Bible Discussion Replies PAGE 94

Ronald,

Thank you, brother, for clarifying that!

God Bless!!!

T-Rex,

(Part 1):

Thank you for your message. Thank you for sharing these two verses. Hebrews 10:26 says if we receive the knowledge of the truth. Please notice it doesn't say if we receive Christ. It's only knowledge we receive. Does knowledge save a person? If I meet a non-believer on the street, and I preach Jesus to him/her, and I tell them that the only way they can be saved from their sin is to receive Jesus, they now have the knowledge of the truth, but does that knowledge save them? The answer to that is no. If someone receives the knowledge of the truth (the gospel message of salvation), and they sin willfully after receiving that knowledge, what this is saying is that there is no other way for them to be saved, no other sacrifice that will atone for their sin.

I'm sorry, but in no way does this verse teach that salvation can be lost. What the writer is saying is that you have been given the knowledge of the truth, the gospel of salvation, and that if you choose to sin willfully after receiving this knowledge, there is no other sacrifice for your sin. Going back into Judaism will not save you!

These men you mention, I am very well aware of. I do not follow them nor do I trust them.

To your question asking that "If someone has the freewill to choose to follow Jesus why would they be forbidden to have freewill to unfollow?"

If there is one command that we are to follow that would be sufficient and acceptable to God, it would be the command Jesus gave to His disciples where He says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The command in this verse is "follow me." That's the command. The command to follow Him means 24/7, not when we choose to do so or not do so. However, as you alluded to, we do have free will and we can choose to disobey the command. But if we do so, will He not chastise us and bring us back into submission?

T-Rex,

(Part 2):

In Matthew 24:13, the literal translation from the Greek text is "but the one who HAS ENDURED, not the one who will, but the one who has endured unto the end, this one will be saved.

In the Greek, it's what's called an Aorist Participle. It shows the proof of those who are saved. The person who is saved WILL endure to the end.

I am not one who believes that I can "stop following Jesus, commit blasphemy, and still be saved regardless of my obedience, so I do hope you are not referring to my belief.

I believe in eternal security. I believe my salvation is permanent because God is a righteous judge, He has provided a way for me to be saved, He sent His Son to pay for my sin, and when I received Jesus, I have been justified, declared not guilty!

Now, I am fully away that this does not give me a license to sin because I am saved no matter what. Those who believe salvation cannot be lost often get accused of thinking that they can sin all they want to because they are saved no matter what, but I can say to you that I do not think that way at all. In fact, one way to find out if I truly belong to Christ would be to put it to the test and go out and start sinning and try going back to the same sinful lifestyle before I received Christ. If there's no conviction, no guilt, then I suppose I need to start taking inventory!

And yes, I agree that just focusing on one verse only to come to a conclusion on any biblical teaching is not wise and would border on the edge of heresy!

CrossTalker,

Thank you so much for the reply. I am somewhat embarrassed for not reading the entire thread of conversation before asking about this person. Had I have done so, I would have seen where you mentioned this person was real.

From what I see, this person doesn't understand the concept of God's punishment and judgment. To him to say that "God at best will only punish him with whippings" for the things he is doing tells me that he has much to learn. He may try and give the appearance that he is well versed in the bible, but my thoughts are that he has no idea about what it means to follow Christ. You are right to question this person's heart and standing with God.

Blessings to you in Christ!

Brother Ronald,

(Part 1):

I'm not sure that we differ much in our understanding of the word HUPOMENO. Patience, endurance, and perseverance can be attached to this word. The word HUPO means under, and MENO means remain. So, we are to remain under our circumstances, and we are to endure hardships and whatever else is thrown at us. The word HUPOMENO expresses a remaining under or an endurance in circumstances.

As I mentioned previously, a person who is born of God's Spirit will endure to the end. God's Spirit gives us the ability to remain under and endure. His Spirit gives us the ability to persevere. Without His Spirit, we would never endure or persevere to the end because without His Spirit, all it leaves us with is this body of flesh which will never submit to Christ.

