-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Remember, if you leave the Cross, you walk away from God! Most Christians have left their First Love. They are proclaiming Jesus, but forsaking the Cross (lukewarm). This is called "Spiritual Adultery." If it continues, the scripture says the light is removed! Revelation 2:1-7; Revelation 3:14-19
The only way to God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6)...the only way to Jesus Christ is by the Means of the Cross (Luke 14:27). The only way to the Cross is a denial of self (Luke 9:23). If any person tries to come any other way, Jesus says, "they are a thief and a robber" (John 10:1).
The "Tree of Life" (Psalm 1:3)
The Way Of The Spirit
Focus: The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
Object Of Faith: The Cross of Christ (Romans 6:1-14)
Power Source: The Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-2, 11)
Results: Victory (Romans 6:14)
The "Tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 2:17)
Man's Way
Focus: Works.
Object Of Faith: Performance.
Power Source: Self.
Results: Defeat!
Those who have departed from the faith
To depart from the faith means that a person had once been in the faith. Brother Swaggart says when we speak of faith at the ministry, we're speaking of faith in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. When people leave the Cross and turn to other things, which millions are now doing, the Scripture says of them: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1).
Needless to say, such individuals, as with the lukewarm and as with those who have a form of godliness, are labeled by the Lord as unsaved, despite their claims, and will not go in the rapture nor enter the strait gate and narrow way that leads unto life.
To depart from the faith means that a person had once been in the faith. Brother Swaggart says when we speak of faith at the ministry, we're speaking of faith in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. When people leave the Cross and turn to other things, which millions are now doing, the Scripture says of them: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1).
Needless to say, such individuals, as with the lukewarm and as with those who have a form of godliness, are labeled by the Lord as unsaved, despite their claims, and will not go in the rapture nor enter the strait gate and narrow way that leads unto life.
This explaination makes sense to me.
In the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). What exactly does it mean to be poor in spirit, and why does being poor in spirit result in the kingdom of heaven? Why is “poor in spirit” something God wants us to be? Why would God want us to be “poor” at anything?
Some propose that Jesus is speaking of financial poverty, that He is advocating being poor so that riches and possession don’t come between us and God. While it is true that Jesus elsewhere warned against seeking riches (Matthew 6:24), that does not seem to be Jesus’ point in Matthew 5:3. Jesus is speaking of being “poor in spirit”; i.e., being “spiritually poor.” In the beatitudes, Jesus is concerned with spiritual realities, not material possessions. What, then, does it mean to be spiritually poor?
To be poor in spirit is to recognize your utter spiritual bankruptcy before God. It is understanding that you have absolutely nothing of worth to offer God. Being poor in spirit is admitting that, because of your sin, you are completely destitute spiritually and can do nothing to deliver yourself from your dire situation. Jesus is saying that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty before you can come to God in faith to receive the salvation He offers.
Why and how does being poor in spirit result in the kingdom of heaven? While the phrase can be broad in meaning, “kingdom of heaven” essentially refers to salvation. The kingdom of heaven is both eternity in heaven with God after death (Romans 6:23) and the eternal quality of life with God before death (John 10:10). God offers us salvation as a gift, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, the full payment for sin’s penalty. Before we can receive this gift, we must understand that we cannot make ourselves worthy of it. Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We must recognize our sinfulness before we can understand our need for a Savior. We must admit our spiritual poverty before we can receive the spiritual riches God offers (Ephesians 1:3). We must, in short, be “poor in spirit.”
When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” He is declaring that, before we can enter God’s kingdom, we must recognize the utter worthlessness of our own spiritual currency and the inability of our own works to save us.
How are such things measured?
Did you do enough? (who knows?)
Could you have done more? (of course)
Was it enough? (who knows?)
K
KnowMe
Guest
K
KnowMe
Guest
The Believer must understand that when God doesn't see the Believers heart exhibiting Faith in His beloved Son in whom He is pleased, Jesus, and the Cross of Calvary where the victory was won, we have chosen another Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4) which produces strange fire and strange incenses.
When Aaron's sons Nadab & Abihu, Priests of God, ordained of God, called by God, and anointed by God - failed to take coals of fire from the Brazen Altar (A Type of Calvary), but from another source, and put those coals of fire on the Golden Altar, which sat immediately in front of the Veil, which hid the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt between the Mercy seat and the Cherubim. They were devoured by fire from the Holy of Holies. In other words, to do such was, in effect, to bypass Calvary, which God could not tolerate.
Man can come before God only on one premise, and that is by and through the shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That and that alone, which the Brazen Altar and its Sacrifices typified, gains entrance to God in any Form. When Jesus said, “No man cometh to the Father but by Me,” He was speaking of what He would do at the Cross of Calvary, which would make all of this possible (John 14:6).
When Aaron's sons Nadab & Abihu, Priests of God, ordained of God, called by God, and anointed by God - failed to take coals of fire from the Brazen Altar (A Type of Calvary), but from another source, and put those coals of fire on the Golden Altar, which sat immediately in front of the Veil, which hid the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt between the Mercy seat and the Cherubim. They were devoured by fire from the Holy of Holies. In other words, to do such was, in effect, to bypass Calvary, which God could not tolerate.
