Receiving God’s Grace in Vain


Paul and Timothy were working together with Christ, as ambassadors for him, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and on behalf of the church in Corinth, to present the truth of the gospel to them and to warn them against following after the lies, and against disobedience to the commands of God. So, at the end of chapter 5 (originally not in chapters and verses, but as one whole letter), they implored the church of Corinth, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God, which means to exchange one’s old life of sin for this new life in Christ to be lived for his glory and in obedience to his commands.

And this was then followed by an appeal to them that they not receive the grace of God in vain. So, what is God’s grace? Well, it was the grace of God which sent Jesus Christ to that cross to take upon himself the sins of the entire world so that, in his death, he put our sins to death with him. And in his resurrection, he rose victorious over death, hell, sin, and Satan on our behalf so that we will now be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness in obedience to his commands.


[Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:1-23; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Peter 2:24; Luke 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 4:17-24; John 10:27-30]

If you received God’s grace in vain, it appears to me that your receiving of God’s grace was not in truth and in righteousness, or it was very superficial and so it never really took root, or it was genuine but it did not endure, which reminds me of the first 3 types of soil in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23. And “in vain” means that your receiving of God’s grace was empty, worthless, and to no good purpose, for it did not produce the fruit of the Spirit and the righteousness of God and the forsaking of sin, and following Jesus in surrender to his will and in obedience to his commands.

And many professing Christians today here in America, and perhaps in other countries, too, are receiving God’s grace in vain mainly because what they are receiving is a false half-truth grace and gospel message intended to tickle itching ears and to not offend human flesh but to appease the flesh, instead. For the true grace of God requires that we die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and that we walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, in practice. And if sin remains our practice, and not obedience to God, then we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

No Obstacles in Anyone’s Way


If you are a teacher of true grace and biblical salvation and eternal life with God, which is of the Spirit, and not of the flesh, get prepared to be treated like Paul and Timothy and the other NT apostles were treated for telling the people the truth that many did not want to hear, and that many did not want to accept as truth. But no matter how you are treated for speaking the truth, endure, and keep on doing what the Lord says to do. For many people are believing Satan’s lies over the truth and they are being led to follow after what is false, but to their deaths, yet on the promise of life eternal with God.

We’ve Spoken Freely to You


Maintain your integrity, too, regardless of how others treat you. And keep loving those who mistreat you, and pray for them, and do good to them, and say to them what is beneficial for them to hear. And reach out to them in love. And if they profess faith in Jesus Christ, but they are being led astray by the lies, remind them of the truth unless they tell you they do not want to hear it. And encourage them to search the Scriptures (in context) in order to learn what they teach so that they will now follow the truth and no longer follow the lies. But keep loving them into the kingdom of God.

And keep teaching the truth!

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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The awe, respect, and submission to Almighty God that he so deserves seems so lost these days. As well, grief and mourning over our sins seems to have all but vanished. But God wants us to fear (respect and surrender to and to be in awe of) him, and to come to him in humility and in genuine repentance (turning away from our sin and turning to God to obey him).

When we come to him in faith, in death to sin and in obedience to his commands, and we bow before him humbly with this kind of awestruck grief, in realizing who God is, and in acknowledging that we are sinners in need of a Savior, then he forgives us of our sins and he cleanses us within, because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying for our sins and in setting us free.

Awestruck Grief

An Original Work / April 21, 2011

When in awestruck grief
o’er my sins, Lord, I bow,
Will You hear me, Lord,
and forgive me just now?
I am so amazed that
You could love me so.
Yet, Your love and kindness
ever fill my soul.

Lord, You are amazing,
and gracious and kind
To have offered Yourself
for us when we’re blind.
You were crucified
on that hill, Calvary,
When they hung Your body
to die on a tree.

Now that You’ve redeemed us
and, thus, set us free,
I pray, Lord, for all
on this earth to believe
In Your sacrifice, Lord,
cleansing all our sin,
So that we can live for You,
and die within.

