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What is the relationship between the churches and the kingdom?
By Henry T. Blackaby and Melvin D. Blackaby
I use churches in the plural because I find that many people confuse the church and the kingdom, making it sound like the two are identical. They are not. When you are born again, you are not born into the church; you are born into the kingdom of God. You enter into a relationship with God where He is Lord. And anybody who tells you that you accept Him as Savior and then later surrender to Him as Lord is speaking absolute foolishness. You could not enter into the kingdom of God unless you submitted to His rule. He is Lord by the nature of redemption. Salvation means that you enter a kingdom where there is a King who rules over His subjects.
...It is important that we know the difference between the church and the kingdom and understand that entering the kingdom is essential to salvation. As soon as we confuse the two, we are in trouble. But once we have the priority of the kingdom in place, we then must take seriously the role of the churches within the kingdom. For the church is the best place to grow as a Christian and fulfill our role within the kingdom.
The other major confusion of the church and kingdom is a de-emphasis of the local church. I am concerned that many in our day have misunderstood the purpose of the church in the kingdom. Too many people see local churches as merely denominational entities and actually blame the churches for the perceived failures in the kingdom.
This is a tragic mistake that has weakened the effectiveness of the local church in carrying out the will of God. Each church is a sovereign creation of God, established for the purpose of bringing His great salvation to the world.
Churches who have linked their lives with a larger denomination are not merely following man-made institutions, which practice man's tradition and create divisions within God's kingdom. Yet this is an increasing perception by some.
In fact, denominations in our world are the greatest picture of New Testament Christians, for they practice unity in heart and soul for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel together. They can accomplish more together than they ever could by themselves, and the kingdom of God is extended through them. I believe that a unified denomination with a clear word from God is the most powerful force in the world, but that is exactly why Satan has targeted them and is seeking to divide them.
The many self-appointed groups who choose to remain outside the churches and criticize everything they do are tools that Satan uses. God intended that the edifying be done from INSIDE the body, not from OUTSIDE. Don't listen to those who cause division and strife, casting stones from afar. But invest your lives IN the churches and seek to build them up into Christlikeness.
When people insist on being a member of an "invisible universal church" and refuse to commit to a local church, they are following an unbiblical and harmful philosophy that is destroying the plan of God to extend the kingdom.
There was a time when coming to Christ meant joining His body but not anymore. "I don't have to go to church to be a Christian" is a common response among those who prefer to be in the "invisible church" and thereby avoid accountability to the body of Christ. A depreciation of the local church has damaged its effectiveness to hold believers accountable to the Word of God and has left many Christians detached from the people of God. Don't be fooled; God loves each and every church, and He is using them to do His purpose on earth.
Our oneness with all Christians is found in the kingdom of heaven. This unity is real and runs deep, compelling us to walk together with all other believers. But it remains true that God extends the reign of His kingdom through His churches. The churches, therefore, are absolutely essential to the purpose of God. That is the focus of the New Testament Scriptures, and that is the plan of God to touch the world.
From the book, Experiencing GOD Together. (edited by me)
The Deadening Effects Of Apostasy
By LaHaye/Jenkins
Of course,the true church of Jesus Christ has always been plagued by apostasy--but nothing like at present...
Liberal churchmen organized the Federal Council of Churches in the 1940's, but it became so ultraliberal and pro-Communist that layman abandoned it in droves. It was dissolved, and the National Council of Churches of Christ in America became the spokesman for cultural Christianity. Although the structure was changed slightly, a close look at the people in charge revealed a game of musical chairs; many of the former leaders of the Federal Council directed the new National Council.
This religious organization has accelerated the church's departure from the Bible and sent it deeper into apostasy. Through neglecting and rejecting Bible teachings, this group has been bringing in practices and programs that border on blasphemy...
Today most liberal denominations are aligned with liberal social causes, while theological conservatives tend to align themselves with conservative government policy. In fact, today's vicious attack on moral absolutes has not been led merely by secular humanists but has been advocated by liberal ministers of many mainline denominations and leaders of the National Council of Churches. Some of the religious leaders who are most aggressively pushing homosexuality are apostates on the doctrines of the Virgin Birth, the deity of Christ, and the inerrancy of Scripture. An apostate in theology will hardly adhere to the moral directives of the Scriptures!
Apostasy ruins whole denominations. The Methodist church could be seen as an illustration. When I started out in the ministry, Methodists outnumbered all other Protestant denominations, a carryover from the days of the holiness movement of the nineteenth century. Then apostates began taking over schools such as Union Theological Seminary and produced a generation of apostate ministers, who in turn went into Methodist and Presbyterian churches and seminaries, where they apostatized many of the churches. As a consequence, both these denominations have suffered a serious drop in church attendance and membership; whole groups have split off and started new groups based on the Scriptures. Many members became so disillusioned with this liberal heresy that they quit attending church altogether.
Not only does apostasy kill Christian doctrine and practice, but God also gives up apostates to their reprobate minds, and they begin to die. Today these "mainline" churches, as they like to call themselves, have lost touch with mainline Christian doctrine. The liberal news media still contacts them when seeking comment from the Christian community, not because they stand for Christ, but because they share the same moral agenda as the media. However, these churches have lost enormous influence with the men and women in the pews.
From the book, Are We Living in the End Times?
You couldn't pay me to join a church that's part of the National Council of Churches, but that's just me.
G. K. Chesterton once remarked,
"Tolerance is a virtue of a man without convictions." His statement points to another implication of the new tolerance: the loss of conviction.
The dictionary defines conviction as "the state of being convinced." But if I sincerely consider everyone's beliefs, lifestyles, and truth claims as equal to my own (even when they contradict my beliefs, lifestyles, and truth claims), I can no longer feel any genuine conviction regarding my own beliefs. The new tolerance requires me to admit that I may be as easily mistaken or deluded as my neighbor. If there is no truth that is "more true" than any other "truth," then there is no truth worth defending. If there is no truth worth defending, there is no room for conviction.
This fact was vividly illustrated in a recent U.S. political campaign when the candidate stated that, though he was personally opposed to abortion, he would defend a woman's "right to choose." His position, while politically artful, showed a typically postmodern lack of conviction. And that loss of conviction characterizes not only that politician but the entire culture of this radical new tolerance
The new tolerance is not only making moral zombies of the politicians and pundits, it is creating a generation that is both unable and unwilling to defend the Christian faith and live a life defined by Christian convictions.
By Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler
The Temple Of Tolerance
The effect of all this is twofold: First, in an active sense, the new tolerance cannot be other than a fierce opponent of Christ, Christianity, and Christians. James Wood writes:
The problem of tolerance has been called, in the words of Gustav Mensching, "one of the great and most urgent challenges now confronting our world." The action taken by the United Nations General Assembly, 25 November 1981, in adopting the "Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based Religion or Belief," while long overdue, was an important step taken by the family of nations."
The "elimination of all forms of intolerance" by the "the family of nations" will necessarily target those of us with a message of universal truth. We, in the family of God, will increasingly find ourselves at odds with the "family of nations." But why should that surprise us? Jesus said the world hated him; he warned that it would hate us also. As long as we continue to proclaim the same absolute, exclusive message that Christ claimed when he walked the earth, we can expect to encounter increased persecution and "tribulation" in the world (see Jn.16:33) and even more so as the new tolerance continues to gain acceptance....
Second, in a more passive sense, the new tolerance serves as a modern temple of idolatry....
The first step leading to this Temple of Tolerance is the undermining of a person's faith in the living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob....
Once a person is thus induced to doubt the one true God, he or she loses the true standard for right and wrong, which is the nature and character of God himself..
