As the Lord entered Jerusalem with the palms of victory and the olives of spiritual unction and peace, to fight with the prince of death for the life of the whole world, and by dying, to triumph....

so may you triumph over the prince of death and come one day to victory and peace!

Pueri Hebraeorum portantes ramos olivarum
obviaverunt Domino, clamentes et dicentes:
Hosanna in Excelsis!

Thank-you A,

I appreciate that as we begin the holiest week of the year.

Still

A:

Lent has had a significance this year that it has never had for me in the past. The concept of rebirth, renewal, forgivness of sins...as I am reborn into a new person with a new relationship with God, it has very special meaning.

I must be honest, however, and tell you that I also pray fervently that the God is working those same gifts with my WH right now. I find it so difficult to believe that my Calvinist WH could come through this holy season without the hounds of he11 nipping at his heels, pushing him towards the light.

Perhaps he has already decided that he is not one of the "chosen" ones, and since that's the case, he might as well live it up.

I do not understand theology, and even less about Calvinist theology, especially that predestination stuff, but that's got to be at work for WH, too. I just don't know to what effect.

Thank you for your prayers, A; I welcome them and join with you!

Post deleted by Athanasius

Athansius - how consistantly judgmental of you.

But no, I am not willing to "explain" anything to anyone and get "set up again." You did that once and I'm not falling for it again.

But you do prove one thing for certain with this post of yours, there is, in your opinion, NO Christian religion or belief other than the Roman Catholic belief and ecumenical attempts ARE nothing but a sham and a ruse by the RCC to convert everyone to the Roman Catholic Church.

You are NOT interested in discussion of theology or doctrine or why the Protestant Reformation came about, differences between the RCC and Reformed doctrinal differences, etc. You are only interested in branding anything other than the Roman Catholic Church as a heresy.

So I guess the question you asked me about your faith was a put up sham too. You believe in the RCC as the only true religion, therefore you also believe that human works, in a semi-Pelagian form, are required in order to be justified before God and that salvation by Grace alone is a heresy.

But enough. You will use this poor hurting soul, wrongfully abused by her husband and the church leaders. You condemn "Calvin" (really meaning Protestant) for being the heresy that is causing her problems rather than the SIN of people who CLAIM to know Christ. By your same logic, the Roman Catholic Church in total should be condemned and branded a heresy because of all the sexual abuses by Priests and the "do nothing or not much" about those abuses.

It's time to stop. I am getting way too offended and angry as I am getting a better "feel" for the real reason you "haunting the halls of MB."



LilSis, I am truly sorry that you are being the victim of sin against God and against you. Prayers for you you have. If there is anything else than can be offered in the way of support, please let me know.

God bless and provide you with His comfort during this time.

A,

LilSis said something that could of been spoken by me.... I had never taken Lent as seriously before. You could of probably called me a cafeteria style catholic. This year as LilSis has said it has a new meaning for me... a time of forgiveness and reflection. I actually have given something up this lent. I had never been successful before (I gave up pizza) I told my kids guess what we are having for supper on Easter Sunday.

Anyway I have also been praying for my WH who grew up in a strong catholic family to open his heart to God again. Am I asking too much for you to keep my WH and myself in your prayers this week?

I'm praying more now than I have ever prayed before. Sometimes I woory that God is looking down on me and saying you only come to me in times of need... and then I know our God is a loving God and really is holding me tightly during my times of need. He sends angels in many different forms and A I think you are one of them for us struggling on this board.

Still

Dear ForeverHers,

I just came back here in order to delete my post as I began to feel qualms about the content.

I am sorry that you saw it before I had a chance to do so.

I apologize to you for the sarcasm and rudeness directed towards you. Please forgive me for that.

I think we're very similar in some ways, ForeverHers. We're both intellectually combative, highly devout, completely committed to living in accordance with our Christian beliefs, and see the vital connection between belief and life.

Unfortunately some of those core beliefs are in direct conflict.

I don't think we can ever agree. Or like each other. But I will try to speak to and about you with courtesy and respect in the future.

My first ten posts on MB contain, I believe, a sufficent response to this accusation.

I agree.

ForeverHers, I regret to say that I do not think I am Christ-like enough to even remain civil to you if we remain in contact. Yet here we are both on MB.

What do you propose?

Absolutely not too much! I'm already praying for MarriedForever and LilSis and their WHs by "name" and all other MBers in general. I'll add you to the "named" list.

Well, only thinking of God in times of need is not ideal, and that worry is His representative in your mind, your conscience, mentioning the fact. Of course the devil is probably trying to magnify it until you focus on your own ingratitude so much you're afraid to pray. I recommend: Each time the worry comes us, acknowledge to God that you were less than mindful of Him in past moments of happiness, repent of that minor sin, and ask forgiveness and grace to be more mindful next time you are happy.

