Life-Eternal.org.uk

Comment by Micky

July 31, 2007 @ 9:45 pm

About 3 years ago I dropped into a black hole – four months of absolute terror. I wanted to end my life, but somehow [Holy Spirit], I reached out to a friend who took me to hospital. I had three visits [hospital] in four months – I actually thought I was in hell. I imagine I was going through some sort of metamorphosis [mental, physical & spiritual]. I had been seeing a therapist [1994] on a regular basis, up until this point in time. I actually thought I would be locked away – but the hospital staff was very supportive [I had no control over my process]. I was released from hospital 16th September 2004, but my fear, pain & shame had only subsided a little. I remember this particular morning waking up [home] & my process would start up again [fear, pain, & shame]. No one could help me, not even my therapist [I was terrified]. I asked Jesus Christ to have mercy on me & forgive me my sins. Slowly, all my fear has dissipated & I believe Jesus delivered me from my “psychological prison.” I am a practicing Catholic & the Holy Spirit is my friend & strength; every day since then has been a joy & blessing. I deserve to go to hell for the life I have led, but Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross, delivered me from my inequities. John 3:8, John 15:26, are verses I can relate to, organically. He’s a real person who is with me all the time. I have so much joy & peace in my life, today, after a childhood spent in orphanages . God LOVES me so much. Fear, pain, & shame, are no longer my constant companions. I just wanted to share my experience with you [Luke 8:16–17].
PEACE BE WITH YOU
MICKY

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

February 27, 2008 @ 3:29 am

Actually what the Lord said was, “unless you become like a child and be born again you cannot enter the Kingdom of God”. which lead those who heard him to question how a man could re-enter their mother’s womb and be born again. by adding “and be converted” does not follow because that is not what was said. Jesus’ words were plain and clear that to enter the kingdom of god you will have to be born again. The same way a new born child is born that is how you will enter the kingdom of god. and yes you will re-enter your mother’s womb but as a new born child. God makes all things new. It might seem impossible to us mere humans but to God all things are possible.

Comment by Life Eternal

March 18, 2008 @ 12:18 pm

Thanks for your comment Wendell.
First of all, our apologies for not having posted references with the Bible quotes in the above post. This has now been rectified.
I would be interested to know which version you are quoting from, we always quote from the KJV as it is one of the oldest and most accurate translations in the English language.
You have obviously spent some time meditating upon what Jesus said, which is great, but meditation must be based upon accurate reading of the scriptures and must be guided by the Holy Spirit. Your comment appears to be referring to the occasion when Nicodemus visited Jesus one night (John 3).
Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
To which Nicodemus replied, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
At which point Jesus corrects his thought process by saying, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
When Jesus spoke of the need to be ‘born again’, He was referring to the need for Spiritual new birth.
As man/woman we consist of body, soul and spirit - you are a soul, having the ability to communicate with this physical world through the body that God has given you. But lacking the ability to communicate with the spiritual sphere (which, contrary to popular belief, is in actual fact the ‘real world’) through the spirit that God has given you - because it is dead.
I have been born again. Spiritual new birth - and now God’s Holy Spirit, dwelling within me, witnesses with my spirit that I am a child of God. Romans 8v16 & 1John 5v10
But why was my spirit dead?
God said to Adam in the garden of Eden, “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2v17  He was speaking of the tree which He had commanded Adam not to eat from. So when Adam ate from the tree he died - spiritually (he also began to die physically) because he had disobeyed God and chosen to become servant to sin.
The solemn truth is, that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3v23 As sinners God could never have us in His presence (because He is Holy) so he sent His sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to bear my sin and take the punishment for it so that I could be redeemed to God.
It requires repentance and child-like faith to believe such truths, sadly most people in the world are too proud to stoop to something as humble as repentance or as simple as ‘child-like faith’.

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

March 20, 2008 @ 9:49 am

The bible version that I read is the new english version. Eternal life is a free gift from god the sacrifice of his son was a free gift god knowing that none of us could ever live up to what would be required to attain eternal on our own merrits therefore he gave up his son on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins god knew us before we were even born do you not think that he has taken every aspect of our lives into consideration and therefore put safegards in place to assure our places in his kingdom then why should we concern ourselves about the trivial things.

