JohnS

[it] is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Real grace, in Bonhoeffer's estimation, is a grace that will cost a man his life.

The whole of Christ's dealings with the children of men was throughout a giving and a taking, a wondrous exchange, such as it could only have entered into the heart of God to conceive. He everywhere taking from us whatever was poorest, meanest, saddest, most painful, most ignominious, and giving to us what was highest, noblest, choicest, best and most glorious; taking earth and giving heaven, taking our poverty and giving to us His riches. But this is not all; taking our shame and giving to us His glory, taking our cross and giving to us His crown, taking our sin and giving to us His righteousness, taking our curse and giving to us His blessing, taking our death and giving to us His life. Gerioke...only think on these things. Father in heaven, wean us from the things of the world, gently, in Your mercy until all we see is Your precious Son!

I love when Paul breaks out in prayers of worship for Jesus in his letters. It happens several times and one of my favorites is in Ephesians 3. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. To know Him is to love Him. To know Him more is to love Him more. How much do I love Jesus? Not nearly enough. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

Sunday, April 17, 2005 5:15 p.m. EDT Cardinal Who Warned of 'Antichrist' Rises in Betting Odds Though Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi is the odds-on favorite to be the next pope, global betting parlors are reporting an influx of bets on Cardinal Giacomo Biffi. "From what I can see here, there's been a lot of wagers on Biffi," Mani Sanders of Pinnacle Sports, an online gambling service based on the resort island in the Netherlands Antilles, told the Providence Journal. Cardinal Biffi, emeritus bishop of the archdiocese of Bologna, was recently listed as a 125-to-1 long shot to succeed John Paul II. But does Pinnacle know something we don't? The paper reports that as an influx of "bets were placed on Biffi in the past several days, the odds on the 76-year-old Italian had dropped to 50 to 1 by Wednesday." If Biffi does win, it will be a sign that the Church leaders are trending more conservative. Biffi is strongly anti-Masonic. He was quoted as saying Catholic churches should ban Mozart's music, as the composer was a Mason. The Church and the Masonic movement have long had an antagonistic relationship. In recent years Biffi stirred controversy by saying Italy should "protect its national identity" and stop the avalanche of Muslim immigrants. In 2000, Biffi predicted that "Europe will either become Christian again or it will become Muslim." He added ominously., "The vast majority of Muslims are coming here determined to remain outside our humanity." That same year Biffi also said that he believed the Antichrist was alive and would soon rise to prominence. Biffi told a conference meeting in Bologna that the Antichrist was a prominent philanthropist who advocated causes like human rights, the environment and ecumenicism. Biffi said that this man

Actually, James, the brother of Jesus, held the place of preeminence in the first church. When Peter was freed from prison, he instructed those gathered at the house of Mary to go and tell these things to James and to the brethren (Acts 12:17). And it was James again that judged in the matter of circumcision of the gentiles (Acts 15:13-21).

