is no accident, if God is not calling someone in this age then that one will have no desire for God in this age at this point in time, that does not mean God will not call that one next month or next year.
One thing is for certain, your going to be saved whether you like it or not ( lol ) no one will be lost for all ages to come because every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess Christ is Lord. And it is God’s will that all be saved, does God’s will come to pass? Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. :)
Kat:
Hi Rick, when I read this comment from Octoberose "because if this knowledge only brings information and not love, then it hasn't done the reader much good," I agree with Lewis this is a good point, that a believer's life needs to be about love.
Yes all will be saved, it is really great to have the knowledge that every single person will eventually be saved, but to leave off there is to miss out on the prize that Paul spoke of. The message of Christ Jesus and the gospel of the NT was that the kingdom - first resurrection, was now possible, is at hand through Christ Jesus.
Mark 1:14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
It is the kingdom (first resurrection) that without question is the greatest most glorious thing a human being could hope to obtain. Thought the number of elect are so few and it has already been determined by God who will be in the first resurrection, God wants us to desire this above all/every physical thing. That desire within us will overshadow everything else, that's how a believer knows... it feels like we are doing it, because the causes (though all of God) are too subtle to even notice that they are not our own. That's how the Spirit begins to turn our mind from carnal thinking to thinking like Christ.
Phl 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
But every true believer will have no doubt where any righteous act/word/thought they do comes from, God's Spirit should be unmistakable when it is working in the believer.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
What I trying to say is that even though there is no free will, that should not exclude us from striving with great desire and hope of being in the first resurrection that's how God is doing it through us. Of course it is all in the hands of the sovereign God, though all we will actually sense is our own desire to do it.
Phl 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
The whole church and all the other religions of the world believe that their god is the true God, many of them have a great desire for God, but all this will get them is the second resurrection to judgment in the Lake of fire.
Mat 15:8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
Jesus taught the second resurrection was the broad way of destruction.
Matt 7:13 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
We have the extraordinary experience of knowing one of God's elect and by Ray's meticulous teachings we have a great advantage that God gives us catered to our own time and language use... so to sit back and take comfort in the salvation of all and not seek with everything in us to be in the first resurrection is coming so close, yet missing the greatest of all prizes.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
rick:
Hello Kat,
I’m not saying I disagree with Octoberose in that without change the reader has not benefitted in a way to enter in through the narrow gate. However its not the reader who appoints themselves as the elect but as you know, its God who determines who the elect will be.
As great an honor it is to be God’s elect the fact remains that it is Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith, even our faith is not of us but of Christ who gives to each accordingly as He determines.
My belief is that all will be saved but there is a qualifying factor in being saved , one must learn to do righteousness which is impossible without the direct intervention of God Himself.
My attitude is this, learn as much about God’s truths as He’ll allow us to learn and pray to God whatever truths we learn we can put into practice knowing that it is only by His grace we can overcome the world even as He has overcome the world.
There are no wasted moments or knowledge in God’s creation, everything in life is done according to the counsel of God and nothing in this life happens outside of the counsel of God including ( if this knowledge only brings information and not love )
I don’t like to boast about any changes in my life because there is always some carnal thing in my life that keeps me humble but I do remain thankful for those changes God brought about but those changes are so insidious I don’t realize those changes to long after the fact.
I always believed in God, I cannot remember a time when I did not. To my shame I came to this site believing in the doctrine of demons which was taught to me by the Catholic faith I was brought up in which created in me a fear of what happens after death.
I just wanted to know the truth about Hell, is it real? That’s all I wanted to know. I cannot express the joy and comfort I experience after reading Ray’s writings on the subject although it took sometime to except this profound truth as truth.
I have unlearned many things from a previous teaching and learned accurate teachings from Ray’s writing. Well, I say that’s a start, at least I know God is not a monster but a God of pure love and mercy.
I don’t know if I’m one of Gods elect but I do know that Hell is a Christian hoax and whatever information I learned here by no means was a waste of time on my behalf because I discovered that God truly is Good and just knowing these two things takes the fear out of death I once had.
And it was that fear of death I had that caused me to come here in the first place, I asked God a question and God answered my question by leading me here , if God has more for me than what I came seeking then I would be very blessed. :)
lilitalienboi16:
--- Quote from: Rick on December 27, 2014, 10:41:46 AM ---And it was that fear of death I had that caused me to come here in the first place, I asked God a question and God answered my question by leading me here , if God has more for me than what I came seeking then I would be very blessed but you must understand I’m a sinner and don’t deserve to be God’s elect. :(
--- End quote ---
http://www.bible-truths.com/lake13.html
THE SPIRITUAL SYMBOL OF THE SAND
I have already stated a dozen times or so in this paper that we must all "follow Christ." Peter puts it this way:
"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an EXAMPLE, that we should FOLLOW HIS STEPS: Who did NO SIN, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judges righteously: Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto RIGHTEOUSNESS: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now RETURNED unto the Shepherd and Bishop [overseer] of your souls"
Notice that we are all to follow His steps. But Jesus "did NO SIN," and we ALL sin. There is the giant difference. We have to KEEP WALKING in His steps until we STOP SINNING. But the point to be made here is, that we must and WILL "follow His steps."
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You're in good company rick. We are all sinners. Paul was the FOREMOST (Worste) sinner that ever lived! Yet Christ was able to transform him into His greatest champion!
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Remember what Paul said:
Romans 7:14-25 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
God uses sorrow and this way of showing us who we are as a step towards transforming and renewing our minds:
2Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
So... are we better than the rest of humanity? Nay. We are not any better than they for in our flesh dwells no good thing. All the honor and power and glory be to the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
I Cor 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
So then brethren and sisters, let us run. Run the race! I want everyone of us to make it to the finish line by the grace of God. To use the words of the of the king james: "I beseech thee...beloved."
God bless,
Alex
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