ALL:

A few months ago, I was in Mississippi for only may 2-3 days
and staying with my mother. Back about 26 years ago before
I moved to South Carolina, I had a VERY good friend who is
a Christian, and, just before I moved, he got involved in the
"cultish" teaching of TV minister, Arnold Murray, who does
NOT believe in the rapture.

Here's what I believe happened.

My friend was a GREAT admirer of his father. When his sister
came down with an illness and died around the mid 80's, his
father went through some VERY "trying" times, and, in his
"searching" for answers, came up with the "wrong" answer.
He "found" a TV preacher who, obviously, doesn't believe in
the "JOY" of the rapture because he doesn't believe in the
rapture. And, because my friend thinks a LOT of his father,
he went along with him.

This fraud, Arnold Murray, comes on as a "substitute" for
conservative "thinking" Christians who do NOT want to believe
in the rapture. The "intellectual" aspect of his teaching is VERY
appealing to the flesh because:

A. It makes one "seem" smart
B. You REALLY don't have to be "ready"
C. Since you don't have to be "ready" and you don't have
to be "like" everyone else ( you are smarter ) and you can
just sit back and "talk" about how everybody else is WRONG
D. You don't have to have "JOY" because "intellect" becomes
the substitute for "JOY"

I remember well, the morning I was in Mississippi, I had been
doing some research, etc. and was VERY excited and full of
the Holy Spirit ( happy in the Lord ) about the prospects of the
Lord's return. I had to fill up with gas at a service station in a
town nearby and, OF ALL PEOPLE, my friend pulled up at the
tank behind me. For me to run into him was miraculous since
he lived about 70 miles away in a different county but had been
to a hunting camp picking berries with his father and mother.

So, I went over and we exchanged greetings, BUT, I could tell he
had lost a lot of his normal "joy" that I had known him for. When
I mentioned something about the Lord's return, he was NOT so
much excited as telling me something about people not being
ready "physically" are going to be "burned up" or something?!?!

Well, anyway.........

The "JOY" of the Lord is missing in so MANY places and churches
because they REALLY are pretty "comfortable". It can be taken
away in ANY number of subtle ways. It is best to BYOJ. The old
saying of Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) to a party could be applied
to BYOJ "Bring Your Own Joy" to most churches or places you go!!!

Here (below) is a post from last year (8/24/10):

BLESSINGS AND BEWARE!!!!!!!!

Calvin


Smiley face engineers!!! (What if the end isn't near?)

ALL:

This morning, I believe God led me miraculously to something I've
been wondering about. I wanted to take something back to a store
and, on my mind "as" I parked my car (early this morning), I had been
thinking about some of the modern evangelists and the techniques
they use. This has spread through Christianity as if it "supposed" to
be part of Christianity to "SMILE" extremely big all the time. If you go
into Walmart and cruise the Christian books, it's like the one with the
BIGGEST SMILE "WINS"!!!!!!!! In other words, it's like they are saying,
"SEE, I HAVE THE ANSWER....CAN'T YOU TELL!!!" And, before I could
get out of my car, the words, "smiley face engineers", came to me.

Then, as I was waiting on someone to come to the counter, I noticed
that a copy of USA TODAY from the day before (August 23) was laying
there so I just started looking through it. AMAZINGLY there was this
article below in the FIRST SECTION (9A) of the paper. I was shocked
at how "WELL" the article fit my thoughts this morning, AND NOW, as
I look at it, the PICTURE with the article EVEN MORE SO!!! (I also put
below the words used under the title in the newspaper!!!)



...What if the end isn't near?

..."Too many evangelical Christians welcome the biblical rapture with an
...unsettling eagerness. This fatalistic view serves neither fellow humans
...nor the planet. A new breed of believers thankfully is taking another
...path toward Jesus."

LINK

Normally, I don't read USA Today or any newspaper (I just usually
read google news or something off the computer).

Anyway.................

Recently, I went to an insurance convention. I'll have to admit that
they "DO" have a handle on "how" to be successful and MANY of the
people were Christians and they DID have a Sunday service. But, I
just find that NOO THING - NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING is EVER
mentioned about the Lord's return (the rapture) by money / "success"
seekers. But they have TOTALLY played into this writer's hands and
he is VERY GLAD TO "SEE" this "TYPE" taking precedent over the
"TYPE" that "see" "DOOM AND GLOOM" COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry but it's sort of funny...........

I had someone call me from this same insurance "group". Now he
was a very nice person and trying to "help", but, his last words were,
"I hope to see you up on stage in the near future!!!", (speaking of
those who get rewards at the convention). He was cheering me on
and trying to tell me how GREAT "they" were. The "words" that they
use are almost "cultish"!!!!!!!!! What I mean is, you MUST adhere to
"how" they talk and think in order to REALLY "FIT" into "their"
"SUCCESS" mode.

EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!!! I am old enough to have seen and "felt" this
type thinking before. I've seen it TAKE OVER PEOPLE!!!! What will
happen to this "crowd" when it ALL hits the fan!!!!!!????????
I think you know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BLESSINGS!!!!!!!!!

Calvin

This song was on my heart after writing...

Frank Sinatra - Cycles (Reprise 1968)

LINK

James 4 (KJV)
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will
go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy
and sell, and get gain:

James 5 (KJV)
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries
that shall come upon you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's NOW down to the last few seconds!!!!!

VERY, VERY FEW are listening!!!!! VERY, VERY FEW IN
THE CHURCHES ARE LISTENING!!!!

They are listening to their preachers "hoping" that 2012
will be "good" for them.

"So I think I'll stay a while...
...to see if my dreams come true."
(Cycles sung by Frank Sinatra)

We're about to move into a time when people will SAY
and it will be TRUE...

"You know it's almost funny...
...but things can't get worse than now."
(Cycles sung by Frank Sinatra)

I posted a dream by Contantine (and his wife) in the
dream section


After a "heads up" by George, George (again) and Ruth,
we seem to be thinking alike.

"So I'll keep on trying to sing....
...but please, just don't ask me how!"
(Cycles sung by Frank Sinatra)

BLESSINGS!!!!!!!!!

Calvin

Calvin, I've stopped talking to my unsaved loved about the Rapture, b/c they'll only continue scoffing at me.

Hope that our dear precious Lord won't hold it against me for me no longer approaching the subject to them. And besides, He did tell me in a dream I had, that they'll be left behind.

Maranatha!
Tammy

Tammy, I've had the same experience as you concerning unsaved loved ones. I pray about them constantly and have been time after time told by the Lord that they are in His hands now.

All the seeds we've planted, words and deeds, will come to mind as soon as they see us vanish (Lord willing it to be soon!). I believe the proximity to us and our testimonies will be an unbreakable defense against the strong delusion that will come as soon as we're with Jesus.

This is what I pray for them every night.

The same thing has happened to me Tammy and Clay, and now I've given them into the Lord's hands instead of trying so hard to wake them up. When I am sad, I remember that no one is more trustworthy than the Lord. No one can come to Christ unless the Father draw them. I've prayed that God would draw them to Jesus, and have to trust that if God and Jesus are not able to convince them, I cannot either.

As an aside, I believe that the most possible people that can be saved, will be under God's plan. The tribulation, cross, Exodus, every encounter of God with people I believe was designed to bring the most people to faith. I don't think any other scenario would be better because I believe that God is the most capable and most trustworthy of all. Just my.02.
So take heart and comfort about loved ones.

CLAY : I believe the proximity to us and our testimonies will be an unbreakable defense against the strong delusion that will come as soon as we're with Jesus.

I never thought of that, just thought it was water off a ducks back if you no what I mean.

Tammy:

It's nauseating to me, as well, how he equates NOT
creating controversy to the "peace" of God. In other
words, "JUST don't EVER say anything controversial
and just 'get along'."

...Matthew 10 (KJV)
...34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:
...I came not to send peace, but a sword.
...35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his
...father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
...daughter in law against her mother in law.

Of course, there are those who say you can "believe"
any "way" you want once you're saved. That way,
you can get along in almost ANY crowd be it church,
family, etc., etc.

I don't see the value of going on Oprah or going to
the White House for the explanation of "See, we can
do anything as a Christian!!!" Or, "JUST LOOK how
we can be normal like everybody else!!!!!!!!!!!"

You have to wonder "who" he's lifting up?

I believe a LOT of things will be straightened out soon!!!

Joel Osteen: Homosexuality And Degrees Of Sin (Oprah's Next Chapter)

Lord we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that their faith does not fail and that they will not be deceived into following a switched path
Please Lord come. We pray that we all might be found worthy to escape all that is coming and to finally be able to stand before you. Come back Lord. we love you and want to be with you...

Good morning all, I was rereading older posts just now and so this is why the "untimely" comment.
In Revelation 2:18-29, to the church at Thyatira, they are told to hang on to what they have and not get into idol acceptance or worship.

Hang on to what you have, seek the truth about our Lord and come out from among "her", idol acceptance is not ok to our heavenly Father and is an insult to the work of His Christ.

v18To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25Only hold on to what you have until I come.

26To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—

27‘He will rule them with an iron scepter;

he will dash them to pieces like pottery’b—

just as I have received authority from my Father. 28I will also give him the morning star. 29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.