Leaderboard

A bit earlier this morning, my pastor Randy Hoxie (Faith Baptist Church in Chilliwack, BC) had a heart attack and is undergoing surgery in a hospital in Vancouver right now. Please pray for the blockage to be removed and for the Lord to heal his heart (with no complications). Thank you in advance for any prayers.

The arguments given here against Calvinism are profound, and scripturally true. But I am a simple man and to me it all boils down to a very simple argument and verse. If Calvinism is true, then God deliberately creates THIS person for Heaven and then He deliberately creates THAT person for hell. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. I'm sure that person that the Calvinistic god deliberately created for hell sure sees the Calvinistic god as love. I just cannot cross over that very simple hurdle. And no Calvinistic argument can change my mind. God is love. And He wants to share that love with whosever will. My loving God has NEVER created anyone for hell. If that is where you end up it was entirely your choice.

If she was teaching a class to other women and/children (or teens), that is okay - but not if she was teaching a class with men in it. This is referring to a political leader specifically, but when women and children lead a country, it is a sign of judgement of God on that nation. Isaiah 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

A couple of months ago, I reunited with a childhood friend, Ron, who I became emotionally close to (no physical contact, which he respected).I began to share my faith in Christ with him, and he was open to it, but then suddenly after he admitted some skeletons from his past, he shut down and decided he couldn't live up to the man he wanted to be for me. He took off and I never heard from him again. I emailed him, but he ignored. I miss him very much.

The devil hates and wants to destroy the family. Feminism, Femininization of men, masculinization of women, domination by women, open disrespect and vilification of men by society, abuse of women and children, our education system, government and our judicial system are all part of the many ploys and avenues the devil uses to destroy the family. Destroying God's order at the very basic level, in the home, I think is the most devastating. But he even works in churches; not just by the teaching of the wrong things, but failing to teach some of the right things. (1 Peter 4:17)

Deuteronomy 30:19 says..... 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: So, why did God(same God) give people the option to "choose" life if He already has made the choice for them?

Belief was totally selfish, on my part. I don't see how Calvinists can say our belief is 'taking credit" for salvation; unless they have never really been saved themselves.

Poor Calvinist...they are forced to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ outside of their will. However, I willingly do it.

How arrogant to think that you - a Calvinist - have everything right and can come here and tell non-Calvinists how wrong they are. Romans 9 is dealing with nations, not individuals.

Salvation being 100% of God doesn’t negate man’s response - and that’s where they get it wrong. The Holy Spirit enlightens us to the truth; convicts us of our sin, our unrighteousness, and our need for the Saviour, enables us to understand the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done to save us, and shows us that salvation is not something that can be earned through anything we can do. Man responds either positively or negatively to this. If we receive the truth by receiving the Saviour and His free gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit then regenerates and indwells us, we are adopted into the family of God, given an inheritance in Christ and a future home in Heaven. That’s all by His grace - but we need to receive it, and God doesn’t force man to believe or be saved. That is up to us - and yes, He even calls and compels us - but we still need to receive the Gospel to be saved.

There are some people that do say that. It is not the typical denomination in the sense that IFB's do not have a headquarters dictating to them what to believe, what to preach, what to do. Though we are a denomination in the sense that we are Baptists and are likeminded to many other IFB churches (though not 100% - each studies the Bible on their own and is led by their own leadership, so some conclusions and basic understanding of issues/doctrine may differ).

Did You Know?... 666 is (your welcome)

Behold is a hyperdispensationalist - probably in the same crowd as Robert Breaker and Gene Kim. They only believe out of the whole Bible that Paul’s letters are applicable to the church - and even if Hebrews was written by Paul, it was written before he got his gospel from God so therefore is not for the church either. So literally they only accept 87 out of the 1189 chapters of the whole Bible! Sad!

He is doing better but still in icu probably for several more days.

Belief is not defined in the Bible as any kind of work (in fact it is the opposite). It is a response on our part to what God has done and said.

