The United Nations "Mandates" Abortion Legalization! ~ Really?

AMERICA IS HOME TO THE WORLD'S TWO LARGEST SUPPORTERS OF INFANTICIDE!   ~  If anyone doubts that statement, consider these facts.  We all recognize that Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., aka, Planned Parenthood, is the world's largest Abortion Clinic.  

Planned Parenthood has its headquarters in New York City - and has local Infanticide (mass killers of babies) clinics in most every city and community in America.

And we have the anti-America organization named the UNITED NATIONS also headquartered in New York City.  The UN's latest move against America's moral values was recently announced. 

On November 13, 2018, we see the United Nations issuing its mandate that all nations MUST legalize Infanticide, aka, Abortion.  Has the United Nations already declared itself to be the One World Government?

From the associated article:

UN Committee Declares Sovereign Nations ‘Must’ Legalize Abortion
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/un-committee-declares-sovereign-nations-must-legalize-abortion?fbclid=IwAR0Mj8rIE1Y1_2QL5X2jlQF5UxokPkbRzYUJXKdfSkYVTbEAqSeKhpziLwo

 GENEVA, Switzerland, November 13, 2018 (Population Research Institute) – The Human Rights Committee at the United Nations Office in Geneva has adopted a radically pro-abortion document that could have lasting implications for pro-life laws worldwide.

 The document, known as General Comment No. 36, is the first of its kind to declare that states “must” legalize abortion in cases of rape, incest, health of the mother, and when the pregnancy “is not viable.”  

First, please notice that the United Nations refers to all nations of the world - as STATES.  No, America is not a "state" under the United Nations.  America is a sovereign nation - and regardless of the attempts by Obama, Hillary, and the Liberal Democratic Party to surrender our sovereignty to the United Nations - America will remain a sovereign nation.  America is under the control of God and never the United Nations or any other man-devised organization.

For the record, statistics DO NOT support or want Abortion on Demand, i.e., the indiscriminate killing of innocent babies just for convenience.  Folks have tried to use rape, incest, and mother's health to support the convenience of Abortion on Demand as their choice of birth control.  But, statistics show that those three combined account for much less than 3 percent of the one million abortions in America each year.  That leaves about 970,000 babies killed via abortion - as a chosen method of birth control - for convenience.  That grieves God and all Christian believers.

Reasons Given For Having Abortions In The United States
By Wm. Robert Johnston, Last updated 18 January 2016 http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/abreasons.html

Summary:  This report reviews available statistics regarding reasons given for obtaining abortions in the United States, including surveys by the Alan Guttmacher Institute and data from seven state health/statistics agencies that report relevant statistics (Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Utah).  The official data imply that AGI claims regarding "hard case" abortions (rape, incest, mother's health) are inflated by roughly a factor of three. 

Actual percentage of U.S. abortions in "hard cases" are estimated as follows:  In cases of rape, 0.3% ~ in cases of incest, 0.03% ~ in cases of risk to maternal life, 0.1% ~ in cases of risk to maternal health, 0.8% ~ and in cases of fetal health issues, 0.5%.   About 98.3% of abortions in the United States are elective, including socio-economic reasons or for birth control.  This includes perhaps 30% for primarily economic reasons and possibly 0.1% each for sex selection and selective reduction of multi-fetal pregnancies.

The United Nations has decided and mandated that all nations MUST legalize abortion.  Really?  Has the United Nations already decided that it "IS" the One World Governing Body?

Let's take a look at the conceiving, gestation, and background of the United Nations and its headquarters in New York City:

Most people are not aware that the United Nations is only the afterbirth of the failed attempt to raise up the League of Nations to rule the world.  In the afterglow of World War 1, there was a meeting of One World Government advocates in Paris who devised a scheme named the League of Nations. 

One of the prime movers in this aborted attempt to rule the world was Colonel Edward Mandell House, a political advisor to President Woodrow Wilson.   "Colonel" was not really a military title - but a title he self-invoked to himself for purposes of self-importance.  The following facts will give you a better understanding of how the United Nations was conceived in an attempt to rape America and the world:

En Route To Global Occupation
By Gary H. Kah, page 29
Published 1992 by Huntington House Publishers,

Colonel House, as he was called, was an agent committed to the one-world interests of the Rothschild-Warburg-Rockefeller cartel, serving as their point-man in the White House. 

He first gained national prominence in 1912 while working to get Woodrow Wilson nominated as president.  After Wilson's election, he became the president's most trusted personal advisor.  House was to Wilson what Henry Kissinger would later be to Richard Nixon. 

He was, without question, the dominant figure in the White House, exerting his influence particularly in the areas of banking and foreign policy.  His accomplishments as Wilson's chief advisor were many.  Among other things, be successfully persuaded Woodrow Wilson to support and sign the Federal Reserve Act into law.  Later, realizing what he bad done, President Wilson remorsefully replied, "I have unwittingly ruined my country."  

Bill Gray Note:  The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 was created by a small group in Congress during a congressional recess period when few members of congress were present.  In other words, it was a midnight theft of congressional and American rights - while the majority were asleep.  And it is a non-government organization which has been given total control of America's monetary and financial system.

During World War I, which began within a year after the Federal Reserve Act's passage, House would make secret missions to Europe as Wilson's chief foreign diplomat.  It didn't take long before he managed to drag the United States into the war (April 1917).  As the war came to an end in 1918, House worked diligently to help plan the League of Nations.  Funded in part with Rockefeller money, the League was to serve as the first political step toward the forming of a world government.

President Wilson, as a result of House's counsel, would become the leading spokesperson for the League of Nations, publicly viewed as the League's chief architect, in spite of the fact that House was really the one in charge.  However, much to Wilson's dismay and embarrassment, he could not even persuade his own country to join the organization.  The American people strongly resisted this move toward globalization, placing heavy pressure on Congress to reject the treaty, thereby keeping the U.S. out of the League.

The non-entry of the United States into the League of Nations represented a huge setback for Colonel House and the internationalists.  There could be no world government without the participation of the world's leading power (America).  The setback, however, proved to be only temporary.  The globalists would learn from this experience and would never again underestimate the power of the American people or of Congress. 

