Born Again Christians Thread-No Bashing please

[binny]

KTSY
This is our local Christian Station this is what we listen to most often.

 

[live4christp1]

She was a Nazarene PK just like I am and I went to see her with a group of friends EVERYTHING in her set just hit home with me. ( the dress length, Catholic, Baptist, and then Nazarene!) I was laughing so hard and I was about 7 months pregnant my friend swore I was going to go into labour right then and there


It was just hilarious!!!

I've been to two of her shows "Ladies Night Out" and the Soap Box one. Her mom came riding out at one with a guy on a Harley.....it was a hoot!!!!

I also like Mark Lowry and we were watching one of his videos and he is talking about one of his teachers and about his school experience and I looked at DH and said that is DS to a tee......oh my, what we have to look forward too.

Dennis Swanburg (hope that's right) is funny too......he was one of the entertainers at a ladies conference our church went to. We have his video "Is Your Love Tank Full" and it is so funny.

Any other favorite Christian comedians?

 

[Aidensmom]

Very curious here.

Are you trying to say that God kept you away from those accidents? If so, how does that equate to the people who were in this accidents? Does it mean they had a lesser relationship with God?

I like to think I understand a lot of things, but how people reason that they were watched over in favor of others, given something extra to win the game, and even win the lottery, totally escapes me.

I think that, yes, God may have kept her from those accidents. But no, that does not mean the ones in the accident had a lesser relationship with God. It means to me that God, may have had a reason that she avoided the accident, something else that was in his plan for her that day and wanted to give here the opportunity of (though he has plans for us, we have free will to reject them), and the accident would have prevented that. As strange as it may sound to you, there may also be a reason those particular people were in the accident, and I am not saying some sort of punishment. I am having a hard time putting it in words, so I will give an example.

About a year ago, we had one of our normal daily thunderstorms, except during this storm what is called a "microburst" occurred, stirring up extremely strong winds in a very small area. This microburst broke one of our 60 ft Oak trees in half and sent it down through our roof and into my bedroom. I was very upset about it, it scared me tremendously, and cost us a lot of money in insurance deductibles, not to mention the inconvenience of not having use of my bedroom (and bed which got soaked with the water that poured through) for 3 weeks. Overall, it was not what anyone would call a good thing that happened. About 6 weeks later the series of hurricanes which hit FL occurred, some of them going through my area. I had a fear of storms, and would have been absolutely terrified, and pretty much useless because of it, when these storms came through if it was not for the experience I had with the tree. I learned for myself that in reality things that can happen are not as bad as my fears made them out to be, and that losing material goods is not such a big deal, and basically that I have the ability to survive a loss, even if it is worse than the one that we had. So sometimes even when "bad" things happen, I think there is a reason that God allows them (not makes them) to.

Of course this is all just my feelings, so take it or leave it.

 

[cardaway]

No that is not what I am saying at all......as I have no clue as to who those people were and thus no idea of what their relationship with God is. I do think that God can put His hand (something I pray for daily for my family) of protection around us. In no way am I trying to state that bad things won't happen to me because I am a Christian. If I am in an accident I don't think oh well, I must have done something to make God angry and he wasn't looking out for me today. Just think that He is in control and I'm sure He has protected me more times than I even know. I don't consider that to be more favored than any other person.

I'm sorry, but given your example that doesn't make sense to me. It would be one thing if you experienced a situation where you feel you were kept safe and others were not involved. For example, I can understand somebody thinking their child was spared when there is a large fire in your home, yet the children's bedrooms are the only rooms spared.

The accident situation sounds different, yet so familiar when included in the many other stories and interviews I have read over the years. The difference I see is that there is an expression that somebody was saved, but in this case, in favor of another directly involved. At its most simple, one person is saying they were spared in a situation where others were injured as a direct result.

Frankly, when it's not Christians making those kind of claims, I have seen Christians thinking those others are off their rocker. Oddly enough however, many Christians make similar claims.

