At 05:13 PM 9/28/00 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >... >with what they are taught at their church. Would I want someone to start >talking about denominational differences with me? No, not really, I would >just apply the Golden Rule here. I don't believe that the denominational >differences is worth quarreling about and that it is an attempt by the Devil >to confuse and befuddle a fellow believer. It is not productive or fruitful > The bottom line is basically the identical as Andy has said as quoted >above. Amen. Let unity reign in the Body of Christ! I can discuss denominational theology, too, but I have learned a few things over the years. One very important thing is that I have seen my position change on a few ideas as I learned the Scriptures more accurately and learned to walk closer to where the Holy Spirit leads me. That makes me much less judgmental, as I realize that I will probably learn a few (or maybe more than a few) more things before I am really where Jesus would like me. The other thing is that in the Bible, the conditions for someone to be saved are very clear. They have to do with believing in Jesus Christ, calling on the name of the Lord, and just accepting God's grace and salvation by faith. It is that simple. Nowhere does the Bible say that you must or must not mentally assent to or deny any denomination's full set of doctrines. That includes the "17 truths" that pretty much define the doctrine of the Assemblies of God. I like and agree with those 17 Biblical truths, by the way, and believe that they ar! e important to spiritual maturity, but they are hardly unique to the Assemblies of God, nor is mental assent to all of them required for salvation. The day before yesterday, I attended a funeral for a beloved member of my extended family, a cousin named Harry. Harry was 73. Harry's funeral was held at Riverside Baptist Church, in Denver, where Harry and his wife led a Sunday School class, and were quite active. Harry's Southern Baptist pastor preached a powerful and bold salvation message at the funeral, which I heartily appreciated. This man of God didn't have to try very hard to find nice things to say. It is obvious to all of us that Harry went on to be with our precious Lord, whom he loves dearly. I was honored to be able to enjoy some fellowship with this man of God. Nobody can preach the Gospel like he did and proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ like that but by the Holy Spirit of God. ___ Michael Paul Johnson aka Soaring Golden Eagle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://eBible.org/mpj Rocky Mountain Outpost 207 New Creation Church Jesus Christ is Lord! If Jesus came back today, would you be READY? _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC! http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
