Gospel Thoughts

Webers.Home · Sep 16, 2023

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● John 6:53 . . Truly, Truly, I say to you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son
of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.

The kind of life about which Jesus spoke is not of this world, i.e. it's
supernatural.

● John 6:54 . . He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life

Eternal life is far and away superior to human life. It never gets old, it never
wears out, it never wears off, nor does it ever need replenishing because it
can't be used up with any more ease than God can be used up.

● 1John 1:2-3 . .The life was manifested, and we have seen and bear
witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and
was manifested to us

Ergo: it's only necessary to obtain eternal life one time and one time only
because it's perpetual, viz: eternal life always was, it always is, and it always
shall be.

The grammatical tense of John 6:54; it's present tense rather than future;
indicating that when people correctly dine upon Jesus flesh, and correctly
imbibe his blood, they obtain eternal life immediately: no delay and no
waiting period.

NOTE: Eternal life and Immortality are not synonymous, viz: they are not
two ways to say the same thing. The two are juxtaposed in 2Tim 1:10;
where the terms are connected with a conjunction. They aren't connected
with a verb, so that you can't say eternal life is immortality; no, eternal life
and immortality are two distinctly different subjects.

For example: Jesus had eternal life when he was here (John 5:26) but he
didn't obtain immortality till after his resurrection. (Rom 6:9, Rev 1:18)

And according to John 6:54, the apostles had eternal life too; but it didn't
prevent their demise; they're all gone.

The possession of eternal life is very crucial because every Christian lacking
eternal life is also lacking unity with God's son, i.e. they are quite literally
christless Christians.

● 1John 5:9-13 . .We accept human testimony, but God's testimony carries
more weight because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about
His son. . . . And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in His son. Whoever has the Son has the life; whoever who does
not have the life, does not have God's son.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 17, 2023

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Some years ago, a two-bit substitute Sunday school teacher wasted the hour
by sitting us thru a Hollywood movie based upon the life of Joseph. At the
conclusion of the "show" I raised my hand and asked the teacher if he
thought Joseph was born again.

I wish you could've seen the look on his face as his mind instantly went into
oscillating vapor lock trying to understand what I meant. He was baffled by
my question.

Well; I explained, Jesus said that no one can enter the kingdom of God sans
the Spirit birth he spoke of at John 3:3-7. The language and grammar of his
statement strongly suggests there are no exceptions, viz: the birth isn't
optional, rather, it's mandatory-- not just mandatory for some, but for
everyone.

One day I asked an experienced Jehovah's Witness if he was born of the
Spirit. He answered no, and added that he did not expect to undergo a Spirit
birth in either this life or the next because his hope isn't in Heaven.

The JW was somehow unaware that Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus wasn't
about things in Heaven, rather, things on Earth.

● John 3:12 . . . If I have told you earthly things and yet you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

In other words: the kingdom of God, and the Spirit birth requirement,
pertain to Messiah's theocratic world down here on the ground rather than
the supreme being's celestial world up in the sky.

It's both tragic and ironic that the Watchtower Society's rank and file
missionaries go worldwide advertising a kingdom that they themselves will
never be allowed to enter: not because they didn't work hard enough to
deserve it, but simply because they were led to believe themselves exempt
from the Spirit-birth requirement.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 18, 2023

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The love that God extends to mankind in general per John 3:16 is a
nondescript love that anybody can practice because it's merely benevolence,
e.g. kindness, sympathy, generosity, tolerance, charity, courtesy, and
keeping a civil tongue in one's head.

The love that God extends to His son's friends per John 16:27 goes beyond
benevolence. It's an emotional love that expresses itself in feelings like
fondness and affection.

The love per John 3:16 is typically extended without passion or prejudice;
whereas that of John 16:17 mirrors 1Sam 18:1 & 2Sam 1:26.

I grew up in a dysfunctional home. Consequently the thought of God actually
liking me, instead of only tolerating me as a nuisance and/or an inconvenience,
is nigh unto impossible for me to comprehend.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 19, 2023

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● 1Tim 5:24-25 . . Some people lead sinful lives, and everyone knows they
will be judged. But there are others whose sin will not be revealed until
later.