To your first question asking, "Is our salvation initiated by our choice to believe, John 3:16, free will?" Biblically speaking, the salvation process is initiated by God the Father. Jesus said, in John 6:44, "No one is able to come to me, unless the Father who has sent me should draw him; and I will raise him up in the last day."

Consequently, if the Father does not draw a person to Christ, that person cannot be saved. It is only after the Father draws a person to Christ, and they surrender their life to Him, that the Spirit of Christ enters into the spirit of that person and a spiritual birth takes place. So, it is God that initiates salvation, it is God that saves, and it is God that keeps a person saved. We can't keep ourselves saved.

Brother Ronald,

(Part 2):

You mention that you do not see a believer and a true believer as two different people, that you either believe or you don't. The reason I differentiate between a believer and a true believer is because a person can believe in God, a person can believe what the bible says is true, a person can go to church religiously twice a week and still be void of God's Spirit. There are people in our churches today that have never received Christ. Oh yea, they believe alright, but they never surrender their life to Him. To me a true believer is someone who has been born of God's Spirit. Anyone can believe. The bible says that even the demons believe. They know who Jesus is and they believe. They just will never submit to Him.

To your second question, "Do we decide to choose death over life, or are we predestined, chosen beforehand in God's plan?" When we are drawn to Christ by the Father, when we are convicted by His Spirit of our sin, when we come to the realization that the only cure for sin is Christ, we are then at a crossroad and have a choice to make. If we choose to reject Christ, then yes, we've chosen death over life. If we truly convicted in our heart and surrender our life to Christ, He will save us. But again, we didn't initiate the salvation process, God the Father did. Predestination is a totally different topic that has been discussed in this forum in the past.

Yes, I agree that falling away is called apostasy. But I'm not too sure about those who apostatized had previously held the Christian faith. It is my belief that a person who belongs to Christ will never commit apostasy or "fall away." How can a person claim to love the Lord and walk away from Him? Brother, if there is one question that I'd ask you personally, could you walk away from Jesus Christ right now? I'm not asking you whether or not you have the "free-will" to do so, I'm asking will you do it today or maybe even tomorrow?

Brother Ronald,

(Part 3):

You mention that you can't fall off a roof you are not on. That is true. You also cannot fall off a roof if you and are permanently secured to an anchor point. Sure, I can unhook myself and jump off, but I use the word permanently because Christ has sealed me with His Spirit, and that is permanent. I'm permanently secured to Christ and can never be separated from Him. If I decide to walk away, He goes with me because He says He will never leave me nor forsake me.

There are three verses I must consider, Deuteronomy 31:6, 31:8, Joshua 1:5, and Hebrews 13:5. These verses tell me that Jesus will never leave me nor forsake me. Sure, you might say I can leave Him, but if I leave, where does Christ go? Will He leave me? I must take Him at His word.

Now here's how great the Greek text is. In Hebrews 13:5, it says "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." What a beautiful statement. What a beautiful promise. You see, here's something we don't get from our English text, but in the Greek text, just in this statement alone, there are 5 negatives.

The word never represents two negatives. Whenever a writer in Greek uses two negatives, he's talking about an impossibility. Jesus says, "I will never," in other words, it will be impossible for Me to leave you. And then He says, "Nor forsake you." Now the word forsake comes with three negatives, so this gives us the five negatives. The only way a person can lose salvation is if Christ leaves them, and that's never going to happen according to Him.

Brother Ronald,

(Part 4):

Lastly, to your last statement that "If one decides to become unrepentant and disobedient and chooses to walk in the world and not the Spirit, and God turns them over to a reprobate mind, it will be far worse if they had never known Christ."

My dear brother, this comes from Romans Chapter 1. The phrase "God gave them over to a reprobate mind" comes from Romans 1:28."