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When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures, in the image of Adam, the first man God created, and the first man to sin against God. Since the time that Adam sinned against God, we have all been born in sin, separate from God, and unable within our own selves to be found righteous in his sight and to meet with his divine approval. And that is why God the Father sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the cross, that by faith in him, we might die with him to sin and now live to his righteousness.

[Rom 3:9-26; Rom 5:12-19; 1 Co 15:21-22,42-49; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Pet 2:24]

Therefore, by genuine God-provided, and God-gifted, and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we no longer are to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness, and its end is eternal life.

So, in order for us to be “in Christ,” we must believe in the Lord Jesus. And belief in Christ is divine persuasion. And according to the Scriptures, what Jesus does is he persuades us as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die with him to sin and to live to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. And the faith to believe in Jesus comes from God, is gifted of God, and is persuaded of God and is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man.

So we do not get to define what that faith looks like. God does. His word does. And his word teaches that by faith in Jesus Christ we die with him to sin that we might live to him and to his righteousness. And we don’t die to sin just once, but daily, in practice. And we follow Jesus in obedience to his commands, not necessarily with absolute sinless perfection, but no longer in deliberate and habitual sin against our Lord. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, we don’t have eternal life with God in heaven.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 1:12-13; Jn 6:44; Acts 26:18; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 3:23; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph 4:17-24; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 12:1-2; Rom 2:6-8; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

So this is why this says that if anyone is in Christ that he is a new creation, for by God-persuaded faith in our Lord Jesus our old lives of living in sin, and for self, have now been put to death with Christ so that we might now, by faith in him, walk in holiness and in righteousness in walks of faith and obedience to our Lord and to his commands, by his grace. For if I am reconciled to God it means I have exchanged my old life of sin for this new life in Christ to be lived for his glory in obedience to his commands.

So, if I am to implore you to be reconciled to God, I am imploring you to deny self, take up your cross daily (die daily to sin), and to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands. I am imploring you to leave your old life of sin behind you and to now live your life in walks of obedience to the Lord. For if you hold on to your old life of sin, you will lose it for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake you leave your old life of sin behind you to follow him in obedience to his commands, you have eternal life in him (Luke 9:23-26).


Near the Cross

Hymn lyrics by Fanny J. Crosby, 1869
Music by William H. Doane, 1869

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

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rud517 said:

she was torn due to my niece and her Sue to be husband not Believers and not getting married in a church.

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rud517 said:

I'm torn with the morality of the situation. Any advice?

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If your wife is torn and you are torn . . . I would say not to do this unless God gives *both* of you peace and guides you how to do this. Make sure you pray and are in agreement through prayer with your wife, in any case.

Lady Bug said:

I didn't know this could be done. That is good.

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Agreed, this is very good. I am glad that the Catholic church accommodates to folks with disabilities.

"don't want you to see" --

That's just silly.
Any of us can lookup the economic data on any given day of the year.

Truth7t7 said:

The Hill​

EU sends warning letter to Musk ahead of Trump interview​

Story by Julia Shapero
• 1d

The European Union sent a warning letter to X owner Elon Musk on Monday reminding him of the bloc’s rules against promoting “harmful content” ahead of the billionaire tech mogul’s interview with former President Trump on the social platform.

Skynews clip at 1:20-2:00

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Of course many in the EU, particularly those financially well off, do not want to see Trump win the election. Trump would tell the EU that they should have to pay their fair share of the war against Russia, and pay what is due for NATO and other world organizations. Additionally, Trump is willing to slap on a tariff on EU goods for every tariff the EU has on American goods. Causing the EU to pay their fair and have a free and equitable trade system would cost the EU a bundle. Also many in the EU favor the same values as the American hard left (those political stances that Kamala had before she became the Democrat's presidential nominee, such as defunding the police, halting all fracking, and cracking down on the right of conservatives to speak) and the last thing they want is a Donald Trump presidency.

