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M
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he....I do a lot of prison ministry about to go now in fact...and a lot of the guys claim they believe in Christ and have faith...I never try to challenge their faith but if they are ready to act in accordance to what they say they believe?
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
P
God bless you Mitspa. I have done quite a bit of Prison ministry myself. I know what you mean but at the end of the day God knows. Many may come to a service to get out of their cell. Many may do this and God's word hits then right where it counts .
Sowing seeds.....I pray that the ground is good as their is definitely a harvest out there.
Story: We were at a facility and had a service there. One inmate stood out in the crowd. He just seemed so happy and such and so full of joy. After the meeting I had the pleasure to spend a little time with him. He was an innocent man (Yeah I know these places are full of the innocent right?). Truth be said had been was a pastor of a small assembly and a street minister in a big city. He ministered on the street a lot. One guy that he kept running into was a drug dealer. Well after many talks and ups and down this guy gave his ife to Christ. He decided to leave the city and go back down south where he was from. The pastor gave the guy a ride to the train station, In route the guy had a stash of drugs in his possession. He asked the pastor if he would get rid of them. Well the pastor watched this man get on the train and then headed home. In route he had a small fender bender. The police came. You can guess what happened. The pastor got busted for drug possession. He said he could have possible fought it harder but there was a lot of corruption in high places and on top of that he was concerned about the man who just made a quality decision for Christ. So....long story short....he took the rap. His joy was amazing!!! I felt guilty to a point as it hit me hard about how much love it took to lay down a portion of his life for another. Christlike? The joy he had could never have come from anywhere than above. He had resigned himself to believe " Well I guess I am where God can use me the best right now....then he laughed and said " I certainy have a captive audience. God works in mysterious ways doesn't he" ... amazing faith.
Sowing seeds.....I pray that the ground is good as their is definitely a harvest out there.
Story: We were at a facility and had a service there. One inmate stood out in the crowd. He just seemed so happy and such and so full of joy. After the meeting I had the pleasure to spend a little time with him. He was an innocent man (Yeah I know these places are full of the innocent right?). Truth be said had been was a pastor of a small assembly and a street minister in a big city. He ministered on the street a lot. One guy that he kept running into was a drug dealer. Well after many talks and ups and down this guy gave his ife to Christ. He decided to leave the city and go back down south where he was from. The pastor gave the guy a ride to the train station, In route the guy had a stash of drugs in his possession. He asked the pastor if he would get rid of them. Well the pastor watched this man get on the train and then headed home. In route he had a small fender bender. The police came. You can guess what happened. The pastor got busted for drug possession. He said he could have possible fought it harder but there was a lot of corruption in high places and on top of that he was concerned about the man who just made a quality decision for Christ. So....long story short....he took the rap. His joy was amazing!!! I felt guilty to a point as it hit me hard about how much love it took to lay down a portion of his life for another. Christlike? The joy he had could never have come from anywhere than above. He had resigned himself to believe " Well I guess I am where God can use me the best right now....then he laughed and said " I certainy have a captive audience. God works in mysterious ways doesn't he" ... amazing faith.
still boils down to choice....except you contend that one is programmed to believe...
John 6:65-68King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]65 [/SUP]And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
[SUP]66 [/SUP]From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
[SUP]67 [/SUP]Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
[SUP]68 [/SUP]Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
It is god's will that all men be saved but some choose not to be saved.....
John 6:65-68King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]65 [/SUP]And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
[SUP]66 [/SUP]From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
[SUP]67 [/SUP]Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
[SUP]68 [/SUP]Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
It is god's will that all men be saved but some choose not to be saved.....
M
Wow interesting...just read the passages concerning Joseph when he was a captive slave, God said he was a prosperous man because the Lord was with him...and eventually the Lord brought him above his temporal circumstances ... I have seen the Lord commute the sentence of many of these men and He very much works in and through our justice system. But I hope this man is what he says he is..and God shows Himself strong on his behalf.
E
OBTAINING ETERNAL REDEMPTION.
