The elect of God

From "Christ Triumphant"by Thomas Allin - 1890

But we shall be told, that we do read of the "elect" of some who were "chosen before the foundation of the world," of being "ordained," "predestined," etc. This is all so; but when we are told that this "election" implies the endless ruin of some, we discard the thought as blasphemous, and call for proof.
The plain truth is this: God elects people (not to curse others, but) to benefit and bless the whole world! -- Christ was "elected" (for what purpose?) to be "the Savior of the world." John 4:42. The Apostles were chosen and elected to preach the gospel to all mankind, to the end that all might be blessed.
To use a well known simile, the Bible doctrine of "election" may be compared to the election of the Governor of any state, or, the President of the United States. They, it is true, are "elected" from among the people, but the object steadily kept in view , is the good of the whole. This, in our opinion, is the only just and impartial view of "election" as spoken of in the Scriptures. "

I have always had some questions on just what is meant by 'the election' or 'predestination'. In the above words, it finally makes since to me. For years I was under the impression by the Church at large that some how the 'elect of God' were some how better or more privileged than the rest of us. But what it really means is that God calls out those who He has entrusted with the Good News to tell others so that others would be blessed.I had also had the impression by many teachers in the Church that the gifts imparted to believers by the Holy Spirit some how made these people special, and from my observation many times these supposed gifts were used by these same folks to get rich by. But God never does anything so that we can be stingy with it and use it for our own personal welfare and good, the gifts of God are so that others can be blessed by them.

God is for us not against us and everything that God does is for our good, every gift bestowed upon humanity is so that by these gifts others are blessed.

So being one of the 'elect' or 'called' of God is a great responsiblity and does not in any way means that you are anymore special than the next person, but that God is calling some to bless others. We need to remember this, that God is not stingy or selfish, when God is glorified, we all get blessed in the process!

When God gives us much, much will be required of us!! God does not give His gifts and love, and healing so we can selfishly live for our selves, when we are face to face with God at the judgement, we will be held accountable for what we did with them. Let us be as unselfish as God is with us!!

AN INTERVIEW WITH GOD

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

"So you would like to interview me?" God asked.

"If you have the time" I said.

God smiled. "My time is eternity."
"What questions do you have in mind for me?"

"What surprises you most about humankind?"

God answered...
"That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again."

"That they lose their health to make money...
and then lose their money to restore their health."

"That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future."

"That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived."

God's hand took mine
and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked...
"As a parent, what are some of life's lessons
you want your children to learn?"

"To learn they cannot make anyone
love them. All they can do
is let themselves be loved."

"To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others."

"To learn to forgive
by practicing forgiveness."

"To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in those they love,
and it can take many years to heal them."

"To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least."

"To learn that there are people
who love them dearly,
but simply have not yet learned
how to express or show their feelings."

"To learn that two people can
look at the same thing
and see it differently."

"To learn that it is not enough that they
forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else
you would like your children to know?"

God smiled and said,
"Just know that I am here... always."

-author unknown

Watch above poem as a beautiful presentation here: http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com

THE LORD'S PRAYER

I found this to be a wonderfull way to see if we are really trying to live as God would have us, and I can say that truthfully : 'Lord I am trying my best, but thank you Jesus/Yahshua that when I fail you did not, and in You I place my identity, and there fore in Christ I do what is right at all times when my hope and life is in you and you are in me"!

Challenging the Lord's Prayer

I cannot say OUR, if I live in a watertight spiritual compartment; if I think a special place in heaven is reserved for my denomination.

I cannot say FATHER, if I do not demonstrate the relationship in my daily life.

I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN, if I am so occupied with the earth that I am laying up no treasure there.
I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME, if I, who am called by his name, am not holy.


I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME, if I am not doing all in my power to hasten its coming.


I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE, if I am questioning, resentful of, or disobedient to his will for me.


I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, if I am not prepared to devote my life here to his service.

I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD, if I am living on past experience.

I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US, if I harbour a grudge against anyone.

I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, if I deliberately place myself in a position where I am likely to be tempted.

I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL, if I am not prepared to fight it in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.

I cannot say THINE IS THE KINGDOM, if I do not accord the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.

I cannot say THINE IS THE POWER if I fear what people may do or what my neighbours may think.

I cannot say THINE IS THE GLORY if I am seeking glory for myself.

I cannot say FOR EVER AND EVER, if my horizon is bounded by the things of time.

I cannot say AMEN, if I do not also add "cost what it may". For to say this prayer honestly will cost everything.

-- Original Source Unknown

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[Another Version]


I cannot say OUR if I live only for myself.

I Cannot say FATHER if I do not endeavor each day to act like His child.

I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if I am laying up no treasure there.

I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME if I am not striving for holiness.

I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME if I am not doing all in my power to hasten that wonderful event.

I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE if I am disobedient to His word.

I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN if I will not serve Him here and now.

I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD if I am dishonest or seeking things by subterfuge.

I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES if I harbor a grudge against anyone.

I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if I deliberately place myself in its path.

I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if I do not put on the whole armor of God.

I cannot say THINE IS THE KINGDOM if I do not give the King the loyalty due him from a faithful subject.

I cannot say THE POWER if I fear what others may do.

I cannot say THE GLORY if I am seeking honor only for myself.

I cannot say FOREVER if the horizon of my life is bounded by the things of today.

Either we have said this or some one has asked us this question sometime in our life: "Are you saved and when did that happen?" For many years I never could really put my finger to it, but I have always felt something was wrong with this doctrine. The Scriptures always place the 'saved' event in the past before the world was made, and accomplished as a done deal at Christ death and resurrection, it was something that occurred at that time for all of us. What I found out through my constant questioning was that When Christ said it was finished just before He died , what what He referring too? Everything was accomplished then, at that moment, and in our past. It is a done deal, we just have to be told of this already done accomplishment and start living in our new Spirit Identity as a fact. Here is a mini study on this topic.

When Were You Saved?

When were Christians today saved, and what works did they have to do to be saved?

Once I was at a lunch counter and reading a biblical commentary when a couple saw me and asked me if I were saved. I told them I was. They said that they were saved at a Billy Graham campaign some 12 years before and I congratulated them, but at the same time I told them I was saved in Christ long before that. They asked when I was saved? I then told them that the apostle Paul tells when I was saved and that it required not the slightest work on my part (whether that work was good or bad). They wanted to know where Paul said that. I told them to read II Timothy 1:9, Here is what the apostle stated as a foundational position of faith regarding our salvation.

"Who has 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."

I told them it was wrong to tell people what they have to do to get saved when salvation is "not according to our works." I informed them further that it was not proper to tell people how to GET saved, when they ought to be told how they GOT saved – that’s right, how they GOT saved in Christ Jesus before the world (or ages of man) ever came into existence. This is why "grace" is the only ingredient in the salvation secured for us by Christ. Our own works, no matter how good they might be, have nothing to do in the matter. And though it is true that a person has to express a faith and belief in Christ and his plan of salvation, even that faith, belief and will-power to accept the Gospel is a gift from God (Philippians 2:13). The fact is, all people who are now saved were saved in Christ, before Adam and Eve were ever placed on earth. This is exactly what Paul taught, and it is the real Gospel of Christ.

By the way, the couple did not like me showing them II Timothy 1:9. They left saying that I had better repent and do proper works (like working up a belief and working up a faith in Christ) or else I was on my way to an ever-burning hell from which I would never escape. They were as deceived as they could be on how salvation is obtained in Christ. I prefer Paul’s teaching in the above verse and elsewhere.