But who are the "them" that this is speaking of. When I read Romans Chapter 1, beginning at Romans 1:18 which leads up to Verse 28, I see who the ones are that God gives to a reprobate mind, and it doesn't seem to line up with the context you put it in.

It's clear to see that those who God gives over to a reprobate mind are not saved believers who "decide to become unrepentant and disobedient choose to walk in the world and not the Spirit," but people who have been shown the truth and choose to reject it. These are people who reject Christ and will always reject Him.

The word reprobate means to reject. When a person continues to reject God, even when they are given every opportunity to receive Him and they still continue to reject, those are the ones God gives over to a reprobate mind. The context you put it in does not seem to match up with what I am reading in Chapter 1 of Romans.

If you take this from Romans 1:18, what this is showing us is the doctrine of condemnation. If there is anything you see from Romans 1-18 through Romans 1:28 that describes a person who is saved being given over by God to a reprobate mind, please show me how you come to this conclusion.

Ronald, I thank you also for this discussion. And yes, I agree that this is a controversial subject. And yes, I can make sense of what you wrote, but only if I see it through the mind of those who believe salvation can be lost!

May the Lord continue to lead us and minister to our hearts and minds and cause us to be obedient to Him until the day He brings us home.

God Bless!!!

Dear Lbooth,

Do you really think that risen and glorified Jesus would give the apostles before His ascension prophecy about them going to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world ( Acts 1:8) after promising them that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit and was not able to make His prophecy come to past in the lives of the apostles when He said that He possessed ALL power and Authority? I do not doubt for a minute that Jesus' words were not fulfilled in the lives of these apostles which I would include Paul among them. There are several Scripture passages that do say that the gospel was taken throughout the known world (perhaps the reach of the Roman empire or hellenized or civilized or inhabited world is meant) during the time of the apostles ( Romans 10:15-18; 16:26; 1Thess. 1:8; Col. 1:5,6,23).

As to sources outside of Scripture, many of the leaders who came just after the apostles, many being appointed my the apostles tell of where the apostles took the gospel who lived in the 1st and 2nd century. I would believe such historical reports from the decades immediately following the lives of the apostles before I would seek wisdom in someone who lived thousands of years after the apostles lived, which would include you, Lbooth. I don't say this to offend you but to highlight that you who doubt the witness of early church history because it is not recorded in the Bible seem to think that your own extrabiblical opinion is better than that of these men who, in their own time would have been corrected extensively if what they recorded was erroneous.

That being said, I do think that extrabiblical historical records can help us understand what happened in the church from the time of Jesus' ascension up to their own time in the 1st and 2nd centuries because I do believe that Jesus was at work in the early church to build it as He promised and that His command and prophetic words to the apostles in Acts 1:6, Mt. 28:19-20, etc.

Summary:

Tithing in the OT was a system of giving commanded under the Law of Moses for national Israel, involving multiple tithes for priests, feasts, and the poor. It was part of the theocratic system and is not required under the New Covenant, where giving is voluntary and led by grace.

Tithing in the Old Testament (OT) was the practice of giving a tenth (10%) of one's income, produce, or livestock to the Lord. It was part of the Mosaic Law given to Israel and served multiple purposes-primarily supporting the Levitical priesthood, helping the poor, and celebrating religious festivals. Here's a breakdown:

1. The Basic Command

"Tithe" means "tenth."

The first mention is Genesis 14:20, when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils of war-this was before the Law.

Jacob also promised a tenth to God in Genesis 28:22, again before the Law.

2. Under the Mosaic Law (For Israel)

There were actually three tithes commanded for different purposes:

A. The Levitical Tithe (First Tithe)

Numbers 18:21-24: The Israelites gave 10% of their crops and livestock to support the Levites, who had no inheritance or land.

The Levites then gave a tenth of the tithe to the priests ( Numbers 18:26-28).

