WHY WAS JESUS BORN? 1ST Question...

According to 1 John 3:8b, The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. 2nd Question...What works has the devil done which made it necessary for Jesus to leave His Father in Heaven and come to earth?

WHAT AILS THE SBC?

OR...WHAT'S WELL WITH THE SOUL OF THE SBC?

This is a topic of interest to some. Since there are varying answers because there are varying opinions, the SBC and all that ails it encompasses multi-topics. And in my opinion it is all in how ya look at it. While many want to look at what ails the SBC, I like to focus on what's good about the SBC. So please feel free to share what you like about the SBC as well as what ails it. SelahV

HOW MANY KINDS OF GRACE ARE THERE?

I always thought grace was grace. Recently I read that there is prevenient grace. Does anyone know other kinds of grace that need to be studied? selahV

2nd CHANCE--WHAT IS WHATEVER?

In Matthew 16:13 -20,

Jesus tells Peter he will give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

In verse 19, Jesus adds:

"and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven

and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

[italics mine]
SOMEONE....ANYONE,

CAN YOU INTERPRET THE VERSE ABOVE?

What is whatever?

I do not presume to have the answer, but this is what I think it means. "Whatever bound on earth" is like if you don't forgive someone, or you judge someone. Jesus says if you don't forgive others of their trespasses, then the Father won't forgive you. Like the story about the man who was forgiven a big debt, then turned around and tried to collect a smaller debt from someone else. So the master who'd forgiven the first debt wasn't at all happy with that man for holding the other accountable.

He says, "judge not that you will not be condemned, get the board out before picking at someone else's speck." [my paraphrases here]

So I think, when Jesus handed Peter the keys, He let Peter know that whatever He bound and covenanted with in his heart on earth would be bound in Heaven.

And since He said, "whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven, is when you let go of trespasses against you, and folks who treat you rotten, then let go of it...forgive others...hit the delete button in your brain, then you have released all judgement against that other person for faults he had against you.

SHUCKS, I have no idea if this is even close, but would sure like to hear from anyone who has a different take on it. I don't think it's talking about salvation, because even though Peter has the keys (which may be like the hermeneutical of Jesus being the "Door"), Peter's binding and loosening of anything for anyone could not affect or effect their individual salvation.

So here I am. It's midnight.

And I'm just wondering if anyone has AN answer.

Pause and think on it.

He must increase and I must decrease.

SelahV

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QUESTIONS TO SETH, My Calvinist Brother

BELOW IS A DIALOG I have asked Seth to complete with me on my site, if he chooses to do so. Should anyone who reads this have comment or an answer to my questions, feel free to jump in.

Seth: Goodness, I believe I stirred up a bit of agitation in you with my questions. I am truly sorry. As to my "invitation at the end of the service" question, I meant absolutely no criticism toward you, if that is indeed what Calvinists and Reformed Churches do. I was just wanting to know if what I "thought" I read about the invitation time was true. And if so, how does one, be he/she a lost or a non-Calvinist, get to become part of the Calvinist or Reformed community of believers?

Please don't take my question as a point of criticism of doctrine or of what you see the "service" of the Lord's day to be. Nay, nay, my brother. I'm just wanting to know some stuff. I have no idea what you do in your services on Sunday. And until your answer to my post, I had no idea that Calvinists considered the Lord's Day for the regenerated, sanctified and reformed thinkers only. Which does bring me to a second question, if you would be so kind as to indulge me.

How do you segregate the lost pre-elected from the saved post-elected in your congregations?

I was in an integrated worship assembly when I was saved. So go figure. It was even on a Sunday morning. And the preacher was preaching about Jesus dying on the cross and how He suffered for the sinners of the world. And for some reason I thought that was me. So when the preacher asked people if they'd like to have a relationship with the crucified Lord, I for some reason found myself walking down the aisle as they were singing, "Lord, I'm coming home." I guess I thought I'd been away from home and was finally coming home.

You said, "The Lord's Day service is NOT for the sinner but for the saved to worship and exalt Christ and Christ alone, this, by the way, is where the "seeker churches" are way off base."

You have opened another point of curiosity for me. What is a "seeker church"? Is it what I just described in my explanation of how I became a follower of Jesus and a baptized Southern Baptist in Connecticut? SelahV

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?

To me, it means saved to live eternally with God. Saved to serve a risen Lord. Saved to bring joy to Christ--to live a life pleasing to Jesus. I also believe it is saved from--from everlasting punishment in a literal Hell.

A BRANCH IS A BRANCH, ISN'T IT?

