Hello

[atpollard]

Hello.

Hmm ... how to introduce myself. Well, I guess that I am not quite “new” but more like returning after a LONG sabbatical.

I tend to view myself as living proof of two great TRUTHS:
1. God can save quite literally ANYONE.
2. God really DOES have a sense of humor.

I am the product of three generations of “submarine Christians” (we only surface for Christmas and Easter as a social obligation). Raised by an Atheist father and lapsed Catholic mother. After 20 Church Services, I came to reject the myth of Christ about the same time as Santa and the Easter Bunny and ultimately embraced “nihilism”.

God chose, in his infinite wisdom, to prove that He can do anything by claiming me in a “road to Damascus” experience while I was an arsonist, drug smuggler and gang member.

God chose to demonstrate His sense of humor by presenting me with the Gospel at a Catholic Charismatic Fellowship (to this day, I still have a soft spot in my heart for both Catholics and Charismatics/Pentecostals). Then God delivered me to the Church of God where I learned about Biblical Precepts from a missionary FROM Africa to the United States. Of course, the ultimate irony was studying scripture under “Wesleyan Arminian” teachers and coming to conclusions based on the scripture that I read and my personal experiences that I ultimately discovered had a name ... “Reformed Baptist”.


So ...
I am Reformed (I believe that God saves people without needing our permission).
I am Baptist (I believe that the “Church” is comprised of all of the saved people and only the saved people).
I am a Continuationist (I see no real indication that God’s biblical promises expired with the Apostles).

That means almost EVERYONE will disagree with SOMETHING that I believe.
(Fortunately, I am not YOUR slave, so I must answer to MY Master and not to you.)

 

[Tone]

Hey there brother, welcome to the CF!

 

[SigurdReginson]

Welcome!

 

[Dan1988]

Hello.

Hmm ... how to introduce myself. Well, I guess that I am not quite “new” but more like returning after a LONG sabbatical.

I tend to view myself as living proof of two great TRUTHS:
1. God can save quite literally ANYONE.
2. God really DOES have a sense of humor.

I am the product of three generations of “submarine Christians” (we only surface for Christmas and Easter as a social obligation). Raised by an Atheist father and lapsed Catholic mother. After 20 Church Services, I came to reject the myth of Christ about the same time as Santa and the Easter Bunny and ultimately embraced “nihilism”.

God chose, in his infinite wisdom, to prove that He can do anything by claiming me in a “road to Damascus” experience while I was an arsonist, drug smuggler and gang member.

God chose to demonstrate His sense of humor by presenting me with the Gospel at a Catholic Charismatic Fellowship (to this day, I still have a soft spot in my heart for both Catholics and Charismatics/Pentecostals). Then God delivered me to the Church of God where I learned about Biblical Precepts from a missionary FROM Africa to the United States. Of course, the ultimate irony was studying scripture under “Wesleyan Arminian” teachers and coming to conclusions based on the scripture that I read and my personal experiences that I ultimately discovered had a name ... “Reformed Baptist”.


So ...
I am Reformed (I believe that God saves people without needing our permission).
I am Baptist (I believe that the “Church” is comprised of all of the saved people and only the saved people).
I am a Continuationist (I see no real indication that God’s biblical promises expired with the Apostles).

That means almost EVERYONE will disagree with SOMETHING that I believe.
(Fortunately, I am not YOUR slave, so I must answer to MY Master and not to you.)

I was just about to award you the "winner" medal, but I had to reconsider after reading the "continuationist" bit.

As you rightly pointed out, not everyone will agree with you. I don't agree or disagree with that, as I'm not sure if that includes things like our handkerchiefs having to power to heal people or that we have the power to cast out demons from possessed people.

I would agree that the gospel is just as powerful to save sinners when we preach it as it was when the apostles preached it. But I don't find anything in the Bible to suggest that we have the same power as was given to the apostles.

 

[Tigger45]

Welcome back!

 

[Carl Emerson]

Hello.

Hmm ... how to introduce myself. Well, I guess that I am not quite “new” but more like returning after a LONG sabbatical.

I tend to view myself as living proof of two great TRUTHS:
1. God can save quite literally ANYONE.
2. God really DOES have a sense of humor.

