God is opinion and doesn't care if it's name is Capitalized... or does She?

[keylime]

1 hour ago, new york kevin said:

For you my uneducated friend ,  The Word of God: Evidence that Scripture is Divine

 

First, I believe the Bible is the Word of God because of its scientific accuracy. The Truth of the Word of God tells us that God “hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7). How did Job know that the earth hung in space before the age of modern astronomy and space travel? The Holy Spirit told him. The scientists of Isaiah’s day didn’t know the topography of the earth, but Isaiah said, “It is [God] that sitteth upon the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). The word for “circle” here means a globe or sphere. How did Isaiah know that God says upon the circle of the earth? By divine inspiration.

 

Secondly, the Bible is affirmed through historical accuracy. Do you remember the story about the handwriting on the wall that is found in the fifth chapter of Daniel? Belshazzar hosted a feast with a thousand of his lords and ladies. Suddenly, a gruesome hand appeared out of nowhere and began to write on a wall. The king was disturbed and asked for someone to interpret the writing. Daniel was found and gave the interpretation. After the interpretation, “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.” (Daniel 5:29). Basing their opinion on Babylonian records, the historians claim this never happened. According to the records, the last king of Babylon was not Belshazzar, but a man named Nabonidas. And so, they said, the Bible is in error. There wasn’t a record of a king named Belshazzar. Well, the spades of archeologists continued to do their work. In 1853, an inscription was found on a cornerstone of a temple built by Nabonidas, to the god Ur, which read: “May I, Nabonidas, king of Babylon, not sin against thee. And may reverence for thee dwell in the heart of Belshazzar, my first-born favorite son.” From other inscriptions, it was learned that Belshazzar and Nabonidas were co-regents. Nabonidas traveled while Belshazzar stayed home to run the kingdom. Now that we know that Belshazzar and Nabonidas were co-regents, it makes sense that Belshazzar would say that Daniel would be the third ruler. What a marvelous nugget of truth tucked away in the Word of God!

 

Third, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible reads as one book. And there is incredible unity to the Bible. The Bible is one book, and yet it is made up of 66 books, was written by at least 40 different authors over a period of about 1400-1800 years, in 13 different countries and on three different continents. It was written in at least three different languages by people in all professions. The Bible forms one beautiful temple of truth that does not contradict itself theologically, morally, ethically, doctrinally, scientifically, historically, or in any other way. It is consistent again with the texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls. This consistency is what Bible Scholars use to eliminate the false books and doctrines the same bible warns us believers about in the words ... to beware of false doctrines. Like the false doctrines of prehistoricman . You cannot get this consistency in the Bible , written by 40 different authors, in at least 3 different languages, without God inspiring , breathing life into, the writing of these books wihtin The Book.

 

What exactly did the apostle Paul mean when he said that the Bible is “inspired of God”? (2 Timothy 3:16) Paul, writing in the Greek language, used a word that literally means “God-breathed.” By that, Paul meant that God by means of his holy spirit guided the Bible writers to write only what He wanted them to write. These Bible writers “spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit,” said the apostle Peter.  (2 Peter 1:21) Hence, the apostle Paul could also describe the books of the Bible as “holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus.”—2 Timothy 3:15.

 

Your problem is you do not believe, Satan has more respect for the word of God than you. Thou she would probably not accept you in either , would she, him, shim ? Thats kinda like a septic tank not accepting your "refuse ."

 

Wonderfully written NYK. There's so much more that can be written about God's Word. I can read a passage today and God show me something about it. Then can read the same passage next week and God show me something completely different but edifying. 

Even the time line of Genesis from the First Adam to the birth of Abraham was 1948 years. And from the Second Adam(Jesus) to the rebirth of the nation of Israel whom Abraham is considered the Father of was 1948 years. 

Coincidence? Not!!!

The timing of Jesus dying on the cross prophesied to the very day by Daniel and again the Tribulation period and Second Coming of our Lord will be exactly as prophesied. 

