Might I encourage you not to try to figure out the future by interpreting a work of fiction. Use the Bible!! However () I would recommend Arnold Frutchenbaum's book Footsteps of the Messiah which details all future events up until what he calls the Eternal Oorder, or eternity, which follows the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom.
When I was younger, my parents gave me a little wine at a holiday event. Subsequently I got a tremendous headache later on that absolutely nothing got rid of. Not time, medications, dark, laying down, cold compress, nothing. The most severe headache I ever had.
But I was reading up on spiritual warfare on my own, and I thought I might as well try it as it might be demonic. I had tried everything else--why not? So I did what I was learning about casting demons out--don't remember what I did or said but it involved a lot of oral prayers, making sure I was right with God first, and filling in the space with the Holy Spirit--and the headache disappeared as quickly as a light goes off when you flick a switch.
I'm a practical and often cynical person, but I do believe I cast out a demon that day. I haven't experienced or seen anything like it before or since. I didn't tell my parents--they don't believe other spiritual experiences I've had, and if I did they'd think I was absolutely crazy. And I've shared this only very rarely, with a pastor and only a few close Christian friends.
I am not buying any calendars past 2008.
Dramama, thank you soooo much for posting the addy. I copied, pasted, and emailed the article to several people. If they get upset, too bad, so sad, but at least they can't say I didn't try to inform them of what is going on. I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one who, when hearing of the passing of someone, wonder if they were saved. I've never thought this before this year, and it seems like it's just one thing after another. An example~~~a couple who had gotten married on Friday were on their motorcycle on Saturday, were hit by a truck, and he was killed and his bride seriously injured. My first thought was "was he saved?" Two weeks previously, another couple were on their motorcycle, hit by a vehicle, and the wife was killed and her husband injured. They were taking one last ride on it before selling it. Our daughter and her unsaved husband knew both couples, and my dh and I got pretty blunt with him over the week-end. I just pray the Holy Spirit gets his attention this time.
No born again Christian would carry these items. What we are seeing is the blend of religions and cultures...the coming of the One World Religion. I'm sure other people are practicing such nonsense as well. I went out of town to Ashland Oregon this past weekend. It is a very dark place, a mixture of New Age and Eastern Mystical Religions. The theater is very big there, something to enjoy. However, add to the religious aspect, the philosophies and practices within the theater itself. It gave me a view of what the whole world will soon embrace without any forethougt. There will be no acceptance of the true God of the bible. But everything and everyone else is welcomed. This is our new world. And if Mr. Obama becomes our President, we can look forward to much more co-mingling.
Allah if you all look it up on the internet right now you will see if a pagan Moon god - this is the god the Muslims believe in and they do not want us to know this at all.
[about Obama]
Wow....just wow.
This man could come out and openly admit that he was muslim...was a murderer, or anything else sinister, and the left would STILL want him as president.
At this point, I don't think it would matter. He is just "too charasmatic", and the American "left" is too far gone, and too evil to look at it differently.
The special interest groups like the homosexuals don't care if Obama or Hillary wins, just as long as they can change the laws and times so they can run around out in public practicing their perversion and indoctirnating school children with it. Anyone who will promote the liberal agenda is fine and dandy with them. Just let us practice our right to be perverted in public they say. They don't care if the country is taken over by moslems or not, they just want to be perverted and frolic around while being accepted as normal.
Some of these special interest groups on the liberal side are going to find themselves in for a shock when they find out they voted in moslem candidates who are just as opposed to their perverted lifestyles as conservatives are. The difference is that we don't behead them for it. You just wait, they will be sorry in more ways than one.
(Irony for the win!)
For unbelievers, yes, the TRUTH is too extreme. They'd rather believe the fairy tales from science class.
I thank the Lord that we won't be here to endure even part of the Tribulation! Because that 7-year time is for the Jews and for a Christ-rejecting world, not for us. I can't wait to hear that trumpet!!
(Gay marriage thread)
There was a time in my life when I would have been thrilled about this. It was my dream to marry another woman years ago. I was in the lesbian lifestyle for over 25 years and thought it was okay with God as long as I was monogamous to one partner. I even considered myself a gay Republican and evangelical Christian.