To make sure that a similar incident didn't happen again the second time around, the cartel, working through House and his accomplices, would establish the Council on Foreign Relations.  (En Route To Global Occupation, Gary H. Kah, page 29)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

En Route To Global Occupation
By Gary H. Kah, page 37

To make sure that the United States would not back out of joining the United Nations as it did with the League of Nations, the international body would this time be located on American soil.  This gesture would make the American public less resistant to the move.  The land for the United Nations building was "graciously" donated by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Bill Gray Note: The League of Nations was headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and Colonel House and his globalist friends could not shove it down the throats of the American people.  To circumvent that happening again, their next move was to plant their bastard child of the League of Nations, the United Nations, in America.  The Rockefeller family donated land in New York City to be the world headquarters of the United Nations - and the UN has been a foreign squatter in America ever since.

By getting the United States to join the U.N., which represents a limited form of world government - the Council on Foreign Relations had accomplished its first major objective.  Using its influence in public education and the media, the CFR would now proceed to cast a favorable image for the United Nations among the American public, eventually leading step-by-step to U.S. participation in a full-blown system of world government.  This, it was realized, would take some time. 

Had the CFR tried to bring the U.S. into a world government all at once, the effort would have failed.  The American people would have reacted full force against such an attempt.  The immediate purpose of the U.N. was therefore merely to warm Americans up to the idea of global government.  It was all part of the conditioning.  (En Route To Global Occupation, Gary H. Kah, page 37)

Folks, the United Nations does NOT have the best interest of America, nor the American people, at heart in their scope of interests.  Their goal is to make America a subservient puppet nation under full control and government of the "One World" United Nations. 

And since the early years of the 20th century the Liberal Democratic Party leaders have been working hand in hand with the international globalists to harness the government of America.  We saw it with Woodrow Wilson and with every Democratic party leader since - until it reached a peak in the hands of Obama and his female counterpart, Hillary Clinton.  Bernie Sanders is firmly onboard as are all of the Liberal Democrat and RINO political leaders.

But when the United Nations attempts to MANDATE the killing of babies, Infanticide, for all the world - my love of God, my love of children, my love of family, faith, and decency - and my love of America mandate that I fight back.

President Trump, your mandate from all true Americans is to stop funding and following the corrupt United Nations foreign leaders squatting in New York City ~ and give them their Eviction Notice from all American soil. 

God bless America,

Bill 

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MISUSE OF THE BIBLE - Dr. Henry M. Morris, Institute Of Creation Research

Earlier this week I posted a new blog on our Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries blog site, and sent it via my Friends Ministry eNewsletter.  It is titled "God Continues To Work At IBBC-Riverside!"   In my blog I shared thoughts and notes I used for the inaugural Seniors Sunday School Class at our International Bible Baptist Church in Riverside, California.  In my blog I told you:

Danny Garcia and I were asked to lead the Seniors Class and taking a lead from many successful sports coaches, it seemed right to go "back to the basics."   Why back to the basics?   Because like all successful teams we want to be so grounded in the basic teachings of our Christian faith - that no question will throw us, or confuse us when God gives us an opportunity to share His Word with the world. .  .  .  An effective Christian life and the way we view the Bible, God's Written Word, must have a solid foundation. .  .  .

We all should be able to acknowledge that there are Essential Christian Doctrines which define our salvation and which cannot be compromised. .  .  .

And there are many Non-Essential Christian Teachings which are important for us to understand how they relate to our Christian faith - which are interesting to discuss - and which are helpful in making us more mature believers and witnesses.   But they DO NOT define nor affect our salvation.

In the list of Essential Christian Doctrines I began with the Bible being our rock solid faith foundation - for our faith, our walk with the Lord, is built upon the foundation of God's Word, His Bible.  So obviously it is very important not only that we daily read and study our Bible - it is also very important as the foundation of our faith how we read our Bible.  As I said in my earlier blog, we should view the Bible as the Holy Spirit Inspired, Holy Spirit Inerrant, Holy Spirit Literal Written Word of God.  Which is the way a conservative theology church and conservative theology believers will read the Bible.

Yet on the other hand there are many churches and believers who view the Bible as only a book of metaphors, myths, and symbolisms meant only as a guideline for the Christian faith.  This is the Liberal view of the Bible, also called the Postmodernism or Liberalism.  We see Liberalism running rampant in our secular and political world today, and we see much of that Liberalism seeping into our Christian churches and denominations.

This is an excerpt from the article "The Elements of Liberalism" found at CARM (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry):

Denial of inspiration, inerrancy, and/or authority of the Bible, .  .  . Affirming experience over Scripture, . .  . Imposing secular ideals upon Scripture.  .  . Gender Neutral wording in reference to God, people, mankind, etc. .  .  .  Yes, liberalism is dangerous because it leads to a denial of biblical truth.  But denial of biblical truth usually means that things contrary to Scripture are often affirmed. 

Consider this quote:  "If we look at the denominations that approved women's ordination from 1956-1976, we find that several of them, such as the United Methodist church and the United Presbyterian Church (now called the Presbyterian Church-USA), have large contingents pressing for (a) the endorsement of homosexual conduct as morally valid and (b) the approval of homosexual ordination."   (The Elements of Liberalism, by Matt Slick - https://carm.org/elements-liberalism)

In our Sunday School Class last Sunday I emphasized that those who take a Liberal view of the Bible, God's Word, are still our Christian brethren - yet their beliefs and theologies are often built upon sand and not upon the solid rock of God's Word (Matthew 7:26-27). 

That said, when this eNewsletter from the Institute of Creation Research came today via e-mail, I knew that I have to share it with you, my Christian brothers and sisters.  For we want to build our spiritual foundation upon the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ and God's Word.

Misuse Of The Bible
By Henry M. Morris, Ph.d.  | Wednesday, November 21, 2018
https://www.icr.org/article/10944

“. . . his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16)

Bill Gray Note for clarity:  2 Peter 3:14-16, "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation - as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."

It is vitally important for every Christian to study and use the Scriptures, for they constitute our only real authority (note Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 14:26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; etc.).  In doing this, however, it is just as important that we not misuse the Scriptures, for this can be almost as dangerous as ignoring them altogether.

Many people twist the Scriptures (Eisegesis), seeking to make them fit some opinion of their own, hoping thereby to give a pseudo-biblical authority to their peculiar prejudices - instead of allowing the Lord to say what He means.  Such distortion of Scripture has generated a plethora of cults and heresies - past and present.  This was essentially Christ’s view of the Pharisees: “In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9).