 

[cardaway]

About a year ago, we had one of our normal daily thunderstorms, except during this storm what is called a "microburst" occurred, stirring up extremely strong winds in a very small area. This microburst broke one of our 60 ft Oak trees in half and sent it down through our roof and into my bedroom. I was very upset about it, it scared me tremendously, and cost us a lot of money in insurance deductibles, not to mention the inconvenience of not having use of my bedroom (and bed which got soaked with the water that poured through) for 3 weeks. Overall, it was not what anyone would call a good thing that happened. About 6 weeks later the series of hurricanes which hit FL occurred, some of them going through my area. I had a fear of storms, and would have been absolutely terrified, and pretty much useless because of it, when these storms came through if it was not for the experience I had with the tree. I learned for myself that in reality things that can happen are not as bad as my fears made them out to be, and that losing material goods is not such a big deal, and basically that I have the ability to survive a loss, even if it is worse than the one that we had. So sometimes even when "bad" things happen, I think there is a reason that God allows them (not makes them) to.

Of course this is all just my feelings, so take it or leave it.

I think I do understand what you are saying, but I do have to say that losing material things and injury and death are quite another. While I believe in a higher power, I'm not one that buys into the overwatching, forever button pushing, God that is what these kind of statements imply.

 

[live4christp1]

I'm sorry, but given your example that doesn't make sense to me. It would be one thing if you experienced a situation where you feel you were kept safe and others were not involved. For example, I can understand somebody thinking their child was spared when there is a large fire in your home, yet the children's bedrooms are the only rooms spared.

The accident situation sounds different, yet so familiar when included in the many other stories and interviews I have read over the years. The difference I see is that there is an expression that somebody was saved, but in this case, in favor of another directly involved. At its most simple, one person is saying they were spared in a situation where others were injured as a direct result.

Frankly, when it's not Christians making those kind of claims, I have seen Christians thinking those others are off their rocker. Oddly enough however, many Christians make similar claims.

Even if a non-Christian made that claim, I wouldn't think they were off their rocker. Their view of it and mine would probably be completely different as I would view it as God sparing them in order to give them another chance to come to Him. The Bible says that God is not willing that ANY should perish. That is why He has pursued a relationship with man since the beginning of creation. Just think that God understands each and every situation. I believe that God's even in the small things. I think He protected us but at the same time He is teaching me......I need to have more patience, learn to wait and trust Him (not just in the instance with the train) but also with a lot of things that were going on in my life. Think He was also teaching me discipline......that I need to be more disciplined with my time and not wait and push it to the last minute every morning as it usually leads to me feeling very hurried and rushed and getting in a bad mood - mornings are hard for me as I am not a morning person at all......the opposite....a night owl.

 

[live4christp1]

Anyone else here like reading Max Lucado? I have several of his books and have enjoyed them.

www.christianbook.com

This site has great deals on Christian books, resources, etc.

Anyone's kids VeggieTale fans?

My DS & DD like them. They have also enjoyed Ms. PattyCake, 3, 2, 1 Penguins, Adventures in Odysey & many others.

 

[AuntieM03]

Anyone else listen to Christian radio? If yes, what do you listen to......do you feel it benefits you? If yes, how?

When driving I usually listen to J103 or WAYFM which for the most part is just Contemporary Christian Music. At work I listen to Moody Radio via WMBW 88.9 (sometimes WDYN which is the station affiliated with DS school but not often), some music, lots of teaching. The music on the drive to and from work gives me an opportunity to worship God, gets me going in the morning and helps me relax on the drive home. The teaching I hear via WMBW has helped me grow so much. If a speaker is speaking on something and I don't agree, I always make a note of the scripture he is referencing and go back and look at it myself when I get home, there have been lots of times I was wrong in my thinking.

Remembering back in 1997 when my dad's aorta ruptured (I was expecting DS in a couple of months) after the surgery and all, they finally had him in ICU and we got to see the doctors etc.....which gave us the worst case scenario. My mom and my DH wouldn't let me stay at the hospital all night and when we started home the song by Rich Mullins "Awesome God" came on and I knew that no matter what, my dad would be all right.