....But Eve decided that wasn't good enough for her. Enticed by the serpent, she determined that she wasn't going to let God tell her what was good and what was bad; she would make that decision herself. The evil one questioned God's word and tempted her with a promise that she would "be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen.3:5).
As Christian apologist and author Ravi Zacharias points out, when she and her husband "questioned the reality of His voice and supplanted it with their own authority, they made themselves the measure of all things." They set themselves up in God's place and took something that belonged only to God: the power to decide what is good and what is evil.
That idolatry is the second step leading into the Temple of Tolerance. It is an idolatry that says, in effect, "I will be my own god. I will determine what is right or wrong, what is true or false, what is good or evil."
.....In a society dominated by the new tolerance, justice will be increasingly overshadowed by the competing demands of every special-interest group, from environmentalists, human-right activists, and farmers to gays and lesbians, abortionists, and the gambling industry. The deciding factor in any decision will no longer be a question of justice but simply a question of which group can yell the loudest, lobby the longest, and inspire the most fear and outrage.
Court cases will be swayed more and more and more frequently by public opinion. National leaders will base their decisions on polls rather than law or ethics, aided inceasingly by a media that reports public sentiment instead of news.
As a result, justice--the ethic that gave birth and success to antislavery, women's suffrage, and civil-rights struggles of past generations--will die. The word will still be used, of course, but it will no longer mean that which is just....It will mean that which is most popular or pragmatic.
By Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler. From the book, The New Tolerance
Intolerance By David Roper
...Fifteen hundred years ago Augustine pointed out that the best way to undercut an opponent's argument is to co-opt his language: take his words, assign them new meanings, and make them your own. That way your opponent has to stop and define his terms, or invent new ones. Either way, his arguments lose force.
"Intolerance" is one of those words that have been co-opted and given a new set of meanings by God's opponents. Today, intolerance has become the worst sin in the world's eyes and tolerance the highest good. To be principled or to have informed moral convictions is to be declared intolerant, out of touch, and, above all, mean-spirited. The "tolerant," those who tolerate anything and everything, thus take the moral high ground.
G.K.Chesterton once said that morality, like art, consists of drawing a very fine line. Now, it seems to me, we can't draw any lines at all!
Whatever happened to moral judgment? Whatever happened to sin?
From the book, Out Of The Ordinary.
The Name
By Franklin Graham
Pray In The Name?
...In January of 2001, our nation was perhaps more divided politically than at any time I can remember....
My father has had the honor of praying or participating in some way at eight presidential inaugurations, beginning with the ceremony for Lyndon Johnson in 1965. When it came time for Bill Clinton's second inauguration, my father was invited once again to offer an inaugural prayer. Because his health problems had flared, he asked me to accompany him to Washington, D.C.
Now, four years later as the inauguration of the forty-third president approached, the inaugural committee eagerly wanted Billy Graham to participate in the ceremony....
...However, with weather forecasters predicting a cold, wet January morning in the Washington, D.C., area, my father's doctors at the Mayo Clinic had urged him not to put himself at risk by attending the inauguration, as it would be held outdoors. The Inaugural Committee, on behalf of President-elect Bush, called and asked me to give the invocation in my father's place...
.....The Friday afternoon before the inauguration, I attended a meeting of the platform participants conducted by the Inaugural Committee. We met at a Washington hotel to review the order of service. It was in that conference room where I met Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell: tall, handsome, articulate--a powerhouse of a preacher. After introductions, his personal warmth made me feel as though we had been longtime friends. We found a few minutes to talk privately, and Reverend Caldwell said, "Franklin, I want to ask you a question. Are you going to pray in the Name of Jesus?"
"Yes," I answered. "I always do."
"Good!" Kirbyjon said, flashing a great big smile. "I am too."
I chuckled to myself and thought, I like him; he's got guts for Jesus.
The time of invocation came and I made my way to the podium. Speaking into the bitter January air, I offered this prayer to God Almighty as my breath turned to white puffs:
......etc. etc. I continued:
We pray this in the name of the Father, And of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, And of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To my surprise, I heard amens and applause from an audience assembled primarily for political interests--not religious....
...I thought I had left the inaugural flurry behind.... The Dershowitz article concluded, "If Bush wants all Americans to accept him as their president, he made an inauspicious beginning by sandwiching his unity speech between two divisive, sectarian and inappropriate prayers."
What was he talking about? I am a Christian. Don't ask me to pray like a Hindu; I am not Hindu. Don't ask me to pray to Muhammad; I am not Muslim. I am a Christian. That is who I am: a believer in the greatest man that ever lived--Jesus Christ--a Jew.
...Others chimed in with Dershowitz. Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, said that both inaugural prayers were "inappropriate and insensitive." An article in the New Republic described the prayers that Kirbyjon and I offered as "crushing Christological thuds" that "barred millions of Americans from their own amens."
....I believe that the response to the inaugural prayers is additional evidence of a disturbing trend in American public life: Christians who use the Name of Jesus and insist that He is "the one and only way to God" are increasingly viewed by many in the liberal media as narrowminded religious bigots who represent a threat to the rest of society.
Americans are extremely religious as the Gallup poll shows. But that religious bent rubs against another value in our society that may trump all others: tolerance. In our thirst for personal autonomy, the deal we seek is, "I will not question your beliefs or behavior if you will do the same for me." Does this now apply to spiritual issues too?
An eloquent advocate of Christian faith, Ravi Zacharias wrote in Jesus Among Other Gods,
We are living in a time when angry voices demand with increasing insistence that we ought not to propagate the Gospel, that we ought not to consider anyone "lost" just because they are not Christians. "We are all born into different beliefs, and therefore, we should leave it that way"--so goes the tolerant "wisdom" of our time...When people make such statements, they forget or do not know that one is not born a Christian. All Christians are such by virtue of conversion. To ask the Christian not to reach out to anyone else who is from another faith is to ask that Christians to deny his own faith.
...The media attention span is short, but at least for a few days in early 2001, the Name of Jesus was heard in public discourse as something other than a curse word.
The bold reentry of the Name would not happen again for many months, until a shocking Tuesday morning in September.
From the book: The Name, by Franklin Graham (edited by me)
terryt speaking of Russia,
Ezekiel chapters 37, 38 and 39.
By William R. Goetz
Ezekiel 38:1-7, 14-16.
For centuries, students of prophecy have believed that the great northern power which leads a confederacy of allies in an attack upon Israel is Russia. The Destiny of the Nations, written in 1864 by Dr. John Cumming, outlined this view before Russia was a major power.
...Genesis 10:2 lists Magog as the second grandson of Noah. History records that he and his descendants moved and settled north of the Black Sea.
Tubal and Meshech, the fifth and sixth grandsons of Noah moved south of the Black Sea. Intermarriage over centuries followed. The descendants of Meshech and Tubal are identified as the Mushki and Tubali of the Volga River basin and present-day Moscow and Tobolsk.
...Ezekiel 38:15 says the invader will come "from [his] place out of the north parts" (KJV), or, as it is rendered in some translations, "out of the uttermost north."
Now, remembering that compass directions in the Bible are always given in reference to the Holy Land, we can identify the invader. There is only one nation which fits the description of being to the uttermost north of Israel, and that is Russia. To check this out for yourself, get a globe. Run a line from Israel to the North Pole. You'll discover that it passes almost directly through Moscow. Russia, and only Russia, is to the uttermost north of Israel.
God says to Russia, through Ezekiel (as recorded in chapter 38:3): "I am against you, O Gog." Such a statement seems contrary to God's very nature, for He is revealed in Scripture as being a God of love, mercy and patience. Could it be that God has set His face against Russia because of her anti-God stand and her persecution of the Jews?
...Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism. Hal Lindsey in The Final Battle writes:
Today, Communism appears to be on its way to the ash heap of history. But a greater threat---a more evil empire--is quietly, without fanfare, filling the void left by the breakup of the Soviet Union. This movement seeks not only to destroy the state of Israel but also to overthrow the Judeo-Christian culture--the very foundation of our western civilization.
While Communism was only on the scene for seventy-five years, this evil empire is more than 1,300 years old. It once conqured most of the known world and its zealous adherents have never given up their imperial dreams. They have, like the Communists, at their philosophic core the sworn duty to "bury us."
The name of this movement--the greatest threat to freedom and world peace today--is Islamic fundamentalism.
....Following the Soviet breakup, Iran has sought to strengthen herself militarily by using her oil wealth to purchase weapons from Russia. An article in The Jerusalem Post, "The Russian-Iran Connection," says:
What is known about Iran's conventional army is....worrisome. Tehran is spending, according to Gates, at least $2 billion a year on arms. It is modernizing its navy, air force, and army. It has acquired Russian submarines, and it has sent submarine crews for training in a Russian naval base. In the hope of acquiring state-of-the-art weapons at bargain-basement prices, Iran has established close contacts with the Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union.
The Muslim former Soviet republics referred to in the Post article are Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kinghizian, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. (All of these are in the area described by the prophet Ezekiel when he listed Russia's allies).
From the book, The Economy to Come.
Maranatha!
Bells toll for Virginia Tech Victims
"One by one, 32 Virginia Tech students read out a single name, one for each of the victims of the rampage...After each name was intoned, a small bell was rung.
Church bells also rang out in Blacksburg on the Virginia Tech campus. Most of the thousands of people making their way across the campus stopped where they were and bowed their heads in respect."
http://www.msnbc.com/id/18225794/site/newsweek/from/ET/
Hi plugger
I heard the news from your post. I felt bad. I felt really bad for you because you were from there and I could just imagine how you must of felt. I had a feeling you would be "overwhelmed with sorrow" so I just prayed and decided to keep my mouth shut. In fact I prayed several times. Prayer is always the best for me when I feel bad. Sorry if I hurt your feelings by not saying anything.
Vernon Grounds is correct...
when he says that "psychic pain is inflicted by the Holy Spirit as He creates the conviction of sin, a conviction which testifies that God's law has been broken."
What must one do to set his conscience at rest?......In 1Timothy 4:2, Paul referred to those who are "seared" (cautherized) in their own conscience as with a branding iron." The word "seared" does not speak of the action of branding, but the result of branding. It refers to the condition of flesh which has been seared with a branding iron and as a result is no longer sensitive to pain. Paul seems to refer to the same phenomenon in Ephesians 4:19 where he speaks of those who are "past feeling" or "callous" (the word indicates inability to feel pain). ...Such cauterizing of the conscience comes by ignoring its message or by anesthetizing it over a period of time.
...Conscience is a "good conscience" when it gives approval to one's behavior. When conscience has been set to rest with respect to past problems by seeking forgiveness, making restitution, affecting reconciliation, or whatever a specific case requires, one's coping level rises. Cyclical movement begins in a positive direction. A downward destructive cyclical movement is reversed. Hopefully now this movement will gain momentum and snowball in the direction of good feelings. Jay Adams
By Grant Jeffrey
2 Thessalonians 2:7
...Yet this antichrist will not be revealed until the Holy Spirit, who is restraining the antichrist's appearance, is taken out of the way (2:7). As long as the church is on earth, the indwelling Holy Spirit will continue to restrain the antichrist. However, when the saints are raptured, the Holy Spirit will be "taken out of the way" (2:7) to allow Satan to bring forth the antichrist. It is important to note that the Holy Spirit will not be removed from the earth but will still convict the world of sin (see Jn 16:7-8). Even during the tribulation millions will become believers and face martyrdom for their faith.
....Scholars have tried to identify the restrainer of the antichrist. Some believe that this restrainer is the system of human government, but that suggestion is disproved by the fact that governments and kingdoms will continue after antichrist is revealed (see Rev.13:7); they will not be taken away.
Others have suggested that the church is the antichrist's restrainer; however nowhere else in Scripture is the church referred to with the masculine pronoun "he," nor does the church ever exhibit any supernatural power except that which God manifests through it.
Most probably, therefore, the restrainer of the antichrist is God's Holy Spirit. This determination further supports the pretribulation rapture of the church because of the Holy Spirit's ministry among believers. Prior to Christ's ascension to heaven, Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to empower the church (see Ac.1:8). Jesus had promised earlier that the Holy Spirit would abide in the church forever in his role as the comforter (see Jn.14:16), but that the Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus had ascended (see Jn.16:7). Unless the Holy Spirit is removed from his role as the restrainer, the antichrist will not be revealed.
Therefore, because of Jesus' promise to believers of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, when the the Holy Spirit is removed as the restrainer of the antichrist, it is because the church has already been raptured and is now in heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Note that though the Holy Spirit will be removed from his role as the restrainer and comforter of the raptured church, the third person of the Trinity was, is now and always will be omnipresent. He will continue to convict sinners and thereby save a great multitude out of the tribulation (see Rev.7:9-14).
Without looking it up I think the wicked will cry out to die and they won't be able to die during one period.
Feelings and Behavior
One very pertinent passage is found in Genesis 4:3-7. When God rejected Cain's offering (Abel in contrast to Cain had brought the firstlings and fat., the best), Cain became angry and upset, "and his face fell" (vs.5). God then rhetorically asked Cain, "Why are you depressed?" and pointed the way to overcoming it: "If you do right, will it [your face] not be lifted up?" Here, God sets forth the important principle that behavior determines feelings....
....People feel bad because of bad behavior; feelings flow from actions. This relationship between feelings and behavior is set forth very clearly in Scripture. For example, Peter often pointed out that good living produces good feelings. In his first letter (3:10), he quoted Psalm 34:12,13:
Let him who means to love life, and see good days, refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile: and let him turn away from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it.
So to have good days, one must do good deeds. This is not to say, of course, that good deeds save anyone, or that supposed "good deeds" apart from the energizing power of the Holy Spirit are good in God's eyes, but good deeds (in the full biblical sense of the term) lead to good days. All legalism must be rejected as unbiblical. Good deed are the result of God's work in us, as Paul clearly says in Ephesians 2:10: "created in Christ Jesus unto good works."
Peter speaks of the value of maintaining a good conscience,
...so that in the thing which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame (1Peter 3:16).
A good conscience, according to Peter, depends upon good behavior. Good lives come from good deeds; good consciences come from good behavior. Conscience, which man's ability to evaluate his own actions, activates unpleasant visceral and other bodily warning devices when he sins. "When he fails he feels it."
Jay E. Adams. From the book Competent to Counsel
I like Bonnie too. I read her faith series a few times and really enjoyed it. :)
terryt and killianpsi
I got a feeling this is going to be a long post, but I'll try not to be a wind bag. :)
I had to go back and familiarize myself with this topic. Back in 1999 I heard this man say to keep an eye on Javier Solanas. I did. I did a search back then and not too much was found on him compared to now.
Later the same man told about how the EU added a recommendation or it could have been called an article. I remembered some of the key words the man used while explaining it and after about 5-6 attempts of searching on line BINGO. I was on an official website. Only bummer was it was in another language. I fiddled around and figured out how to have it translated on the site. I read it a few times. Not that I really understood it. LOL
I went back a few days and poof it was gone. There was one lone person out there who the same thing had happened to him. Today you can enter a search saying "recommendation 666" and get all kinds of information. Basically the article or recommendation transfered the power of the EU over to one person if need be if I remember right.
