One Gospel One Truth

  Worldview 1 If there is no personal Creator, our existence is most certainly a cosmic accident. We exist by chance, not by design or purpose. We exist in a deterministic universe governed by raw natural selection.   And, if this is an accurate accounting for our existence, several facts follow: 1. Notions of ultimate meaning are based on wishful thinking and irrational fantasy. Discussions about such ideas are themselves unexpected in such a universe. 2. There is no ultimate morality; no right or wrong; no transcendent morality. On this version of reality, morals are simply matters of personal or societal opinion. The so-called problem of evil cannot be addressed and cannot (on rational grounds) really be called a problem . 3. Death is both the irreversible cessation of organismic functioning and the irreversible loss of personhood. There is no hope of anything outside of this life.  Problem:  Humans everywhere throughout all of history know ( intuitively) and live...

Joe McKeever "Your words have stood men on their feet." Job 4:4 June 22, 2012 As a child, I was enthralled by the story of "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves." This ancient Arabian story tells of an everyday working guy, Ali Baba, who happens to overhear thieves discussing their hidden treasure. He follows them to their cave, hears the magic words  Open Sesame  (our English version of what they said, no doubt) which opens the door, and follows them inside. There he discovers a king's ransom in jewels and gold. Later, using the (ahem) password, Ali Baba returns and helps himself to the treasure. You can see why a child would love that story. It contains so many of the elements we all like in a good story: free gold, easy living, the bad guys are conned, and simple words that do wondrous things. I don't know any magic words other than  I love you, thank you, you're beautiful/you're important/you are smart, and please.  However, in studying the Holy Script...

Ron Graham -   twotug@embarqmail.com   “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” 2 Peter 2:20. This verse is continually taken out of context and misquoted by those who would have the rest of us believe we can lose our salvation. But as we study the verse in context it’s impossible to establish an argument that proves salvation to be so fleeting. As we will soon see, the verse in question has nothing to do with the born again “in Christ” believer.   Before I continue I must point out these simple rules. Always consider the full counsel of God when studying His Word. Never pull one verse out of any chapter of the Bible and attempt to establish doctrine from that one verse. Never attempt to point to one particular verse to refute what God plainly states to the contrary in numerous other scripture...

Will born again believer in Christ  lose their salvation when they sin ? by Ron Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,” Romans 8:1. Condemnation is a sphere of entrapment used by Satan and his horde of malevolent misfits to enslave even the followers of Jesus Christ. Every time we stumble and commit a sin the enemy moves in to convince us that we are once again under God’s condemnation. If you are born again and yet you have allowed the enemy to entrap you thusly, it’s imperative you memorize the above verse. If you don’t fall into that category memorize it anyway. Satan will never stop his attacks. Consider the above verse your security blanket. “He that believeth on him (Jesus the Christ) is not condemned: John 3:18a. With this verse, Jesus’ words confirm the simplicity of salvation; believing “on Him” removes all condemnation “…but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in ...

  by Ray C. Stedman It was the summer of 1787. The heat in Philadelphia was oppressive and the delegates to the Constitutional Convention fanned themselves languidly and longed for adjournment. Debate had dragged on for days over the issue of how the States would be represented in Congress. Luther Martin of Maryland had held the floor for the best part of two days in a long-winded speech on States Rights that left everyone weary and querulous. The Convention faced an impasse. At this point aged Dr. Benjamin Franklin rose and addressed himself to General Washington in the Chair.     In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understandings? He went on to remind the Convention that at the beginning of the war with England the...