Man can come before God only on one premise, and that is by and through the shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That and that alone, which the Brazen Altar and its Sacrifices typified, gains entrance to God in any Form. When Jesus said, “No man cometh to the Father but by Me,” He was speaking of what He would do at the Cross of Calvary, which would make all of this possible (John 14:6).
God has chosen to operate His work from the basis of faith. "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2) is God's prescribed order of victory for the Believer over sin, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. This means that the Believer must place and maintain proper Faith the size of a mustard seed exclusively in Christ (who He is) and His Finished Work (what He has done), i.e., The Cross, i.e., The Blood of Jesus. Why? Because whatsoever that is not faith is sin. By doing so this enters the Believer into justification and progressive sanctification that gives the Holy Spirit the legal means to keep all commandments and all laws that is impossible for us to do. The Holy Spirit renews the mind when Faith is placed and maintained in Christ and Him Crucified. Why? Because we are now operating in the spirit. The presenting of your body as a living sacrifice and the renewing of the mind is not a Christian discipline nor a work of labor, but an act of Faith to believe only - daily. No Believer can fix the flesh with the flesh. All fruits that are added to the leaves of the Believer most be done by the Holy Spirit or you enter the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).
The Holy Spirit, He Works strictly within the parameters of the "Finished Work" i.e., "the Cross of Christ", which demands that our Faith be exclusively in the Cross of Christ. The reason is simple, that's were the price was paid, and the victory was forever won (Romans 6:1-14; 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 5; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:13-18; Col. 2:14-15).
For whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)
The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Jesus gives the Believer victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
Victory over the world: Galatians 6:14 ; 1 John 5:4
Victory over the flesh: Galatians 5:24
Victory over the Devil: Hebrews 2:14 ; Colossians 2:15
How does a Believer maintain faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross? By just believing in Jesus (who He is) and what He accomplished at Calvary Cross. Romans 4:5 - Galatians 2:19-21 NKJV - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NKJV - Colossians 2:11-15 NKJV
There is nothing in Scripture to support your assertion, and you have provided absolutely nothing in the way of supporting documentation. Spare us your empty condemnatory proclamations.
Here is what these verses actually say:
Luke 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Note... his own cross, NOT the cross of Calvary!
Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Note: again, his cross, NOT the cross of Calvary! The verse does not say anything about "the way to the cross"... at all.
The object of faith is Jesus Christ Himself, NOT the cross. Romans 6:1-14 DOES NOT say anything about the object of faith being the cross. Here it is in full:
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Please, stop repeatedly posting Swaggart's bad theology, and start reading a Bible that doesn't have his narrow opinions mixed with the text. You will learn far more from the Holy Spirit than from his commentary.
Jesus Explains the Purpose of Speaking in Parables
Matthew 13:10-14
10 And the Disciples came, and said unto Him (seems to pertain to a later time when they were alone), Why do you speak to them in Parables? (This portrays consternation on their part!)
11 He answered and said unto them (concerns the Lord's method of dealing with two different classes of people, those who really wanted to know God's way and those who were merely curious), Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given (two categories are here presented; in which category are you?).
12 For whosoever has (and wants more), to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance (if one wills Righteousness, the Lord wills more Righteousness to them): but whosoever has not (no interest for more), from him shall be taken away even that he has (he not only loses what he could have had, but even that which he has; to those who accept the Cross, they will have even more, and to those who reject the Cross, they will lose everything, even that which they previously had).
13 Therefore speak I to them in Parables (in order to separate those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness from those who don't): because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (that is, they do not wish to see or hear or understand; and hence by a just judgment they lose this triple moral ability).
14 And in them (those who reject the Cross [1 Cor. 1:23]) is fulfilled the Prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive (a willing deafness, a willful blindness, and a willful dullness; this Passage is quoted in one form or the other some seven times in the New Testament [Mat. 13:14-15; Mk. 4:12; LK. 8:10; Jn. 12:39-40; Acts 28:26-27; Rom. 11:8]):
JSM
Matthew 13:10-14
10 And the Disciples came, and said unto Him (seems to pertain to a later time when they were alone), Why do you speak to them in Parables? (This portrays consternation on their part!)
11 He answered and said unto them (concerns the Lord's method of dealing with two different classes of people, those who really wanted to know God's way and those who were merely curious), Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given (two categories are here presented; in which category are you?).
12 For whosoever has (and wants more), to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance (if one wills Righteousness, the Lord wills more Righteousness to them): but whosoever has not (no interest for more), from him shall be taken away even that he has (he not only loses what he could have had, but even that which he has; to those who accept the Cross, they will have even more, and to those who reject the Cross, they will lose everything, even that which they previously had).
13 Therefore speak I to them in Parables (in order to separate those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness from those who don't): because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (that is, they do not wish to see or hear or understand; and hence by a just judgment they lose this triple moral ability).
