Quote:
Originally Posted by Jassy
Tony, I wonder, do the Jesus Only/Oneness Pentecostal cult also believe in Halloween then - since they believe that God wore 3 disguises? The problem with their approach is that they're thinking in HUMAN terms. God is GOD and He is SPIRIT and He does things that we are incapable of and sometimes cannot understand. Yet we have faith and trust in Him and His Word is sure.
If I'm any type of Dispensationalist, then, like you, I must be a Pauline Dispensationalist. Paul did say "MY Gospel" - and not Christ's Gospel. Paul's teachings were different from all the other Apostles' teachings. He based the Church upon GRACE.
I'm still confused about some things. For example, God choses us:
Ephesians 1:4 - "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,..."
And yet, Rev. 22:17 makes it appear that we have free will to choose: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
I believe that we cannot come to the faith in Jesus Christ on our own:
John 6:44 - "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
There are so many that think that once you're called, that's it and there's nothing else you can do. I guess they call that "irresistable grace." That doesn't sound right to me. A person is given a free will - or else we are all just puppets.
It is true that God KNOWS all things and He knows who will choose or reject Him. He knows when he has drawn a person and what that person's reaction and choice are.
I believe that God drew me to Him several times, and I DID resist Him. I did not, at that time, understand. But God is very patient, and He loves us, He will (and did) try several times. He did that with me, until the timing was right for me to respond with JOY and strong FAITH.
That doesn't mean that God chose the wrong timing with me, at first, it was just His plan to do that in my life.
Jassy
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Aloha Jassy,
I want to echo all of the other welcomes coming from the brethren here on the Forum.
At the risk of sounding presumptuous, you stated: "
I'm still confused about some things. For example, God chooses us:"
If you care to check out my Thread & subsequent Posts on Calvinism, you might find some information that may be of some help to you.
The main body of the study on the Five Points of Calvinism (T.U.L.I.P.):
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...53&postcount=1
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...59&postcount=3
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...44&postcount=9
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...9&postcount=45
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...0&postcount=67
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...9&postcount=89
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...5&postcount=96
Additional comments in answer to some questions:
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...6&postcount=13
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...3&postcount=16
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...9&postcount=25
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...7&postcount=37
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...7&postcount=52
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...2&postcount=54
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...9&postcount=59
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...1&postcount=60
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...5&postcount=62
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...7&postcount=73
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...5&postcount=75
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...0&postcount=87
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...&postcount=101
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...&postcount=110
http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...&postcount=117
All you have to do is "click on" the Link and it will take you to the particular "Thread" or "Post".
I know this is a whole lot of information, but I too wondered for many years about these things before undertaking this study. I believe that if Christians sincerely search for the truth, God will show them (in His own time) the truth. It took 40 years of study and preparation before I could try to "tackle" this issue; I couldn't have done it 10 years ago - I wasn't "prepared", and God hadn't revealed some of the things to me, that He has revealed in the last few years.
If you have any questions - you might check out the "comments" Posts. There were several questions from some of the members of the Forum and I may have already answered your question elsewhere.
Psalms 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.