Parashah: “D’varim” (Words) DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:22


We start the final book of the original 5 books of the Torah, in which Moshe wrote down all the statutes, commandments, precepts, details, etc. that Adonai dictated to him to write. We must remember that Am Israel received the first 10 commandments directly from the mouth of Adonai, written down in stone, and given to the people, as a form of “Ketubah” or “marriage contract. Later, Adonai called Moshe back up to the mountain and dictated the rest of the Torah, the rest of the 603 commandments which he wrote down on the scrolls.

603 were written down by Moshe, yet dictated by Adonai, and 10 were dictated and written by YHVH himself. All in all, we must conclude that ALL the TORAH comes from YHVH, whether directly or indirectly written. This book of Deuteronomy is the last. Moshe began writing it, and it was probably finished by Yehoshuah (Joshua) or another leader.

The title "Deuteronomy" comes from two Greek words; "Deuter" (second, repetition) and "Nomos" (Law). So, were there two sets of "Laws" that God gave to Moses on Sinai? No, There was the giving of the "Torah Commandments" or as others state "The Law" (although the word "Torah" means "instruction" and not something tied to "legalism") So, we could say that "Deuteronomy" was a "repetition" of the "Commandments" or the "Law" that was given on Sinai.

These discourses are Moses' final speeches before God takes him home. He anoints Joshua (Yehoshua) to take his place. Yehoshua is "Yeshua" spelled the long way. It is kind of like "Bill" is short for "William"

Deuteronomy is like a "final Exam Review" that your teacher gives you to prepare you for the final exam. The review is everything you learned in a nutshell. "HaEleh HaDevarim" (These are the words) is the way Deuteronomy begins.

Deuteronomy relates the travels and experiences that “The Children of Yisrael” took and went through in 40 years. Moshe retells the experience somewhat as a father would relate to his son. Let’s say that father and son travel across the USA for 6 months, then, perhaps 10 years later, the father reminds the son of their trip by remembering their “experiences” “Remember son, the time when we were traveling through Texas and, well, you insisted in exploring that abandoned house, even when I said it would NOT be a good idea…….”

The father tells both the good experiences and the bad experiences, the times when the son obeyed and the times when the son disobeyed. Moshe is doing the same thing. This is similar to last week’s parashah “Masei” (journeys) in which Moshe relates the journeys of Israel. Moses is preparing his people for life in Canaan, and relating the Commandments to their new life they will be living in that land.

An interesting midrash is the difference and similarity between two words; “D’varim” (words) and “D’vorim” (bees) One could say that the words that Moshe spoke to the Israelites were like the “stings of bees” and after giving this message, a little later on, Moshe went up Mt. Pisgah a died, just like when a bee stings, it leaves the stinger in the victim and dies.

What can we learn from the beginning of D’varim? Are we mature enough to receive rebuke? From elders? From others who are in authority? When a believer or even a non-believer is rebuked, it is for his or her own good, either to bring that person to the knowledge of Messiah Yeshua or to turn that person from error to walk in harmony with the Torah.

Moshe tells the people the words of Adonai: “YHVH your Elohim spoke to us in Horeb saying “You have dwelt long enough in this mountain…turn you and take your journey…. (1:6)

It seems that “The Children of Yisrael” were in their “comfort zone”. They were at Mt. Horeb. Perhaps they wanted to stay right there, yet it was NOT the promised land. It was where they received the Torah, it was where they received instruction, but now they have to go to where Adonai wanted them to be.

It is interesting that the word “Horeb” is written without a “vav”. The word “Horeb” in Hebrew has only three letters; “Chet” “Resh” and “Beit”. These are the same letters that spell out the word “Sword” which is “Cherev”. So we have “Chorev” and “Cherev” The only difference is the vowels “o” and “e”. Is there a “remez” here? A symbolism? The sages say that in a way, Moshe is telling the people; “You have received the Torah at “Chorev” now, continue on towards the Promised Land, the Land of Canaan, and put into practice the Torah. If you disobey, a curse will fall upon you and the “Cherev” (the Sword) will pursue you. So, it is either “Obedience” which you learned from the Torah at “Chorev” …or…the “Cherev” will destroy you for “disobedience”.

Now, the Israelites were right at the border of Moab and Canaan; the Jordan River separated the two nations. It was time to leave their “comfort zone” and “cross over” and conquer the pagan peoples, and lay claim to the land! They had fought giants before, you know, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, especially if Adonai “falls” them.

Remember that it all starts in Egypt (Mitzraim) the land of “restriction”, Moshe leads them out, symbolizing a sort of Messiah, leading them to Mt Sinai, where they receive the Torah, for 40 years they undergo instruction, go through both “good times” and “bad times” sometimes, “very bad times” when YHVH chastised and killed many of them for disobedience and rebellion. Yet now, it is time for the promise to be fulfilled, the “Promised Land”

We go through the same thing in our lives. We start out being liberated from our “Egypt” We are liberated from the “lost world and the ways of the lost” by accepting Yeshua as our Messiah and LORD. We grow in faith, and spiritual maturity, or…perhaps fail in our relationship with YHVH, going through valleys and dark places, yet always emerging into the light of Torah again. Sometimes we get comfortable in one place or doing one thing, yet, God is saying…” Turn now and take your journey” or “Continue your journey and continue to grow in faith, expose yourself to different “situations” yet always trusting in HaShem.

Truth7t7 said:

Then you disagree with California's new law that allows the government/schools to subvert the parents knowledge regarding their child being involved in transgender therapy/transition?

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Why did you say 'therapy/transition'? The proposed law doesn't mention anything about therapy. Maybe you can tell us where you are getting your incorrect information from.

To help you out, I'll show you where the bill can be found and exactly what it says: California AB1955 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session

'This bill would prohibit school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools, and a member of the governing board or body of those educational entities, from enacting or enforcing any policy, rule, or administrative regulation that requires an employee or a contractor to disclose any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent unless otherwise required by law, as provided.'

I think that clear enough. It's a bill to protect the privacy of pupils should they request it as regards how they would like to be known. You are now free to discuss the matter knowing the actual details. But I'd still like to see where you got the incorrect info from.

Welcome! Glad you are here and look forward to dialoging with you

One of my favorite juxtapositions, it takes place the evening, Holy Tuesday during the Orthodox Holy Week.

"She rejoiced in emptying out that which was precious, he hastened to sell Him, Who was above all price.."

Unqualified said:

I’m not so offended any more. That’s envy, you can fight it.

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I'm powdered dust. There will never be anything here, anymore.

Does she have the mind of God? I think not!

Vambram said:

Is there proof when Kolb became that Battalion's commander?

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Minnesota National Guard Staff Lineages​

1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery
Commanders

LTC Bruce Jensen, Oct. 1, 2002 - Sept. 30, 2004
LTC Paul Conery, Nov. 10, 2004 - July 31, 2005
LTC John Kolb, Aug. 1, 2005 - Dec. 2, 2007
LTC Robert C. Larsen, Dec. 3, 2007 - Nov. 14, 2009

Walz retired in May 2005.

Vambram said:

What position in the Minnesota Army National Guard have directly before he was promoted to Battalion commander there? Was he in the same Battalion as was Walz before Kolb's promotion to Battalion commander?

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I'm unable to find this information, maybe someone else can.

The Barbarian said:

It was a bill in Congress negotiated between the WH and congressional republicans until Trump ordered them to stop any bill that would do anything about illegal immigration.

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Trump ordered them?

Hilarious. Who got orders from Trump and where's the proof?

The Barbarian said:

Even the Border Patrol union supported this bill. And you never heard of it? Seriously?

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Oh I read it....

It's a vast spending bill to support the war in the Ukraine with totally pointless nonsense thrown in about the border.

The Barbarian said:

Which is what the bill would do.

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How? Does it grab some kid in high school and start shaking him saying "you're gonna be an immigration judge son!" Then they throw him behind the gavel?

Where in the world are we going to get all these immigration judges? Do you really think there's some untapped pool of immigration judges just waiting for funding?

Imagine that you're in a society where people have free will.

The Barbarian said:

There are lots of people qualified to be judge, and lots of them very familiar with immigration law.

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Oh? How many?

Very familiar isn't a qualification of a judge...we want experts don't we?

The Barbarian said:

In the lead-up to the vote, Lankford accused his Republican colleagues of opposing the bill on political, rather than policy, grounds.

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I understand he was upset...his name was a big one on the creation of the bill. He would have been able to tell people he did something. It was largely his bill.

The Barbarian said:

Of course. This would have been a disaster for Trump, if Biden got a bill that would enable him to more quickly end the backlog.

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Biden wouldn't have even moved the backlog nor would we likely have those judges' positions filled up by the end of the next president's term....

And it does nothing to prevent others from entering and claiming asylum. No reason to believe that the backlog would budge at all.

[As a lot of you may already know, I've finished the first Left Behind series fanfic. Now on to the second, where the characters will be searching to find out the truth. The prologue is a review of what gone on before and the first chapter will pick up where the last one left off. Again, I don't own any of the Left Behind characters. They all belong to Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim Lahaye. I only own my oc's. Hope you enjoy]

Prologue

****
Robert had been called to work on a flight to London. It seemed to a smooth flight. Then, while over the Atlantic halfway between the U.S and the U.K, dozens of passengers on the plane disappeared. With the other airports shut down until further notice, Captain Rayford Steele announced that they were turning back to Chicago.
They landed in Chicago, many of the passengers had to go through the emergency tubes while many of the flight crew walked to the terminal. Robert tried to call his roommate at his apartment complex but couldn't get through. He watched on the TV screen at the airport that the disappearances was all over the world. Then he saw first officer Chris Smith being wheeled out, indicating he had killed himself. Robert wondered if he would be Ray's new co-pilot. Though he felt he wasn't up to it.
***
Ashton had been with the Chicago Police department and was working night shift the night the disappearances happened. Now with that, it would keep the police forces busy with figuring out who was missing and how many.
Ashton met with Robert at the airport, who gave him a ride to his apartment complex. They've talked over things about what happened, and what theories were out there.
****
Lucille had been a student at University of South Chicago. Then dozens of students and a few professors have disappeared, including Elain and Addi. It seemed that classes were not going to start anytime soon.
After talking with Robert, Josiah, and Molly, and telling them that Elain and Addi had disappeared, Lucille drove to her parents home in Mount Prospect. There. she found her parents and younger brother and sister have disappeared. She even wondered if they were right, as Elain and Addi were.

****
Josiah was working double shift at the hospital in Arlington. When the disappearances happened, he saw that the nursery beds in the labor and delivery apartment were empty. So were quite a few hospital staff uniforms in piles.
He went to his parents home in Mount Prospect, which was almost like a mansion. There, he saw his parents clothing. He tried to call Nathan, but got an answer from one of his college mates, who told him he had disappeared. He also tried to call Addi, but no answer. He got a call from Lucille, who told him that Addi had disappeared. He went to his apartment to check things out, and saw that even the manager have disappeared. Then he went back to the hospital, and got back to work. But he wondered what good would work do now.

****
Everett had been dozing off and on that fateful night. He woke up, and was in for a surprised that his parents, his older sister Alicia, and little brother and sister, Ronnie and Gracie, have disappeared.
Everett turned on the TV, and saw the news report that people have vanished all over the world. While the news report weren't sure what to make of it, Everett knew what happened. Jesus had come to take His followers, and he had been left behind. He called New Hope Village Church but a got a recording message from Bruce, saying that there was a video that Pastor Billings made, and it was either on DVD or on an USB flash drive. Everett thought it might be something to check out.

****
Aneurin had been hanging out with his friends, where they wind up in a diner. He had dozed off in the lounge. When he woke up, there was a lot of startling going on. He saw that many have disappeared, including the diner guy. They've watched TV, and saw that there were reports of millions vanishing and of suicide around the world.

Aneurin looked up New Hope Village Church on his iPhone, and called the number. He got the recording message from Bruce, saying that there was a video that Pastor Billings made. Aneurin thought perhaps that could give some explanation, even though he knew what was happening.

****
Santiago have been home, dozing off and on. When he woke up, there was no sound. Then he found out why: his parents and little brother and sister have disappeared. He had always felt there was something missing. Perhaps this was it.

He called New Hope Village Church where he had attended youth group and got the recorded message, the same that Everett and Aneurin each got. Santiago wondered if Bruce might know something, and if Pastor Billings have something to say in his video. He was sure to find out.

****
Molly had been home, and dozed off and on as well. The phone rang, and she got up to answered it. It was one of Carl's assistants, Ivy Gold, from the Global Weekly, calling for Carl. After talking with the Global Weekly, Molly went to wake up Carl and Donna. Then she discovered that they have disappeared. Then she went to Oliver's room, and saw he had disappeared. She turned on the TV and saw it was all over the world. She tried to call her brother Samuel, and found out he had disappeared too. Then Molly called Lucille, who told her that Elain had disappeared. Then she thought of two other brothers, Robert and Aneurin, and her uncle Dirk.

Molly was beside herself. What could she do? She felt scared as well, with her mom and dad gone. Now with no knowing where two of her brothers, whom she assumed have not disappeared, were, she felt alone.

******
All of these individuals had no idea what to do. Soon, they would meet up, with Robert, Aneurin, and Molly reuniting, and found out the answers to all what had happened together.

*****
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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. I Corinthians 15:51-52

[The prologue is bit a flash back of what happened before. The first chapter for this will pick up where the last one left off]

The Barbarian said:

Putin is acutely aware that his personal survival depends on selling the war as a Russian victory to the Russian people. And they seem to be getting impatient. Who knows what's hiding among the group of yes-men he's kept around him on short leash?

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Things have moved on since I said all that.

The Ukraine surprise attack has certainly changed the dynamic. I can't see Putin wanting to negotiate as it now stands.

Christsfreeservant said:

Thank you for sharing.

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You are welcome. God bless.

Unfortunately God hates those who reject Christ and will strike them with many afflictions no less the eternal judgement.

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

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Simple math.

yeah I don't know this is not written. A righteous man yes yet man. I mean to be in that city.. yeah. Why are we righteous? What I love is how Abraham asked him about if there are 50 got Him down to 10 and God never stopped him. Then to know there was not 10 yet God said "as long as you are here I can do nothing".

You said God places lot there. You know a girl trying to go to her fav store yet keeps getting cut of and has to go to a store she didn't like. As she is checking out she smiles at the Cashier who thinks to her self "ooh she must be a Christian I would love to be that happy". And she leaves the store. Because she was cut off so many times had to go to a store she does not like that simple smile.. that coming weekend that Cashier got saved. Then the girl has to go to her new apartment where she never wanted to be but didn't have allot of money. What she never saw again was once she went in all the demons screaming. We tend to look at how "bad" it is around us but... He knows what He is doing. Yet still we freely make the Choices. He turns it all around for our Good. I mean our GOOD. Yeah He may not have wanted her there yet.. that place will now know Christ.. is there.

FaithT said:

What faith is Harris, if any?

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American Baptist Church, it’s a mainline Protestant liberal denominations. Accepts homosexuals, women’s ordination etc

Pommer said:

No, this is silly, the President has more important things to do at such a time than to placate news-junkies.

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Naptime, again?

Valletta said:

2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. RSVCE​

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2 Thessalonians is in context of the last days and is warning about deceptions.

They were warning about false teachings

Their traditions were to teach from the OT and the teachings of Jesus (of who also taught from the OT)