Calvinists always seem to try this tripe trying to make "spiritual death", ie, spiritual separation from God, mean the same thing as physical death...not even comparable. Spiritual separation from God, or "spiritually dead" isn't anywhere near the same. Salvation, even in the Calvinist ideology, requires a decision...but, of course, through the In the Calvinist interpretation, we find that this decision has already been made for the participant "from before the foundation of the world." This isn't a "decision" but a forceful bringing into Christianity. It negates over 50% of Scripture concerning salvation.

You're entitled to your opinion. It sometimes seems like you just want to diss anything and everything and one you can. Do you EVER post anything positive? Gay marriage is already legal, no matter how sickening it is. Many Republicans are already in support of this and other whether anyone likes it or not. The party has continued to move left and is no longer worth the support it receives.

Yes, As the passage stated He was 30 when He began His public ministry. By comparing all the feasts in the Gospel of John, most people believe His ministry was about 3 1/2 years long - that makes Him between 33-34 years old when He died (as has been stated by others here too). As far as the exact years Jesus was born and died, they are still 33-34 years apart - regardless of what year some historian or Bible Critic has as the starting date. What is important is what the Bible gives as the chronology of His life. The same difficulty comes about when you try to date the events in the book of Acts - many different writers have differing starting dates (of what year Jesus died) - but there is an internal timeline that you can still come up with that does not depend on these conflicting dates, and which will still give you an accurate timeline of overall events (within a few months to a year). If you make note of how long between each event, etc. you can still know this was 5 years after Pentecost, this was 3 years and six months after that, this was … and so on. (Making general time references as I do not have my Bible in front of me right now.) Now I have my notes… For example, one passage says Paul was at a certain place teaching for three years, another says he was in jail for two years, and so on. Put all the references together and you can make a framework of dates within the book of Acts itself, regardless of the starting date. Paul got saved on the Damascus road two years after Pentecost, then he spent three years training with Jesus in the Arabian Desert… If your starting date was the year 32 (based on Robert Anderson’s conclusions in The Coming Prince), that makes it about 34 AD when Paul got saved in Acts 9, and about the year 37 when he finished his three years of discipleship with Jesus in Acts 9:23. It takes a bit of time, but the rest of Acts can be dated this way - and when you find an author/commentator that has a different starting date, you can just start counting from there - ie. +2 years to Paul’s salvation, +3 years until he cam back from Arabia (see Galatians 1:15-18), +10 more years when Barnabas and Saul/Paul came back from Jerusalem in Acts 12:25, then +3-4 more years till the Jerusalem counsel in Acts 15:1 - see also Galatians 2:1), and so on. Sorry for the long comments, but this is something I have put some effort into and tried to figure out how to have a working framework for studying with.

[21] Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, [22] And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. [23] And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,- Luke 3:21-23 The Lord's ministry lasted around three years so he was most likely 33 maybe 34 when he was crucified.

Come, Thou Fount Robert Robinson and John Wyeth 1 Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above; Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love. 2 Here I raise mine Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I'm come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood. 3 O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love: Here's my heart, O take and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above.

Agree or disagree with the following: "Nondenominational" refers to religious organizations or congregations that do not align themselves with any particular established denomination or sect within a religion. However, despite not affiliating with a specific denomination, nondenominational groups can still be considered a denomination themselves, albeit with some nuances. Here's why: Distinct Identity: Nondenominational churches or religious groups often have their own distinct identity, beliefs, practices, and organizational structures. While they may not adhere to the specific doctrines of a particular denomination, they still form a cohesive group with shared beliefs and practices. Organizational Structure: Although they may not have hierarchical structures like denominations, nondenominational groups often have their own leadership, clergy, and organizational frameworks. They may have local congregations, national headquarters, and sometimes even international networks. Theological Perspectives: While nondenominational groups may claim to be nonsectarian and open to a variety of theological perspectives, they typically have a set of core beliefs or doctrines that distinguish them from other groups. These beliefs may not align precisely with any one denomination but still serve to define the group's identity. Community and Fellowship: Like denominations, nondenominational groups provide a sense of community and fellowship for their members. They often gather for worship, religious education, social activities, and community service, creating a cohesive religious community. Recognition and Affiliation: While nondenominational groups may eschew formal denominational labels, they often seek recognition from legal and regulatory bodies, such as tax-exempt status from government authorities. They may also affiliate with broader networks of nondenominational churches or organizations for support and cooperation. In summary, while nondenominational groups may not fit neatly into traditional denominational categories, they still exhibit many characteristics of denominations, including distinct identity, organizational structure, theological perspectives, community, and recognition. Thus, they can be considered a denomination in their own right, albeit one that emphasizes independence and flexibility in religious practice and belief.