14 And in them (those who reject the Cross [1 Cor. 1:23]) is fulfilled the Prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive (a willing deafness, a willful blindness, and a willful dullness; this Passage is quoted in one form or the other some seven times in the New Testament [Mat. 13:14-15; Mk. 4:12; LK. 8:10; Jn. 12:39-40; Acts 28:26-27; Rom. 11:8]):
JSM
Philippians 3:17-21 King James Version (KJV)
ENEMIES OF THE CROSS DOCTRINE
17 Brethren, be followers together of me (be "Fellow-imitators"), and mark them which walk so as you have us for an ensample (observe intently).
18 (For many walk (speaks of those attempting to live for God outside of the victory and rudiments of the Cross of Christ), of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping (this is a most serious matter), that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ (those who do not look exclusively to the Cross of Christ must be labeled "enemies"):
19 Whose end is destruction (if the Cross is ignored, and continues to be ignored, the loss of the soul is the only ultimate conclusion), whose God is their belly (refers to those who attempt to pervert the Gospel for their own personal gain), and whose glory is in their shame (the material things they seek, God labels as "shame"), who mind earthly things.) (This means they have no interest in Heavenly things, which signifies they are using the Lord for their own personal gain.)
20 For our conversation (citizenship) is in Heaven (meaning the other ways will have no place in Heaven); from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (the Rapture):
21 Who (the Lord) shall change our vile body (the Resurrection), that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious body (every Saint will have a Glorified Body), according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. ("All things" are done through the Cross.)
JSM
"All things" are done through the Cross. If you leave the Cross, you enter death (Romans 8:1-2, 6, 13)
ENEMIES OF THE CROSS DOCTRINE
17 Brethren, be followers together of me (be "Fellow-imitators"), and mark them which walk so as you have us for an ensample (observe intently).
18 (For many walk (speaks of those attempting to live for God outside of the victory and rudiments of the Cross of Christ), of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping (this is a most serious matter), that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ (those who do not look exclusively to the Cross of Christ must be labeled "enemies"):
19 Whose end is destruction (if the Cross is ignored, and continues to be ignored, the loss of the soul is the only ultimate conclusion), whose God is their belly (refers to those who attempt to pervert the Gospel for their own personal gain), and whose glory is in their shame (the material things they seek, God labels as "shame"), who mind earthly things.) (This means they have no interest in Heavenly things, which signifies they are using the Lord for their own personal gain.)
20 For our conversation (citizenship) is in Heaven (meaning the other ways will have no place in Heaven); from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (the Rapture):
21 Who (the Lord) shall change our vile body (the Resurrection), that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious body (every Saint will have a Glorified Body), according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. ("All things" are done through the Cross.)
JSM
"All things" are done through the Cross. If you leave the Cross, you enter death (Romans 8:1-2, 6, 13)
Very - Very - IMPORTANT!!!!!!! I repeat!!!!!!!
Those who have departed from the faith
To depart from the faith means that a person had once been in the faith. Brother Swaggart says when we speak of faith at the ministry, we're speaking of faith in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. When people leave the Cross and turn to other things, which millions are now doing, the Scripture says of them: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1).
Needless to say, such individuals, as with the lukewarm and as with those who have a form of godliness, are labeled by the Lord as unsaved, despite their claims, and will not go in the rapture nor enter the strait gate and narrow way that leads unto life.
Those who have departed from the faith
To depart from the faith means that a person had once been in the faith. Brother Swaggart says when we speak of faith at the ministry, we're speaking of faith in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. When people leave the Cross and turn to other things, which millions are now doing, the Scripture says of them: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1).
Needless to say, such individuals, as with the lukewarm and as with those who have a form of godliness, are labeled by the Lord as unsaved, despite their claims, and will not go in the rapture nor enter the strait gate and narrow way that leads unto life.
7
7seasrekeyed
Guest
7
7seasrekeyed
Guest
Jesus was more than happy to walk away. He despised the shame of the cross
but you and Jimmy want to cling so hard you get splinters
apparently you have heard or possibly do not believe, that the work on the cross is finished
misinterpreting passages to suit Jimmy's angst and fear over his own unchristian behavior is cultish
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
Jesus endured the cross for US . that is the actual message
S
selfdissolving
Guest
being poor in spirit is recognizing your utter inability to perform according to the righteous standard of God, and therefore recognizing your need for a Savior.
the unsaved do not recognize this inability. they are "just fine, full and satisfied, and do not need God in their lives."
the beatitudes are not a list of requirements to fulfill so Jesus will let you into heaven. they are a list of the attributes of all the redeemed who are in Christ.
This looks more like "Swaggart gives his opinion on Jesus explaining the purpose of parables".
Where are these "millions"? Where is the research identifying them? Where is the published report? Where is the documentation of the sampling methodology, survey questions, and analysis? When was the survey conducted, and where? What is the control group? What standard of assesment was used to distinguish those who have left "the cross" from those who haven't?
In other words, this is more of your opinion. You have NOTHING with which to substantiate your assertions.