Starise

It could be said that many believers are anticipating the uniting to Jesus in a much more personal way which won’t happen until either after death or His return. Until then we have the very personal Holy Spirit within us. I hear you saying this subject is a distraction to relationship with God. It could be if a person is the kind of person who might let details go for a bigger picture. Can’t see the forest for the trees kind of thing. I don’t believe study of this subject needs to be. Again, we are to be doing God’s work. Bearing fruit no matter what.

Starting the day with thankfulness, praise and worship. This was intended for someone I don’t know. I felt I was supposed to share it. Nothing fancy, just my iPhone.

I subscribed to a bunch of ai as a collective so that when I go there they are all there. Haven’t hardly used it at all. DeepSeek made in China omits things about the CCP. So they are changing the narrative. Would not surprise me other ai is being changed for other stuff. Or it just says it doesn’t know. Like anything it can be useful. I generated a web page for our church but couldn’t figure out how to paste the code into Wordpress. It makes short work of lots of things. Only once did I try it for a class I was teaching. I asked it some things about the book. Printed it and told everyone what it was. It was more of a joke. Hollywood is now cooked. Google’s new animation and movie software is so good, almost anyone can make realistic looking movie scenes. I have been subscribing to LTX which is similar but not as convincing. Made a few things in it. We won’t know what is real any more online. You can’t tell. Image of the beast?

I appreciate you sharing. Some people are what they call ‘overthinkers’ and I also fall into that category. Mainly it’s just too amazing to contemplate and yet it’s true. As king David said, “why are you mindful of me Lord?, as far as the heavens are above the earth are your thoughts above my thoughts.” Even he was amazed at God loving him in such an individual way, and here was a man who took out a giant with a slingshot in faith. He also had an illicit affair and had the husband taken out. Through all of that God loved him enough to judge his actions and bring him back. How does that all apply to us? God says the very hairs of our head are all numbered. He cares for us, loves us, understands times of doubt. He won’t let go of you. I see the part about where we work to stay up to snuff as really more of a synergistic relationship where He is with us to help every step of the way. He just wants willingness. He sees hearts.

The good part of this is that you clearly fear God and we are told that fearing/respecting God is the beginning of wisdom. If you think there is any chance you are responsible for your salvation, this could be reason for that feeling of instability. If you place all hope in Jesus covering your sins, then you are resting on His promise to you. If you are sorry for, and confessed sin you have a contrite heart. You have all the elements there. Trust Him. Look to Him to be with you day by day and into eternity as your savior.

The gospel always has and always will be the blood of Jesus covering our sins, our confession of our sins and trusting his sacrifice to cover our sins. Some can point to the exact time and day it happened. The question is, was it a one off event with no other input from us or is there some ongoing efforts from us? I compare it to marriage. I went to a ceremony to be joined to my wife. After that there is commitment involved. Relationships require some sacrifice, but if we love our wife we will be willing to make the sacrifice. Again, love grows over time. Most will tell you they have come to appreciate and love their spouses even more over time. Love doesn’t see that relationship as demanding. It’s patient love and sometimes endurance. Same with a relationship with Jesus. He did not come to make things worse for us in the long haul. They will only get better and better. There will be some growing pains due to our sinful natures, but don’t give up, live for holiness. You’ll see. Back to your comments, this is something I would not want to get wrong due to the implications. In life most decisions are educated decisions. I have seen people who said they believed in Jesus but lived like the devil and never really changed. This is because they seen God more like an insurance policy. A one off statement intended to indemnify them, but they never turned to God. Maybe never chose to look at their sinfulness as a human being, so two different outcomes can happen all depending on the person and their heart. Lots of folks have an external form of Christianity that isn’t real. It just gets the church people off their back so they can go back to what they were doing.

I try to keep it to the main points to anyone I talk with. Culturally there are vast differences in different parts of the world. In Toronto there’s a different vibe than here, and yet God is working everywhere. I just want to be led to interested people who want to know:)

That’s pretty cool and a good example of how that other world works sometimes.Thanks for sharing. I was recently in a Christian group where the subject was dreams. One of the points brought out was dreams from God are not dreams of fear or angst. Three kinds of dreams. Dreams from God, dreams from Satan and dreams where our own mind is at work. Back when I was playing with sin on the side as a believer, I had some pretty bad dreams. I had opened a doorway. For a long time I had dreams about houses. One house repeatedly. I had never seen the house in real life. The houses were all mostly in disrepair and as a tradesman, that means I felt compelled to fix them up. Especially that one house. It was in such bad shape I considered if it should just be leveled. Eventually I came to understand it was my temple. I was in such disrepair it’s a wonder the Lord chose to save me. While God was working on me I began to see that house in better shape. Then it looked brand new in a later dream. In the beginning it almost looked hopeless. I haven’t had those house dreams in awhile now and I’ve closed those doors to evil and sin. Praise God!!!