Many churches calling themselves non denominational I've seen are very very similar to charismatic Anglicans or Methodists. They say they are non denom yet have almost exactly the same statement of faith as a denomination. Their non denominational idea is not to go back to scripture, but to do things their own way. But then also you can get the rare non-denominational church that just goes by the bible and matches very closely or the same as an IFB church. That's because they have the same stance of letting the bible govern their beliefs.

O God, Our Help in Ages Past Isaac Watts and William Croft 1 Our God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come, our Shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal Home. 2 Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defense is sure. 3 Before the hills in order stood or earth received its frame, from everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same. 4 A thousand ages in Thy sight are like an ev'ning gone, short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun. 5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the op'ning day. 6 Our God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come, be Thou our Guide while life shall last, and our eternal Home!

Be Still, My Soul Katharina von Schlegel and Jean Sibelius 1 Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to thy God to order and provide; In ev'ry change He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav'nly Friend Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end. 2 Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake To guide the future as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below. 3 Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on When we shall be forever with the Lord, When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past, All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Come, Thou Almighty King Unknown, Felice de Giardini 1 Come, Thou Almighty King, Help us Thy name to sing, Help us to praise: Father, all-glorious, O'er all victorious, Come, and reign over us, Ancient of Days. 2 Come, Thou Incarnate Word, Gird on Thy mighty sword, Our prayer attend: Come, and Thy people bless, And give Thy word success: Spirit of holiness, On us descend. 3 Come, Holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear In this glad hour: Thou who almighty art, Now rule in ev'ry heart, And ne'er from us depart, Spirit of pow'r. 4 To the great One in Three Eternal praises be Hence, evermore! His sov'reign majesty May we in glory see, And to eternity Love and adore!

Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us Dorothy A. Thrupp and William B. Bradbury 1 Saviour, like a shepherd lead us, Much we need Thy tender care; In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Thy folds prepare: Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are; Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are. 2 We are Thine; do Thou befriend us, Be the Guardian of our way; Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray: Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray; Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray. 3 Thou hast promised to receive us, Poor and sinful tho' we be; Thou hast mercy to relieve us, Grace to cleanse, and pow'r to free: Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee; Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee. 4 Early let us seek Thy favor; Early let us do Thy will; Blessed Lord and only Saviour, With Thy love our bosoms fill: Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Thou hast loved us, love us still; Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, Thou hast loved us, love us still.

For the last few years, the Berean Call has made various ebooks and tracts/pamphlets by Dave Hunt and others at the Berean Call available for free download. I do not endorse everything about Dave Hunt, but he is one of the best out there for exposing doctrinal and practical corruption in modern Christendom. There are two official sites that I am aware of that are offering some of their material for free downloads: Shop | The Berean Call This one you will need to create an account (name, address, does not ask for any payment info because these materials are free) and add the free ebooks you are interested in to your basket (if given the choice, choose pdf as devices and ereaders (and webpages) can handle that, some of the other options like epub are only usable with a specific program, so I don't recommend that, unless you know it is what you need). They will send you a receipt (for $0), then in a separate email the download link (this could come an hour or two later). The Official Store of The Berean Call – TBC Store (davehunt.org) This site does not need a login, and as soon as you checkout, it goes to the page you can download the ebook. I would check both sites, as not all their products overlap. Yesterday, I saw Occult Invasion for free. This is a basically 500 page book that I had read some of a couple of years ago. Glad to see it here now. Of course, download any and all that you are interested in. Some of the other good ones they have available now are: What Love Is This? (book exposing Calvinism), Judgment Day (on Israel and the Middle East), Showtime For the Sheep (the danger of Hollywood depictions of Jesus), Newsletter Reprints (this is every one of their monthly newsletters that are available since the ministry started in 1986, updated every year with the previous year added - contains a TOC and an index of subjects). I think Mind Invaders and Sanctuary of the Chosen are both fiction, exposing the occult, etc. I would suggest at least downloading all the books, if not the tracts or the pamphlets.

