Zemke

I believe the word for faith and faithfulness is the same in both Greek and Hebrew. If we are being faithful we have faith, if we have faith we will be faithful. Rahab believed the God of the Jews to be The True and Living God. She had faith and took action and was faithful. Ruth had faith in the Hebrew God and her actions were faithful. We can do good works but without faith it is impossible to please God. We can not work to be saved but being saved will provoke good works. Faith and faithfulness are the same thing. It's why when we read Proverbs it's almost impossible to not be convicted. Faith without works is dead.

Was not the solution in the book of Esther to the decree the King was tricked into by Haman to allow the Jews to be armed? People had no problem with the thought of taking the Jews stuff and kicking them out and killing them until the Jews had the ability to defend themselves. I believe Puram was just celebrated this past week.

The early church was Jewish and they are the Hebrew people. Understanding the apostles' doctrine can be aided by understanding the culture the writers lived in. The Jewishness of the writings, teaching methods and their customs. But I've heard it said that some have become infatuated with celebrating Jewishness rather than Jesus. The way the apostles handled the old testament is a window into how we should understand the law and the prophets. We understand the old in light of the new. The Hebrew Roots movement I think started off good in a way of illuminating doctrine but as George mentioned, much has become legalistic in a sense just like Pauls letter to the Galatians. " You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you."

I'm not saying you don't love your kids or you didn't work hard. But children drift and that's a reality but it doesn't mean your sons are forgetting about you. That's your take on the situation. They come back, life has a way of changing coarse. What seems to be a situation not in your favor can next year be different. I was speaking of letting your emotions go and not your sons concerning them drifting. Those emotions will effect how you deal with the people you have right in front of you. Sorry that what I said seemed blunt but I meant it in a caring way.

These emotions are tough to deal with and real. There's nothing wrong having the feelings but actions we take that subdue or inflate can make all the differance. The first thing that comes to mind is you having a 16 year old and ALL your attention and energy should go toward that human being. Children when older, especially boys, will drift and you need to let it go. Gear yourself to the one child still with you by simply listening to whatever they have to say. They can tell if you're listening or not. You just keep telling yourself to let it go. You've been through difficult times, I'm sure you can handle this. Sixteen is tough so don't expect much and many times it's the little things. Food, lodging, clothes, the basic needs and when they do speak put down the book, the phone, the hammer or wrench or a "Hold on just one moment...okay, what's up? Your saving grace in this situation is your youngest. You still have parenting to do but not with the adult sons, you're done. You'll always be dad, the other inlaws will never be and your boys know the situation. At some point you'll get over it and will be happy for your boys but again you're a dad still with a 16 year old. He/she doesn't deserve to wear any, and I mean any, of your struggle with the other kids. This will get better.

I I agree, fearmongering is saying we will all die in 12 years if we don't impose socialism and every man woman and child sacrifice all for a green new earth.

Something to consider, the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples before the day of Pentecost. There was an interval between the two events. The Spirit was given in Acts to empower the church to be witnesses, martyrs, and disciple new believers, the gifts of the Spirit to the church for the building up of the saints. Jesus blew on the disciples beforehand and said, "Recieve the Holy Spirit"Jn 20:22. The Holy Spirit was also given at Pentecost to convict the world of sin. It might be possible that what is restraining is the outpouring of the Spirit, NOT THE EARNEST GIVEN TO BELIEVERS. The church as in post Pentecost will no longer function in that manner. Elijah held back the rain for 3.5 years. The conviction of the Holy Spirit on the world will no longer be in effect but believers will have the indwelling. "I will never leave you or foresake you". We will know who the man of sin is before we are rescued. Jesus said He(Jesus) must go so the Holy Spirit may come. Well the ministry of the Holy Spirit will end and He(the Spirit) will leave so that Jesus can come back. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the disciples while He was still here. The whole scenario is reversed. "When you see all these things begin to happen, then look up for your redemption draws nigh." The Holy Spirit doesn't get withdrawn completely it's just that God goes back to dealing with the world and the Jews as He did in the past. The 144,000 and as I said Elijah has something to do with the coming of the Lord or the spirit of Elijah as with Jesus first coming with John the Baptist. Something to consider.

