Comments on: Magnificent Obsession http://dreamershub.com/2009/03/03/magnificent-obsession/ Where the Once Damned Dares to Dream Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:02:04 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: dreamer http://dreamershub.com/2009/03/03/magnificent-obsession/comment-page-1/#comment-55 dreamer Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:40:42 +0000 http://dreamershub.com/?p=90#comment-55 I am currently writing a sequel to this post which is actually my favorite in this blog. I am currently writing a sequel to this post which is actually my favorite in this blog.

]]> By: dreamer http://dreamershub.com/2009/03/03/magnificent-obsession/comment-page-1/#comment-50 dreamer Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:59:40 +0000 http://dreamershub.com/?p=90#comment-50 I found another illustration similar to the "zahir" we are talking about here. I found it in the fourth installment of the novel, "Twilight" by Stephanie Myer. In "Breaking Dawn," she introduced the concept of imprinting among the Quileute wolf pack. When one imprints, the person he imprints to becomes the center of his existence. I hope and pray that we can all "imprint" on God who is the greatest and best "zahir" of our life. I found another illustration similar to the “zahir” we are talking about here. I found it in the fourth installment of the novel, “Twilight” by Stephanie Myer. In “Breaking Dawn,” she introduced the concept of imprinting among the Quileute wolf pack. When one imprints, the person he imprints to becomes the center of his existence. I hope and pray that we can all “imprint” on God who is the greatest and best “zahir” of our life.

]]> By: bok http://dreamershub.com/2009/03/03/magnificent-obsession/comment-page-1/#comment-28 bok Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:22:01 +0000 http://dreamershub.com/?p=90#comment-28 my answer to Jimboy's question about ("God predestined our salvation...") is another question that goes this way, WHY DO WE STILL NEED TO EVANGELIZE SINCE GOD HAS ALREADY PREDESTINED SALVATION OF MANKIND? God Bless! my answer to Jimboy’s question about (”God predestined our salvation…”) is another question that goes this way, WHY DO WE STILL NEED TO EVANGELIZE SINCE GOD HAS ALREADY PREDESTINED SALVATION OF MANKIND?

God Bless!

]]> By: dreamer http://dreamershub.com/2009/03/03/magnificent-obsession/comment-page-1/#comment-27 dreamer Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:32:08 +0000 http://dreamershub.com/?p=90#comment-27 dude, sorry for the late reply. i want to answer your questions bit by bit: first,am i trying to say that it is our personal motivation to choose Jesus or was it Jesus who first chose us? my answer is that the apostle John made it clear in his epistle that God first loved us. He showed this when he decided to leave the ninety nine to find the lost sheep. examine the beginning of this entry. everything started with God's love for a lost sheep. That includes you and me. I made it plainer by saying, "Such is how deep love and obsession work. It consumes you. It makes you think of nothing else or no one else. It was like that deep love that God felt for us. He leaves heaven and all its glory and splendor (his ninety-nine?)to find us- the lost sheep in his pasture." secondly, can we not refuse when God calls us? My answer is yes, we can. I understand that you said we can't. The belief that we can't refuse God's grace is called Irresistible Grace and is part of John Calvin's TULIP which I suspect, you are aware of. The history of Christianity is full of debates about this area and I don't think one blog can end the centuries of debate between Arminian an Calvinistic theology so I will not dwell on that. thirdly, how can I reconcile the fact that God loved us first and the fact that we must choose Him to be the center of our life in order to obtain life to the fullest? My answer is by balancing both. We were not told to choose sides because those are Bible truths. God loved us first. This means if God had not sent Jesus to die for us, there is no salvation. He has done his part in saving us. He bought us with his Son's blood. But it doesn't end there. we have to respond to God's love by believing in Him and in what He has done for us on the cross. In essence, we must choose to love Him in return (because our freewill suggests we can choose or not choose to love Him back). Now by making Jesus the zahir or the center of our life, John says we choose life and that life is abundant. Thank you for your comment brother. May this simple clarification help you. God bless! dude,

sorry for the late reply. i want to answer your questions bit by bit:

first,am i trying to say that it is our personal motivation to choose Jesus or was it Jesus who first chose us?

my answer is that the apostle John made it clear in his epistle that God first loved us. He showed this when he decided to leave the ninety nine to find the lost sheep. examine the beginning of this entry. everything started with God’s love for a lost sheep. That includes you and me. I made it plainer by saying, “Such is how deep love and obsession work. It consumes you. It makes you think of nothing else or no one else. It was like that deep love that God felt for us. He leaves heaven and all its glory and splendor (his ninety-nine?)to find us- the lost sheep in his pasture.”

secondly, can we not refuse when God calls us? My answer is yes, we can. I understand that you said we can’t. The belief that we can’t refuse God’s grace is called Irresistible Grace and is part of John Calvin’s TULIP which I suspect, you are aware of. The history of Christianity is full of debates about this area and I don’t think one blog can end the centuries of debate between Arminian an Calvinistic theology so I will not dwell on that.

thirdly, how can I reconcile the fact that God loved us first and the fact that we must choose Him to be the center of our life in order to obtain life to the fullest? My answer is by balancing both. We were not told to choose sides because those are Bible truths. God loved us first. This means if God had not sent Jesus to die for us, there is no salvation. He has done his part in saving us. He bought us with his Son’s blood. But it doesn’t end there. we have to respond to God’s love by believing in Him and in what He has done for us on the cross. In essence, we must choose to love Him in return (because our freewill suggests we can choose or not choose to love Him back). Now by making Jesus the zahir or the center of our life, John says we choose life and that life is abundant.

Thank you for your comment brother. May this simple clarification help you.

God bless!

]]> By: Jimboy http://dreamershub.com/2009/03/03/magnificent-obsession/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Jimboy Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:19:00 +0000 http://dreamershub.com/?p=90#comment-26 I can say that you are well articulated in giving the background of "The Zahir" in its historical context. However, it is unclear the relation of the lost sheep about our decision to choose Jesus("the greatest Zahir"). Are you trying to say that it is our personal motivation to choose Jesus or it is Jesus who first Choose us? It seems to me that the parable is about a sacrificial love of Jesus to mankind and how he gave up everything that he had to reach us. So, it is Jesus who make the first move and not vice versa. Therefore,I believed that our salvation has been predestined by God even when we are yet sinner and in his perfect timing,we cannot refuse when God calls us. Yes, i agree that it is our personal choice to have the abundant life through accepting Jesus, but how can you reconcile the fact on how God choose us and the fact that we must to choose Him in order to obtain life to the fullest? Another thing is, are you saying that we must to be bounded in God's Sovereignty and despise our own freewill? Very complicated matter i think!! I can say that you are well articulated in giving the background of “The Zahir” in its historical context. However, it is unclear the relation of the lost sheep about our decision to choose Jesus(”the greatest Zahir”). Are you trying to say that it is our personal motivation to choose Jesus or it is Jesus who first Choose us? It seems to me that the parable is about a sacrificial love of Jesus to mankind and how he gave up everything that he had to reach us. So, it is Jesus who make the first move and not vice versa. Therefore,I believed that our salvation has been predestined by God even when we are yet sinner and in his perfect timing,we cannot refuse when God calls us. Yes, i agree that it is our personal choice to have the abundant life through accepting Jesus, but how can you reconcile the fact on how God choose us and the fact that we must to choose Him in order to obtain life to the fullest? Another thing is, are you saying that we must to be bounded in God’s Sovereignty and despise our own freewill? Very complicated matter i think!!

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