DjZed

Many of my good friends are non christians. As we look at our individual purposes before god we have to see what it is that we are set out to do. I consider one of my gifts evangelism. sometimes this happens in a one time shot or it comes out as i get to know someone more. I am able to hang out with drunkerds, worldly parties, those who use drugs, perscription and illigal. I can do this because god has given me the ability to do so without any trouble to me. I am not uncomfortable. I used to be. but i came from that realm and i identify well there. Fellowship with the unregenerate must be put in perspective. Light actaully has no part with darkness. Fellowship with the saints is different. Whats the scripture addressing when it says not to even eat with them? Was thier a specific issue that paul is dealing with. If he is, is it the same application as your speaking of? When looked through the character of a sovergn god we can see that the preaching of the gospel is not needed by god through us, but we are privlaged to preach the gospel and god does use us. So once the gospel is preached it is up to god. God will use us in both long term and one time relationships. What we are is faithful in preaching. We shouldnt judge them unworthy of us because we know god. We should see them as a poss.part of gods elect. If god sustains your relationship with an unbeliever, then you have opportunity right now. I ran into an old friend once,from highschool, at a gas station and in the conversation i must have preached the gospel. 5 years later he called me to thank me for preaching the gospel to him. I had to confess i didnt even remember seeing him. He filled in all the details. WOW. i didnt see that coming. If you fall when you hang out in those situations then run the other way. if your gift is being used when you hang out with them, and you have no stumbling, then to god will be glory. Do not let others judge you for hanging out with them. Im sure you know, but jesus hung out with unbelievers and was questioned by the Pharisees. Those legalalistic religous people of the day. And dont think its gone away. Make sure conviction is from god and not peoples bias.

early in my christian walk i wrote these lyrics. "I dont just wake up and make up my mind." This was approx. 4 years into my walk. this was a time when i starting to really study the scripture. A friend of mine starting showing me what i like to call the doctrines of grace. I think he knew me well enough he introduced them without using words like calvinism arminianism. Then i began going to a pca church. they introduced me to the terminoligy. This church was covenantal, post-mill,theonimists. This in my opinion is a scary road. This is when i bagan seeing the huge diff.between denom. Now 14 years into it i still am at a pca church. I battle this often. I am not covenantal and the pca is. But it is the love for the brethren, not my thinking i'm right that is at hand. I stay because i am dedicated to a people not an organization with set doctrine on subjects. I, in the beggining, did stay because of what people call "calvinism". As i said i prefer" the doctrines of grace."I do think that these core beliefs are drastically diff. One thinks that the other discredits gods character. The other one says no you discredit the character of god. WOW. the character of god is very core.What do we believe about the character of god? We have a church in kansas city and the pastor threre has a call in show on p.b.s. he is very staunch in his arminian veiw. Most arminians dont know they are arminian in there thought. He is staunch. His arguments are excellent. I'm not convinced. But he is extremely studied. When we look at the subject of pre destination. we are really asking does god elect salvation or does man choose salvation. The scripture does say. We were unable to please him when we were seperated from him. not even able to do so. Would not the choice to follow god fall into pleasing god.

If your still responding i will check back tom.sometime.I was too busy enjoying to want to got bed. The kids will be up soon.and im bummin.sleepy time. thanks cardcap.

This doesnt tell me that man has a choice. It shows me that he who believes recieves no condemned and he who doesnt believe is condemned already. If faith is a gift. then this believing is in response not in choice.

Look at the parable of the wedding feast. Matthew 22:2-10 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. What Jesus did for mankind was his choice to do. I am glad that he did, but man was born with the ability to choose to come to the cross and partake of the blood of Jesus. All are invited to the come to the marriage and as this parable shows, there are some that will not answer the call. that depends on the camp of thought you fall into. is all, all the world? Is it all the jews. Who does the king send for . Who are those in the byways?it is a dispensational view mixed with arminian thought. Not knocking it. Just Know many intrpt differently. I'm not sure that verse has to do with mans rejection but the rejection of those who were origanally to attend. Isreal.

Cant say if he would have chosen someoneelse. if he did it would mean the same for the redemption of man. Yes christ did lay down his own life. My opinion is that yes even the wicked are chosen fo their role. And yes you would have been predestined, but for wrath not salvation. still chosen. Jonah did say no, didnt matter,god had his role layed out. he still moaned in the end.

Cant say if he would have chosen someoneelse. if he did it would mean the same for the redemption of man. Yes christ did lay down his own life. My opinion is that yes even the wicked are chosen fo their role. And yes you would have been predestined, but for wrath not salvation.

Wouldnt that be great. i too often ask the question. I have researched many of these doctrines in which a denomination says we should not divide and yet that same denomination sets it up so that we a forced to divide. I am involved in a denomination that would not allow you to be a teacher or elder in the denomination without adhereing to certain doctrines. Because of this i will never be able to serve a position i am gifted in. However the truth is that the denomination could never stop my function in the body of christ, the church. What people need to do is focus on loving the brethrn. MAjor in the majors minor in the miners. Garbage. just stick with the majors and there will be less division. Can this be done. God knows. Luther did it to a ccertain degree. But only some of catholic tradition was reformed. The rest lingers on even now In just about all denominations. There are diff ways christians interpt.the scripture.Some say the key to understanding the scripture as a whole is to see it through the lens of dispensations. others through the eyes of covenants. Both these have dramatic implications on how we percieve the character of god and how we live our lives. It dictats to us how we view all of scripture.Subjects like, baptism, the church and isreal, future events, etc. If you say the key to understanding the whole of scripture is through christ, who will argue? Niether. Major in the in the majors, but more than that love the brethren. These two camps are very distinct and very much the brethren one of another.there diffrences are many and deep and i myself have watched them tear apart my own friends. SAD. but we must be taught to love in order to love. Christ has taught us to love. This is the key. Love will bear all things, love is patient and kind, holds no record. You know the scripture. How do we know we are his. If we love the brethren.

No, And if they did what real purpose would it serve, and it will depend on what each beliver intrtps as nephlim and then you moved into esc. all of which have diff.intrps depending on what camp you fall into. So no answer would be definate accept in the mind of the one who preached it. That is the opinion. Yeah, that's why I had that yes/no answer. It probably wouldn't serve any purpose...but you never know. Dont get me wrong, If they did there would be a purpose. I just have a (no) opinion.

[i'll ask the same question here, Who in the scriptures, of all the believers, was no chosen?

I agree lost sheep. When i first believed i fell into camp of sensationalism. Using the next headline as the next full.of prophecy. I have noticed that what happens is we get an idea and then read it into scripture easily finding the prooftext for almost any argument.Literalst,futurist,prederist,covenantal,dispensational, & on & on & on. You know then if you've been down the road of esc..I have since not focused on the furture events and shifted to understanding the character of god and understanding how the believer lives as appose to how he wants to live.

No, And if they did what real purpose would it serve, and it will depend on what each beliver intrtps as nephlim and then you moved into esc. all of which have diff.intrps depending on what camp you fall into. So no answer would be definate accept in the mind of the one who preached it. That is the opinion.