Again I could go on forever as to the amazing and deep authenticity of the Word and it's revelations being revealed in these last days to whoever is willing to dig and ask Holy Spirit to show them "Something great and mighty that they do not know."

Thank you again for sharing my eternal brother.

Blessings upon you and your family.

[ronscarpa]

2 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

You will find out that you entire belief system was wrong. 

 

PrehistoricMan ... I appreciate your convictions, but I would encourage you to re-read the scriptures in a contemporary literal version of the bible (NASB or NKJV), not the JW New World translation. You will find there are major discrepencies in translation (really interpretations). Don't take all your info & perspectives from the Watchtower Library - see what else there is out there with an unbiased perspective. Ask Almighty God to  show you what is true - He will..! An old friend Randy was involved in developing the NW translation, and as a result chose to leave the JWs because of intentional misrepresentations in it.

 

I choose to not get into  these fruitless arguments, because they accomplish nothing constructive or positive - only divisiveness. Name-calling & anger never accomplishes anything but hostility - on both sides. Real dialogue can only take place when two parties are willing to be open to each others perspectives, and look at all evidence from each other's perspective. I'd be open to dialogue with you by phone if you wish - just let me know. I'm not a scholar, but like you, I'm a man of conviction. Nevertheless, I'm always willing to listen to another's viewpoint - as long as there is true reciprocity.

 

I noticed you quote "selective" scriptures from several translations - that's wonderful, but it should always be in context - not to just emphasize a point you want to make. Please, don't be like the Pharises who stuck to the letter of the law yet missed it's intention. One example is your perspective of Jesus, and statements He made - yet you don't consider other's he made - such as "I and the Father are one"  "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" - Please, read John 14 through 17 with an open mind. Then let's talk..!

 

Looking forward to your reply. RON

 

 

[PrehistoricMan]

22 minutes ago, ronscarpa said:

 

PrehistoricMan ... I appreciate your convictions, but I would encourage you to re-read the scriptures in a contemporary literal version of the bible (NASB or NKJV), not the JW New World translation. You will find there are major discrepencies in translation (really interpretations). Don't take all your info & perspectives from the Watchtower Library - see what else there is out there with an unbiased perspective. Ask Almighty God to  show you what is true - He will..! An old friend Randy was involved in developing the NW translation, and as a result chose to leave the JWs because of intentional misrepresentations in it.

 

I choose to not get into  these fruitless arguments, because they accomplish nothing constructive or positive - only divisiveness. Name-calling & anger never accomplishes anything but hostility - on both sides. Real dialogue can only take place when two parties are willing to be open to each others perspectives, and look at all evidence from each other's perspective. I'd be open to dialogue with you by phone if you wish - just let me know. I'm not a scholar, but like you, I'm a man of conviction. Nevertheless, I'm always willing to listen to another's viewpoint - as long as there is true reciprocity.

 

I noticed you quote "selective" scriptures from several translations - that's wonderful, but it should always be in context - not to just emphasize a point you want to make. Please, don't be like the Pharises who stuck to the letter of the law yet missed it's intention. One example is your perspective of Jesus, and statements He made - yet you don't consider other's he made - such as "I and the Father are one"  "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" - Please, read John 14 through 17 with an open mind. Then let's talk..!

 

Looking forward to your reply. RON

 

 

Hey Ron,

If you would re read every page, you will notice I never quote from the NWT.  I always use other bibles.  You seem to be more reasonable than the three I have been debating with.  

 

Sure.  How can I talk to you on the phone?

[keylime]

I guess being zealous to defend the truth and God's Word can lead to heated exchanges. And folks can seem unreasonable.

John calling the Pharasees a" brood of vipers.", and Jesus saying. they are of their"father the devil" and "the blind leading the blind" could be considered unreasonable. Or Jesus picking up a whip and beating the money changers and turning over their tables in His Father's house, could be seen as unreasonable...and lead to arguments but sometimes the truth must be defended with a zeal that borders on being unreasonable so the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 

The devil doesn't play nice and gentle although his lies are subtle and snakey slithering in and taking hold when you allow it. 

No thank you. 

Isaiah 9:6 KJV tells me everything I need to know about who Jesus is.