Interesting article today Those who labor to understand the nuances of the battle described in Ezekiel 38-39 quickly identify two major puzzles among several minor ones. One is the timing of the battle and the other is the identity of Gog, from Magog. For my view on the battle's timing read End Times Chronology. Suffice it to say here that almost no scholar, certainly none I'm aware of, believes the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 has already taken place. Some believe it will occur just before the beginning of the Tribulation period, while others believe Ezekiel is actually describing the Battle of Armageddon, which would put it at the end of the Great Tribulation. But all place it sometime in our future. As for Gog and Magog, the first thing to note is that while Magog is listed in Genesis 10, Gog is not. The list of 70 names in Genesis 10 is often called the Table of Nations because each of the men named there was the original ancestor of an ethnic group that grew to become a nation of people. For instance, Magog was the 2nd son of Japeth, one of Noah's three sons, and bore the children who in time became known to the ancient world as the Scythians. They lived in central Asia and are believed to be the forefathers of today's Russians. Over 130 historical references support this view. So while the Russian people of today are descended from Magog, there is no such biological connection for Gog to either Magog or any other ethnic group. There is an unrelated mention of a man named Gog, a grandson of Reuben, in 1 Chronicles 5:4 but there doesn't seem to be any connection between him and the land of Magog either. Clearly, while Magog refers to the millions of his descendants in today's Russia, Gog remains a single individual. Some say he's a King or leader, and in a real sense I think that's true but I don't believe he's human. The time spanned by his three appearances in scripture make that impossible. The first one is in the first verse of Amos 7, but you have to be reading Amos from the Septuigent translation to see it. There he's identified as a king, but of a swarm of locusts. To further shroud him in mystery Proverbs 30:27 states that locusts have no king, and observers of locust swarms seem to agree that no obvious leader directs them, as a queen would direct a hive of bees for example. (This hint also lends insight to another appearance of locusts, by the way. I'm referring to the one in Revelation 9, where a swarm of locusts comes out of the Abyss to afflict those on Earth who lack the seal of God on their foreheads. These locusts have a king named Abaddon in the Hebrew or Appolyon in the Greek. Here again, the Proverbs passage would indicate that these are of supernatural origin, not ordinary locusts.) The next time Gog's mentioned is in Ezekiel 38:1, where he is called by name as the leader of a coalition of what are now Moslem nations attacking Israel. His final mention comes from the Book of Revelation where he again leads the people from Magog against the Lord's army at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:8). By now these enemies of God have apparently been dispersed throughout the Earth. Even if you're among those who place the battle from Ezekiel 38 at the end of the Great Tribulation, the span of time between Gog's last two biblical appearances is at least 1000 years, and while I believe that some born in that era will have long life spans, there isn't any indication that natural humans born before the Millennium begins will live to see its end. This is especially true of God's enemies as all surviving unbelievers are removed from Earth at the beginning of our Lord's reign. So I've come to the conclusion that Gog is a supernatural figure. The Bible clearly states that behind the human seats of government stand supernatural figures manipulating the thoughts and actions of the world's leaders. Many of these figures are in Satan's employ helping in his effort to wrest ownership of Planet Earth from its Creator. Gog is at least the supernatural figure behind the throne of Russia, and perhaps is even Satan's counterpart to the Archangel Michael, Commander of the Lord's armies. In Daniel 10 Michael is identified as one of the Lord's chief princes who in 536 BC came to Daniel's aid in a supernatural struggle with the Prince of Persia, a nation barely emerging on the world scene having conquered Babylon just three years earlier. At its conclusion Michael told Daniel of a coming battle with the Prince of Greece, a nation that didn't even exist at the time. In Daniel 12:1 we're told he'll protect Israel at the end of the age, and in Rev 12:7 he's seen leading the angelic host in a great battle in heaven when Satan is defeated there and cast down to Earth at the outset of the Great Tribulation. Michael is clearly a supernatural warrior leaping across the pages of history in defense of the Lord's interests. It makes sense that Satan would have a military commander leading his forces as well, since everything he does seems to mirror the actions of his Creator. With his multiple mentions in Scripture and the long span of time between appearances, Gog could easily be this commander. Only time will tell if this view is correct. But one of the great advantages of living in our day is that we won't have long to wait till we find out. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. http://www.gracethrufaith.com/

Sorry, I just thought of a recent example of a favorite sister of mine. She began communicating with a woman she met online and everything seemed great at first. Her newfound friend also had a problem with churches and had recently left one because they didn't agree with the 'truths' she had discovered while studying and praying. It seems she was convinced that the Epistle of James didn't belong in the Bible and the rest of the congregation didn't agree, nor did my sister. Suddenly, I have thought of many examples.

And what pet doctrines might those be?

Those Philadelphian Churches are out there. Seek and you will find. The mind of Christ is looking after others needs, not your own. It spreads like wildfire.

To the victor goes the spoils. Get over it. A dog can be taught by repetition. Perhaps if the Arabs would quit attacking, they would quit losing.

Arafat

From the Lekarev report The new leader of the ruling Fatah movement, the party of Yasser Arafat, is an al-Qaida sympathizer with close ties to such terrorist sponsors as Iran and Syria. Farouq Qaddumi, as we reported some days ago, is largely unknown to the 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He hasn't stepped foot in these areas for nearly 40 years. But Qaddumi represents powerful Middle East countries, including Iran and Syria, which regard him as a means to expand their foothold in the Palestinian Authority. For the last 30 years Qaddumi has headed the Palestinian Liberation Organization Foreign Affairs Department. He has made it clear that he sees terrorism as a strategic option for Palestinians. Born in the West Bank of Jenin and a founding member of Fatah in 1957, Qaddumi, like his late boss, Yasser Arafat, has made a career of currying favor with Mideast despots. Just like week, Qaddumi told Hezbollah television: "Resistance is the path to reach political settlement because we do not claim we are capable of defeating the Israeli army. This policy was determined by the PLO when our brother the martyr, our brother the president, Abu Amar (Arafat), stood at the United Nations in 1974 and said: 'I hold a gun in one hand and an olive branch in the other.'" Qaddumi has already called for a new wave of attacks against Israel. He has sought to align himself with Iran and Syria as an alternative to the leadership of new PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei. Qaddumi's words have fallen on eager ears. Under Qaddumi's leadership, the Fatah movement has launched an effort to spearhead the Palestinian war against Israel. Palestinian sources said Fatah commanders have ordered their units to step up attacks against Israel following Arafat's death. Fatah has acquired rockets, mortars and other weaponry to attack Israeli military and civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. May the Holy One of Israel, the One who neither slumbers nor sleeps, protect and defend His people and His Land. Shavua Tov