Time went on. The man told about how the EU formed two divisions. (10 nations) I'll call them divisions now because I forgot the proper words the man used back then for this. I did a search using the mans words. Wikepedia (sp) was happy to share about this new EU policy. (if you could call it a policy) It's no longer there but that I can understand because all of this was history in the making.
You can do a search now on WEU EU and it's much more difficult to comprehend, then when the news first broke. On one of the sites now it says Western European Union 10 member states..."Most of the WEU function are in the process of being merged into the EU."
Then on my own I discovered the European Neighbor Policy which turned into the ENPI. You can do a search on European Neighbor Policy. At the time I about fell out of my chair. They were offering help to Israel, and the U.S. if I remember right. In fact I remember them saying, never mind it didn't happen.
What does all this mean to me?
I'll try to be brief again. LOL
By Grant Jeffrey
The Little Horn
Daniel calls him a "little horn" (7:8) in contrast to the ten horns that represent ten nations arising out of the revived Roman empire. Endowed with satanic powers, he will be a powerful speaker, able to impress people with his brilliant speech.
The First Beast
The antichrist is identified as "the beast" (Rev.11:7) that rises "up out of the sea" (Rev13:1). The sea usually depicts Gentile nations so this title indicates the antichrist's power within the ten-nation kingdom.
John also sees in his vision that God will cause the ten nations to join with the antichrist and destroy the false church (Rev.17:16) as a fulfillment of God's will (Rev.17:17). Though he used the worldwide, ecumenical church to consolidate his evil rule, the antichrist will turn on her and utterly destroy her, and will instead accept the worship and deification of the people.
The Armies of Armageddon
At the time of the tribulation the antichrist will command the support of the majority of the nations of the west, including the nation of Israel (see Da.9:27; 11:45). These nations will be led by his inner circle of ten European and Mediterranean nations.
Rev.13:1-2
John describes his terrible vision of this beast (the antichrist) that rises to political prominence in the world. This antichrist has "ten horns" which represent the revived Roman empire--the ten nations of Europe that will unite together under his rule (see Da. 7:23-24). The "ten crowns" indicate that he has usurped all political power over these ten nations. In gaining his authority over these nations, three of the leaders of the ten kingdoms are completetely overthrown or killed leaving only "seven heads" (13:1) to help bring about "blasphemy" (13:1) against God. Whatever his status at birth, the antichrist will receive his power, throne and authority from Satan.
Da. 7:26
This verse foretells the final defeat of the antichrist and the ten-nation confederacy of the fourth beast (v.7). This will occur at the Battle of Armageddon (see Rev.16:16-19; 1:14-21).
There's more but I'll end it here. :)
Maranatha!
excel I saw that...
I spent a few min. trying to figure it out. I came to the conclusion it was hoekey. imho
On that post of yours about Job. I heard a preacher once say he found it interesting that satan spared Jobs wife. LOL
Sorry to hear about that church in WA. I use to be a member of what use to be called the "Women's Missionary Society" when I lived in OR. My job was to check out organizations, that the women wanted to fund, from our group. I will add with our hard earned monies.
We met once a month. The women would bring all kinds of tear jerk material for good Christian causes. I would send away asking for information of the break downs of how they distributed the donations. You would be shocked at how many are out there where most all of the money goes to administrative costs. I had to explain once to a preachers wife why we didn't support her so called "good cause" when she missed a meeting. She went on and on about how good this organization was. On paper that is. When I brought the information on them that they had sent me, she was shocked. I could tell by the look on her face she couldn't believe it. You were smart to leave that church.
Also I'm going to post to terryt so get ready to close your eyes again! LOL
terryt I like prophecy too....
I like hearing others views. (Just close your eyes excel when terryt and I post to each other) LOL
Rev.13:11-18
Some say that because this second beast comes "out of the earth" (13:11) this beast is a symbol of the religious power that is now invested in the hands of secular authorities. Others propose....etc. etc.
Rev.17:1-7
(Note that it is important to differentiate between the judgments of ecclesiastical Babylon, described in Rev.17 and the wrath of God poured out on the empire of Babylon, described in Rev.18.
This passage is one of the most unusual prophecies in the Bible. One of the seven angels shows John "the judgment of the great whore" (17:1), referring to the worldwide, ecumenical apostate religion of the last days. The spiritual imagery of fornication is repeatedly used by John to emphasize the corruption of the religious system of the last days. A pagan revival of the ancient mystery religions of Babylon will cloak themselves in the outward symbols of Christianity. This false church will be allied with the antichrist and his ten allies (17:3) and will be characterized by blasphemy and drunkenness (17:5). This false church will claim to be the true church while persecuting the tribulation saints who worship God. (17:6).
Grant Jeffrey
I've never read any of Jeffrey's books but I have his Prophecy Marked Reference Study Bible. I can't help but think of the World Council of Churches. You couldn't pay me to join a church that is a member of them, but that's just me.
The WCC and the United Nations.
Notice the last sentence. "As it does so, it seeks to demonstrate the ecumenical movement's long, standing commitment to the UN and the ideals embodied in the UN charter.......
Sheesh!
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/wcc-un-e.html
terryt Check this out....
If you have time do a search on: Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?
Albert Einstein once said that if bees disappear "man would have only four years of life left."
By Grant Jeffrey 1998
Matthew24:7-8
Jesus also warned that a series of cataclysmic natural phenomena would characterize his imminent return. Famine, pestilence and earthquakes would not only increase in frequency in the last days; they would also occur in different or unusual places. Note the following statistics that herald the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Famine: Millions are at risk of famine in this decade in central Africa, India, North Korea and China. Many other nations are unable to properly feed their people due to the decreasing amounts of agriculture lands, increasing amounts of deserts and the soaring growth of their populations. Diminished food resources will be overwhelmed during the tribulation when worldwide famine destroys millions of lives (see Rev.6:5-6).
Earthquakes: Killer earthquakes (6.5 or higher on the Richter scale) occurred only once every decade during the 1800's. According to current statistics, the number of these major earthquakes has increased to over 100 in this decade alone.
Pestilence: Worldwide pestilence would also signal Jesus' return. In the past twenty years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), health professionals have diagnosed more than 25 infectious diseases with no known treatment or cure. These have come about as a result of the ease of travel between nations, poor sanitation, growing urbanization and overpopulation. Sexually transmitted diseases are increasing, causing sterility and death. Recent studies predict that AIDS may wipe out as much as one quarter of the global population (see Rev.6:8).
Jesus warns that these terrible judgments will only set the stage for the terrible judgments of the tribulation.
Maranatha Bro!
Who Am I ?
By Neil T. Anderson
The list below itemizes in first-person language who you really are in Christ.
I am the salt of the earth. (Mat.5:13)
I am the light of the world. (Mat.5:14)
I am a child of God. (Jn.1:12)
I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life. (Jn.15:1,5)
I am Christ's friend. (Jn.15:15)
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit. (Jn.15:16)
I am a slave of righteousness. (Rom.6:18)
I am enslaved to God. (Rom.6:22)
I am a son of God; God is spiritually my Father. (Rom.8:14,15; Gal.3:26; 4:6)
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. (Rom.8:17)
I am a temple--a dwelling place--of God. His Spirit and His life dwells in me. (1Cor.3:16; 6:19)
I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him. (1Cor.6:17)
I am a member of Christ's Body. (1Cor.12:27; Eph.5:30)
I am a new creation (2 Cor.5:17)
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation. (2Cor.5:18,19)
I am a son of God and one in Christ. (Gal.3:26,28)
I am an heir of God since I am a son of God. (Gal.3:6,7)
I am a saint. (Eph.1:1; 1Cor.1:2; Phil.1:1; Col.1:2)
I am God's workmanship--His handiwork--born anew in Christ to do His work. (Eph.2:10)
I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God's family. (Eph.2:19)
I am a prisoner of Christ. (Eph.3:1; 4:1)
I am righteous and holy. (Eph.4:24)
I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now. (Phil.3:20; Eph.2:6)
I am hidden with Christ in God. (Col.3:3)
I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life. (Col.3:4)
I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. (Col.3:12; 1Thess.1:4)
I am a son of light and not of darkness. (1Thess.5:5)
I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling. (Heb.3:1)
I am a partaker of Christ, I share in His life. (Heb.3:14)
I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house. (1Pet.2:5)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. (1Pet.2:9,10)
I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live. (1Pet.2:11)
I am an enemy of the devil. (1Pet.5:8)
I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns. (1Jn.3:1,2)
I am born of God, and the evil one--the devil--cannot touch me. (1Jn.5:18)
I am NOT the great "I am" (Exod.3:14; Jn.8:24,28,58), but by the grace of God, I am what I am. (1Cor.15:10)
Because you are in Christ, every one of those characteristics is completely true of you, and there's nothing you can do to make them more true.
