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No argument there. (re: Communion). Is this something I should bring up to my pastor? If so, how? Maybe just ask about Judas and communion. That way, I leave it to Pastor Jim to do the investigating. Thing about JW’s and communion is that they don’t even partake. Something about the New Covenant only for the ‘anointed class’, or something to that effect. I LOVE what you said about J.W.’s and Calvinists, though. Sadly, there IS common ground there. Both are COUNTERFEITS of the TRUE Christ, but Calvinism is SOOO close that you would almost need a microscope to see the difference. They have all the bedrock theology in place, ( Trinity, deity of Christ, resurrection). It’s like the perfect clone, but, the Calvinist version of Jesus is what you might call a STEPFORD Christ. The body is there but the personality and HEART are missing. While the J.W. Jesus is NOT God, the Calvinist Christ is a god who doesn’t love everyone. That’s almost worse. The JW. Christ CAN’T save anyone, but the Calvinist Christ WON’T save everyone. The J.W. Christ might be ineffectual, but the Calvinist Jesus is cold. He does almost, if not MORE, harm than the Watchtower. Many J.W.’s have gone from the watchtower to Christ, but what happens to those who leave the Calvinist Christ? Tom MacGovern is a Calvinist. I talked to him a few years ago on facebook. All was going well until I mentioned 2 Peter 3:9 and he replied, “I hate when that verse is ‘MISinterpreted’. It only applies to the ‘elect’. ” In BOTH cases (J.W.’s and Calvinists) there is doctrinal confusion and, when push comes to shove, a tragic lack of LOVE. Foolish question time (and with this, I’ll close) but is it easier to talk to a JW or a Calvinist? 😮 I’m gonna email my pastor and ask about Judas and Communion. Thanks, again, for your help and patience. I’m jealous. My blood pressure would be on MARS already.

Hi Cheryl; Doing better than I once did. I thank Jack Kelly http://www.gracethrufaith.com and Dave Hunt for pulling me back from the bring, after I was dangerously close to chucking Christianity, when I thought God was cold-blooded monster the Calvinist paints him as; all the while believing him to be just, as He damns BILLIONS without so much as a shrug. I’m just glad I’m not the only one struggling to try to deal with this damnable heresy. Thank YOU for trying!

P.S. That should be, ‘Pulling me back from the BRINK!’

So am I (glad that I didn’t chuck Christianity). But, on at least three occasions in his book, Dave Hunt expressed some empathy for atheists who are turned against God because of the damnable heresy of Calvinism. There are any number of verses that come to mind; reflecting WHY Calvinism has made a resurgence. John 10:10 The thief comes not but for to steal, kill and destroy… 1Tim 4:1 “The spirit speaks expressly, that, in the latter times, many will depart from the faith; giving heed to DECEITFUL spirits and DOCTRINES OF DEVILS.” What utterly puzzles me is how so many people, saved by the Grace and LOVE of GOD can turn around and insist that others don’t have the same right. It’s kinda like what Jesus said to the Pharisees. He said that they wouldn’t go into the Kingdom, themselves, and stood in the way of others, who wanted to go in. The ‘heaven’ of Calvinism is more like a country club, where those already in the club get to…or THINK they get to say who will be granted membership. If you like, you can use that definition I discovered; That HOW sovereignty (power and authority) is exercised depends upon the person who possesses it. And I don’t remember a single occasion in all four of the Gospels where Jesus turned ANYONE away. The rich young ruler walked away. Many turned away as soon as Jesus went from telling stories and giving out free meals, to getting down to DOCTRINE. But Jesus said, “He who comes to me, I will, by no means, cast out.” I COULD be wrong, but I believe He was testing the resolve of the Cyro-Phoenician woman, whose daughter was possessed. “Yes, Lord, but even the little dogs eat the crumbles that fall from the master’s table.” Jesus also did NOT say, “Woman, you are using the faith I gave you, well. He said, “Woman, great is YOUR faith!” We all use our faith/ trust in good and bad ways. We can put faith in a mate, or a cause, a belief, or even, as so many do, our gadgets. Sometimes the trust is rewarded. Sometimes it’s betrayed. If GOD was the one handing out faith, then it would ALWAYS be rewarded because it would always be for good. Calvinism is a good example of people putting their faith in something that BETRAYS, because it is faith in a man-made system, like the Watchtower, Marian Catholicism, or any other system that takes our eyes off the God of the BIBLE and focuses our attention on human efforts to enter heaven. My guess is that heaven is the reward for any one who can figure out the system of Calvinism. In that case, I better stock up on marshmallows and hot dogs. 😉 SORRY for the overlong letters. :'( But this issue gets me going! For the rest of my down-time, (recovering from breast cancer surgery…caught it in time, but still a long process) …anywho, during what’s left of my downtime, I’m gonna work on getting my project (Conscience vs. Calvinism) finished and uploaded onto my blog. I’ll send you a link when I’m finished. Bless you for CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH!

