I thought that this was very interesting and so glad to understand these finer points more clearly today !! I know some folks who lean toward the Gay life style,. unfortunately -- which always repelled me as a gross sin, having been brought up 'Old School' and Conservative. After I went to Vietnam, much of my mindset changed, as combat can do that to a person with death all around you, every stinking day! Sorry. It's just a fact of life that you have to get used to, or go batty. You learn to put "Mr. Death" in your hip pocket and make friends with 'him' because he might visit you sometime....
But when you think of it a person can sin -- also die from any of a number of things.... drown, get shot from a gun,, knifed, care accident, or heart attack, and the common result is always death. So too, no matter what sin you do/ actually being BORN with sin in us, we are all condemned to go to HELL!! But Praise the Lord that Jesus PAID that price for us on the cross to take AWAY OUR SINS, that we can be "Justified" by God and go to heaven, IF WE TRULY BELIEVE AND ACCEPT THAT RANSOM SACRFICE OF CHRIST!! Wow! The more I think about it, pray/ study and learn about the mercy of God, I am sooooooo thankful, because I could have been so stupid and proud so as NOT to accept Jesus -- and headed for a nasty place FOREVER!
Well, my good friends and readers, I just got off the phone talking to the "gate keeper" of my good doctor, Carlos Medina -- and his nurse, Laurie, at the local IM - VAMC, and we talked about my heart and what I must change in my life style. Getting some new medicine for my "CHF" and feeling somewhat relieved that I am not totally dead yet --and not as bad as I thought before. If I lose the weight and do what my doctor says, and see the VA cardiologist soon from Milwaukee, I will probably be OK. PTL! And thank you all for your many prayers and well wishes. My friends talked to me about my "bucket list" --LOL, but I don't yearn to do something special or wild/ crazy before I die, like jumping out of an airplane, etc. I still have God's work to do, and need to get out and DO IT!! I will be getting a big list of info, and encouraged to research CHF {Congestive Heart Failure} for myself on the InterNet! Time to stop feeling sorry for myself and really treat my beautiful wife with more respect and kindness, take her out for some great food, movies, plays, concerts, and what ever she wants to do. Terri is really my true "Soul Mate" and I love her to pieces -- so happy and glad that I married her! I hope she is not too embarrassed when she reads this blog post today. She is out doing her errands now, and we will go out for lunch today too. Enjoy life NOW -- but also put some canned goods, water, aside, for the coming 'Storm' that the goof ball in the WH is preparing for us RIGHT NOW! I can talk to ya'll with more insight about mandy people losing their savings, money, 401K's, etc., if you talk to me/ email me directly, and what my friends and I are doing to prepare. If any of you want my 'special Prepping' advice and info -- just email: tschuckman@aol.com -- because I am too cautious to post those things on my humble Blog. Sorry, Big Brother is watching everything now days, and forcefully taking fire arms from decent, honorable sane, Veterans RIGHT NOW in the USA ! Also read: "Before it is News" web site. Beware, brothers!
Warm Regards,
Tom Schuckman ---- our 'Wonder Dog', Deuce the Rottweiler !
The following site/ subject will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF !! And I personally believe that it is biblical !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qBlwhVyZxmQ
Critical Misunderstandings
Q. I have been witnessing to a friend who is a lesbian. She feels that since she believes in Jesus she is saved, but I have a problem with that because Satan and demons believe but we know they aren’t saved. Every time Jesus healed someone we know they believed in Him because they had faith He would heal them, yet Jesus told them to go sin no more. Repentance is a big part of Salvation and yet some people don’t believe you have to repent to go to heaven. They say John 3:16 says plainly that he that believes in him shall have eternal life. What about repenting?
A. You’ve touched on several critical misunderstandings of Scripture, so let’s take them one at a time.
First, James 2:19 says, “You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that, and shudder.” Satan and his demons believe Jesus exists because they’ve seen Him. But neither this verse nor any other ever hints that they believe in him. And besides, Jesus became a man to save mankind. There’s no Scripture to support the idea of angels or demons being saved. If by saying she believes in Jesus, your friend means she believes Jesus died for her sins and rose again, then according to 1 Cor. 15:1-4 she is saved.
Second, Jesus did not include the general commandment to “sin no more” in all His healing miracles. He said it once in connection with a specific healing (John 5:14) and once in connection with forgiveness of the sin of adultery (John 8:11). If ceasing all sinful behavior was a condition of salvation, none us would be saved.
Third, the Greek word translated repentance in the New Testament means “to change one’s mind”. The reason it’s a big part of salvation is in order to be saved we first have to change our mind and accept the fact that we’re sinners. Then we have to change our mind and believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Therefore, someone who is born again has already repented.
Behavioral changes happen after we’re saved as the Holy Spirit teaches us about living a life pleasing to God. But according to Romans 7:14-25 as long as we have a sin nature we will never completely stop sinning.
Finally, John 3:16 is only one among numerous verses that make belief a condition for salvation, but there are none that make salvation conditional upon behavior.
A. You’ve touched on several critical misunderstandings of Scripture, so let’s take them one at a time.
First, James 2:19 says, “You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that, and shudder.” Satan and his demons believe Jesus exists because they’ve seen Him. But neither this verse nor any other ever hints that they believe in him. And besides, Jesus became a man to save mankind. There’s no Scripture to support the idea of angels or demons being saved. If by saying she believes in Jesus, your friend means she believes Jesus died for her sins and rose again, then according to 1 Cor. 15:1-4 she is saved.
Second, Jesus did not include the general commandment to “sin no more” in all His healing miracles. He said it once in connection with a specific healing (John 5:14) and once in connection with forgiveness of the sin of adultery (John 8:11). If ceasing all sinful behavior was a condition of salvation, none us would be saved.
Third, the Greek word translated repentance in the New Testament means “to change one’s mind”. The reason it’s a big part of salvation is in order to be saved we first have to change our mind and accept the fact that we’re sinners. Then we have to change our mind and believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Therefore, someone who is born again has already repented.
Behavioral changes happen after we’re saved as the Holy Spirit teaches us about living a life pleasing to God. But according to Romans 7:14-25 as long as we have a sin nature we will never completely stop sinning.
Finally, John 3:16 is only one among numerous verses that make belief a condition for salvation, but there are none that make salvation conditional upon behavior.
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