Even though it was painful finally learning the truth about homosexuality, I was so thankful that the Lord showed me that my lifestyle was wrong so I can serve him in a holy manner now.
(Regarding an article discussing the recent discovery of three planets orbiting a near-by star)
And so the delusion begins. I'm sure that's where, it will be argued, the aliens came from to "abduct" the billion or so people who suddenly went missing one day [after the rapture]. You can just see the ground work being laid out.
I'm voting democrat because I want pedophiles to have greater access to our children.
I'm voting democrat because you don't deserve freedoms of speech, religion, or the right to bear arms.
I'm voting democrat because I like the idea of killing babies.
Just was thinking about the Bema seat judgement we will go through where the good Lord will judge us on our lives and give out rewards. Will those of us who recieve no crowns and maybe no other rewards be sad in heaven? I know no one in heaven is sad so to speak but will we maybe have some sort of eternal regret for not living better lives on this earth?
JoshuaGeneration:
[...] "I began visiting a chiropractor who was fine at first, and I didn't think there was anything spiritually 'wrong' about his practices, but now whenever he treats me he keeps telling me that we have to "correct the flow" of my "energy field" around my body before I can get better. I'm really disturbed by that, and he keeps telling me to "picture the energy field". :s What should I do?"
FaithContender:
"You need to find a new chiropractor ASAP. It sounds like yours is using Reiki on you, which is demonic"
I went through this exact scenario five years ago, when the Holy Spirit brought me back to the fold. After wandering most of my adult life, my re-entry into a personal relationship with Jesus (not just being saved) caused me to literally "go crazy" in my small town and share my changed life. Atleast that's what my friends and family thought. Every person I would run into at the post office, library, grocery store or local police would be the next "victim" of my witnessing. I even returned to my old favorite local bar and read to some of my friends from Revelation about what was coming, while replacing my beer with a diet coke. At that time I was convinced that I would be raptured within months, if not days. I still am!!! "Faith without works is dead", says James - the brother of Jesus. I left letters and tracts in my empty house for the next renter to find and explained the importance of being born again.
[In response to a thread about California's gay marriage]
I hadn't realized how much this is effecting me. I've been watching from the sidelines, kind of detached, you know. . . a sign of the times mentality, what can you do?
And then, wham, yesterday when they started showing the actual first marriages, and those two elderly women. . . and I just have this incredible desire to weep . . . and I mean WEEP, as in great, heart-wrenching sobs.
These poor, poor people. My heart cries out for them. They're flinging themselves over a cliff into eternal hell and they are so oblivious. . .
And I never cry about anything.
I have that excited butterfly feeling in my stomach alot....I couldn't imagine knowing the exact timing!!! When I am working, watching TV etc... I think to myself, it could be right now!! In a blink of an eye, I will be in His presence! I could hyperventalate thinking about it!
(I felt important to submit this one because Fundie X-ians always say that homosexuality is a CHOICE...but apparently... 2/3 of the way down in the thread...)
"I read your testimony about a month ago. What a wonderful testimony! Being formerly lesbian, do you still struggle with attractions for women? I have been having a horrible time with struggling with that and sometimes my mind goes too far. I often find myself asking for forgiveness. I know that I don't want to be a lesbian because I know it is wrong in the eyes of God, but I just cannot seem to stop being attracted to women.
God bless you!
Suzi"
[On gay marriage in California]
This is going to muck up the definition of marriage to such an extent that the government will have no choice but to outlaw ALL marriages.
i had a vision several years ago where i saw this man when i was awake (saw him like he was right there) during christmas after opening gifts and he had a bow on his head. it was a guy that i know but several years later nothing has happened and i just found out that he is involved possibly with drugs (through someone that works with him) and is involved in sexual sin. so my question is - is this a false vision?
Shiva is listed by satanist as one of the infernal names of Satan
I'm terrible with links but if you google Obama and hindu god you will come upon a story that broke yesterday about certain things he carries in his pocket...one of them is a madonna and child and then there is a hindu god;
among other things. I would like opinions on this. I found this on a secular
website and the majority of people think it's much ado about nothing. Most
christians disagree. What say you? I say whenever there is a leader who
does such things yet proclaims to be a christian, it shows what interesting times we live in.