Wouldn't "Francophobia" be fear of France? I think what you see displayed here is disgust with France.

I'm sorry, I read carefully and failed to find any "achievements".

Another reason for the significance attached to eschatology is that it is an indispensable concomitant of a normal Christian walk and service. As in former times, much is heard in religious circles these days of the great task of bringing in the kingdom that lies before the church. Such energy is misdirected and were better utilized along lines consonant with the eternal purposes of God in Christ Jesus for this present age. Others are laboring in the church to make the world a better place in which to live, to mitigate as far as possible the line of cleavage and separation between the church and the world. The result is a satanic social gospel and a situation in which the church is to be found in the world and the world in the church. Eschatology furnishes the answer to the question as to the work of the believer in this age. But there is more than that. A knowledge of prophecy, particularly of the imminent return of our Lord, is conducive to a proper Christian walk. Values are seen in their relative importance. There is not a dissipating of purpose and energy between the things of this world and those of heaven. A wise teacher once attributed the suffering and misery of man to the fact that he has one foot in the finite and one in the infinite, with the result that he is torn asunder, not by four horses as in olden times, but between two worlds. Many Christians are attempting to walk with Christ while they consort with the world. The cause is often to be found in their utter lack of knowledge of prophetic things, the knowledge of which would have a strong tendency, to say the least, to draw their eyes from the things of this world and fix them upon Christ and His future purposes.

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

Presbyterians Threatened Over Mideast Policy Saturday, November 13, 2004 LOUISVILLE, Ky.

I can't for the life of me figure out why a Christian would be upset about another Christian wanting Jesus to return. That and that alone is what is going to set things right. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well here is one Christian that "most" of the time wants Him to delay. I have a brother in law that is a non believer and he has corrupted my sister to the point Idon't know if she really believes any longer. I work with several people who are non believers and I personally like for they are decent people. I occasionally put out feelers to see if any are open to the gospel, and maybe in time the Holy Spirit will get through to them. When Jesus returns these people will all be lost.......... need I say more. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And somehow you think your love for the lost surpasses that of Jesus? And maybe He would return the day before they would have been saved?

My brother says to run towards the center of the blast. Ain't no thing!

JERUSALEM 10:00 PM Although Palestinian officials told local and international media outlets to expect a death announcement for Yasser Arafat around noon today, it never came. Instead, he is said to be still barely clinging to life, despite total kidney and liver failure and bleeding in his brain. Given his grave condition, an announcement is likely sometime tomorrow

Super Jew, Only the ones who claim to have it all figured out are annoying. The ones who are studying are fine! horizoneast, You've changed your story now. I have no trouble understanding, thanks. The book is entitled the Revelation of Jesus Christ and He has already won the victory.

John, the above is my reason of why I despise the study of eschatology. Here we have someone so concerned about when Christ is comming back that they're missing the entire point. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In the Old Testament 17 of 39 books are prophetic, not to speak of numerous prophecies contained in the writings of Moses and the Psalms. In the New Testament entire chapters of the Gospels, many passages of the Epistles, and the entire Apocalypse are equally dedicated to prophecy. Paul said,"Every scripture is God-inspired and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for discipline in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work." By the way, what's "churlish"?

I fail to see the importance in this. Likewise, you forgot anathema which gives the connotation of "cursed". Basically, Paul is saying if a man doesn't love Christ he is cursed because the Lord is comming. He is comming...however this isn't a focus. So I once again fail to see your point. Sorry Super Jew, The point is that "Maranatha" is an Aramaic word in a Greek letter. That was the rallying cry of the early Christians...our Lord come! I can't for the life of me figure out why a Christian would be upset about another Christian wanting Jesus to return. That and that alone is what is going to set things right. shalom, shalom