B. The Festival Tithe (Second Tithe)

Deuteronomy 14:22-27: Another 10% was set aside each year for the Israelites to bring to Jerusalem and eat during religious festivals (like Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles).

If the journey was long, they could convert the tithe to money and use it to buy food and drink in Jerusalem.

C. The Poor Tithe (Third Tithe)

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 & 26:12-13: Every third year, a tithe was stored locally to support the poor, orphans, widows, and foreigners.

So, the average Israelite gave about 23.3% annually, not just 10%.

3. Tithing Was for Israel Under the Law

Malachi 3:8-10 is often quoted on tithing but was a rebuke to Israel for neglecting the Law, not a command to the Church.

The Temple system and Levitical priesthood made tithing necessary.

4. Tithing in the New Testament

No command is given to the Body of Christ (Church) to tithe.

Instead, believers are told to give willingly, cheerfully, and generously ( 2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Tithing was not taught as a requirement for Gentile believers under grace.

Hey Bivinsjo, in peace, imagine if we could spend all our time preaching, praying for the sick, giving to those in need. Stand together through thick and thin, trust your fellow members in the congregation, and be togeth But some want houses to be built for the Lord. Want to have a name among people perhaps. Like David and Solomon, it will probably be difficult to fill those shoes. Or who are houses built for? The church: well, but if we did as in New Testament times when the Apostles and the believers shared everything. And new saved souls were constantly added to the church.

Today we see one church after another growing, then stagnating. That is, the believers have become living "dead". They have fallen asleep. What is the point of a house? If they had continued with house meetings, all the money could have been spent on evangelism and the church would have become a living church. That is my view. And I personally think it is a waste of time and money. We have the Holy Spirit living in us. He does not need houses built with hands.

Acts 10:44-48

There are far too many empty church buildings that are falling apart these days, because new ones are to be built. Think of all the time that is spent pleasing people. Instead of being close to the Lord and gaining wisdom and understanding in all things. That is something to aspire to, not building a house for people. Sure, it is great to meet at a proper hallelujah meeting or a proper teaching, or a proper preaching. But can't we rent premises then? I think we would have gotten more attention from that than hiding away in a corner with a large church building that is empty all week long. But the opposite of empty premises is to fill them up all day long. Then there will be activity and life for all groups of people. That's how it should be. There are greedy Christians who would like to do something, they drag gullible people along and do things they know in their hearts are not good. Run from it. Love u

2 Chronicles 19:11

Hey Jesse,

Sorry, it should have been choose life over death.

God bless,

RLW

Brother Jesse,

Thanks. We are justified by faith in the sacrifice and blood of Jesus. By grace through faith, we are saved. We cannot earn salvation through good works, but we are transformed to do good works. I understand you see hupomeno differently than I do; you study Greek, I do not. What I see is that it means to endure and persevere. Also, in Rev. 2, Rev. 3, and Rev. 21, the word overcometh, Greek 3528 nikao, meaning to conquer, overcome, prevail, and get the victory.

Is our salvation initiated by our choice to believe, John 3:16, free will? When we hear the gospel, we decide to believe in God and His Son, Jesus, and receive salvation by the grace of God through faith. Just like Abraham, who chose to believe and depend on God instead of relying on himself, even when God asked him to sacrifice his son, his choice is rewarded. Do we decide to choose death over life, or are we predestined, chosen beforehand in God's plan?

In the falling away, I do not see a believer and a true believer as two different people; to me, you either believe or you don't. Falling away is apostasy; those who apostatized had previously held the Christian faith. You can't fall off a roof you are not on. My understanding is that this refers to people walking away from their faith.

Something similar happened around 250 AD when Emperor Decius required Christians to sacrifice to the gods and obtain a certificate; some apostatized, many were killed, which is just a small sample of what's to come. Nobody, including Satan, can take us out of our Father's hand. We are free moral agents capable of accepting or rejecting salvation.