Similar - perhaps even worse - is claiming to receive new Scripture, or perhaps new (and authoritative) insight on existing Scripture.  “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it” (Deuteronomy 4:2).  “Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:6).

Cults and heretics distort and supplement the Scriptures, but still deadlier are the liberals who try to explain away the Scriptures.  “If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life” (Revelation 22:19).  This act of distorting and then denying God’s Word (“Yea, hath God said. . . . Ye shall not surely die,” Genesis 3:1, 4) was the very lie of Satan that brought sin into the world.  No wonder the Bible warns so severely against it!

Bill Gray Note:  Underline and some parenthetical emphasis is mine.

Let me close by reminding us all that there are two ways of reading God's Word:  Read "FROM" The Bible (Exegesis)  ~  Read "INTO" The Bible (Eisegesis)

Do you want God's Word to define your theology, what you believe and what you teach(Exegesis)?

OR

Do you want create your own predetermined theology - and then cherry-pick Scripture to prove your beliefs, your comfort zone(Eisegesis)?

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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God Continues To Work At IBBC-Riverside!

GOD CONTINUES TO WORK at International Bible Baptist Church - Riverside (IBBC-Riverside), my home church fellowship for the past two and a half years.   The year of 2018 began with God making it possible for us to buy and renovate our own church building.  By His grace we have been able to expand to two services each Sunday.  

And as part of our commitment to soul winning, evangelism, and missionary ministries - Pastor Sergio has reorganized our Sunday School Classes to be more effective in training our people to be ready to meet the challenges of those endeavors. 

Last Sunday was our inaugural day to kick off these new Sunday School ministries.  Danny Garcia and I were asked to lead the Seniors Class and taking a lead from many successful sports coaches, it seemed right to go "back to the basics."   Why back to the basics?   Because like all successful teams we want to be so grounded in the basic teachings of our Christian faith - that no question will throw us, or confuse us, when God gives us an opportunity to share His Word with the world.

An effective Christian life and the way we view the Bible, God's Written Word, must have a solid foundation.  And that solid foundation is built around our personal and corporate Statement of Faith, aka, Statement of Beliefs.  For that is what we believe - and our beliefs should reflect those our church fellowship teaches.  If not, back to the Bible (Acts 17:11).

Since we are beginning this new journey in our IBBC-Riverside Sunday School classes, it seems appropriate to take time to discuss our Statement of Faith, what we believe and what we teach, to make sure we are all on the same page.  In other words, the Basics.  That was my initial goal for this new Seniors Sunday School Class.

When we meet people and tell them about our church fellowship, often they will ask, "What does your church believe and teach?"  What will we tell them?  Can you and I tell them what we believe and teach at IBBC-Riverside - and support those beliefs from Scripture?

In 1627 German Lutheran theologian, Rupertus Meldenius, wrote in a tract on Christian unity, “In essentials unity - in non-essentials liberty - in all things charity.“    That should define our Christian walk.

We all should be able to acknowledge that there are Essential Christian Doctrines which define our salvation and which cannot be compromised.  Any person or church which denies any of these Essential Christian Doctrines, needs to rethink that position and do as the apostle Paul teaches us in Acts 17:11 - test that teaching against Scripture, the full 66 books of God's Word.

And there are many Non-Essential Christian Teachings which are important for us to understand how they relate to our Christian faith - which are interesting to discuss - and which are helpful in making us more mature believers and witnesses.   They DO NOT define nor affect our salvation.   Yet, agreeing or disagreeing on such teachings should lead each of us, individually and corporately, into a deeper study of God's Word as we test the teacher and the teaching - against Scripture (Acts 17:11).  Let us all be good Bereans - as we study God's Word to make us more effective in sharing His Word with the world (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15).

I have taken my class leader notes and put them into a short video so that I can share our new IBBC-Riverside Sunday School adventure with all my Friends.  I pray you will find this useful in your evangelism efforts.  All comments and suggestions are welcomed - whether we agree or agree to disagree, let's have a dialogue about God's Word and His message of eternal life for all who will, "By grace, through faith" believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

"Essential And Non-Essential Christian Doctrines" IBBC-Riverside Sunday School - November 18, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12I5SQD5dw4

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

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Gifts Seniors Have To Give ~ Dr. Harold Sala, Guidelines International Ministries

God never ceases to amaze me!   So often when an issue or thought is heavy on my mind, voila!, a message, i.e., e-mail, blog, comment, etc., from another will come addressing that very issue.  That happened today. 

Last night I lay in bed wrestling with a thought that has long bothered me. For many years I have wondered why so many churches teach "Unity" - Unity in Christ, Unity in Fellowship, Unity in Worship, etc.  Yet as soon as that church has more than ten members - they begin to divide the fellowship.

I have seen this happen in Sunday School classes, Bible studies, and many other functions throughout the church family.  But I have seen it especially in Bible studies and Sunday School classes.   And I have often asked myself, "Why?  Why do they teach unity, and then divide the people?"   To the best of my knowledge, we have a number of Bible translations - King James, New King James, New American Standard, New International Version, and many others.

But, I have never seen a Bible translation specifically designated:  Youth, Young Adult, Young Married, Old Married, Single Men, Single Women, German Shepherd, Poodle, etc.   Okay, those last two were being a wee bit facetious - but you get the point.  God did not author a Bible just for Young Adults, nor for Senior Adults.  

When we have Responsive Scripture Reading in our worship service, I have never had anyone tell us, "Please open your Young Adult Bible" or "Please open your Senior Bible."  And when I go into most Christian bookstores today, I never see Bible shelves labelled in that way.  I see KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, etc. - but never YAB nor SB.

So, why do churches which preach "Unity" - immediately start segregating us by age, marital status, color of our eyes?  Okay, I am getting a wee bit facetious again - but I often get that feeling when I hear "Unity" but see "Segregation."

But enough of my ranting.  Let me share with you the eNewsletter which came today from Dr. Harold Sala of Guidelines International Ministries. 

And I pray it will prompt all of us to consider, "Are we depriving our younger generation of the knowledge and wisdom of the older generation?  Are we depriving our older generation of the energy and enthusiasm of our younger generation?  What can be gained by integrating the two ~ instead of segregating them?"