From the book, Victory over the Darkness.
Bondage or Liberty
The law says, This DO and thou shalt live.
The gospel says, LIVE, and then thou shalt do.
The law says, PAY me that thou owest.
The gospel says, I frankly FORGIVE thee all.
The law says, MAKE you a new heart and a new spirit.
The gospel says, A new heart will I GIVE you, and a new spirit will I put within you.
The law says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
The gospel says, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The law says, CURSED is every one who continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.
The gospel says, BLESSED is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
The law says, The WAGES of sin is death.
The gospel says, The GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The law DEMANDS holiness.
The gospel GIVES holiness.
The law says, DO.
The gospel says, DONE.
The law EXTORTS the unwilling service of a bondman.
The gospel WINS the loving service of a son and freeman.
The law makes blessings the result of OBEDIENCE.
The gospel makes obedience the result of BLESSINGS.
The law places the day of rest at the end of the week's work.
The gospel places it at its beginning.
The law says, IF.
The gospel says, THEREFORE.
The law was given for the restraint of the old man.
The gospel was given to bring liberty to the new man.
Under the law, salvation was WAGES.
Under the gospel, salvation is a GIFT.
Legal Christians do not deny Christ; they only seek to add something to Christ. Their idea is, Christ and--something besides. Perhaps it is Christ and good works, or Christ and earnest feelings, or Christ and clear doctrines, or Christ and certain religious performances. All these are good in themselves, and good as the result of fruits of salvation; but to add anything to Christ, no matter how good it may be, as the procuring cause of salvation, is to deny His completeness, and to exalt self. Men will undergo many painful self-sacrifices rather than take the place of utter helplesness and worthlesness. A man will gladly be a Saint Simeon Stylites or even a fakir, if only it is self that does it, so that self may share the glory. And a religion of bondage always exalts self. It is what I do, -- MY efforts, MY wrestlings, MY
faithfulness. But a religion of liberty leaves self nothing to glory in; it is all Christ, and what He does, and what He is, and how wonderfully He saves. The child does not boast of itself, but of its father and mother; and our souls can "make their boast in the Lord," when, in this life of liberty, we have learned to know that He and He alone is the sufficient supply for our every need.
...But when Christians get near enough to the Lord to feel the true spirit of adoption, they are ready to accept with delight all the blessings He has in store for them, and never think anything too much to receive. For then they discover that He is only eager, as parents are, to pour out every good gift upon His children, and that, in fact, all things are theirs, because they are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
Hannah Whitall Smith. (Edited by me) From the book: The Christians Secret of a Happy Life.
Grace...By Philip Yancey
I just got done reading.. What's So Amazing About Grace? by Yancey. Has anyone here read that book? If so what did you think about it? Anyways...
We have all of us been told that grace is to be found in the universe. But in our human foolishness and shortsightedness we imagine divine grace to be finite...But the moment comes when our eyes are opened, and we see and realize that grace is infinite. Grace, my friends, demands nothing from us but that we shall await it with confidence and acknowledge it in gratitude.
Theologian Karl Barth, after writing thousands of pages in his Church Dogmatics, arrived at this simple definition of God: "the One who loves."
Jesus proclaimed unmistakably that God's law is so perfect and absolute that no one can achieve righteousness. Yet God's grace is so great that we do not have to. By striving to prove how much they deserve God's love, legalists miss the whole point of the gospel, that it is a gift from God to people who don't deserve it. The solution to sin is not to impose an ever-stricter code of behavior. It is to know God.
God shattered the inexorable law of sin and retribution by invading earth, absorbing the worst we had to offer, crucifixion, and then fashioning from that cruel deed the remedy for the human condition. Calvary broke up the logjam between justice and forgiveness. By accepting onto his innocent self all the severe demands of justice, Jesus broke forever the chain of ungrace.
When Yancey wrote.."Grace demands nothing from us but that we shall await it with confidence and acknowledge it in gratitude." I thought of Psalm that says The Lord favors those who fear Him. Those who wait for His lovingkindness.
And I think Yancey wrote, "I must pray anew for the ability to hear its message" (Grace) It is true that Jesus broke forever the chains of ungrace. And..In God's hands are the scales that balance justice and mercy.
Grace...By Chip Ingram
God's mercy means that you do not get what you deserve. In comparison, grace means that we get the good we do not deserve. Read the last two sentences again. They will help you understand why we need both God's mercy and God's grace. Mercy withholds the punishment we deserve while grace offers us forgiveness we don't deserve.
According to God's law all sin deserves to be punished by death. However, God's nature is such that he always provides a way for human beings to avoid getting the judgment we truly deserve. In the Old Testament this provision was mediated through the blood of animals; in the New Testament God's mercy comes through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross.
Whenever God says, "I will forgive, I will restore, I will pick you up, I will set you free, I will wrap my arms around you, I will redeem the past..." these are not rewards we deserve; these are demonstrations of God's mercy and grace.
...Then we asked a series of questions (to Dr. Hendricks) that we hoped he would answer...We seemed to be saying together, "Dr. Hendricks, you have lot of wisdom. We want to get it."
Much of our time during those weeks was taken up by Dr. Hendrick's responses and observations about personal problems we posed to him. During one of those lunches, I decided to share an issue that had created continual confusion in my life. I said something like, "Dr. Hendricks, I have an ongoing struggle in my life. Whenever I make progress in self-discipline, I almost immediately find myself getting self-righteous. I quickly get to be a jerk and can't even stand myself. I spend time in the morning praying and memorizing verses, but I find myself thinking I'm better than everyone else. I know this isn't right. But when I was undisciplined, I felt guilty, confused, and I didn't know where I was going. I'm wondering if you can help me with this vicious circle."
I will never forget his answer. He said, "Gentlemen, you need to understand two things if you are going to go anywhere in life. Few people understand these, but you'd better get it." I got my pen out and took down these words:
1. There is nothing you can ever do to get God to love you any more than he does right now.
2. There is nothing you can ever do to get God to love you less.
In light of grace, what kind of person does God want us to be?
Your performance is irrelevant when it comes to God loving and accepting you. God's reasons are called grace...
From the book, I Am With You Always
excel I can't remember...
where I've heard that name before. Ray Comfort. Is it from stuff you posted on this board?
FWIW I would suggest they call the Brooklyn Tabernacle church and ask them if they know of anyone. I'm willing to bet... the Brooklyn Tabernacle church would help... if they could... and maybe refer them to a church like they're looking for. I've read and heard really good things about that church.
excel That was a nice song...
on your other post.
The way my post reminded you of that song...this post of yours reminded me of this. I laughed so hard I about fell out of my chair laughing. I didn't get to hear the preachers answer because I was laughing too hard.
