Enjoy summer. We are in the middle of winter here in northwest B.C. We have about 30 cm of snow with about 10 cm added last night. It is lovely snow for skiers and snowmobilers who ride up into the mountains here. The tree branches are covered with it now too. Temp about minus 11 centigrade.

Reminds of that verse:

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though yours sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18 KJV

I praise the Lord for washing away my sins in His blood and making them whiter than snow.

Lurker wrote:
Deu 32:39 See now that I, [even] I, [am] he, and [there is] no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither [is there any] that can deliver out of my hand.

I believe the three Reformed confessions are in accordance with the Bible. The only thing which I may disagree with them is not really part of the confessions. The article on last things does not really go into prophecy or premill interpretation. It appears they can live with me having a different understanding of that as long as I can agree with the three historic confessions, which I can do. As you know, I am opposed to Arminianism and believe salvation is of the Lord.

jago wrote:
Do you really see God up there biting his fingernails and wondering if anyone will accept his magnificient offer?
We read in scripture that the end will come when the full number of gentils have been brought in. Also that no one will come to the father unless the father draws him. Rather a different picture.

"For I know that the Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all gods.

Whatsoever the Lord pleased, That did he in heaven, and in earth, In the seas, and all deep places."

Psalm 135:5,6

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:

"These works, as they proceed from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God, forasmuch as they are all sanctified by His grace. Nevertheless they are of no account towards our justification, for it is by faith in Christ that we are justified, even before we do good works; otherwise they could not be good works, any more than the fruit of a tree can be good before the tree itself is good."

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:5

Abigail wrote:
TULIP permits unrepentant sinners to receive salvation which is against everything the Word of God teaches....
Abigail

Calvinist or Reformed churches hold to the teachings which are reflected in their confessions such as the Belgic Confession (1561). Part of Article 24 "Of Sanctification and of Good Works" says "We believe that this true faith, being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word of God and the operation of the Holy Spirit, regenerates him and makes him a new man, causing him to live a new life, and freeing him from the bondage of sin."

"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." Acts 16:14

Notice the Lord opened Lydia's heart.

"...no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. 12:3

Abigail wrote:
TULIP permits unrepentant sinners to receive salvation which is against everything the Word of God teaches.
Abigail

'By one offering he has forever perfected those who are being sanctified. The Holy Spirit attests this to us, for after saying, 'This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds,' he also says, "Their sins and their transgressions I will remember no more."' Hebrew 10: 14-17 RC New American Bible

Good day dear brother. I listened to this short sermon last evening and realized this is one message we need to give to our RC friends and relatives. Perhaps you would be able to use it somehow or the information from it in your witnessing to your loved ones. It is only 36 mins in length but very powerful. It is called "Sins Forgiven and Forgotten" by Rev. Lee Sterritt. Blessings to you and yours.

Thank you for your kind wishes. We have attended a number of different churches in the past 28 years since the Lord saved me. Since I retired,I have had more time to study doctrine and have come to the conclusion the faithful reformed churches (and Presbyterian) which hold to the historic confessions are biblically correct. There is no Presbyterian church here. Lately, I have been attending a reformed church and am in the process of becoming a member. Unfortunately my wife is not in complete agreement although she is a christian and attends church with me. She will not join at this time. The Pastor and an elder are coming to visit me tomorrow evening to discuss my joining.

Linda wrote:
What's the main difference between a Calvinist and Arminian?

http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/trf/index.html

kevin wrote:
Wayne M.
Could you or sombody else show me "in scripture" where it documents that Yahshua was born on Dec. 25?
You quote Col. 2:16, watch what you quote. Yahweh disapproves when men takes upon themselves to establish a day, which goes against Scripture.
Yes, scripture does document the day of his birth. And there is a reason why Yahweh used the date that HE established. When the Churches celebrate Dec. 25, they have slapped Yahweh in the face!
Kevin

Daniel wrote:
1. The real Christ is not in "Christmas" and never was.
2. There's nothing holy about the "holidays."
So I prefer no phrase at all.

jenny wrote:
Hi Wayne,
..I was not aware that I had to explain myself to anyone but God

As this is a christian forum and we have some who come on with very heretical beliefs, yet claiming to be christians and expecting to be accepted as such, is it not a fair question to ask what one believes?

Nobody has a monopoly on the truth, except God and His word. Jesus said "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17

We are told to test the spirits.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1

The Apostle John also said:

"We (the Apostles) are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." 1 John 4:6

You said your church holds to the Westminster Confession. That is a good sign. If you believe what is in the WCF and know you are forgiven through Jesus Christ, then halleluya.

jenny wrote:
Albert
thnak you for you comments, but please everyone do not all jump on me all at once! ...So while we can disagree theologicall surly that does not mean that we cannot act lovingly towards each other? Thats my argument, Am I wrong?

My concern is are you in the Church of England? Have they departed from the Bible in many ways? I.E. blessing homosexual unions in some of their churches? Also, the C. of E. is part of the apostate World Council of Churches if I'm not mistaken. How can a christian in good conscience support that? How does a person become a christian in the C. of E.?

Abigail wrote:
Wayne M wrote
"Repentance and believing require a regenerated heart and mind. That is what regeneration means.
____
No. Humanity is not regenerated until the Spirit of God indwells them. There is no prior regeneration before the entry of the Holy Spirit. Abigail

"Article 9:
This election was not founded upon foreseen faith and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality or disposition in man, as the prerequisite, cause, or condition on which it depended; but men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc. Therefore election is the fountain of every saving good, from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to the testimony of the apostle: "He hath chosen us (not because we were, but) that we should be holy, and without blemish before him in love (Eph. 1:4).

Abigail wrote:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye **shall receive** the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Act 2:38)
You are blind to miss the fact that they had to repent and be baptized before they were regenerated by the Holy Ghost?
Abigail

You may have misunderstood that from the fact that during the Apostolic age believing and receiving the Holy Ghost were separate events at times. However, even though a few evidently believed but had not received the Holy Ghost, they would still have had to been regenerated by the Holy Ghost in order to believe.

Apart from those few occurrences in Acts, the normal experience is for all believers is to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. see 1 Cor.12:13

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be muliplied." 1 Peter 1:2

Abigail wrote:
Wayne M said
"Ezekiel 37:1-6
Can men dead in trespasses and sins live without the working of the Spirit of the Lord? Can they do anything without the Spirit of the Lord first working in them?"
____
No one can do anything of spiritual worth except the Spirit of the Lord works within them, which is the reason we need the Holy Ghost.....

"IX OF FREE WILL

3. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto." WCF (1646)

katteker wrote:
There is only one type of christians and they are drawn by the father to Christ. The ones who think they are christians.will depart from Him if He tells them they cannot come any other way. They assumed that He was nuts telling them this while they stood next to Him. Remember this and repent of your fleshly coming for this has to be spiritually understood and condems ALTAR commers! God gave us a manual and we better read and obey scripture.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Titus 3:5