Originally posted by jaywillI am sorry Jaywill, but I do think that the fruits are something we can go by.
I do not use that as a criteria to determine if someone has believed in Christ the Son of God.
That may be a criteria to determine if they are an overcoming Christian rather than a defeated one.
The brotherhood of believers should receive one another in the same manner in which Christ received each of us - [b]"Receive one another, just as Christ rece ...[text shortened]... on which seems reasonable in terms of them each recognizing Christ as the Lord and Savior.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
I am not blinded by this man in now wise, neither am I blinded by Bush, or McCain. I do not believe any of them are christian. They all desire to be friends of the world. Those who are friends of the world are enemies of God.
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
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Originally posted by pritybetta=========================================
I am sorry Jaywill, but I do think that the fruits are something we can go by.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. ...[text shortened]... orld is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
I am sorry Jaywill, but I do think that the fruits are something we can go by.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
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This passage concerns discerning false prophets.
We shall know false prophets by their fruits.
"Beware of false prophets ..."
You can transfer that to "Beware of false Christians. You will know them by their fruits." But I think that is borrowing or applying the test to something slightly different from what Jesus applied the test to.
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Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
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Some Christians will not enter into the 1,000 year millennial kingdom. That is what the Lord Jesus means here by the kingdom of the heavens.
The New Testament does not tell us to always reject defeated Christians as not our brothers. We have to receive them as defeated Christians.
There are only a few things mentioned which are reasons to remove a person from the local church. And not bearing fruit is not one of them.
IF a person confesses that they have believed in the Lord Jesus I receve them as my brothers. This is a kind of innocent until proven guilty scenario.
You know that the early Christians in Jerusalem were very hesitant to receive Saul of Tarsus into the brotherhood. Barnabus had to come and persuade them that this former persecutor and blasphemer was now truly a Christian brother.
What would you have done? Would you have said "No Barnabus. We shall know them by their fruits said the Master. I know that this man's fruit is evil. We cannot call him a brother or receive him as such."
You could have done that thinking you were justified. But you would have been on the wrong side of history. So I understand what you are saying. But in terms of the brotherhood I would rather err on the side of being too liberal.
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Originally posted by jaywillI would have waited to see if he was changed.
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I am sorry Jaywill, but I do think that the fruits are something we can go by.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
================== ng. But in terms of the brotherhood I would rather err on the side of being too liberal.
You know, the Devil also believes, does this mean he is your brother? There are also many who claim that Jesus is Lord, however, the Jesus they speak of is not the Jesus of the Bible. It is a Jesus that they have molded into what they want him to be. They are following a false Jesus.
I will not say they are my brother/sister in Christ unless their Christ is the Christ of the Bible. I am careful as to who I say are my brother/sister in Christ otherwise I just might be decieved into thinking an anti-Christ is my brother/sister.
Originally posted by jaywillI'm not offended; no need to apologise. I have nearly ceased to be surprised to the point of offence...
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Out of the sub-conscious into the light eh?
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I don't know what you mean by this.
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Where in the bible does it says anything negative about dark skin? You did say dark skin, not darkness... and you did say 'So it probably won't be anyone of Obama ...[text shortened]... the pigmentation of the skin of the coming Antichrist.
IF I offended you, sorry.[/b]
Originally posted by pritybetta====================================
I would have waited to see if he was changed.
You know, the Devil also believes, does this mean he is your brother? There are also many who claim that Jesus is Lord, however, the Jesus they speak of is not the Jesus of the Bible. It is a Jesus that they have molded into what they want him to be. They are following a false Jesus.
I will not say they ...[text shortened]... in Christ otherwise I just might be decieved into thinking an anti-Christ is my brother/sister.
You know, the Devil also believes, does this mean he is your brother?
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There are no instructions at all about receiving angels or spiritual beings into the Body of Christ. So my concern is limited to human beings.
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There are also many who claim that Jesus is Lord, however, the Jesus they speak of is not the Jesus of the Bible. It is a Jesus that they have molded into what they want him to be. They are following a false Jesus.
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That is true.
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I will not say they are my brother/sister in Christ unless their Christ is the Christ of the Bible. I am careful as to who I say are my brother/sister in Christ otherwise I just might be decieved into thinking an anti-Christ is my brother/sister.
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I agree that we should be careful. We have an anointing of the Holy Spirit which teaches us many things in an intuitive sense.
The intuition of the spirit with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship with other members of the Body of Christ is a safe guard.
I think you should also be concerned that you don't undergo another kind of deception. That would be only recognize those who have your political views or domestic philosophy as Christians.
Some things that you feel strong about may simply be coincidental. Even if you were not a Christian but a Buddhist, for example, you might still feel as strongly as you do about them. This is a cultural matter. You should beware of thinking that your cultural or domestic philosophy is the standard upon which you recognize who is and who is not a Christian.
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Originally posted by whodeyIsn't there a story about the goose who laid the golden turd?
Are you implying that turds are incapable of owning private jets? In addition, if the turd is golden it would seem it would have no problem purchasing such a jet.
The funny part is people taking the poster seriously. Ever hear the word SATIRE?🙂
My pastor is a very smart man. He teaches that the "Left Behind" book series is not an accurate rendition of the end times or even Revelation. He tells his flock not to get excited over the DaVinci Code--it's just a novel, a work of Fiction. And he pokes holes in all the fakes who think they know when the end will come (Hal Lindsay et. al.)
Yet I can't understand why he maintains a belief that the anti-christ will spring from the Papacy? If he sees through all the other hype, hysteria, and hoaxes, why this one regarding the Catholic church does he find plausible?
Originally posted by PinkFloydAnd why, if hes so smart, does he believe that the end of the world will come at all? I thought the whole anti-Christ thing was based on the works of some delusional drug user who wrote Revelations.
My pastor is a very smart man. He teaches that the "Left Behind" book series is not an accurate rendition of the end times or even Revelation. He tells his flock not to get excited over the DaVinci Code--it's just a novel, a work of Fiction. And he pokes holes in all the fakes who think they know when the end will come (Hal Lindsay et. al.)
Yet I ca ...[text shortened]... pe, hysteria, and hoaxes, why this one regarding the Catholic church does he find plausible?
If hes so smart how can he possibly believe that 2000 years ago some man claiming to be God rose from the dead? There is no rational reason for such a belief. So if he holds one irrational belief, then why judge him for holding others?
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Originally posted by twhiteheadThe forum being Spirituality should be a dead giveaway that I don't believe that St. John the Divine was a drug user, nor that Jesus was anything less than the Son of God. I still believe in truth in advertising. 😉
And why, if hes so smart, does he believe that the end of the world will come at all? I thought the whole anti-Christ thing was based on the works of some delusional drug user who wrote Revelations.
If hes so smart how can he possibly believe that 2000 years ago some man claiming to be God rose from the dead? There is no rational reason for such a belief. So if he holds one irrational belief, then why judge him for holding others?