So many times it seems that whatever I am facing, struggling with, etc....I turn on the radio and there is a song or someone speaking and it is as if they are speaking directly at me.

Coincidence.....I don't think so, I believe it is the ever present hand of God.....showing me still again how much He is involved in my life.

At work I have XM radio so I listen to the FISH (contemporary). In my car I can only get 1 Christian station and it is talk. I do sometimes listen to Frank Pastori or the bible answer man. I also like to listen to New Life Live w/Steve Arteburn.

 

[live4christp1]

At work I have XM radio so I listen to the FISH (contemporary). In my car I can only get 1 Christian station and it is talk. I do sometimes listen to Frank Pastori or the bible answer man. I also like to listen to New Life Live w/Steve Arteburn.

We get to listen to FISH when we drive down through the Atlanta area.....we don't have a FISH station here...

I also enjoy listening to Steve Arteburn.

There are many programs I enjoy listening to on Moody
Joseph Stowell
Erwin Lutzer
Chuck Swindoll
David Jeremiah
Joni Erickson Tada
Kay Arthur

the list goes on and on........

 

[binny]

Has anyone read Frank Perretti?

He is amazing!

He does a lot of the Trib stuff as well as just really good stories of battles between good and evil. I love the way he weaves a story. If you ever get the chance to go see him in person GO! He has a band.. theyre very cool!


He lives not far from my mom Ive seen him in concert a few times and have talked to him. He is a really great guy.

 

[live4christp1]

Has anyone read Frank Perretti?

He is amazing!

He does a lot of the Trib stuff as well as just really good stories of battles between good and evil. I love the way he weaves a story. If you ever get the chance to go see him in person GO! He has a band.. theyre very cool!


He lives not far from my mom Ive seen him in concert a few times and have talked to him. He is a really great guy.

I have read one of his books, I think it was "This Present Darkness" or something to that nature.....would like to read the others. I also think a Bible study we did (video series) was him, the study was about Jesus.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

when anybody is in orlando--Z88.3 you can even hear them on webcast. They are commercial free...but not announcement free...the PSA's are actually paid ones b/c if they weren't--it would be nothing but announcements.

They play as tough Kids listen (and they are!!!) so it is very "family-friendly".

www.zradio.org You can listen to them on the internet. I found if I use the high speed--it shuts off (b/c it costs them money to use)...so I use the dial up link even though I don't use dial up. then it stays connected.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Anyone else here like reading Max Lucado? I have several of his books and have enjoyed them.

At the Women of Faith Conference--I got the girls a Hermie & Flo stuffed toy, accompanying books and DVD. They LOVE it.

Speaking of---any ladies do the WOF Conference?

I'm going to the one in Orlando in November.

 

[ead79]

Hello everyone!

My, you’ve been busy! Here are my thoughts on a few of the topics y’all have been discussing.

With regards to Rick’s statement about seeing people do such kind, giving things with their time and still not finding eternal salvation, here are my thoughts. Essentially, according to Scripture, good words cannot get us to heaven. No matter how good we are, we still fall short of perfection. Since we are not perfect, we need redemption, and Jesus provided this redemption by taking our sins away on the cross. This is God’s plan for salvation outlined in the Bible, and basing salvation on works would imply that Jesus’ death was unnecessary. If we could earn our way to heaven, we wouldn’t need to accept Christ as our Savior. Instead, God chose for salvation to be a free gift. We can’t earn it; all we have to do is accept it. The Bible tells us that God longs for every single person to accept His gift of salvation, but that many won’t. While many people who don’t have a saving relationship with the Lord can do and have done too many wonderful things for other people to count, the works don’t earn eternal salvation, according to the Bible. I don’t see it as exclusive at all, but rather completely inclusive. Anyone, regardless of sex, race, wealth, etc. can come to Christ, accept Him, and receive the free gift of salvation. You don’t have to be born into a wealthy family or be from the “right side of the tracks” so to speak. God can change even the vilest of sinners if they come to Him.