If one decides to become unrepentant and disobedient and chooses to walk in the world and not the Spirit, and God turns them over to a reprobate mind, it will be far worse if they had never known Christ. Thank you, Jesse, for discussing this controversial subject. I hope you can make sense of what I wrote.

God bless,

RLW

Exod.33.21-22 "The clift of the rock"And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock/ And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock,"

It is understood that the passage refers to Jesus Christ. If this obvious without saying, it refers to the Son and we accept it as true. If the narrative mode of the Spirit makes the truth so self-evident how come so many heresies have crept in?

Doctrine of men can be defined as a believer chooses to override the signposts set up by the Spirit to make it pass for as the truth. This is will-worship pure and simple. In the first chapter of the book of Genesis we have six days and it is followed up with day Seven. The Spirit reminds us that he is referring to "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them? Does anyone find a week mentioned there. For that matter week is introduced only in the book of Daniel. All along the Spirit consistently sticks to days and the Law of Moses was referring to the Covenant of seven days. "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings."(Lev.23.3) God blessed the seventh day as the Covenant is everlasting one and fullness God rests in Jesus Christ. By the same token the Law affixes the authority of the Word. Cut and paste by all means so such doctrines of men is a sure safe conduct issued by the devil for those who wilfully resisted God.

(On vacation: Norway)

2 Corinthians 5:19

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

THINK ABOUT IT!

not imputing their trespasses unto them

not imputing their trespasses unto them

not imputing their trespasses unto them

Paul is the only apostle who gives detailed revelation about the rapture-the catching away of the Body of Christ-a doctrine unique to his epistles and part of the "mystery" revealed to him by the risen Christ ( Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:1-9; 1 Corinthians 15:51). Here are the key passages and what Paul says:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - The Classic Rapture Passage

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout... and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..."

(vv. 16-17, KJV)

Paul describes:

A resurrection of dead believers.

A snatching away (Greek: harpazo, Latin: rapturo) of the living believers.

A meeting in the air-not Christ coming to Earth (contrast with Second Coming).

A comforting hope unique to the Body of Christ (v. 18).

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 - A Mystery Revealed

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed... in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye"

Paul explains:

This was previously hidden-a mystery not found in prophecy.

There will be a transformation of living saints.

The event is instantaneous and involves receiving glorified bodies.

Philippians 3:20-21 - Our Heavenly Hope

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour... Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body"

Paul emphasizes:

Our hope is not earthly (kingdom), but heavenly.

Christ will give believers a glorified body like His own.

Summary:

Paul teaches that the rapture is a mystery revealed only to him for the Body of Christ. It is a pre-judgment event ( 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9), sudden, and distinct from Christ's return to Earth in judgment (as in Matthew 24 or Revelation). This catching away is the blessed hope ( Titus 2:13) for those saved by grace through faith apart from the Law ( Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Bible speaks for itself, no dictionary or man's concordance needed.

The apostle Paul is uniquely identified in Scripture as the chosen vessel through whom God revealed the mystery of the Body of Christ. In Romans 11:13, Paul declares, "I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office." Unlike the Twelve Apostles, who were sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ( Matthew 10:5-6), Paul was sent by the risen, glorified Christ from heaven ( Acts 9:15; Galatians 1:11-12) to proclaim a new message-not the Gospel of the Kingdom, but the Gospel of the Grace of God ( Acts 20:24). Paul alone speaks of the "Church which is His Body" ( Ephesians 1:22-23), a new creation made up of both Jew and Gentile, united by faith and baptized by the Holy Spirit into one Body ( 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:14-16).

The Body of Christ was a mystery "kept secret since the world began" ( Romans 16:25) and not revealed until Paul. He was given this revelation by Christ directly ( Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:24-27) and is the only apostle who teaches its doctrines-such as salvation by grace through faith without works ( Ephesians 2:8-9), the heavenly position of believers ( Colossians 3:1-4), and the rapture of the Church ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Paul calls himself the "wise masterbuilder" who laid the foundation for this present dispensation of grace ( 1 Corinthians 3:10). The other apostles, including Peter, recognized Paul's distinct apostleship and agreed to confine their ministry to the circumcision, while Paul went to the Gentiles ( Galatians 2:7-9).