 

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

You really have to deliberately darken your soul against that truth to deny Christ Jesus' Diety and close your mind and heart to the truth of the Godhead. 

It doesn't refer to Jesus as a little God. It says "The Mighty God " And just in case you still don't get it God, through the prophet, emphasizes it by saying, this only begotten son will also be the "Everlasting Father" and at the same time, "Prince of Peace." And lest we forget Holy Spirit, this same Jesus will be called "Wonderful, Counselor." Jesus Himself told us He must leave so the "Counselor may come." But hold on, Jesus is also named Counselor. How can that be. How can Jesus be Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, and the Counselor? All Three in One. The very definition and concept of The Holy Trinity. 

And why in the order it states? Why Holy Spirit named first? Because Holy Spirit came over Mary first. The Father divinely impregnated her, Second, and Immanuel, God with us, The very Son who will carry the government, (not man's government), but God's government, this very same Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, is the 3rd part of the plan of salvation.

God is a God of order and this one verse explains not only who this child, this Son is, but the order of how the Godhead will make it happen. 

Nothing in the Word is just tossed in for good effect. Every jot and tittle has a divine purpose. And will be fulfilled.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:6 in the flesh.

 

I truly don't know how anyone can misinterpret, misunderstand, or miss the point. Unless they, like the Pharasees, are deliberately blinded by their own religious pride.

[new york kevin]

On 11/1/2021 at 11:23 PM, PrehistoricMan said:

Rapture isnt in the Bible.  It is a madeup word by phony christians.

Bible is the collection of writings.  It doesnt need to be in there.

Hey Pre, I thought this may be informative for you . It may clear up a few things regarding the rapture for you.

What Is the Rapture and Is it Biblical?

Ed Jarrett

| Contributing Writer

2020

27 Apr

 

What is the rapture? And what does the Bible say about it?  Many are familiar with the term. But all too often their understanding of the rapture is based more on popular writings like the Left Behind series than Scripture itself. The intent of this article is to look at what the Bible has to say about the rapture.

What Is the Rapture?

Rapture is not a word that is found in Scripture. But it is used to describe a very biblical doctrine; the return of Christ and the gathering up of his elect. This doctrine is central to the hope that we have as believers.

There are many scenarios of the end times that have been drawn from Jesus’ Revelation to John. But I do not find that there are any unambiguous references to the rapture contained in Revelation. Much of how one interprets Revelation is based upon their eschatological perspective. So, for that reason, I have chosen not to include anything from Revelation in this discussion. But there are three passages in the New Testament that do provide us with explicit information about this event.

Matthew 24:30-31 is a portion of Jesus’ teaching about his return. In this passage he says that all the peoples of the earth will see him coming in the clouds. And that with a trumpet call, he will send his angels to gather his elect from throughout the earth.

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul defends the future resurrection of believers. And in verses 50-55 he describes what that will be like. It will happen in a moment, at the last trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, and the living believers will be changed.

The third passage is also from Paul and is in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. In this passage Paul is seeking to encourage the believers in Thessalonica concerning some of their members who had died. He assures them that the Lord will return from heaven, along with a trumpet call. And when that happens, the dead in Christ will be raised, and those still alive will be caught up together with them.

These three passages do not share all the same details. But they do have enough in common to point to a common event. They affirm that Christ will return visibly for allto see and the last trumpet points to this event being at the end. It will involve the resurrection of believers who have died and the transformation of those who are still living at his return.

When Is the Rapture?

When will this second coming of Christ and our being gathered to him occur? The best answer we can give with any certainty is that it will be at the end of this age. In Matthew 24:3 Jesus’ disciples ask about Jesus coming and the end of the age. Jesus’ response to their question culminates with the passage mentioned above with Jesus’ return and our being gathered to him.

But exactly when “the end of the age” will be is a big unknown. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus tells his disciples that no one, other than the Father, knows when that end will occur. Not even the angels in heaven, or even the Son. And, in Acts 1:7, in response to his disciple’s question about the establishment of the kingdom, Jesus says that it is not for them to know the when. The end will come in the Father’s time, and he has not chosen to share that with us.

