Good book
| Posted On: 03/26/08 01:14:43 AM |
Age 47, MO |
Patrick: I've done a tremendous amount of studying on the Calvin and Arminian issue and I agree that Calvinism is wrong. (Maybe not in intent, but certainly in it's extreme.) I also think that Arminianism as thought of today is maligned and mischaracterized to not represent what it truly is. (Such as saying the adherents to the Emergent church are Arminian.) I would encourage anyone who is the least bit curious about what Arminianism really is to get the book: Arminian Theology by Roger Olson. It's a fairly recent work and could be found at CBD.com. People will be surprised to find the truth instead of what they've been told and blindly swallowed for years. John
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Without Gratitude there is no "need" for Grace
| Posted On: 03/20/08 01:28:29 PM |
Age 45, NJ |
"The Gospel in 6 minutes"
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php?ArticleID=3247
Well no, that was onlyb half the Gospel...
Dear John,
I appreciate your ministry and you are wise indeed, that is why it pains me to say you have missed a crucial point:
No one who lives a life they can live with, who has what they need to get by, has enough to be reasonably happy, will ever
respond to "God loves you" without their knowing why they should care.
Man is consummately selfish, in this we can surely agree. I do not agree with the tenets of Calvinism as you have proclaimed
them (like the error of irresistible Grace), but I am certain we can agree that mankind is self-centered and cares only about
himself before anyone else.
In other words man is not good but bad.
Bad, Bad, Bad! :)
But, just like a smoking cancer patient who refuses to believe he is dieing of the disease brought on by his smoking, you
cannot convince anyone they need saving unless you first clearly explain that they need saving and what they need saving
from.
Always, always, always explain what "sin" is using the Law - that God given tool He made to work as it should - to make men
seek God's salvation. Don't make the mistakes I did and assume anyone understands what "sin" is. Just saying the word "sin" isn't enough. 12 years I did that and got no where. But as soon as I used the Ten Commandments to show what sin is and why it this makes them evil in God's eyes, then was when I knew that, whatever happened afterwards, these now know the truth because it was explained clearly to them.
"We enter His gates with thanksgiving..." as the verse begins, but no one will be thankful without first agreeing with God who they are and that they justly deserve his sentence of Hell, no one who is still self-righteous that is. And in over 1000 people I personally have spoken to in the last 2 years only 2 were already humbled. TWO!!! All the rest heard the Law first. And only when the law stopped their mouth did they hear of God's Grace, and ONLY then.
Now I grant you in a open forum you must give all the Gospel, regardless of who is listening, but here you only gave the "nice' half and I would see you not make that mistake.
Use what is perfectly suited for converting souls: the Ten Commandments
Law to proud and Grace to the humble.
Thank you for your ministry,
Patrick J. Burwell / OnlyJesusSaves.com
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