Posted on 05/23/2009 9:10:25 PM PDT by Quix
Regardless of what the willfully blind and the chronically clueless think of
me as a person;
me as a Christian;
me as an interpreter of The Bible;
me as an observer and interpreter of the END TIMES;
me as a sane/insane individual;
me as a loving and kind individual;
me as a fair-minded observer of Roman Catholicism;
by God’s Grace, my duties as a watchman on the wall have been executed more or less to the best of my abilities on this thread. I stand clean and clear before my Lord in the matter. His judgments on such scores are the only ones that count eternally.
And how does one prepare to answer your post about a man who claims "space people from Mars and Venus" follow him around and who claims he gave a sealed package from space people to a dying pope? Facts and reason and sanity? These do not apply, and are promptly replaced by more fanciful dreams - as we see on this thread.
me as a fair-minded observer of Roman Catholicism
No, that thought doesn't occur to me. But Catholicism is not special in this regard. The whole universe is honeycombed with space men and globalist, no universalist, conspiracies and bizarre secrets in your worldview. I'm sure you're a really fine person - when not irresponsibly going Dan Brown on your listener's church. Since that's not the case here, I don't feel the obligation to be overly courteous and warm and fuzzy in reply.
Most RC responses are some variation of MY DADDY IS !!!!TOO!!!! BIGGER THAN YOUR DADDY
Not mine. Mine is more like: "This is just one flailing nutso factoid after another."
I do agree, however, that Mad Dawg's patience and efforts are commendable even though doomed.
Very good analysis
I used to observe, Mad Dawg,
that the diversity of opinions about matters theological, spiritual and geo-political were quite widely so—quite diverse over a broad range . . . in almost any group—regardless of how homogeneous.
Increasingly in recent years and certainly months . . . it has appeared to be the case that the perspectives are distilling out into essentially
TWO PERSPECTIVES . . .
one might label these two perspectives . . . variations on two themes . . .
the perspectives of The SHEEP OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
VS
the perspectives of The GOATS.
This could be a merely interesting phenomenon of this END TIMES era. Alas, it has eternal life implications.
Folks seem oblivious to the fact that more than ever in history . . . incremental tiny decisions are emphatically deciding where one will spend eternity—with—or withOUT
GOD.
The parable of the 10 Virgins is frightfully telling.
They were ALL Virgins. Essentially, they all had a “right” to the wedding feast—a bona fide invitation.
They weren’t currs, rebels, criminals, evil doers, per se.
And, they were ALL SOMEWHAT READY.
However, 5 were full up with oil and had extra oil. They were VERY PREPARED.
5 were not.
5 were shut-out—outside the door—where there was wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Frightful.
I have also observed over the years the significant degree to which The Lord—can’t put it any more accurately—THE LORD HAS USED my bird of rare plumage person—HIS CREATION, TRAINING, CONDITIONING—as a very interesting Rorschach.
I resisted admitting it for a very long time. He just kept nudging me every once in a while to notice that those who responded this way tended toward xyz sorts of life experiences, results, destinations . . . and those who responded that way, tended toward wvutx sorts of life experiences, results, destinations, consequences.
For a lot of years, that was merely kind of interesting. A sort of . . . side-line set of insights . . . a kind of curiosity.
In recent years and particularly months . . . the divide seems to have gotten much more stark, much wider much more quickly.
Oh, there are still a lot of people who seem to mill around in some sort of fence sitting middle ground. However, that group seems to be increasingly much smaller percentage-wise.
It seems that now, when folks make little decisions, indulge in certain kinds of attitudes . . . the consequences are much more intense and much quicker.
It is like they step much more so on a much slicker and much steeper slippery slope.
HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT—ANY OF YOU? . . . IN YOUR EXTENDED NETWORK regarding spiritual eternal life issues?
One key factor seems to be HARD-HEARTEDNESS.
Another seems to be PRIDE.
