Friday/Saturday/Sunday morning preaching.

[Lord Thesaurian]

Is calling someone a baby ToS legit now? Or is bb a work around. Love a good loophole. Whichever mod is assigned to follow me today should know this is a friendly exchange.

Is it though? Bb is a sensor bypass for Bbeautiful. Our love is undetectable.

[enoch]

Gods knows, he will sort us out someday.

[Akar]

That seems highly unlikely.

[enoch]

impossibly, laughably so

[Prodromos]

The release of a Jewish prisoner was customary at the feast of Passover (Mark 15:6). The choice Pilate set before the crowd that day could not have been more clear-cut: Jesus Barabbas, a high-profile killer and agitator who was unquestionably guilty, or Jesus of Nazareth, a teacher and miracle-worker who was obviously innocent. The crowd chose Barabbas to be released.

I Am Barabbas

1. He was a rebel.

I, too, am a rebel. Despite the benevolent rule of my King, I have both willingly and by my very nature participated in heinous acts of rebellion against the rightful rule of the God of the Universe.

2. He was a murderer.

I, too, am a murderer. Not just of my fellow man, having wished them harm, but of Jesus Christ whose life I have chanted for through my varied and sundry acts of despicable sin. I have chanted along with the crowd, “Crucify! Crucify!” for I saw Him as a threat to my commitment to my own desires.

3. He, though guilty, was released and an innocent was punished in his stead.

I, too, have been released. The punishment that was rightfully due to me has been handed down to another. Someone – an innocent man – has been crucified in my place.

I am Barabbas.

You, too, are Barrabas.

[Prodromos]

"Anybody can believe in God. What it means to be a Christian is to believe God, to trust him when he speaks, which does not require a leap of faith or a crucifixion of the intellect. It requires a crucifixion of pride."

- R.C. Sproul

[enoch]

RC is a bit of a douche but always liked this one

Nothing could be more irrational than the idea that something comes from nothing.

even though he stole it.

All the best thoughts are stolen. Thieves are always smarter than those who were taught.

[Akar]

I love how that would also mean that Christianity is irrational

[enoch]

I love how that would also mean that Christianity is irrational

Faith in the supernatural is inherently irrational, yet the beauty in a faith that accepts divinity is unknowable, understands nothing is absolute and where doubt is felt through not conquered is a wonder to behold. I can only imagine what it is to experience this particular passion. Rarely a jealous man, I am wise enough to fleetingly, in moments when the glory of creation slows me, wish to know it.

[Lord Thesaurian]

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

[Sir Adrian]

The sermon of St John Chrysostom, sung during the Paschal service. Happy Pascha everyone. Christ is risen!

If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.

If anyone is a wise servant, let him, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.

If anyone has wearied himself in fasting, let him now receive his recompense.

If anyone has labored from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward.
If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let him keep the feast.
If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; for he shall suffer no loss.
If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near without hesitation.
If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let him not fear on account of his delay.
For the Master is gracious and receives the last, even as the first; he gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first.
He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one he gives, and to the other he is gracious.
He both honors the work and praises the intention. Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward.
O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy!
O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day!
You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today!
The table is rich-laden; feast royally, all of you!
The calf is fatted; let no one go forth hungry!
Let all partake of the feast of faith.
Let all receive the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free.
He that was taken by death has annihilated it!
He descended into hades and took hades captive!
He embittered it when it tasted his flesh!

And anticipating this Isaiah exclaimed, "Hades was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions."
It was embittered, for it was abolished!
It was embittered, for it was mocked!
It was embittered, for it was purged!
It was embittered, for it was despoiled!
It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!
It took a body and met God!

It took earth and encountered heaven!
It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen!

"O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory?"

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that slept.
To him be glory and might unto ages of ages. Amen.

[basics]

I see that nothing much has changed during my forced absence in that few of you are concenred about your souls. Man is quite incapable of believing in God unless God makes it possible as the words of Jesus Christ make plain. " No man can come to the Father except by Me and no man can come to Me except the Father draws him." The world that God so loved was the world that He created before the fall of man, the reason that His Son had to enter it, die and rise again because it was fallen and finally to replace it with a New One. Until that happens the whole world is at enmity with God unless redeemed by the blood of Christ, the reason why the Gospel is so important to grasp with all one's heart before His return. It's your soul that's at stake.

