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Terry,
Like proclaiming the Gospel, we are probably beating a dead horse. Not because we are presenting the Truth, but due to the fact people will continue to believe the lie instead of seeking the Truth.
It is my personal belief that we are in the days of Romans 1: 16-32 and the time is very short.
I look for something to happen between 2012 and 2018. And I am ready for it to happen!
I notice that this exchange has not created a great intrest. probably due to the ostrich effect.
Yes, James, once again, you hit the nail (truth) right on the head! Isn't it sad that all religions agree that we are living in the last days, yet few people will listen and pay attention and make the necessary changes to survive the eternal destruction that's soon to come! The problem is their heart condition, not being rightly disposed for truth, and until their hearts are right, not you nor I nor Jesus Christ himself if he appeared to them and told them these things would change them. After all, we know that many, many thousands were actual eyewitnesses to Jesus' miracles yet Satan was able to blind them so that they denied the Son of God! I know that if I had been there and seen Jesus instantly cure a leper, a blind man, or bring a dead person back to life, that would have been more than sufficient for me!
I believe the following verses of your scriptures cited at Romans chapter 1 say it all:
24
Therefore God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, 25 even those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the One who created, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; 27 and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error. 28 And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting, 29 filled as they were with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malicious disposition, being whisperers, 30backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, self-assuming, inventors of injurious things, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, false to agreements, having no natural affection, merciless. 32Although these know full well the righteous decree of God, that those practicing such things are deserving of death, they not only keep on doing them but also consent with those practicing them.1 Timothy 3: 1-5 says it best:
But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4betrayers, headstrong, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. 6For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.
On the subject of "an accurate knowledge of truth," just as my original forum brought out that Jesus did not die on a cross and that it is also a pagan symbol that all Christians should shun, if a person will simply ponder and reason on the following few Bible verses, they will realize that all the major teachings of christendom are non-scriptural, like immortal soul and that the good go to heaven when they die, and the God-slandering and dishonoring teaching of eternal torture in hellfire for the wicked.
Eze. 18: 4 & 20, "The soul that is sinning, it itself will die."
Ecc. 9: 5, 6 & 10, regarding the condition of the dead, "They are conscious of nothing at all."
Ps. 37:29, "The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it."
Matt. 5:5, "Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth."
Romans 6:7, "For he who had died has been acquitted from his sin."
Romans 6:23, "For the wages sin pays is death."
So, as we see from these last two scriptures, the penalty for sinning is simply death, which we all inherited from Adam, thus we all die, but, according to the following promises in Jesus' own words, and in accord with the above verses and God's original purpose for man, i.e., that he live forever on a paradise earth, which has not changed and absolutely has to come true, those not of the anointed class, the 144,000 "little flock" (Luke 12:32), which make up the "other sheep" (John 10:16), will receive a physical resurrection back to earth, with a chance of everlasting life there.
John 5: 28 & 29, "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."
John 6:40, "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him at the last day." This "last day" is actually the 1000-year Millennial Reign of Jesus after Armaggedon, and notice that we must "exercise" faith, not simply "have" faith or believe in Jesus Christ, for even Satan and his demons believe in Jesus Christ. "Exercise" denotes taking action, and that action includes obeying Jesus' commandment to go and teach and preach the good news (Matt. 24:14, Matt. 28:19 & 20)
John 6:44, "No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him; and I will resurrect him in the last day." Jehovah, which is God's personal holy name that He expects us to use and praise and glorify (Read the Book of Psalms and especially Ps. 83:18, Malachi 3:16 and Hebrews 6:10), will only draw people to His Son and His earthly organization of true followers once their hearts are rightly disposed!
John 6:54, "He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I shall resurrect him at the last day."