Another related one seems to be BROKENNESS AND HUMILITY BEFORE THE LORD.
Another seems to be . . . more or less unfettered yet very discerning OPENNESS !!!!TO THE LORD!!!! That is, they don’t have THE LORD in their own personal nor organizational tidy little box. They are quick to cast aside UNBiblical stuff—yet they are open to The Lord doing whatever The Lord wants to do as long as it’s THE LORD.
The GOAT RESPONSES . . . and the responses of those increasingly rapidly MORPHING INTO GOATS . . . are quite the opposite and increasingly so . . . haughtily so.
That’s more than a little frightful. It’s been increasingly sad to see that a lot of my nice “Christian” colleagues are decidedly goats. And their goat horns are growing.
Christians in my network over the whole of my life have read Scripture and taught that there would come a time when The Lord would make a much clearer dividing line between the sheep and the goats. It’s clear, that HE HAS BEGUN to much more overtly do just that.
And the Scripture comes to mind . . . “But Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name . . . and He shall say—DEPART FROM ME. I !NEVER! KNEW YOU.” That’s one of the most sobering verses in the Bible.
I don’t know specifically ‘therefore what.’
I just know that this is a growing phenomenon and a frightful one. I care a lot for these people. Yet, it is increasingly clear . . . that the longer they are on the slippery slope and the further down that slippery slope they are—the more unalterably, inexorably they are sliding into hell, literally.
And, sometimes, it seems as though some of the fiercely decisive little foxes that spoil the grapes decisions and actions . . . are towards other people—particularly “insignificant” people in their lives—the nobodies—or those they have marginalized for some reason, in some way. Their attitudes toward THOSE PEOPLE seem to have very heavy-weight consequences for them spiritually.
It’s NOT just their overt attitude toward God that’s so decisive.
Another alarming feature that seems to be increasing in all this . . . is that more and more often, The Lord is making it clear that I’m not to waste my time on folks that are well beyond the point of no-return on the slippery slope. That’s very starkly frightful, to me. Such folks have not suddenly grown horns and fangs and a forked tail. They still seem more or less civil. Yet, The Lord has made it clear, don’t waste any more time on them. God have mercy.
No, I don’t have any personal criteria. And, No, I don’t decide on my own brilliance or personal discernment who is beyond the point of no return. And, mercifully, The Lord hasn’t made such an emphatic instruction to me all THAT frequently yet. It’s just been MORE frequent than ever before.
And, it may be that in some cases, it’s just that my opportunity or capacity to have any redemptive influence has passed and I’m to let the person go to whatever and whomever The Lord can do otherwise.
Yet, I know . . . in some cases, the person is utterly eternally lost though they are still wandering around seemingly normal. That’s very frightful to me. Extremely sad, to me. I’ve long been a believer in counseling and in a lot of contexts—as long as there’s life, there’s hope. Evidently there are increasing numbers of THE WALKING DEAD.
I think we have seen since the election . . . a frightful rise in folks vulnerable to joining OThuga’s youth Gestapo. That’s shocking and dreadful enough.
What I think many authentic Believers are still unprepared for . . . is how many of their closer friends and “Christian” “brothers and sisters” will also end up decidedly on the side of OThuga, his Gestapo, the satanic world government etc.
Scripture is quite clear . . . spouses, brothers and sisters, friends, parents, children . . . will turn their own into the authorities for execution.
Hello, group.
It’s time for the sleepwalking to wake up!
Lots of things are not as they seem.
“This train donh carry no gamblers . . . this train . . . “
"He was all things to all men.... When he was called upon to be merry, he was so; if there was a demand upon his sympathy, he was equally ready.... In consequence of his being so accessible and willing to receive all comers, many went to him every day, and some continued for the space of thirty, nay, forty years, to visit him very often both morning and evening, so that his room went by the agreeable nickname of the "Home of Christian mirth." The tradition of this genial saint was very much alive two hundred years later, when the German poet Goethe was living in Rome. He heard so much of Neri that he studied the sources and wrote a highly appreciative essay about him, entitled, "The Humorous Saint."Psalm 131
Way more important than the manner of our death or our tribulations before it, WAY more important is the love that God has for us and that he commands us to share with one another.