[enoch]

I see that nothing much has changed during my forced absence in that few of you are concenred about your souls. Man is quite incapable of believing in God unless God makes it possible as the words of Jesus Christ make plain*. " No man can come to the Father except by Me and no man can come to Me except the Father draws him." The world that God so loved was the world that He created before the fall of man, the reason that His Son had to enter it, die and rise again because it was fallen and finally to replace it with a New One. Until that happens the whole world is at enmity with God unless redeemed by the blood of Christ, the reason why the Gospel is so important to grasp with all one's heart before His return. It's your soul that's at stake.

*The words of the KJB (3rd Translation) ;p

Long time no see. Still on message too.

[Akar]

I see that nothing much has changed during my forced absence in that few of you are concenred about your souls.

Pretty sure like this is why you were infracted in the first place.

[Lord Thesaurian]

Man is quite incapable of believing in God unless God makes it possible as the words of Jesus Christ make plain. " No man can come to the Father except by Me and no man can come to Me except the Father draws him."

You can’t really lecture people for not believing in God and then turn around and say no one can believe in God unless God makes it possible, as if God is predestining people to be saved or damned a priori. Bit of a contradiction there, and that’s likely because you may be taking John 6:44 out of context.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Anyone who believes in Jesus is drawn to him by the Father, not the other way around. This is made clear not only by the rhetorical context but also the situation in the passage, wherein Jesus is telling the Jews that those who seek God in fact seek Jesus, who is God. It can perhaps be confusing at a glance, since the Greek ἕλκω can mean to physically drag a net or draw a sword, but it can also mean to impel someone inwardly, another example being John 12:32

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has drawn all men to him, as weariness draws one to rest, through a desire to know the peace that Jesus gives.

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Paul makes this clear in Romans

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

God’s purpose, his will, according to Jesus, is that everyone who believes in him will have everlasting life. Those who believe are called according to his purpose, predestined to be like Jesus, justified by faith, and glorified through him. In short, Purpose -> Calling, not Calling -> Purpose.

[basics]

Lord Thesaurian,

I have never lectured people for not believing in God, why? Because I know that salvation comes and only comes through the working of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit on an individual triggered by them hearing the Gospel. All I have ever written is what Scripture declares and it declares that " all fall short of the glory of God," meaning that man is bound in sin and therefore cannot save himself even if he wanted to. Romans tells us that God gave man over to the desires of the flesh and Jesus tells us that unless that flesh is born again of the Holy Spirit none shall ever see heaven. Man cannot regenerate himself. Indeed Peter wrote, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ anf you will be saved," and then goes on to say the most important part of that, " as many as the Lord God shall call." Salvation is a total work of God.

Indeed if one reads the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ one can see that all of our involvement in God's story of our existence has already been completed in the heavenly places. The Book of Life contains the names of the elect as does the New Jerusalem and New Creation as seen by John in his vision. Oh men may think that it's all about himself but the truth is that all is about God Who for His good pleasure brought about our creation. So, as I have said before and say again that if anyone feels drawn to Jesus grasp it with all your strength for your soul depends upon it.

[Lord Thesaurian]

Indeed Peter wrote, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ anf you will be saved," and then goes on to say the most important part of that, " as many as the Lord God shall call."

We know from Romans that whoever believes in Jesus according to God’s purpose are called. In Acts 2, Peter is addressing a crowd of people that had gathered.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

He is telling the crowd that whoever repents and believes in Jesus will receive the Holy Spirit, both now and in the future, not that God has already predestined certain people for heaven or hell.

Indeed if one reads the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ one can see that all of our involvement in God's story of our existence has already been completed in the heavenly places. The Book of Life contains the names of the elect as does the New Jerusalem and New Creation as seen by John in his vision.

John mentions the book of life in a number of different passages and contexts. Can you be more specific? In the third chapter, he writes that those repent their sins and turn away from wickedness will not have their names “blotted out” from the Book. In Revelation 13, he writes that those who worship the beast and receive his mark are not written in the Book (the verb γράφω, “to write,” is used in a number of temporal contexts throughout the NT, and the passage here is a prophecy of the future). In Revelation 20, the book of life is opened, and the dead are judged according to their works, again in a prophecy of the future.