Another passage that deals with the when of the rapture is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. In this passage Paul cautions the Thessalonian believers not to become concerned that the Lord’s return and our being gathered had already occurred. He assured them that it will not come before a great apostasy first takes place and the antichrist is revealed.

But, while we may not know when the rapture will occur, it should not take us by surprise. In Matthew 24:42-51 Jesus tells us to keep prepared for his coming. While we do not know the when of the event, we should expect it at any time. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8, Paul expresses that the Lord’s return will be like a thief in the night. But we are not in darkness, so that day should not be a surprise to us. So always be ready, living in the light, and wearing the hope of salvation as a helmet.

 

 

What Will Happen at the Rapture?

When the rapture does occur, what will happen? In Matthew 24, Jesus simply tells us that we will be gathered by his angels. But Paul’s writing gives us a little more detail. Both 1 Corinthians 15:52 and Thessalonians 4:16-17 tell us that the rapture is not just of those who are living at the time, but that those believers who have already died will be resurrected and together we will meet our Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 15:45-54, Paul gives us some additional information about this rapture. When the Lord returns for us, we will be changed. The bodies we have now are not suitable for an eternal existence in the presence of God. This perishable and mortal body will be changed into one that is imperishable and immortal. Just what it will look like though is unknown. Earlier in this fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul expressed that what is sown often bears little resemblance to what is raised. So it will likely be with our bodies. At the resurrection/rapture our bodies will go through a radical transformation and may or may not resemble what they do now.

There are some who would propose that at the resurrection we will be purely spiritual beings, like God. But Scripture tells us that we will have a body – a body that will be like Christ’s. In 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 Paul contrasts the body we have now with the one that we will have. That coming body will be imperishable, immortal, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. Identifying it as a spiritual body lends support to a resurrection that is spiritual in nature. But note that it is a spiritual body, not a spirit. And we will bear the image of the heavenly man, Christ. What our bodies will be like is unknown. But we can be certain that we will have bodies.

A Difference in Timing

No discussion of the rapture would be complete without pointing out that there is a relatively recent school of thought that separates the rapture and the visible return of Christ by a seven-year tribulational period. As an amillennialist, this is not something I agree with. But apart from that there is agreement among the different eschatological views concerning the rapture; the gathering of believers at the end of the age.

So, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:54, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Because of the hope we have, we should let nothing move us from serving our Lord. Know that our service will not be in vain.

 

 

[new york kevin]

20 hours ago, keylime said:

There's so much more that can be written about God's Word. I can read a passage today and God show me something about it. Then can read the same passage next week and God show me something completely different but edifying. 

Only GOD, can write a verse and book like that and speak to you that way, my friend . Only God.

Edited November 13, 2021 by new york kevin

[keylime]

1 hour ago, new york kevin said:

Only GOD, can write a verse and book like that and speak to you that way, my friend . Only God.

Only God!!!

[keylime]

3 hours ago, new york kevin said:

Only GOD, can write a verse and book like that and speak to you that way, my friend . Only God.

I believe when Jesus said ,"I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am you may be there also." That place is in heaven. Thus, I believe we will be raptured, meeting the Lord in the air, and go back to that place He prepared. Then as the years of the Tribulation, and Great Tribulation unfold on earth we will be enjoying the marriage supper of the Lamb in Heaven. Then we will accompany Jesus back to earth as part of His Second Coming. "He comes with ten thousands times ten thousands of His saints."

I don't believe we will meet the Lord in the air, change in the twinkling of an eye, only to right away return to the earth not having gone before Him at the Bema Seat to receive our crowns and rewards. 

Now will it be 7 years later? I think more like 10 years between the rapture and the Second Coming. As Jesus'timing when He first came fulfilled the Spring feasts of the Lord, so too will the Rapture, the Second Coming and His setting up His Millinium Kingdom fulfill the Fall feasts of the Lord 

But the main thing is I am always looking up for my redemption draweth nigh. Even so Come Lord Jesus! Come quickly!!