I am the product of three generations of “submarine Christians” (we only surface for Christmas and Easter as a social obligation). Raised by an Atheist father and lapsed Catholic mother. After 20 Church Services, I came to reject the myth of Christ about the same time as Santa and the Easter Bunny and ultimately embraced “nihilism”.

God chose, in his infinite wisdom, to prove that He can do anything by claiming me in a “road to Damascus” experience while I was an arsonist, drug smuggler and gang member.

God chose to demonstrate His sense of humor by presenting me with the Gospel at a Catholic Charismatic Fellowship (to this day, I still have a soft spot in my heart for both Catholics and Charismatics/Pentecostals). Then God delivered me to the Church of God where I learned about Biblical Precepts from a missionary FROM Africa to the United States. Of course, the ultimate irony was studying scripture under “Wesleyan Arminian” teachers and coming to conclusions based on the scripture that I read and my personal experiences that I ultimately discovered had a name ... “Reformed Baptist”.


So ...
I am Reformed (I believe that God saves people without needing our permission).
I am Baptist (I believe that the “Church” is comprised of all of the saved people and only the saved people).
I am a Continuationist (I see no real indication that God’s biblical promises expired with the Apostles).

That means almost EVERYONE will disagree with SOMETHING that I believe.
(Fortunately, I am not YOUR slave, so I must answer to MY Master and not to you.)

Hey

Great to hear from you.

He turned my life around as well.

You might find my testimonial thread interesting.

Jesus's Ministry

 

[atpollard]

I don't agree or disagree with that, as I'm not sure if that includes things like our handkerchiefs having to power to heal people or that we have the power to cast out demons from possessed people.

I know of NO ONE whom the Holy Spirit has granted the ability to heal by either laying on of a handkerchief or having their shadow fall on the sick person. For that matter, I know of no person that has the innate “gift” of the Holy Spirit to lay hands and cure any disease or infirmity.

HOWEVER, I also know of absolutely NO SCRIPTURE that states that God cannot or will never grant such ability again or that the Holy Spirit ceased to grant any of the “spiritual gifts” with the death of the last Apostle (as some claim with rather weak support based on a deliberate misreading of “when the perfect shall come”.)

 

[atpollard]

But I don't find anything in the Bible to suggest that we have the same power as was given to the apostles.

Does Paul speak of only Apostles in this Paragraph?

[1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV] 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit [of all]: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another [different] kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.


When did God change His mind and retract these verses?

 

[mnorian]

Hello.

Hmm ... how to introduce myself. Well, I guess that I am not quite “new” but more like returning after a LONG sabbatical.

I tend to view myself as living proof of two great TRUTHS:
1. God can save quite literally ANYONE.
2. God really DOES have a sense of humor.

I am the product of three generations of “submarine Christians” (we only surface for Christmas and Easter as a social obligation). Raised by an Atheist father and lapsed Catholic mother. After 20 Church Services, I came to reject the myth of Christ about the same time as Santa and the Easter Bunny and ultimately embraced “nihilism”.

God chose, in his infinite wisdom, to prove that He can do anything by claiming me in a “road to Damascus” experience while I was an arsonist, drug smuggler and gang member.

God chose to demonstrate His sense of humor by presenting me with the Gospel at a Catholic Charismatic Fellowship (to this day, I still have a soft spot in my heart for both Catholics and Charismatics/Pentecostals). Then God delivered me to the Church of God where I learned about Biblical Precepts from a missionary FROM Africa to the United States. Of course, the ultimate irony was studying scripture under “Wesleyan Arminian” teachers and coming to conclusions based on the scripture that I read and my personal experiences that I ultimately discovered had a name ... “Reformed Baptist”.


So ...
I am Reformed (I believe that God saves people without needing our permission).
I am Baptist (I believe that the “Church” is comprised of all of the saved people and only the saved people).
I am a Continuationist (I see no real indication that God’s biblical promises expired with the Apostles).

That means almost EVERYONE will disagree with SOMETHING that I believe.
(Fortunately, I am not YOUR slave, so I must answer to MY Master and not to you.)

Hi At;
welcome to CF; May the Lord Jesus guide you here as well as in the world; and may you find friends and what ever you need from the Lord here.