Thank you. Just when I was depressed about the effect on me of participating in MB. Here I went from radiant joy after the Palm Sunday liturgy to saying spiteful things about ForeverHers in just a few hours.

Internet's bad for my soul. I think I might withdraw from the board again. But I'll definitely pray for everyone.

Athanasius - apology accepted in the spirit of forgiveness.

Perhaps there will come a time when you and I can discuss the doctrines, though I sincerely think it would possibly degenerate quickly if others started in as they did the last time around.

For the record, you seem to have a missunderstanding of Calvin and what he taught. That is most likely because there ARE some who have taken an extreme position that is often referred to as "Hypercalvinism." But that is an incorrect position and a misuse of what Calvin taught.

Again, perhaps another day. Right now I am too involved in the significance of today, culminating with the events of the crucifixion and the "finished work" of the Son of God.

This is a time when believers all over the world should reflect on just what God did for us, why he did it, and what it cost him to afford us propitiation of our sins and reconciliation with God.

God bless.

I think your input is valued and appreciated by many. Just as Foreverhers' contributions and insights are valued from his perspective. I don't even mind the occasional religious debate but prefer when they can be kept civil.

I would prefer that when one of you starts a thread that you each respectfully post and not change the intent of the person who started the thread...whether the focus is on helping one individual or addressing one subject in hopes of helping like minded members...if you can't be respectful...don't bother interfering in the other's thread.

I am a Catholic Christian and I value both of you as members of MB.

If it is best for you to visit MB infrequently, Ath, that is for you to decide, but your contribution here is useful in helping to maintain a balance with the way you have of expressing your understanding of our faith and practice.

God bless you.

You know, I bet we could have a nice, respectful, valuable discussion of the doctrines, if it were, say, private, in person, and in a pleasant setting. Internet's not helpful to the quality of our interactions.

Let's just save it for Heaven, shall we? There just MIGHT be enough time THERE for you to convince me that you're right and the Council Fathers of Trent were the ones teaching "wicked heresy"! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I can see the scene now:
FH: "See! You were predestined all along! See how God gave you all that grace to stop sinning over there?"
A: "No I wasn't! I could have rejected that grace here!"
FH: "No you couldn't have. As it says in Ephesians X:YZ...."
Moderator-Angel: "Hey you two over on Cloud 1876 -- cut it out! No one can hear the harp music over your theological chatter!"

Thank-you A,

It means a lot to me to have your prayers for my marriage and WH.

I'm being more conscious about not only praying when i "need" something. I try to remember every day to also thank God for all that I have. I jsut feel at times it seems more needs than not.

This coming Holy Week I will rejoice in the beauty around me and remember how Jesus died for us so we could live.

Still

Athanasius - I can wait simply because all of the information is already "out there" and available for anyone who really wants to investigate what the "differences" in doctrines are. Ultimately we all will answer God, not to an angel, and God will not "wink" about false doctrines that are contrary to what he has established as the one and only way to BE in heaven. Therefore, it is the responsibility of each individual to make sure of their faith.

For the record, let me say that the RCC WAS, early in the history of the Christian church, a primary repository of the Christian faith as once delivered to the saints (saints being all believers, not the RCC definition of a "Saint"). Sadly that is no longer the case as they allowed error and the desires of men to change that doctrine from "God serving" to "man serving." It is enough, as you seem to also believe in calling Reformed theology a "heresy," that deep down you DO believe that there IS only "one true religion," and that is the "religion" of God, not of any man, in or out of the RCC. The "issue," if you will, is that both Reformed and Roman Catholics doctrines come from the same source, the Word of God. Therefore, since the source is the same, and God does not change to meet the desires of man, the "problem" lies in the interpretation of the Word of God that Man uses, and the motivation behind how they seek to interpret and apply the revelation of God to Mankind.

Your use of the word "predestined" is a good example of that. I'm willing to bet that you and I have a considerably different understanding of that word, and how it is used. Considering that the word that is really used in the Scripture is "Election," it is obvious that the real issue, or NEED, is for a common definition of terms so that when a given word is spoken, read, or heard, there is a common understanding and interpretation of what the speaker MEANT by whatever word is used.

Waiting "until the clouds" is not going to happen, unfortunately, simply because it is not up to us to determine HOW God must let someone into heaven, it is up to God. Either it is done God's way or it doesn't get done. That is precisely the issue that Jesus addressed when he said he will tell many who think they are Christians, "away from me you evildoers, I never knew you."

That truth alone should motivate a believer, starting out as we all do a "babies" in the faith, to "examine themselves and WHAT they believe" to make sure that it is "of God" and not "of Man."

Frankly, as bad as infidelity is, and it is terrible (trust me on this one Athanasius as I have personally had to experience its "joys"), it is nothing compared to an eternity in He11 suffering the just wrath of God.