1. It is God-centred and reverent.
2. It is holy; ie clearly separate from the world.
3. Words are scriptural, either by being taken directly from scripture, or by stating acceptable doctrines based on sound theology
4. Music is of high quality
5. Words are to avoid vain repetitions

Minnow wrote:
Children are the gift of God. Trust in Him to take care of the family and the children of covenanted believers.
The Lord did not invent contraception, man did, to increase the service of the god of mammon. It is a chemical "decision" destroying motherhood and family.

Discerning Believer wrote:
Bernard, can you provide a scriptural basis for making the sign of the cross when praying.

JD wrote:
Ga 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Discerned Believer wrote:
If it is not commanded in scripture, it is forbidden, it is unscriptural.

Mike wrote:
By sin, not decree.

Yes, "vessels of wrath are those fitted to destruction by their own unbelief and rebellion"! But look at Discerning Believer's post for the Roman's passage: It is by God's sovereign will and decree.

Icon O'Clast wrote:
...you are talking to someone who is convinced that the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are two distinct and seperate things...

Mike wrote:
I don't kn_w.

One possible explanation is faulty keyboards. It would seem more sensible however, to use a zero ("0") in place of an "o". That is, write "G0d" or "L0rd". Or even use the smilies available, like: L rd. Problem is, these people tend to use "o's" in other places, ruling this out.

Jim Lincoln wrote:
...No, Christ is not reigning on an earthly throne! God is in control, and when Christ returns for the Millennium, then he will be the physical king over the earth....

JD wrote:
...Here is what it does say:
1Jo 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
Ro 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
In case you do not know who the ungodly are, they are the saved people prior to their believing.
Ro 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Anyone who has no understanding of the formation of the church being formed from the believers from both gentiles and Jews by the Spirit as the unique family of God in this age is likely to be advance arguments from an ignorance of the church like some folks here have done. Amen

Icon O'Clast wrote:
...There is one people of God, elect from before the foundation of the world, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, who paid for ALL the sins of ALL His people from past to future. When the Triune God covenanted together to redeem a people, before the world was made, it was determined that the Son would pay the penalty and the Spirit would apply that to the people of God...

Lisa wrote:
...just to take in his beauty...

Dr. Phil wrote:
As many do (even some Protestants) you have deluded yourself into thinking you are a Christian.

To be saved, you must believe. (cf Romans 10:9, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:21, Acts 16:31).

God, in his infinite mercy and omnipitent power, may choose to save some who attend a Roman Catholic Church.

That said. John, could there come a point when the number of unsriptural doctrines and unsriptural parts of the mass dispensed with turn you into a stranger in a strange land? You may one day find yourself more at home in a protestant church.

Mr. J wrote:
...Now churches are fighting to give them rights in the pulpit. They should not be members of the church, let alone in positions of leadership...

If a homosexual repents of his/her sin and confesses Christ as Lord, then the normal processes of church membership, etc, should apply. Remember, the Corinthian church included ex-homosexuals ("...what some of you were...").

JD wrote:
...Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the KINGDOM OF GOD.
The Spirit was not given until Acts 2.
Lu 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. ...

Paul wrote:
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

On further reflection, I see that this is an emotive issue because it deals with an issue of conscience. It is important to deal with this issue in love and sensitivity to our brothers. While your facts are very true, your tone tends towards sarcasm and insensitivity, and this will not win over those struggling with this issue. I exhort you to contain these tendencies.

That said, others in this discussion have gone well beyond tendencies toward insensitivity. To boast of your drinking in this forum is to blatantly disregard the principles in 1 Cor. 8.