I’m sorry, but that’s just not possible if Big Bang was the beginning of space and time itself. It even doesn’t make any sense. If there was the beginning of time (Big Bang), it must have its end, which means you can’t cease to exist for eternity, simply. All the scientific facts we have and will get are still limited to our physical realm. One and obvious thing to tell is that “you can’t create something from nothing”. Quantum tunneling is something, not nothing. And you still need to consider the fact that there was a beginning of everything. The only explanation there is, is the existence of an unknown force beyond everything that has ever existed, currently exists and will come into existence in the future. That force is known to many scientists as “God”. People always wanted to follow science and be rational about these things, avoiding any kind of religion or faith.
Dispensationalism is at the root of the Rapture Heresy.
I am not sure that the belief in a pre-tribulation rapture is so much a heresy as it is genuine misintrepation of scripture. But I have witnessed genuine heresies in dispensational churches. I once saw a "pastor" tell his all consuming audience that the first sign of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the ability to speak in tongues. That church was filled with people that spouted gibberish to "demonstrate" that they had the Holy Spirit. But one can only fake that for so long before the realization of the truth, that its being faked, sets in. That sort of preaching has led to much falling away. Sometimes it too hard to believe the simple truth that one is saved by grace through faith in Christ. Man just has to have a part in his own salvation and comes up with all this nonsense. Its just very hard to accept that Christ has already done it all and that we are unable to contribute at all to our own salvation. Man is a sinner, can't help but be a sinner, and is imperfect in the eyes of God and unacceptable in his own right. The only thing that makes man righteous and acceptable to God is the perfection of Christ that is imputed to us through faith. Christ is our only saviour and our faith is the lifeline between ourselves and the One that saves us.
I saw that speaking in tongues transformation while attending a Pentecost church my girlfriend and her family belonged to.
I tried to hold back my laughter, clinching my teeth, tightened core and chest muscles, just certain I was going to blow out my ass ring from the pressure load.
And then I made this sound like a cat hissing while choking on a hairball at the same time. Heads turned my direction. I got a bewildering look from my girlfriends parents. I had to walk outside. Stayed out, too, until church let out.
I didn’t parse words with her dad, when he came outside. Straight up told him that was an act of bullshît. They all could believe that nonsense if they wanted to, but I wouldn’t be back.
Joker mofo’s believing in that horse shît!
SMH
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Stupid. All you had to do was tense up, shake like a dog crapping peach seeds, hold your breath till you turned blue and fell over convulsing.
You woulda got laid that night.
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
How do we know about the resurrection of Christ? Where is it revealed to us? In the scriptures. If they were filled with myth, what part of it, if any, would you believe? BTW, no archeological find has ever disproved any location or history, as it is told of in the scriptures. It matters a great deal.
I respectfully disagree. If the Resurrection of Jesus is true…if it did in fact really happen…then ‘that’ is what matters the absolute most. Fine theological points that were once considered important and worth debating oughta evaporate in light of the reality of Jesus’ Resurrection.
The foundation of Christianity is ‘not’ an inspired book, but rather the events that inspired the book; events that inspired writers…under the guidance of the Holy Spirit…to document these events, along with insights and conversations, with the pivotal and founding event being the Resurrection of Jesus.
While it’s true that we would likely not know of these events had they not been documented, it’s equally true that they were documented hundreds of years before there ever was a Christian Bible; and it’s equally true that these events, not the record of these events, are what birthed Jesus’ movement.
The Bible didn’t create Christianity. Christianity is the reason the Bible was created. Christianity would still be true even if there were no Bible’s.
The Bible is a progressive revelation that reveals God’s redemptive plan and how God will resolve the problem of good and evil.
The first Christians were at Antioch. No one was known as a “Christian” until after Paul was saved and received his calling from the ascended Lord. Acts 11:26
Jews and believers from the 12 apostles were called “those of the way”. The gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) contain no Christianity. They were Jewish, written to Jews, with Jewish theology. They were believers of the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of grace, which came later. They were followers of “the way”, not “Christians”. Those who believed Jesus was the promised Messiah were followers of “the way”, not Christians.
