[greenbear]

Originally Posted by tonybones2112

Perhaps sometime in the near future when I am not vehicularly challenged we'll get together.

If you feel comfortable in a grace church environment, I'm sure Richard can recommend something in your area.

Sister, I don't debate much anymore. I give the Scripture and let a Christian make their own mind up. Dr. Ruckman likes to call us dry cleaners "church splitters". I wish he had taken more of a stand on the Spanish NT issue back in the 80s, that split a lot of churches. I'm no repector of denominations: If a Baptist church is held together only by water baptism, if a grace church is held together only by dispensationalism, if a pentecostal/charasmatic church is held together only by tongues, they need to be split. The Holy Spirit is what holds churches together.

Grace and peace sister, let me know what you hear from Richard

Tony

Tony,
We would be very pleased to meet you. We could travel to you, Lord willing. We never go anywhere, so it would be a treat!
Or we would love to have you visit us whenever it might be convenient for you.

I didn't see a doctrinal statement (other than grace and dispensational) on Grace Impact homepage but I requested that info as well as church locations. The website looks interesting, though.

It seems apparent to my husband and me and I believe you, as well, that the underlying reason for the splintering of the church into so many denominations is the failure of the church to distinguish between the commandments and promises to Israel from those given to the church during the age of grace, the mystery revealed through Paul.

I'm not up on all of the different dispensational positions, and I have never heard of Ruckman before this board and I don't think I will bother to investigate him. I think that the "moderate" dispensational view at least avoids the major stumbling blocks for understanding salvation by faith alone and a pre-millennial, pre-tribulational understanding of biblical prophecy. I can agree to disagree at that juncture, if I must. God forbid that we should believe that we inherit the promises that God gave to His people, Israel. The church is only a tiny blip in God's program. We are just the wild olive branch, grafted in, partaking of the blessings of the cultivated olive tree, which is Israel.

The debate over water baptism for the church age is of great significance. How many millions of people have been lost because they believed that they were saved for the reason that they were baptized as an infant? How many adults have believed that their decision to be baptized ensured their salvation without believing on Christ? These people are suffering the unimaginable torments of hell. They will spend eternity in the lake of fire. No scriptures that are given to the gentile church command or suggest water baptism.

Unity of the Spirit can't be achieved by compromise or agreeing to disagree. Church traditions obscure the truth of God's word. There is nothing new under the sun.