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Luke 9:23 (NASB20) And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What part of our salvation are the words ‘take up his cross’ meant to portray…? The simplicity that is in Christ Jesus makes our salvation as simple as believing what God has said He did for mankind… This, what God said He did for mankind is believing that when Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world He did this by taking all of mankind with Him to death…. Thereby fulfilling the law that says, ‘the soul that sins that soul shall die’…. For mankind’s death with Christ on the cross is how Christ fulfilled the law concerning man, thereby God can be ‘both just and the justifier of him that has faith in Jesus’….. For to the degree and depth one believes this truth, to that degree and depth will that one walk in newness of life… For taking up one’s cross is one willingly taking their place, by faith, on the cross of Christ with Him, grabbing onto His death as one’s own…. Taking up one’s cross is meant to portray this faith that would willingly grab unto His death as one’s own death rather than sin…. For this is the purpose of this faith to free one from the power of sin that one was born under when they were born into this world…. For one’s death does free one from all the power that sin has over the believer, it is this willingness to believe in one’s death with Christ on the cross that is the faith that frees…. For this faith that is willing to die rather than sin is the faith that will experience Christ being formed in one, it being the new creation that sins not…. For it, the new creation is a new life that Christ needs to bring to life in one, this life man himself can not bring to life, but is something Christ can and will do if man will accept the salvation offered in Christ and choose to be dead on the cross with Christ…. Thereby as scripture says, ‘take up one’s cross daily’, meaning, that by faith remain on that cross through all the circumstances of life…. For this is the one and only way to be made free from all the influences of one’s fallen nature, which nature has been separated from one by one’s death on the cross with Christ…. For the believer is to live by faith, that faith being that when Christ died on the cross He took all with Him to death, taking up one’s cross is by faith holding onto this truth that He might bring to life in one the new creation without the hands of self tainting it with that which self can do, or, in other words, ‘that which is not of faith’… For our salvation is a free gift, it can have nothing of self in it so one might not glory in oneself but in what Christ Himself has done in and for one…. The cross being that place of separation, blessed are they that do indeed embrace by faith their death in Christ, for the salvation offered in Christ as a living reality will be experienced by the faith that so grabs unto this taking up one’s cross and by faith trusting Christ to live His life in and through, being that life that sins not…. For if one is not grabbing onto their death in Christ one is not taking up their cross and is leaving something on the table that was meant to be experienced by the believing one…. To the experiencing of the freedom of the new life that the cross brings to life in the believing one….. Unto Him, Not me

God uses bad to bring the other bad along with it. Satan has a purpose. In addition to bad being often turned for good purposes. The way I see this things have to run their course now. Satan rebelled and pulled a 3rd of the angels away. Satan aided in ruining man the same way he ruined himself, which I believe he thought it to be a death hit on men. He did not anticipate the salvation of men. This must really grate on him since none of the others were offered salvation. Their job was to remain loyal. Now the goal is to entice men further away from God so they will never accept him. One way he does this is through character attacks on God questioning his validity , and discrediting the Bible in twisting it. If Christianity can be seen as passé, he can give men what the flesh has always wanted. A religion that lets them indulge the flesh. Anyone who has a mind to rebel or run counter to God will find lots of company. That’s why there will be millions in hell. This is the catalyst Satan uses, and why I think his presence on earth is used to help purge those people in the end.

I don't think the lake of fire was created yet

It was not a phyciatric hospital it was the hospital the hospital you go to to get blood draws and Covid swabs and what not before a person gets sent TOO THE PHYCIATRIC CENTER I think I would have known if I was at a phyciatric center like I said to you in my last reply my only disorder given by the phyciatric hospital that I was being TRANSPORTED TO AFTER THAT STUFF HAPPENED was clinical depression and ptsd sorry for no punctuation

Indeed. That's all part of the process for us. I believe that the apostle Paul stated it well: All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12 NASB) Our brother @Vine Abider summed it up perfectly some time ago when he wrote (I paraphrase), "What does the Life say?;" which means, what does our Lord have to say about the matter? Ask Him. He will answer. In my experience, trivial matters are just that: they're trivial, not deserving of obsession nor agonizing on our part. Examples? What to eat. What to wear. Feeling angry or becoming upset (a consequence of emotions). Experiencing temptation (it's going to happen). And so on. We may trust that if a matter is important, the Spirit will inform us of what we need to know. That's faith in the Lord. We trust Him. I'll never forget when I came to the realization that the Lord does not require us to be like "Vulcans" of fiction. The key is to strive to be mastered by nothing.

