Welcome to Christianity Haven, thank you for visiting! If you have not already, we invite you to create an account and join in on the many discussions we have!
Please be aware that when registering you must not register while using a VPN. Any registrations made using a VPN will be rejected.
Additionally, registration emails are not being sent out which is an issue that is being worked on. Your registration may go into an approval queue for admin approval. We work to send manual emails to the email on file, so please ensure the email you use is one you can readily access!
Yes - A kind of given -
The Call of God is unto repentance...
So yes, it starts with God...
And repentance is denial of self, yes?
And whom God Calls, these He also Justifies, yes?
And whom He Justifies, these He also Glorifies, yes?
Yet the same pericope then points out:
For many are...
Thank-you for not mentioning the Orthodox understanding...
Of the Holy Tradition of the Church...
Of Oecumenical Councils...
Of local traditions of the Churches...
Catholic-vs-Protestant is your bailiwick...
This polarity is rather self-sustaining...
At least for the Protestants...
For...
My Brother, you will NOT like the putrid blob of stinking slime you will be entered into AFTER you commit suicide!
Do not be afraid to suffer...
Offer your suffering, whatever it is, for the sake of those whom you love...
Are you praying morning and night?
I can give you a Psaltic prayer...
The world runs from this cross...
As it runs from denial of self...
And the burden of this flight...
Is indeed heavy and oppressive...
But the very FIRST step is denial of self, yes?
What does that look like?
Arsenios
Don't be so sure...
They walked gladly into the arena...
Bearing their suckling babes in their arms...
To be devoured alive by wild beasts...
With love and gratitude on their lips...
They honored in this the Sacrifice of our Lord...
And the sacrifices of those of Faith...
To Whom Paul referred...
Good post...
The Greek reads:
IF ANYone IS WILLING,
AFTER ME TO BE COMING,
LET HIM FIRST DENY HIMSELF,
THEN TAKE UP HIS CROSS,
AND FOLLOW ME
It is worth reading line by line...
So HOW did Christ DO this?
There is one word that is CONSPICUOUS by its absence here...
It is the very MEANS...
Read the thread - You will find something new here...
He did have 4 brothers and 3 sisters, and a Mother and a father too, Joseph...
Folks here are arguing that His Virgin Mother was not a Virgin...
That His father was not His Father...
But that His siblings came from His once-upon-a-time...
It is not my creation, but thank-you...
Inconvenient facts are throughout Holy Writ...
It IS truthful...
God gave Satan rulership of this fallen earth...
Then He conducted an undercover operation to rescue hostages...
And to restore original Creation...
And to establish man in His...
Can't re-write the Bible, Rich...
Nowhere does it say She ever had sexual relations...
Do not re-write the Bible...
It is not good for your soul...
Arsenios
Of course she did - LEGALLY...
I mean, She was MARRIED to their father, yes?
Was She married to Joseph or NOT???
Legally, She IS their Mother...
And LEGALLY, Joseph is Christ's FATHER too!
A GREAT deception...
The crowds are STILL believing it to this day and hour!
Arsenios
Each and every Church founded by the Apostles that exists to this very day and hour and even the seconds it takes you to read this embraces right NOW, after 2000 years of history, without any exceptions whatsoever, the virginity of the Blessed Virgin for her entire earthly sojourn...
Find just...
She said so herself...
Asked the Angel: How can I get pregnant?
BECAUSE
"I do not know man..."
And the Angel told her immediately that she would still not have to know a man for this conception...
That God would be the Father...
You know all this...
Arsenios
Rich - Read the Gospel of John as the NT Genesis...
Then you will know why Christ called Mary Gune - WOMAN...
Adam did not know Eve until after the Fall...
The New Adam and Eve picked up from where Adam and Eve failed...
In a world now ruled by Satan...
Who tried to destroy the Child...
Great deception, yes?
She was betrothed to Joseph to remain a virgin, and lo and behold she turns up with a child not Joseph's...
Joseph could have had her stoned to death...
But he did not...
He believed God through a dream, remember?
And went to Egypt through a dream, yes?
That Child...