Matthew 18:15-18 (Illustrated in church discipline)
15. "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
17. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and tax collector.
The question from this guy was "How do you treat a tax collector?"
I laughed and laughed. I kid you not. I about fell out of my chair laughing at that question of his. I just knew what must of happened to him... and by his tone of his voice... and now he wasn't sure what the next step was.
Like I said I was laughing so hard at his question I missed the answer, but I would guess it would be to shun the sinning brother.
God's goal for the body is Christlikeness...
individually and corporately as a church.
In Jesus' day the religious community would not touch a leper; they would leave lepers to die in isolation. The Father, however, loved them and sent His Son to touch them, heal them, and tell them of God's great love. There are people in every church community whom others may not reach out to and touch. Christ, as the Head of your church, desires to do through you what He did in His own ministry. Who do many avoid, resist, and even resent among your church? A man called me and said, "I've called four pastors, and they said they don't reach out to men like me. But three of them said you did! Will you help me?" I found out he was a hard alcoholic. Now alcoholics can be demanding to reach, falling back into their alcohol--until Christ sets them free. I found out later that he was standing on the third floor window ledge of a downtown hotel, and if I refused to help him, he had planned to jump to his death. He was the only child of a Christian family that lived in another state, and nobody was reaching out to him. But our church took him under our wing. It took several months, but he was saved and transformed by the power of God. I still recall meeting his gray-haired mother on the day he was baptized into our church. His mother was so grateful that our church would not turn anyone away who was seeking the Lord.
The heart and mind of Christ were given to us, and we responded to him as Christ would have responded. Listen to Jesus' heart at the beginning of His ministry as He read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19).
Is the heart of the Lord obvious in you, especially among a lost world that is watching? Are there any around you who do not feel welcome, maybe because they really aren't welcome? Repent and return to Him!
God purposed that we would live our lives under the guidance and influence of Christ. We are to allow His presence to make a profound impact upon the daily and practical situations in our lives. (Galatians2:19-20; and in another passage, Phil.2:5-9a)
Henry T. Blackaby
Melvin D. Blackaby
excel you said...
"Time for us all to go further." Does this mean I can't eat my chocolate rabbit now and my hard boiled eggs? LOL
I felt obligated to stir the pot. LOL
O.K. I'll cool it.
HAPPY EASTER everyone!
Christian brothers, shout and sing ---
Death has lost its ancient sting!
Quickly were the tidings spread. Christ is risen from the dead!
Empty, see, the stony bed. Christ is risen from the dead!
Faith and hope are not in vain. You are born to live again.
Be your hearts no longer sad. On this Easter day be glad!
Christ, the Crucified before. Is alive for ever more.
Heirs of glory, thru His grace. Tears be dried from every face!
Every soul be comforted. Christ is risen from the dead!
Thomas O. Chisholm, Merril Dunlop
(Edited by me)
The One Who Stayed
By Max Lucado
I've always perceived John as a fellow who viewed life simply. "Right is right and wrong is wrong, and things aren't nearly as complicated as we make them out to be."
For example, defining Jesus would be a challenge to the best of writers, but John handles the task with casual analogy. The Messiah, in a word, was 'the Word.' A walking message. A love letter. Be he a fiery verb or a tender adjective, he was, quite simply, a word.
And life? Well, life is divided into two sections, light and darkness. If you are in one, you are not in the other and vice versa.
Next question?
"The devil is the father of lies and the Messiah is the father of truth. God is love and you are in his corner if you love, too. In fact, most problems are solved by loving one another."
And sometimes, when the theology gets a bit thick, John pauses just long enough to offer a word of explanation. Because of this patient storytelling, we have the classic commentary, "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son."
But I like John most for the way he loved Jesus. His relationship with Jesus was, again, rather simple. To John, Jesus was a good friend with a good heart and a good idea. A once-upon-a-time storyteller with some-where-over-the-rainbow promise.
One gets the impression that to John, Jesus was above all a loyal companion. Messiah? Yes. Son of God? Indeed. Miracle worker? That, too. But more than anything Jesus was a pal. Someone you could go camping with or bowling with or count the stars with.
Simple. To John, Jesus wasn't a treatise on social activism, nor was he a license for blowing up abortion clinics or living in a desert. Jesus was a friend.
Now what do you do with a friend? (Well, that's rather simple too.) You stick by him.
Maybe that is why John is the only one of the twelve who was at the cross. He came to say goodbye. By his own admission he hadn't quite put the pieces together yet. But that didn't really matter. As far as he was concerned, his closest friend was in trouble and he came to help.
"Can you take care of my mother?"
Of course. That's what friends are for.
John teaches us that the strongest relationship with Christ may not necessarily be a complicated one. He teaches us that the greatest webs of loyalty are spun, not with air tight theologies or foolproof philosophies, but with friendships; stubborn, selfless, joyful friendships.
After witnessing this stubborn love, we are left with a burning desire to have one like it. We are left feeling that if we could have been in anyone's sandals that day, we would have been in young John's and would have been the one to offer a smile of loyalty to this dear Lord.
(From the book No Wonder They Call Him The Savior)
The Gospel Of The Second Chance
By Max Lucado (Edited by me)
It was like discovering the prize in a box of Cracker-jacks or spotting a little pearl in a box of buttons or stumbling across a ten dollar bill in a drawer full of envelopes.
It was small enough to overlook. Only two words. I know I'd read that passage a hundred times. But I'd never seen it. Maybe I'd passed over it in the excitement of the resurrection. Or, since Mark's account of the resurrection is by far the briefest of the four, maybe I'd just not paid too much attention. Or, maybe since it's the last chapter of the gospel, my weary eyes had always read too quickly to note this little phrase.
But I won't miss it again. It's highlighted in yellow and underlined in red. You might want to do the same. Look in Mark, chapter 16. Read the first five verses about the womens' surprise when they find the stone moved to the side. Then feast on that beautiful phrase spoken by the angel, "He is not here, he is risen," but don't pause for too long. Go a bit further. Get your pencil ready and enjoy this jewel in the seventh verse (here it comes). The verse reads like this: "But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee."
Did you see it? Read it again. (This time I italicized the words.)
"But go, tell his disciples, AND PETER that he is going before you to Galilee."
Now tell me if that's not a hidden treasure.
It might paraphrase the words, "Don't stay here, go tell the disciples," pause, then a smile, "and ESPECIALLY tell Peter, that he is going before you to Galilee."
What a line. It's as if all of heaven had watched Peter fall--and it's as if all of heaven wanted to help him back up again. "Be sure and tell Peter that he's not left out. Tell him that one failure doesn't make a flop."
Whew!
No wonder they call it the gospel of the second chance.
Not many second chances exist in the world today....
Sure you can have a second chance.
Just ask Peter. One minute he felt lower than a snake's belly and the next minute he was the high hog at the trough. Even the angels wanted this distraught netcaster to know that it wasn't over. The message came loud and clear from the celestial Throne Room through the divine courier. "Be sure and tell Peter that he gets to bat again."
Those who know these types of things say that the Gospel of Mark is really transcribed notes and dictated thoughts of Peter. If this is true, then it was Peter himself who included these two words! And if these really are his words, I can't help but imagine that the old fisherman had to brush away a tear and swallow a lump when he got to this point in the story.
It's not every day that you get a second chance. Peter must of known that. The next time he saw Jesus, he got so excited that he barely got his britches on before he jumped into the cold water of the Sea of Galilee. It was also enough, so they say, to cause this backwoods Galilean to carry the gospel of the second chance all the way to Rome where they killed him. If you've ever wondered what would cause a man to be willing to be crucified upside down, maybe now you know.