The First Five Gifts Seniors Have to Give
By Dr. Harold Sala,  November 09, 2018

“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life” (Proverbs 16:31).

A senior citizen, eyeing a parking spot that had just been vacated at a mall, was slowly backing up his aging luxury car, to get room to maneuver into the spot when a teenager in a small, red sports car came from the other direction and zipped into the spot.  Jumping over the side of his little car, the youth called out, “That’s ‘cause I’m young and fast.” 

The old man revved up his engine and plowed ahead - straight into the little sports car folding it up like an accordion.  Then, turning to the horror-stricken youth, he said, “That’s ‘cause I’m old and rich.”

Why is there a gap between the young and old?  I did a study of what Scripture says about the elderly.  First, I noticed that many directives are found in the Old Testament, most of them written by Moses, ensuring not only that the elders among us be given respect, but that their needs be provided for.  About all that Paul adds is that widows are properly taken care of by the family of God.

I’ve also noticed that the farther we as a society move from God’s norm and plan, the more we shuttle our elders to “warehouses for the aged,” as Margaret Mead described them, checking on their health only to determine how long it will be until the will is executed and we can get our hands on their money.

“Grandma,” asked a little boy, “where do you keep your bucket?”  Somewhat puzzled, the elderly lady asked, “What do mean, ‘my bucket’?” she asked.  “Well,” replied the little boy of about five, “daddy says that when you kick the bucket we get a lot of money.”

What do seniors have which younger generations need besides money?  Plenty!  Try these for a living inheritance.

Gift #1:  Give the benefit of your experience.  No, your children and grandchildren don’t always want advice on how to handle things.  They, like you did a generation before, want to live their own lives and make their own mistakes.  But your experience is a valuable asset.  Shared judiciously and kindly, it can be a tremendous help.  Nobody can live long enough to make all the mistakes so we can learn much from the experience of our elders.

Gift #2:  Share your wisdom. “Old so soon; smart so late,” we sometimes quip, yet the reluctance to sue, or to tell off your boss, or to file for divorce which an older generation has is often not a weakness, but a reflection of their greater wisdom - something which can be acquired only with time.  Frankly, wisdom is something that is transmitted by being there, by caring, by listening, not by a recitation of, “Here’s what I would do if I were you” counsel.

Gift #3:  Provide connectivity.  And what’s that?  If you are the senior generation - whether you are 60 or 90, you are the bridge to the past, and there is tremendous strength in being connected to the family tree (biological and spiritual).  It’s the difference between a sapling blowing in the wind and a branch being attached to an Oak or Banyan tree.  Talk about your youth, your family, and your memories as a child.  These memories form a valuable tapestry.

Gift #4:  Perspective.  “One of the reasons young people take their lives,” commented a funeral director, “is that they lack perspective.  They don’t understand that you can work through problems.”   You seniors have been there.  You’ve lived through wars and depressions and you know that God will take you through tough times.  Pass that on.

Gift #5:  Godliness.  This, of course, you can’t pass on unless you have it yourself.  Timothy was the product of his godly mother and grandmother.  Though God has no grandchildren, godly parents can make a tremendous difference to the third and forth generation.  Never forget it.

Resource reading: Psalm 92:12-15

Personally, I love the energy I receive through fellowship with the many different groups in our church family.  The very young make me smile - the younger youth excites me when I see them stepping forward and participating in our worship and studies. 

It is exciting to hear from the young adults about their educational and career endeavors.  I am encouraged when I am with young married couples and see that God-given institute still alive and well with them.  And I gain much needed knowledge from joining in discussions with older adult and seniors in our church family.  It is as though I draw life-blood from all of them, all ages.

I know we all have heard the old well intentioned comment, "Grandpa tells so many stories!"   But have you stopped to consider that this is because grandpa has traveled many more roads than you - and just may have knowledge to impart?  In the late 1980s I became interested in family genealogy and began to dig into my family tree.  I had an uncle who was 100 years old - and I was excited to sit and talk with him. 

My mom and I went to see Uncle Louie when I was home on a visit, but when we got there he was taking a nap.  I told mom, "Not a problem.  I will be back in a few months and then we will see Uncle Louie."  That was never to happen, for Uncle Louie passed away a month later.  All that family knowledge went with him.

Imagine how much we all miss when we segregate people in our church family into different rooms.  Just my thoughts!  And I was blessed and encouraged today when I found the Dr. Harold Sala agrees with me.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

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The Left Behind Book Series And Movies - Life Changers?

This week on Facebook a member, Krista B., of the group "Rapture Discussion: Pretribulation, Posttribulation, or Prewrath?" posted:

I know we're not supposed to post videos on here (on that group page), but this is a 3 minute clip about the Rapture. . . and such a powerful scene.  The reason I'm posting it is for that one line where Bruce (the left behind pastor) says, "Knowing and Believing are two different things"    I wonder how many people truly recognize that?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig_zGghP4YA&fbclid=IwAR0bL5kgbUXowN7mmkFSiLfsP32P0ADdn06YayDFic5jeKb2vS4u-ykLu7U

I began writing a response to Krista B:

Hi Krista B, I am glad you posted that short video - for the three Left Behind Series movies are great and, in my opinion, are very close to what is taught in the Bible.  In 1995, before the movies were released, I had begun to read the Left Behind book series (13 books) and my only disappointment was that they only made three movies, which do not cover the complete series of books.  I highly recommend people interested in Biblical eschatology read the full Left Behind series and watch the three movies.

But instead of posting a response just to Krista, I decided I want to share this blog with all my FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors)  ~  For knowledge of the coming End Times events and consequences of believing or not believing - is too important to not share it with you.

Let me start by describing the scene which my Friend, Krista B., found so convicting.  In the beginning of the movie we see the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 occurring - and shortly thereafter we see an international passenger jet flying from New York to London.  The pilot of the plane is not a believer, but his wife and young son have become believers - so he has heard of the Rapture and end times eschatology, but does not believe.

During the flight to London the Rapture happens - and many of the passengers suddenly disappear.  In the back of his mind are the thoughts of the Rapture, but they stay in the back of his mind.   He and the rest of the world are saying that some kind of weird warp of nature has caused millions of people to disappear - never attributing it to God.