No other apostle is identified in Scripture as the apostle of the Body of Christ. Only Paul received the full revelation of the mystery, the doctrines, and the heavenly calling of the Church. Therefore, Paul stands alone as the God-appointed apostle to the Body of Christ.

Part 2

Summary

The Bible does not record the 12 apostles spreading throughout the known world.

Only Paul has detailed missionary journeys in Scripture.

Traditions say some apostles went as far as India, Africa, or Europe, but historical proof is scarce.

It seems Paul, not the 12, was the main missionary to the Gentile world.

Did the 12 apostles of Christ fulfill Matthew 28:19? Read Carefully!

There is no definitive historical evidence in Scripture showing that all 12 apostles of Christ traveled throughout the entire known world to preach the gospel. However, church tradition, early writings, and some historical sources provide accounts-though often inconsistent or unverifiable-of where individual apostles may have gone after Pentecost.

Here's a breakdown:

Biblical Record

In the book of Acts, only a few apostles are mentioned in detail after Pentecost:

Peter: Preaches in Jerusalem, visits Samaria, and goes to Joppa and Caesarea ( Acts 8-10).

John: Accompanies Peter ( Acts 3, 8).

James (the brother of John): Martyred early ( Acts 12:2).

Paul (not one of the 12) becomes the main focus from Acts 13 onward.

There is no biblical record showing that the other apostles (e.g., Bartholomew, Simon the Zealot, Thaddeus) traveled widely or took missionary journeys outside of Judea.

Church Tradition & Historical Accounts

Some later Christian writings and traditions claim broader travels:

Thomas: Said to have gone to India (supported by strong local tradition among the St. Thomas Christians).

Andrew: Believed to have preached in Scythia, around the Black Sea (modern Ukraine and Georgia).

Bartholomew: Said to have gone to Armenia or India.

James (son of Zebedee): Martyred early, but later traditions say his remains went to Spain (Santiago de Compostela).

Matthew: Possibly went to Ethiopia or Persia.

However, these traditions are not in the Bible and vary in historical credibility. Many were recorded centuries later and are difficult to verify.

Paul's Unique Role

Only Paul is consistently shown in Scripture as traveling extensively-through Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome, with plans to go to Spain ( Romans 15:24). He calls himself "the apostle of the Gentiles" ( Romans 11:13), and his journeys are recorded in great detail in Acts 13-28.

Hello Mr./Mrs. Free,

Though it is difficult when there are masks, what you said is true.

So, I Thank you for the reminder and timely encouragement. Will do.

Love you back more.

Hello Chris,

Hope you've been well. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

I am grateful for your time & your scriptural clarity. I understand now.

Thank you & Good day!

Titus 2:14

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Titus 2:12

"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Matthew 5:16

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Blessings

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? ( Rev. 6:15-17).

No atheists in the Tribulation. I would affirm that is the case from the onset as we read in Revelation 5:13

"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."

This follows the ascension in Revelation 4 to heaven of John showing what must happen immediately after the mention of the churches in chapter 3 and 4; and the 24 elders seem to represent us as kings and priests mentioned elsewhere

Revelation 5:9-10 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The theme here is that whatever side you are on spiritually determines the state of existence. I am certain we all know intrinsically where we are although many try to deny it now it will soon be clear.

Agape.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. ( Habakkuk 2:3)

THis seeming contradiction on tarrying and not tarrying shows the swiftness of His coming even if there is a delay of its onset.

The issue the Lord wants us to focus on is our reasoning on the delay; we are to redeem the time because the days are evil ( Eph. 5:16) but also we aren't to be as the world who says nothing has changed ( 2 Peter 3:4) who seem by the context of the verse to be evolutionists in mindset. The master surely should be our Master; along with Lord and Savior and we should be about God's business as Jesus was in setting an example for His church.

