christelsabine 1 #26 March 29, 2014 RonD1120 .... Everyone I know that has experienced being born again knows exactly when it happened. For me it was 16 Mar 1981. .... Are you sure about that date? Dec. 20, 2012 and reborn as *promise5* would fit much better. dudeist skydiver # 3105 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RonD1120 58 #27 March 29, 2014 christelsabine *** .... Everyone I know that has experienced being born again knows exactly when it happened. For me it was 16 Mar 1981. .... Are you sure about that date? Dec. 20, 2012 and reborn as *promise5* would fit much better. I do not understand.Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Southern_Man 0 #28 March 29, 2014 RonD1120***Some years ago I had a discussion with a self-professed evangelical Christian who insisted that Mother Teresa was currently in hell. His reasoning was that there was no evidence that she was "born again". Apparently it didn't matter that she clearly believed deeply in Jesus and devoted her whole life to His service. I'm not clear on just what he meant by "born again", but I got the sense that one has to lose their faith and then regain it in order to be "transformed". If you grow up with faith and never lose it, you can't be "born again" in the Lord, and so can't enter heaven. He belonged to a church that also thought that a good approach to converting people is to show up at public events (such as 4th of July fireworks) and scream at people (including children) that they are going to burn in hell forever. I am quite aware that he represents a tiny minority of Christians. It's still surprising to me that an otherwise intelligent and apparently normal (or at least functional) person could hold such unreasonable and rigid beliefs. Don Everyone I know that has experienced being born again knows exactly when it happened. For me it was 16 Mar 1981. The following is the Scriptural reference: John 3 New King James Version (NKJV) The New Birth 3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” Ron, for this passage it is really critical to understand the original Greek language. Understanding the passage relies on understanding the double entendre in the Greek which doesn't translate in any sense in any English translation."What if there were no hypothetical questions?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rifleman 61 #29 March 30, 2014 RonD1120***Interesting that you would choose the Christian family man who actually exhibits his faith for the world to observe, than the pseudo-Christian who did so much to harm innocent Americans as they are trying to grieve for their lost family members. You will KNOW them by their deeds. I said it was a tough choice. Mark 12: 30-31 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself'. There is no other commandment greater than these. TBH if it came down to a choice between going to Hell with a guy who never attended church but would give his last dollar to buy a homeless person a coffee or an eternity in Heaven with a bunch of self righteous d***s bleating about how they were washed in the blood of the lamb, then I'm pretty sure I'd choose hell - I'd meet a better class of person there.Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