[basics]

Lord Thesaurian,

In the stages of coming to God through Jesus Christ, the trigger is the Gospel which brings about firstly condemnation to the sinner. In other words the Holy Spirit breaks down the hardest of hearts for that sinner to plead for repentence which again is a work of God on that person thus bringing about regeneration, meaning that at that point the Holy Spirit enters into what is now called a new creation in Christ Jesus, the old having gone as all things concerning their belief are new. Perhaps the greatest example of this was when at Pentecost the Holy Spirit fell on all them in that room as each one had fled Jesus at His arrest. But Pentecost brought out the mighty power of God to all them in that room making them capable of preaching the Gospel whereupon so many as you say were saved. According to Gibbon there were however in and around Jerusalem over a million Jews many of whom having heard these disciples preach the word were not saved.

Now concerning the Book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, yes in our time it is prophetic but not in heavenly time. Now why do I say this? Well consider all the times it is written " before the worlds were made," showing the unfolding of God's good pleasure determined before anything to do with us was made. John tells of what he saw in heaven as having been done there yet not come about in our time. What I mean by that is that our story has already been accomplished in heavenly time but not in ours, why? Because God being God has already written it all as any author does and why it is therefore said we are predestined. Being written that God knows every word we make, every move we make is not just Him standing back as it happenes because He knows the end from the beginning, rather because He is God the Author of all things. I mean what ever escapes Him when He knows the very number of hairs are on your head?

John's rendition of the Book of Life is a warning to believers basically about backsliding yet we know that a believer who is washed in the blood of Christ cannot be lost. I don't believe that any who have the mark of the beast have their names in that Book. There is no way that a regenerate believer can fall from the hand of God and so be removed from the Book. For sure as Paul writes there are those that follow a different Jesus, follow a different Spirit and another God but their names are not in the Book because they have no regenerate Life in them. The parables of the wheat and tares, sheep and goats makes that very clear. It's a Book of Life in Jesus Christ, eternal Life which cannot apply to the unregenerate.

[Lord Thesaurian]

The timelessness of eternity does not negate the nature of prophecy or the words of Scripture. The Bible must form the sole basis of doctrine and interpretation, not appeals to the consequences of theological assumptions. The Bible is clear about the nature of salvation. As noted above, God’s purpose is that all who believe in Jesus will be saved. All men are drawn to salvation by Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection. As both Jesus and Paul make clear numerous times, a person’s decision to accept or reject that gift, to love God or reject his love, to believe in Jesus or not, is what predetermines whether or not one is called according to God’s purpose.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which 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 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

As Jesus makes clear here, one chooses the path of salvation or condemnation, of light or dark, through conscious action. He is telling Nicodemus, “aren’t you an expert on these matters? Yet I’m giving you the answers you seek, and you reject them.” He even makes the direct comparison to Moses, a context Nicodemus would understand as a religious scholar, for the avoidance of any doubt:

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

[basics]

Lord Thesaurian

From 1:1 John the disciple tells us the difference between Jesus Christ our God and Saviour and the lot of mankind. He is the Light of Life and man in the darkness of sin comprehended it not, why? Because on that fateful day in the garden God placed a curse on all mankind but not without making a prophetic statement about the " seed " Who would come to contend for the souls of men His name we now know as Jesus Christ. So man was fallen and under the sway of the Evil one. From that day all creation was fallen and so any restoration lay in the hand of God. And, this is how it has always been. John also writes that " God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but hath everlasting life." The question here is what world? Was it the world He created or the world that now was fallen? If it is the latter then why is Jesus coming back to create a new one, a new heaven and earth. No, it was the former before it fell and the reason Jesus Christ came into the world.

So, whoever believeth shall not perish, meaning that there are those that will, but how can they unless their nature be changed? Can a man, any man change his nature? Of course certain of men will say they can yet not in the eyes of God. Jesus told Nicodemus that a man must be born again if he is to enter heaven. Now that's a little heavier than just changing one's nature, no this was much deeper, too deep for that man and Jesus tenderly derides him that he didn't know nor understand this with all his Scriptural knowledge. You see even in its highest religious establishments men were blinded to a knowledge of the truth, that truth only coming by the way of the Spirit of God to any man. This was shown when Jesus asked the disciples what the people thought of Him and finally what they thought of Him. Peter replied what God had given him to say for even as yet none of them were aware of the full implications that were to unfold before them and wouldn't until the Holy Ghost fell on them at Pentecost. That's why not just the reading of God's word is so important rather the context and flow is understood. That is why those that are born again have the Spirit of God indwelling them.