Mother of James?

[Prayer Warrior]

For a good part of my life, from a child through to my twenties I went to church and Sunday school.

I had been christened/'baptised' as an infant and confirmed pre teen. I married in my local church and my babies were Christened/'baptised' in due course. I knew about God and creation, I knew about Jesus and the virgin birth, I knew the hymns and prayers and I thought I was a Christian.

Then one day somebody gave me a little booklet called. 'Journey into Life'. What I read in that little book changed my life. It showed me that I wasn't actually a True Christian because I knew about God and went to church. It told me I had to turn away from my old life (repent) seek forgiveness for my sin and make a commitment to follow Jesus. All of which I did asap. Up until that moment I had been taking tranquiisers (valium) on and off for years. After that day I never have had another. Everything seemed brighter and cleaner and I felt so fresh and new.

If I had hung on to my original belief that I was already a Christian then I would have missed out on the best part of my life. I am born again into God's family. I am undoubtedly his by adoption and nobody can take me from him. I am his and he is mine.

And this is something so wonderful and brilliant that I want everybody to experience for themselves.

If you think you are a Christian then can I urge you to make sure that you really are and not like I used to be, knowing the stories, saying the prayers but not having that one-on-one relationship with Jesus my Saviour.

And folks, it didn't stop there. I had the baptism of the Holy Spirit - the Christians 'power pack' if you like. And I had a full and proper baptism which was absolutely amazing.

Please don't pick my testimony to pieces. If you don't like it then please keep it to yourself as to me this is the most precious thing I could ever share with anybody.

What a huge blessing to hear how the Lord has worked in your life! He is SO GOOD!

 

[Pearl]

I’m not critical of your testimony or story we can give thanks to God His light and grace!

how do you become born again?

First of all you have to really want to know Jesus (and not just about him) you need to turn away from your old life (repent) seek forgiveness for your sin and make a commitment to follow Jesus by asking Him into your life. He will hear your prayer and you will be born again. And then tell somebody about what you have done and find a church where you can be baptised properly.

And it needs to be your heart that is fully engaged here not just your head.

 

[theefaith]

First of all you have to really want to know Jesus (and not just about him) you need to turn away from your old life (repent) seek forgiveness for your sin and make a commitment to follow Jesus by asking Him into your life. He will hear your prayer and you will be born again. And then tell somebody about what you have done and find a church where you can be baptised properly.

And it needs to be your heart that is fully engaged here not just your head.

baptized properly?

 

[Pearl]

baptized properly?

Yes, as a believer rather than as an infant which doesn't count as proper baptism. But I'm sure you've heard that before if you've been around these forums long enough.

 

[theefaith]

You said you'd answer my question out of fairness. Please be true to your word, and properly do so in the way I described (see post #201).

nowhere does the Bible say anyone is a child of Mary accept Jesus

 

[theefaith]

Yes, as a believer rather than as an infant which doesn't count as proper baptism. But I'm sure you've heard that before if you've been around these forums long enough.

the church teaches it, so it counts Matt 16:18 18:18
Acts 2:38 this promise is to you AND your children!
Acts 16:15 it does not say accept infants

 

[Pearl]

the church teaches it, so it counts Matt 16:18 18:18
Acts 2:38 this promise is to you AND your children!
Acts 16:15 it does not say accept infants

Infant baptism isn't believer's baptism. And infant can have no knowledge of Jesus or turning from sin. It's sad that so many people are taught wrongly about this and never even try to discover the truth for themselves but instead hang on to that false teaching and miss out on being properly baptised.

 

[Pearl]

nowhere does the Bible say anyone is a child of Mary accept Jesus

But even if it's true and as you believe she gave birth to no other sons or daughters, she was a wife and so would not have remained a perpetual virgin. That is unless she kept herself from her new husband which would have been wrong. Why would God choose that the mother of his Son and her husband would not enjoy the pleasures of sex.

 

[farouk]

Infant baptism isn't believer's baptism. And infant can have no knowledge of Jesus or turning from sin. It's sad that so many people are taught wrongly about this and never even try to discover the truth for themselves but instead hang on to that false teaching and miss out on being properly baptised.

