whatsitmean

Good observation PeterW. We can avoid many pit falls by just carefully letting the Word of God speak for itself.

Good Call Tyler. For physical beauty and perhaps every other way as well, EVE is the obvious winner. She was every woman in the world. Besides Rahab, and Ruth and Rebekah (it is recorded that Rebekah was burried though, Gen. 49:31), the wives of Joseph and Moses were gentile and perhaps a few others I can't think of but there is no record of a single one of them dying.

My favorite women are Rahab, Ruth and Rhoda. Rahab and Ruth because they most clearly picture the Bride of Christ in the OT and Rhoda because she is funny. Acts 12:14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. (The first blond Jewess?) You asked for the most beautiful and there is no question about that. Rev 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne (I believe that voice is the BRIDE), saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings (I believe that voice is the wedding guests), saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. The Bride spent 2000 years preparing.

You got that right. The test for the Church is right now. Living for God in this fallen world. If that test alone isn't all or nothing enough for us, then we're not ready for persecution. Post-Tribers use the line "why should we be delivered from persecution when it has been the experience for centuries the church has gone through. Are we better than them?" No, but if we get all this perceived "blessing" and purification of the tribulation and they didn't, wouldn't that make us more privileged? As for this cashless business, I don't think the mark and cashless are linked together. The purpose of the mark is a visible identity with the beast. It is a litmus test of your political/religious orientation. The sign at McDonalds will be changed to "NO SHOES; NO SHIRT; NO MARK; NO SERVICE. Too many places lack the technology to go cashless but it will be illegal to do business with someone who does not have the mark. It might even start out as being completely voluntary. The big selling point to chip implants or finger imprints on smart cards is to confirm identity. This is linked to perceived threats like terrorism and identity theft or the steeling of your purchasing power like credit cards or bank account information. This last problem is the one that I feel most vulnerable too. That is because they keep coming up with more ways to increase exposure to the risk. I'm reasonably comfortable with an ATM (AuntiM my son calls it). As long as my pin number is secure, my risk is low. A debit card with a VISA logo is another story. Anyone who gets a hold of that card can wipe out our account in one purchase with a fake signature and I have no recourse, I loose it all. Now they have gone a step farther with electronic transfers. Some places won't accept paper checks any more. They scan the numbers on a check and you sign for the purchase just like a debit card. Banks create this problem so they can offer the solution with an implant. The problem for the consumer is that the implant provides more services than just identity. Services that are of no benefit to me at all. In the name of protecting my identity, they steel my privacy. Different saints Dave. It's not the Church. You have to understand ecclesiology to get your eschatology right.

Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; The inner man is that part of the person that has been touched by Jesus Christ and where His Spirit dwells. It is that part of us which abides in Him and in which He abides in us. It is the part which bears fruit and brings glory to the Father. It is the part which is not conformed to this world but has already been transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is the part that is strongest when the flesh is weakest. It is the part of us in which the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. It is the part which lays hold on all the promises of God because it abides in HIS Word and HIS Word abides in. It is the part that walks by faith and not by sight. It is the part of us that was predestined before the foundation of the world to be conformed to the image of God

That is exatly right starfire. Any body who finds themselves on this planet the morning after the Rapture had best spend the rest of their days looking for a man with a guillotine, because that will be about the only way to heaven then. 2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: Not even your head. 2 Peter 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Some body up there mentioned marriage vows. Any distinction?

No, I haven't heard of that one. I've read THIS BOOK on line. Bullet Proof George Washington, which is an interesting account him in a battle where he has horses shot under him, holes in his coat and hat but not a scratch on him. He latter met the Indian chief that was there that day and he had told his braves to just target him. Founding Father was good too. I'm getting a much better grasp of the role masons played in founding this country and my view is changing a great deal. We should prefer truth to 'good light'. That means we have to consider all the light. It is suprising how much out and out slander there is about him though? Have you seen the site with the dancing Washington? That was bad.