It's not every day that you find someone who will give you a second chance--much less someone who will give you a second chance every day.
But in Jesus, Peter found both.
(From the book, No Wonder They Call Him The Savior.
By Max Lucado
(Edited by me)
You know how you can read a story you think you know and then read it again and see something you've never seen?
Well, it happened to me. Today.
Only God knows how many times I've read the resurrection story At least a couple of dozen Easters and a couple of hundred times inbetween. I've taught it. I've written about it. I've meditated on it. I've underlined it. But what I saw today I'd never seen before.
What did I see? Before I tell you, let me recount the story.
It's early dawn on Sunday morning and the sky is dark. Those, in fact, are John's words. "It was still dark...." (John 20:1).
It's a dark Sunday morning. It had been dark since Friday.
Dark with Peter's denial.
Dark with the disciples' betrayal.
Dark with Pilates' cowardice.
Dark with Christ's anguish.
Dark with Satan's glee.
The only ember of light is the small band of women standing at a distance from the cross---watching (Matt. 27:55).
They are there. The last to leave Calvary and the first to arrive at the grave.
So early on that Sunday morning, they leave their pallets and walk out onto the tree-shadowed path. Theirs is a somber task. The morning promises only one encounter, an encounter with a corpse.
Remember, Mary and Mary don't know this is the first Easter. They are not hoping the tomb will be vacant. They aren't discussing what their response will be when they see Jesus. They have absolutely no idea that the grave has been vacated.
Mary and Mary knew a task had to be done--Jesus' body had to be prepared for burial. Peter didn't offer to do it. Andrew didn't volunteer. The forgiven adulteress or healed lepers are nowhere to be seen. So the two Mary's decide to do it.
Matt. 28:2-4
At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. He was shining bright as lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.
(Now, read carefully, this is what I noticed for the first time today.)
Why did the angel move the stone? For whom did he roll away the rock?
For Jesus? That's what I always thought. I just assumed that the angel moved the stone so Jesus could come out. But think about it. Did the stone have to be removed in order for Jesus to exit? Did God have to have help? Was the death conqueror so weak that he couldn't push away a rock? ("Hey, could somebody out there move this rock so I can get out?")
I don't think so. The text gives the impression that Jesus was already out when the stone was moved! Nowhere do the Gospels say that the angel moved the stone for Jesus. For whom, then, was the stone moved?
Listen to what the angel says: "Come and see the place where his body was" (v.6).
The stone was moved--not for Jesus--but for the women; not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in.!
Mary looks at Mary and Mary is grinning the same grin she had when the bread and fish kept coming out of the basket. The old passion flares. Suddenly it's all right to dream again.
"Go quickly and tell his followers, 'Jesus has risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there" (v7).
Mary and Mary don't have to be told twice. They turn and start running to Jerusalem. The darkness is gone. The sun is up. The Son is out. But the Son isn't finished
One surprise still awaits them.
"Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings." The women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go and tell my followers to go to Galilee, and they will see me there" (vv.9-10).
The God of surprises strikes again. It's as if he said, "I can't wait any longer. They came this far to see me; I'm going to drop in on them."
God does that for the faithful. Just when the womb gets too old for babies, Sarai gets pregnant. Just when the failure is too great for grace, David is pardoned. And just when the road is too dark for Mary and Mary, the angel glows and the Savior shows and the two women will never be the same.
The lesson? Three words. Don't give up.
Is the trail dark? Don't sit.
Is the road long? Don't stop.
Is the night black? Don't quit.
God is watching. For all you know right at this moment he may be telling the angel to move the stone.
The check may be in the mail.
The apology may be in the making.
The job contract may be on the desk.
Don't quit. For if you do, you may miss the answers to your prayers.
God still sends angels. And God still moves stones.
(From the book, He Still Moves Stones.
excel If you like polls and research...
Check out this site.
http://www.barnaresearch.com
rxgator I left word at his shop...
that if he stopped in (which they said he should after he got back from vacation and before they closed for good) to tell him THANK YOU. And to tell him he was close. It ended up being my main renal artery that was shut down over 90%. The heart Dr. he suggested partner diagnosed it and I got really sick... (He knows about the medicine I was taking) LOL And to tell him congrats on his retirement and I would miss him. And thanks again for all his help. I hope he got my message. I would like to think he did.
Veritas if you're reading this try to get along with the nurses. O.K. LOL j/k
I laughed and laughed that they wanted to do a spinal tap on you. I thought to myself, run VERITAS run. Run as fast as you can away from them. LOL
rxgator I've been thinking about this post of yours.
2Cor.12:7-8
7.Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself.
8.Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
12:7
a thorn in the flesh. This seems to have been some recurrent physical affliction. Migraine headaches, eye trouble (ophthalmia), malaria, and epilepsy have all been seriously suggested. But see note on Gal. 4:12-15. Paul views it as the work of Satan, permitted by God for a good purpose (keeping him humble.) It could not be relieved through prayer (v.8) Ryrie
I believe in miracles. I would like to be in good health. But I'm not. We're all going to die too, not unless the rapture comes first.
Also I want you to know that I credit a pharmacist for saving my life. I went to Dr. after Dr. and I was so sick. No one believed me. The pharmacist urged me to see a cardiologist. The Dr.s laughed at me when I asked to see the cardiologist. None of the Dr.s wanted to give me a referral. The cardiologist wouldn't see me with out a referral. I have a Merck's manual and I studied it.
I checked into the hospital and spent the night. I was discharged with "Nothing but a multitude of complaints." I kept thinking what the pharmacist told me. "I've never seen anything like this before. You need Dr. so and so." (a cardiologist) I fought my way to the cardiologist because the pharmacist said I needed one.. Had my first emergency surgery. Went back to thank the pharmacist for saving my life and he had just retired and sold out his small store to a big chain. I never got to thank him. Pharmacist rock! I now go to them first for all my needs and health care suggestions. LOL Then I fired all the Dr.s and got new ones. My old Dr.s had poisoned me with their drugs and O.D. me. The pharmacist had told me. He urged me about the medicine I was taking and which Dr. to see. Then on the new round of Dr.s I got sent to a professor who was a pharmacologist and nephrologist. He was real careful not to poison me again. Pharmacologist Dr.s rock too. Nothing like getting mis-diagnosed and put on the wrong medicine when you're really sick. Idiots. May God bless the pharmacist who took the time to help me. As they say, live and learn. Take Care my friend.
For ye have the poor always with you;
but me ye have not always.
Matt.26:11
Ramble on...those are my favorite posts. :)
excel You can cut the cost...
Ask for double the strength and cut the pill in 1/2. Just because the pill is scored doesn't always mean you can split it though. And just because it isn't scored doesn't mean you can't split it. You have to figure it out for yourself, if you can split the pill. Then tell the Dr. when he writes the script what you plan on doing.
I have a friend who flies to Mexico for his drugs. Turned out he was born with a bad heart valve and had his first heart attack at age 25? He's my age now and has been going to Mexico all his adult life for his medicine. He lived in WA. now northern CA. We've been friends since we were teenagers.
I know this other guy. Years ago he got in a bad car wreck. He mail orders his drugs from Canada. Both save a lot of money.
I don't want to go to Mexico. I should look into the Canada mailing but I haven't. I've been splitting my pills. A really nice Dr. turned me on to doing that. Then I had another really nice Dr. who was also a pharmacologist. He was the one who taught me not to pay attention if the pill was scored or not and told me to figure out if I could split them for myself. Not to take anyones word for it. (Dr.s) He was a Proff. I've had to call the manufacturer before, to see if they could be cut in half, as the local pharmacist didn't know on a time released pill. For sure if the pharmacist didn't know a Dr. wouldn't.
I'm thankful for pills. Living better through drugs. LOL
Do you guys feel
drugs are a crutch or something? Or maybe not a Christian thing to do? I can see if you've been strung out for fun in the past and don't want to go down that road again... But what's wrong with drugs if you need them? My dr.s offer me narcotics? I want to say class II ? off the top of my head for pain. (I think valium is a class III ? I don't have a book that tells what class they are but I do have a pill book) I laugh at the dr.s and tell them no. I'm not into pain pills as they don't work for me. But as a Christian if they did work for me I would take them. What say you?
briboy Try this...
Restlesseness, which leads to sleeplessness, followed by an effort to sleep, which causes more restlessness. The cycle can be broken not by trying to sleep, but by enjoying the privilege of resting.
I don't know who wrote that but it has helped me. Years and years ago I use to take valerian root. You get it at a health food store. It helped but not as good as valium.
I can't exercise before I go to bed as I found that made it worse. Try the resting thing. That worked the best for me. (for a natural remedy) I was hoping other people would have some ideas. :) Not that your ideas weren't good excel. I prayed for you bro.
excel O.K. cold and low...
I didn't know that a person couldn't tell the difference between a fake gun and a real one until now.
By Henry T. Blackaby and Melvin D. Blackaby
When I talk of the church, I mean "the local congregation of believers who have united under the lordship of Christ." When I talk about the kingdom of God, I mean "the reign and rule of God world wide in the hearts of His people." When we think of all believers, it is best to refer to them as being part of the kingdom. When we refer to a specific group of believers who have gathered together in order to worship and serve the Lord in a specific place, it is most accurate to refer to them as a church.
....As God gathers His people together into an organized body, He can then effectively do His work through them. Through the local church God planned to reveal the good news of Christ, to care for new believers who respond to Christ, to build up all believers into maturity in Christ, and to take that group of believers into the world to do His will.
The Bible also uses the image of "the body" to describe the church. It is used most often in Paul's writing, and he uses the image in two perceivable manners. He primarily used the image to promote functional unity in the local congregation, where individual members work together to fulfill the commands of Christ, who is Head of the church. Paul identifies the church with the living Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), and the unified church is an instrument of His redemptive work on earth as continuing incarnation of Christ. The church is not just an organization but a living organism. Christ, however, is the head of the body, guiding His people through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Even cons know (at least one of these four things) that people go to a church to 1. worship, 2.get married, 3.get baptized, 4.take communion.
All cons know church helps people. That's why I thought that the robber in the article was too high. Junked out.
My pastor is an x out law biker. He's been shot once and was wanted by the FBI. He has a real ugly past. He still rides his hard tail. He's street smart to the max. He has a masters in theology. His gift is discernment. He's a powerful preacher with a heart for the Lord. And I will add he's fearless. The Bible says to abhor what is evil and cling to what is good.
excel I don't mean to keep harping
on this post....but that robber just fries me. LOL
He picks off a "deacon meeting" with "a stocking cap mask" and they "were scared to death."
Think about it. In your average church
the deacon's are godly men. That gives the robber an edge. But packing a piece would give any robber the advantage. Like those deacons know one weapon from another?
I was so upset after reading this article I couldn't sleep. LOL
Psalm 73:16
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
I've had many hard core cons as personal friends over the years. They all have had what I would call a "superstition" when it comes to God. Enough so that when I would talk spiritual things with them, they would keep God in reverence. Some of these guys are three-four time losers.
imho That this robber would pick off a church is low. He needs to go to prison for some peer pressure. LOL
When God wants to drill a man
and thrill a man and skill a man,
When God wants to mold a man
to play the noblest part;
When he yearns with all his heart
to create so bold a man
that all the world will be amazed,
Watch his methods, watch his ways:
How God relentlessly perfects
whom he royally elects;
How he hammers us and hurts us
and with mighty blows converts us
into trial shapes of clay
which only God can understand,
While our tortured heart is crying
and we lift beseeching hands.
How God bends, but never breaks
when his good he undertakes;
How he uses whom he chooses
and with every purpose fuses us;
By every act induces us
to try his splendor out---
God knows what he's about!
--Dale Martin Stone
excel Just for you...
Don't let it get you down bro.!!
http://www.ibs.org/niv/background.php
excel You're too nice...
The article said he was a "career criminal." Maybe the reason why all he wanted $100 was for a fix. That's what his days fix cost. I don't know if you've ever known any junkies but they aren't the brightest when they're high.
They do stupid stuff. Sure let the pastor pray. Maybe he was thinking another easy $100 for the next day too and no problems for that day. After all they prayed. "CAREER CRIMINAL." Does "career criminal" mean multiple felons?? I'm calling it an armed robbery with a bee bee gun? lol
Oh could I tell you stories. And yes my church rocks with the music. :)
Nothing like reading a relaxing article
before the eve. ends. LOL
The preacher got himself between the robber and the men. He was ready to take a hit. Why the preacher just didn't call it in is beyond me. I would of.
When I first started attending the church I go to now, there were two shootings. Back to back. The congregation was jumpy. People were sad. Then a few months later the preacher did a funeral for a third shooting and shared it from the pulpit.
I made friends with this guy and he told me what happened. My church has a lot of ministries. We have a lot of people to pool from in this large of a congregation. We have men's and women's prison ministry. We have a juvey hall (that's what I call it) ministry. Anyway...
The pastor that heads the prison ministry felt that when the prisoners got released that they had a hard time getting acclimated back into society. This is true. I don't know if my church bought a large house or rented one for people getting out on parole or people getting out of violent street gangs that accepted Christ.
The house was running fine. The volunteers meet these people on the inside and minister to them over the years. This one guy got out on parole. He was invited to the church house when he got out. Things were going smooth for him....until one day there was some trouble. Something to do with a robbery or maybe drugs. The police went out to the house to pick the parolee up to take him in for questioning. The parolee didn't want to be cuffed. Talked the prison pastor, into talking the officer, not to cuff him. It was some good lines.
The rest his history. On the way to the officers car, he grabbed the officers gun from his holster. Shot the officer once, then the pastor jumped infront of the officer to protect him. The parolee then emptied his gun into the pastor. The officer lived, the pastor died. The pastor was to be married that weekend. Instead they had a funeral.
There's not a home any more. No one from church wants to run it, I guess. Our church called a larger organization to place the other people who lived at the home at the time. It was a big mess. I noticed a lot of sad faces at church and all I knew was someone got shot. There was another shooting too. This ladies husband got taken out and was shot execution style. Gangs. Drug deal? went bad?
Then from the pulpit the preacher shared that he was doing a funeral for this 3 ? year old kid. His dad had shot his son dead. None of the other churches the family called wanted to do the funeral. Someone told a family member to call our church. That our church would help anyone. The pastor said to pray for him. The next Sun. he shared what happened from the pulpit. The mother was distraught and wailing. She had her arms wrapped around the tiny coffin and wouldn't let go. The preacher came down out of the pulpit and put his arms around the mother. He told her the way he was trying to love and comfort her, was the way God wanted to love and comfort her. The Gospel was preached.
The men from the prison ministry wanted to go out and talk with the dad who shot his kid. It looked like it was a go, then the dad changed his mind and got word to them not to come out. He didn't want to talk to the people from church.
It was then I decided this was the church for me. LOL My pastor is a mean motor scooter with a heart for the Lord. I would NOT want to get into it with him. lol I go to one rowdy church and they have to patrol the parking lot on Sun. so no one gets ripped off or there's any trouble.
I'd call that robbery in... from your article... so fast he wouldn't be two blocks before they picked him up. LOL What would you do excel? Pray about it? Then find out it was a pistol and he was junked out and shot someone? NO. Go to jail. imo Sort it out in there.