jpw wrote:
Rufus -- I hesitate, since writing out a long list below, the words of Christ did not sway you. ...

John UK wrote:
With the prospect of nuclear bombs raining down on Muslim countries in WW3, it is good to hear that believers are fleeing such and heading west.

SteveR wrote:
Samson of course, but dont hold your breath for the others
I will add the ignored Scripture implying that Saul didnt succeed in even killing himself..he needed an Amalekite
2 Samuel 1:7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
2 Samuel 1:8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
2 Samuel 1:9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.
2 Samuel 1:10 So I stood upon him, and slew him,

Jim Lincoln wrote:
Well, Refus, since he seems to be as big as ignoramus, as this fellow [URL=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/04/bush-terrible-president-also-not-a-smart-man.html#]]]Bush: Terrible President, Also Not a Smart Man[/URL], and just as much in bed with big oil, and big business as Baby-face Bush was. Guess what, I don't have any use for him. You Texans can have him, Rufus, if he tries any funny business like running for President again, he'll fall on his face again.
However, I do agree with Kat.

Unprofitable Servant wrote:
Great point! However it was Samuel that said you will be with me not the Lord. I am not making an excuse for Saul or even trying to say suicide is acceptable, just agreeing with others that it is not a sin that automatically condemns one to an eternity in the lake of fire.

Unprofitable Servant wrote:
What saith the Scriptures. Does anyone on this board believe that Samuel is not in heaven? Do we all agree that Saul committed suicide? I Samuel 28:19 (NKJV)"Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons WILL BE WITH ME. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

Psalms 139:8 - If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

jpw wrote:
Rufus -- I am most assured that reading the gospels would remedy your limited perspective of the Kingdom of God. I did a search at blueletterbible on "Kingdom of God". Jesus did not mince words on this subject. It was his constant mode of teaching his coming, his atonement and salvation -- his healings, miracles, and deliveries, his parables on eternal life were based on this...
...

Christopher000 wrote:
I will accept whatever truth were to unfold because whatever God says, goes, but...I hope Rufus is right concerning the fate of suicides. Just difficult to accept that suicide, no matter how wrong, cancels out the fact that someone was born again and tried real hard after their conversion. So, someone can live their entire life, loving God, witnessing, doing right, and doing the best they can to live a Christ-like life, but in the end, in a moment of extreme weakness and hopelessness, for whatever reason, they make the terrible decision to exit early, they are sent to hell for eternity?
This isn't my dad, obviously, but apply it to whoever...maybe yourself...your Pastor...whoever.

just enough time wrote:
(a.) Live an entire life of faith in Christ and repentance and you'll be saved.
(b.) When (self) murder by bullet is your last act, there's no conceivable time in your life's journey to repent (of this "shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" category of sins) before you die.
Thus, how does a gunshot suicide not damn you?

SteveR wrote:
Im trying to say that I dont understand todays dispensational secular response to the Israeli spiritual problem Lisa.
My dispensational friends here say they pray for Israeli salvation, but their hands write letters to Congress to send them more military aid. They dont write letters to their synods to send more missionaries or Bibles to Israel. My friends sigh when Palestinians receive undeserved food aid, yet ignore the lack of Israelis receiving Christ. Their lips claim they are helping, yet each day more and more Jews are dying without faith. To me it looks like they are holding their hands on the way to perdition for their own selfish interests not the Jews who need salvation. Is that a way to treat a friend? Gods special people?
btw
Do you want to know the major crime was of ancient Syria of Isaiah 17? helping Israel(northern kingdom) to sin against God.

Observer wrote:
No one is condoning suicide silly! The question is does suicide in and of itself mean that the person was NOT saved?
There are sins of omission as well as sins of commission. Would a person equally end up in hell with sins of omission?
What about sins of ignorance. Stuff that we all do that we don't even recognize as sin?
What makes suicide the unforgivable sin?
The trolls on this site promulgating the false teaching of the RCC should just keep their shameless ignorant mouths shut.
Christopher000
Truth be told we all struggle on a daily basis with the old self and with besetting sins. This is the experience of every genuine child of God. Josephus is right that some have greater struggles. But remember
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Jim Lincoln wrote:
I was going to criticize Gov. Perry for doing something that would appeal to Texas voters, since he may have ambitions to hold onto his present office or go after another office. However, I see he was in the Boy Scouts and as such he does have a good reason to speak out, and I would hope that he realizes that [URL=http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=92807123612]]]The Bible Says Homosexuality is Sin[/URL]. Not, that I think that Gov. Perry's knowledge is all that great.

jpw wrote:
Rufus, the biblical teaching of the Kingdom of God is repeated ad naseum by Jesus Christ himself. His teaching was always consistent, always related to the gospel and eternal life. I would be glad to continue on with the scriptures, the Messiah just couldn't stop talking about the Kingdom of God, and that was that He reigns forever and can win your heart and redeem your soul...

2 Timothy 2:12 - If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

jpw wrote:
I see on this thread a great mishandling of the Kingdom of God, replacing the eternal gospel and the constant witness of Christ for a temporary, passing 1000 years with no biblical backing....

Observer wrote:
Is it charity to delude, to teach falsely so that someone becomes ensnared, to promote the cause of the Whore etc?
If ya think SteveR is saved, then I'd say you know little. But then again you're a Sandemanian and that's just one of your errors.
You might like meeley mouthed responses, but in the days in which we live (and if you don't know the signs of the times, then I pity you) genuine Christians need to a call a spade a spade. This is the kindest, the most charitable course of action. Sure it may offend some, but I ain't PC on the issue of offending if it might bring some to their senses.
This board is a Christian board, and so we expect people posting to make Biblical responses. You'd prefer we let errorists off the hook with soft responses?
Get some spine and Man up!

Now the value of charity in the Bible exceeds the value of good words, prophesying, martyrdom, knowledge, understanding, all faith, and alms (see 1 Corinthians 13) yet it is the least appreciated attribute of believers in this age and one of the least exercised. (In all this I am not saying I have attained either, I'm growing.)

Christopher000 wrote:
....
I think my choice was a fair one since I can't think of any other religion that would scare the government enough to just leave them be...no matter what.
I think your post was pretty sharp, Rufus.

Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

If I'm sharp, I'm not doing so to be mean but to attempt to enlighten and encourage some balance. Christians today are hung up on Muslims as though they are our primary enemy, though it is not Muslims that are leading this country and it is not Muslims that are taking away our liberty.

Celtic hope wrote:
If there were a Christian conference for homosexuals and 10,000 professing gay Christians attended (say Exodus International), what percentage would be eternally saved?

MN wrote:
I think his point Rufus, is that this is primarily targeted at Christians. Not so much other faiths.

Lisa wrote:
Job 34 vs 29-30
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble.and when he hiders his face who then can behold him. Whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only.
That the hypocrit reign not, lest the people be ensnared.