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It's not my call, Gerry, it's God's. God looks at our hearts, not our behavior. Salvation is totally independent of behavior. Behavior modification comes by the power of grace (not your power) AFTER you are saved - not before. Do you acknowledge your sinfulness and your need of a Savior? Is Jesus that Savior? Do you have a relationship with Him (as opposed to a relationship with the church)? Do you want to be God's son and live with Him for eternity? I don't know you, but from reading your posts, it appears that you could answer "yes" to all of these questions. If so, by my understanding of scripture, you are most certainly in. But, I'm not God; only He truly knows your heart.

I've been following this story for several months. A 29-yr-old woman who has inoperable brain cancer will be using Oregon's Death With Dignity Act to end her life in just a few days, on November 1. I'm of very mixed feelings about it. I know what the opinions from the religious factions are. But the decision to end one's life in light of what she would be going through with this type of cancer is also understandable to me. http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/2014/10/27/assisted-suicide-portland-archbishop/18025907/

What's mine is mine seems to have a different meaning to you... http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/donor_intent/donation It is easy to think of philanthropy as something done by the very wealthy, or big foundations, or prosperous companies. Actually, of the more than $300 billion that Americans give to charity every year, only 15 percent comes from foundation grants. Just 6 percent comes from corporations. The rest comes from individuals. And among individual givers in the U.S., while the wealthy do their part (as you’ll see later in this article), the vast predominance of offerings comes from average citizens of moderate income. Between 70 and 90 percent of all U.S. households donate to charity in a given year, and the typical household’s annual gifts add up to between two and three thousand dollars. This is different from the patterns in any other country. Per capita, Americans voluntarily donate something like seven times as much as continental Europeans. Even our kissing cousins the Canadians, whose culture resembles ours in so many other ways, give to charity at substantially lower rates, and at half the total volume of an American household. There are many reasons for this American distinction. Foremost is the fact that ours is the most religious nation in the industrial world. Religion motivates giving more than any other factor. A second explanation is our deep-rooted tradition of mutual aid, which has impressed observers like Tocqueville since our founding days. Third is the potent entrepreneurial impulse in the U.S., which generates overflowing wealth that can be shared, while simultaneously encouraging a “bootstrap” ethic that says we should help our neighbors pull themselves up (partly because, in our freewheeling economy, we could be the ones who need help next time).

That's a sorry thing to do. This type of control and intimidation is exactly the type of stuff that turns me off to denominationalism in general. While they're at it, why don't they disfewllowship everyone who uses prescription pain meds, tranquilizers, sleep aids, and cough syrup? Even most OTC cough medicines have alcohol. Prescriprion pain meds and trancs are far more dangerous and debilitating that cannibis. No one has ever died from an overdose of weed. Millions have died from overdoses of the other drugs mentioned. Many people who are disfellowshipped eventually turn their back on God, as well. If this poor woman does that, may the guilt fall on the church's head. May Jesus bring comfort and spiritual healing to this poor soul. The church sure won't.

What does it mean "call fire down from the sky"? Hint - allusion to an OT story...

I have to laugh at the text you quoted, Robert, to try to explain your position that agape is totally without any self love. Jesus said, love your neighbor as you love yourself. He doesn't say, love your neighbor but not yourself. The law requires us to treat others according to the Golden Rule, which Jesus says says in Matthew 7:12 sums up the law and prophets. Jesus once again here doesn't say we are not to love ourselves but to treat others the way we want to be treated. Your position requires you to contradict Jesus Himself. As He wrote the law He knows exactly what it means, and He doesn't agree with your interpretation of things.

Okay, God loves me, and Jesus has paid the penalty. If I have all the traits you listed but somehow can't get over my pet sins and still clinging to them, am I still in?

Our church tries to have potluck for visitors nearly every Sabbath. On the Sabbath's that they don't, I know that my parents often invite people to their home for dinner. When they invite visitors, they also try and get another church family to come, so that the visitors will get to know at least two families. I don't, I don't really have a kitchen table.

Why have an alter call if you never have a person in your audience who has not made a commitment? That church makes alter calls because they always have people who have not made a commitment. On that Sunday some people responded to the alter call.

Sad, but true.

Robert says: "Therefore everything that mankind does, without Christ, is polluted with self-love." Like Tom, I have trouble with the word "everything. Some stuff is neutral - like driving to work or filling out my time sheet or cooking supper. Yes, some stuff is done out of self-love; even stuff I do for Jesus. "Ooohh, if I hold a Bible study Jesus will love me more" (wrong assumption) "Oohh, I didn't yield to that temptation - Jesus must be happy!" (Wrong - He's always happy). M.T. says "So in essence you believe that God created your identity, your unique identity. That is your "self"; I say "Amen". Funny how a heretical pagan can have so much spiritual insight. My "self" - my free will, my intellect, my spirit - is a precious gift. I can use it to my benefit or my demise - my choice. I can use it for my own good or the good of others - sometimes it's the same thing. I became a believer cuz I wasn't doing a very good job of managing self - I felt like I needed a savior for self preservation. So, according to Robert, my very conversion was polluted with self-love. I may be polluted with self love, (I may even be a spiritual pollution super-fund site); but God is the best pollution clean-up and control device in the universe. Guess what - I still love me. I'm one of my favorite people. God loves me, too. Sometimes when I do things that look like they're just for me, I am unconsiously doing what God is directing me to do. Ain't that something! God can take my selfish motives and turn them for His good! That's what I call pollution control!

God does not "give in" to sin; He loves us in spite of our sin. He remembers our sin no more (Is 43:25, Jer. 31:34, Hebrews 8:12, Heb 10:17). Through Christ, we are reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10, 2Cor. 5:18, Col. 1:22). Do you love God/Jesus and your fellow man (e.g., gay, drunk, doper, thief, muderer, Muslim, Catholic, gossiper)? If so, your love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) Are you forgiving and non-judgmental towards others? You will be forgiven and judged as you forgive and judge others. (Matt. 6:14, 7:1-2; Luke 6:37, Col. 3:13, James 5:9). No mystery here. All of our penalties for sin here executed upon Christ at His crucifixion. Even if we do sin (and we do), He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness. We have an Advocate with the Father.