In recent years the "daily" part is something that continually stands out to me about the verse. Every day we try to be dead to not only sin but also our own desires. These desires may not be inherently sinful per se but at the same time aren't in line with what God wants for us at a given time. Sometimes it can take a lot to submit to God on such matters.

I wasn’t on the drugs when I went in, but they were in my system from the day before, I get where your coming from though. I’ve just decided to pray for him like everyone’s telling me too, and hope he on his journey of life finds his way, and finds the Good Lord God Almighty the Heavenly Father, and hope the best for the police officer. I would like to know his name though so I could pray for him with his personal name… He must have been in a dark place in his life to do something like that, and I know what it’s like to be in a dark place in life.

The question always is; "do we study the Bible first by way of a bird's eye and then do the detail - or, the other way around?" Well, we all know that a puzzle is much easier to do with the picture on the box before our eyes. So lets take an elevated position. God has a plan and joins Himself to man for its realization. The basic plan is; 1. Have a physical and visible expression of Himself - the invisible God 2. Have a ruler of this earth that depends on, and obeys Him 3. Have a spiritual House to dwell on earth 4. Have a physical Bride for His Son - the Man Jesus For points 1 and 3 the man has to have a DISPOSITION - a Character that is expressed by his physical actions. For point 2 the man needs God's POWER. For point 4 man needs to be in Christ and come out of Him like Eve did. In coming out of her man has the same substance and vitality as Him except he is not the SOURCE. For various reasons the first man did not carry out God's instructions and his DISPOSITION was utterly changed. He became an implacable enemy of his Maker. Man is like a snowball rolling down a hillside towards a furnace - a place of destruction of snowballs. In his way the snowball gets bigger, heavier and he is less likely to turn uphill again, unless some with power turns him. But even if a man of giant strength stops the snowball and pushes it up the hill away from the fire, the man is still an offender of God, still an enemy of God, still prone to downward trajectory and still a snowball. So one can be saved from the fire but man needs a fundamental change. So God's work is TWOFOLD; 1. To SAVE a man without breaking His own laws of justice 2. To change a man without the man, still being an enemy, resisting God Suppose God has decided that He will make the snowball a block of ice for building an House for Him (an igloo). He can apply pressure and blows to turn the soft snow into an ice block, but if the snow resists God and every evening undoes the work God has done, what can God do? He made the snowball to have its own will and He honors that. He sets a REWARD for cooperation. God has FOUR options: 1. He can leave the snowball to his own devices. But then His great effort and expense of SAVING the downward vector of the snowball is wasted, and He will have a reputation of a loser. 2. He can frighten the snowball into submission, but this a precarious situation because the snowball has no concept of the temperature of the flames and soon puts these unpleasant thoughts away 3. He can use His massive power to force the snowball into the ROLE but he will soon flag and be a bad ruler 4. He can offer a REWARD for loving Him and serving Him. This way he gets cooperative lovers who WANT to make Him happy. And this is the story of the Bible. God loves His snowballs and does everything to SAVE them. But He SAVES them FOR A PURPOSE. The SAVING is applied if the snowball BELIEVES in God's Work. But the TRAINING for higher office is going to cost time, effort and self-discipline. This principle is the framework of the Law of God (see Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). And it remains God's principle for the SANCTIFICATION of a SAVED man. In essence the man suffers LOSS for God's interests, but God, in due time, will RECOMPENSE. The world will plummet downhill and evil will turn into an avalanche. If you are a dead Christian, your account has been closed and you wait to give account. If you are a living Christian you are SAVED, but you still need to be saved from your corruption and uselessness in Gods economy. If you cooperate you will be REWARDED by missing the Great Tribulation. If you resist, God will leave you on earth. You cannot earn your salvation from God's appointed wrath. But you can earn an escape from his wrath on the ungodly. What good sense to read and apply God's way - even if it costs a temporary loss. What stupidity to NOT BELIEVE GOD. In Matthew 7:21-23 some very enthusiastic servants laid claim to the kingdom. They were utterly refused - not for their works, but because they did them without ORDERS. And how come they did not know their orders. They were great workers but had no INTIMACY with the General. Sounds like this happened in Ephesus in Revelation 2. Will you recognize your Genera when He passes through your barracks in the night with His ORDERS!

