Just based on a study of scripture. Adam On Sep 10, 4:13 am, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > LOL Molly or private sleuth.. I have never been able to figure out how > these people arrive at their findings.. > > > > On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 12:39 PM, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Looks like he is active in a group called alt.bible.prophecy. He > > hasn't posted in this group before. > > > On Sep 9, 5:34 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > I guess Adam may have been a boxer in a past life, a quick jab in and > > > then back out agian. > > > > On 5 Sep, 05:38, Adam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > There are some things that have worried and perplexed church-going > > > > people for centuries. > > > > For example. > > > > Why does God remain silent? Why are prayers ineffective? Why does He > > > > not interfere in men’s affairs? Why does He not prevent evil? Why does > > > > He not punish evil doers? How does predestination work? Are people > > > > saved by faith or works? > > > > I am going to try to answer all these question in this article. > > > > I will attempt to explain the reason for our existence as revealed by > > > > the Bible. > > > > I will also try to reveal the mind and purpose of God from the same > > > > source and explain His two plans of salvation. > > > > The Bible records that both Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit > > > > and they eventually died. > > > > The fruit contained drugs which had several effects on them both. > > > > Their knowledge was increased because their eyes were opened and they > > > > realised that they were naked. They became mortal and they became > > > > selfish. So the fruit contained a mind-altering drug, a slow acting > > > > poison that made them mortal and it changed their DNA structure to > > > > produce the “selfish gene” (a description invented by atheist Richard > > > > Dawkins). This selfish gene and the mortality would be passed on to > > > > all their offspring right up to the present time. > > > > These changes were not a punishment imposed upon the pair by God. They > > > > were the natural consequences of eating a drugged substance. God did > > > > punish them by imposing pain in childbirth upon Eve and hard > > > > unfruitful labour upon Adam. The punishments were designed to show > > > > them that their actions had caused pain to God and had made His work > > > > unfruitful. > > > > God’s purpose in creating mankind was to produce a race of people > > > > willingly obedient to His word. He would then give eternal life to > > > > this race of people and dwell with them on the earth. > > > > This purpose has been delayed because of the sin of the original pair > > > > in the Garden of Eden. > > > > Sin may be defined as “the failure to love God and neighbour”. The > > > > proof that we love God is if we obey His commands and if we obey those > > > > commands (which deal with the fair treatment of other people) then we > > > > love our neighbour. The two go together. Ignorance of God is also sin > > > > because we can’t love or obey what we don’t know. > > > > The selfishness which is a part of every one of us is what theologians > > > > have called “original sin”. Some seem to think that we all bear the > > > > guilt of Adam’s sin. This is rubbish. We are not guilty of Adam’s sin > > > > but we do indeed suffer the results of it. The inherent selfishness in > > > > our bodies is “sinful human flesh” and it alienates us from God. We > > > > are all, then, classified as “sinners” by God and are doomed to die. > > > > In fact it is necessary for all of us to die to destroy the selfish > > > > gene within us all. This selfish gene is what is known as ‘the devil’ > > > > in scriptural terms. So Christ destroyed the devil within himself by > > > > his death. > > > > After the disobedience of the first human pair God could have > > > > destroyed them and started again with a new pair. But he did not > > > > destroy them. He allowed them to procreate and bring about the human > > > > race as we see it today together with all its imperfections. > > > > After the flood God gradually reduced the lifespan of all humans to a > > > > maximum of 120 years but He apparently did not want everybody to die > > > > solely from old age. So He introduced many and varied ways of bringing > > > > about their death. Old age, epidemics and accidents were just a few > > > > ways of accomplished this end. There are also earthquakes and volcanic > > > > eruption and tidal waves and stillbirths, etc. This great variety of > > > > ways to die ensures that no one knows just how or when he will lose > > > > his life. In the light of this it is wrong to say that God has given > > > > us life. It is more accurate to say that God has lent us life for a > > > > relatively short time to see if we can overcome our inherent > > > > selfishness and treat our neighbours fairly. God has thrown us in at > > > > the deep end to see which ones of us can rise above our nature. Even > > > > the most primitive people know the