Consider Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. This is something God is doing by delaying; so that the fullness of sins are made manifest.

The church is guilty of this sort of mindset is well; in gradually corrupting text and making the house of God as a house of merchendise; so to speak repeating what went on 2000 years ago. The Lord delays ( 2 Peter 3:9) so that all men might be saved. He knows who will come to faith; and also from what we examined earlier will use different events to determine who is saved in what "dispensation" as it were. The time of Jacob's trouble is predetermined so that a remnant of national Israel repents after the church is removed. It is truly a mystery to see how God works in the Tribulation as it has elements of past events with signs and wonders with prophets of God but also of course the world is in full knowledge of who Christ is.

Rev. 6:15-17

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

We've all probably heard about 1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Hebrews 12:9 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

Revelation 1:10 "On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.

When considering the last trump signifying the Rapture we think of the Feast of Trumpets on one hand; as it is traditionally known as the day when no one knows the day or hour as the new moon sighting can be on one of 2 or perhaps more days depending on weather conditions and the time of sighting which signals its onset. When we examine the other references here it certainly could signify a heavenly trumpet instead. That is the most likely scenario; as those who are caught up will come from all parts of the world.

We also are reminded that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding; thus I look at Psalm 40 as a prophetic warning of the Rapture. Psalm 40:1-3 state I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

I'll let the reader examine references to patiently waiting (n regard to spiritual reward); bringing us out of our bodies made of clay; and the new song in heaven. My point here is that many will come to faith after the Rapture out of fear as verse 3 says; likely indicating the multitude saved in the Tribulation.

Or; lets consider Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come...

A warning about good news.

If this is the time I sense it is; deception will come with many calling for peace and security (or safety; the same thing scripture warns us about). As the times of Noah so is the time of the coming of the Son of Man; according to scripture. The delusion of peace likely predates for a short time the actual covenant with may in the 1st Seal of Revelation. This not only could fool the world but believers at that time to be off guard. We can see a sort of situation in the Middle East; for instance where national interests of the Muslim world take over in Palestine in lieu of Hamas; seemingly "solving the problem" there. A similar state of mind also is with the Saudi's planning to manage the Wailing wall area; thus helping to facilitate the 3rd Temple; likely separate from the Dome of the Rock area.

Those who have been paying attention to the news the last 5 years or so will know about the edifice prepared in Abu Dhabi for a church; mosque and synagogue all on site. There are also plans for a city basically run by drones there; I'm not sure what progress or lack thereof there has been of late on that construction.

The world structure no doubt is run by Satan himself; his minions operating in certain regions and the media propaganda sowing confusion as to what is truth and what is fiction. Certainly this is occurring in so called Christian cites where everyone and their cousin has a dream or vision. This is particularly true as to what many seem to claim is happening in September; in regard to the Rapture.

There are only two possiblities; that God's servants indeed are all having true visions of what is to come; or not. Could we have sufficient warning of such an event? I'd rather err on the side of caution. The bigger danger is that those who think they are going up are sadly mistaken who have given an assent to Christ and even eschatological truth but their hearts remain unchanged.

More in next post

Amen.

Matthew 7:14

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Matthew 7:15

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

John 15:8

"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."

Matthew 7:19

"Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Blessings

David,

I will pray and believe that the lord will help with whatever you need help with, and I believe he will do what is needed in your situation.

Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

This verse shows how important it is to seek and ask for what you need.

God bless you and your family and your mom, David.

Thank you so much Gigi. I knew I could come to this site and get the power of prayer set in motion. Jameys surgeon say it is in God's hands as to whether she will regain the feeling in her legs. I trust Him to do as He will with her recovery but I know He listens to our prayers. Thanks to all who pray, as I pray for all on this site.