I donot know about other places but things are changing here. The unbelievers and their organisation's are working against believers at the ground level. I have internet but others are not privileged like me, I wish others know Christ and experience God s goodness like me. Forget internet, people are not earning or getting enough to eat. Such is the level of darkness. By God s grace I have distributed more than 400 Bibles , so I want to repeat this work but God's will . Because donot know How the Spirit of God will work

The wages of sin is death ...

There is heart death and brain death. When your heart stops, you can be revived. When your brain is dead, your body may be re-animated, but your spirit is dormant until it is released by physical death. Personally, I think the evidences of Near Death Experiences are too great to ignore. True, people have been saved after recovering from near death experiences, but I wouldn't count on that. None of us know how much time we have left.

How you question God is important as well, I'd say. A lot of the Psalms come from places of deep depression and frustration. There's a lot of this kind of content in there but it seems framed in a respectful way rather than lashing out.

I hold true that one’s death on the cross with Christ is the foundation of discipleship….. May that discipleship ever be increasing, a fellow believer, Not me

Why do we melt iron? It purifies the iron to make steel. Why do we thresh wheat? It separates the wheat berries from the unusable stalks. Why did God give man the opportunity to sin? It gave man the choice to serve Him or reject Him. Angels were created to serve. Only the greatest of them have the ability to accept or reject God. For the others, it's their nature to follow. Satan rebelled and was cast out of Heaven, taking 1/3rd of the angels with him because they followed him. So, cast out of Heaven but not banished from it, Satan roamed the newly created realm. He deceived Eve and caused her to sin, but Adam was not deceived. He willingly broke the law. Because of that, the new creation was cursed. Sickness and death came into the world. The animals, created to eat plants, began to eat each other. Still, God had a purpose for Satan. He was there to tempt Jesus at His moment of weakness. To demonstrate that a man could resist the temptation to sin, Jesus had to do just that. Thus, Jesus showed us that we can resist the devil in exactly the same way. He showed us that Satan could be defeated by using the Scriptures, which even Satan knew were accurate. Sadly, many Christians don't have the faith in the Bible that Lucifer had. We have a choice to follow God's word or to reject it and follow Satan's temptations. Man is being tested from birth to death to determine his worthiness in eternity. Most will fail. When Jesus returns following the tribulations, Satan will be bound for a thousand years. After that will come his judgment and final condemnation. He hasn't gotten away with anything. Every sin will convict him, just as our sins will convict us unless we have someone to take them away from us. That's where Jesus comes in. Only through Jesus can sins be forgiven. Can a Muslim who sees Jesus only as a prophet go to Heaven? No. Can a Buddhist who strives to be a moral person go to Heaven without Jesus? No. God provides us with an example of holiness and an example of evil. The choice is ours. When our time on earth has ended and there will be no more time to choose, Satan will go where he belongs. Until then, we are in a war. Will you fight on the side of Jesus, or follow Satan into damnation? You have a choice until you die. Then there is no second chance.

I have visited Nursing homes ministering to the elderly. I have seen this repeatedly. Once the Holy Spirit embeds Himself in a Christian He never leaves.

May you be blessed in your discipleship of our Lord…. A fellow follower, Not me

Very good post, and good to read and be reminded of these things. I see the replies morphfed into end times but the precept of your op is very good. IF we love Him, keep (do) His commandments. Thank you . . . .