Paul was the founder of Christianity. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 1 Timothy 1:15-16. Christianity did not begin until Paul’s conversion and instructions from the risen Lord.
The O.T. and the gospels focused on Israel, repentance, water baptism, faith plus works, and not on the death and resurrection of Jesus for salvation by faith alone.
Christianity includes the Church (the body of Christ), the Rapture, release from the Mosaic Law, the blinding of national Israel, and salvation by faith alone (no works required), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jews and Gentiles are now equal in Christ (in one body) in Christian theology.
Regardless of the differences of opinion among believers regarding theology, and theological points (and semantics), the fact is that without the Resurrection of Jesus…which the Apostle Peter (a Jew) said was his “living hope”…none of it, whether referred to as “the way” or “Christianity” or anything else, would exist.
I’m just Doing.. I’m just Doing .. I’m just Doing Fine … Ya’ll don’t Worry bout Me .. When it comes Time I’m bet’n on a Devine Intervention.. Till then I’m doing just Fine..
I’m not a dispensationalist and one doesn’t have to be one to take a pre-trib, premillennial view of Revelation. These folks are not a monolith of thought and belief and there are various nuanced views of a futurist hermeneutic of Revelation, ch’s 4-22.
If you affirm that there are two organic peoples of God and a rapture and tribulation as well as a premillennial view of Revelation but are not a dispensationalist what is a dispensationalist?
Honest question as I thought these were marks exclusively of dispensationalism; there is no other system that holds those views. I know it doesn’t necessarily denote Classical Dispensationalism (vs Progressive) but…
Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd
The Protestant churches that identify as Reformed have become spiritually mushy, as a result of the Higher Crirticsm of the early 20th century, particularly that of the German theologians. The seminaries were deeply affected and the pastors graduating have not been the best and brightest. Their theology is often informed by the culture rather than the other way around. See the decades long struggle of those denominations struggling with homosexuality and how to respond to it. In the mean time the pulpits are filled with gay pastors, women pastors, prosperity theology, and the denial of whole parts of the scriptures and rampant spiritualization of other scriptures. And OT, NT (Revelation) prophecy is practically anathema to them. Most Reformed preaching is often topical so those pastors can avoid those topics they know nothing about, or are confused about, or worry will offend someone, or turn some away. Of course no denomination is completely free of those types.
This is true to a large extent but I don’t believe it is because of their Refoemed leanings so much as their American context. All traditions are suffering these difficulties right now; the American church is in sharp decline.
Specifically I’d point out that the great champion of Scriptural integrity was J Gresham Machen who wrote Christianity and Liberalism and fought theological Liberalism at Princeton Seminary.
Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd
As to the denial of ethnic Israel in eschatology you’ll have to turn many OT scriptures upside down and also many NT scriptures. In Genesis, where it starts, the unconditional promises to the patriarchs is characterized by words such as EVERLASTING and your DESCENDANTS after you, the context making clear “spiritual descendants” is not meant at all, and the living on the LAND is in view also.
A central tenet of sound exegesis is to use the most clear passages of Scripture to interpret the less clear. Therefore one needs to look at Paul’s writings to the saints in Rome wherein he assures them that all have been saved by faith; that those Jews who boast in their status as having descended from Abraham or their circumcision are not saved.
In the third chapter of Galatians he is more explicit; those who have faith in Christ are heirs to the promise.
And what is that promise? It is Christ Himself which we learn in Hebrews 11 where we’re told Abraham died in faith. That Moses “believed Christ”.
We are all one people of God by faith; the invisible Church are Israel. We who are counted as covered in His blood from before and after His death will occupy the new heavens & new earth where we will worship Him for eternity at the consummation of all things which we anxiously await.
Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd
Many Reformed views are still essentially Catholic as the Reformers, Zwingli, Luther, and Calvin were conflicted over some of their views, if not outright in error (infant baptism, eschatology). Thank God, He made salvation by grace through faith clear to them.