I have obtained this because of that my high priest did on the cross.
Your still looking for it, because you reject what your high priest did on the cross.
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
My sins, commited and condemned by the first covenant (moral law) have been ransomed by the blood of CHrist (the sacrificial part of the first covenant.
I did not gain ransom by being good. I can not be good enough, the law still condemns me.
I was ransomed because I was called. and chose to place my faith in christ.
again, end of story.
and ken, don;t tell me you read stuff, when you ignore what said "stuff" says.
God does not contradict himself
I have obtained this because of that my high priest did on the cross.
Your still looking for it, because you reject what your high priest did on the cross.
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
My sins, commited and condemned by the first covenant (moral law) have been ransomed by the blood of CHrist (the sacrificial part of the first covenant.
I did not gain ransom by being good. I can not be good enough, the law still condemns me.
I was ransomed because I was called. and chose to place my faith in christ.
again, end of story.
and ken, don;t tell me you read stuff, when you ignore what said "stuff" says.
God does not contradict himself
P
Works are a product of salvation not a means to it,,,,,If we are 'In Christ' and are branches of the tree we will bear fruit. This trust will be inward and outward to others. We can rest in this. Works can lead to sin as well if we allow 'self' to get into th e middle of things. Show me your faith and I 'll show you my works yadda yadda. Again works area product of the faith that saved us through a plan set up by the love and grace of God. Resting IN HIM is even a work as others begin to recognize that something has changed in us. Let the weak say they are strong! Let the proud be humbled. God loves us right where we are even though we are sheep. We can go to him and the trip isn;t far. H ewill never leave us or forsake us. We are all growing and even though none of us will ever achieve what God's total desires are for us he loves us during the journey of life.
K
The problem you have with the sower and the seed is that it says they abided in the Word, which means they abided in Christ for a little while. And according to you and others once you have abided in Christ and received the Holy Spirit. Yet the parable says after they had abided then a deception or hardship caused them to walk away from the Lord. Then when you take that with Hebrews that shows that people after they have been in Christ and received the Holy Spirit can still fall away. Then on top of that Paul says how the Galatians fell from grace, but according to you that can not happen. Scripture says different.
You want salvation to be an instant thing, yet to many scriptures show that salvation is not and instant possession as they show only given to those who do the Fathers will, obey, and keep His commandments. You can debate with me all you want and keep trying to twist what I say, but you can not deny or argue against scripture. Wait a minute yes you can because you deny parts of it.
Example:
Matthew 10:22
And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
This scripture is a good example as I have seen you and another say this has nothing to do with salvation, even though our Lord Jesus says you have to endure to the end before being saved. Yet if we take it with what was written in the epistles we can see this is exactly what is being said. For scripture interprets scripture, and the apostles can not preach or teach differently than what Jesus already taught.
Hebrews 10:36
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
What is promised to us is eternal life, so once again once you have done the will of God in your life do you receive it. Not before.
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Once again you have James confirming the same thing, and he uses the term crown of life for eternal life/salvation. And as you can see from the first part he says you have to remain steadfast under trial and not turn away do to a hardship in your life. Which this goes along with the parable of the sower and the seed group that our Lord says that they fall do to hardships, James says if they don't waver only then will they receive eternal life. Showing once again while a person walks in the flesh salvation/eternal life is not a definite unless they remain steadfast, endure, and stay obedient to Him.
P
[TABLE="class: table_bible"]
[TR]
[TD="class: td_bible_verse_heading, width: 68, align: left"]1Co 1:30[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: td_bible_text"]But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: td_bible_6_buttons, width: 57, align: left"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: td_bible_verse_heading, width: 68, align: left"]1Co 1:31[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: td_bible_text"]That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TR]
[TD="class: td_bible_verse_heading, width: 68, align: left"]1Co 1:30[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: td_bible_text"]But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: td_bible_6_buttons, width: 57, align: left"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: td_bible_verse_heading, width: 68, align: left"]1Co 1:31[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: td_bible_text"]That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]