I do have a question for you; do you like music--Praise & Worship music?

I have found; in times of trouble; like we have with this CV-19; that listening to; and singing along to good Christian P&W music; can bring us closer to Jesus and His wonderful peace.

Well we have a new forum here at CF just for P&W music and at the top is a directory of other Christian music threads around CF; come and take a look!

Praise and Worship Music

To The

 

[sunshineforJesus]

Hi and welcome here.

 

[returntosender]

WELCOME back to the fold. Sounds like you will have lots to share with us coming up.
Glad to see you here and I hope you will enjoy us as much as we will enjoy your offerings.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

[kingsdaughter85]

Welcome back. God bless you❤️

 

[Andrewn]

Welcome to the CF. Hope you enjoy the fellowship and discussions.

 

[Dan1988]

I know of NO ONE whom the Holy Spirit has granted the ability to heal by either laying on of a handkerchief or having their shadow fall on the sick person. For that matter, I know of no person that has the innate “gift” of the Holy Spirit to lay hands and cure any disease or infirmity.

HOWEVER, I also know of absolutely NO SCRIPTURE that states that God cannot or will never grant such ability again or that the Holy Spirit ceased to grant any of the “spiritual gifts” with the death of the last Apostle (as some claim with rather weak support based on a deliberate misreading of “when the perfect shall come”.)

Does Paul speak of only Apostles in this Paragraph?

[1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV] 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit [of all]: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another [different] kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.


When did God change His mind and retract these verses?

I was only referring to the gift of casting out unclean spirits. We know that gift was only given to the apostles, since that gift was no longer necessary after Jesus bound Satan in Mark 3:27 so no Christian has ever been possessed or indwelt by an unclean spirit from that time onward. .

 

[atpollard]

I was only referring to the gift of casting out unclean spirits. We know that gift was only given to the apostles, since that gift was no longer necessary after Jesus bound Satan in Mark 3:27 so no Christian has ever been possessed or indwelt by an unclean spirit from that time onward. .

Are you SURE that Satan is bound? (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

 

[atpollard]

I was only referring to the gift of casting out unclean spirits.

I have no strong opinions on casting out unclean spirits (other than I am against ‘unclean spirits’). Like other supernatural gifts, I know of no one that has them today and I know of no verse that clearly announces that God has changed His mind and “will never do that again”.

I know of three Christians that work in mental health hospitals and all three assure me that ‘evil spirits’ are still very much among us. I once visited Haiti on vacation and could literally FEEL the evil in the air (we returned to the ship). So while I agree that no Demon can take up residence where the Holy Spirit of God dwells, there may still be a need for the Holy Spirit to bestow the gift of casting out unclean spirits for the benefit of the Body of Christ (as an arm of the evangelistic branch of the Church).

 

[Dan1988]

Are you SURE that Satan is bound? (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Thank you for reminding me of this verse which further cements my point that Jesus bound Satan in Mark 3:27 Since then Satan lost all of His power to hurt Christians.
So thank you for confirming that He has full power over the reprobate, since they can't accept Christ who protects His people and leaves the reprobate at the mercy of Satan.
As the scripture you listed above, tells us that the gospel is hidden from the non elect. It means that they don't have the only thing which can liberate them from bondage sin and Satan.

 

[atpollard]

Thank you for reminding me of this verse which further cements my point that Jesus bound Satan in Mark 3:27 Since then Satan lost all of His power to hurt Christians.
So thank you for confirming that He has full power over the reprobate, since they can't accept Christ who protects His people and leaves the reprobate at the mercy of Satan.
As the scripture you listed above, tells us that the gospel is hidden from the non elect. It means that they don't have the only thing which can liberate them from bondage sin and Satan.

I can and do agree 100% with that. As in the case of Job, Satan can do nothing that God does not grant him permission to do. As Paul told us, messengers of Satan may “oppress” us, but we are already the “possession” of someone stronger than Satan.

I love the “Battle” of Armageddon ... the armies gather against God and ... Jesus shows up ... end of battle before it begins. There is no contest when opposing God. It is like beating your head against a mountain in hopes of crushing the mountain. It ain’t gonna happen.