Hi Cheryl! 🙂 I’ve been away for a while. Starting to get caught up. I love your challenge to Calvinists. I’ve been using my downtime to work on a project, dealing with Calvinism’s EXTREME view of ‘SOVEREIGNTY’ . What IS Sovereignty? Power and Authority. On the other hand, HOW that Sovereignty is exercised depends on the person possessing it. Need proof? HITLER was SOVEREIGN in Germany. He had absolute power and authority. God IS sovereign, YES, but it is HIS CHARACTER that decides how He uses that power. The Bible says ‘God is Love’. (1 John 4:8) Now what kind of LOVE, even in the human world, of lost sinners, commends a parent for running into a burning building to save ONE child and let the other burn alive? (especially when both kids are in the same room?!) I also did a study on the issue of ELECTION and made a lovely discovery. Something Calvinists might want to find out about. 1) Election is NOT to SALVATION but to SERVICE and BLESSING. How do I know this? Because MESSIAH was called “My ELECT in whom My soul delights.’ *** MESSIAH Isaiah 42:1 Behold, My Servant whom I uphold. 1 Peter 2:6 Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone. Elect and precious. And he who believes in HIM will not be put to shame.” How, might I ask, can Messiah be ‘Elect’ FOR Salvation, when He is the author OF Salvation? Good Angels. 1 Tim 5:21 “ I charge you, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ and the ELECT angels, that you observe all these things without prejudice- doing NOTHING with partiality. “ First off, these angels were already in heaven. What would they need to be saved for? 2nd, if someone would explain how this verse, as well as Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11 jibes with four of the five petals of Calvinism’s Tulip? Most specifically Unconditional Election and LIMITED ATONEMENT. Jews/Israel Isaiah 45: 4 “Israel, My Elect. “ Elect to WHAT, exactly? Don’t think too many Jews, then or now, would be over the moon about being forced into salvation by someone they don’t acknowledge. So ‘elect’ has to have a very different connotation than Calvinists give it. In fact, they were the first, through whom God would show Himself to the world. And if you see what is going on in Israel; how they still stand, despite hostile neighbors, content on wiping them off the map. God is still working through that nation. Isaiah 65:9, 22 “I will bring forth descendants of Jacob and from Judah, and an heir of My mountains; My elect will inherit it. ….They shall not build and another inhabit….My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Matt 24:31 Gathering HIS elect from the four corners of the earth. This verse eludes to Jewish and Gentile believers, who’ve survived to the end of the great tribulation, where Anti-Christ’s armies have amassed for a major slaughter. There will be a slaughter, alright, but everyone will be surprised at who the victims will be. Especially the victims. And remember, this verse is speaking of the Great Tribulation. Called, in the Old Testament, “The time of Jacob’s Trouble”. So while there will be ‘tribulation saints’ during that time, God’s main focus will be the Jewish people. The Church; Romans 8:33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s ‘elect’? It is GOD who justifies. The Church was ‘elect’ to be His witnesses, from the Apostles, to all who have believed since. Colossians 3:12 therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility and patience. Titus 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect. **** As well, there are any number of verses that speak of God NOT showing partiality. IF the L (Limited Atonement) is true, then Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9, and 1 Tim 5:21 are all lying. In John 3:17, as if Jesus could see Calvinism coming, said, “God did not send His son into the WORLD to condemn the WORLD but that the WORLD, through Him, might be saved. If that doesn’t make the point, I don’t know what will! “So,” demands the Calvinist. “IF Christ died for the world, why isn’t everyone saved?” Because God, being TRULY sovereign, and KNOWING the end from the beginning, WITHOUT having to CREATE situations in order to know their outcome, gave us a CHOICE. It’s called FREE WILL. Joshua said, “CHOOSE this day, whom you will serve.” The Apostle Paul talked about his own battles with his fallen nature and his new man. (Romans 7:15-24) Those things I willed to do, I did not, those things I would not do, I did.” Let me ask the Calvinists on your page this question; If we do NOT have free will, and everything we do, from the Fall, to every tragedy and atrocity that has come after it, is GOD’S doing because Adam and Eve had no choice but to eat the forbidden fruit, then HOW can WE be held morally responsible for a choice we didn’t actually make? Imagine going into court, knowing that you are being tried for a crime that the JUDGE committed and then pinned on you? Would you think that was fair? If there is NO free will, and God was ultimately the author of the fall, then to try and condemn human kind for HIS actions would be THE ULTIMATE INJUSTICE of Time and Eternity, making God THE MOST UNJUST JUDGE. “For God so LOVED the WORLD…” Dear Calvinist, it is time to take your focus OFF John Calvin and put it on CHRIST. John Calvin didn’t die for you. John Calvin didn’t LOVE you. Christ did. Ooops. Sorry. 😮 Once I get going on this issue, my tongue (and fingers) have a mind of their own.

Hi Cheryl; It doesn’t. I think I gave this illustration before, but it’s like being invited to a wedding . Someone has to send an invite or how can I know there’s a wedding to go to. I can decide to reject or accept the invite. But the power over whether or not that wedding happens is NOT up to my rejection or acceptance. If I decide to take a specific college course, (creative writing 101) but then realize that I don’t care for the way the instructor is teaching, I can leave the course, but that doesn’t prevent the course from continuing. The class option was there for me to accept or reject. In the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He had flocks of people following Him. He was interesting, and people liked the way He taught. But then, things started getting kinda heavy (doctrinally and legally) and little by little, the crowds (once numbering as many as 5000) dwindled away. They had the choice both ways, but that didn’t affect What Christ taught. They chose to start listening because of the DRAW of what Christ was saying. And stopped because they didn’t want to get into legal or religious hot water. Christ was the initiator both times. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing, by the Word of God.” If someone doesn’t want to hear the message, that is their option, but it doesn’t change the fact that someone issued the offer. God makes the offer. Christ is not willing that ANY should perish, so He holds out the lifeline of the Gospel. For whatever reason, many refuse that lifeline, but it’s there to take hold of. Humanity’s refusal to accept the offer doesn’t negate the reality of the offer. We couldn’t tell God to initiate the offer and we can’t tell Him to withhold it. All we can do it accept or reject the offer. How does that put Humanity in the driver’s seat, on this issue, I wish I knew! I’m so glad I’m not the only one confused by this insane doctrine! Dave Hunt wrote that he was confused as to why Calvinism was making a come-back. I think I know now. 1 Tim 4:1