Recent content by Randy

Hello, Blackwing.... You're about to get a sermon I'll never, ever get to preach. I promise I'll keep it as brief as possible, ok? It's safe to say that Christians spend a great deal of time, energy, and study in the pursuit of "truth." After all, the word "truth" must appear a gazillion...

Hi, MizD! How 'bout I send you some good old VA frost? We got lots of it around here this morning. If the "good news" (the gospel) is that Jesus died for sinners, the BEST news is that we are in no position to judge who those folks are. I mean, Jesus is "...the good shepherd..." Who laid...

Mornin', HumbleJoe.... Yes, that ol' "total depravity" rears it's ugly head. I especially like John 6 since it shows Jesus dealing with "the mulititudes," then the "Jews," and then his "disciples." He told the mulititudes "All that the Father give me shall come to me." To the Jews, He...

Perhaps another way to consider this is: The atonement is limited either in: Extent: It was not intended for all, or Effectiveness: It did not secure the salvation of any. Thus, the question becomes: Did Jesus die to make salvation only "possible," or to actually "save" people...

Futuresoldier: For the sake of discussion, I'll concede. The Bible is a pack of lies. We'll start with that premise, and subsequently, toss it out. Fair enough? You're still left with two absolute and undeniable truths of life: 1) People make choices. 2) Actions have consequences...

Hi, Everyone.... This topic sure brings back memories.... Long story, short version: I was in the midst of my most zealous, "Bible-thumping," tongue-talking, lay-preaching, theologically-evolving, charismatic days when "Star Wars" came out. (By the way--how do I make words come out...

Hi Pat, and everyone else.... Thanks for the welcome. I wasn't being rude, just thinking about my last post and forgot the most important thing, which was to acknowledge y'all's kindness. (Yeah, I know. "Y'all". Been in VA forever, and it's just one of the few "southernisms" I positively...

With passages such as John 3:16, it's easy to see why people are reluctant to give serious consideration to the doctrines of election and predestination. It is best, therefore, to begin with two things agreed upon by all Christians: 1) The Bible is the unfolding drama of man's redemption to...

This is the only position I've found to be theologically consistent throughout the Bible. The difficutly people find in this is the immediate assumption, on their behalf, that God has "chosen" and "predestined" people to everlasting punishment, which is certainly not the case. Although the...

This is only my second post. I was remiss in not saying in the first what a great forum, and bunch of folks, you have here. It'll take a while, but I'm catching up with what's going on. Now, my obversation is this: The varying points-of-view regarding this subject are all apparently...

If by "rapture" one means the "catching up" of the living at the second coming, then yes, that's clearly scriptural. It's the entire, literal 7-year tribulation and millenium for which I find no sound Biblical basis.