Upon returning to New York and home, he finds that his wife and son have disappeared.  All their personal items, including clothing are still there - but no trace of them.  This shock brings the Rapture to the forefront of his thoughts - and in disbelief he picks up her Bible.  In desperation he goes to the church his wife and son had been attending - and that is where we see the young pastor in an empty church wondering why he was left behind. 

And that is when the realization hits this young pastor and he acknowledges,"Knowing and Believing are two different things"   He realizes that he had been teaching the Word - but he had not truly been believing the Word.  That sudden realization will come upon many people, lay and clergy, who erroneously call themselves Christian, on that fateful day.

And that is when the airline pilot walks into the church as the young pastor is on his knees in true acceptance of Jesus Christ  - and the pilot kneels and joins him in this conversion.  They both have been left behind, but they join forces to make a difference during the coming Tribulation.

That is the three minute video that Krista has shared with us.  It is powerful, but only a brief sample of what you will find in this book series and the three movies.

In 1995 I began an exciting odyssey in eschatology.   Starting in 1995 Dr. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins began publishing a great series of books titled the Left Behind Series.  Those books can best be described as Prophetic Novels - for they describe the coming End Time events very well.  I have long loved to read historical novels because I love history and reading a novel based upon true historical facts is both entertaining and educational.  Instead of reading a dry historical text book of facts - I am reading an exciting story based upon true historical characters and events.  A great way to learn history. 

Of course we must first know the author and his/her credentials.  I have a number of historical novel books and series - Lincoln (multiple authors), the Earth's Children Series about the people groups of Prehistoric Europe (Jean M. Auel), The People series telling of the prehistoric people groups who migrated through Siberia to our continent and became our Native Americans (Kathleen & Michael Gear), the Brotherhood of War series by W.E.B. Griffin, detailing America's involvement in wars during the 20th century, from the World Wars through Vietnam. 

And, one of my favorites, the Left Behind series is the same - but just the opposite.  These books combine a prophetic look-ahead - but wrapped around an exciting story line with believable characters.  When the first book, Left Behind, came out in 1995 - I started on an exciting adventure.  And, after finishing the first, I could hardly wait for each new book to come out.  It took about ten years to finish the whole series.

The Left Behind book series:

1.  Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days     (October 1995)
2.  Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind    (May 1996)
3.  Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist      (October 1997)
4.  Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides     (August 1998)
5.  Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleased     (February 1999)
6.  Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist     (August 1999)
7.  The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession     (May 2000)
8.  The Mark: The Beast Rules the World     (November 2000)
9.  Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne    (October 2001)
10. The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon     (July 2002)
11.  Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages     (April 2003)
12.  Glorious Appearing: The End of Days     (April 2004)
13.  Kingdom Come: The Final Victory    (April 2007)

In October 2000, the movie based upon the first book, "Left Behind" was released and it was well received.   In October 2002, the second movie, "Left Behind II, Tribulation Force" based upon the second book was released.  And in October 2005 the third Left Behind Series movie, "Left Behind III, World at War" was released.   My only disappointment is that they did not make movies of the rest of the books.

It is my strong desire that all of my Friends, believers and secular, will read this book series and watch the three movies.  For my believing Friends, this can only solidify your faith and your sense of eternal security in Christ.  For my non-believing secular Friends, I pray this will at least give you food for thought - for eternity, never ending time, is a very long time to be without God's glorious presence and joy.

These are the three movies.  Even if you do not want to take the time to read the books, watch the movies.  That might encourage you to go back to read and savor the books.

Left Behind, The Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-veeckZyAw

Left Behind II, Tribulation Force
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhGsSS1IKjs

Left Behind III, World At War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C-CSqzY7qo

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

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CARM Asks: Can We Trust Modern Bible Translations?

Recently I received an e-mail from the Christian ministry CARM (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry) which led me to consider two questions:

1.  Is there really only "one" true Bible translation? 

2.  Should we trust Christian ministries when we do not agree with them 100% - when we may differ on some aspects of theology? 

I believe the apostle Paul gives us the answer to question number 2 in Acts 17:10-11, "Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away (from Thessalonica) by night to Berea.  When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.  These (the Bereans) were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."             
To paraphrase that teaching:  "Test the teaching and the teacher against Scripture."   In all aspects of our Christian life, the Bible, the Written Word of God - is the sole authority.  So, regardless of the teacher, be it a local Christian brother or sister or a world renown Bible scholar, theologian, or pastor - the apostle Paul is telling us to always test that teacher and that teaching against what God is telling us in His Bible, His Written Word.

CARM (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry) leans more toward a Reform Calvinist theology and there I differ greatly with them.  Yet even though I may disagree with my Calvinist and Arminian brethren - that does not mean I will not fellowship and dialogue with them.  I have been following CARM and using material from their site for a number of years.  And while I do not always agree with them on all issues, I have found them to be a great source of Bible and Christian knowledge from which I can launch my own personal study on a particular issue.

Now let's consider the main question in this blog:

1.  Is there really only "one" true Bible translation?

When I received the CARM eNewsletter titled "Can We Trust Modern Bible Translations?" - that piqued my interest.  Various churches tend to lean toward different Bibles.  When I was saved in the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (CA) in 1987 and when I went to the Fil-Am Church of Corona about 20 years ago, there was no pressure to use any one particular translation. 

We had folks reading from a variety of Bible translations - which is no problem most of the time.  Our pastor was using the NASB Bible.  The only time it presented a problem was during Responsive Bible Reading when we all tried to read from many translations simultaneously.  It began to sound like we were speaking in tongues. 

To get around that minor problem, we used an overhead transparency projector (before online projection capabilities) to project the Scripture reading on a screen so that we all could read from the same translation.  Years later the Corona church decided to have pew Bibles and chose the NIV Bible, to my disappointment.  I would have preferred a word-for-word translation which is more helpful when doing an indepth study of the Bible.  But that decision was not a game changer.

I believe if we would truly investigate the reason for many churches moving to the NIV, we would find that they had been misled by strong marketing campaigns.  The larger Bible publishing houses decided to make the NIV the chosen Bible translation, possibly prompted or abetted by a younger corps of professors in the various seminaries.  So the publishing houses' marketing was tuned to that end.  Soon we saw the Christian bookstores following marketing trends the publishing houses had created - and the bookstore shelves began to fill up with NIV translations - while the shelf space for NASB and often NKJV Bibles dwindled.

