First step of everlasting life

[soul man]

I was born in Oklahoma in 1943. When my father [a life-long Pentecostal] was sent to Japan as part of the U.S. military occupation there, my mother took me and my brother to California and married a Portuguese Catholic. All of my mother's side of the family came to California also in the 1940's. My father remained with his side of the family in Oklahoma until his death.

We grew up in California attending school there. I graduated from San Jose College [now University]. I finally got a job transfer first to Wyoming [1985] and then finally to Oklahoma in 1987. The kids are long since grown up now with grandchildren of their own. Our 2nd great grandchild is now 8 months old... What mighty God we serve!

I knew had talked somewhat about it before. I'm south of okc 60 Miles. I went school in southern California around Riverside san bernardino in Redlands. Lota of family california and oklahoma, born in Tulsa raised same way in Penecost. My wife was raised Catholic

 

[amadeus]

I knew had talked somewhat about it before. I'm south of okc 60 Miles. I went school in southern California around Riverside san bernardino in Redlands. Lota of family california and oklahoma, born in Tulsa raised same way in Penecost. My wife was raised Catholic

I am 60 miles north of OKC. While my father was always pentecostal as were his parents, my mother and her family were nothing connected with God. She loved the world I believe more than she loved my father and used the war as the means to get away.

My wife was put in a Catholic orphanage in California as a child when her father died. Like me, she was the only one who really looked to God while the rest looked away from Him.

 

[soul man]

I am 60 miles north of OKC. While my father was always pentecostal as were his parents, my mother and her family were nothing connected with God. She loved the world I believe more than she loved my father and used the war as the means to get away.

My wife was put in a Catholic orphanage in California as a child when her father died. Like me, she was the only one who really looked to God while the rest looked away from Him.

We go to the City some mostly shop, eat, so on.

 

[amadeus]

We go to the City some mostly shop, eat, so on.

We used to do that a lot, but as the years have rolled by and these old bodies have worn thin we have cut way back. When we moved to Oklahoma my father was still living and we came to be close to him. My wife's father died when she was 8 years old and her mother was never a mother to her. My wife fell in love with my father in the several times she met him. The question about us moving to Oklahoma to stay was a 'no contest' one. Of course, he has been gone nearly 30 years, and most of the older generation with him. Only dozens of cousins there now and they are mostly younger folks we never got to know. Our two children and their families are all to the north of us in Oklahoma and southern Kansas.

Last year when they shut things down so severely our already limited traveling went down to nothing. We have not sat down to eat in any restaurant in over a year. My wife has a severely compromised immune system and simply avoids such places. I do the running and have to be careful. I rarely 'catch' anything contagious, but there have been too many times that I have 'carried' things home to her making her suffer... But that is OK. We miss the restaurants, but we have learned to live a closer closer to the home than we already were. God is here too.

 

[Robert Gwin]

No offence taken on the name. I simply did not make the connection...

My name, Amadeus, is a leftover from my Catholic days. When it was time for my confirmation in the Catholic Church [10 years old?] one of the nuns had a book of names to help us choose for ourselves a confirmation name. I chose that one which is Latin for "love God". For years I never used it for anything. Then about 20 years ago when I started getting into Christian Forums on the Internet, it seemed OK. [My name given by my parents is 'Johnny' although many call me 'John'.]

Unnecessary to congregate? No, on the other hand, I believe it is essential but what I would call congregating might not equal the ideas of others. Until shut out by those who turned out my pastor I was in that place and would have stayed there if he had. That is a rather complicated story I won't relate at the moment.

In every assembly where I have been a regular member I have encountered some who now looking back I see now as members or His Body or who I would expect that they will become members of His Body. In that last assembly many people called themselves the Body of Christ. That was one thing I could not do and which disturbed me at times while I was there.

Kool as heck name sir, I got stuck with Bob, just your avg yokel name, like your given name John, but at least John is Biblical, and he was the one that Jesus favored and loved most.