Bill posted this link in the Masons welcome here thread. (page 3) He wants an opinion. No one has responded to it yet. NIV calls Lucifer Jesus About half way down it gets to the capstone - corner stone part.

That wouldn't be too smart for the Jews right now, but it sure would be for Arrafat and then say they did it.

I forgot about this last night. The verse I had in mind was Eph 1:4---- According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: I like to use that verse to prove I am really older than dirt which is just a cleaver ploy to avoid counting birthdays, but it doesn't hold up under intense theological light. The last part of the verse is the meat of it.

Where were you when God knew you before the foundation of the world? I don't have the verse handy.

If you want to see a capstone, look on the back of a dollar bill. Its the eye of Horace. If you want see the corner stone, you have to wait a little longer. He'll be here.

You might want to take a look at the difference between 'capstone' and 'corner stone'. Check your translations.

U.S. President Bush Congratulates Predominantly Gay MCC Church On 35th Anniversary Bush cheers 'gay' church after 'Marriage Week'

John answered the second question, sags4Christ the first. That is great. John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: This is not the same word for power used in Phillippians 3:10. That word is dunamis (dynamite) it means 'force' and 'miraculas power'. The word here is exousia. It means power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases. When Jesus said: John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. He meant it was His choice to lay down His life and His choice to take it again. What choices (exousia) (the fellowship of his sufferings) are we making and what miracles (dunamis) (the power of his resurrection) do we see? And these signs shall follow them that believe ; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

One book I am reading is

Who is denying the power of God? What is the power of God that is denied? Phi 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

It is evident from the opening chapter of Job that the Lord does command evil spirits and they are answerable to Him. If it was indeed the spirit of Samuel that was summoned, which is controversial, it would be an exception. The prediction of this spirit concerning Saul's death seems to be only partly correct in that they did all die the same day but apparently not the day that was foretold. Further it was not all of Saul's sons that died. Ishbosheth was left at home, being unfit for battle. From that, I would tend toward the spirit being an imposter.

What I was getting at in my post above is that God does not solve our sin problem for us. He empowers us through the New Birth to overcome sin by His Spirit. As we grow in grace the Spirit becomes stronger and the draw of sin becomes weaker. As we love Him more, we love the world less. I do not think we will ever lose the ability to sin even in our new bodies. We better start losing the desire. It is how we prove to our selves that we do love him when we seek to please Him rather than gratify our selves. That is why he doesn't eradicat the sin nature. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We are only free when we have the choice to sin and don't. 2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Answer this question: Other than the New Birth which you hopefully have already received, where did God say He would do anything about your sin nature? I really like this quote: No man shall be condemned because he did not change his own heart, but because he did not cry to God to change it, who gave him his Holy Spirit for this very purpose, and which he, by his worldly-mindedness and impiety, quenched. Whoso hath ears to hear let him hear: and may the Lord save the reader from an impenitent and unfruitful heart! Clark's commentary on Mat 13:23

1John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 1John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

That's right. Strangely most Arminians have no idea who the guy was or even how to spell his name. ( I just learned.) What about Calvinists?

From a general perspective, I should say, if this is not happening in your life, it ought to be. The way to deal with it is to set your affection on things above. That is to value the things that our LORD values. Phi 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Our process in this life is to be transformed to HIS likeness. We can not do it ourselves but we should be crying out to God to do it for us. No man shall be condemned because he did not change his own heart, but because he did not cry to God to change it, who gave him his Holy Spirit for this very purpose, and which he, by his worldly-mindedness and impiety, quenched. Whoso hath ears to hear let him hear: and may the Lord save the reader from an impenitent and unfruitful heart! Clark's commentary on Mat 13:23 Entering into heaven I not only want to here Him say well done, but this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. Then was I as one who found favor in HIS eyes.

From this and other scriptures, I think it was fairly well accepted among the population that Jesus was the Messiah.