Basically the difference between the various translations is found in the style, or method, of translation.  The KJV, NKJV, and NASB Bibles were translated using the Formal Equivalence method of translation, meaning that the translators tried to always stay with word-for-word translations, paying less attention to sentence structure and grammar. 

Their goal was to stay as close as possible to the original manuscripts, with the understanding that to truly interpret Scripture, i.e. - it should be interpreted according to the historical, grammatical, cultural, and literal understanding of the original writers.

In our Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries Statement of Faith I have written:

WE BELIEVE - That the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God.  The Bible is the sole authority for our Christian faith and Christian life. The Bible is God's authoritative written revelation to man.  We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture and that all 66 books of the Bible are without error in the original manuscripts.

We believe Scripture should be interpreted according to its historical, grammatical, and literal sense.  We believe that Divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts and words of the Bible, so that the whole Bible, in the original manuscripts, is without error in its moral and spiritual teaching and in its record of historical facts.

Note:  Verbal Plenary Inspiration of Scripture meaning:  "Verbal" means that every word of Scripture is God-given.  "Plenary" means that all parts of the Bible are equally authoritative.  Inspiration means that every word in the Bible is divinely inspired.

In the Dynamic Equivalence method of translation camp, we find the NAB (New American Bible), NIV (New International Version), TNIV (gender neutral Today's New International Version) , NLT (New Living Translation), NJB (New Jerusalem Bible).  Here the translators used a phrase-for-phrase or thought-for-thought method of translating Scripture into modern English, at times omitting words.  And because they sometimes chose to combine verses to fit into more grammatical sentence structures, they have often been accused of deleting verses. 

Actually they, at times, combined two sentences or verses into a more common grammar and word meaning - which led some to think that verses or words have been deleted.  The goal of the these translators was to present the same message, but in a more grammatically correct and easily read text.

Most of us typically tend to stay with the translation we used when we first became a believer and began to attend Bible studies.  In 1987, when I first believed and received Christ - I only had a King James Bible given to me by Mormon door-knockers.   That was the one I took to my first Bible study.  And it did not take long for me to start butting my head against a brick wall. 

Each night I would read my Bible, alternating between Old Testament and New Testament readings.  Then I hit that brick wall, the book of Romans.  I could not make sense of it.  That week at our Friday Night Bible study I asked Pastor Sam about it.  When he saw the Bible I was using, he gave Dory and me each a new Harper's NASB Study Bible - and that has been my go-to Bible for many years.  Since that Bible is now over 30 years old, it is getting a wee bit worn and old, but it still works for me.

Today in my writing ministry and in my personal studies, I use both the NASB and the NKJV Bibles.  And at time when it better explains the thought I am writing, I will go to the King James Bible.  These are word-for-word translations which I still feel are better suited for indepth Bible studies.

This is from the CARM eNewsletter I received last week in an e-mail:

English-speaking Christians today rely on a variety of Bible translations.  Go to any Bible study and you are likely to find people using the NASB, others the ESV, and still others the NIV.  The wording in each is slightly different, but most Christians assume that they are all saying the same thing and so they fellowship in unity without giving it much thought.

Yet, there is a vocal movement which claims that all of these modern Bible translations are corrupt.  They insist that the old King James Version (KJV 1611) is the only true Bible in English today.  Some extremists go even further, claiming that the KJV is the only pure Bible today in any language!  However, contrary to these claims, our modern translations exist for some very good reasons:

Bill Gray Note:  While folks mention the KJV 1611, virtually all King James Bibles today are the KJV 1769.  The KJV 1611 was replaced by a newer translation in 1769. 

"In 1769 the Oxford University Press published an edition of the King James version in which many small changes were made.  These changes were of five kinds: (1) Greater and more regular use of italics, (2) minor changes in the text, (3) the adoption of modern spelling, (4) changes in the marginal notes and references, and, (5) correction of printers' errors."    (http://www.bible-researcher.com/canon10.html)

The English language has changed, making the KJV difficult to understand and easy to misunderstand.  Scholars in the English-speaking world have learned a lot about the original Greek and Hebrew languages since the 1611 translation.  Only a couple dozen, mostly late, manuscripts were available to the KJV 1611 translators.  Today, we have thousands of copies (manuscripts), many of which are far more ancient (than those used to translate the KJV 1611).

For these reasons, it makes perfect sense to produce new translations in modern English based on all the available data (all the currently known manuscripts).  But how can we know that these translations are accurate?  It’s easy.  The same way we can know that the KJV is accurate.  You could go back to the original languages and check for yourself.  If you lack that ability (as most Christians do) then you compare different independent translations and see how they render the same passages.  This way you can be quite confident that the translations accurately reflect the original.

The "King James Only" movement, which advocates the use of only the King James Bible, is incorrect and divisive.  It actually attacks a vital tool in knowing for sure what the original says: i.e, having multiple, independent translations!

Next week, we will be releasing a new series of articles on "CARM (dot) org" dealing with this important topic of “King James Onlyism.”  In it, we will demonstrate that, while the KJV is a fine translation, it is not the only translation Christians can trust.  We will also discuss how God has preserved His Word and how that Word can be accessed today through a variety of English translations.  Some tough questions about manuscript differences will be addressed as well.

Bill Gray Note:  Parenthetical edits, italic and underline emphasis in the e-mail text above are mine.

More thoughts on Bible translations from CARM:

A Brief History of Bible Translations
https://carm.org/a-brief-history-of-bible-translations
by Luke Wayne, 4/17/18

Unlike religions such as Islam, where the Qur'an is only truly the Qur'an (when) in the original Arabic - Biblical Christianity has always believed that God's word can and should be translated into the common languages of all men.  In any language in which the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are faithfully rendered, they are still the word of God, and so the Scriptures should be translated into any language necessary to bring the Gospel message to all people everywhere.

The Old Testament:

Translation of Scripture is older than Christianity itself.  The Old Testament Scriptures of the Hebrew Bible were brought into other common languages centuries before the coming of Jesus Christ, and indeed were a great help to the early church.  After the time of Alexander the Great, Greek became the common language of much of the ancient world.  Many Jews dispersed throughout that world began to speak Greek as their primary language.  This eventually led to the need for a Greek translation.