What about the efficacy of the Blood of Christ ? Heb 9:14 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hi, What of online Bibles? Such as is provided by https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/in/ Are these resources of use?

They had these questions on a Dutch forum with angry exchristians and atheists. The topic was called: 200 questions for the believer and I thought: Oh nice. Lets answer these and convert this bunch. That was not so smart. I had never thought about such things. They called me a New Testament sugar christian and one gave me the Troll of the year award. What I came up with then, really thinking I had to protect God and make them love Him and not be mad, was that He was so naive that He had no clue satan was ever gonna sin and that He could do nothing about it. And then one Jewish agnostic guy there came to my rescue and later he was on a christian forum in the middle of the night and asked if someone could pray for his dad who was about to die. He used a computer from the hospital to ask the question. So awesome. I prayed for his dad and am sure he went to heaven. Anyway He lets him loose after 1000 years and just, since he rebelled anyway and will never convert, uses him as a thing for not so neat purposes, like Romans 9 says, just like pharao who sinned against the Spirit. Derek Prince said He created us to overcome him and only if you do you passed the test and may go to heaven. It would be babying everyone if He had locked him up and protected us. With Job He just uses him so he gets to know Him. I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. I John 2:13‭-‬14 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1jn.2.13-14.NKJV And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Luke 22:31‭-‬32 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/luk.22.31-32.NKJV

Beautifully said about a spirit of prayer and our witness. Unbelievers oftentimes observe Christians. What do they see as we do everyday activities? Do they observe the peace and love of Christ towards others in our lives?

Maybe He was just a bit bored from a few million years(give or take) of not much going on except a bunch of Dinosaurs running around, but that's a whole nother topic. I really think He just wanted Satan to remain even until the very end to test those whos hearts may have not been or still are not fully devoted to Him, but it would really take a lot more time to explain what I'm really trying to say, as maybe you can tell from the first sentence in my comment?! Either way, it's really just best not to question God, unless you are a JOB type figure who has lost everything in a very tragic way, and then maybe God will let slide any accusations against Him, but I wouldn't recommend questioning Him too much unless you have a very good reason for doing so... just saying from personal experience.

And then there are those sites where a robot wants you to prove you are not a robot . . . but really it's the robot's masters that commission it to do stuff.

Interesting read, for sure. Thanks. My idea of a "surprise" was a bit different, which wasn't addressed in the article. So, consider this: Rev 13:14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. Just a thought...

I could dramatize this, and yes hearing God is always special for me, but not so dramatic as it’s a fairly common occurrence as I suspect it is with many or most believers. For instance, I might awake and think to myself, should I attend church today? This would really be my lazy flesh trying to question what I already know the answer to deep down. Sometimes I think we do that. We ask God questions we already knew the answers to. What might be more confusing is which church? And we might be seeking the Lord on that one. Waiting on His leading. A friend of mine who held home church for several years relocated and jokingly told me he didn’t want to go to ‘church’. I knew what he meant by that. His church had comfortably been at his home and now he had to go to a church building. Legalism would say it should be in a church building. Obviously not the voice of God. I don’t believe God speaks through people who make up rules and then tell us what we ‘should’ do. I once had a pastor scold me for attending another church with my girlfriend( pre marriage days). In his thinking it was wrong not to attend the church I was a member of, even if my girlfriend was there. This is where people will try to pass legalism off as the voice of God. Scripture can be misrepresented under the guise of love when really what it is, is manipulation. The leading of the Lord is peaceful, not pushy. If God really is leading, and we run from it, We don’t get very far before the realization eventually comes. Which brings up another issue. Do we always want to hear the voice of God? John 10”my sheep hear my voice”. Sometimes as believers I think we can become full of hearing, or we don’t want to know. Why would that be? Possibly we dread the outcome we think is in store. Jonah would be a good example of this. Don’t you think Samson didn’t hear that small voice, “she is bad for you”?