Unforgiveness is another hang up.

I guess this depends on what you mean by win. Christians have already won this and God is just working through the details. He wants more to come to Him and He is giving them a chance. Yes the Israelites have been a persecuted people no doubt and I think I can see why in scripture. Christians are being intensely persecuted and killed as I type this in other parts of the world. Currently in some Muslim areas entire churches have recently been massacred. Christians in western nations are beginning to be restricted in their freedoms. Some imprisoned in the UK for praying too close to abortion clinics. The big C was used to try and close churches down. It was effective in doing that in many areas. Many areas are meeting secretly in small groups. The new system they want to implement wants it to look like they are adopting Christianity, but it won’t really be Christian. It will be a bastardized version of it that somehow comes out in agreement with Muslims and Judaism. We know they are not the same and under no logical circumstance can they ever co mingle. Jesus said “ I am the way’ not I am a way. He is the only way. In certain areas real christians will be labeled extremists and persecuted.

The only caveat I might change there for me personally would be that we can understand some, even a lot of some of it, but never all of it until it happens and we have that ahh haa moment. The fact that there are ties between all these prophetic books in various ways is an indicator to me that it was intended to be an understanding of those collective works, but alas many will attempt to read things in that aren’t there or miss some of it. Not that I have an absolute grasp of all of it. I see stuff in it. Important stuff. The kinds of things that line up. I know it isn’t a personal attempt to make something fit because it’s basically the same story told in different ways in different places and maybe similar to the gospels, there are details in one that advance the narrative totally. The fall of Adam and following prophecy “ he will bruise your heel, but through you I will crush his head” I believe all believers want to see the culmination that results in the new kingdom here in completion. I see that advancing globally. I see different tiers in this current and even past global game, in that we have the apparent leadership and then we have the real leadership in the other realms which is why current leaderships are doing what looks like really dumb stuff that seldom is for the people’s best interest. I’m talking globally here. The reasons they give for doing what they do don’t add up for most thinking people.

Same here. I'm going to continue to study while also doing what I believe I should be doing. I like that you said we will continue to occupy. The kingdom occupies and we are ambassadors to the coming kingdom. I have read over both major and minor prophets. I continue to read over it off and on. God wins, the dragon looses. We are on the winning side. God protects us, gives us good things. Could we even enjoy the end times if alive? If it comes to serious persecution I will see that as an honor. The soldier doesn't concern themselves with civilian affairs. I see myself as a soldier in the spiritual sense. We have the tools.We have the Lord. I feel often I live in two different worlds at the same time. The nice one I am currently experiencing and the unseen one that I continually engage or ignore when necessary in various ways.

There seem to be two main camps on the end times. In both cases we are still to be doing the work of the Lord. I often sense discomfort in some of my brothers when we discuss these things as if it's a place we really shouldn't go. I can see their angst because it can lead to disagreements, and yet we should be mature enough to agree to disagree. The other thought is that it detracts from us doing the work we are supposed to do, sort of like a truck spinning tires in a mud hole and never going any where. I can see that too. I have to give some traction to the idea that there have been numerous claims all through history from well meaning people who thought it was the end when it wasn't, and really for the believer there will never be an end, but a new beginning, so I see all of this as more of a transition.Thy kingdom come. We as humans tend to try and tie things to other things that seem to connect and make sense. So if I say that some things looks different now than ever before will I get that same wince? Is it just another world event we took the wrong way? What I see- Knowledge increasing exponentially like never before.In scripture The nations taking away freedoms, even punishing Christian beliefs. In scripture Global financial instability, possibly intentional. The alignment of a totalitarian 'system'. Spiritual death all around us with people mostly following their own empty whims. Collapse or weakening of social programs in most nations with costs rising due to overhead. The plans for a new temple are completed. A rebuilt temple soon it seems. Constant friction with countries like Iran between the US and others. Distractions and deceptions abound. Some of it is simply, " as in the days of Noah", well most of it actually. This is a deeper rabbit hole many consider tin foil hat territory. I can see it. Different in small ways and yet the same as the days of Noah. Every man for himself, the degrading of the human in various ways. Many of us can point to a "remember when" time not too long ago when things were much different. Globally things are not getting better in my opinion. I don't see it. I see it all getting progressively worse just as Jesus told us it would right before He returns. Am I a pessimist? I am more of a realist. To the believer fear isn't an option. We don't need it. It unermines our work. Our side won. It's the in between stuff that can show us things, or not.