Paul was a missionary and a church planter - yet he still was sent out from the Antioch church, like church planters and missionaries today. Not sure why such a “great and wise Bible teacher” as yourself is so blind he cannot see or acknowledge that basic fact. Maybe you are too puffed up by your supposed knowledge. 1 Corinthians 8:1b Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

I was made alive - quickened, regenerated - the moment I turned in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. I was not regenerated first so I could believe. The conviction or sin and the enlightenment to understand the Gospel came first, then came repentance and faith on my part, then the Holy Spirit quickened and indwelt me. That is the Biblical order. Regeneration first so you can respond and be born again (which is the same as being regenerated) is a doctrine from the pit of Hell.

"Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." - Ezekiel. 28:14 "Up and Down" means exactly that. Up some topography and down some topography. It probably is referring to places of worship in old times being built on top of mountains and hills. Today, they can be built "up and down".

This is the information I have received from several sources concerning prominent religions. "Religion: Christianity is the predominant religion in Cameroon, divided among roughly 38% Catholics, 26% Protestants and 4% other Christian denominations. 21% of the population practice Islam and 6% some aspects of animist beliefs. Christians are mainly found in the southern and western parts of the country." https://www.alberta.ca/iqas-education-guide-cameroon#:~:text=Religion%3A Christianity is the predominant,western parts of the country I've heard of very few incidents like Kienyui has described. I'm not saying that he's being untruthful, but I am saying what he is saying is suspicious.

Still...the verse posted to you was clear....Women aren't evil, and their intentions may have been good...still, it says that women should not be teaching in a mixed group. Sorry...don't compare their actions with the actions of Christ and his work on the Sabbath. You're truly lacking in your exegesis.

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross Isaac Watts 1 When I survey the wond'rous Cross On which the Prince of Glory dy'd, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. 2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God: All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. 3 See from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did ever such love and sorrow meet? Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 4 His dying crimson, like a robe, Spreads o'er his body on the tree; Then am I dead to all the globe, And all the globe is dead to me. 5 Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

True, I’ll like to add baptisms of the new believers for membership. Some might say it’s not important.

God doesn't give us faith - though He does convict us of sin and gives us the ability to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption. Yes, salvation is wholly of God, but He does not save us without us responding to the Gospel, without us calling upon Him for salvation. Yes, dead in sin does not equate unable to respond at all. If we were so dead we couldn't do anything like a physically dead person cannot do anything, guess what? A physically dead person cannot sin either.

Standing On The Promises Russell K. Carter 1 Standing on the promises of Christ my king, through eternal ages let his praises ring; glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God. CHORUS Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior; standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God. 2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God. CHORUS 3 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord, overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword, standing on the promises of God. CHORUS 4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall, listening every moment to the Spirit’s call, resting in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God. CHORUS

There are many people that have settled doctrine that believe this is what the Bible teaches - and I have already given the passages for my thoughts/beliefs on this (which you have not refuted, you have just accused the person who believes this a newbie, ie. someone who does not know their Bible). P.S. The end result of your salvation is not left up to you. If you truly get devastated by some tragedy in life and wander from God, He will bring you back or eventually bring you home by way of chastisement. He will not let you wander forever from Him nor let you utterly reject Him. He will correct your wayward thinking and behaving or end it by bringing you to glory - and that depends upon Him. He does not abandon His children down here and hope they arrive in one piece. And it is HIS WORD that gives all the warnings about backsliding and apostasy that I have posted here and elsewhere on these boards. You may different with my conclusion (ie. how I have put them together) - but they are still in His Word and it is up to us to believe and heed them (and if you differ, put them all together and show us what they do mean, not mock the person that does believe and apply them). Going to an opposite extreme on any doctrine is not the solution to those who twist or misrepresent Scripture. The Bible teaches BOTH - repentance AND faith is required for salvation, and there are many that profess to be saved that never truly knew the Lord, and in time that will eventually be revealed (whether in this life or in eternity).