You've got a point but for many who are new, a fresh look at the matter, without wading through a thousand or two thousand postings, is easier. By the way, have you realized that this theme of partial rapture answers all the others. The firstfruits and Overcomers partake of a pre-tribulation rapture. Those left are matured by the heat and dryness of the Great Tribulation and could be harvested during the Tribulation. And the gleanings, like the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 fulfill a post Tribulation rapture. I think it's WORTHY of its own thread. Go well.

Real prayer is a continuous quiet realization of God's presence in our lives. Testimony works best when it is done with patients so that the Holy Spirt is made manifest in our humble daily activities. Accusing people is being on the wrong side of the courtroom, be a defendant so that your supporting love is making a case for accepting forgiveness.

yes different things are happening against believers here. If I am not wrong there will be strict rules and regulations to check the growth of number of believers. You know we meet unbelievers but I think it will be wise to talk to them they come for fellowship and we give Bibles that to this should be a top secret and others should not know or else more problems for believers and others will arise. Here there are fellowships and house Churches so I think we can talk to these fellowship and house Churches and provide Bibles that too with prayers and encouragement. I think we can send Bibles to others secretly. I think having large number of Bibles is not good. I would say Bibles between 20-30 is good to distribute. We have to see the time and place and consider everything. I can say as we have no Bibles we donot give them we should be prepared in season and out of season as Bible says. I think we should distribute less numbers of Bibles but increase the days of distribution. I think we have to change our strategy in Bible distribution

I started with Revelation myself. At the time I had no idea it was the last book in the Bible. People joked that I was going to end up reading it in reverse.

Acts of kindness will have a lasting affect to unbelievers. I still recall acts of kindness by Christians toward me before I was Christian. I'm speaking 40+ years of remembrance.

I donot think so, most new Christians and unbelievers may love to read from the old Testament, because they have eagerness to know more. New believers may not understand old Testament soon but their willingness to know more will help I think it's enemies plan to keep people from reading or mediating God 's Word. Here if one is not getting Bibles or not reading its enemy who has blocked it

I have given Bibles to both believers and unbelievers I personally feel others should started reading psalm first and any scripture which God may guide. I can give Bible and they may start as they like some many want to read old Testament first

Rev man.... thanks for your response. Once again we are going to butt heads. Now, with all due respect..... I find myself in total disagreement with pretty much everything you have shared. As you have many, many times declared.... "I have been called to prophecy.... I now more than anyone else about Revelation, and prophecy"..... Please correct me if I am wrong..... and that you didn't say those things. Because you are pre-trib.... I have a really hard time believing anything you say/interpret about Revelation, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Isaiah... Matthew, Thes 1&2, Corinthians, Luke.... etc. You say that you will be out of here BEFORE the 70th week of Daniel starts... before the Great Tribulation.... and then you go about trying to interpret the Book of Rev, the Book of Daniel....etc Why should anyone believe you? And please.... don't tell us that you are leaving information for those who are "left behind" Anything that doesn't line up with the pre-trib dogma falls into the category of... metaphor, analogy, its prose...it doesn't really mean that.... its anything but what is actually written. Its like you are saying that God the Holy Spirit has Alzheimer's or something..... like He can't say what He means. Euphrates River is a metaphor for "plagues"? ROFL.... you're killing me brother.

God's voice is The Word, but also the Holy Spirit, but being as God is a Spirit He speaks to us in the Spirit, the problem is most people do not understand how to TUNE God in. For starters, prayer, and (very important) WAITING ON the Lord as you are praying, there comes a point where you just sit still and WAIT upon the habitation of the Lord. The Lord inhabits the Prayers of His people. Expect God to show up and commune with you and He will but if you do not have time to WAIT He may not show up. Then you will hear His small still voice clearly. Atheists can never understand this concept, if the atheist is a "Smoker" I can usually demonstrate this in basic terms they can grasp. I simply ask them, when you want a cigarette do you (lets say his name is Mike) say Mike, take out a Cig, and light it up or do you just "TAKE OUT THE CIG.......and light it up?" And they say, well, of course I just take it out and light it up. So, I am like, "well your spirit sent that message unto your brain, because YOUR WILL was to smoke". God as a Spirit talks unto you in the same manner, He is not a human nor an Angel with a body, He is a Spirit. Nothing God has ever been or is now has ever changed, He is constant in all of His ways. So, we can only hear God by learning to "tune Him in". IF.........we listen to a Talk Show on our drive in to work, and lets say Rock Music on our drive home from work, and if we watch Sports or Movies on Nights and Weekends, and if we go to a Bar or a Movie, or Bowling, and spend ONE HOUR a week with God on Sunday, who are we going to hear in our spirit? Satan will be whispering unto us 24/7/365 pretty much.