Some folks are so shamelessly, unabashedly, outrageously, and defiantly
wicked that there's no doubt in any rational person's mind that those kinds
of people are headed into really big trouble down the road. Whereas others
haven't a clue that not only will their good conduct be evaluated for flaws,
but so will their sensibilities; which are typically influenced by customs and
culture rather than molded into suitable condition by the supreme of all
beings.

I think it can go without saying that some very decent folks are going to be
very surprised to discover that many of their concepts relative to good and
evil were evil quite often and they didn't know it.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 20, 2023

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FAQ: Was it really necessary to restore Jesus' crucified dead body to life?
Why couldn't it remain deceased and him taken Heaven in spirit form?

REPLY: Jesus' crucifixion was an adequate atonement for people's sins, but
by itself wasn't enough for someone to obtain exoneration.

● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was restored
to life for our justification.

The Greek word translated "justification" is dikaiosis (dik-ah'-yo-sis) which
means acquittal; defined as an adjudication of innocence.

People merely forgiven still carry a load of guilt; viz: they have a criminal
record. The resurrection of Christ's crucified dead body allows God to wipe
their records clean so that on the books, it's as though they've never been
anything but 100% innocent so that when the books are opened per Rev
20:11-15 there will be nothing found in them with which folks may be
accused.

● 1Cor 15:17 . . If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your
sins.

This clearing of one's guilt that I'm talking about is obtained via the kindness
and generosity of God through belief in the resurrection of Christ's crucified
dead body. If the Devil can succeed in convincing people that Jesus' crucified
body is still dead or, even better yet, make them question whether the man
even existed at all; then they will fail to obtain an acquittal, and consequently
end up coming out on the wrong side of things.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 21, 2023

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● Rom 3:23 . . All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

In other words: God has made His own personal sinless perfection the
standard by which everyone is evaluated. Obviously then; no one among the
Jews or the Gentiles-- except for Christ --has ever, nor will ever, measure
up; not even the holiest people that one can imagine, e.g. Noah, Daniel, or
Job; and those were some very righteous guys. (Ezek 14:12-20)

The thing is: Christ's crucifixion and resurrection satisfies justice for people's
sins, and gives them a rating of innocence and exoneration that they could
never in a million years attain on their own. But if the plan of salvation were
to be wrapped at that point, they would still be short of the glory of God,
viz: the ultimate goal of salvation is God's own personal sinless perfection
which, again, is something that people could never in a million years attain
on their own.

Now then with justice satisfied and out of the way by means of Christ's
crucifixion and resurrection; the supreme being is at liberty to become
extremely benevolent with a remarkable act of God that when fully
completed will equip folks with a personal sinless perfection comparable to
His own.

● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life
and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory
and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious
promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and
escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (cf. Ezek 36:24-27)
_

Webers.Home · Sep 22, 2023

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Jesus' crucifixion, and the subsequent resurrection of his dead body, are
sometimes called substitutionary. But according to the Bible, he took people
along with him into those events, which makes his crucifixion and
resurrection joint actions wherein his believing followers participated.

● Rom 6:3 . .Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

● Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him

● Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ

● Col 3:1-4 . . For you died when Christ died

● Rom 6:4-5 . .We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in
the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

● Eph 2:6 . . God raised us up with Christ

● Col 2:12 . . Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him

It's no doubt possible to allegorize the above passages, but I strongly
suggest taking them as-is. I don't know how God went about making Jesus'
followers joint participants in his crucifixion and resurrection, but then to this
day I still haven't a clue yet how God went about making Adam's posterity
joint participants in the forbidden fruit incident per Rom 5:12-21.

There is an obvious benefit to all this. Jesus went to the cross bearing guilt,
but was restored to life without guilt (Rom 6:10-11). So then, all those
unified with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection are also back from
the dead without guilt, i.e. they came back with him 100% innocent.

● Rom 8:34 . .Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the
one who died for us and was raised to life for us.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 23, 2023

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● Heb 4:14-16 . .Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we
profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with
our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just
as we are; yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace
with frankness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in
our time of need.