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

March 21, 2008 @ 7:00 am

Why as christians do we feel that we have to always quote chapter and verse to defend our interpretation of the gospel I feel that the bible having been translated from its original language which lets say hebrew and then into another and yet into yet another language and then when it is finally printed into English then you got the different versions of the the various denominations be it RC or CoE is there not room for mis-interpretation at the end of the day the bible is the living word of god and god speaks to us through his word when we read it with the holy spirit that lives in all christians guiding us then there should be enough understanding to clearly and without doubt translate the correct meaning of what is being said. I have come to the conclusion that gods word can speak to us at different times of our lives using the same text from his word and still be relevant at various stages of our lives.

Comment by Life Eternal

March 22, 2008 @ 4:37 pm

I agree with your statement, that “God’s word can speak to us at different times of our lives using the same text from His Word and still be relevant at various stages of our lives.” As you said, it is the living Word of God. But while different scriptures can have many applications, each passage does have only one true interpretation, which is why we cannot mix and match verses to create our own doctrine(s). When it comes to correct interpretation, every verse must be viewed in the context of the passage in which it is found. (If we at Life Eternal quote chapter and verse, then the reader has the evidence and can look it up and read it for themselves in its correct context.) God is the God of order not of confusion and His word is truth, but when we begin quoting it, if we fail to observe His order and learn His truths we could make it say whatever we liked - the problem is, it has then become our word and is no longer God’s, and no longer truth.
**If we misplace our faith in our own interpretation of the Gospel and it is not the same as God’s interpretation of the Gospel, our souls will be lost for all eternity!**
Every week of my life someone offers me a FREE gift - every offer is followed by instructions for claiming that FREE gift. Likewise, Salvation is a FREE gift. It is on offer to any who will willingly receive it - the terms & conditions:
Repentance towards God and faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

March 24, 2008 @ 1:28 am

The promise of salvation was promised through the line of Abraham and therefore christianity is a continuation of that promise first through the jews and then to the rest of the world. For centuries after the death of christ the sciptures were administrated by the jews that were converted by christ’s life and only after the fall of the temple at jerusalem was the sciptures taken to Rome and then manipulated and hence making Rome the centre of christianity AND MAKING PAUL THE CORNER STONE where IN FACT THE BROTHERS OF JESUS WERE THE MAIN PLAYERS IN THE SPEADING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS’ WORKS so if you want to talk about accuracy please explain why the brothers of jesus are virtually left out of the new testament and Paul who never met jesus and was not at the last supper is held in such high regard.

Comment by Life Eternal

March 24, 2008 @ 11:16 pm

Read the book of Romans particularly chapter 4 and you will find the corrections to your comments on Abraham - who (as in the case of every Christian) is also justified/made_right_with_God by Faith (see also Hebrews 11 & 12).

[Rome is not the centre of Christianity - Rome is the centre of Roman Catholicism. It is a man-made religion that thrives on suppressing people and withholding the truth in it’s completeness from them.
Christianity is a corrupt form of the truth - you could say America and the UK are the centre of Christendom. Originally based upon the Bible the Church of England has become an organised hierachy that largely operates as an empty ritualistic religion without direction in this present age.]

Jesus Christ is the stone which the builders rejected who has been made the chief corner stone and always will be.
Following Christ’s ascension, not one of the apostles ever claimed to be the greatest - they all saw themselves as brothers in Christ and therefore as equal (it was a painful lesson that they learned while Jesus was alive Mark 9v33-34), in fact Paul’s humility comes out in several places in his letters, for he claims to be ‘the least of the apostles’ 1Corinthians 15v9 and ‘the least of all saints’ Ephesians 3v8. Paul may not have been at the last supper, but 1Corinthians 15v8 reminds us that he saw into heaven and physically saw the Lord when he was on the Damascus road. God’s purpose for Paul was that he should spread the gospel (in we have the Lord’s testimony/witness to this through Ananias) in doing so he travelled as far away as Rome. An apostle is a ’sent one’ so the other apostles were all spreading the gospel (some more locally than others) Luke 24v44-48. In serving the Lord they would have had many other responsibilities alongside this and they all differed from one another and therefore would appear in history and scripture with differing levels of visibility.
We hold Paul in no higher regard than any other faithful Christian.

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

March 25, 2008 @ 11:12 am

As I stated before, salvation is a free gift from God and any one who says you have got to do this and believe in certain way is a liar. God’s free gift does not come with small print that is mis-leading because you can hardly see it, the price of salvation has already been paid in full through his son there is nothing else to pay or do.