I hadn't planned to post anymore questions on this site. However, I find I have so many questions, especially when conversing with other bloggers on other sites, that I have decided to post another blogger's statement to me and ask some questions and allow him to answer. The following is comments to his and my posts on Brad Reynold's site http://guardian-ministries.blogspot.com

PTL and I were dialoging regarding to Holiness and I think we may have gotten on a rabbit trail. But I like the trail and want to follow it a way. Feel free to jump in if you so choose. Just BE NICE.

PTL's Response to my questions:

posttinebraelux said... Selah, Regarding Brad's original blog, I disagree strongly with the inplication that alcohol in moderation is sin and I disagree with him using that 'vice' to point to a general 'slipping away' of holiness in Christians' lives. Other than that, I agree with the 'gist' of his blog. Hope that helps.To our discussion, I most certainly agree that Paul often exhorts Christians to, in effect, 'walk worthy of the calling with which they were/are called.' Inherent in that statement is the implication that it is possible for Christians to walk 'unworthily' of their calling - i.e. be 'worldly'. I personally don't believe that Christians can be 'in the flesh' based on Rom. 8, but that's probably a semantic issue more often than not. Hence, I agree with your post. :) I would not be surprised, however, if, when we get to heaven, we find that many who we thought were 'worldly' Christians were/are, in fact, not Christians at all. I think it imperative to exhort Christians to be holy. I think it just as imperative, though, to emphatically state that, if there is no fruit, there is no attachment to the Vine. :) There is no such thing as a non-fruit bearing Christian and people need desperately to hear that.So, again, I agree wholeheartedly with your response. :) Have a blessed evening sister,PTL 11/27/2006 6:40 PM

SelahV's response to PTL:
I'm gonna take some liberties here since our host has moved on to another topic. Usually, few readers return to comment, so I'd like to address some of the things you said to me in your last comment.
You said, "I would not be surprised, however, if, when we get to heaven, we find that many who we thought were 'worldly' Christians were/are, in fact, not Christians at all." Do you think when we get to Heaven that we will actually remember anyone who didn't get to heaven with us? I guess if we do remember, then we won't care, will we? I mean, since there is no sorrow in heaven.
ALSO:You said: "I think it imperative to exhort Christians to be holy." Why? Why is it important that Christians be holy?
ALSO, you said: "I think it just as imperative, though, to emphatically state that, if there is no fruit, there is no attachment to the Vine. :) There is no such thing as a non-fruit bearing Christian and people need desperately to hear that."

According to what I think Calvinists adhere to, all the "elect" are going to go to heaven. So how can an elect person not bear fruit? It would indeed be impossible to bear fruit without attachment to the Vine. There are no branches if there is no Vine. So fruit can't come from nothing. And since Jesus referred to Christians as branches, anything but a branch connected to the Vine would not produce anything, right? My tomato Vines have suckers and suckers don't produce fruit. I don't think Jesus meant those suckers as branches, do you? And if it is true that branches are Christians, and Christians are elect, then all branches produce fruit, don't they? Even if the fruit isn't visible to the harvester?
I've had some Christians in my life who have insisted that some other person is not a Christian because they did not see any fruit. But just because one person doesn't see any fruit, doesn't mean there is no fruit. Just means all people don't see all things. Which brings completeness to me in the fact that we have no right to judge others or judge them by their fruit or lack of fruit. What do you think? Tell ya what. I'm gonna post these questions and your original statement to me on one of my blogs. Question-Answer.blogspot.com. In order for me to keep up with your replies more easily than scrolling down the hundreds here on Brad's site, would you mind to come over to my house and sup awhile? selahV

ONLY ONE ANSWER ANYWAY

I started this blog because I have so very many questions. So few answers. Oh, I muddle on through life thinking I have answers. I act like I have answers. I pretend I have answers. I even give answers. But I have no answers. I'd hoped that with a few of the scripture passages I'd pose a question in this blog that would afford opportunity for anyone to give an answer. Not necessarily the answer. But an answer.

Don Francisco wrote a darling little song several years ago that I think we should sing over and over again. In every church gathering. Assembly. Or prayer meeting. "Jesus Is The Answer".

So I won't bother posting anymore questions on this blog. Because all letters lead to words and words to sentences and sentences to paragraphs and paragraphs to pages and pages to chapters and chapters to books and books to volumes. And volumes upon volumes will never ever be able to equal the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End...Jesus the Christ. Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

If you have a question, may you find The Only Answer here. selahV

WHAT IS WHATEVER?

In Matthew 16:13 -20, Jesus tells Peter he will give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. In verse 19, Jesus adds "and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." What is whatever? selahV

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

If "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"...what does that say about what comes out of our mouthes, or off the tip of our key-board tapping fingers? selahV