I am depressed and irascible enough to need the example of such a self-deprecating and good-humored guy as Philip Neri was. I commend his example to all of us.
Oh, yes that's clear to me too, Quix. And they will likely have great "credentials"; e.g., degree(s) from institutions such as the University of Notre Dame. [The dirty little secret of many of these types is that they commonly believe they are "fit" to be the masters of everybody else, i.e., the "common man," whom they consider to be "unfit" because less intelligent than they. So unfit, in fact, that they cannot be trusted to run their own lives in liberty. Here we see a pridefulness and hardness of heart that is "sympatico" with the very spirit of the OThuga administration, not to mention its political objectives.]
Such people have been so seduced by the powers of the world that they are literally spiritually blind. They are taught to believe that man himself can fix all the problems of humanity. They have utter confidence in man and his reason. Yet though they may have "knowledge," it may be of questionable character because of its very presupposition: that man is the measure and the capable fixer of all problems human, personal and social.
What they do not have is wisdom. For their understanding is collapsed to the measure (the "number") of a man. Revelation 13:18:
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.* * * * * * *
Quix, regarding Christians generally, clearly you see a sheep-and-goats type of division. Me too FWIW. But we are here speaking of a division in the Body of Christ itself. It doesn't look to be about to heal itself anytime soon. You seem to suggest that it's a complete waste of time for the sheep to be evangelizing the goats (which is what they so desperately need to shed their "goatdom," so to live as men under God, now and in the eternal hereafter). It seems like such a waste of time. And yet Christians are under obligation to preach the Lord, the Good News of salvation, to all men. Thus Christians give living witness unto the glory of God and His indwelling Spirit, which is Life and Truth....
In any case, we must love our neighbor.
Quix, you wrote about the "more or less unfettered yet very discerning OPENNESS !!!!TO THE LORD!!!! " as the mark of a true Christian, who:
...[doesn’t] have THE LORD in [his] own personal nor organizational tidy little box. They are quick to cast aside UNBiblical stuff—yet they are open to The Lord doing whatever The Lord wants to do as long as it’s THE LORD.Our doctrines will never save us. We are saved only in and by Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God.
Skeptics and atheists perhaps would never be convinced of this. Yet then again, you never know — God draws whom He wills. (So don't let a personal judgment of "hopelessless" regarding another person's spiritual condition get in the way.)
However, you'd think that you could convince a "nominal" Christian of this.
Personally, I think if a Christian is not "convinceable" on this point, he should just do us all a favor any stop calling himself a "Christian." It just adds to the "epistemological confusion" — what you might call the "Tower of Babel Effect" — that is so plaguing and undermining the very foundations of society, not to mention the widescale destruction of souls it entails.
I guess I'm just rambling here. Just wanted to let you know there's another spirit out here that agrees with your general assessment, and is deeply disturbed about the developments you describe (for, like you, I can see where they lead).
Thank you so very much dear brother in Christ, for your outstandingly perceptive and insightful essay/post!
p.s.: Just in case anyone hasn't noticed this, "OThuga" has been working overtime to co-opt Christians institutions and understandings, and a prime target is the Roman Catholic Church. He'll invoke these corrupt "Catholics" as approving and justifying his anti-God policies, as fellow "team members" on "Team Progress" as "we" go forward in "changing" the human future. Indeed, as you say Quix, these are "dead men walking." At the very least, they are idolators; i.e., people who have fallen away from the one Great Commandment: To love God with all one's heart, and mind, and soul, and strength.
