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My "Take" on the Current Rapture-of-the-Church Craze
IntellectualConservative.com ^ | December 4, 2002 | J. Grant Swank, Pastor

Posted on 12/04/2002 8:20:11 AM PST by az4vlad

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To: Wrigley
tah tah
41 posted on 12/04/2002 1:32:35 PM PST by grantswank
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To: grantswank
Later.

Capitalization, or I should say, lack of capitalization is a arty, poetry thing, right?
42 posted on 12/04/2002 1:35:21 PM PST by Wrigley
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To: Wrigley
later squared.

'tah tah' for those who don't get it.

see what i mean by small brain cells still active but actually on their progressive route of dying out slow-like?

well, yours are just 'bout to blink out. sad, but so.

try a u-turn. not likely, but maybe with a bit of capitalism's assistance from the inner circle of the elite who hold sway in the manhattan haunts of power and prestige laden with camouflage yet soon to be discovered by the cia. for sure.
43 posted on 12/04/2002 1:43:35 PM PST by grantswank
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To: grantswank
Still here?

Did you forget to shut the door?
44 posted on 12/04/2002 1:48:18 PM PST by Wrigley
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To: grantswank; drstevej; Wrigley; CCWoody
grantswank wrote:

makes your day, doesn't it?
gotcha.
right on!
neither points 1 or 2 are raised in the article.
your post does not relate to the article.
irrelevant post.
they let the loonies out, eh?
no need for my debating it.
further sentences only disturb the small minds such as dr steve and his ilk who hang out where you do.
got it?
what a site such as this one needs is not thicker skin, as you suggest, just a few more brain cells that are arranged in a logical progression.
cetainly -- given the snide, juvenile, sophomoric opening post you gave in immediate response to the article.
talk about weeney minds initiating a well-balanced, in-depth debate about a most significant posted topic
o, tiny brain cells showed up again. i thought you had slid off.

I take back my not flaming you comment.

Your attempt at constructing a creative post was pitiful. I mean, really, stringing together a bunch of insults among a load of babbling was hardly effective... Maybe later in life, after you have learned to read, write, spell, count, and wipe your ass, you will have more success. True, these are rudimentary skills that many of us "normal" people take for granted that everyone has an easy time of mastering. But we sometimes forget that there are "challenged" persons in this world who find these things more difficult. If I had known, that this was your case then I would have never read your post. It just wouldn't have been "right". Sort of like parking in a handicap space. I wish you the best of luck in the emotional, and social struggles that seem to be placing such a demand on you.

BigMack

45 posted on 12/04/2002 1:48:31 PM PST by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
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To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
my o my, how your day appears upset.

poor baby.
46 posted on 12/04/2002 1:51:06 PM PST by grantswank
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To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
One of the neglected Bible sections at Christmas is Luke 1 which records the meeting of pregnant Elizabeth and pregnant Mary. The account begins with priest Zacharias being told that his wife, Elizabeth, is to give birth to John the Baptist. The primary setting is the Temple, which affords an excellent group study of the Temple. Note below. Answers are provided at the close of the quiz.