Now the thing is: the high priest in Heaven despises rote. So it would be
wise to put prayer books away in storage, step away from the Wailing Wall,
and voice one's concerns from the heart with free, candid, forthright, and
sincere expression because frankness stresses lack of shyness or
secretiveness or of evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience;
ergo: frankness implies transparency, i.e. unbridled freedom of speech and
the liberty to speak your mind without fear of ridicule, shame, disgrace,
retribution, or retaliation, viz: with Messiah on the job, people may speak to
Heaven just as we'd speak with their wives and/or their best friends, like
this:

"Come now, let us argue this out-- says The Lord. No matter how deep the
stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen
snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as
wool." (Isa 1:18)

That promise is just as good today as it was back in Isaiah's day; made
possible by Jesus' crucifixion.

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we
are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to
his own way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:5-6)
_

Webers.Home · Sep 24, 2023

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FAQ: Isn't Judaism equally as useful as Christianity for sinners seeking God's
forgiveness? Isn't that the whole purpose of Yom Kippur, a.k.a. the Day of
Atonement?

REPLY: Pinning one's hopes on the Day Of Atonement is futile. For one
thing: there's no one to perform the ritual seeing as how there is neither a
Temple nor a fully functioning Aaronic high priest on duty in Jerusalem at
this time. In point of fact, neither of those two essential elements of the Day
of Atonement have been in Jerusalem since 70 AD. But that's not the worst
of it.

The original sacrificial system was effective-- to a point --for addressing the
peoples' actions, and for sanitizing their bodies, but totally ineffective for
addressing the people themselves, viz: their persons, the core of their being.

For example: when Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, his perception of
decency underwent a radical change. Whereas before, he was comfortable
seen undressed; afterwards he was uncomfortable seen naked even by his
wife.

The thing is: Adam's moral compass went awry, i.e. his conscience became
humanistic.

● Gen 3:22 . . And The Lord God said: The man has now become like one of
us, knowing good and evil.

In other words: Adam began looking to his own intuition for moral direction
instead of looking to his maker, viz: Adam became a tin God.

Point being: none of the Levitical system's rituals address the corruption
inherent within the human conscience that came about by means of the
forbidden fruit incident.

● Heb 9:13-14 . .The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they
are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our
consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living
God.

The Greek word translated "consciences" basically pertains to mental activity
especially as it pertains to moral perception. So we're not talking about
outwardly sinful behavior here. (cf. Rom 2:16 and Heb 4:12)

Bottom line: no matter how perfectly pious somebody attains, they will
never be completely ready for God until they avail themselves of Christ's
crucifixion to atone for their defective internal mechanism that discerns
between good and evil, right and wrong, and wise and unwise.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 25, 2023

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I know of the Protestant minister asked by Audie Murphy's widow Pamela to
speak at her husband's funeral. Mr. Murphy, as you may already know, was
a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner; but he wasn't a Christian.

(Audie was a highly decorated American combat soldier during WW2)

In amazement, the minister asked Mrs. Murphy why she chose a Christian to
speak at her husband's funeral.

Although Audie himself wasn't a Christian, Pamela was; and she explained
that the Hollywood crowd would be there the day of his funeral, and having
hob-nobbed with pampered celebries during her husband's acting career,
she was fully aware that many of them were rarely confronted with
something serious about the afterlife.

Well; they got both barrels that day, and were very annoyed because they
were expecting the usual sappy, feel-good rhetoric with which their ilk are
accustomed.

Some may feel that Hell isn't an appropriate topic at a funeral. But I think
that, other than Xmas and Easter, you couldn't pick a better time to bring it
up, especially since Christ said that the majority ends up there.

● Ecc 7:2 . . It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house
of gaiety, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this
seriously.

According to the Bible; not many great people are called (1Cor 1:26). If
that's true, then we have to expect that the majority of the world's best and
brightest achievers-- the really big names in sports, science, medicine, law,
politics, technology, business, industry, religion, entertainment, and
education, etc --don't, and won't, make it to safety when they pass on.