The Torah (the books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy) was translated into Greek in the third century BC, with the other Old Testament books shortly to follow.  The Septuagint (Greek translation) is often quoted verbatim in the New Testament and was very important to the early church.  Gentile Christians knew nothing of Hebrew, and so the Septuagint was their Bible.  Indeed, after Christians embraced and so effectively used the Septuagint for their own teaching, worship, and evangelism - the Jews rejected it and sought to produce new Greek editions to suit their own community's needs.  Even these, however, are often classified by some scholars as revisions of the Septuagint rather than new "from scratch" translations. 

In the third century AD, Origen of Alexandria collected these various Greek editions (along with the Hebrew text of his day) and published them all side by side in parallel columns with notations of key differences in a massive work known as the Hexapla.  The Hexapla had a profound influence on future copying of the Septuagint, and scholars give it a central position among the editions of the LXX (Septuagint). 

It was based on the assumption that, while the Septuagint should be revered as the word of God even in its peculiar readings, there is also value in the study of other translations.  They, too, are the word of God, even when they differ from the Septuagint, and the church is richer from knowing them.  The wide popularity and influence of the Hexapla shows that this view was held by many early Christians.

Bill Gray Note:  Hexapla is the term for a critical edition of the Hebrew Bible in six versions, four of them translated into Greek, preserved only in fragments.  It was an immense and complex word-for-word comparison of the original Hebrew Scriptures with the Greek Septuagint translation and with other Greek translations.  The term especially and generally applies to the edition of the Old Testament compiled by the theologian and scholar Origen, sometime before the year 240 AD. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexapla)

Origen's third century Hexapla is very similar to our current Interlinear Bible available to us today in bookstores, which is typically a Bible containing Hebrew, Greek, and English translations - side by side.

The New Testament:

From the beginning, the New Testament was built upon the necessity of translation.  Not only does it command the Gospel be preached to all nations, the New Testament itself models translation to the common tongue.  Every time it quotes the Old Testament, it does so in Greek, rather than the original Hebrew.  In several places in the Gospels, words of Jesus or others are given in their original Aramaic and then immediately translated, and it is likely that other portions of Jesus' words were originally in Aramaic as well. 

But the New Testament offers them in the Greek language that the original readers would have known.  Acts 22:1-21 presents a speech of Paul that it explicitly says he gave in the "Hebrew dialect" - but it records the speech in a Greek translation so that the reader can understand it.  The New Testament is itself an exercise in bringing all things into the common, everyday language of the readers.  It is no wonder that that Early Christians took up the cause of translation in earnest.

In summary, which is more important:  the Bible translation you use - OR - the fact that we come together in unity to study God's Word? 

And, if you think about it, maybe having several different translations in our Bible studies can be a good thing.  Last week in our Tuesday Night Bible Study we were looking atPsalm 119:57-64 and right away, on verse 57, "The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words" - we found ourselves in an interesting discussion.   Rachel Quintans raised the question, "What did the psalmist mean by, 'The LORD is my portion;.  .  .'?"

We tend to think of a "portion" as being only a part of something.  Yet we know that, as believers, we do not have just a portion of God, we have all of God's love and His blessings.  So what does "portion" mean in Psalm 119:57 - and in Psalm 73:26 and Deuteronomy 32:9?

In those psalms Asaph, who was himself a Levi, was making a reference to the divisions of the promised land when he said his portion was God.  The Levites were not given a land like the other Jewish tribes.  In other words, others may prosper materially, but he seeks no such portion of material blessings from God - he only seeks God.  If God is his portion instead of land and/or wealth, then it does not matter if others prosper materially, Asaph is prospering spiritually and he will leave his material needs in God’s hand as his ancestors had done.

That is an example of a "word" study we did last week - and, in my view, that is a good reason to have a "word-for-word" Bible translation.

One last thought.  We have looked at the Formal Equivalence method of translation which is the "word-for-word" method.  And we have looked at the Dynamic Equivalence method of translation which is the "thought-for-thought" or "phrase-for-phrase" method.  Both are God's Word and His Bible.

But I warn you to be wary of the "Paraphrase" books which often are called Bibles.  The most common paraphrases are the Good News Translation (1966), The Living Bible (1971), and The Message (1993).  Those are NOT Bibles.  They are paraphrases, more like commentaries than Bibles - even though they do follow the book/chapter/verse structure.

I am not saying they do not have a use.  I use commentaries all the time - but not as my primary source of authority.  Typically when I am studying a Scripture verse or passage, I will see what several different commentaries have to say - and then I will use those thoughts to lead me into a deeper study from the Bible itself.

In the 1970s, the Good News Translation and the Living Bible did serve a purpose, at least in Southern California.  For that was when a lot of people with no church experience, no Christian background - began to be drawn into some of the mega-churches.  And even into solid churches such as Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa.  At that time in their lives, the more meaty translations (KJV, NKJV, NASB) would most likely have driven them back onto the streets and into the drug scene once again.

Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel, realizing that the 1960s drug generation was not ready for true spiritual meat - fed them spiritual milk in the beginning. 

Calvary Chapel began using the more readable Bibles and at the same time created Maranatha! Music to give that generation Christian songs to sing.  And then he gradually weaned them from their spiritual milk diet and into the solid Word of God.  Pastor Chuck was a firm believer in expositional teaching through the Bible - and he used the King James Bible in his teachings.

And I said, "Praise God" when he began to wean them from a solid diet of pure contemporary Christian music of Maranatha! Music - and into hymns.  In the 1990s, each week he began to lead the congregation in singing hymns.  My wife, Dory, who is more musically minded than me, would often laugh and say, "Pastor Chuck is no singer - but he sings with gusto!"   We both were happy when he began to integrate hymns into their Sunday services.

So, my Friends, if you are in a church which sings hymns (even if mixed with contemporary Christian music) - teaches expositionally through God's Word using a "word-for-word" Bible (KJV, NKJV, NASB) - and has a strong Sunday School and Bible Study program - PRAISE GOD!   For today too many of our churches are leaning toward a "feel good" Gospel and secular sounding Christian music.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

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What Happens After The Rapture?

Yesterday a Friend on the "Rapture Discussion: Pretribulation, Posttribulation, or Prewrath?" Facebook group page asked me a very good question:

Marie asked, "What happens after you're raptured?"