T E M P L E Q U I Z

1. True or False. Pews were located in the Temple.
2. True or False. Congregations met inside the Temple.
3. The temple was ________________ feet in length.
4. The temple was ________________feet in width.
5. The Temple was divided into two rooms. They were the
_____________ ____________ and the _______________
of ______________ .
6. The smaller of the two rooms was a cube of ______________ feet by ___________ feet.
7. The larger of the two rooms was ________________ feet in length and ___________ feet in width.
8. At the Temple entrance, but outside the Temple, was a sacred piece of "furniture" known as the _______________ .
9. __________________ were offered daily in sacrifice upon this sacred furnishing outside the Temple’s entrance.
10. When entering the Temple, to the right alongside that wall was situated the ______________ table .
11. How frequently were the contents of this furniture changed? every _______________________ days
12. When entering the Temple, to the left alongside that wall was situated the seven-stemmed golden _____________________________ .
13. How many golden oil receptacles did it have for constant burning? __________________
14. When entering the Temple, walking straight ahead one came upon a furnishing known as the _________________ altar .
15. Just behind the furnishing mentioned above in #14 there was a very thick curtain known in Scriptures as the _____________ .
16. Behind this curtain was one piece of furniture which was the __________ of the __________________________ .
17. It was overlaid with _________________ .
18. Its top was known as the _____________ _________________ .
19. There were two carved images facing one another atop this piece of furniture. They were known, not as angels, but as _______________________ .
20. True or False. We know exactly the root meaning of the Hebrew term for these two carved images.
21. True or False. Inside the piece of furniture mentioned in #18 was Aaron’s rod that budded.
22. True or False. Inside the piece of furniture mentioned in #18 was a plate of manna.
23. True or False. Inside the piece of furniture mentioned in #18 was the tablet on which God wrote the Ten Commandments.
24. The High ________________ went into the Temple’s most sacred space once each year. He went into that space on the _____________ of ________________________ .
25. In what season of the year was this entrancing the most sacred space of the Temple? ________________
26. There he sprinkled blood against the Mercy Seat _______________ times. This procured the forgiveness of sins of those gathered outside the Temple, that is, the Twelve Tribes of Israel who truly repented of their sins before Jehovah.
27. When Jesus came, He embodied the Temple’s furniture in that He claimed to be the ________________ of the world and the ________________ of life.
28. True or False. Jesus also became our Mercy Seat in that we cast our sins upon His mercy to find forgiveness when we repent of our sins.
29. True or False. In the Book of Revelation we read that the incense from the Incense Altar is wafting heavenward toward the throne of God. The incense symbolically represents the prayers of the saints.
30. True or False. Jesus shed His holy blood against heaven’s Mercy Seat when He died on the cross, His body bleeding from seven body fountains—head (crown of thorns), 2 feet, 2 hands, side (pierced by Roman spear), back (Thursday night beatings).
31. Priests in the Old Testament were from the Tribe of _____________ .
32. True or False. Priests could be bi-vocational, that is, they could have other employment alongside being priests.
33. Priests and their families survived by means of the other eleven tribes being faithful in giving regularly their ___________________ .
34. True or False. When Jesus was born, He was of the priestly tribe.
35. When Jesus died on the cross, the __________________ inside the Temple was cut in half, from top to bottom.
36. True or False. This was a message from God that any repentant soul could now approach the Mercy Seat by which to find forgiveness of sins, not only on one day each year, but any day, any time of day.
37. The Temple was located in the city of ________________________ .
38. The Temple of Jesus’ day was leveled in ___________________ AD by Roman General _________________ when he sacked the city of ___________________. Jesus had predicted that this would happen because Judaism had rejected its Messiah / Christ and therefore no longer deserved having a Temple. The Living Temple had come and yet was not received. Judaism in affect then, sadly enough, became and still is a dead religion.
39. There was only one Temple. There were many __________________ where Jews went to worship wherever the happened to live.
40. The only remaining visible wall of the first century’s Temple is known as the ______________________ wall. Jews still go there to pray and plead to God for one petition or another.
41. True or False. Jews write their prayers on small pieces of paper and tuck those papers into the stones of the wall.
42. True or False. The Dome of the ________ is a Muslim mosque located in the courtyard of the original Temple. The Dome is overlaid with ____________ .


1 False
2 False
3 90
4 30
5 Holy Place / Holy of Holies
6 30 30
7 60 30
8 Altar
9 Animals
10 Bread
11 7
12 lampstand
13 7
14 incense
15 veil
16 Ark of the Covenant
17 gold
18 Mercy Seat
19 cherubim
20 False
21 True
22 True
23 True
24 Priest
25 autumn
26 7
27 light / bread
28 True
29 True
30 True
31 Levi
32 False
33 tithes
34 False
35 veil
36 True
37 Jerusalem
38 70 / Titus / Jerusalem
39 synagogues
40 wailing
41 True
42 Rock / gold

47 posted on 12/04/2002 1:54:52 PM PST by grantswank
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To: grantswank
Bit me.