Much of Reformed doctrine is not Biblical doctrine but the traditions of men since the 4th century AD, begun by the views of Augustine and Constantine, and eventually becoming inculcated into RC theology.
So the reformers weren’t Protestant but were “essentially (Roman) Catholic”? Sorry brother that is an obvious oxymoron.
Infant baptism was handed to us by the witness of the early church in the Scriptures, According to the church fathers, and the second century church. Believer-only baptism is informed by the rationalism of the enlightenment, as is the general trend within traditions who practice it to focus upon the faith of the baptized rather than the eternal faithfulness of the Father who gave us baptism. Premillennial/tribulation/rapture are all brand new ideas as well; they have no antecedent in the church fathers.
Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd
God is completely sovereign and Christ the victor!
Amen brother!
There can be no doubt in my mind that we all fall short of a perfect understanding of these mysteries and we’ll all be corrected when we meet around the throne of our Lord.
Oh and by the way George I should tell you that I agree so much with your assessment of Reformed Churches that I’ve left the tradition altogether and am attending an LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) and intend to join. The cultural stuff really bothered me.
Others can get it too, IF they have the good news explained from the Bible. V
😆😆😆 Bill Stalling/Crappy Hamster Deceives his simple ignorant followers. So that is what you think of the people in your church in Chester SC. Boy talk about a fruedian.....
And a blacked out hidden Anderson video again. Your soooooo desperate for acknowledgement....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Got a thrrad for you tommorow 👍👍👍👍👍
Embarrass and expose you. You will have a big ole cock sticking out of your forehead once again. Toodles🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️
Others can get it too, IF they have the good news explained from the Bible. V
Wish you'd just get off these threads. Every time a thread goes anywhere near religion, you feel obligated to stomp your footprints all over it.
We really don't need you to susplain every facet of grace to us. George's and antlers' contributions make the conversations interesting. Yours feel like pulpet bullying. Please resist putting your brand on every single one of these threads.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
Antlers "Gets it," I think splitting hairs detracts from the Message.
He get’s a lot of things.
Some just have a hard time seeing past their ever glowing self enlightenment.
Best to wear shades while in their presence.
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These discussions aren’t about pride; I can assure you that George is not a man who does this for that reason.
Of course we all have pride to a certain extent; even those who chastise others for discussing that which they view as unimportant.
I wasn’t referring about anyone specifically, including George.
There has been many threads about many topics relating to religion and beliefs.
Some like to shine brighter than others - which in my experience from reading along, has caused blindness on some otherwise good arguments for believing something different.
I for one just happen to gravitate towards the words and interpretations of Antlers writing. Simple as that.
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Curiosity Killed the Cat & The Prairie Dog “Molon Labe”
Antlers "Gets it," I think splitting hairs detracts from the Message.
He get’s a lot of things.
Some just have a hard time seeing past their ever glowing self enlightenment.
Best to wear shades while in their presence.
🦫
These discussions aren’t about pride; I can assure you that George is not a man who does this for that reason.
Of course we all have pride to a certain extent; even those who chastise others for discussing that which they view as unimportant.
I wasn’t referring about anyone specifically, including George.
There has been many threads about many topics relating to religion and beliefs.
Some like to shine brighter than others - which in my experience from reading along, has caused blindness on some otherwise good arguments for believing something different.
I for one just happen to gravitate towards the words and interpretations of Antlers writing. Simple as that.
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I know I’m sorry I didn’t mean mine against anyone in particular either and forgive me if it came across that way.
There is a value in seeking to know and understand God’s word.
There can also come a time when pride takes over and runs the exercise.
Regardless of the differences of opinion among believers regarding theology, and theological points (and semantics), the fact is that without the Resurrection of Jesus…which the Apostle Peter (a Jew) said was his “living hope”…none of it, whether referred to as “the way” or “Christianity” or anything else, would exist.
That is true I completely agree!
…and it is a theological point made demonstrably true (for among other reasons) it is grounded in the book…
