Osterloh

From Jesus re: the mark of the beast ... https://iamcallingyounow.blogspot.com/

In all humility, this thread is the most important WARNING Christians could ever read! … EVERYONE (including Christians) who takes the mark of the beast will be cast into hell. Revelation 13:14-18 "And with all the miracles he (“another beast”) was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. He required everyone — small and great, rich and poor, free and slave — to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast, or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666." Revelation 14:9-12 “Then a 3rd angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.” This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying His commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.” Revelation 20:4-6 “Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the 1000 years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him a thousand years.” JESUS CONFIRMS THE SCRIPTURE WARNINGS On Dec.3, 2023, Elizabeth Porter died for 15 minutes in a car accident. Jesus appeared to her and gave her a strong warning about taking the mark of the beast and told her to share with the world what He said! This 16-min. message is a most critically-important one for all Christians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIym7Zg6AqA

There was a slight error in the OP, so I repeat the John 6 passage here ... “All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me … of all He (Father God) has given to Me I should lose nothing … No one can (is able to) come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws (Greek: compels, drags) him … no one can (is able to) come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:37, 44, 65)

Acts 3:16 NKJV ------- “Yes, the FAITH which comes through Him …” LB ---------- “FAITH in Jesus’ name — FAITH given to us from God …” Acts 13:48 KJV ------------------- “… as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” NLT ------------------- “… all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.” The ordaining and choosing comes BEFORE believing. Acts 16:14 NKJV, NASB “… the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” NLT, LB ---- “… the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.” For Lydia to accept what Paul was saying, it was necessary for God to open her heart. 2 Peter 1:1 NASB --------- “To those who have received a FAITH of the same kind as ours …” NLT ----------- “This FAITH was given to you …” LB ------------ “… the kind (of FAITH) that Jesus Christ our God and Savior gives to us.” Faith is given by God and received by us. Jude 3 KJV, NKJV, NASB “… the FAITH which was once for all delivered to the saints.” NLT -------------- “… the FAITH that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people.” LB --------------- “… the truth which God gave, once for all, to His people …” Faith is entrusted to certain people and given to them. Joe HEARS the Gospel >>> God gives the FAITH required >>> Joe BELIEVES the Gospel All of the NT verses can be shown to agree with election, for example … “All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me … of all He (Father God) has given to Me I should lose nothing … No one can (is able to) come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws (Greek: compels, draws) him … no one can (is able to) come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:37, 44, 65) Is fallen man so drastically fallen that he is NOT able to come to Jesus? Really? … is the giving of FAITH not enough? … Really? Must fallen man be compelled (forced even) to believe in Jesus? Some erroneously teach that man just chooses to believe … and he/she is saved forever.

Usually, I present my case with solid NT verses, but here I will relay a very personal experience (which, I believe, is in line with the NT). On November 28, 2024, at about 3 am, the Lord reminded me of a tremendous experience I had in the Fall of 2012 … I was evangelizing in Eastern Europe when my wife was having all kinds of problems at home, and it was obvious that she needed me! I immediately flew home … and a week later, my sister phoned to say: our father was on his death bed and I should come immediately! So, I flew to Toronto, took the 3-hour bus ride to my parents’ home, arriving late that night. The following morning, I was alone with my father in his private room at the hospital. As far as I can recall, he was barely coherent … so we really couldn’t converse much at all. I must have felt led to clear all demons out of the room … while I praised the Lord for dying for us on the Cross to save us from going to hell, etc. That evening my father died with most of our family at his bedside. I believe it was 2 days later when my wife called to say: the Lord told her that my father was in heaven! We believed (and still do) that this was because of my time with him. IMO, this was a case of God electing a person for salvation and making sure that His will was accomplished. Surely, the Lord confirmed to my father that what I was saying was true! Also, I believe this experience ties in with the parable of the 4 soils. Re: the first soil, ”When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.” In our case, Satan was NOT able to interfere with the Truth I was sharing. “The faith I speak of is the kind that Jesus Christ our God and Savior gives to us.” (2 Peter 1:1) “… and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.” (Acts 13:48)

Really, not much of a mystery ... God has chosen to reveal Himself as 3 Persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. (BEFORE the Incarnation, i.e. BEFORE God the Son was "created", the second Person of the Godhead was God the Word, John 1) God the Son was "created" by the Holy Spirit giving a fetus to the virgin Mary. This is why He was to be called "the Son of God". Then, God the Word came from heaven and became flesh-human-Jesus. Hence, Jesus was fully man and fully God.

Because of what is clearly stated in the NT … unredeemed man is NOT able to believe in Jesus and the “foolish” Gospel … due to a multitude of reasons! The Gospel is “foolishness” to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18) Here are some of the best NT passages which testify to this: Inherited sin nature ● Romans 3:9-18,5:12; Galatians 3:22 Sin nature against God ● Romans 8:7 Enemy of God ● Colossians 1:21 Spiritually blind ● 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 Live in an evil world ● Galatians 1:4; 2 Peter 1:4 Slaves of/to sin ● John 8:34; Romans 6:6 In Spiritual darkness ● John 8:12,12:46; Acts 26:18 Spiritually dead ● Ephesians 2:1,2:5; Colossians 2:13 See Gospel as foolishness ● 1 Corinthians 1:18 Problems, persecution, worries, lure of wealth ● Matthew 13:21-22 The spiritual enemy, Satan ● John 10:10; Ephesians 2:2,6:11-12; 1 Peter 5:8 Satan’s army is against us ● Ephesians 2:2 Under Satan’s power & control ● Acts 26:18; 1 John 5:19 Deceived by Satan ● Revelation 12:9 Held captive by Satan ● 2 Timothy 2:26 Robbed of initial faith ● Matthew 13:19 Do you really think that people in this hopeless condition are going to be able to choose to believe in Jesus and the Gospel? “And those who heard it said, 'Who then can be saved?' But He (Jesus) said, ‘The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.’ ” (Luke 18:26-27) A hopeless condition … changed to a condition of hope!

The problem for me is that many people have been raised from the dead. There is even an example or two of others in the Gospels. I just can't see how this is proof for the unsaved heathen who knows that others have also been raised from the dead.

I'm having a problem with people who read the Gospels and are told: Jesus was raised from the dead ... therefore, He was/is God. Do you kapish what I have just written?

Of course I preach The Resurrection, which was the original faith, i.e. the Orthodox church. The Roman Catholic church broke away from the Orthodox, and focused on The Crucifixion instead.

So, you are Arminian ... you believe man is able to believe in Jesus and the Gospel ... just with His free will ... and has no need of help from God. Please, what is your opinion of Lydia's experience in Acts 16:14? Thanks for your interest.

What do you think? ... Were the epistles only written to those who actually believe, i.e. those who actually are faithful, i.e. those who are involved in habitual (unrepentant) sinning.

I see this as a bit of a tricky difference!

Father God elects/chooses/calls those people who He desires to be born again and sanctified unto holiness. The Scriptures promise that these people are guaranteed to make it into heaven. Th OP explains all of this.

I've had problems with this. Some of the epistles are written to the "faithful". I've taken this to mean the believers who love Jesus enough to obey Him, etc. etc. They were NOT written to believers in the church who continued to be habitual (unrepentant) sinners! These people are NOT faithful.