Obviously, there are more than 2 witnesses of God, no doubt you would agree that although the Bible indicates the vast majority would side with satan, God will have an innumerable amount of people serving Him by the end of this system Rev 7:9,14. At the time Hebrews was written there were several congregations and thousands of adherents. When the Jews were God's people, He had them congregate regularly by law, so we believe that since we are in the last days, and in line with Isa 2:2,3 that we must gather together to receive instruction, as well as the rest of what Heb 10:24, and 25 state.

 

[amadeus]

Kool as heck name sir, I got stuck with Bob, just your avg yokel name, like your given name John, but at least John is Biblical, and he was the one that Jesus favored and loved most.

Bob is a very good name, in spite of being a very common one. The first Bob I knew was also a Robert one of my best friends when I was in elementary school. He was a Filipino in a small town in California where there were more Filipinos, Mexicans and Portuguese than anything else. My mother and I were outsiders in that respect, but my step father grew up speaking Portuguese in the Azores Islands [possession of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean] and already knew a lot of the locals when we moved there some time after the end of WWII .There was one very large old Catholic Mission [from 1797] and only one small Protestant church. The other major denomination represented in school was Mormon [LDS] but they all of lived several miles out of town close to their church building. There were no other religious groups or denominations at all unless it were Buddhist. We had a few Chinese and Japanese.

That was the first Bob I recall but there were several others I have known over the years in many different places. None were bad guys from what I remember. I guess you won't set any new precedents on that...

Obviously, there are more than 2 witnesses of God, no doubt you would agree that although the Bible indicates the vast majority would side with satan, God will have an innumerable amount of people serving Him by the end of this system Rev 7:9,14. At the time Hebrews was written there were several congregations and thousands of adherents. When the Jews were God's people, He had them congregate regularly by law, so we believe that since we are in the last days, and in line with Isa 2:2,3 that we must gather together to receive instruction, as well as the rest of what Heb 10:24, and 25 state.

Yes, instruction is needed and God gave us instructors. I don't believe He has let up on that...

''And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" Eph 4:11-14

I guess until we have been perfected then the ministers from God are still needed. Unfortunately many who are called ministers, do not really minister in according with their calling. Then again there many claiming the position who probably were never called to it...

Who has already been so perfected?

Help us dear Lord!

P.S. Please keep me and my wife in prayer. I have always been her primary caregiver due to her severely compromised immune system but now it is me with pneumonia and her having to do things I have been doing.

 

[Robert Gwin]

Bob is a very good name, in spite of being a very common one. The first Bob I knew was also a Robert one of my best friends when I was in elementary school. He was a Filipino in a small town in California where there were more Filipinos, Mexicans and Portuguese than anything else. My mother and I were outsiders in that respect, but my step father grew up speaking Portuguese in the Azores Islands [possession of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean] and already knew a lot of the locals when we moved there some time after the end of WWII .There was one very large old Catholic Mission [from 1797] and only one small Protestant church. The other major denomination represented in school was Mormon [LDS] but they all of lived several miles out of town close to their church building. There were no other religious groups or denominations at all unless it were Buddhist. We had a few Chinese and Japanese.

That was the first Bob I recall but there were several others I have known over the years in many different places. None were bad guys from what I remember. I guess you won't set any new precedents on that...


Yes, instruction is needed and God gave us instructors. I don't believe He has let up on that...

''And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" Eph 4:11-14

I guess until we have been perfected then the ministers from God are still needed. Unfortunately many who are called ministers, do not really minister in according with their calling. Then again there many claiming the position who probably were never called to it...

Who has already been so perfected?

Help us dear Lord!

P.S. Please keep me and my wife in prayer. I have always been her primary caregiver due to her severely compromised immune system but now it is me with pneumonia and her having to do things I have been doing.

At this period of time, none of us are perfect, cept those who were resurrected to heaven. We do look forward to perfection, but realize that is quite a ways into the future.

