In Reply to: Re: God Talk posted by CB on January 08, 2010 at 06:23:37:
used to say...since I left TF I wondered how I should pray...directly to Jesus or to the Father in Jesus name (different habits also in the same church I go to)...for both sides you can find the proponents...the first post is by a messianic Jew Dr.A. Fruchtenbaum
Luke 18:13
The Jesus prayer I found interesting...because one of the scriptures/verses which touched me most in life, was Luke 18:13,14
Regarding salvation it has been often a blessing to consider the great multitude in Rev.7:9...I had JW in Italy in "dispair" not knowing who those multitudes could be (if only 144000 are in heaven...and heaven is kind of full according to the JW)...neither do the dispensationalists have a good explanation...the Darbyists/brethren...for them they are tribulation-saints...the real church gone before that...not so convincing for me until now...
Who is saved and who isn't?...I asked that once a Lutheran pastor for the deaf...who comes regularly to our congregation...he asked back, if I wouldn't have an easier question...kind of how should we know?...ultimately only God knows...but unto many...me included...there are signs "to worry about"...if someone claims to know/believe in Christ, but persists in certain bad behaviour...(we could make a scriptural list of that)...Even as errant as the Corinthians were...Paul said to that church about one sinful member to deliver such an one unto the destruction of the flesh...that the spirit may be saved 1.Cor.5:5
I often think not too positive about "untimely death"...long life is in my mind still a blessing of God
So whether K.Z. is saved or not ...God knows...prayer for errant people can still be very powerful...like Dr. Koch mentions again and again in his book about people troubled with the occult etc.
Like some spiritis didn't "move out" without prayer and fasting...I think it takes enough dedication of us...to make progress...even in understanding and you can only teach/preach, what you have understood yourself.In my church the basics are wonderful...but beyond that...hardly anyone dares to move...I suspect, they aren't sure themselves.
From Gödel I learned: there are uncertainties in the "Math-world"...Heisenberg teaches the same for the "microscopic-world" of physics...now 1.Cor.13 also makes me believe that we don't have full/better knowledge now...which brings me to "my pet-studies"...that it's difficult to see the canon as the to teleion...the perfect...for verse 12 suggests I would know like I am known...I don't think I know perfectly either...kind of the incompleteness theorem of theology...just my recent thoughts/2 cents about that...so to be dogmatic about several things can be just straineous and a nuisance...
Often it's better to say: I don't know yet...
(Although we shouldn't justify our lethargy/laziness with the fact, that things are indeed tough to comprehend and not trying harder, getting the puzzle together.)
As far the Jews are concerned...well, I can learn still some of them and Romans 9-11 is wonderfully valid about that rest in Israel...to be saved...
(but in the meantime they seem also prone to a lot of rubbish...just like the heathen...or anyone for that matter...who's always faithful?)
"The only soul I'm responsible for is my own"
I very much agree (comfort: HE which has begun a
good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...Phil 1:6)