This i Believe as a Member of the non-denominational Shiloh Truelight Church of Christ - Part 3 (crucify, preach)

[Robert M Prince]

THIS I BELIEVE AS A MEMBER OF the Non-denominational SHILOH TRUELIGHT CHURCH OF CHRIST - Part 3
I believe That our God and His Son Jesus Christ do not desire that anyone will be lost, but that all would come to repentance - 2Peter 3 [9] THE LORD IS NOT SLACKCONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME MEN COUNT SLACKNESS; BUT IS LONGSUFFERING TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE
But we know that we must all come to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, repenting and asking Him to forgive our past sins. See John 3:[16] FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. [17]FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED
I believe we should examine ourselves to see that we have no other Gods before our Father and His Son. The story Jesus told in Matthew chapter 19 about the rich young ruler [who told Jesus he had kept all the commandments from his youth up] demonstrated that he loved his riches more than he loved God.] Do we love other people or things [sports,money, popularity, etc] more that we love God?
Also we must not be as the lawyer [Luke chapter 10] who tempted Christ by asking, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus asked him, “What is written in thelaw? How readest thou?” the lawyer answered that he should love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength and love his neighboras himself. Jesus said to him, “Thou hastanswered right, this do and thou shalt live.” But the Lawyer, [“willing to justify himself”] asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan about a man who had been robbed and beaten, “leaving him half dead.” Jesus said a priest and a Levitehad passed the man by, but the Samaritan had compassion on him and lavishly ministered unto him [even though the wounded man was apparently a Jew and according to John chapter 4, “The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans”].
Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three men was neighbor to the wounded man. The lawyer answered, “He that showed mercy to him.” Then Jesus said, “Go and do thou likewise.”
Jesus had expanded the law of grace by saying in Matt.5: [43] YE HAVE HEARD THAT IT HATH BEEN SAID, THOU SHALT LOVETHY NEIGHBOUR, AND HATE THINE ENEMY. [44] BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THEM THAT HATE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THEM WHICH DESPITEFULLY USE YOU, [which Jesus did when He prayed for those whowere crucifying Him, praying for them ”Lord, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO” – and which Stephen prayed with a loud voice for those who were stoning him to death in Acts 7:60, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”] And Paul who was consenting to Stephen being put to death and imprisoned many Christians who were put to death was converted on the road to Damascus – illustrating that even the most horrible crimes can be forgiven for anyone who truly receives Christ as their Savior and DOES THE WILL OF THEIR FATHER IN HEAVEN [with the assistance of the Holy Spirit in laying down any premeditated wickedness .]
Jesus said very clearly in John 14: [15] If ye love me, keep my commandments. In Acts 5:32, Peter and the other Apostles said that God gives the Holy Ghost TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM. The vast majority of Protestant ministers preach that every believer receives the gift of the HolySpirit, and many preach that we do not have to be obedient to Christ to be saved. If we truly love Him, we will surely have a mind to obey Him. I believe that if Christ is truly our Savior,we will commit ourselves to desiring to do the will of our Father in heaven. [NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN [Matt. 7: 21.] Jesus has promised that if we ask for Him to give us the Holy Spirit, He will give it to us, but we must ask with a mind to be obedient to be able to receive it.
In the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins, I believe the five foolish virgins apparently gave the outward appearance of following Christ, but they were not allowed to attend the wedding ceremony with the wise virginswho had oil [the Holy Spirit] in their vessels.
Jesus said in Luke 17:[10] So likewise ye,WHEN YESHALL HAVE DONE ALL THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE COMMANDED YOU, SAY, WE AREUNPROFITABLE SERVANTS: WE HAVE DONE THAT WHICH WAS OUR DUTY TO DO.
See the words of Isaiah 64: [6] But WE ARE ALL AS AN UNCLEAN THING, AND ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE AS FILTHY RAGS. With our natural strength, It is impossibleto please God, and we have nothing of which we can boast. But if we have the Holy Spirit working in and through us, we can please God [and the Holy Spirit gets the credit.] I believe that if we TRULY have received the gift of theHoly Spirit, that Spirit will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit [love, joy,peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law - Gal. 5:22-23.]
That Spirit makes it possible for us to love and pray for our enemies,and have a true spirit of forgiveness.

[Vizio]

groovy

[RonkonkomaNative]

Nice to see you here Robert. I hope you are feeling better.

[zthatzmanz28]

Peace and Godspeed...

[Heart_Song]

I forgot to bring my magnifier glasses. The font is about as small as the back of a pill bottle. Whew.

[Robert M Prince]

Any comments will be welcomed, whether positive or negative. Thanks so far for personal encouragements.