As I watched some of the splendor and pomp of President Gerald Ford's
funeral back in January of 2007, I couldn't help but wonder if he was in a
position to really appreciate it; as I suspect people in Hades would certainly
no longer really care anymore whether they were given an unknown
pauper's disposal in a City incinerator, or reverently placed in a grand tomb
in the National Cemetery with world-wide television coverage.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 26, 2023

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● Deut 27:26 . . Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this
law by doing them.

Something that should be emphasized is that the curse is irrevocable; so it's
very important to come to grips with it; and the sooner the better.

● Matt 5:18 . . For assuredly, I say to you: till heaven and earth pass away,
not one jot or one tittle will by any means pass from the law till all is
fulfilled.

In other words: whoever deserves that curse is absolutely certain to get it.

In point of fact, Deut 27:26 is grammatically present tense rather than
future, indicating that the curse is instant-- no delay and no waiting period.
i.e. it's already on the books hanging over people's heads like a guillotine
just waiting for the man in charge to give the executioner a signal to let go
the rope keeping the blade in check.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 27, 2023

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● Gen 22:1-2 . . Now it came about after these things, that God tested
Abraham, and said to him: Abraham! And he said: Here I am. And He said:
Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land
of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of
which I will tell you.

NOTE: According to Gen 18:23-33, Abraham wasn't above challenging God's
judicial sensibilities. Had the old boy seriously believed that offering his son
Isaac as a burnt offering was wrong, he would've said something; in point of
fact, he had three days to think about it. (Gen 22:4)

Did Abraham slay Isaac? No; but did Abraham offer Isaac? Yes.

● Gen 22:9 . .Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And
Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound
Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.

You see, once a gift dedicated to God is placed upon an altar, it's a done
deal-- whether the offering is dead or alive makes no difference. In point of
fact, the letter to Hebrews credits Abraham with offering his son in
obedience to God's command.

● Heb 11:17 . . By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son

Had God disapproved human sacrifice, He would've stopped Abraham before
Isaac was laid on the altar.

But the grand slam of all human sacrifices is located in the 53rd chapter of
Isaiah, which speaks of an offering fully arranged, sanctioned, and worked
out by none other than "the arm of The Lord". In other words: it was a task
wherein God rolled up His sleeves and really got down to business.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 28, 2023

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Eternal life is often mistaken for immortality. The two are not the same.

Immortality is a tangible kind of life pertaining to a superhuman body with
perpetual youth.

Eternal life, on the other hand, is a spirit kind of life; which is why it's
possible for people to obtain eternal life prior to obtaining immortality.

For example: Christ had eternal life all along (John 5:26, 1John 1:1-2) but
according to Rom 6:9 and Rev 1:18, he didn't obtain immortality till after his
crucified dead body was restored to life.

Likewise Christ's believing followers have eternal life now, today (John 5:24)
but according to Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:51-53, and 1Thss 4:14-17 they
won't obtain immortality until their resurrections.

So then; I think we can safely conclude (in a nutshell) that immortality is
something that can be seen, while eternal life is something that cannot be
seen.

The properties of eternal life are a little easier to understand when
juxtaposed with human life.

Human life was created.

Eternal life wasn't created.

There's a large variety of created life.

There is only one eternal life.

Human life's primary characteristic is human nature; roughly defined as the
fundamental dispositions and traits of the human being.

Eternal life's primary characteristic is divine nature, roughly defined as the
fundamental dispositions and traits of the supreme being.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 29, 2023

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Everything is a foregone conclusion with God; nothing surprises Him. God
foresaw the forbidden fruit incident, He foresaw Cain and Abel, He foresaw
the Flood and knew He'd regret Man's creation, He foresaw the Tower of
Babel, He foresaw Sodom and Gomorrah, He foresaw the Exodus, He
foresaw the Holocaust, and He has known all along who would, who will, and
who won't believe in His son.

