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Hi SD, Yes we the Body of Christ are also in the Olive tree which is Christ. He is the root, the Holy one, our support and the one that nourishes NOT Israel. (Rom. 11: 16 - 18) Rev. 19: 7 refers to the `wife.` (KJ) And that is Israel. `I will betroth you to Me forever.` (Hos. 2: 19) `...your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.` (Isa. 54: 3) `like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife ...` (Isa. 54: 6)   As to 2 Cor. 11: 2 that refers to the Apostle Paul speaking to his disciples and desiring them to be pure (as a virgin) and that he will present them to the Lord. For us, however, the Lord is going to present us to Himself, NOT Paul. `Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.` (Jude 24) Hope you can look into this.  

well you is doing a good job of confuzing your self.  no one is going anywere 

I meant to reply to this as well, but I don't believe that I did (so I will do so now). What is in "direct contradiction" (to 1 John 1-2) is your exegesis or interpretation of the verses from 1 John 3 that you just mentioned. MANY verses SEEM to say one thing (at least at first blush), but upon careful consideration/further study, we realize that what we "thought" they said, isn't even close to what they actually mean  Here are a couple of other "clear" verses for you to consider. Luke 14 26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.  1 Timothy 2 15 Women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.  The obvious problem is that if we decide to take what these two verses say at first blush/out-of-context (which is what you are doing in 1 John 3), we end up with the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul contradicting what they taught elsewhere in the Bible. Surely you cannot believe that women are saved by their works and by giving birth, or that the Lord Jesus requires us to "hate" our mothers and fathers, wives and children if we want to be His disciples? Likewise, don't do this kind of thing with the verses that you mentioned from 1 John 3, figure out what the Apostle John really means there instead  God bless you!! --David

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I've had a similar sense of the church becoming somewhat entangled with certain political causes and losing focus. Less and less it seems the politicians care to even do convincing lip service, yet the entanglement and lose of focus remain. I do think voting is generally a good idea, mind. It's a tool we can use to try to sway things in a more Christlike direction sometimes. But we do need to take care to avoid the entanglement and giving politicians/political parties our blind faith and support.  A side effect of the entanglement that I think most don't even stop to consider is that the world tends to closely scrutinize people who profess Christianity and wait for them to make a mistake so it can be pounced on. It's bad enough that some of the more outstanding examples of politicians who profess Christianity but blatantly disregard it exist. But when large portions of the church endorse them unquestioningly despite that I think it reflects poorly on the church. I suspect that Paul was aware of this in a general sense not tied to politics specifically, and that's part of why we're to maintain certain standards and judge within the church. We have to maintain distance from those who profess Christianity yet blatantly disregard its tenets and don't repent. Otherwise it sends the wrong message to the world and to newer believers who lack spiritual roots and a deep knowledge of scripture.

What verse (s) speak to Christ 3rd Advent and 3rd ascending to heaven?    Does He return as Servant, Saviour or LORD AND KING what would be the 2nd time? How is this overcome? But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.  because He basically has to leave before to keep them from  How is this overcome? And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?  Wouldn't it stand to reason, given the above, if the church cast out part of the church (left it behind) it would be rendered to be divided against itself, how then shall the church 'left behind' stand'?   And how can the 'church' not include - the 2 witnesses sent to the earth for the season, or the saints to be given a 10 day trial, the Holy Spirit speaking through them?   How is it going to be possible for SATAN and his angels to deceive anyone, once a billion people simultaneously disappear from off the face of the earth?   Besides the absolute mess and chaos, along with the mourning of those 'left' behind/not taken , how would the biggest miracle to ever take place, one that has been seen and felt by every single person left, be overcome by any kind of lying signs and/or wonder? Does this just get 'voided out' with the above?   'afterward they that are Christ's at his coming' since not all the 'THEYS' that are Christs will be going at that coming?  And what about... 20  And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. 21  And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: 22  For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. 23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. except those words don't apply to ANY of the pre trib theory, do they? Then there is this problem, also without any being 'foretold' taking place, and it's a big one...  27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Pre trib most definitely renders null and void  'appointed unto men once to die' since it has men NOT dying 2 different times, both pre and post trib.