heldinhisembrace

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Why does God's forgiveness end at death?

In Alex O’Connor’s interview with Cliffe and Stuart Knechtie (Why Does God’s Forgiveness End at Death? – The Knechtles – YouTube), he asks why God’s forgiveness ends at death. Alex elaborates inquiring if a person were on the brink of believing, but died only moments before, why would that person be condemned to hell? Cliffe and Stuart say that this person would not be condemned, because God…

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Atheists hold to dogma over data

When looking at science, there are some things we can know with a high level of confidence. Scientists (and yes, atheist scientists) are concluding that neo-Darwinism (DNA mutation via survival of the fittest) is inadequate to explain the data we have and that something more is needed to explain abiogenesis and the evolutionary process. Obviously, atheists are not saying that evolution did not…

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Trying to get a square peg into a round hole

This article is part of a series that begins here. An outline can be found here. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Is God all-loving?  Many people read the verse above and question: How can God be perfectly loving? If knowing God is required for eternal life, why has God not made himself more evident?  Why does…

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The Wind

This article is part of a series that begins here. An outline can be found here. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them…

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The Covenant of Peace - the Melchizedek/Levitical Priesthood

What we were called to be When Adam and Eve were created and placed in Eden, God covenentally commissioned humanity to be a people who were a royal priesthood. They were to rule through their relationship with God, spreading God’s glory throught the world. There is something significant to this relationship, for it is in this relationship that the rule of God was to spread past Eden to the rest…

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There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgement

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who…

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Assume you are wrong

If you are in an argument, your default position should be that you are wrong. Pride and the need to be right blind us to the truth. We can’t see past our own thoughts. We can’t coherently hear others. Pursuing our own worth is detrimental to ourselves and others. Not having to be right allows us to truly listen to the arguments being made on the other side. Humility means you are no longer…

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Probabilities of existence and our flawed brains

Below is part of a dialogue I have had with an atheist, so I am putting you in the middle of a conversation. I apologize for there not being the full context, but I think it is helpful regardless. I hope to write more on these subjects in the future. . . . Part of this written dialogue is below: At this point, I think it would be helpful to clarify where our approaches agree and disagree, so I…

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Atheists must defend their "lack of belief"

Some atheist will tell you that they don’t believe there is no god, but instead have a lack of belief that there is a god. They use this semantics to obfuscate the need for them to defend their position. Since they don’t have a belief, they don’t have to defend it, rather they put all the weight of the burden on those who believe in god to defend their position. However, this is not what is…

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A sound foundation in the chaos of the end time interpretations

The journey of trying to understand eschatology, the final destiny of mankind and the consummation of the Kingdom of God, can feel overwhelming. There are so many ideas out there competing for your attention. And if that was not difficult enough, eschatology is often couched in the most mysterious of writings – apocalyptic literature. For me, it has been a mix of feelings of intrigue and…

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Being Stripped of our glory

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2 We find safety in our…

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Being Stripped of our glory

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2 We find safety in our…

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Be slow to speak, quick to listen

Listening If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.  – Proverbs 18:13 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. – Exodus 20:16 We are often too quick to speak into another person’s life. For as we do so, we have already determined what is going on in that person’s heart. We may ask questions, but even those questions are only asked to get the person to…

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We are a rebellious people

“Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people. Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD. (Deuteronomy 9:6–7, ESV) You cannot have…

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You ask, but do not have because . . .

If we seek God for an answer of our own making, we will not find him. We want God to provide a way, but often refuse to listen to his voice. We refuse to obey the word he has already given us. We want God to meet us on our own terms. James writes, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3, ESV). We will never find answers or find the strength…

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We won't let go

Because of our sin is more important to us than our spouse, our children, our family, our friends. Despite the destruction our sin causes, we hold on to it. We hide it, protect it, excuse it. We are experts at defending our selfishness. Here is the thing: if this is so, why do we think our sin won’t be more important than God when it comes down to the choice of being with Him? And this is where…

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Ananias and Sapphira

In the first sermon of the church, Peter states, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Before this, Peter had explained what they were seeing before them was signs of the last days, “this is what was uttered through…