Does God welcome everyone into heaven?

[Trailblazer]

If one is correct, the religion is of Christ and if it is of Christ then it is of God.
On the other hand if a religion isn't then that belongs to another person, man-made and not of God.

Well, obviously. The question is which are the man-made religions?

Christianity, with its man-made doctrines and dogmas, is not the religion of Jesus. It strayed far from the original teachings of Jesus and it became the new religion of Paul. Jesus never claimed to be God and Jesus never claimed religious worship for Himself and was not worshiped in the original community. By making Jesus into the risen Christ, Paul transformed the ‘Faith of Jesus’ into ‘Faith in Jesus.’ The centerpiece of Christian doctrine was that of Redemption, something of which Jesus himself knew nothing. This was the ‘Fall’ of Christianity, that Paul with his Gospel became the core of Christian dogma formation, and conquered the world, while the historic basis of Christianity was declared a heresy.

When you see these things [as the Bible records it] - well you can be sure they are not going "upstairs".
Not all Christians are truly His
And this fact was mentioned by Jesus Christ himself

Matthew 7:21-23 New Living Translation (NLT)
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

But on Judgement Day what will Jesus tell them?

I never knew you.​

Sad isn't it? From Day 1, Jesus never knew this "Christian"
Because in fact they were really not really Christian even if they feel very Christian
So these people are MANY as the Bible says, will not going "upstairs"

Who are the Christians who will be going upstairs. According to Jesus, they are the righteous.

Matthew 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The Christians who will be going upstairs. According to Jesus, they are the righteous.
Jesus never said anything about saving us from original sin by the cross sacrifice.
Jesus never said anything about 'believing' in the bodily resurrection in order to gain eternal life (which means getting to heaven). Yet the cross sacrifice and the bodily resurrection are what Christians 'believe' are necessary to get to heaven, because of the doctrines of Christianity and the teachings of Paul.

Jesus clearly told us how we gain eternal life in heaven.

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

 

[Trailblazer]

Biblically, we are saved by receiving a free gift, not by receiving feelings or doctrines.

If being saved means gaining eternal life, that is not a free gift.
The free gift is a teaching of Paul and a doctrine of the Church, not a teaching of Jesus.

Matthew 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

 

[Good-Ole-Rebel]

I do not believe there is a resurrection, there is simply a passage from one world into another.

I believe these were just stories that men wrote about Jesus, they ever really happened.
But even if Jesus rose from the dead that does not mean that anyone else is going to rise from the grave.

There is no need for a bodily resurrection because the physical body will be of no use in heaven.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Jesus did not say that your body must be born again. Where did Jesus EVER talk about rising from the grave? Nowhere. People rising from graves en masse is simply a Church doctrine which is based upon a misinterpretation of the Bible. Jesus said to let the dead bury their dead. Being born of the spirit has nothing to do with the body. It means spiritual rebirth.

I go by what Jesus said, not by what people wrote about Him decades later. I am not trying to convince you of anything because I realize that Christians are not going to change their position since they have been raised believing these doctrines of the Church.

Well, you can believe whatever you want. My point is the Bible does not agree with you. And I believe the Bible.

Good-Ole-Rebel

 

[Trailblazer]

Well, you can believe whatever you want. My point is the Bible does not agree with you. And I believe the Bible.

Well, you can believe whatever you want. My point is the Bible does not agree with you. And I believe the Bible.

 

[Good-Ole-Rebel]

Well, you can believe whatever you want. My point is the Bible does not agree with you. And I believe the Bible.

No you don't. You said so in post #(239). The Bible is just stories men wrote. I showed you in the Bible that the resurrection involves the body only. You say it is just stories that men wrote.

So, no. You don't believe the Bible.

Good-Ole-Rebel

 

[Trailblazer]

No you don't. You said so in post #(239). The Bible is just stories men wrote. I showed you in the Bible that the resurrection involves the body only. You say it is just stories that men wrote.

So, no. You don't believe the Bible.

No, I do not believe that EVERY story in the Bible is a true story.

No, you did not SHOW me where the Bible SAYS that the resurrection involves the body only.

 

[Good-Ole-Rebel]

No, I do not believe that EVERY story in the Bible is a true story.

No, you did not SHOW me where the Bible SAYS that the resurrection involves the body only.

Yes, I know. Thus your problem. You said you believe the Bible, and then you say you don't believe the Bible.

