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You get it then and you must be a peacemaker, right?
Because that's right there in the beginning of Matthew 5 and surely you wouldn't reference it if you didn't agree with it. Good on you, freedom.
Ofcourse i agree with it, but i'm not unaware that even peace is offensive to those that don't desire peace, so do we not exhort and wield the word in order that passiveness has its reign?
We can speak and lay out the words of Christ everyday, what He expects of us as brothers and sisters, what Our Father desire's of us, and that would be enough to shake many of the posters.
To me the issue hasn't been strife, but degrees of understanding what Jesus came to do, and teach.
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I don't know what a tolerance forum is.
Spend some time on Rapture ready, i usually last 3 days before they kick me off.
Nice post Alpha! And just for the record, I don't consider myself to be an Atheist. I don't have enough faith to believe there's no god at all! I'm more semi-agnostic, but leaning toward the existence of a higher power. I point to nature for believeing someone or something out there must be higher and more powerful than us here on earth. The odds of this planet just happening, the seasons, the animals, rain, and sunshine, etc., for no reason makes no sense to me. How a heart can pump blood through a body for 95 years and a brain can function for that long is beyond my comprehension. So no, I'm not an Atheist.
Alpha,
I must admit that being relatively a newcomer, I don't have the insight of the actual beliefs one holds.
Being that said, if you take those whom you know as true followers, why would it suprise you if we each have different views? The disciples did that too.. Mark 9:34
"But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest."
I doubt that was the only time the disiciples argued amounst themselves. If they were at all human, it would not surprise me if the arguments did not also include something like some indignation that Jesus would pick some overly confident, loud mouth, seemingly not to good of a fishermen (namely Peter) to be in the 'inner circle' when you had (even by today's standards) a medical doctor not included when he clearly was more educated, and to have a professional money counter (Matthew) not being in charge of the money instead having Judas doing that...
Alpha, do you think Peter was over joyed when Paul confronted him? Galatians 2:11
[ Paul Opposes Peter ] "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong."
Hasn't it struck you why any other of the disiciples didn't confront Peter? Do you think it was right of Paul confronting Peter or should Paul just learned to over look the differences? You know the sentiment, can't we just concentrate on what we agree on? We each have our own opinions.. we all believe in Christ.
There are some clear differences between us on this board and it should not come as a surprise that those things would surface, its in our nature. For example, one says baptism doesn't save....or we must chose...or the only true Christian is RC..or deny the physical resurrection, or the age accountability, or millennium \ rapture beliefs.
The only way I can see this harmony (outside of heaven) that you desire would be that forums are not 'open'. Until then there will be those like me who will adamantly oppose the false teaching of age of accountability for children or any statement that makes a requirement for salvation other than by faith or making disicples by baptising and believing.
Occasionally I will ask the question, If the 'soul that sins, it shall die' and 'the wages of sin is death'....and you believe that children are unaccountable.... then when does a human recieve their soul and why do children die? A wage is something that is earned Romans 4:4, but the gift isn't. Please show me from scripture why I'm wrong.
Until then, like Paul, I have to oppose false teaching.
Last edited by twin.spin; 09-18-2008 at 08:42 AM..
Do you guys and gals think it would be appropriate to have a thread solely for the purpose of stating what we believe? No baiting or arguing, just believers coming together instead of tearing each other apart...
Alpha, I understand and agree with most of what you're saying. However, there is a lot more to this. This is a wonderful opportunity the Creator has given us on this forum. I think we must remember we are in the end game. People are making their final decisions about eternity, and the time is very short.
Remember Jesus whipped the money changers out of the temple. He embarrassed the pharisees and scribes that were going to stone the prostitute. He told us we were sheep and to be sly as a fox.
We are warriors who are to put on our armor daily. We do not fight in the same way as the enemy. We must not let ourselves be tricked into responding to personal attacks (been there, done that) and responding back negatively. We must press forward with the attack on satan's kingdom but it must be done in love. Souls are at stake, the KING IS COMING!
We are warriors who are to put on our armor daily. We do not fight in the same way as the enemy.
We must press forward with the attack on satan's kingdom but it must be done in love. Souls are at stake, the KING IS COMING!