Oh yeah.

Bye.

BigMack

48 posted on 12/04/2002 1:54:54 PM PST by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
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To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
adieu
49 posted on 12/04/2002 1:59:40 PM PST by grantswank
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To: Wrigley
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
Hometown:
Windham ME
Place of Birth:
Johnstown PA
Church Affiliation:
New Hope Church / Independent, Evangelical
Number of Years Writing:
45
List of Other Publications and Year Published:

Christianity Today, Decision, Pulpit Digest, Ministry, The priest, Church World, The County Christian, Christian Clippings, Flame, TheFriends Voice, Gem, Live, Light and Life, Alliance Life, Pentecostal Evangel, American Holiness Journal, Bible Advocate, Chalcedon Report, God's Revivalist, Herald of Holiness, Holiness Digest, The Lookout, Ministries Today, New Man, Pentecostal Messenger, Prism, Psychology for Living, Purpose, Shepherdess International Journal, Testimony of Truth, Voice in the Wilderness, Wesleyan Advocate, Portland Press Herald, suburban News, Sub Journal, American Journal, Good News Connection, Preacher's Magazine, Spirit, Come Ye Apart, Pathways to God, The Evangelist, Autumn Life, The Other Side, Campus Camera, Quincy Patriot Ledger, The Christian Science Monitor, Brunswick Times, Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel, World Mission, Conquest

Education:
High Point High School/ Beltsville MD
Eastern Nazarene College / Quincy MA
Harvard Divinity School / Cambridge MA
Nazarene Seminary / Kansas City MO

Earned Accredited Degrees:
BA with sociology major, literature minor
M Div in religion

Employment:
Pastor of New Hope Church, Windham, ME
Family:
Wife: Priscilla Caroline Anthony Swank
Children: Crystal Caroline Swank Miller, Heidi Jo Swank Inlow, Jay Grant Swank
Additional Info:
I enjoy watercolor painting, walking, visiting with friends, chocolate ice cream and theological studies. I also find time to worship in a variety of denominational settings-Catholic, Jewish and Protestant.
My wife and I have traveled to Europe, Middle East, northern Africa, Caribbean and South America.
We particularly enjoy traveling to my wife's home village, Kennetcook, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Winner of First Prize Writing Contest which yielded a three-week guided Tour of the Middle East.

50 posted on 12/04/2002 1:59:48 PM PST by drstevej
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To: All
Below for lurkers. . .

EASTER QUIZ AND ANSWERS


T F 1 Peter and “the other disciple” were the first to see the resurrected Jesus.

T F 2 The Roman guards were struck dead before the empty tomb.

T F 3 Jesus’ head wrapping was seen disheveled on the tomb floor after His resurrection.

T F 4 Jesus spoke the name of Mary of Magdala so that she then recognized Him as Jesus.

T F 5 Men and women disciples took spices to the tomb for the dead body of Jesus.

T F 6 The tomb belonged to Nicodemus and was on loan for Jesus’ corpse.

T F 7 In one place in the Gospel records, one angel is mentioned while in another place two angels are mentioned.

T F 8 Jesus spoke the word “Peace” four times to His disciples, at least as is mentioned in one of the gospel records.

T F 9 John said in his Gospel that if all were written that Jesus did and taught, the world would not be able to contain the record.

T F 10 Jesus’ burial garb was all of one piece.

T F 11 Mary Magdalene met Jesus in a garden near the tomb.

T F 12 We are told in the gospels that the “other disciple” is in fact Peter.

T F 13 Jesus permitted Mary Magdalene to cling to His resurrected body.

T F 14 Jesus warned Thomas not to touch His resurrected body.

T F 15 It was eight days after Jesus first appeared to several disciples that Jesus then appeared to Thomas.

T F 16 Jesus was able to enter a building without opening its door.

T F 17 Jesus was on the planet fifty days after His death and prior to His ascension.

T F 18 Jesus walked the Emmaus Road with two disciples after His resurrection.

T F 19 Jesus appeared to some of His enemies after His resurrection.

T F 20 Jesus was seen by Mary, mother to James, after His resurrection.