(Luke 24:37-39) (John 20;27) I didn't say you had to believe it. But don't say you believe the Bible and then say you don't believe these verses.

Good-Ole-Rebel

 

[Trailblazer]

Yes, I know. Thus your problem. You said you believe the Bible, and then you say you don't believe the Bible.

(Luke 24:37-39) (John 20;27) I didn't say you had to believe it. But don't say you believe the Bible and then say you don't believe these verses.

I do not believe resurrection story in the Bible means that the body of Jesus rose from the grave, but that does not mean I don't believe in the Bible. All Christians believe in the Bible but not all Christians believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What many liberal theologians believe about Jesus' death:

Many liberal and some mainline Christian leaders believe that Jesus died during the crucifixion, did not resurrect himself, and was not bodily resurrected by God. At his death, his mind ceased to function and his body started the decomposition process. Returning to life a day and a half later would have been quite impossible. The story of having been wrapped in linen and anointed with myrrh seems to have been copied from the story of the death of Osiris -- the Egyptian God of the earth, vegetation and grain. The legend that he visited the underworld between his death and resurrection was simply copied from common Pagan themes of surrounding cultures. One example again was Osiris. "With his original association to agriculture, his death and resurrection were seen as symbolic of the annual death and re-growth of the crops and the yearly flooding of the Nile." 1

They also believe that Paul regarded the resurrection to be an act of God in which Jesus was a passive recipient of God's power. Paul did not mention the empty tomb, the visit by a woman or women, the stone, the angel/angels/man/men at the tomb, and reunion of Jesus with his followers in his resuscitated body. Rather, he believed that Jesus was taken up into heaven in a spirit body. It was only later, from about 70 to 110 CE when the four canonic Gospels were written, that the Christians believed that Jesus rose from the grave in his original body, and by his own power.

Later, perhaps after Paul's death, there was great disappointment within the Christian communities because Jesus had not returned as expected. They diverted their focus of attention away from Jesus' second coming. They studied his life and death more intensely. Legends without a historical basis were created by the early church; these included the empty tomb and described Jesus returning in his original body to eat and talk with his followers.

In previous centuries, almost all Christians believed in miracles as described in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). These included creation, the story of Adam and Eve, a talking serpent, the great flood of Noah, the drying up of the Red/Reed sea, a prophet riding on a talking ***, the sun stopping in the sky, etc. From the Christian Scriptures (New Testament), they believed in the virgin birth, the Christmas star, angels appearing to the shepherds, Jesus healing the sick, etc. Many, perhaps most, liberal Christians now believe that these stories are not to be interpreted literally as real events. Their faith has not been damaged by losing faith in the reality of these events. A growing number of liberals are now taking the final step by interpreting the stories of Jesus' resurrection and his appearances to his followers and to Paul as other than real events. Retired bishop John Shelby Spong commented:

"I do admit that for Christians to enter this subject honestly is to invite great anxiety. It is to walk the razor's edge, to run the risk of cutting the final cord still binding many to the faith of their mothers and fathers. But the price for refusing to enter this consideration is for me even higher. The inability to question reveals that one has no confidence that one's belief system will survive such an inquiry. That is a tacit recognition that on unconscious levels, one's faith has already died. If one seeks to protect God from truth or new insights, then God has surely already died." 3

http://www.religioustolerance.org/resur_lt.htm

 

[Agent]

[12] For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
2 Cor 10:12

 

[MJFlores]

Christianity, with its man-made doctrines and dogmas, is not the religion of Jesus. It strayed far from the original teachings of Jesus and it became the new religion of Paul. Jesus never claimed to be God and Jesus never claimed religious worship for Himself and was not worshiped in the original community. By making Jesus into the risen Christ, Paul transformed the ‘Faith of Jesus’ into ‘Faith in Jesus.’ The centerpiece of Christian doctrine was that of Redemption, something of which Jesus himself knew nothing. This was the ‘Fall’ of Christianity, that Paul with his Gospel became the core of Christian dogma formation, and conquered the world, while the historic basis of Christianity was declared a heresy.

Jesus prophesied that false prophets and false teachers will come.

Matthew 24:23 New International Version (NIV)
At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

And history recorded a list of people claiming to be the Messiah, and unfortunately people still believed them despite of this warning of Jesus Christ.

List of people claimed to be Jesus - Wikipedia

Apostle Paul received his commissioning from Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus and this is recorded in Acts 9

He also reiterated that the first century church will fall into Apostasy
Jesus also preached Redemption, have you heard of the Parable of the Prodigal Son as mentioned in Luke 15:11–32?