The Jericho account is interesting and what John is using in Revelation and what the Holy Spirit is showing is called Biblical Midrash. Not the Midrash of the Rabbis but what we see in scripture using a biblical narrative of the past to show the truth of both present, past and future events. The paralleling of events aren't so much a timing manifest as they are corresponding aspects that help illuminate the background situation before and during this time of darkness. He comes in the night, does He not? "Work while it is the day, night comes when no man can work." For instance, Rahab acted on her faith, in the God of the Jews, by protecting the two spies and then gathering whoever would hear to come into her house. Her faith was active in faithfulness. "Faith without works is dead." She was not just waiting around but evangelising until most likely that first day when the camp of the Israelites marched around Jericho once, silent, but with the priests blowing the horns. It's difficult to get around the timing issue but there are applicable lessons drawn from these parallels. As I had said, these parallels help us gain a better picture of the reality of things to come and illuminate doctrine as to our faithfulness leading up to and preparing us for the possibility of entering into the time of darkness. The night.

I feel for you. A town 3 miles away lost it's last store 10 years ago and has a Dollar General. Seven miles the other way still has a family run place with great meats and deli. The selections aren't much elswhere but they have tried with produce and other shelves. I keep shopping there for most of my supplies to keep the place in business. It's like walking into the past for a moment. People know your name and conversations happen. The owner is usually around doing something and says hi. Nice to go where everyone knows your name.

And many people of colour that would agree. We've been preached this for years and it's not the populace that is to blame. Racism was institutionalized after the civil war by the Democratic party and they have never apologized for Jim Crow. They just point fingers making us all feel as though we must all participate in some unsolving ritual of no answers. I'm not wearing the crap of racism. It's not our fault. The gospel is a force for social justice but social justice is not the gospel. The only way to a better society is to see people getting saved. Outside of that everything will just keep getting worse. Politics will never solve social problems. The foolishness of an immigrant woman from Africa that is Muslim who became a congressman on the floor of the House of Representatives claiming this nation to be bigoted is absurd. Where is the gratitude, the speeches of, "This could only happen in America and we need to prosper and make this a reality in more countries." No, we get anti-Jewish remarks and accusations of racism. It's crap.

What has struck me as obvious, but not so to many it seems, is a woman, an immigrant from Africa, a Muslim stands as a representative in the lawmaking body of a major world government, something that would be impossible in any Muslim nation, and accuses the nation of whom has elected her democratically as being bigoted. Amazing. We are not a racist nation, most people are not racist, that's just marketing, we have racism as does every country but her standing there in that position and accusing others of bigotry astounds me. So it continues, and as one of the other freshman congressmen stood and said, "I believe she knows exactly what she is doing."

I'm ignorant as to how this is theologically fruitful? I mean this sincerely. Not wanting to cause debate but just asking for further understanding. What does all this mean?

The sins of the southern kingdom exceeded the sins of the north. Ezekiel 23 deals with this issue speaking about two sisters. One representing Israel and the other Juda. The harlotries of Juda where far worse than Israels. Spiritually, harlotry is referring to other Gods, other religions. Juda played the harlot far worse as in offering their babies in the fire. Actually taking their children to dispose of them to Molech. Small metal idols would be placed in the fire till red hot and extracted, then they would lay the baby into the enlarged hands on the idol and burn the child up. Consider the abortion world wide. And even in Israel today. Nature worship always calls for blood or for that matter all pagon worship.