Next to address dcentity’s questions, here are my thoughts about that. First of all, I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers. This is just my opinion based on my study of the Bible. As another poster stated, children who have not yet reached the age of accountability will all go to heaven when they die. When we reach the age of accountability, we are responsible for accepting the gift of salvation through Christ. In the case of the person who has literally never heard about Jesus, I don’t think the Bible refers specifically to that precise situation. There are several verses that some people use to formulate their beliefs about it, but none are explicit in my opinion. There is a verse (I’m sorry, I can’t remember the reference) that says we are all born with an innate knowledge of God. I believe that if someone who has never heard of Christ acknowledges God, then God will decide whether that person goes to heaven or not. In essence, I don’t think it’s black and white from a Biblical perspective. However, I think the worship of creation (such as the sun, moon, animals, etc.) is not the same as acknowledgement of God. That’s just my opinion, though I believe there is a Bible verse to back that up as well. Clearly though, we should all focus on missions so that everyone can hear about the wonderful gift God has given us all. For your next case where the person has heard about Jesus but grew up in an area where that viewpoint is ridiculed and not accepted, I do think that person is responsible for accepting Christ. We are admonished several times in Scripture that we must choose Christ no matter how difficult that choice is, even to the point of death. Is that an easy thing to do? Of course not. However, I do think that being a Christian often requires people do “go against the grain” of popular opinion. While this happens to a much lesser severity even here in the US, persecution of Christians happens (yes, even deaths) in foreign countries to this day. I believe that is part of what Jesus was referring when he told his followers they must leave everything and everyone behind and follow Him.

Now, with regards to cardaway’s point about God’s provision, here are some more thoughts (I’m sure you are all tired of this long post already, LOL). I absolutely believe that God is intimately involved in even the smallest details of our lives. The Bible tells us that God knows the exact number of hairs on our heads, and of course that number is always changing throughout each day as hairs fall out. I believe that He has a plan for everyone, and yet at the same time He allows free will. I certainly believe that God can and does spare people (both Christians and non-Christians) from tragic events. However, sometimes God does allow bad things to happen. I’m not saying He causes the bad things, just that sometimes He chooses not to intervene. His ways are not our ways, and His plans are not our plans. We can only see a brief snippet of time, and He has eternal vision. There will always be consequences to actions. For instance, if a drunk driver hits another driver and kills him, that was a consequence of the drunk driver’s choices. Could God have intervened? Yes, but He doesn’t always choose to. We all must die, though no one wants anyone to die from something as senseless as drunk driving. Christians in particular are told in the Bible that we are not guaranteed that our lives will be “bowls of cherries.” As a matter of fact, Christians in the Bible were often killed in terrible ways (beheaded, crucified, eaten by lions, etc.) just for their belief in Christ. While God sometimes intervenes in order to accomplish His purposes for us, sometimes we are permitted to undergo tough times. It is not easy, but our character grows stronger. And the Bible tells us that our character is worth more than gold. Also, not all tough times are the result of character building. Sometimes bad things just happen. This world is not perfect, and bad things happen to both good and “bad” people alike.

 

[cardaway]

There is a equally long response ead79 but I seriously doubt I could word it in such a way that it wouldn't come off as offensive to most people following this thread.

Basically it centers around the idea that IMO the whole "God pushes every button" idea is pretty much a cop out. A way for people to be able to keep their faith strong despite the multitude of unanswered prayers from equally dedicated people that die and suffer every day. Basically to the point of it being offensive when somebody implies they were saved because of their faith when so many others suffered or died.

If God does push buttons for each of us he must have pushed the my keep him confused button.

 

[live4christp1]

At the Women of Faith Conference--I got the girls a Hermie & Flo stuffed toy, accompanying books and DVD. They LOVE it.

Speaking of---any ladies do the WOF Conference?

I'm going to the one in Orlando in November.