@Pearl In Acts 2.41, those who were baptized did so because they were believers, not in order to become believers.

 

[farouk]

But even if it's true and as you believe she gave birth to no other sons or daughters, she was a wife and so would not have remained a perpetual virgin. That is unless she kept herself from her new husband which would have been wrong. Why would God choose that the mother of his Son and her husband would not enjoy the pleasures of sex.

The idea that she and her husband never did isn't Scriptural.

 

[Pearl]

@Pearl In Acts 2.41, those who were baptized did so because they were believers, not in order to become believers.

Absolutely.

 

[Pearl]

The idea that she and her husband never did isn't Scriptural.

No it isn't farouk. But sadly people prefer to think of Mary and Joseph as a sexless couple who never got to know the joy and pleasure of a beautiful sexual relationship with each other.

 

[farouk]

For a good part of my life, from a child through to my twenties I went to church and Sunday school.

I had been christened/'baptised' as an infant and confirmed pre teen. I married in my local church and my babies were Christened/'baptised' in due course. I knew about God and creation, I knew about Jesus and the virgin birth, I knew the hymns and prayers and I thought I was a Christian.

Then one day somebody gave me a little booklet called. 'Journey into Life'. What I read in that little book changed my life. It showed me that I wasn't actually a True Christian because I knew about God and went to church. It told me I had to turn away from my old life (repent) seek forgiveness for my sin and make a commitment to follow Jesus. All of which I did asap. Up until that moment I had been taking tranquiisers (valium) on and off for years. After that day I never have had another. Everything seemed brighter and cleaner and I felt so fresh and new.

If I had hung on to my original belief that I was already a Christian then I would have missed out on the best part of my life. I am born again into God's family. I am undoubtedly his by adoption and nobody can take me from him. I am his and he is mine.

And this is something so wonderful and brilliant that I want everybody to experience for themselves.

If you think you are a Christian then can I urge you to make sure that you really are and not like I used to be, knowing the stories, saying the prayers but not having that one-on-one relationship with Jesus my Saviour.

And folks, it didn't stop there. I had the baptism of the Holy Spirit - the Christians 'power pack' if you like. And I had a full and proper baptism which was absolutely amazing.

Please don't pick my testimony to pieces. If you don't like it then please keep it to yourself as to me this is the most precious thing I could ever share with anybody.

@Pearl The language of Romans chapter 8 indeed uses the idea of the spirit of adoption by Whom we cry 'Abba, Father'.

 

[farouk]

... a sexless couple who never got to know the joy and pleasure of a beautiful sexual relationship with each other.

@Pearl It would be a sad idea.

 

[Pearl]

@Pearl It would be a sad idea.

And yet so many believe it to be true.

 

[farouk]

And yet so many believe it to be true.

and lose out on something God given and superb.

 

[Pearl]

and lose out on something God given and superb.

I've even known people that tell me sex is a sin and not only that but that it's the worst sin. Unbelievable!

 

[farouk]

I've even known people that tell me sex is a sin and not only that but that it's the worst sin. Unbelievable!

Doing it as God intended is meant to be blessing.

 

[theefaith]

Infant baptism isn't believer's baptism. And infant can have no knowledge of Jesus or turning from sin. It's sad that so many people are taught wrongly about this and never even try to discover the truth for themselves but instead hang on to that false teaching and miss out on being properly baptised.

Where do you get authority to “discover the truth for yourself “???

you and I must be taught Matt 28:19 Lk 1:1-4
If there is no need for repentance then it’s not required

They can believe,
Matthew 18:6
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me,

and the parents vow to teach them the faith as they grow up

 

[theefaith]

But even if it's true and as you believe she gave birth to no other sons or daughters, she was a wife and so would not have remained a perpetual virgin. That is unless she kept herself from her new husband which would have been wrong. Why would God choose that the mother of his Son and her husband would not enjoy the pleasures of sex.

they both were chaste and sacrificed a lower good (sex) for a higher good bringing salvation to the world

again it is bound in heaven by the teaching authority of the apostles Matt 16:18 18:18