Commenting on the PS. Very sorry to hear that sir, and she definitely has my sympathies. I certainly will pray for her, and wish that we still had the power of cure, but unfortunately that wonderful gift is no longer part of the Christian congregation. I definitely hope her a speedy recovery, and as much comfort as possible while she is battling the disease. Give her my best sir. I did just pray for her in her tribulation dear sir.

 

[amadeus]

At this period of time, none of us are perfect, cept those who were resurrected to heaven. We do look forward to perfection, but realize that is quite a ways into the future.

Commenting on the PS. Very sorry to hear that sir, and she definitely has my sympathies. I certainly will pray for her, and wish that we still had the power of cure, but unfortunately that wonderful gift is no longer part of the Christian congregation. I definitely hope her a speedy recovery, and as much comfort as possible while she is battling the disease. Give her my best sir. I did just pray for her in her tribulation dear sir.

Thank you for your consideration. [I must say here without argument that I do believe that the gift of healing is still in place.]

 

[Robert Gwin]

Thank you for your consideration. [I must say here without argument that I do believe that the gift of healing is still in place.]

Many do sir, but the reality is that the apostles could cure every sort of infirmity, and of course if it was from God we would still be able to do the same. I do not disagree that some cures can be performed but not because of God, rather the other god, as many of the diseases and infirmities that were cured in the Bible was from demon possession, which if that is the case, demons can be removed as well today, and therefore if the disease was related to that, it will be cured.

I would rather that not be the case, but it is simply the truth Amadeus. I mean that in all sincerity, as a loving person no doubt we would consider it the greatest of privileges to be used to cure someone. It truly tears us apart in all honesty not to be able to do so. Many people actually refuse to have dealings with Jehovah because of His seemingly not healing the sick. But, to those of us who understand the reason, have to agree that it is for the long range benefit. Why? Because most people only serve God when under distress, it has been said there are no atheists in foxholes.

 

[amadeus]

Many do sir, but the reality is that the apostles could cure every sort of infirmity, and of course if it was from God we would still be able to do the same. I do not disagree that some cures can be performed but not because of God, rather the other god, as many of the diseases and infirmities that were cured in the Bible was from demon possession, which if that is the case, demons can be removed as well today, and therefore if the disease was related to that, it will be cured.

I would rather that not be the case, but it is simply the truth Amadeus. I mean that in all sincerity, as a loving person no doubt we would consider it the greatest of privileges to be used to cure someone. It truly tears us apart in all honesty not to be able to do so. Many people actually refuse to have dealings with Jehovah because of His seemingly not healing the sick. But, to those of us who understand the reason, have to agree that it is for the long range benefit. Why? Because most people only serve God when under distress, it has been said there are no atheists in foxholes.

Very shortly I must say that I believe that all healing is of God. He provided the ingredients for everything we have which we use or which trained practitioners or medical doctors use... even if they fail to acknowledge Him giving credit to Him with all of these possibilities which to us or for us become realities. On another thread this morning my dear sister in Christ @Pearl posted a thread with regard to the following verse which greatly blessed me for I needed a blessing and encouragement so as to keep on pressing toward that mark of the high calling in Jesus:

"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." Rom 8:28

Sometimes with Paul we will not receive what we ask for, but God is there with all that we need... be it to heal or not to heal:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;" Ecc 3:1.3

God's time it should be rather than our own!

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." II Cor 12:7-9

We should be careful with how limit God by our beliefs or unbeliefs. How well do we know and understand all of His purposes? Let us not tempt God by our own words and thoughts as if we knew all of His mind! I certainly do not!

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:23-24

 

[Robert Gwin]

Very shortly I must say that I believe that all healing is of God. He provided the ingredients for everything we have which we use or which trained practitioners or medical doctors use... even if they fail to acknowledge Him giving credit to Him with all of these possibilities which to us or for us become realities. On another thread this morning my dear sister in Christ @Pearl posted a thread with regard to the following verse which greatly blessed me for I needed a blessing and encouragement so as to keep on pressing toward that mark of the high calling in Jesus:

"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." Rom 8:28

Sometimes with Paul we will not receive what we ask for, but God is there with all that we need... be it to heal or not to heal:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;" Ecc 3:1.3

God's time it should be rather than our own!