It appears many people today love OThuga more. Which reminds me of Nazi Germany. As you'll recall, Hitler also worked overtime to co-opt the German Church, to make it a "department" of his government that would "promote" his fascist ideology and policies. Sadly, he was pretty successful with that effort — the Barman Declaration notwithstanding. Otherwise, how can one explain how the "most Christian nation" in all of Europe could stand mute while millions of innocent people, Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, disabled persons, et al., were being systematically slaughtered?
Dear brother in Christ, that observation seems most unworthy of you. In my very humble opinion. For whatever it's worth.
"Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon...." seems a better way for a Christian to go, whether he be Protestant or Catholic. For there is only One Body of Christ....
A wise choice when visiting a sheep pen or not.. John ch 10..
John ch 10 seems imply(to me) that there may be Goat Pens as well..
Whether Sheep or Goat pens, the pasture outside the pens is the object I believe.. Ps 29
Amen, Quix. You are an obedient servant.
Funny you say that. Within this past year, I have been moving away from a few that I considered very close to me. I would never have thought that we wouldn't be close forever.
And the weird thing is, it feels "natural". It's very hard to explain. I know people grow apart, yada yada yada, but this is different. I find myself getting very defensive of the Lord and my Bible.
I'm sure He's not too pleased with my defensiveness, but I am a "beginner" and I think He looks upon me, as a parent would with a 2 year old, lol.
2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NIV)
For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
My first reaction was offense (I didn't finish reading).
Then I read on and whipped open my Bible......
For to God we are a sweet odor of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the latter ones an odor issuing from life to life. And who is adequately qualified for these things? [We are;] for we are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are, but as out of sincerity, yes, as sent from God, under God's view, in company with Christ, we are speaking.
Thank you for directing me to that passage. I have felt a little guilty, even though I knew it was right, about my behavior towards my previous close ones.
I've marked it in my Bible. When I'm feeling guilty, I will refer to it. Thank you!
Thanks for your many wise-in-His-Spirit excellent points. I still hope to respond more at length.
Alas, I’m exhausted and still a bit ache-y and feverish. I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. Maybe later.
I also appreciated your exhortation later . . . though I probably have a different perspective.
BLESSED BE THE NAME AND WORD OF THE LORD
AND YOU AND ALL THOSE YOU LOVE.
H1N1?
Don’t think so.
Not really that set of symptoms, imho.
1 John 1:7 (NIV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Feeling guilty, you will learn, is inward looking. Jesus' blood covers and pays for all our sins.
Thanks tons for your kind encouragements.
I try.
Though some think I’m just tryING.
What I think many authentic Believers are still unprepared for . . . is how many of their closer friends and “Christian” “brothers and sisters” will also end up decidedly on the side of OThuga, his Gestapo, the satanic world government etc.
Quite so. This is a hallmark of the globalist oligarchy. Actually, it’s a hallmark of the Religion of Science, as well. Certainly it’s a hallmark of evolutionists as well as of government ‘servants’—politicians [now to wash my fingers out] and bureaucrats.
Imho, as PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL, their unsurpassed arrogance will go before an unsurpassed thunderous fall . . . at Armageddon and some before. GOD WILL HAVE THEM IN DERISION.
I think that the hardness of heart married with the arrogance is a particularly demonized state for any critter to be in. I don’t think one can be greatly angry, greatly arrogant or greatly hard hearted without being demonized—particularly over a long period of time. And for all 3 to reign in an individual fiercely—God have mercy—the degree of demonization is more than serious.
That’s extremely well put, imho. This is true IN THE MIDST of a generation post THE BOMBs of WWII as well as a lot of science etc. that was supposed to bring in Nirvana and utopian bliss . . . they have had ample EVIDENCE that their arrogance is ill-founded.
Yet, they scheme and manipulate on toward greater horrors than the world has ever known or ever will know, according to Scripture. Hideous to the max.
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. * * * * * * *
Well, we know that THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the !BEGINNING! of wisdom. And they are on the opposite end of things from fearing and having reverential awe toward The Lord God Almighty.
Their understanding has made a god of vanity—and of the idiots in their mirrors.