When Jesus preached, he established the first and only church

Matthew 16:18 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
So I tell you, you are Peter. And I will build my church on this rock. The power of death will not be able to defeat my church.

He did not say he is going to build different churches but my church.
And this church is named after him and owned by him.

Others are just man made churches with man made names and it is obvious that Christ does not own them.
And you will know them by what they preach.

Matthew 7:15-20 New International Version (NIV)
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Do you think they will go upstairs???

 

[Trailblazer]

Jesus prophesied that false prophets and false teachers will come.

Matthew 24:23 New International Version (NIV)
At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

And history recorded a list of people claiming to be the Messiah, and unfortunately people still believed them despite of this warning of Jesus Christ.

List of people claimed to be Jesus - Wikipedia

That is true. There have been many false prophets, but just because there were many false prophets that does not mean there could not be True Prophets. This is a logical point.

Matthew 7:15-20 New International Version (NIV)
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Do you think they will go upstairs???

It is not my place to judge, only God can judge, but I do not believe false prophets will not go upstairs because they had bad fruits. Especially if they knew they were a false prophet, such as in the case of a con-man, and they pretended to be a messenger of God, I do not believe they would go upstairs.

Jesus said that every good tree bears good fruit, and that means that there are good trees, which indicates that thee are True Prophets who bear good fruit. So these verses are not only a warning to look out for false prophets but also a warning to be looking for True Prophets who bear good fruits. Sadly, Christians have misunderstood these verses so they missed the True Prophets who came after Jesus, namely Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah..

 

[MJFlores]

That is true. There have been many false prophets, but just because there were many false prophets that does not mean there could not be True Prophets. This is a logical point.

Any person who comes and teaches another gospel
A gospel different from the gospel preached by Christ and his apostles is a false prophet 2 Peter 2:1
If anyone claim he is a messiah when the we know there is only one messiah is a false messiah Matthew 24:24
Instead of spreading the Good News, these people will disseminate...

It is not my place to judge, only God can judge, but I do not believe false prophets will not go upstairs because they had bad fruits. Especially if they knew they were a false prophet, such as in the case of a con-man, and they pretended to be a messenger of God, I do not believe they would go upstairs.

Jesus said that every good tree bears good fruit, and that means that there are good trees, which indicates that thee are True Prophets who bear good fruit. So these verses are not only a warning to look out for false prophets but also a warning to be looking for True Prophets who bear good fruits. Sadly, Christians have misunderstood these verses so they missed the True Prophets who came after Jesus, namely Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah..

What I know is Jesus said this:

Matthew 24:23 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Someone may say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” But don’t believe it.

That is English, isn't it?

Matthew 24:23-26 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Someone may say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” But don’t believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God’s chosen ones. But I have warned you ahead of time. If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don’t go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, don’t believe it!

When a prophet claiming to be a prophet of God comes, he should present proof from the scriptures that he is indeed sent - otherwise he would be just one of the prophets which Jesus warned about.

Jesus himself showed proof that he is the Messiah when he said:

John 5:39 New International Version (NIV)
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

From the Book of Genesis, Jesus was prophesied and those are proofs of his commissioning. An alleged prophet should also prove his genuineness otherwise it would just be an empty claim. But it didn't stop those prophets to enjoy the perks that comes with it.

 

[Trailblazer]

Any person who comes and teaches another gospel
A gospel different from the gospel preached by Christ and his apostles is a false prophet 2 Peter 2:1
If anyone claim he is a messiah when the we know there is only one messiah is a false messiah Matthew 24:24
Instead of spreading the Good News, these people will disseminate...

Only Jesus had a gospel. The Messengers of God who came after Jesus did not bring 'another gospel'; they brought their own revelations from God.

What I know is Jesus said this:

Matthew 24:23 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Someone may say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” But don’t believe it.

That is English, isn't it?

Jesus said a lot of things. If you followed the advice in Matthew 24:23, you would not believe Jesus if He showed up and claimed to be the Messiah.

Jesus also said you should be watching for His return.

Matthew 24:42-44 So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for my unannounced return.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Matthew 24:23-26 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Someone may say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” But don’t believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God’s chosen ones. But I have warned you ahead of time. If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don’t go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, don’t believe it!

Of course you should not believe just anyone who shows up claiming to be the Messiah.

