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Archive - Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
Happy As Hell?Charlie:
Can one be a happy Christian and still believe that God plans to trash and burn forever billions of failures? Yes! I can be a believer in ET and still be very happy. How so?
1) by being convinced as an Arminian that I'm luckier and more diligent than most people and will somehow manage to pray enough prayers, believe enough, and do enough good works to validate my faith and die in a state of faith and obedience and make it through the pearly gates.2) by being persuaded as a Calvinist that God loves me more than he does most people and that I fit the profile of someone who has been "truly" saved and predestined to escape the fires of ET.
3) by refusing to think about my departed non-Christian loved ones being burned alive forever and just concentrating on MY salvation
and getting lost in adoration and worship of God. (Wow... There are so many wonderful contemporary worship songs being recorded today! I keep my mini CD player attached to my belt all the time! )4) by going to nonstop church events that are interesting and fun that (for the most part) detract AWAY from the ET doctrine. I.E., Marriage and You Can Do It seminars, worship symposiums, camp outs, song fests, concerts, you name it...
5) by concentrating on developing my spiritual gifts and talents and staying constantly involved with finding outlets for them.
6) by staying focused on Bible studies and types and shadows in the Old Testament and their fulfillment in the New Testament etc...and/or... constantly researching ways to validate the fact that our church or denomination (er, Ahem! I mean, NONdenomination) has the "true" Biblical gospel.
7) by rejoicing constantly over how many "souls I have won" or how many our church has won.
8) by being shocked and angered by the horrific sins of others while *trying my best* NOT to think about my own and QUICKLY asking for forgiveness when I do screw up. (It seems that I have to do this many times a day, but I try not to think about it or worry that I might die in some sinful act. For this is how I CAN stay happy. )
9) by believing that God has a "dark side" to His personality as well as a "loving side" and that I--surely--MUST be on His loving side.
10) by thinking as much as I can about how wonderful Heaven will be (for me, anyhow, for I can't be certain that any of my loved ones will be there, for only God knows all hearts, but this I REFUSE to stay focused on; what is important is that "I" be there...)
11) by joining ranks with other ET believers to stay at constant war against secular humanists, abortionists, homosexuals, liberal politicians and theologians and finding ways to press the government into fulfilling my loving agendas to STAMP OUT all these evil and perverted people.
12) by saving from abortion as many unborn infants as possible (even though most of them will burn forever in hell, but that is not MY responsibility! God VALUES life, and so do I!)
13) by seeking to be conformed to the "loving side" of God's personality and character while also trying to be HOLY too. (This part is tough, because his holiness is His dark and eternally vindictive side. But I'm happy to TRY to be conformed to it anyhow.)
14) by constantly saying to myself "I WILL be happy, I WILL be happy, I WILL be happy..."
15) by learning to name it and claim it so "I" can be abundantly prosperous in ALL things--including where my emotional tranquility is concerned.
16) by remembering that God loves CHEERFUL givers and tells that He wants us to ALWAYS be joyful, and that those who don't seek to obey Him in this probably aren't going to make it since it is very possible that they're not "truly" saved.
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Well gang, have I missed any other ingredients for how to be happy as a believer in ET? Feel free to add anything to the list that I could have missed!Love to all--
CharlieP.S. Silent reader, are you burned out on all of the Christianeze religious double-speak that insists that you be "happy" while your loved ones burn "forever in hell"? If so, visit www.sigler.org/slagle and discover how much our Heavenly Father REALLY cares about your loved ones.
Matt:
This list is awesome.
How about the fact that I have the power over God to subdue his will of my salvation by simply saying no or rejecting him? After all, God wants all of man to be saved, but can only save those who embrace their salvation in this life. I have embraced it, but it does give me a rush to know that I DO have the power to defeat the almighty Creator by simply resisting him.And to add to that, the fact that I made the right choice in my salvation. I saved myself; I made the most important decision someone can make. I did it. Me. And no one else.
Peace,
Matt
Charlie:
Thanks Matt, for the boost of encouragement. Yeah, go for it. I think you've added to very important "happiness ingredients" to the list.
And just think...Since God "MUST honor free wills at all times" if on judgment day he says "Depart from Me FOREVER!" we can just say "No! You Big Bully, I'm staying in heaven with you whether you like it or not!!"
Whaddayathink?
Or will our "free will" advocates now tell us that God ALWAYS honors people's free wills...EXCEPT...when it comes time to damn them?
Ain't all of the ET double-speak interesting?
Your friend,
Charlie
Patrick:
I can just imagine it at the day of judgement when billions of souls are standing before the Lord and hearing the final decree of an angry God for their lives saying "Off with you all! To Hell with you!"
And somewhere in the midst of the crowd someone realizes that since the Lord could not interfere with their free will choice when they are alive How can He since they are dead? And a unholy boldness rises up and they say, "Hell?! No! We won't go!As those around Him hear this single individual rebel against the eternal punishment that they so richly deserve, then they begin to take up the chant: "Hell?! No! We won't go!" And in just a matter of moments the entire crowd takes up the chant. Billions and billions of voices thundering in the very throne room of God all chanting "Hell no we won't Go!!!!" Shades of the sixties rally. Too bad there are no draft letters to burn, in protest. Oh well the women can burn their bras to show solidarity I suppose.
Since God is always the same, and He doesn't force anyone against Their "free will", then simply by the force of their free will they force their way into Heaven. What a happy place that will be with such a supreme being in charge. Next thing we need to do is oust the poor old beggar because He just is to weak to do what Needs to be done. I can hardly wait.
Grace and Peace, Patrick
Charlie:
"Patrick, you're hilarious!"If you and Tony ever get on a roll together, the rest of us will be destroyed. (With the giggles, I mean. )
Did I ever show you my free-will version of the old gospel song, "Love Lifted Me"? Goes like this--
VERSE:
I was sinking deep in sin,
Far from the peaceful shore,
Thinking I was going down,
Sinking to rise no more,
But a wee green serpent in the sea,
Heard my despairing cry,
"It's up to your free will!", said he,
Now safe am I!CHORUS
My will lifted me!
My will lifted me!
Not even God could help,
Till I chose Him, you see,
My will lifted me!
My will lifted me!
Not even God could help,
Till my FREE WILL...lifted...me!Why don't Christians sing what they REALLY believe?
Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff