+1. I was raised a Catholic and the Church's dealings have sickened me. So I go this way
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Matthew 18:20 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
I don't really need organized religion. If you live a good, moral life, you'll end up where you're supposed to.
I was raised Roman Catholic too. Their church lost a lot of credibility when they moved those priests to other churches to continue their crimes, didn't they?
The awesome words the Lord spoke that you quoted are true. As perfect words as those are, He wasn't speaking about where a man goes at death in Matthew 18:20. He does meet by means of His Spirit with groups of believers in prayer for sure. The video might explain. Feel free to ask if you disagree or whatever reason. Hope this is a blessing.
Maybe this speaker can show from God's Word when Jesus changed His mind. Jesus clearly stated in Mark 16:16, The one who believes and is baptized will be saved. The first sermon by an apostle told people to repent and be baptized. So it must have been after that.
I just had my post somehow deleted and it's about my bedtime. I'll make this brief for you and my Pentecostal as well as Campbellite friends.
It helps to understand the gospel before anything else. Jesus gave His own life for us and there's nothing we can add to purchase His gift offered to us freely . He did not endure the tortures that every man deserves inflicted upon himself for every sin, then say it is NOT enough...you have to show your amazing obedience to get in the water before you are saved. Its either GRACE or it's WORKS. Which is it? Grace is why we celebrate His death and resurrection. He paid for it. Works is.....we fail and earned a big fat F. YOU are a failure. I am a failure. We do not pass by going through the sprinkling or submersion by a priest.
Keep this in mind. In the N.T. there's three baptisms that are distinctly different.....Fire, Water, and the Holy Spirit.
"John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:" John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11
He is speaking to people of different spiritual designations.... Saved are the only ones that he will baptize. Baptism means to immerse or dip under. Water baptism represents the Death, BURIAL, and resurrection. This is why Christ was baptized. Why else would He? Do you think that John was washing away the sins of the sinLESS Saviour? He had no sin. Their salvation is not conditional on baptism Their baptism in WATER is condition upon whether or not John thinks those people were already saved. If they were not, he preached the GOSPEL without works to them.
The Saviour will sometime baptize all . John preached that. It will EITHER be in Fire or with the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ and family of believers.
The condemned are not going to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. They will face baptism in hell, and eventually the lake of fire..... Revelation 21:8
As soon as someone rejects their "good works" for that which Christ Himself bsecured, that man is saved from the baptism of fire. The gift of Everlasting life is given at that moment. What also occurs is the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and baptizes them. See the last thing Jesus Himself said to His disciples before He left to go to the Father.
"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence".
"Not many days hence "was the day of Pentecost. This is where the Cambellites religion tells us that Acts 2:38 is just the opposite of what Christ just told them VERY CLEARLY before He left them. His clear instructions were that the Holy Ghost would baptize them. The examples were miraculous and very obvious that sermon you refered to. They had a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit which only happened very few times in history. They spoke languages that they did not know. These were in different tongues/languages known by foreigners at this meeting. It could not be made known plainer to those who attended and those of us reading this. Believe and be baptized. He was not telling them a requirement before salvation was possible. Baptism was the occurance at believing in Christ apart from works. Believe not and don't be baptized and be damned? No. "Belive NOT and be damned." Just like Jesus said to Nicodemus at the beginning of John. 3:18.
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Please go back and read again and study this valuable information. The preachers who spread a works based false gospel have not understood this basic teaching of salvation so do not depend upon them. Prayerfully study this out and ask the Lord Himself if what I just said is true or a total lie. It is worth investigating since the different baptisms are completely different. This is why John and Jesus rebuked the false preachers so harshly, and called them venomous vipers, wicked hypocrites, blind leaders of blind.... They were leading people to hell... baptism in fire.
I don't want that for you, uphiker or anyone else here. Pleàse think about this over the next few days.