Something tells June that hers would be considered one of the souls that are at stake. As such, given June's "atheist status," she also has the feeling that she is one of the "enemy." While June's not exactly certain she's okay with that, (as it surely perplexes her) what concerns her more is how she is to be "fought and attacked" when all the while, this is to "be done in love." If June is thus understanding all this correctly, June is taking her soul into her own protective safety and safe keeping, as neither June, nor her soul, can withstand any fight, any battle. But as she steals away with her soul, locked up, safe and secure, she also remembers that Jesus didn't have to do any fighting or attacking. -June thought he simply said "Follow me." An invitation always seemed so much nicer to June than a battle. That initially seemed so much more reasonable to June, but now she has fled for safety, as she'd rather be alone.
-But then, June supposes, that is why June just doesn't "get it," and why June's an atheist...
I heard it said once that just as if we were all blindfolded, the sun will never the less rise tomorrow - He would still be the Great I Am, even if no one believed.
Something tells June that hers would be considered one of the souls that are at stake. As such, given June's "atheist status," she also has the feeling that she is one of the "enemy."
...............
-But then, June supposes, that is why June just doesn't "get it," and why June's an atheist...
Well, I'll have to say that at least on the "enemy" part, no, you didn't "get it"! That's not you or any person.
The enemy is our spiritual enemy, a common enemy of believers and unbelievers. The enemy wants to sow discord among believers, and cause pride and hateful judgment. And is far too successful. On the other hand, the enemy wants to make us accept sin and say "it's all good."
We were never given authority to fight earthly battles against earthly people, but our battle is a spiritual one. Sometimes we forget that we're all travellers on the road of life... NOT enemies!
Something tells June that hers would be considered one of the souls that are at stake. As such, given June's "atheist status," she also has the feeling that she is one of the "enemy." While June's not exactly certain she's okay with that, (as it surely perplexes her) what concerns her more is how she is to be "fought and attacked" when all the while, this is to "be done in love." If June is thus understanding all this correctly, June is taking her soul into her own protective safety and safe keeping, as neither June, nor her soul, can withstand any fight, any battle. But as she steals away with her soul, locked up, safe and secure, she also remembers that Jesus didn't have to do any fighting or attacking. -June thought he simply said "Follow me." An invitation always seemed so much nicer to June than a battle. That initially seemed so much more reasonable to June, but now she has fled for safety, as she'd rather be alone.
-But then, June supposes, that is why June just doesn't "get it," and why June's an atheist...
You are not the enemy. Satan and his followers are the enemy. Your soul is what is being fought over. All of these things I spoke of were spiritual not physical. But your last sentence is totally correct.
Something tells June that hers would be considered one of the souls that are at stake. As such, given June's "atheist status," she also has the feeling that she is one of the "enemy." While June's not exactly certain she's okay with that, (as it surely perplexes her) what concerns her more is how she is to be "fought and attacked" when all the while, this is to "be done in love." If June is thus understanding all this correctly, June is taking her soul into her own protective safety and safe keeping, as neither June, nor her soul, can withstand any fight, any battle. But as she steals away with her soul, locked up, safe and secure, she also remembers that Jesus didn't have to do any fighting or attacking. -June thought he simply said "Follow me." An invitation always seemed so much nicer to June than a battle. That initially seemed so much more reasonable to June, but now she has fled for safety, as she'd rather be alone.
-But then, June supposes, that is why June just doesn't "get it," and why June's an atheist...
June,
I have had exactly the same feelings myself, to me the enemy is not people that do not believe in Jesus as a rational belief that Jesus died for them so they had now better be good so that they go to heaven instead of going to hell.
Jesus message to me is one of forgiveness for sins, repent of evil deeds (not loving your neighbour as yourself and not loving God with all your heart)
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The name "Jesus" is an Anglicization of the Greek Ίησους (Iēsous), itself a Hellenization of the Hebrew יהושע (Yehoshua) or Hebrew-Aramaic ישוע (Yeshua), meaning "YHWH rescues". "Christ" is a title derived from the Greek Χριστός (Christós), meaning the "Anointed One," which corresponds to the Hebrew-derived "Messiah".[5]
I have been thinking about when the bible mentions to believe on his name I think the process is a continuous one of believing that God will save us, repenting of sin and being forgiven and following the 2 greatest commandments Love God and love your neighbour as youself.
The message of us verses them pushed me away from "church" when I was 14 and now that I have come to a place of total belief in Jesus as saviour I still am not for an us vs them in that if you don't believe you are evil and if you believe you must be good - the proof of if you are evil is if your deeds are evil. "By their fruits you will know them"
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