A series of unfortunate events and bad decisions. Only by the grace of God am I able to eat at His table. This world stinks and I'd like to see as many as possible make it into the next. He is my saviour.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" Psalm 119:105 What does a lamp need to illuminate the way? Jesus told the church of Laodicea "buy from me". Psalm 119 also says in vs. 160, "The sum of thy word is truth, and every one of your righteous ordinances is everlasting." There seems to be a sense in the parable that the Holy Spirit will not always dwell with men or be available. In the sense of convicting the world of sin. That interval when the Ark door was closed and then the rain came. And a reversal of sorts of the ascension and Pentecost, at which time the disciples had the Holy Spirit, earlier Jesus blew on them and said receive the Holy Spirit, but they needed to wait on the promise, the empowerment to be witnesses and make disciples. The reversal being the conviction of sin on the world will no longer be and the church proper as in spiritual gifts will no longer be poured out. The faithful virgins had the word and the illumination of the Holy Spirit knowing what to do. "When you see 'all' these things begin to happen, then look up for your redemption draws nigh." Jesus also told His disciples that He must go for the Holy Spirit to come, well, it's the same type interval, the Holy Spirit must go for Him to come. I repeat, not taken from His children, those that are born again and have the assurance of salvation. It's why people make the statement, "The time to get the oil is now." Remember there are those who will claim to have done many things in Jesus name and He will say, "Depart from me, I never knew you."

This is a question I think all of us at some time have thought about. The best I've heard this explained is those who are in Jesus are as the bible says, to be absent from the body is to be with the Lord. She would be in a concious state with Jesus in some way and through Jesus she may know your thinking of her or inquiring of her. But no there would not be any direct communication. I believe that is forbiden in scripture, seeking to speak with the dead. Our comunication is with the Lord. For further study I think the term is thanotology or something like that. I'm not stating doctrine but just what I've heard mentioned about this. But no, I don't believe she directly hears you.

What's interesting about your perspective, and I happen to agree with it though I'm not pre-trib, is the principle that pre-trib embodies is keeping the garment on. As in the Song Of Solomon. The bride ready and adorned anticipating and looking for her beloved, her best dream and then the bride putting off the garment going out for some fun thinking the groom delays, her worse nightmare. I've heard teachers say that in the synagogues at the time Jesus was speaking this parable the reading was the Song Of Solomon.

We are told when we see ALL these things begin to happen then look up for our redemption draws nigh. History shows us ways in which these things can look, but Daniel tells us and Jesus quotes, it will be a time like no other from the beginning and never will be again. The visual will be when these things occur. It isn't easy putting these things into words but the fullness of the heaviness of those days will be beyond most of our experience. It's why we in the west will think it's the end when real persecution starts because we are for the most part soft. We have it good, very good. Historically this is not so concerning Christians. When Revelation proper begins it will progress with no stopping. The heck with flow charts and timelines, it's our faith, where are our hearts, who do we serve, where is our hope? Do we have oil in our lamps? The time to get the oil is now, it's always been now and always will be now until the cry at midnight. Always in the night, like a thief in the night, it's timing not as in a moment, it is that, but also time in a season. The night, always the night. The virgins didn't know how long but they knew it was time. When you see all these things begin to happen then look up. Behold I come quickly. Figuring the timeline of the seals and trumpets helps with seeing what is written but the fulness of these events needs to be bitter in our bellies. Woa upon woa. The restrainer will be taken out of the way, the son of perdition revealed and a delusion sent by God to those who do not love the truth. Behold I come quickly. The coming of the Lord as in the Revelation is imminent, not the resurrection/rapture. The picture you ask for will appear when it happens. Until then, we have the past to get a glimpse of the future and the present to set our feet on The Rock. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. Jesus told us not to be soon shaken, the end is not yet. Paul instructed not to be shaken by teachings that do not coincide with doctrine. The idea is to be strong in the Lord. Not some money gangster preacher or a man with a silly hat. For a more full picture, follow patterns of like phrases and like narratives. Think of the bible as a loaf of bread, one end is the same as the other and any slice in between the same as any. After all, the end of the book is the beginning. The future to all those who have repented and called on the name of the Lord. The first two chapters and the last two chapters. Read them. In between are endless Sunday School lessons that connect. Not separate dispensational periods that have no meaning because of fulfilment. Not one crossing of a T or dotting of an I will pass from the law until all things are fulfilled. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Yes I know, there is an obvious consecutiveness but also past future and current aspects. That's why when we try listing the events in order there seems to be a verse that always throws us off or seems to coincide with something previous. It's the most Old Testament of the New Testament books and the old does that also. Speaks of the second coming and the first coming while speaking of their day. Also, Jerimiah, as an example, while the book is consecutive he also speaks forward to a near event not yet then speaks of the day they are in. We have trouble reading these things because it's a book written by Hebrews in a tribal middle east context. Once we start seeing the patterns and narrative references it makes things read more comfortably but the book of Revelation will still be revealing in understanding as that day approaches. When these things begin to happen the faithful will have understanding and ears to hear the teachers with understanding. God is faithful.