T F 21 Joanna saw Jesus’ resurrected body.

T F 22 John’s Gospel accents the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene.

T F 23 Three times Jesus asked John if He loved him, according to the record.

T F 24 Jesus commanded Thomas to feed Jesus’ lambs, according to the record.

T F 25 Jesus instructed the disciples that John would live forever.

T F 26 Somehow a fire was already burning on the shore when Jesus invited His disciples to breakfast.

T F 27 Jesus asked His men disciples to join Him in eating fish after His resurrection.

T F 28 Peter, fishing from the boat, had to cloth himself when seeing Jesus upon the shore.

T F 29 When Peter, in a boat, saw Jesus, Peter jumped into the water.

T F 30 There were 153 fish caught by the disciples after Jesus told them where to cast their nets.

T F 31 Jesus instructed the weary disciples to lower their nets on the left hand side of the boat, then they would catch fish.

T F 32 When the disciples caught so many fish, the nets broke.

T F 33 When Jesus ate fish with the two after the Emmaus Road walk, then they recognized His identity.

T F 34 Jesus’ hands were completely healed after His resurrection so that not even the nailprints were visible.

T F 35 One of the messages the angels told the women on Easter morning was not to be afraid.

T F 36 Jesus told those He saw not to be afraid.

T F 37 After His resurrection, Jesus stayed only in the Jerusalem area until His ascension.

T F 38 There was a great earthquake at Easter dawn.


EASTER QUIZ ANSWERS

1 F
2 F
3 F
4 T
5 F
6 F
7 T
8 F
9 T
10 F
11 T
12 F
13 F
14 F
15 T
16 T
17 T
18 F
19 T
20 F
21 T
22 T
23 T
24 F
25 F
26 F
27 T
28 T
29 T
30 T
31 F
32 F
33 F
34 F
35 T
36 T
37 F
38 T

51 posted on 12/04/2002 2:02:31 PM PST by grantswank
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To: drstevej
Wasn't there an interesting story about the church he leads?
52 posted on 12/04/2002 2:03:15 PM PST by Wrigley
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To: drstevej
o, really, drstevej, you didn't need to go to all that homework.

nevertheless, thanks.

nothing like having an efficient gal friday giving out the bio sketch.

my o my.

53 posted on 12/04/2002 2:04:32 PM PST by grantswank
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To: grantswank
Sorry I meant to say.

Bite me.

BigMack
54 posted on 12/04/2002 2:06:18 PM PST by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
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To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
BIT me makes more sense.

we'll leave it in the original.

'kay?

yep. you were bit, for sure.
55 posted on 12/04/2002 2:09:30 PM PST by grantswank
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To: drstevej
hmmmmmm.

you went to all the angst of finding the bio sketch of yours truly under 'authors' in the current website page for the free methodist 'light and life' magazine?

whew.

did you read the christmas article there as well? it truly is good. (sigh)

you surely are doing one herculean job of getting out the complete public relations scoop for yours truly.

did i forget to thank you?

sorry.

thank you.
56 posted on 12/04/2002 2:12:45 PM PST by grantswank
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To: All
tis the season, after all . . .