I have had an uneasy feeling the last several years, kind of an impending doom thing. I was always checking out survivalists websites and keeping food in stock, etc. (Some of this was after our area went crazy and had the biggest evacuation in history during Hurricane Rita-we stayed home) I even printed out much of the ready.gov info off their website. Even though I was saved when I was 12, I still wasn't clear about the rapture.
Then I started researching the rapture more and realized that this is what I was waiting for, and I had nothing to worry about as I would not be here for most of the disasters awaiting the world. Now I am excited!!! I am still prepared, since we live in very uncertain times, but I am not as scared, because I know where we will end up. I don't understand the Christians who say they are not 'ready' for the rapture! How can you not be ready to meet our Maker??? I can't wait!
It just kills me that the most important guest (Jesus) who is holy, righteous, and loving and true was not invited to the shower or the wedding!
Yes, and this is why I believe the democrats will run the country. If we are at the end of the end, everything has to get worse then it is. As in the days of Noah... Sodom and Gemorrah... the dems will lead this country right into those days all the way.
What an ugly dark world we will be living in then. The love of many wax cold. A lukewarm church, even more apostacy.
True Christians will be the only light (few and far between). And then when we are removed from the earth, the darkness will consume this earth.
Oh Lord Jesus, please save our loved ones soon!!!
There is no way that this world will continue on for 30 more years. NO WAY! Tensions are running way too high. SOMETHING has to happen because those built up tensions will soon reach a peak.
Iran is deliberatly taunting the USA and Israel because they DO want for something to start up.
That Iranian President is not only an Islamic extremist, but he is also INSANE. He believes that the Mahaddi (spelling wrong I know) must enter the scene during a cataclysmic event, when the middle east is in complete turmoil. Therefore, he wants to start something up to cause that scenerio in order for his Mahaddi to come to the rescue.
The people I've told throughout the last few years, just don't care, and want to continue on in sin. Many of them even believe that Jesus IS coming back! You'd THINK that they'd be scared because of their lifestyles, and repent. But they continue on just the same. I no longer even try to talk to them. They already know The Way. I just pray for them. And perhaps one day something might happen in their lives, or in this world, which will cause them to cry out to the Lord. They know where we live. If they need me, I'm right here.
On Sept. 11, 2001, ALL of these people showed up at our house! See, they were frightened at what was happening, and rushing to MY house was their first thought. Just goes to show ya, they turn to a christian in times of crisis.
The true origin of all the Greek, Roman Mythologies as well as the religions such as Hindu, Budda and such originated in the First Babylon Under the Leadership of Nimrod and his mother/wife Semirramis.
Takes a lot of research, but let me tell you. The study will OPEN YOUR EYES!
When Babylon was destroyed by God and all it's inhabitants scattered with different languages, the religion went with them. That is why you can go to Asia and find the same God's with different names. It's all part of the original pagan worship that began in Babylon. This religion affected the Roman Catholic church and that is why our Holidays such as Christmas and Easter are celebrated on the pagan holidays.
There is soooo much to it. Lots of research to get to the heart of it, but it is sooooo worth it.
on Tim Russert's death:
CNN is interviewing friends of Tim's and one stated he was a devout Catholic. Dear Lord please, PLEASE let Tim have read his Bible and beilived more in God's Word than what the Catholic church taught
I will try to talk my son out of college, should he decide to go. Will be in senior high in the fall. My oldest didn't go to college, and has a decent job for now. And, he still believes what he was raised on.....Christianity. That is more important than a college education.
Sadly school has degraded to teaching facts...
Anyway, the point of all this is to say that I feel that time has just lately begun to move faster, so to speak. I could never attempt to set a date for the Rapture, but man, I all of a sudden felt my normal sense of urgency become significantly more urgent! And with this heightened sense of urgency has come a feeling of calm like I have never felt before. Does this make sense to any of you? Are you feeling it too? Do you feel even more surprised that you're still here? Do you feel sad, urgent, happy and calm all at the same time?
[O]nce Obama gets into office, Christians are going to be targeted in this country more than ever. His cousin (who he's close to) is responsible for all of those Christians in Kenya being burned alive in their churches. Why do people in this country think that they're immune to such persecution?
Fidel Castro was openly democrat when he got office as well.
Christians need to seriously be thinking in terms of what to do when Obama takes office. The Bible says we'll be persecuted, but it also says we can flee from persecution if it's possible.
I'm all about preaching to the lost...in fact, a rapture-focused mind (that being, a mind centered on Christ's coming) will be even more vigilant about sharing the good news!
All in all, those watching are a small minority compared to those who either aren't watching or don't even expect Christ to return in our generation.
He is coming though...the end is closer now than it was at the beginning!
MARANATHA!
Originally Posted by HisAlways :
It's like my father-in-law put it the other evening..."if Obama is the next president, the Lord will have to intervene soon".
I have to agree.
Do you know what scares me even more? The amount of people who want to vote for him!! I just can't believe they can't see that there is something terribly wrong with this man...
I've been pondering something lately. I am wondering if a Christian recieves a legal name change, which name will appear in Christ's Book of Life, and which will He call you by?
This question is confounding me, because I am considering a legal name change so that I can disassociate from my dad who was abusive when I was younger. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, and I have no questions about my salvation, but my name was changed once before from my birth name by my dad, and I want to change it to something completely different that the one he gave me which wans't my birth name anyhow..
But which will appear in the Book of Life??!!
[Is there an effective way to reach Atheists?]
No offense but if they relied on logical thinking they would come to faith.
After all if one looks at existence and looks at all the "theories", the only one that makes sense is that we were created.
It's the emotionally hurt or damaged that seem to become athiests. At least this seems true to me.
I've dealt with a lot of athiests. They react emotionally rather then logically to things.
There is a Muslim extended family whom I love dearly...The primary focus for me is a woman whose initial is A...
She and her family are from Afghanistan and Pakistan. She had polio as a child and walks with a terrible limp, causing her lots of pain and back trouble. She has a precious young child who was born with Fragile X syndrome, retardation, autisitic-like and many, many physical problems. He is having surgery on his back (scoliosis) on June 3.
A Christian organization *rescued* them and brought them to America. They were outcasts in their countries because it was thought *allah* had cursed them with such bad fortune. Upon their arrival here, A's husband abandoned her, ran off with a "healthy" 15 yo girl, to have "healthy" children with. A is just devasted. And now she struggles with her problems and her son's problems alone.
I got to witness to A, told her about Jesus, His work on the cross, salvation through Him. I told her that her son would go to heaven with us, and doesn't she want to be there, too? She listened to me, at least. I felt from her that she can't speak of her allah like I can boast of our amazing True God. She makes comments about how allah is cruel...
I sent her a fantastic book written by an ex-Muslim who is now in ministry to Muslims. I sent her a beautiful, perfect card about Jesus loving children so much and He holds them when they are going through pain and we can't make it better for them. I also gave her more resources to check, the author's phone number and websites who minister to Muslims about Jesus.
(Another rapture thread, this one has a bunch of folks talking about how they have no motivation because of the rapture being "just around the corner"):
I hear you on this. I have to constantly fight the feelings of "what is the use". Its like we have diagnosis of a fatal incurable disease and we have only so long to live.
I don't want my children learning anything about Islam in school. They already know it's a false religion and to stay away from it.
I'm to the point where I just can't wait to go to Heaven. No matter how I get there. Death or rapture. If someone were to tell me that I have cancer and will be gone soon, I think I'd throw a party if I didn't have my children to care for. All that I do that is worthwhile on this earth is tell other people how Jesus saved me from sure destruction. Everything else is secondary.
I want to be home with my husband and just enjoy life. But I have to go to a horrible job that I have had for 8 years. Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful that I HAVE a job to go to. (snipped)
But that place REEKS evil. The people are horrible. And believe me for 8 years I have prayed and prayed for these people. I have tried and tried to be a light. I have never experienced such mean spirited, cold hearted people in all of my 49 years of life.
Anyway, back on topic-I want to go HOME so bad to live with Jesus I just can't hardly stand it! I too feel as though my life here on this earth is a waste and totally useless. I really feel that I am not doing what God's plan is for me but I can't seem to find it no matter how much I pray and seek for His direction.
Maybe soon-real soon (dancing, shouting smilie)
This is just my opinion...but I tend to agree!...
When I was little...I learned about demons in various churches...and so I constantly had nightmares of them and felt that they were always around me...I would tell my mother that they were after me and when I was a teenager...I got into the wrong type of things and then I thought I had a gift because I knew when "spirits" were around....you see, some where I was convinced that those demons were spirits and some weren't so bad....i got confused between wiccan religion and Christianity...I don't know if I got my point across (and this is just my experience)...but I wouldn't do the demon thing....I would stress on the love of God and how we all have a sinful nature...but I'm not always right....
I've been thinking about asking my local Humane Society to start a Rapture Pet Rescue list for people whose pets would be trapped in their homes after the rapture. They have a quarterly newsletter, and my thought was just a small box saying something simple like:
Rapture Pet Rescue
We will make every effort to
rescue your pet(s) trapped in
your home after the rapture.
Email your name, address, phone
number, and number and type(s)
of pet(s) to [email address]
My questions to you guys are (1) do you think they would take me seriously, and (2) could they legally remove trapped pets from raptured people's homes, maybe through County Animal Services?
My 10 year old daughter and I have been discussing how demons attack us spiritually and how they can "encourage" bad behaviour sometimes. She was recently saved and baptized.
Anyway, I have been telling her when she is scared or having problems that seem to make her feel like she is being spiritually attacked to say "demons get away from me". I've told her that they have to leave if she tells them to.
Anyway, she wants to know if there is any scripture to back that up. Does it say anywhere that we can rebuke demons and they have to leave? I feel like it's there somewhere, but I'm not finding it.
Any help please?
My son, who was raised in the church, came home from college announcing that he believes ALL religions are false especially Christianity, and "an opiate of the people" He's voted for Obama in the primary and plans to vote for him in the general election. He says "If I will read The Audacity of Hope" He will read a book of my choosing. Please pray that I can find the exact book God would have him read to open his Blinded eyes. He says religion is used by power brokers to manipulate the people. He says he is not communist....... This child made a profession of faith at 10. He says he was just a Christian because that was the culture he was raised in.......He believes that is why I am a Christian too. Pray for me.
[should pastors have formal training?]
my question is what does the bible say? did Peter have "formal" training? Did John?
I believe it's individual to the man, and what God has truly called him to.
Our current pastor doesn't even have a high school diploma. ( he was Homeschooled and didn't get a GED or anything.) But he did go to 2 years of Bible college.
I'll tell you what though, this man KNOWS the Word.
I think what's more important, is who did He study under? Did he have good spiritual mentoring leading up to his pastoring a church?
I don't believe it's the form of "formal" education that matters, it's the man's heart for the Lord and truly knowing the Word in order to pass it on to the people.
Scripture says He will use the foolish to comfound the wise, and it also says He qualifies the called. If the man is allowing the Spirit to teach through him, and committed to the Word and only the Word, he should be fine.
There are a number of lines of legal forensic evidence that could be presented.
One would be that life is too complex to have come into existence by time, chance and random processes. There is no way you could add information to the genetic machinery for increased complexity unless there was an intelligence designing and directing the adding of information.
That leads to, well who is that intelligence then? From there you can point out that the Bible claims to be a message from that intelligence. Ok, then how do I know that the Bible is really from the creator? There are a number of lines of evidence one can consider.
Bible prophecy and its accurate fulfillment is strong evidence that the Bible is from that Creator. There are hundreds of prophecies already accurately fulfilled and many more ready to be fulfilled in the end times.
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has strong legal evidence that it truly happened. The gospels are 4 eyewitness accounts of these events admissable in any court of law. There were over 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ available also. Secular historians recorded the fact of the existence of a man named Jesus Christ. The dead sea scrolls attest to the accuracy of the manuscipts we now have. The writings of the early church fathers preserve virtually every verse in the Bible which affirms our current Bible.
There is a start.
(Thread about a video of Barack Obama having an awkward moment where he seems to lose his train of thought during a speech and stammers a bit):
How can people continue to worship and adore this guy? He is the most pathetic speaker I have ever heard!!!! As others have said, how can he be expected to run a country and make hard decisions if a "lack of sleep" has this affect on him? Good grief, I could probably give a better speech, during a severe asthma attack, (minus the use of the "inhalator") than Obama ---- and that isn't saying much, folks.