Had to share this one on FB.

Retrobyter, Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Oh yes, we truly have been raised with Christ as the word of God (Col 2:12) says. It’s a matter of faith in the operations of God. Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. The natural man can not understand the things of God who sees things as they spiritually and truly are. Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things (summons) which be not as though they were (truly are). 1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Just two points, Who initiated the policy of ' assimilation ' and who was used to implement it? Governments, with good intentions set up these policies and it fell to churches to implement these polices. I suspect that the children force to attend these schools/institutions were treat no worse then European children attending boarding schools. With possibly one major difference, the European children went home for holidays. Remember Christianity changes culture and not everyone likes that, not all native culture is benign. Read the biographies of pioneer missionaries to Indian tribes on the East Coast or to west Africa, the one I'm thinking king of is Mary Slessor, she literally changed for good the culture of the African tribes she reached.

Wonderful lists. I had never seen the complete list of numbers.

God’s word is fascinating, written at such a level that only the Creator of the universe could have inspired it. The Gospel is written so simply that a child can understand it. It is so deep, the deeper we dig the more there is to discover. I suspect we are only scratching the surface of what can be learned this side of being tutored by the Lord Himself. Many generally read past numbers, names, and genealogies as insignificant. I have a long list of numbers and their general association or application as you mention (posted at the end). Hebrew and Greek names are also fascinating. Often, their names give a mini thumbnail about their occupation, character, traits, where they are from, etc. I have often wondered how the parents had that future insight when they were named. Speaking of names, is it a coincidence the first ten generations are meaningful when written out in an understandable sentence? [credit: Dr. Chuck Missler] FIRST TEN GENERATIONS Adam (Man) Seth (Appointed) Enosh (Mortal) Kenan (Sorrow) Mahalalel - Mahalaleel (the blessed God) Jared (shall come down) Enoch (teaching) Methuselah (His death shall bring) Lamech (the despairing) Noah (rest or comfort) “Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow, (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest” Our Bible is not a science book, but all the details given long before it was understood are amazing. BIBLICAL NUMBERS ONE: Unity TWO: Union; Division; and Witnessing THREE: Resurrection; Divine Completeness; Perfection FOUR: Creation; World FIVE: Grace; God’s goodness SIX: Weakness of man; Number of Man; Evils of Satan; Manifestation of Sin SEVEN: Completeness; Spiritual; Perfection EIGHT: New birth; New Creation or new beginning NINE: Fruit of the Spirit; Divine completeness from the Lord TEN: Testimony; Law and Responsibility ELEVEN: Judgment or Disorder TWELVE: Governmental perfection THIRTEEN: Depravity and Rebellion FOURTEEN: Deliverance or Salvation FIFTEEN: Rest SIXTEEN: Love SEVENTEEN: Victory EIGHTEEN: Bondage NINETEEN: Faith TWENTY: Redemption TWENTY-ONE: Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin TWENTY-TWO: Light TWENTY-THREE: Death TWENTY-FOUR: The Priesthood TWENTY-FIVE: The forgiveness of sin TWENTY-SIX: The Gospel of Christ TWENTY-SEVEN: Preaching of the Gospel TWENTY-EIGHT: Eternal life TWENTY-NINE: Departure THIRTY: The Blood of Christ; dedications; mourning THIRTY-ONE: Offspring THIRTY-TWO: Covenant THIRTY-THREE: Promise THIRTY-FOUR: Naming of a son THIRTY-FIVE: Hope THIRTY-SIX: Enemy THIRTY-SEVEN: The Word of God THIRTY-EIGHT: Slavery THIRTY-NINE: Disease FORTY: Trials; Probation; Testing's FORTY-TWO: Israel’s oppression; Lord’s advent FORTY-FIVE: Preservation FIFTY: The Holy Spirit SIXTY: Pride SIXTY-SIX: Idol worship SEVENTY: Universality; Israel and her Restoration ONE HUNDRED: God’s election of Grace; Children of Promise ONE HUNDRED-NINETEEN: The Resurrection Day; Lord’s Day ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY: Divine period of probation ONE HUNDRED-FORTY FOUR: The Spirit guided life ONE HUNDRED-FIFTY THREE: Fruit bearing TWO HUNDRED: Insufficiency SIX HUNDRED: Warfare SIX HUNDRED-SIXTY SIX: The number of the Beast; Antichrist EIGHT HUNDRED-EIGHTY EIGHT: The first Resurrection Saints THOUSAND: Divine completeness and Glory of God