Thank you, Marie, that is a very good question.  First we know from the 1 Thessalonians 4 passage that we are Raptured and will be with the Lord eternally:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

And we know from 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 that upon meeting Him and before we go into heaven with Him - we will receive our immortal bodies, for flesh and bone cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:50-53, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

Once we are in heaven in our immortal bodies - I would suggest that three things will definitely happen.

1.  We will meet our loved ones and friends who have died before us, a glorious reunion.

2.  At some early point the Believers' Judgment will happen.  I believe that at the Rapture or very shortly thereafter, we will stand before Christ at the Believers' Judgment (Bema Seat) where we will receive our own robes of righteousness.  For in this mortal life we are covered by the righteousness of Christ.

In this mortal body we can never be clean, i.e., righteous, enough to have God look upon us, because of our Adamic Sin Nature.  This is confirmed:

Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; .  .  ."

Yet God has made provisions for us, while in this mortal body, to not be offensive to Him.  He has imputed, i.e., attributed, the righteousness of Jesus Christ to all believers.  His righteousness is like a "spiritual umbrella" covering us - so that when God looks upon us, He sees not our unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ:

Romans 3:21-22, "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction."

3.  The church, betrothed to Jesus Christ at His death, resurrection, ascension - and confirmed in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD - will be His Bride at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb:

Revelation 19:6-8. "Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.  Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.'  It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

And the honored guests at the Wedding of the Lamb will be the Old Testament saints, the martyred Tribulation saints, and all the heavenly beings:

Revelation 19:9, "Then he said to me, 'Write, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." ' And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.' "

I believe the Wedding Feast of the Lamb will be at the end of the seven year Tribulation.  But because of our lack of personal righteousness the Believers' Judgment will happen very early in the Tribulation, most likely concurrent with the Rapture - so that Christ can welcome us into His Father's mansions in heaven.

And for the rest of the seven year Tribulation while we are in heaven, we will be worshiping God - and having a glorious reunion with our beloved family and friends - many or whom went long before us and finally we will all be together again, eternally. 

Just imagine meeting all those giants of the faith from the past.  We will be able to fellowship with the Old Testament giants of the faith.  We will be able to have Faith Classes with Peter, John, Paul, and all our New Testament men and women of faith.  My Friends, I can assure you - we will not be bored during that seven years in heaven - nor in the eternity to follow.

At the end of the seven year Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to earth, His Second Coming in Glory - and we, His Bride, with the Old Testament and martyred Tribulation saints -  will accompany Him back as He takes care of Satan by putting him into the abyss for 1000 years.  And the Antichrist and his False Prophet will be defeated at the battle of Armageddon and sent into the lake of fire.

The surviving Tribulation mortals will stand before Him at the Sheep & Goat Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).  The Sheep, i.e., the surviving Tribulation believers will go into His Millennial Kingdom in their mortal bodies and will continue to marry and have children for 1000 years.

The surviving Goats, i.e., the non-believers, will go into Hades/Torment to await their resurrection after the Millennial Kingdom.  At that time they will be resurrected into their immortal bodies and will stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment.  And from there into the lake of fire, hell (Revelation 20:11-15).

Then the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22) and eternal life in the presence of Almighty God. 

Revelation 22:20, "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.'  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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Tuesday Night Bible Study ~ And ~ Shout Out To Tony & Linda Andaya!

I want to give a SHOUT OUT TO TONY & LINDA ANDAYA who are vacationing with family and friends in the Philippines  ~  We had a great Bible study last Tuesday night at the home of Ester Avila, but we really missed the two of you.  I pray that Tony is feeling much better now and that you have a blessed Christmas season with your family and friends in the Philippines.  We look forward to welcoming you home again in the new year.

And to all my Friends, in our Tuesday Night Bible study we continued in Psalm 119:57-64 and right away, on verse 57, "The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words" - we found ourselves in an interesting discussion.   Rachel Quintans raised the question, "What did the psalmist mean by, 'The LORD is my portion;.  .  .'?"

We tend to think of a "portion" as being only a part of something.  Yet we know that, as believers, we do not have just a portion of God, we have all of God's love and His blessings.  So what does "portion" mean in Psalm 119:57 - and in Psalm 73:26 and Deuteronomy 32:9?

We read in Psalm 73:26, "My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

I found this in"Word Study – God Is My Portion Forever" by Chaim & Laura Bentorah:

“His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”  The first verse of the song says:

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows fall,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is He,
His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.

I love that phrase, "When Jesus is my portion" - but when my study partner asked what it really meant, I was at a total loss as to what it meant.  Does it mean we get just a part of Him or does it mean He is our inheritance?  Do you ever have that experience when you hear something, you just thrill at hearing it, but you haven’t the foggiest idea what it means.

I started studying this word kalak which is rendered as portion, which means territory, equal portions, and separation.  When you look at the context you find that this whole chapter of Psalms 73 is speaking of discernment.  Asaph is saying that his flesh and heart can fail him in discernment, only the Holy Spirit can give true discernment.  Thus Asaph says that God is his portion or separation.  God separates the truth from that which is not true.

But say, there is more.  Asaph may very well be answering his own question here by saying that God is his portion.  He is using the same word used in Numbers and Deuteronomy with regard to the portioning out of land among the tribes.  Only eleven tribes received a portion of land to farm and feed their families.  One tribe, the tribe of Levi, received no earthly, material portion. 

They were not to spend their days cultivating land but cultivating their knowledge of God and to lead the members of the other eleven tribes to an understanding of God.  In return the members of the eleven other tribes tithed a tenth of what they grew to the Levites so they could feed themselves and their families and be free to spend their time in the service of God.

Thus, Asaph, who was himself a Levi, was making a reference to this division of land when he said his portion was God.  In other words, the wicked and unrighteous may prosper materially, but he seeks no such portion of material blessings from God, he only seeks God.  If God is his portion then it does not matter if the wicked prosper materially, Asaph is prospering spiritually and he will leave his material needs in God’s hand as his ancestors had done.

After that interesting discussion on verse 57, our very able Bible study leader, Associate Pastor John Nash Quintans, brought us back to focusing on finishing the complete passage found in Psalm 119:57-64 - where we found that God's Word establishes our relationship with Him through our studies of His words, His testimonies, His commandments, His law, His righteous rules, His precepts, and His statutes.

All in all, a great night of studying and discussing God's Word - and good Christian fellowship.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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