I've been to two WOF conferences, once in Nashville and once in Atlanta, had a great time at each of them, wonderful speakers, great music, worship, fellowship, teaching.

This year we are doing the one here locally in Chattanooga
Set Apart - National Women's Conference

Here's the link in case anyone is interested
http://www.precept.org/newindex.html

 

[live4christp1]

There is a equally long response ead79 but I seriously doubt I could word it in such a way that it wouldn't come off as offensive to most people following this thread.

Basically it centers around the idea that IMO the whole "God pushes every button" idea is pretty much a cop out. A way for people to be able to keep their faith strong despite the multitude of unanswered prayers from equally dedicated people that die and suffer every day. Basically to the point of it being offensive when somebody implies they were saved because of their faith when so many others suffered or died.

If God does push buttons for each of us he must have pushed the my keep him confused button.

IMO there are no unaswered prayers by God, that is prayers by believers. Scripture says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. That isn't to say we get the answer we want to every prayer we pray......sometimes God says yes, sometimes He says no, and sometimes He says wait. We as humans tend to have problems with the no and the wait answer.....it's about learning to trust Him in all things. When my dad was sick I knew that he was saved, my DH prayed at the hospital that whatever God's will was in this situation that He would help us to accept that.....the doctors said only 20% chance he would make it (he had a 2 1/2 inch blow out in his aorta). I knew that even as I prayed for God to heal my dad that if He choose to take him home to heaven that God still answered my prayer, not in the way that I was requesting but that my dad would be ultimately healed to never be sick again.

 

[cardaway]

So which is it? Trust him or pray? I can see a firm belief in one or the other, but to go both ways is IMO a cop out to cover when things go wrong.

 

[Buckalew11]

Hello everyone!

My, you’ve been busy! Here are my thoughts on a few of the topics y’all have been discussing.

With regards to Rick’s statement about seeing people do such kind, giving things with their time and still not finding eternal salvation, here are my thoughts. Essentially, according to Scripture, good words cannot get us to heaven. No matter how good we are, we still fall short of perfection. Since we are not perfect, we need redemption, and Jesus provided this redemption by taking our sins away on the cross. This is God’s plan for salvation outlined in the Bible, and basing salvation on works would imply that Jesus’ death was unnecessary. If we could earn our way to heaven, we wouldn’t need to accept Christ as our Savior. Instead, God chose for salvation to be a free gift. We can’t earn it; all we have to do is accept it. The Bible tells us that God longs for every single person to accept His gift of salvation, but that many won’t. While many people who don’t have a saving relationship with the Lord can do and have done too many wonderful things for other people to count, the works don’t earn eternal salvation, according to the Bible. I don’t see it as exclusive at all, but rather completely inclusive. Anyone, regardless of sex, race, wealth, etc. can come to Christ, accept Him, and receive the free gift of salvation. You don’t have to be born into a wealthy family or be from the “right side of the tracks” so to speak. God can change even the vilest of sinners if they come to Him.

I agree with you Elisabeth!
Rick, the part that would bother me about the doing good works for entrance into Heaven would be "how good do you have to be?" Do you have to do what those people are doing? What's the standard? Do I set my own standard? Be as 'good' as I can be? How good would good enough be? We could always do more than we do (most of us anyway). How much is enough?

For people that think it is just good works, I'd love to know how good to be. I love to know if they are always guessing how good to be, if they just 'know' or what?

I think a lot of people who do good works and lots of them. They make the world a better place. I hope I do a little of that too. I'm not trying to say people should volunteer and work hard trying to improve the lives of others.

 

[bytheblood]

bytheblood, is the book you mentioned, The Revelation of Jesus Christ by John Walvoord, a book that discusses pre, mid, and post-trib? I am very interested in hearing different perspectives, though I myself lean pre-trib.

Yes, it does discuss the different Rapture theories as well as provides an entire commentary on the book of Revelation. It is an awesome book.

I, too, believe in a pre-trib Rapture after my thorough studies, examinations and taking a class on it in school.