The Old Rugged Cross George Bennard 1 On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross The emblem of suffering and shame And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. CHORUS So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross Till my trophies, at last, I lay down I will cling to the old rugged Cross And exchange it some day for a crown. CHORUS 2 Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world Has a wondrous attraction for me For the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above To bear it to dark Calvary. CHORUS 3 In the old rugged Cross, stained with blood so divine A wondrous beauty I see For the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above To pardon and sanctify me. CHORUS 4 To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true Its shame and reproach gladly bear Then He'll call me some day to my home far away Where His glory forever I'll share. CHORUS

Yield Not to Temptation Horatio R. Palmer 1 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; Each victory will help you some other to win; Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue, Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. CHORUS Ask the Savior to help you, Comfort, strengthen and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through. 2 Shun evil companions, bad language disdain, God's Name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain; Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true, Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. CHORUS

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise Walter Chalmers Smith 1 Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. 2 Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, Nor wanting nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; Thy justice like mountains high soaring above Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love. 3 Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight; All praise we would render: O help us to see 'Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.

The thing is, giving your whole life. Is that salvation coming from Jesus...or you? Sometimes it is just semantics.. but making Jesus Lord of your life.. in every area takes alot of time. Old sin doesn't always straight away stop after salvation. Because the Holy Spirit is there indwelling.. means you'll be pushed to not go back...but doesn't mean you can't or won't go back. Usually the Lordship salvationist will say you can't or won't go back to old sin. It 'back loads' works in to salvation so you still must be doing good works.

I Know Whom I Have Believed Daniel W. Whittle and James McGranahan 1 I know not why God's wondrous grace To me He hath made known, Nor why, unworthy Christ in love Redeemed me for His own, CHORUS But "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able To keep that which I've committed Unto Him against that day." 2 I know not how this saving faith To me He did impart, Nor how believing in His Word Wrought peace within my heart. CHORUS 3 I know not how the Spirit moves, Convincing men of sin, Revealing Jesus thro' the Word, Creating faith in Him. CHORUS 3 I know not what of good or ill May be reserved for me, Of weary ways or golden days, Before His face I see. CHORUS 5 I know not when my Lord may come, At night or noonday fair, Nor if I'll walk the vale with Him, Or "meet Him in the air." CHORUS

Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed? Isaac Watts and Hugh Wilson 1 Alas! and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I? 2 Was it for crimes that I have done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! 3 Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut His glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker, died for man, the creature's sin. 4 But drops of grief can ne'er repay The debt of love I owe; Here, Lord, I give myself away 'Tis all that I can do.

There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood William Cowper 1 There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel's veins; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains, Lose all their guilty stains, Lose all their guilty stains; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains. 2 The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in his day; And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away, Wash all my sins away, Wash all my sins away, And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away. 3 Thou dying Lamb, Thy precious blood Shall never lose its pow'r, Till all the ransomed church of God Are saved, to sin no more, Are saved, to sin no more, Are saved, to sin no more; Till all the ransomed church of God, Are saved, to sin no more. 4 For since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die, And shall be till I die, And shall be till I die: Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die.

