http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/theology-religion/ en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:04:20 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051553/posts Want to see Todd Bentley, Binny Hinn, or other false teachers in action? Click the link for a page of about a dozen video links exposing the lies of Satan dressed up in false Christianity; John might call them as being of anti-Christ. Be not deceived. Deception Bytes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051553/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:04:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051513/posts Historical sources, like the people who make them, are rarely either completely perfect or totally unreliable. The bread and butter work of the historian is less the divining of bias than a careful reading of his documents to determine just what is said, whether his source is in a position to know the information related, and to what extent each one tells a partial or complete story. Because it is claimed that Joseph Smith’s account of the events surrounding his First Vision are not factual, the foregoing procedures must be applied to his own statements and to all other accounts... BYU Studies http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051513/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:13:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051500/posts PART ONE THE PROFESSION OF FAITH SECTION TWO THE PROFESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH THE CREDO The Apostles Creed The Nicene Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being... The Vatican http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051500/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:41:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051413/posts Focus on His Freedom Today's Scripture “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Corinthians 3:17). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria All throughout the scriptures, God’s mission was to bring freedom, life, and blessing to those who followed Him. When Jesus walked the earth, He went around doing good and bringing healing; setting people free. If you feel overwhelmed by the pressures of the world today, remember, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, He makes His home on the inside of... Email http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051413/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:46:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051146/posts BEND — While you are reading this, I hope to back in the United States. I hope to have returned safely from Australia and I hope to have had a very positive and uplifting experience with the Holy Father in Sydney. I hope all of these things because, as of the time of this writing, I have not yet boarded the plane for the southern hemisphere. As the time for that embarkation nears I find that I am more and more hopeful and possibly even a little excited. While I do not travel well it has been my experience that... Catholic Sentinel (Oregon) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051146/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051138/posts Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - How different is the Lord's way of looking at the earth and its inhabitants, compared with our way which rarely sees beyond appearances! Conversion of heart means learning from Jesus to see things His way which is totally different from the way of the world. To follow Him means to look where He looks, to focus on what comes from His love rather than what comes from our own self-love, which is 'short sighted' by nature. Learning day by day from the Gospel means looking further than our own selfish limits, looking in the same... Agenzia Fides http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051138/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:53:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051102/posts La Stampa July 22nd 2008 The Pope and Bush united by the same errors HANS KÃœNG Last April, Benedict XVI  celebrated his 81 years with George W. Bush at the White House. Odd: the Pope, ambassador of peace and truth who touches glasses with a war president who, even in the eyes of many Americans, dragged a great democracy into a war by means of lies and propaganda, with no apparent exit strategy. According to a recent survey, 80% of Americans are convinced that the US is “on the wrong track”. Hence the slogan for the current electoral campaign... What Does This Prayer Really Say http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051102/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:44:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051059/posts Am I Blessed Like This? " Blessed are . . . " —Matthew 5:3-11 When we first read the statements of Jesus, they seem wonderfully simple and unstartling, and they sink unnoticed into our subconscious minds. For instance, the Beatitudes initially seem to be merely soothing and beautiful precepts for overly spiritual and seemingly useless people, but of very little practical use in the rigid, fast-paced workdays of the world in which we live. We soon find, however, that the Beatitudes contain the "dynamite" of the Holy Spirit. And they "explode" when the circumstances of our lives cause them... My Utmost for His Highest (The Golden Book of Oswald Chambers;1992) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051059/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:32:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051050/posts THREE PROPHETIC PARALLELISMS CONCERNING ISRAEL. By Rev. JAMES C.SMITH, of Dufftown (At the Glasgow Conference, June, 1894.) To understand the the Old Testament you must understand Israel; to understand the New Testament you must study the Church. The great subject of the Bible is sin, and the great doctrine of the Bible is the putting away of sin by the grace of God. All other subjects fall under this great line of study. If the Bible casts its teaching in any special form or mould more than another, it is in the form of parallelism, and this is one of... Things To Come -- A Journal of Biblical Literature http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051050/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:37:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051018/posts God has recently given us the opportunity to discuss some theological issues with other Christians who believe differently than we do on a number of points, most notably the doctrines of grace. In such a circumstance, given the overwhelming supply of scriptural evidence that comes to bear on the topic, it seemed to me that the best approach would be a simple categorized scripture list: the fact that the entire paper would be scriptures, with the exception of a few brief explanatory notes, would underscore the truth that this is God's own word and teaching; and the fact that it... Monergism.Com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051018/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:19:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051014/posts extra ecclesiam nulla salus Latin, “outside the church, no salvation” This phrase has a long theological history, being coined by Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, in third century, but its meaning today is debated among scholars. While it expressed the belief that the church is necessary for salvation, this does not speak to the issues raised by the multiple divisions within the church that followed through the middle ages and into the Reformation and what is mean, in light of such, by the word “church.” All traditions of Christianity, Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox, can claim this phrase as substantially correct, but... TWOTD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2051014/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:04:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050761/posts It is no doubt that television is the true American Idol. One commenter on a blog I frequent said it best: if you were to sit down and tally up the amount of time you watch TV and the amount of time you spend in prayer and Bible reading which would be larger? May we step back and assess our lives and realize that idols are everywhere and can so quickly become our god. This video presentation should cause all of us to step back and assess…. soli Deo Gloria http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050761/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:00:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050744/posts This is a powerful little clip from a sermon by Paul Washer. Its not always easy to remember in the middle of loss or continuous physical pain that these things we endure are not only helping to mold us into the man or woman of God, which is our eternal destiny if we be in Christ, but that they are a testimony to God’s Name and Glory: how? by our steadfast faithfulness to Him through it all…and how the world witnesses this. Even chastisement we receive by the hand of God is a ‘witness’ that we ARE a child of... Sola Dei Gloria http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050744/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:20:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050682/posts Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often seek to point out differences between the various accounts which Joseph Smith gave of his First Vision. In defense of their position that the Prophet changed his story over a six year period (1832 to 1838) they claim that the earliest followers of Joseph Smith either didn’t know about the First Vision, or seem to have been confused about it. Comparison to Paul's vision Paul the apostle gave several accounts of his vision of the resurrected Lord while on the road to Damascus. Like Joseph Smith's account of the... Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050682/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:30:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050532/posts When I came into Catholicism, a number of non-Christians and Protestant Christians asked me: “How could a good Christian like you ever become a Catholic?” It was a classic case of the fallacy we’re going to examine in this chapter. The fallacy is called Question-Begging Definition, and it occurs when the person challenging you with a question purposely or inadvertently subtly redefines a key term to make the question sound half reasonable, when in fact the question is fallacious.This article is a series about right reasoning and the way logical and linguistic fallacies confuse communication and often lead us... Catholic Exchange http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050532/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:36:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050477/posts Indulgences, which give Catholics time off Purgatory for good behaviour, are making a comeback under Pope Benedict XVI. In the past year, the Vatican has granted them for World Youth Day, the 150th anniversary of the Virgin Mary's apparition at Lourdes and, most recently, the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul's birth. The renewed enthusiasm for the controversial practice is being felt here. Ottawa's archbishop, Terrence Prendergast, is encouraging area Catholics to celebrate St. Paul by going for the indulgences; going so far as to issue a press release recently spelling out how to get one. People don't need to apply... The Ottawa Citizen http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050477/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:04:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050466/posts The doctrine of justification by faith alone does not imply that you are justified before God because you managed to work up enough faith in and by yourself to believe in Christ, which is impossible in the first place. Rather, the doctrine contrasts faith against works, emphasizing that we are justified by God through faith apart from works. This faith is itself not a work — that is, not a work of man, but a work of God in man. Faith is a gift of God purchased by Christ for all those whom God has chosen for salvation. It is... Reformation Study Center http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050466/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:40:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050444/posts This is the Day Today's Scripture “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Every day that we are given is a precious gift from Almighty God. We should wake up every morning with a grateful attitude, full of faith and expectancy for what the Lord has in store. Sure, you may be facing some challenges in your every day life, or maybe things aren’t going the way you planned, but remember, each new day is a chance to stand strong in the... Email http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050444/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:46:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050438/posts His Nature and Our Motives " . . . unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven " —Matthew 5:20 The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made good by the supernatural grace of God. The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being. Jesus Christ came to place within anyone who would let Him a new heredity that would have a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is... My Utmost for His Highest (The Golden Book of Oswald Chambers;1992) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050438/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:36:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050228/posts For the Christian, the center from which the Divine design proceeds within the fabric of our own lives- and through which we begin to discern the beauty of God’s perfect plan - is the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the central patch of cloth from which the pattern proceeds. It is also where the pattern returns. However, seeing this pattern requires ongoing conversion. We need the eyes that can only come through living faith. We need the strength to pull ourselves up by grasping the wood. It is only there where we begin to see that the threads all... Catholic Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050228/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:40:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050216/posts Yes, the sad little cracker has met its undignified end, so stop pestering me. The cracker, the koran, and another surprise entry have been violated and are gone. You'll have to wait until tomorrow for the details, what little of them there are. Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050216/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:28:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050159/posts A five minute video with a message of God's sovereignty, good for the soul of the saint - convicting for the soul of the spiritually dead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEadldYHtUk FBC Briar http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050159/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:38:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050064/posts    Just over four hundred years ago, in late October, a young Augustinian monk, professor of theology and pastor in Whittenburg, Germany, in the fire of his zeal for Christian truth, nailed 95 thesis to the door of the Castle Church.  He had left the study of law and entered the priesthood, seeking to be justified before God.  His name was Martin Luther.  As a result of studying the Scriptures, he discovered biblical truths that had long been covered and obscured by the ritual and rubble of Rome.  One of the great truths then restored to the Church was... Grace Sermons http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050064/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:23:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050032/posts  The RCIA Inquiry Stage In the Catholic Church Thinking about joining the Catholic Church, and feeling a little lost? Here's some detailed, Christ-centered guidance on faith development during the RCIA inquiry stage. The RCIA inquiry stage is the starting place for adults who are thinking about entering the Catholic Church. "Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10 In the inquiry stage, you're just finding out about Jesus, Christianity, and the Catholic Church. Talk to people, walk around in our shoes for a bit and get a feel for the place. As an inquirer, you're not yet... BeginningCatholic.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050032/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:30:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050025/posts  A Strong Start in the Faith: The Catholic RCIA Stages Thinking of joining the Roman Catholic Church? The Catholic RCIA stages are a good model of basic faith development. This article provides some detailed guidance for that process. So, you're developing your faith. Great! Is it a little overwhelming? Where to start? Why so many "stages" of initiation? What should I be doing in each stage? How will I know when I'm ready to move forward? This article is your best starting point to answer these questions, and more. I'll provide you with some fundamentals — centered in Christ —... Beginning Catholic.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050025/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:50 GMT