God only accepts us through Jesus. Nothing more, nothing less. After we come to Christ, He begins His work in us and will direct us to other bodies of believers. May be very small or larger. The main thing is that it’s genuine. We will want to go if it’s genuine. If we don’t maybe the Spirit is trying to show us something, or maybe it’s a remnant of the flesh that doesn’t want to go. The flesh only wants to do the things that hurt us, or not do the things that help us. The Christian life, especially the young Christian will need to grow through these struggles.

The way I see it is the western powers will often demonize nations who are threats to them in their press etc. Many grow up believing a lot of it. In addition, much of this runs deep between nations with long standing entrenched grudges. Finland, Norway and Sweden have a bad past with Russia. Many in the US still see Russia as a spin off of the old Soviet Union. Some of that is true, but much has changed in that regard. Parts of Russia are very nice. Other parts are barren and very cold most of the year. The Russian Orthodox Church adds works to salvation. Maybe it’s a question of order.Salvation then works. If I were there I would identify as Christian, but not join the state church. If you go there none of your credit cards will work. They need to issue you something under their own currency.

Some dreams and visions are for others. Some are for us only. While our body sleeps I believe our souls are still in connection with God. Most of what I have been getting is only for me and I still don't remember or understand half of it. It makes sense over there, but is quickly forgotten over here most of the time. I see pictures of things. I told my wife I seen a pair of feet wearing red socks and thought it was odd. She told me she was currectly teaching a book about a girl who wore red socks as a sign to to the resistence in the revolutionary war here in the early US. Another time I seen teeth and cavities being removed. The man behind me turned out to be a visiting dentist. None of it seems very relevant, but it happens. Maybe only a confirmantion I am seeing things in ways I can't understand. Sometimes I'll get a crazy unction to do something for no logical reason other than that I need to do it. About a month ago the Lord told me to go to a starbucks in a local city, so I went. I still have no idea why I went. Often I believe we are given things to keep to ourselves. It isn't like, "look at me, look what I seen." That would be about us right? Whatever we see it's supposed to be biblical and support kingdom work, so I keep most of that small stuff to myself. One thing is for sure. God empowers all of us to do His work. All we need to do is wear the armor. Acknowledge it and claim it as ours because it is ours in Jesus. No this isn't the name it and claim it gospel. It's simply acknowledging who we are and what we've been given to work with in the power of the Lord.

I find that the word of God is a treasure trove for the downcast soul. The trick to that for me is finding a quiet time to read and pray. It recharges my batteries. Not here to judge anyone, but partaking in sin will make us feel distant from God. To get the full benefit I need to slow down and focus on the Lord. Ask Him to show me what He wants me to see. Generally won't work for me amidst lots of distractions. And if I sound like it doesn't happen to me. It occasionally does. When God seems distant I draw ever nearer to Him. Obviously running from Him never works. Draa near to God and He will draw near to you. Shut out worldly distractions. Make time for Him. Quality time. Looking for an answer? Say no to your body for awhile. Fast. Pray. He is the vine and we can do notyhing without Him. Emotion has a place within reason.

I am not here to tout moving to Russia, but it appears to be a viable option for some Europeans and even some Americans who are feeling the pressure of western leftism, probably more dominant in the EU. Now to answer your question, I don't see any anti Jewish sentiment from everything I can tell.They will single out anyone who attacks their state church directly. Doesn't matter who you are. Christians generally have a caustic effect everywhere they go just as the early Christians did. That could be potentially seen as undermining, if for instance, a Christian group took members of the RO church and they left that church for another group that could be seen as a threat to the state church. Russia is such a large country that there are places there where things are different. Basically the Russian people are great people and quick to be hospitable. Something that wouldn't fly in Moscow might be ok in a further flug community. When you say "here" you mean Canada right? If you go to the Russian immigration site you will find that the requirements have recently been greatly relaxed for entry. While till not easy, much easier than it once was to go there. They are gladly admitting Americans and Europeans. They don't give us numbers except to say that "many" are going there. No not every European is saying, " Hey hun let's move to Russia". But more than you might think are. Just do a quick YouTube search for Europeans moving to Russia. There are middle men who can make it easier. Again, I'm not here selling anything, just stateing the facts as thety are. There are a few nations NOT allowed, also on their immigration site. America and Canada are not on the list.Pretty much anyone in Europe under the EU can come if they meet the requirements.

