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I'm with Bopeep. Remember what Jesus said about recognizing false prophets? This passage can be easily applied to your question -- generally speaking, of course -- if we think of behavior as a kind of fruit in someone's life (which is not an unreasonable assumption), and keeping in mind that even the godliest man fall into sin sometimes. And so if you say that a person's behavior (fruit) is bad, then you are also saying that that person (tree) is bad. As Bopeep said, it would be difficult to separate the two: the behavior and the person. Unless, of course, that person is an actor and is only pretending ~ Only God knows a person's heart, so I'm thinking judging the person (as in condemning, passing a judicial sentence) is not my place. However, there is nothing wrong with being a "fruit inspector" as I once heard an old preacher put it. Lost or saved, a person's life bears fruit. If the fruit is bad (example: a false teacher) its a good indication something is not right. Same thing if the fruit of the person's life is good, especially if you've had the chance to observe that person for a long time be it months or years. Its not so much "judgement" as it would be "decernment", I think.

The longer I have studied the Bible there's one thing that I have learned. The more literal I take the scripture, the more it makes sense, and more truth has been revealed to me. The Bible is a masterwork that would be impossible to recreate. It is an integrated message system written from outside our time domain. God has even hid treasures within scripture to those that seek it. The names, puns, symbolism, simile's, idioms all can have significant meanings that add to the overall meaning. Every letter and detail is there for a reason. You use scripture to interpret scripture and can't use worldly knowledge to apply an outside meaning. Such as all those that hang on a tree are cursed. That didn't make a lot of sense until Jesus hung on a symbolic tree on the cross bearing our curses. Or take for example the first 10 names in the Bible. Here's an paste from a webpage that shows it quite well. The Names Bible Code: An awesome prophecy emerges when the meanings of all 72 names in the genealogy from Adam to Jesus are read sequentially! The meaning of a name was very important in bible days. Sometimes the bible itself informs the reader what a name means. Famous biblical persons such as Adam, Cain, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his 12 sons, all have the meaning of their name explicitly given in the bible. Their names tell the story of why or how they were born. Some have wondered whether these names (with their meanings) were intended by God to be strung together in succession to tell some larger story. Already there have been attempts to string together the first 10 names in the bible from Adam to Noah. In general, this is what the first 10 names of the bible read when the meaning of each name is rendered in the order given in the bible. Read down the right column where the meaning of each consecutive name in Jesus' genealogy is given, and note the unfolding prophecy. "The God-man is appointed; a mortal man of sorrow is born! The Glory of God shall come down and teach that His death shall bring the grieving comfort and rest." The Promise to Fallen Man (Jesus is called, "The Glory of God", in 2Cor. 4:6.) If you are worried something has got lost in translation over the years. Well the oldest scriptures found, the Dead Sea Scrolls, have been found to be completely accurate to the Bible we use today. There's also other sources such as the Matthew fragment and translations of the day but hopefully you believe your Bible is accurate. The Bible is there to bring us out of confusion not bring us into confusion. Granted the Greek and Hebrew are more accurate languages than English. Yet the overall meaning isn't lost in the translations. You can read into a greater meaning and understanding BUT it will not change the original meaning only add to it. Lastly Jesus himself said that not a single letter or punctuation mark would pass away before it was fullfilled. Matthew 5:17-19 Amplified Bible (AMP) 17 Do not think that I have come to do away with or [a]undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until the sky and earth pass away and perish, not one smallest letter nor one little hook [identifying certain Hebrew letters] will pass from the Law until all things [it foreshadows] are accomplished. 19 Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

No because I don't believe in a millennial Kingdom on earth. Why would God go back to a system where the blood of bulls and goats atoned for sin after his son had already been offered as a sacrifice which the bible says is once and for all? If the bible says it is a once and for all sacrifice, then why should we believe God would go back on his work and reinstitute an old system of sacrifices which is null and void.