Indeed. And that has come over me in waves of grief in recent months. It’s one thing to interact with “believers,” pseudo-believers at work etc. and fantasize that down the road, they’ll somehow get right with God. God will slap them upside the head sufficiently that they’ll wake up and make Heaven, after all. AND that WILL likely be true for some of them. PRAISE GOD FOR THAT.
Yet, it is becoming increasingly obvious that it will NOT happen for far more than I’d ever have thought to be the case. And that triggers the waves of grief—KNOWING deep in one’s ‘knower’ that NOTHING one does or says will make a bit of difference to their slide into hell.
Thankfully, there are many that one’s inputs; Scriptural discussions; FREEPER articles etc. do have an impact on—by God’s Grace, Christ’s Blood and Spirit.
NO! I somehow mis-communicated. I’m not, per se, writing off a whole class of people with some sort of generic broad label. And, I would generally advocate taking advantage of virtually any opportunity to discourage someone from hell and encourage, even exhort someone toward Heaven.
I am noting, that GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT has begun—more than I’ve ever experienced before in my life—instructing me to leave some folks alone. My sense is that the reason is that
1. SOME individuals have reached such a point of no-return with God that God doesn’t want Kingdom resources wasted on them any further. What a frightful state!
And/or
2. Some individuals have reached a place where I, Quix, have nothing else to offer them. Others, may be of value to them. But I have nothing more they will receive and need to devote my time, energy and resources elsewhere as good stewardship for The Kingdom.
CERTAINLY. And, that’s likely to be essential even when we know an individual is unalterably hell-bound—all the more so, in some respects. That defines OUR character—along the lines of being Christ-like. However, I don’t know how far down that road Christ would have gone with most Pharisees.
...[doesn’t] have THE LORD in [his] own personal nor organizational tidy little box. They are quick to cast aside UNBiblical stuff—yet they are open to The Lord doing whatever The Lord wants to do as long as it’s THE LORD.
ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY!
Please avoid misunderstanding me. It’s not, per se, a personal judgment of anything—least of all a person’s probability in missing Heaven. SOMETIMES THE LORD makes a matter clear about such a person. I’m learning still too slowly, at 62 years, to avoid arguing with THE LORD. This is not a FREQUENT occurrence but has become MORE FREQUENT than ever before in my life—in recent months.
Personally, I think if a Christian is not "convinceable" on this point, he should just do us all a favor any stop calling himself a "Christian." It just adds to the "epistemological confusion" — what you might call the "Tower of Babel Effect" — that is so plaguing and undermining the very foundations of society, not to mention the widescale destruction of souls it entails.
INDEED. Boy is that the truth.
I can’t express well how much your kind response means to me. PRAISE GOD. It touches me deeply.
BLESSED BE THE NAME AND WORD OF THE LORD and Praise to Him for any redemptiveness in any of my scratching.
PRECISELY. INDEED, that’s the truth. He’s an artist at it. The machine-literally-from-hell behind him is even more skilled at it.
YUP. INDEED. Yet, the human critter is persistently of the mind-set—“WON’T HAPPEN TO ME! I don’t need to wear my seat-belt.” “I thank God that I’m not like that publican over there.” MY GROUP, church, congregation, family, person . . . is exempt from such troubles, flaws. WE’RE DIFFERENT! WE’RE NATURALLY [organizationally, habitually, practicedly, orthodoxly, ritually, labeled-ly] AUTOMATICALLY SAINTLY! . . . by definition.
And they fail to see that they have ALREADY BEEN seduced by lies from hell. They are ALREADY snared in satan’s trap.
Greatly appreciate your kind wisdom and insightful comments. PRAISE GOD FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS TO HIM AND HIS KINGDOM.
I’m going to prayerfully ponder your kind rebuke and exhortation a bit more before commenting further. I want to benefit from every shred of your being accurate and right.
It may be the case that I did not communicate well at all.
Quite so.
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