Yep for sure.

None of us chose our country of origin, although some of us have changed countries. I suspect very few. I found it interesting reading European thought and others across the world, Surely I can't totally stereotype any of of it, however there are pockets of commonality same as here in the US. Many foreigners have a distorted view of the US due to Hollywood and television in general. I think that's going away as America has some serious sores that are exposed lately these last few years. Blue cities are falling apart. Some already have. The answer is generally, "we need more money for programs to correct the issues". Same thing is happening in Austria and Germany only the facade of historic buildings makes everything seem more ok.Similar in much of the world. Lots of these countries hide their poor with Japan being one. You can find the problems if you decided to look. What am I saying? Just making the point that modern thought is to raise taxes and create social programs. Works ok for 30 or 40 years until it starts to tip the wrong way in a questionable economy. Higher output incomes and businesses go somewhere else to escape the high taxes, crime and diminishing quality of those programs and life in general. At that point it doesn't much matter who you vote for IMO. Sure the republicans over here have been trying to plug the holes, but I'm not sure they can be plugged in time to save things. If we are going to stop imports we had better start making stuff. The three horses are coming though. The word is changing. About half of our country hates the powers that be in addition to other forces working against us. Vote, sure. Pray?? Absolutely. Worry? Never.

I believe there will be certain rites practiced in the new heaven/new earth as a directive to God's people. I see a differentiation between this and those who were "grafted in" the vine. Paul was clear to those Jews who were still incorporating things like circumcision into the new body of believers. In one instance he confronted one Jew who was disassociating himself from the new non jew believers. While this was likely a historical correction that hopefully hasn't been repeated much since, it probably still exists occasionally and maybe why it's made clear in various places in the scriptures that we are to be one body together and not use jewish tradition as a divider. The days, celebrations on the Jewish calender have significance to future events and have meaning to all believers so far as their significance because they were mostly God given for good reasons and often point us to God's work both then, now and into the future. I think we can get into the habit of an either/or mindset in that we think that we can't look back if we are looking forward to the NT.We clearly can learn in looking both ways. I see a difference between these things and the inate tendency of humans to want regularity and tradition. I don't fall into that group. I'm about as abstract as they come. It's a wonder I even dress myself. Even I have my routines, up at 5:30-6 coffee bible reading and prayer. I hate dressing up and I dislike rigidity in Christian services. If I could give advice in two words it would be, "loosten up":) Let the gifts flow with wisdom, stop trying to be the high horse and designating who else is the high horse.Jesus is the high horse always. But that's me. I know others look forward to church liturgy as a way to worship. I don't condemn you for it. I would only say don't let it replace what's important. Instead let it reenforce what's important.

Yes the Russian Orthodox church is the state sanctioned church there, however there are other Christian groups. In order to gain entry into the country one only needs to identify as Christian and be against the LGBTQ stuff. They want old family values in Russia. You don't have to join the ROC to enter the country. Baptist groups have had a presence there among others for a long time. I think the idea is not to make a stir pushing your group over the ROC. You are allowed to be something else, just don't try to make others a part of that group publicly. They would obviously rather you identify with their church. From those who are there, I gather there is almost never any friction. I compare any friction to the techniques used and not necessarily the representation of who you are, maybe similarly to a protestant group protesting outside of a catholic church during services. In Russia that one would probably land you in jail. And that technique almost never has any thing but divisive outcomes. They are going big on BRICS which is intensified trade with India and China. They have their own currency and plan to exclude the US from most of their trade. All of the hand slaps from the US are simply replaced by similar companies offering similar products, for instance Starbucks left and they replaced it with a similar thing. Logo even resembles their logo. Go into their grocery stores and they have plenty with reasonable prices. China is more than happy to provide cars. No need for western cars. Communities don't tolerate the stuff western communities do. People are respectful which is why many Europeans are flocking there.No forced antichrist godless moralities. Of course no country is perfect, but I think it looks pretty good over there right now in comparison to here. When cashless/cardless is introduced across the world they can tie requirements to it. Any country can. Putin is getting older so things could change a lot in the near future. To many Europeans though it looks pretty good compared to their current situations. I'm not anti American at all, but neither am I a sheeple. I think we should be very wise and perceptive during these times.Led by the Spirit. Before a new leader shows up to swoon the masses things have to be pretty bad. This is by design.

Thanks! Thanks Deb! They have chapters all over. Not sure if there is one in that specific location or not. Likely there is one somewhere around there. Two groups Christian Motorcycle association Riders With A Purpose