When a prophet claiming to be a prophet of God comes, he should present proof from the scriptures that he is indeed sent - otherwise he would be just one of the prophets which Jesus warned about.

What if a man claiming to be a Prophet and the Messiah showed up and He had proof of who He was from the scriptures?

Jesus himself showed proof that he is the Messiah when he said:

John 5:39 New International Version (NIV)
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

From the Book of Genesis, Jesus was prophesied and those are proofs of his commissioning. An alleged prophet should also prove his genuineness otherwise it would just be an empty claim. But it didn't stop those prophets to enjoy the perks that comes with it.

Many but not all the prophecies in the Old Testament refer to Jesus. The prophecies Jesus did not fulfill refer to another man who would be the Second Coming, the Return of Christ, the Messiah.

 

[Good-Ole-Rebel]

I do not believe resurrection story in the Bible means that the body of Jesus rose from the grave, but that does not mean I don't believe in the Bible. All Christians believe in the Bible but not all Christians believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What many liberal theologians believe about Jesus' death:

Many liberal and some mainline Christian leaders believe that Jesus died during the crucifixion, did not resurrect himself, and was not bodily resurrected by God. At his death, his mind ceased to function and his body started the decomposition process. Returning to life a day and a half later would have been quite impossible. The story of having been wrapped in linen and anointed with myrrh seems to have been copied from the story of the death of Osiris -- the Egyptian God of the earth, vegetation and grain. The legend that he visited the underworld between his death and resurrection was simply copied from common Pagan themes of surrounding cultures. One example again was Osiris. "With his original association to agriculture, his death and resurrection were seen as symbolic of the annual death and re-growth of the crops and the yearly flooding of the Nile." 1

They also believe that Paul regarded the resurrection to be an act of God in which Jesus was a passive recipient of God's power. Paul did not mention the empty tomb, the visit by a woman or women, the stone, the angel/angels/man/men at the tomb, and reunion of Jesus with his followers in his resuscitated body. Rather, he believed that Jesus was taken up into heaven in a spirit body. It was only later, from about 70 to 110 CE when the four canonic Gospels were written, that the Christians believed that Jesus rose from the grave in his original body, and by his own power.

Later, perhaps after Paul's death, there was great disappointment within the Christian communities because Jesus had not returned as expected. They diverted their focus of attention away from Jesus' second coming. They studied his life and death more intensely. Legends without a historical basis were created by the early church; these included the empty tomb and described Jesus returning in his original body to eat and talk with his followers.

In previous centuries, almost all Christians believed in miracles as described in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). These included creation, the story of Adam and Eve, a talking serpent, the great flood of Noah, the drying up of the Red/Reed sea, a prophet riding on a talking ***, the sun stopping in the sky, etc. From the Christian Scriptures (New Testament), they believed in the virgin birth, the Christmas star, angels appearing to the shepherds, Jesus healing the sick, etc. Many, perhaps most, liberal Christians now believe that these stories are not to be interpreted literally as real events. Their faith has not been damaged by losing faith in the reality of these events. A growing number of liberals are now taking the final step by interpreting the stories of Jesus' resurrection and his appearances to his followers and to Paul as other than real events. Retired bishop John Shelby Spong commented:

"I do admit that for Christians to enter this subject honestly is to invite great anxiety. It is to walk the razor's edge, to run the risk of cutting the final cord still binding many to the faith of their mothers and fathers. But the price for refusing to enter this consideration is for me even higher. The inability to question reveals that one has no confidence that one's belief system will survive such an inquiry. That is a tacit recognition that on unconscious levels, one's faith has already died. If one seeks to protect God from truth or new insights, then God has surely already died." 3

http://www.religioustolerance.org/resur_lt.htm

You can't say you believe the Bible and say you don't believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Disbelief in the resurrection of Christ is not mainline Christianity. It is really nothing but heresy. Again, you don't have to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But you can't say the Bible doesn't teach the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul had no doubts about the resurrection of Christ. (Rom. 1:3-4) "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

Here Paul preaching at Athens. (Acts 13:29-37) "And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thin Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption."

I find no anxiety at all in the subject.

Good-Ole-Rebel

 

[MJFlores]

Only Jesus had a gospel. The Messengers of God who came after Jesus did not bring 'another gospel'; they brought their own revelations from God.

If Jesus Christ is an ordinary man, every meeting with his disciples would be ordinary. However, the Lord Jesus Christ is not an ordinary man but a very special man and he promised the Holy Spirit to be sent to his disciples.