Comment by Life Eternal

March 26, 2008 @ 12:12 am

We said nothing about ’small print’ - the need for repentance and faith are as clear on the pages of scripture as all the other words.
You are absolutely correct - there is NOTHING ELSE TO PAY and NOTHING ELSE TO DO, salvations price has been PAID IN FULL and NOT ONE GOOD WORK THAT WE CAN DO WILL HELP SAVE US.
Salvation IS a FREE gift from God, but we don’t just grow up already possessing it. We grow up living without a relationship with God, and seeking to satisfy only self. We are sinners. God’s Word shows us we are. God cannot look upon sin (he turned His face away when Christ was made sin for us).
**Nobody who has not turned to Christ from their sin and selfishly motivated life, having faith in the completeness of His work at Calvary will ever enter heaven!**

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

March 28, 2008 @ 2:02 am

What do you mean God cannot look upon sin it is because he loved us although we were sinners that he sacrificed his son god knows each and every one of us in death and in the womb the word cannot and god should not be used in the same sentence look at his creation there absolutely nothing that is impossible for god man makes his plans but in the end it is gods will that will prevail anyway we will have to agree to disagree at the end of the day every tougue will confess and every knee shall bow god seeks us out not the other way round and he puts it in our hearts to seek him through his son.

Comment by Life Eternal

March 28, 2008 @ 6:04 pm

The verse I was referring to was Habakkuk 1v13 - the words used are actually ‘evil’ and ‘iniquity’.
While all things are possible with God, I can think of at least a couple of statements, for example, ‘God cannot sin’ and ‘God cannot be divided against himself’, but these are mere words from a finite language on a finite earth. God’s Will will prevail, His councils will come to fruition, and that which He has determined will come to pass - but while this is true, man has been given a free will, which God has allowed and wants him to use - but when it comes to the main events of time and the course of God’s purpose, it is impossible for man to interfere.
We agree on each of your last three statements, but many people in the world exercise their free will in rebellion against God, although every knee shall bow, they will not all do so voluntarily, (as an example of this: remember the band of men that came to take Jesus in the garden - they went backwards, and fell to the ground).

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

March 29, 2008 @ 8:53 am

Yes they will bow and their tongues shall confess his name, but that is because their eyes will be opened and they will know him, that will be at the time that God has designated, so even though they may not know him now, at the appointed time their eyes will be opened and there will be no doubt in their minds.

Comment by Life Eternal

March 30, 2008 @ 3:46 pm

There are different degrees of knowledge, and likewise different degrees to which one person may know another. For example you have the intimate way in which God knows each one of us (’each hair of our head is numbered’ and ‘the Lord searcheth our hearts’), right through to the shallow way in which I might say, “I know the queen” (if I saw her on the street or you showed me a photograph I would recognize her).
So their eyes will be opened and they will know who He is, because they will see Him, and they will confess His name and that He is Lord, but not as their Lord or Saviour - for He will say to them, “I never knew you … depart from me.” Matthew 7v23 & Luke 13v27
Revelation 20v15 clearly says, “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” There is a book in Heaven called The Lamb’s Book Of Life - it has written within it, the name’s of all those who belong to the Lamb (Jesus Christ), who have been redeemed by His precious blood. It is not merely a list of all those who have lived, Revelation 13v8 clearly indicates that there are those who’s names are not written in it. At the end of time there will be many who are rejected - because whether actively or passively, they rejected God’s offer of mercy.

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

March 31, 2008 @ 8:31 am

At the end of the day you do not know who’s name is written in that book and maybe your name god forbid is not written in it how do you know that every one even the worst of us has not been written in it as I said before god knowing that none could ever attain salvation on our own merrits therefore he has already added us to the book of life and a safety valve I am quite sure that it is not gods will that any of shall be thrown into hells fire but that we should be saved by the blood of the lamb that was slain for our iniquities in advance of us even coming into the world Amen

Comment by Wendell O'Flaherty

April 1, 2008 @ 6:46 am

I do not how you can compare knowing your maker to whether or not you can recognize a picture of the queen I think that is trivializing the point that I was trying to make, because it is god who opens the eyes of men and god who gives them understanding. Sauls eyes were opened by god, in describing the event it was likened to seeing a great light and that is how god en-lighterns us. That is why I said that at the appointed time we will all know him and confess his name and bow down to his majesty.

