2404

Whether a literal mark is placed on the forehead or hand would really be inconsequential, the crux of the matter is what stands behind it. The antiChrist spirit has existed from the beginning, is now and is coming to temporal power. Scripture say that the Holy Spirit is to lead the church but due to our fallen nature we like to put our hands on the wheel. This has been an issue throughout man’s history. God does a little work among man and straight away someone will pick up the banner and try to lead a procession, put a name to it and lay down some rules as to how we can be a part of this 'Godly move'. Now that we are a global community and the mechanics are available this man driven machine will have the ability to rule uncontested. To stand in allegiance to and labour therein is taking the mark in the mind and on the hand. Read some posts on taking a mark. Is there support in the community for this - or did I not read far enough?

I respect your point. Let me conclude with one response to bro. Paul, and not in regard to a time frame. Okay...then we all must remain ready at all times of that there can be no doubt....be one of the five wise virgins not one of the five unwise (unsaved church attendees who believe but are not saved)... Brother Paul Hello bro Paul. Not just to differ with you but allow me to state my understanding of the parable. They were all virgins. To go in with the bridegroom (marriage supper 'first resurrection') they had to have the oil, 'sealed until the day of your redemption'. The five foolish, stood for Christ and Christ will stand for them at the judgement. Those in the first resurrection will judge 'men and angels' and will not come into the judgement. So why does He say to them "I never knew you" and then shuts the door? Brother Paul Why is being a good person not enough to get you to Heaven? http://www.gotquesti...ood-person.html If we could earn one speck of merit toward our salvation Christ died in vain. Compare the Syrophenician woman of Mk.7:26 or the woman of Samaria St.John 4:7 with the Pharisees & Saducees which many of them probably lived spotless lives and Jesus told them that they were of their father the devil. Jesus said Lk.18:19 "...Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God."

I respect your point. Let me conclude with one response to bro. Paul, and not in regard to a time frame. Okay...then we all must remain ready at all times of that there can be no doubt....be one of the five wise virgins not one of the five unwise (unsaved church attendees who believe but are not saved)... Brother Paul Hello bro Paul. Not just to differ with you but allow me to state my understanding of the parable. They were all virgins. To go in with the bridegroom (marriage supper 'first resurrection') they had to have the oil, 'sealed until the day of your redemption'. The five foolish, stood for Christ and Christ will stand for them at the judgement. Those in the first resurrection will judge 'men and angels' and will not come into the judgement. So why does He say to them "I never knew you" and then shuts the door? Brother Paul As I understand it, to be know of God is to have been in Him before the foundation of the world, redeemed. The foolish virgins lived the Christian life but did not 'have' the token (Holy Spirit). There is such a thing as a true anointing on the spirit realm and still be in a lost condition. An example can be Balaam. Because the Bridegroom did not know them they were not allowed into the marriage supper but will have to come into the judgement and there stand trial, as noted above. This is also where a 'ministered' glass of water will not go unrewarded. Those who are judging with the bridegroom have surpassed such things. The foolish virgins will receive eternal life dependent on their stand.

God's 144,000 Jewish saints.

What makes think they werent aware of sex? Genesis 2:23 "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." These verses are right after woman was made and Adam is saying a man shall cleave unto his wife. Cleaving is sex, coitus, copulation, joining, marrying, fusing, uniting, etc. This takes place before the fruit is eaten so Adam is aware of sex and sexuality before the fall. 'aware of sex' - They were perfect there was nothing lacking. We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We come by the permissive way, sexual desire. Jesus Christ our redeemer came the perfect way as a Spoken Word. The fall was permitted to allow for the expression of attributes such as saviour, healer... just as creation is an expression.

We were not created with cloths, and they were perfect not needing any modification. And we still do not become sexually aware by eating apples.

I respect your point. Let me conclude with one response to bro. Paul, and not in regard to a time frame. Okay...then we all must remain ready at all times of that there can be no doubt....be one of the five wise virgins not one of the five unwise (unsaved church attendees who believe but are not saved)... Brother Paul Hello bro Paul. Not just to differ with you but allow me to state my understanding of the parable. They were all virgins. To go in with the bridegroom (marriage supper 'first resurrection') they had to have the oil, 'sealed until the day of your redemption'. The five foolish, stood for Christ and Christ will stand for them at the judgement. Those in the first resurrection will judge 'men and angels' and will not come into the judgement.

Amen and Amen My desire also.

Thank you and God continue to bless you Gary

That is wonderfull that you realized your position in Christ 30 years ago and ready to meet the charge at hand. Sincerely God bless

Hello bro Paul And absolutely, God has had His saints throughout the ages and of course it is a individual affair, as the saying goes 'God does not have any grandchildren, only sons and daughters'. But God's plan is not static. There is usually much discussion about the manifestations and augmentation of evil but we can rest assured that God has everything under control. I believe that if the prince of this world is trying to do something we can know that it is only 'his' copy/reaction to what God has already done. Point being, what does that 'standard' look like?

I respect your point. Let me conclude with one response to bro. Paul, and not in regard to a time frame.

After our Lord and Saviour completed the work of redemption and the apostles fell asleep, the seed went into the ground until the fullness of time when it started to come up again through events like: Martin Luther: Salvation by Grace John Wesley: Sanctification 1906 Azusa Street: Restoration of the Gifts Where do we go from here or are we rapture ready?