difference between right and wrong > > > > because we all have a conscience which will either justify or condemn > > > > us on the day of judgement. > > > > In the Old Testament the word ‘heaven’ generally means ‘the sky’ but > > > > in prophecy it often has a symbolic meaning. It means ‘the place where > > > > the seat of government is located’ and the ‘earth’ means ‘the common > > > > people’ or subjects of that government. Thus God, being the supreme > > > > ruler of the universe, dwells in heaven somewhere, and on earth the > > > > various kings and governments also inhabit their local ‘heaven’. > > > > In Paul’s day the seat of government was in Rome so when he wrote that > > > > the gospel had been ‘preached to every creature which is under > > > > heaven’, he did not mean that it had been preached in Japan or on the > > > > American continent, he meant that it had only been preached throughout > > > > the Roman Empire. > > > > Almost one third of the Bible is devoted to prophecy but I am not > > > > going to delve into it in this article except to say that Christ has > > > > promised to return to this earth and set up a kingdom here with its > > > > headquarters in Jerusalem. To help with the government of this kingdom > > > > certain men and women have been chosen to rule with Christ. These > > > > people are called ‘saints’ and they were predestined to be called to > > > > this honour since before the foundation of the earth. This is the > > > > extent of predestination in the Bible. After the call was answered, > > > > the saints had the free will to remain faithful to their calling or > > > > not as they chose. There is no predestination for sinners. We all have > > > > freewill. The saints were each given the Holy Spirit which taught them > > > > all truth and given at least one supernatural gift. The Holy Spirit > > > > was passed on to saints by the laying on of hands by one of the > > > > apostles. The call began when Christ started teaching but then ceased > > > > with the death of the last apostle because there was no one left to > > > > pass on the Holy Spirit. The church quickly became corrupt as the > > > > apostles predicted and there has been no true church since. The whole > > > > world is now in the darkness of ignorance and will remain so until the > > > > return of Christ. > > > > The saints who have remained faithful unto death will be resurrected > > > > immortal at the return of Christ and be rewarded with positions of > > > > authority in the kingdom according to their works. Those saints who > > > > have fallen away from the faith have had their names removed from the > > > > book of life, the Holy Spirit has been taken away from them and they > > > > will not be raised at the return of Christ. > > > > It is predicted that the prophet Elijah will return to Israel to > > > > preach repentance to the Jews before the return of Christ. There are > > > > indications that a new generation of saints will receive the call at > > > > that time. Until that happens we sinners have been left to repent of > > > > our evil ways and follow the dictates of our conscience to treat our > > > > neighbours fairly. If we can do this then we will receive a favourable > > > > judgement at the return of Christ and our names entered into the book > > > > of life. At the end of the millennium all the sinners will be > > > > resurrected and those whose names are not found in the book of life > > > > will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death. > > > > Now the saints will be saved by faith (which produces works) but > > > > sinners who may have no faith will be saved (or otherwise) by works. > > > > So there are two different plans for salvation for two different > > > > classes of people. No one can become a saint unless they are called by > > > > God. It does not depend on man’s desire or effort but on God’s mercy. > > > > Now, why does God not answer prayers? It is because God doesn’t listen > > > > to sinners. Neither does he communicate with them. I have witnessed a > > > > whole congregation pray for the recovery of a sick woman with no > > > > response from God. > > > > God does not interfere or prevent sin because everybody is going to be > > > > judged by Christ at his return. It does not matter whether a person > > > > lives a long or short time in this life. God knows the mind of man and > > > > will judge fairly. This is a time of probation and opportunity. To get > > > > things in perspective, we have to look at things from God’s point of > > > > view. We have no rights before God. He chooses who He wants for honour > > > > or destruction. Compared with the creation of the universe the nations > > > > are as a drop in the bucket. > > > > Now the church-going people have remained in ignorance for nearly 2000 > > > > years because they have assumed that they, too, are saints and that > > > > the New Testament refers to them. They have closed their eyes to the > > > > fact that there are no Spirit gifts available today. This > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
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