I rarely post here now, but someone who makes out that he knows everything but makes such a basic, simple mistake, warrants a post. A Single Post. Act 11:25-26 (25) Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: (26) And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Saul was a the church at Antioch for a full year. From there they went to the church at Jerusalem. Then they returned from Jerusalem Act 12:25 (25) And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark. They returned... to Antioch. Where Saul (Paul) was in the church at Antioch and named as one of the preachers. Act 13:1 (1) Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. Then Barnabas and Saul were sent out from...... Antioch. Act 13:2-3 (2) As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (3) And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So Barnabas and Saul went out and started a whole bunch of churches, and eventually returned to..... Antioch. Act 14:26-28 (26) And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. (27) And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. (28) And there they abode long time with the disciples. After a time - actually a "long time" at Antioch, they had reason to go to the church at Jerusalem: Act 15:2-3 (2) When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. (3) And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And they were "brought on their way by the church" - would this be the church at Antioch that sent them to Jerusalem to figure out the doctrinal issues that had come to their attention? The church that Barnabas and Saul were a part of apparently? After all had a good chat, the church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas and Saul - and a few new mates - back to..... Antioch! of all places.... Then, after they had been back at the church in Antioch for a while, Barnabas and Paul decided to head out and see how the churches they started before were going. Act 15:35-40 (35) Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. (36) And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. (37) And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. (38) But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. (39) And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; (40) And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. Now of course, Barnabas and Saul had a disagreement, and decided to make two separate journeys, and this time Silas went with Paul - and note that they were recommended by the Brethren - which brethren are we speaking about specifically? I think that would be the brethren at the church of ANTIOCH. Even after this, Paul dropped back in to Antioch: Act 18:22 (22) And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. The point of this is, that for someone to say that Paul had no "home church" shows either an extraordinary ignorance of the book of Acts, or a wilful misrepresentation of the fact for their own purposes. Of course Paul had a home church - the Church at Antioch is where he served on several occasions, it is the church from which his missionary journeys were based, and it was the church that he returned to at the end of his various missions. To get something so obviously basic incorrect gives reason to doubt his general information. Aside from the fact that he has misquoted verses, indicating that they are KJV when they are clearly not - this is deliberate deceit, and it shows that he knows he is required to use KJV but REFUSES to do so, showing a disrespect for both the Word of God and for this board. And there will be no reply - I will not fuss with an argument on this board (and will likely not even check back for a week or so at best anyway. Say what you will about me - I don't care.)

This is my opinion and my personal experience talking with others - but for all my experience and all that others have expressed to me, a backslider is ashamed or embarassed to talk about Jesus, etc. because they are not doing right. They typically do not renounce God, the Bible, Christianity, reject the doctrines they previously embraced. To reject what you once professed is what is referred to as apostasy. A backslider is not an apostate, and an apostate was never saved in the first place - despite how fervent and religious they might have seemed to others at some point in the past.

Having posted above, my ponderings on the matter continued. Thus I present some further thoughts: We often teach our men that some of the most important phrases for a happy home are - Yes, dear; I was wrong, dear; whatever you want, dear. Then we wonder why we have no male leadership in our homes. We say things like - Happy wife, happy life. But is this universally true. What if making my wife happy makes my God unhappy? Will that result in a happy life? Well, it might in the short term; but it definitely will not in the long term. Adam made his wife "happy" when he chose to eat the fruit with her. Did it result in a "happy life?" Not for him, nor for the rest humanity either. Abraham made his wife "happy" when he took her advise to beget a child by Hagar. Did it result in a "happy life?" Not really for him, for her, or for the Middle East unto the present day.

The picture that you imply with your comments about "a husband who chooses not to lead" seems to be that he is not moving forward at all and/or that he has no agenda of any kind whatsoever at all. Yet these things are simply not a reality in human existence. The husband in your scenario above may not "take" the leadership, may not administer leadership, may not show strength of leadership; but it is likely that he does have some form of personal agenda (even if he never directly communicates it) and does move forward in life in some manner. Now, if he moves forward in life at all, then a wife can indeed follow him simply by waiting for his next step forward and then stepping in behind. However, for many wives the husband's agenda simply does not fit with her agenda, so she dominates over his agenda with her own, until his agenda simply becomes to "keep his wife happy, to do whatever she wants." Indeed, for many wives the husband moves forward more slowly than she prefers or in a different direction than she prefers, thus she excuses her dominance over him by simply claiming that he is not leading aright; and since he is not a "strong" leader, he simply steps in behind her and follows her.