The Church.

Hello JTC I trust you will excuse me for being so slow. Scripture makes many references to sowing seed, good and otherwise. Satan’s desire is to foil God’s plan so in the garden he chose to strike at Eve to try and spoil things. Satan being a spirit entered into the serpent (who at that time was an upright humanoid being) and used him to entice Eve by reasoning against God’s word. Gen.3:4&5 “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” The serpent was able to explain it so clearly that Eve accepted it (beguiled). Today, the dialog may be along the lines of: Look what I am trying to tell you, you are wonderfully made, look at the possibilities. Look, God is trying to keep something from you. Right now you are ignorant but if you take my advice you will be in the know, this is a great thing. All things belonged to Adam and Eve they had power over everything and they lived by God’s Word, but there existed the possibility to transgress, step out. In our current condition a word is an intangible concept but when God speaks it becomes reality. Perhaps you have heard that 'real' faith is a substance, it doesn’t matter what comes against it you know you have it. As in healing, if God drops something down in your heart that you are going to be well it doesn’t matter what the doctor says you know it is going to be as you have received. I believe that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil existed in a similar reality.

Dear fellow posters I was asked this question you see above. Gal. 5: 22-23 is: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. I read Ephesians 4:26: Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. My conclusion is: anger is ok and can be part of the things noted in Gal. 5:22-23, however, we should handle it the right way. If you really have a reason to be so, you need to let the anger out. Have a good day Thomas It seems if we truly had a perspective from our position most all controversy would seem trivial. If we had the whole picture our hearts would ache for the floundering. If we became angry it would not be at the person but with the circumstance. I believe in such a condition, which can only be given by God, we can fulfill His commandments.

This is interesting and not something I have given much thought to. I have always believed the Tree of Life in both Genesis and Revelation bore fruit that had chemicals or elements that healed and rejuvenated. I had never considered that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would also contain chemicals or elements that caused Adam and Eve to see their nakedness as evil. I had always thought the action of disobedience was the cause of this. Now you ask me a question which I can't answer and after a small amount of thought it does open the allegorical door somewhat. Can you give me your understanding of this please. True, it was a result of their action of disobedience. Jesus Christ came to be the sacrificial lamb. He came as the perfect spoken Word. We are in a fallen condition,and we come by sexual desire, a permissive way. In the beginning it was not so. As has been said, if eating apples causes sexual awareness (nakedness) we better pass the apples again... Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Why does the Word say not to lean on our own understanding Pro.3:5. We are to live by faith, faith in God's Word. Man does not live by bread alone...

Indeed the Word comes by revelation. As suggested, it is more than 'knowing' the word (anyone can read the letter) it is knowing the author. Thank you

Hello 2404, I have heard how some people suggest Jesus is now our "Tree of Life". I agree it is a good comparison of eating from and living forever, but we see the Tree(s) of Life continue in Revelation. Rev 22:2 KJV In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. I don't see how the Word can be said to specifically be the Tree of Life and so I suggest the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is not a "Word" seed. What is your understanding as to the Tree of Good and Evil? The ingestion of it caused a reaction. Gen.3:7"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; ..."

When Eve accepted (ingested) the serpents lie she was no longer perfect and the consequences followed. The 'tree of good and evil' is not perfect, (as the condition we find ourselves in) and will be done away with. This sequence of event was allowed by a omniscient/omnipotent God to display the attribute of saviour.

Gen.2:9 “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” St.John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Jesus said. St.John 6:48 “I am that bread of life.” St.John 6:51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” I understand the Word was the tree of life in the midst (primary position) of the garden. Could the tree of the knowledge of good and evil also be a word seed?

So if hell ceases to exist what happens to the unbelievers when the Bible says they will be sent to eternal punishment? Mk. 3:29 "...but is in danger of eternal damnation" Damnation by separation - but not life. If it had a beginning it will have an end. Only that which is found in God is eternal. Ephesians 1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,..." God is omniscient, He never changes - never has a new thought. God bless

Only God is eternal and believer become partakers of that life. Hell is not a part of God. It was created for the devil and his angels there will come a 'point' where it ceases to exist. Forever is a frame of reference to a span of 'time'. Read some posts with references to a eternal hell so I felt compelled to post my understanding.

Hello Elaine I enjoy the book of Revelations and I believe we are living in a very exciting time. We don't know the day or hour but the global political and economic climate seem to be opportune. In my younger years I had some religious education and for the book of Revelation the conclusion of the matter was a number of theories 'so take your pick'. A few years later a good friend told me to hear a so called prophet 'William Branham'. My initial reaction 'prophet - heard that one before' but out of respect to my friend I went along. My current perspective is that only God can speak things into existence, raise the dead, make the blind to see and make the lame whole. The man William Branham is a sinner saved by grace like you and I but God chose to do a work, not to show that He can do these things but to catch the attention of those who will hear. (I personally know witnesses and recipients who can testify of William Branham's ministry) I believe because we are living at the closing hour 'a mystical WORD' would not serve it's purpose. God is never late or in a hurry and at the right time He will make things known to accomplish His purpose. If you choose to do so I would encourage you to check it out. If only for an explanation to the book of Revelations. God bless

Does not legalism only have a definition for those who are striving to become… If the Holy Spirit dwells within us we are free, living out His/our desire without condemnation.