Just like in Jericho when the people shouted the same thing about the city, a series of sevens had come out of the last seven of the first series of sevens and the wrath of destruction was upon the city. Rahab would be rescued with a scarlet cord from her window and so to the resurrection and rapture between the sixth and seventh seal preceding the wrath of God. Prior to that those under the altar with bloody garments, Her rescue preceded wrath and the rescue of the saints precedes wrath. Revelation is both concurrent and consecutive, being able to line everything up perfectly like a systematic theologian seeks to, is something we will understand better as the time approaches.

Billy Graham in an interview with Barbara Walters said he blew it by getting to close to politics, Nixon. He said the ministry was never the same and would never become what God intended because of it. He called himself a failure. That was in the 90s, It doesn't seem he found his way on solid ground again but God knows. What I think is the real damage in getting involved with the world, as James puts it, "Friendship with the world" is the constriction the world puts on us and we wiggle out of it for the sake of friendship instead of standing firm. That's a big problem in the Purpose Driven circles. Entaglement and compromise for the serpent to ease up a bit. Constriction. Then apology for the sake of the organization and connections.

Hows the new law working out allowing private facilities to deal with vets that they passed last June? Many naysayers at the time but if it was a bust I'm sure the press would be all over it so have you heard anything?

We had just received a box as a gift from a congregation on the other side of the town of "The Message". We hadn't unpacked them but no remains can be found. Fake news. Sad for the loss of the building but a little humour.

I've heard it said that just a few counties of and around Manhattan would account for the votes Hillary was ahead by. Never fact checked it but I've heard the same about Chicago and L.A. Take any one of those cities votes away and the landslide that this election was would be talked about more. I've seen the numbers some time back about the number of counties in the country and not remembering the exact total it was amazing. Trump carried over 3,000 counties while there are about 3,400 counties. Every aspect other than the popular vote was a landslide. The numbers are amazing. The electoral college did exactly what it was intended to do. The ridiculous aspect of this electoral college debate is if it were the other way around the conversation wouldn't even exist. I looked it up. 3,084 counties for Trump, 3,141 counties total.

What Bernie proposes can only be attained through a strong market economy and a realistic medical business, it's a business like no other. There are many problems to work out but socialism won't solve them. We have a wide chasm between ideology and someone needs to be sensible. Bernie will never achieve what he and many others want with socialism. We need a political change in Washington I agree, we need a sensible health care business I agree, we need to take care of our poor I agree, we need to better our education system I agree. I just don't agree with how Bernie wants to solve the problems. It will never work and will be a disaster. As would the green new deal. Impossible technologically, economically, and physically workforce wise. It isn't needed to boot. It's like an ancient emperor invoking control over all things to build the glorious city. It's really insane. They have no intention, it's just politics, I would hope or they really are insane. Personally, he reminds me of a few people I knew in college that have yet to start critically thinking about their activism. The same mantra over and over. I've seen businesses turn to chaos until finally, the activist does something stupid enough to be fired without the ability to sue. Like, hit the manager, which actually happened. Every time this activism gains strength chaos ensues. Historically the only success out of it has been building back a market economy that was dying. This is the legacy of the Nordic countries we consider to be socialist. Their saviour economically has been capitalism. But to add because this is a Christian board. Any system would have a shot of working far better if the society was monotheistic with a strong Judeo-Christian influence. As we have become post-Christian our problems have been growing with increased velocity.