● Eph 1:3-5 . . Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and
blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will

In other words: there are no new believers to God. He's already foreseen
every one of them back at the very beginning just as He's foreseen
everything else ahead of time before it comes to pass. Ergo: if somebody's
name isn't already in the lamb's book of life per Rev 20:11-15, then their
name will never be in it because the book is closed; it was completed long,
long ago.

NOTE: When I was a kid back in the decade of the 1950s, I asked my mom
how I have free will if God already knows all my choices before I make
them. Well; mom wasn't all that deep of a thinker, so she couldn't respond.
But the thing is: I make my own decisions, God only foresees them, viz:
He's the ultimate crystal ball, so to speak.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 30, 2023

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● Eph 1:4-5 . . He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus
Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will

There are important differences between adopted kids and foster kids.

The latter have no inheritance rights, they have no right to be known by a
foster father's name, they have no right to a foster father's love, they have
no right to address their foster father with a filial vocative like dad, pop, or
papa; and they have no right to a place in his genealogy.

Plus, foster care is temporary. Older kids eventually age out of the foster
system and the State ceases to assist foster fathers to continue providing for
them. At 18 the older kids are legally adults in my country, and the
responsibility for their providence is upon themselves. Ouch!

Adopted kids' circumstances are so, so much better. They are legally just as
much an adopted father's children as his biological offspring. Ergo: adopted
kids have inheritance rights, they have a right to be known by their adopted
father's name, they have a right to their adopted father's love, they have a
right to address their adopted father by a filial vocative, and they have a
right to a place in his genealogy.

Plus, adoption is permanent. Older kids don't age out of their adopted homes
so they always have a family support base to fall back on should their
circumstances become difficult. (cf. Luke 15:11-24)

Not every Christian is related to God as His kin by adoption. But those in
that envious position aren't left to guess at whether they are or not.

● Rom 8:15-16 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to
fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we
cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that
we are children of God.

A tragic case in point is Mother Teresa. For virtually the entire five decades
as a missionary, Teresa felt not the slightest glimmer of The Lord's
presence. I'm talking about 50 years. Her feelings of abandonment were so
strong that she eventually began doubting there's a God out there, and if
there is one, she wasn't sure He even liked her and might even be disposed
to quite condemn her. That poor soul went to her death without any
assurance she would be safe on the other side.

Point being: Teresa was deprived the Spirit's witness per Rom 8:16. That
being so, then I must assume Teresa left this life on her own instead of in
God's care.

NOTE: Abba is neither English nor Greek; it's Aramaic. The word means
father, but not as an ordinary noun. Grammatically, it's a filial vocative.

For example: when I'm puttering around out in the garage, and my son and
his mother are in the kitchen talking about me, then "dad" is merely an
identifier that informs my wife who my son is talking about. But when my
son wants to get my attention and calls out: "Dad, come inside." then the
same noun becomes a filial vocative.
_

Webers.Home · Oct 1, 2023

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● Acts 17:28 . . For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of
your own poets have said; "We are his offspring."

The Athenian poets wrote about mankind in general which, if we go back to
the beginning, we see that mankind came into existence by means of
creation. In other words: we should understand mankind's birth as sort of
like when Geppetto constructed Pinocchio. The little wooden boy was the
image and likeness of its father but wasn't the father's direct descendant.

Textual evidence indicates born-again Christians are similar to Pinocchio,
viz: they are children of God by creation rather than His direct descendants.

2Cor 5:17
Eph 2:10
Eph 4:24
Col 3:9-10

God has only one child qualified to be known as His direct descendant.

John 1:14
John 1:18
John 3:16
John 3:18
1John 4:9

The thing is: were born-again Christians to be God's direct descendants,
they would be divine beings because like gives birth to like, i.e. were God to
reproduce, He would produce Gods, viz: duplicates of Himself like as people
produce duplicates of themselves. For example:

● Gen 5:3 . . And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son
in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.
_

Webers.Home · Oct 8, 2023

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FAQ: Do animals go to Hell?

REPLY: No.

FAQ: Why not?

REPLY: Because mankind was created in the image and likeness of God
whereas animals weren't.

FAQ: So?