Hi Montana. Those are some pretty sharp words against Post Trib believers. I will most likely guarantee with words like that soon the moderators will lock up this thread. You really think us Post Trib believers worship idols and follow after demons? If I made charges against Pre Trib it only has to do with being ready. If I want to ready other Christians and people about the 7 year tribulation it is because I care. If I believed the world is going to encounter the End times do I really want others to not know of any of the coming events? You believe you will be in Heaven? That’s nice for you. And how is this saving anyone outside of your own Faith in God? Should you call your brothers in the Lord worshippers of idols and those who follow after Demons or being neither hot nor cold? . Because of the words you say of us God is watching these things. I believe Pre Trib is a teaching of distraction. I don’t think it is a teaching where one has lost Salvation. A teaching only to make one not to be ready for the Great Trib. Many of us don’t believe there is any convincing part of the Bible that says the Rapture occurs before the 7 year trib. We are looking for a verse that God says and I will take the Church or God’s people for Seven years out of this World. In seven years I will bring them back with me. In first Thessalonians chapter 4: 16-17 They meet Jesus in the air. It says they will so ever be with Him. One may assume Jesus brings them upwards. One can even assume Jesus brought them down. But actually these verses don’t say whether which way Jesus brought these caught up saints. You may say up. Others may say down. But these particular verses say neither up nor down. From Matthew 24 to 1 Thessalonians and to 2 Thessalonians to Jude and to Revelation I’ve never seen these saints higher than the clouds. Meeting in the clouds is a gathering of all saints and the Elect chosen of God even them who are dead sleeping in Christ and those who are alive in Him. If the dead rise with Christ and the living are caught up with the dead in Christ why should dead people fear to run away from the 7 year tribulation? If the Rapture occurs before the great Trib then please explain chapter 20. Chapter 20 shows the saints that were killed for Christ ruled with Christ for 1000 years. We see it is only the Saints that died during the trib and even lived during the trib because it’s the Saints that rule in the 1000 years. So if Pre trib believers believe they will not be here how did the Pre trib win the position of ruling with Christ for the 1000 years? Which of the Pre trib believers were killed for Christ or came out of the great trib to rule with Christ? I will give this baseball analogy once again. The only way to get home is to run around all 4 bases. It’s only fair. If people are raptured before the 7 years that means one can go from first base to third. Or from second base straight to home base. That’s not fair baseball. And God does not play unfair. He is a fair and just God. If God is sending any Angels to help to witness God’s Word remember what kind of times that will be. Christians will be persecuted. Many may be end up hiding in places. For some it may be difficult to reach out to others to bring the gospel under the great danger in those days. God will send divine help to make sure the Gospel of Jesus will be proclaimed to all people. Remember God sent Jesus the Son of God who is above all men to preach us the Gospel by the message of the Holy Spirit. God is always able to send help from above. If there is another 1000 years after these 7 years then why can’t the Jews also know Christ? I don’t believe the End of the trib is the end of all humanity. I believe it happens after the 1000 years. So perhaps it is possible to fulfill the 70th week of Daniel as the trib being the last 7 years. Jesus will destroy armies at the end of the trib. The Jews hide in the wilderness. I think there is room the rapture can occur at the end of the trib Jesus comes down with the Trib saints and the Jews also can know Jesus as Messiah. Then there will be 1000 more years until the very end. Why does God want another thousand years beyond the great trib? Maybe God will want Jews to also have 1000 years to make a choice to accept Jesus also I’m not sure. But I think the 70 weeks can still work in with Post trib thinking the only difference the timing of the rapture. God won’t need to gather the Jews because when they see Jesus they will walk up to him. Everyone will proclaim him as Lord and King. Where does that leave the Gentiles? I’m pretty sure Jesus will accept us all.

Yes, but why does an angel need to fly in midair to proclaim the Gospel to those who live on the earth. Have those so called tribulation saints lost their saltiness, are they hiding their light which is in them from the rest of the world. Have they become ineffective, not fulfilling the Great Commission. Since you are neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth. Ineffective so-called believers. The Post Trib people need to have Salvation by works, they need to prove to God that they are worthy; yet their works are ineffective. No Great Commission. Rev 9:20 - The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood. If you are here at the end, just before the Second Coming, it looks like you are part of the "rest of mankind who worship demons and idols". 1/3 of mankind were killed by these plagues, 2/3's (rest of mankind) did not die. Praise God I will not be here. Praise God I will be Raptured before the Antichrist is revealed. I will be in the Fathers House where Jesus now is making a place for me. John 14: 1-4, for I know the way. Some of these demon and idol worshiper will enter into the 1000 year reign of Christ. This is why He must rule with a rod of iron. In Christ Montana Marv

I believe that I am a miracle. To be living a life in darkness and having God miraculously turning me around and putting me on the right path is a miracle! I understand what "miracles" you are referring to. I hear stories of them taking place all over esp in countries like Africa. Our problem is a lack of Faith. We (Western Christians as a whole) have become so self-dependent and so intellectual that we do not rely on God and God alone like they did in Acts times. We are much smarter as a generation and that makes us want to figure everything out. That is NOT faith, and clearly it takes faith to manifest miracles. Intellectualism stunts the growth of faith

Two different events 1.At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air 1 Thessalonians 4:17. At the second coming,believers return with the Lord to the earth Revelation 19:4 2.The second coming occurs after the great and terrible tribulation Revelation chapters 6-19. The rapture occurs before the tribulation 1 Thessalonians 5:9;Revelation 3:10 3.The rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance 1 Thessalonisans 4:13-17,5:9. The second coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment Matthew 24:40-41 4.The rapture will be secret and instant 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. The second coming will be visible to all Revelation 1:7;Matthew 24:29-30. 5.The second coming of Christ,will not occur until after certain other end-time events take place 2 Thessalonians 2:4;Matthew 24:15-30;Revelation chapters 6-18. The rapture is imminent;it could take place at any time.Titus 2:13;1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Why is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct? 1.If the rapture and the second coming are the same event,believers will have to go through the tribulation 1 Thessalonians 5:9;Revelation 3:10. 2.If the rapture and the second coming are the same event,the return of Christ is not imminent-there are many things which must occur before He can return Matthew 24:4-30. 3.In describing the tribulation period,Revelation chapters 6-19 the church is not mentioned.During the tribulation-also called "the time of trouble for Jacob" Jeremiah 30:7- God will again turn His primary attention to Israel Romans 11:17-31.

Question then: Was sin intentional on God's part? In other words did God create Adam and Eve knowing He would need to send His Son to die for the sins of mankind?