Perhaps the wording is “to be alert” or “watchful” for the rapture vs. to be ready since anybody who becomes born again are automatically ready for flying. And you’re right ... there are many believers who don’t want the rapture to happen. I reckon they will be upset and very disappointed. I saw one comment on the RITA facebook side yesterday ... one guy is extremely dogmatic that he will still be married to his earthly wife. He claims “no marriage in heaven” only applies to the Levite priests. :wacko: He is missing the whole concept we are the bride of Christ. He used the phrase “its not good that man should be alone” well ... none of us will be alone in the next life. We will all be in fellowship - and calling each other brothers and sisters. Geri7 I once heard a preacher say that everything good down here like marriage is just a cheap imitation of the real thing up in Heaven. When we get married to Jesus it's going to be infinitely better than any relationship one could have down here. I can't wait ! Ditto! TR I'm reminded of that old joke: Jesus is coming soon, quick look busy! Again, the scriptures upon which the doctrine of OSAS are founded upon will always bear a certain amount of emotional scrutiny. That said, in the end either we are sealed by God's Holy Spirit, or not! And yet even today, many cannot agree on what specifically that entails. Certainly not by works, not by personal righteousness, nor by any endeavor of Man! Many are indeed called but few are chosen. It's His criteria that matters. We can truly enjoy a personal and intimate relationship with God Almighty our Creator throughout eternity but it bears saying that it must be on His terms! So then does this yielding and surrender help explain those that are chosen of Him before the foundations were laid?! We are told that the Lord looks and judges men from within and outside the sight and reach of men. Indeed, only the Lord knows who are ready!!! TR Its a mystery to me after hearing the Gospel ... only seeing a few respond right away while the majority sadly reject Him or keep putting off the decision. One of my former pastors was Calvinist. He even wrote a book and handed it out to every family in the church at Christmas time. It’s an interesting book (I still have it) and he uses A LOT of Scripture to get his point across. Lots of select, chosen, elected verses and old hymns of the faith included in with his writings. Even though I believe the invitation is for everyone (whosoever will) I do believe that the Lord still chooses people to salvation. I was just thinking of my unsaved childhood neighbor today ... wondering if she ever got saved. We were very close but after I got saved I tried to share the Good News with her but she never made any decision and we eventually drew apart afterwards. Same thing happened with her parents towards my parents. Before her mom was always asking for recipes or clothes patterns because she liked everything my mom made. My dad bought property in the Poconos, PA to have a vacation home built and her dad did the same thing and even wanted the same house blueprints. They copied everything we did except when it came time for salvation. I always wondered the “why” they refused the free gift of eternal life? I used to listen to Chuck Smith from Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA on the radio. He was a BIG Calvinist. I recall him saying “God does the choosing ... just like we choose who we want to marry down here ... He does the same in heaven ... and I think that is fair because he chose me. Then I heard the whole congregation laughing”. People who are against the Calvinist view will argue and say “well then that means we can sit back and not witness since God does the choosing and those people are going to be automatically saved.” No, we still witness and share our faith because we don’t know who it is that will be getting saved. If a person flat out rejects the Good News then chances are they weren’t chosen. To me the mystery is ... there are some people who can reject and put off the decision for years and keep hearing the invitation call and then finally they do so. Then there are others who only get 1 or 2 chances. I’ve read a few death bed testimonies of the lost and when a saved person was urging them to call on Jesus they claimed they can’t, its too late, they recall telling the Holy Spirit not now, or go away, or they simply ignored Him. I wonder if our prayers for the lost is what’s keeps the Holy Spirit on our unsaved loved ones? This is why I will pray that the Holy Spirit never leaves that lost individual so they still have a chance to make that decision before they take their last breath. Any thoughts on this? Indeed deathbed confessions are valid theologically. Once again only the Lord can look into someone's heart and discern motive. But to truly acknowledge and understand what Christ has done IMHO and appreciate His gift of salvation one would also have to experience heartfelt gratitude, as opposed to a fear based decision! Again, one does not accept Christ to just simply avoid Hell, but rather to enjoy His presence for an eternity! But that's for the Lord to discern, not me! TR After extensive study, I am a zero point Calvinist. I don’t want to offend anyone on here but I cannot accept the calvinist theology. Please no one take my bluntness the wrong way. A good book to read on the subject is called Chosen but Free by Norman Geisler. That helped reconciled everything for me. That and a lot of prayer and reading the Bible. Let’s keep praying for the lost and sharing our faith and God will take care of the details. :good: No worries, we can agree to disagree and wait and see on the eternal side to understand it all. :yes: All I know is there are far too many Bible verses about being “elected” “chosen” “foreordained” “appointed” ... including “my sheep” to ignore. God chose the Jews to be His chosen people Jesus