Ruin/reconstruction theory is such an essential part of God's word that it didn't even exist until the late 18th and early 19th century as a way to try and explain the age of the earth science claims with the revealed six day creation. It's just another Satanic new age doctrine created to deceive many. 2 Timothy 4:2-4 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Gap theory or ruin/reconstruction is a modern age heresy. Anyone who preaches it from the pulpit should be removed from the pulpit. As many have pointed out, prior to Genesis 1:0 there WAS NO LAND on earth. Making up some prior unrecorded existence to satisfy unbelievers that, yes, the world is very old, doesn't fit Biblically or with the scientific community because such a destruction would have rendered the fossil record into pure chaos. Like evolution, it is antithetical to sound Scriptural doctrine.

He wasn’t subduing me into submission, I was strapped down with three straps accoss my body from chest to knees, with two sets of hand cuffs on both wrists to the rails on both sides of the hospital bed, and I was so sedated on the drug they gave me through the three injections while I was being held down by the 3 officers. I remember him placing his hands on my neck from behind me, and squeezing, not his fingers, and I kept with all my strength with being so restrained and sedated trying to move my head back, and forth to gain breath, but kept blacking out for what felt for atleast 15 minutes on and off. It felt like I was fading into complete darkness in and out, that’s the honest truth, and how I am now, I appreciate you asking, I’m clean from drugs, and the experience made me stronger, it also taught me that people have flaws, and too forgive like Jesus did… But in these past couple weeks I have been thinking about it, and I just have been feeling a little anger, feeling like he may do or have done something similar to someone else you know. So it was a very bad expierience, but good came from it too, and then to add to it I was slightly abused by the cops on the transportation to the phyciatric hospital, I asked to go to the bathroom I live near escanaba MI so Detroit was a decently long drive away, which was where the phiciatric hospital was located, and I had to go to the bathroom so the cop stopped at the gastation, and I figured he was going to bring me in the bathroom and allow me to go pee instead him knowing I asked over 2 times to go on the drive there he stopped and got gas. Then I kept knocking on the window lightly because I was worried he was just going to get gas, and not let me go in, and use the restroom, and then he opened the police back door than put his thumb on my pulse area really hard and told me to shut the F up your not going so hold it. I then not out of fear, but out of compliance, shook my head, and said ok as well as I could with his thumb pushed into my throat or pulse area I should say. The phyciatrisc hospital I went too after was in Detroit like I said, and they also don’t treat you very kindly there in that area, better than I was being treated by the hospital staff in escanaba and police of course, but just not kindly. I firmly believe that if you take it the right way what doesn’t kill you does REALLY make you a better man. Hard expierences if you don’t let them harden your heart will ensure spiritual growth in my opinion, in my case atleast in some ways. And thank you for your kind words, I feel too that the Holy Spirit is telling me anger may feel right, but in my heart I know forgiveness is trully the right thing to do. Also that I should hope for him to be saved, and let God do the judging, like I put in my post thank you for your advice it I was definitely helpfull…

I think this thread should have been put into the defense of post tribulation thread