REPLY: The image and likeness of God implies personal responsibility
combined with a sense of good and evil. The animal kingdom, on the other
hand, is amoral; defined as having or showing no concern about whether
one's behavior is morally right or wrong.

The image and likeness of God also implies a sense of justice, i.e. an
inclination to honor good by penalizing evil.
_

Webers.Home · Oct 9, 2023

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● Luke 16:29-31 . . Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the
prophets; let them hear them. And he said: No, father Abraham; but if one
goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to him: If they do
not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one
rise from the dead.

* The man's protest suggests that his brothers weren't exactly what we
might call conscientious students of the Bible.

Anyway; I've seen a few movies relative to the so-called Rapture. They all
leave out a very showy portion of that future event wherein 2,000 years of
Christians will return from death to join those living so that all together can
ascend to meet Christ up in the sky all at one time. We're talking about an
event wherein Christians won't just vanish at the snap of the fingers like
Hollywood typically portrays the Rapture, but instead the entire scene will be
an activity easily observed by everyone all 'round the world as millions of
Christians of all ages, races, and genders rise in the air like a plague of
locusts.

I expect quite a few Christians will be taken up from interior locations like
office buildings, factories, mines, garages, homes, schools, vehicles, and
malls, etc. Nobody will bump their heads on the way out because, according
to John 20:19 and John 20:26, He who created all things can easily
manipulate the structure of solid objects to allow the human body to pass
thru unimpeded.

Point being: I can't help but wonder about the effect this event is going to
have upon unbelieving folk around the world who observe it; especially when
2,000 years of deceased Christians suddenly make an appearance alive.
Well; I think it will make unbelievers nervous at first, but I kind of suspect it
won't suffice to change their minds.
_

Webers.Home · Oct 12, 2023

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FAQ: Atheists have plenty of logical reasons for rejecting Christianity and the
Bible. What logical reasons do you have for accepting those things?

REPLY: None.

FAQ: How it is that you trust Christianity and the Bible without knowing for
sure whether they're true?

REPLY: My conscience insists Christianity and the Bible are true, viz: it's an
intuitive conviction that I am unable to shake off.

Why does anybody believe what they believe? Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu,
Bahá'í, Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Catholic, Baptist,
Judaism, Voodoo, Wiccan, Jain, Druze, Native American, etc, etc, etc. The
answer? Because it grips their heart-- the core of their being --which is very
different than persuading someone with logic and reasoning.

When folks are persuaded to buy into a religion by means of logic and
reasoning, they can be just as easily persuaded to give it up by logic and
reasoning. But someone whose heart is gripped by their religion is not easily
removed regardless of how strong, how sensible, how convincing, nor how
logical the opposition's argument. In point of fact, one of the prerequisites to
salvation is believing with one's heart rather than one's head. (Rom 10:8-9)

FAQ: Are you suggesting people end up in Hell merely because their intuition
failed to convince them that Christianity and the Bible are true?

REPLY: My personal opinion? I think atheists are not entirely honest. They
profess very sensible reasons for rejecting religion while down deep inside
they're a mite worried.

Mark Twain once said he didn't believe in an afterlife; nevertheless expected
one. Twain likely meant that for humor, but it's actually a pretty realistic
statement.
_

Webers.Home · Oct 13, 2023

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● Heb 5:4-6 . . Christ did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high
priest. But God said to him; "You are a priest forever, in the order of
Melchizedek." (cf. Ps 110:4)

Melchizedek was God's high priest in Abraham's day. (Gen 14:18-20, Heb
5:10)

Mel's authority held sway in his region quite a few years prior to the
covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy. (a.k.a. Moses' law)

The thing to note is that none of the curses listed in Moses' law are
retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4 & Gal 3:17)

In a nutshell; when your high priest is patterned after Melchizedek, then you
are in no danger of being cursed for failure to comply with Moses' law; which
includes, but isn't limited to, the Ten Commandments.

That was quite an advantage for Mel's constituents, They were at liberty to
follow God another way because they weren't covenanted with God to
comply with Moses' law, and seeing as how Jesus is Christianity's
Melchizedek, then his followers are at liberty to follow God another way too.
_

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