Comment by Life Eternal

April 3, 2008 @ 11:07 am

At the end of the day, and since the 1st June 1987 I am 100% certain that my name is in that book! Because on the evening of that day I knelt by my bed and humbly confessed my sin and selfishness, and my need for God’s forgiveness in order that I might be right with Him, and at that moment I placed child-like faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His promises, which is where it has been ever since.
I now read my Bible, in order that (as the post suggests) I might grow in faith and in the knowledge of the scriptures and of my Lord. I speak to Him throughout the day in prayer and find the answers in His Living Word - I have a living, working relationship with My Creator. I take him at His word, lay hold upon His promises to me, and I am proving Him faithful as I know millions of others have done through the ages - God is not a God of uncertainty but a faithful God.

We do not merely base our teaching on the scriptures - we present the scriptures. God’s inspired Word is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged-sword. It does not contradict itself. In the UK the closest that we can get to it (that I am currently aware of) is the King James Version, which is 400 years old, and was translated from the original languages (Hebrew, Greek & Aramaic) and was a direct result of the efforts of men who, in a time of incredible persecution, were prepared to give their lives so that ordinary people like you and I could have access to read the truth for ourselves. (see William Tyndale for example - Fox’s Book of Martyrs, Chapter12).
I have searched for the version of the Bible that you quoted from in your second comment and claim you read - the New English Version - which I’m afraid I couldn’t find. In fact, I have searched through every version with a similar name and the passage that you claimed to be quoting (Matthew 18v3) does not read as you suggested in any of them - I find this somewhat worrying. Nothing that you have said in your comments is supported by any reference or authority (it would not even stand up on Wikipedia like that), and yet you criticize Life Eternal for quoting and referencing to the highest authority in the world - the Word of God. Throughout your comments you have mixed truth with theories and out of context Bible verses, to which I have given an honest, polite, scripture-backed answer and I don’t think it fair of you to accuse me of trivializing the last point that you were trying to make. A point which, once again was invalid.

This is why your last point was invalid - because once again you haven’t correctly read the passages (inc.Acts 9). Saul/Paul was CONVERTED on the road to Damascus - he ACTUALLY saw the bright light (it ’shined round about him’), in fact he saw right into heaven and he ACTUALLY saw Jesus. The light was so bright that he became blind and remained so for 3 days, until Ananias came and healed him. But, as you said, spiritually his eyes were opened right there on the road to Damascus. As you said, God opened his eyes. But there are many thousands, who down through the ages have had their eyes opened and yet they have still rejected the Saviour or refused to repent, see King Agrippa for example - ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian’ - he saw, but something held him back. Saul/Paul on the other hand clearly repented. Firstly he acknowledges Jesus as ‘Lord’ (something he would never have done before) and an indication that his eyes had been opened; but then the evidence of repentance - “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” - he had just left off his desire (to go and persecute the Christians) and now he seeks the Lord’s desire.

Scripture clearly presents the need to ‘turn to God’. We cannot deny it - the Lord Jesus himself preached, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel!” Mark 1v15

While God loves us with a love so great that we cannot comprehend it, He has given us a free will - he will not force anyone to love or trust Him (forced love or trust is an impossibility - such emotions die when force is applied). But as you suggest, He will challenge men and women throughout their lives; yes, He’ll open their eyes, but sadly many will still reject Him, finding the most pathetic excuses Luke 14v16-24. I was talking to a young man just the other day, and he said, “I’d rather wait until after I die to decide what I’m going to believe.” But the Bible says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2Corinthians 6v2 Waiting to see, is living life for self - living by sight, not by faith. Hebrews 11v6 tells us that it is faith that pleases God - He wants the people He has created to choose to Love and Trust Him rather than to make their own decisions based upon their ‘limited’ vision. Last time God sent world-wide judgment, the people who waited to see for themselves, found that they were on the wrong side of the door of Noah’s Ark when God shut it! It’s a solemn thought that out of the millions alive in that day - only 8 were saved.

Scripture clearly teaches that not everyone’s name is/will be in the Lamb’s Book Of Life at the end of time. We cannot deny it - see references in our last post Revelation 13v8 & Revelation 20v15.