CHRISTMAS AND HANUKKAH QUIZ



1 True or False. We know that Jesus was born on December 25.

2 True or False. Jesus’ mother’s name was Mary.

3 True or False. Jesus’ father’s name was Joseph.

4 True or False. Jesus grew up in Bethlehem.

5 True or False. Jesus was born of a virgin.

6 True or False. The parents of Mary and Joseph decided they (that is, Mary and Joseph) would marry one another.

7 True or False. Mary’s mother’s name was Anna, according to the Bible.

8 True or False. Mary’s father’s name was Jehoikim, according to the Bible.

9 Jesus lived in _____________________________ during his growing up years.

10 The ________________ saw baby Jesus in a house.

11 The _______________________ saw Jesus in a stall.

12 Herod did / did not go to see Jesus in order to worship Him.

13 Nazareth, the hamlet where Jesus grew up, is located in Israel’s a) north b) south c) east or d) west.

14 True or False. God is the father of Jesus.

15 True or False. Mary and Joseph chose the name “Jesus” for their first-born.

16 True or False. “Jesus” means “Savior / Redeemer”.

17 Jesus has a title. It is __________________________.

18 True or False. The full name for Jesus would have been “Jesus bar Joseph”, which means “Jesus son of Joseph.”

19 True or False. The innkeeper told Mary and Joseph that there was no room in the inn for them.

20 True or False. Mary and Joseph would have been in their teens when Jesus was born, according to Bible scholars.

21 The mileage between Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, and Bethlehem, where Jesus was born is ________________________.

22 True or False. Bethlehem and Jerusalem are near to one another.

23 How many miles are there between Bethlehem and Jerusalem? ___________________________

24 Israel is the size of what US state? ______________________________

25 True or False. Scriptures list the half-brothers’ names of Jesus.

26 True of False. Jesus’ half-sisters’ names are listed in the Bible.

27 True or False. Mark 6:3 is the place where we can read the mentioning of Jesus’ half-brothers and half-sisters.

28 True or False. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary was perpetually a virgin, was born without original sin, and was assumed into heaven without dying.

29 True or False. There is Biblical support for the Catholic teachings.

30 “House of Bread” is the meaning of the word ________________________________.

31 The espousal / betrothal period lasted nearly ________________________ months.

32 Who called for the wedding—the groom or bride? Circle the correct answer.

33 True or False. The magi were Gentiles.

34 True or False. The shepherds were Jews.

35 True or False. The magi saw baby Jesus before the shepherds.

36 True or False. The betrothal period is the same as our engagement period.

37 True or False. The betrothal period could only be broken by a writ of divorce.

38 Hanukkah lasts for _____________________ days.

39 Hanukkah is usually in what month of the year? ________________________

40 True or False. Hanukkah is one of the major Jewish feasts / holy times.

41 True or False. The menorah is the same as the seven-stemmed golden lampstand placed in the Old Testament tabernacle / temple.

42 True or False. The menorah is made up of eight candles total.

43 True or False. The leader candle is called in Hebrew “shammash.”

44 True or False. Judah Maccabees was the one who led the revolt against the pagans who desecrated the temple in the intertestamental period.

45 The year that the pagan desecration began was _________________________ BC.

46 The year the Maccabean Revolt was successful in toppling the enemy was ____________________ BC.

47 True or False. Antiochus Ephiphanes was the Syrian ruler who sacrificed a pig in the Holy of Holies to show his disdain for the Jewish God, Jehovah.

48 The menorah can be molded into (a) one form only or (b) many different designs and sizes.

49 True or False. Sometimes gifts are exchanged during Hanukkah.

50 True or False. The dreidel is used during Hanukkah in a kind of gambling game.

51 True or False. Special recipes are used during Hanukkah, one of them being the latke cakes.

52 The miracle of Hanukkah is that oil found in a cruse within the desecrated temple was holding only _______ day’s supply of oil but in fact provided an __________ day supply until more oil was located.

53 The oil was used to light the seven-stemmed golden _____________________ in the temple.

54 True or False. The menorah was used as a furnishing within the temple confines during the intertestamental period.

55 True or False. The Maccabees were outnumbered by the Syrians in the Maccabean Revolt, yet the Maccabees eventually—through persistence—won out.


57 posted on 12/04/2002 2:15:30 PM PST by grantswank
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To: grantswank
When pride comes, then comes disgrace;
but with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

58 posted on 12/04/2002 2:17:38 PM PST by malakhi
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To: angelo
all the way from wisconsin to share that.

thank you so very much.

59 posted on 12/04/2002 2:18:49 PM PST by grantswank
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To: grantswank
Your words are like empty scabbard, the absence of cloud in the wide Kansas sky. Were we in Kyoto, you word be worshipped by saffron-robed Buddhist monks and stone-faced Zen masters as the "no-mind", having achieved a state of perfection through the elimination of all rational thought.

BigMack

60 posted on 12/04/2002 2:22:46 PM PST by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
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