More Than 100 United Methodist Clergy Come Out As LGBT

Huffington Post ^ | 05/09/2016 | Antonia Blumberg

[SkyPilot]

Yes, well...very true. :~>

How are you doing Els?

[HLPhat]

>> It's more of a community center than a religious institution.

The Body of Christ is His church - constituted by the community of repentant individuals who are forgiven by grace.

What the Pharisees had was a religious institution (a state-established one).

Jn 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

[HLPhat]

>>Next comes the Antichrist.

The doctrine of false churches like this is rooted in the spirit of Antichrist, which perverts the forgiveness of sin into permission to sin. 

Luke 17:1-4

17 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves.

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

NIV

The true church is the body of repentant individuals under the grace of Christ, with Him as the head. 

The princes of this world have always coveted the Body of Christ for themselves.

Same ol' deceptive Ba'al manure, different municipal toilet.

[Elsie]

Still tiltin’ at windmills!

[bert]

FYI
http://www.freerepublic.com/~bert/

Half way down in the profile

[MHGinTN]

I think I found it! ... “Avoid arguing with an ignorant man”

[SkyPilot]

And you still have incredible talent at that.

[Lera]

[[CAn you please POST it for the Lurkers?]]


First witness in the old testament that people will be hidden away before the great tribulation


(Isaiah 26:20) Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
(Isaiah 26:21) For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.


Second witness in the old testament that people will be hidden away before the great tribulation


(Zephaniah 2:2) Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.
(Zephaniah 2:3) Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.


Picture of the rapture in the Book of Revelation prior to the great tribulation


(Revelation 4:1) After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
(Revelation 4:2) And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.


Discription of the rapture by Paul


(1 Thessalonians 4:13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
(1 Thessalonians 4:14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
(1 Thessalonians 4:15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(1 Thessalonians 4:17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
(1 Thessalonians 4:18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.



(1 Corinthians 15:50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(1 Corinthians 15:51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(1 Corinthians 15:52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(1 Corinthians 15:53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(1 Corinthians 15:54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
(1 Corinthians 15:55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
(1 Corinthians 15:56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
(1 Corinthians 15:57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.



Adding this one that MHGinTN pointed out to me that I had missed


(1 Thessalonians 1:9) For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
(1 Thessalonians 1:10) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

[MHGinTN]

It is JESUS Who introduces the notion of being taken out of the way and back to a place He is preparing for believers. [John 14:1 LET not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I shall go, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself; that where I am, you also may be. 4And whither I go you know, and the way you know.]

We are to remain ready for that event, when JESUS will come to take us unto Himself, to gather us to Him : 2 Thess 2:1 And we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto him: 2That you be not easily moved from your sense, nor be terrified, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as sent from us, as if the day of the Lord were at hand. [Paul tells the believers to not be confused by voices claiming the Day of The Lord was at hand or already happened, the day of the judgment upon the non-Ekklesia, because that DAY cannot happen until AFTER a departure happens ... a spiritual departure, possibly, but then why would Jesus come to take a gaggle of departed from spiritual righteousness(?); OR a physical departure, meaning the one who is in those who believe is taken out of the way when Jesus takes us away to the Father's House, away from where GOD is going to pour His wrath because of the unbelief of those earth dwellers who align with the antichrist]...

Verse #3: Let no man deceive you by any means, for unless there come a revolt first [The first five translations of the Bible from Greek used the word departure here, rather than revolt; the Douay-Rimes Bible was offered at the time of protestant revolt against 'mother church', which explains perhaps this new word used for 'apostasia'; the King James used 'falling away' rather than departure or revolt], and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition

So 2 Thess 2 is about the Rapture even if in an oblique way.

[Trumpinator]

I watched the video; but saw no SELLING of membership at all.

You are being very literal, but that's cool. Some people can get it and some people don't want to get it.

[Elsie]

Aw...  shucks...

 

[Elsie]

Thanks.

It helps to know where to look.

[Elsie]

You are being very literal, but that's cool

I have to assume that words mean things - until I find out they don't.

[Trumpinator]

That commercial for a church is indistinguishable from a community center / sports club commercial to me - and it is not alone - I guess all commercials about worshiping God start off with a couple jogging.

[Lera]

Yes , yes , yes !

He warned us to watch for his coming so we would always be ready . If you are watching for his coming you don’t want to be caught doing something you shouldn’t be doing .
He does not want us to be like the servant who says he delays his coming :)

(Matthew 24:42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

(Matthew 24:43) But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

(Matthew 24:44) Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

(Matthew 24:45) Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

(Matthew 24:46) Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

(Matthew 24:47) Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

(Matthew 24:48) But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

(Matthew 24:49) And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

(Matthew 24:50) The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

(Matthew 24:51) And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.