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." II Cor 12:7-9

We should be careful with how limit God by our beliefs or unbeliefs. How well do we know and understand all of His purposes? Let us not tempt God by our own words and thoughts as if we knew all of His mind! I certainly do not!

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:23-24

Yes sir I fully agree that healing originates with God, and it was put into us at creation. Most doctors feel that way as well. My comments on the subject were not really directed toward those created defenses that were given us by Jehovah, rather the Divine healing offered by humans who claim to belong to God. On that those of my faith believe that gift was one that ceased, and since no one can heal all infirmities as Jesus and the apostles could do, even resurrecting the dead, then I have to agree that the gift of healing ceased.

 

[amadeus]

Yes sir I fully agree that healing originates with God, and it was put into us at creation. Most doctors feel that way as well. My comments on the subject were not really directed toward those created defenses that were given us by Jehovah, rather the Divine healing offered by humans who claim to belong to God. On that those of my faith believe that gift was one that ceased, and since no one can heal all infirmities as Jesus and the apostles could do, even resurrecting the dead, then I have to agree that the gift of healing ceased.

I won't argue this point with you nor will I deny my own testimonies and those I have seen in or heard from others over the years. You may have to stand where you are according to what you believe and/or what God has given you. That is between you and God. If either you or I are in error and a change is required to come to where God wants us to be and we are sincerely humble will He not make the change in us? From God alone the increase!

 

[theefaith]

John 17:3 offers us the first step of everlasting life, for it we must come to know God and His son Jesus.

How do we come to know them? Clearly the best way is to study the word of God in His Holy Bible that was given to us. It is the only book that was inspired by Him.

What can we expect to learn from the Bible? The Bible answers these important questions: How did life begin? Why are we here? Why do innocent people suffer? What happens when a person dies? If everyone wants peace, why is there so much war? What will happen to the earth in the future? The Bible encourages us to seek answers to such questions, and millions have found its answers very satisfying.

have you put on Christ?

 

[Robert Gwin]

have you put on Christ?

All Christians of course recognize Jesus as the King of God's Kingdom, and submit to his Kingship, and obey God's regulations through him sir. I am unfamiliar with the term put on Christ.

 

[theefaith]

All Christians of course recognize Jesus as the King of God's Kingdom, and submit to his Kingship, and obey God's regulations through him sir. I am unfamiliar with the term put on Christ.

ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ!

Galatians 3:27
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

the promise (sacred oath or sacrament) of the Father acts 2:38-39 with reference to ez 36:25-27 Also a mystery
Mk 4:11 Eph 5:32 eph 6:19 1 Tim 3:9 3:16 Col 1:27 2:2 4:3

 

[amadeus]

All Christians of course recognize Jesus as the King of God's Kingdom, and submit to his Kingship, and obey God's regulations through him sir. I am unfamiliar with the term put on Christ.

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal 3:27

 

[Robert Gwin]

ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ!

Galatians 3:27
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

the promise (sacred oath or sacrament) of the Father acts 2:38-39 with reference to ez 36:25-27 Also a mystery
Mk 4:11 Eph 5:32 eph 6:19 1 Tim 3:9 3:16 Col 1:27 2:2 4:3

Yes sir, no doubt about it. Do you feel that it is righteous on God's part to destroy those who do not know Him upon Jesus return? Why?

 

[Robert Gwin]

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal 3:27

Thank you sir, I understand now. That is very true!

 

[theefaith]

Yes sir, no doubt about it. Do you feel that it is righteous on God's part to destroy those who do not know Him upon Jesus return? Why?

There wicked!

 

[Robert Gwin]

There wicked!

That is their Judgment, so you agree it is righteous on God's part to do that. Did you catch the point of why they were judged to be wicked sir?