John 14:26 New International Version (NIV)
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

So the Holy Spirit not the individual minds of the apostles taught them the gospel and revelations from Christ Jesus. And the Holy Spirit came to them as written in Acts 2:1-4

Acts 2:1-4 New International Version (NIV)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

That is the difference between Jesus Christ and other ordinary men who established their own version of religions. God sends the Holy Spirit for the gospel to be preached.

Jesus said a lot of things. If you followed the advice in Matthew 24:23, you would not believe Jesus if He showed up and claimed to be the Messiah.

Jesus also said you should be watching for His return.

John 4:25-30 New International Version (NIV)
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

This is about the Samaritan woman who gave water to the Lord Jesus. The Samaritan woman is aware of the promised Messiah and according to her, the identifying mark of the Messiah is the ability to explain everything.

Now if a self proclaimed prophet is asked a question or questions and subsequently replies....

You can bet he is a false prophet.

Of course you should not believe just anyone who shows up claiming to be the Messiah.

I would not believe even if my mother rises from the grave and tells me to believe.
The guy should show undisputable and convincing proof from the Bible that he is what he claim he is.
If someone says, he is a messenger of God, he must show proof from the scriptures just as you would ask your cable guy for some identification.

When a person says he is a cop, he must show some badge - otherwise that would be usurpation of authority.

How much more are required when someone comes to you claiming he is from God?

What if a man claiming to be a Prophet and the Messiah showed up and He had proof of who He was from the scriptures?

If a man claiming to be a prophet or messiah comes and and shows the scriptures.
I would say this....

Many but not all the prophecies in the Old Testament refer to Jesus. The prophecies Jesus did not fulfill refer to another man who would be the Second Coming, the Return of Christ, the Messiah.

Correct. There are prophecies in the OT which does not pertain to Jesus.
There are verses which pertain to Apostle Paul, John the Baptist, and many others.
There are even verses which prophecies to Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire.
Then there are verses about the ends of the world.

 

[viole]

This question is for believers and nonbelievers.

If God exists/existed would God welcome everyone into heaven as soon as they died, regardless of the kind of life they had lived on earth? For example, would God welcome a mass murderer into heaven and treat him the same way as a person who had lived a noble life serving others and worshiping God?

If you think God would welcome everyone into heaven, why would God do that?

If you think God would not welcome everyone into heaven why wouldn’t God do that?

I doubt the question is applicable to non believers.

Ciao

- viole

 

[cataway]

Then there are verses about the ends of the world.

hummmm ....maybe not

ECCLESIASTES
1:4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming,
But the earth remains forever.
(Psalm 78:69) He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens, Like the earth that he has established forever.
(Psalm 104:5) He has established the earth on its foundations; It will not be moved from its place forever and ever.
(Psalm 119:90) Your faithfulness is through all generations. You have firmly established the earth, so that it continues to stand.

 

[BilliardsBall]

If being saved means gaining eternal life, that is not a free gift.
The free gift is a teaching of Paul and a doctrine of the Church, not a teaching of Jesus.

Matthew 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I w as a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The gospel is the same in both testaments--trust God. Jesus affirmed the free gift in John 3:16. John affirms it in John 1:12.

You are taking a statement regarding good and bad fruit from saved and unsaved people--people who are divided into two people groups by God, and making a statement about works salvation that is unbilbical. I can say, "The people in Matthew 25 who received Jesus's free gift go on to help the sick and in prison, but the unsaved don't".

 

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This question is for believers and nonbelievers.

If God exists/existed would God welcome everyone into heaven as soon as they died, regardless of the kind of life they had lived on earth? For example, would God welcome a mass murderer into heaven and treat him the same way as a person who had lived a noble life serving others and worshiping God?

If you think God would welcome everyone into heaven, why would God do that?

If you think God would not welcome everyone into heaven why wouldn’t God do that?

I believe God does what is best for a person because He loves him.

 

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The basic teaching of the Baha'i Faith is the journey through many worlds beyond this world toward God through the compassion of God for his Creation, The outcome of the journey cannot be determined by us from our perspective. All we can do is cultivate the attributes of God in this world for our journey through the worlds beyond.

There are many other worlds like ours and Creations in the images of God in these worlds also in the journey also.

I believe it is rare for people to travel to other worlds. I have done it but most people stick with the world they know.