chose His disciples The early church Acts 13:48 “And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” John 10:29 II Thess 2:13 “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth” The Trinity is seen at work in this verse ... (God the Father) chooses to salvation thru the sanctification of the (Holy Spirit) that does the drawing part ... to the belief of the Truth (Jesus). He is the way the Truth and the Life nobody comes to the Father but through Him. ———— Chosen by the Father - quote from Dr. David Nettleton ————- According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestination us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will - Ephesians 1:4-5 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknowledge, he also did predestination to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestination, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. - Romans 8:28-30 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things which are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. - I Corinthians 1:26-29 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; - Col 3:12 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God - I Thess 1:4 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began - II Timothy 1:9 For the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory - II Timothy 2:10 According to the faith of God’s elect - Titus 1:1 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began - Titus 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ - I Peter 1:2 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you ... - I Peter 5:13 ———— That the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that called - Romans 9:11 For he smith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. - Romans 9:15,16 Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and who me He will He hardeneth - Romans 9:18 What if God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles - Romans 9:22-24. ————- And I heard the number of them which were sealed; and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand .... - Rev 7:4,5 “For the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. “Then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost parts of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven” “Shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” ——————————————— The Church is One Foundation Elect from ev’ry nation, The divine side and human side is expressed in many great hymns I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew Thous didn’t reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold; I find, I walk, I love; but O the whole ———- ‘Tis not that I did choose Thee, ———- “Come, Thou Fount” by Robert Robinson Jesus sought me when a stranger ————- It is great to sing, “I believe” but let’s not omit the grace of God O the love that sought me! By W. Spencer Walton ————— I know not why God’s wondrous grace I know not how this saving faith I know not how the Spirit moves, - Daniel W. Whittle —————- T’was grace that taught my heart to fear, —————— “... some indeed can not sing of election: the Lord open their mouths a little wider! Some there are that are afraid of the very term; but we only despise men who are afraid of what they believe, afraid of what God has taught them in his Bible. No, its our darker hours it is our joy to sing: “Sons we are through God’s election, - Fair Use- Thank you for your gracious reply. :mdrmdr: That is funny! What a coincidence. B-) Have a fun time! Personally, I still don’t understand the whole process ... all I know is He is the one who does the drawing and the saving. We are told to be obedient in the “go tell” part and prayer ... and we leave the rest up to the Lord. :whistle:
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated - Romans 9:13
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them - Matt 28:16
My Father, who hath given them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Purchased by the Son
Born of the Spirit
I’m His very own
Romans 9 through 11 shows the election of the nation Israel and the sovereignty of God in His dealings with Israel, we learn of God’s nature, God’s ways and God’s choice.
In the tribulation ... we see God seals His chosen/His elect
Here are some old hymns to ponder ...
By Samuel J. Stone
Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev’ry grace endured
He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me;
It was not that I found, O Savior true;
No, I was found of Thee.
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea;
‘Twas not so much that I on Thee took hold,
As Thou, dear Lord, on me.
Of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee!
For Thou wert long beforehand with my soul;
Always Thou lovedst me.
One old hymn writer confessed his own depravity:
For Lord, that could not be,
This heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadn’t thou not chosen me.
Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood.
O the blood that brought me!
O the grace that brought me to the fold,
Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold!
Faith admits a mystery. Humility sees God making a choice, imparting faith, moving by His Spirit convincing men of sin, creating faith in Him.
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.
To me He did impart
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus thru the Word,
Creating faith in Him.
John Newton knew the grace of God that rescued him from debauchery. He wrote words that will never be forgotten.
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Charles Haddon Spurgeon quoted the sovereign grace of God
Who is Jesus Christ believe;
By eternal destination,
Sovereign grace we now receive.
Lord, thy favor,
Shall both grace and glory give.“
I will answer this more thoroughly at a later time as I am going to a Chosen People Ministries Conference today. (God has a sense of humour. Lol.)
