Shirt Pocket Homilies

[Olde Tymer]

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● John 3:16 . . For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

● John 5:24 . . I assure you; those who listen to my message, and believe in God
who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but
they have already passed from death into life.

Eternal life is far and away superior to human life. It never gets old, it never wears
out, it never wears off, nor does it ever need replenishing because it can't be used
up with any more ease than God can be used up.

● 1John 1:2-3 . .The life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and
proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to
us

Ergo: it's only necessary to obtain the life which was with the Father one time and
one time only because it's perpetual, viz: eternal life always was, it always is, and it
always shall be.

* The grammatical tense of John 6:54 is present tense rather than future; indicating
that eternal life is something people can obtain now, in this life, prior to their
passing. (cf. 1John 5:13)

NOTE: Eternal life and Immortality are not synonymous, viz: they are not two ways
to say the same thing. The two are juxtaposed in 2Tim 1:10; where the terms are
connected with a conjunction. They aren't connected with a verb, so that you can't
say eternal life is immortality; no, eternal life and immortality are two distinctly
different subjects.

For example: Jesus had eternal life when he was here (John 5:26) but he didn't
obtain immortality till after his resurrection (Rom 6:9, Rev 1:18) And according to
John 6:54, the apostles had eternal life too; but it didn't prevent their demise;
they're all gone. In nutshell; immortality pertains to a body that cannot die,
whereas eternal life pertains to a soul that cannot die so folks with eternal life are
no longer in danger of Matt 10:28 which says:

"Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear
Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell."

The possession of eternal life is very crucial because every Christian lacking eternal
life is also lacking unity with God's son, i.e. they are quite literally christless
Christians.

● 1John 5:9-13 . .We accept human testimony, but God's testimony carries more
weight because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His son. . . .
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His son.
Whoever has the Son has the life; whoever who does not have the life, does not
have God's son.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Some years ago, a two-bit substitute Sunday school teacher wasted the hour by
sitting us thru a Hollywood movie based upon the life of Joseph. At the conclusion
of the "show" I raised my hand and asked the teacher if he thought Joseph was
born again.

The man's reaction was not good as his mind instantly went into oscillating vapor
lock trying to understand what I meant. He was baffled by my question.

Well, I explained; Jesus said that no one can enter the kingdom of God sans the
Spirit birth he spoke of at John 3:3-7. The language and grammar of his statement
strongly suggests there are no exceptions, viz: it isn't optional, rather, it's
mandatory-- not just mandatory for some, but for everyone.

One day I asked an experienced Jehovah's Witness if he was born of the Spirit. He
answered no, and added that he did not expect to undergo a Spirit birth in either
this life or the next because his hope isn't in Heaven.

The JW was somehow unaware that Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus wasn't about
things in Heaven, rather, things on Earth.

● John 3:12 . . . If I have told you earthly things and yet you do not believe, how
will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

In other words: the kingdom of God, and the Spirit birth requirement, pertain to
Messiah's theocratic kingdom down here on the ground rather than the supreme
being's celestial kingdom up in the sky.

It's both tragic and ironic that the Watchtower Society's rank and file missionaries
go worldwide advertising a kingdom that they themselves will never be allowed to
enter: not because they didn't work hard enough to deserve it, but simply because
they were led to believe themselves exempt from the Spirit-birth requirement.
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[Olde Tymer]

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The love that God extends to mankind in general per John 3:16 is a nondescript
love that anybody can practice because it's merely benevolence, e.g. kindness,
sympathy, generosity, tolerance, charity, courtesy, and keeping a civil tongue in
one's head.

In contrast: the love that God extends to His son's friends per John 16:27 goes
beyond benevolence. It's an emotional love that expresses itself in feelings like
fondness and affection, viz: the supreme being's love per John 3:16 is typically
extended without passion or prejudice; whereas that of John 16:17 mirrors
1Sam 18:1 & 2Sam 1:26.

I grew up in a dysfunctional home. Consequently the thought of God actually liking
me, instead of only feeling pity for me, is nigh unto impossible to comprehend.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● 1Tim 5:24-25 . . Some people lead sinful lives, and everyone knows they will be
judged. But there are others whose sin will not be revealed until later.

Some folks are so shamelessly, unabashedly, outrageously, and defiantly wicked
that there's no doubt in any rational person's mind that those kinds of people are
headed into really big trouble down the road. Whereas others haven't a clue that
not only will their good conduct be evaluated for flaws, but so will their sensibilities;
which are typically influenced by customs and culture rather than molded into
suitable condition by the supreme of all beings.

I think it can go without saying that some very decent folks are going to be very
surprised to discover that many of their concepts relative to good and evil were evil
quite often and they didn't know it.
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[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: Was it really necessary to restore Jesus' crucified dead body to life?

REPLY: Jesus' crucifixion made it possible for everyone to obtain a pardon per Isa
53:6. However, his crucifixion alone doesn't clear anybody, viz: it leaves the record
of people's wrongs intact.

For example; former US President Gerald Ford pardoned former US President
Richard Nixon, but although the pardon kept Mr. Nixon out of prison, it did nothing
to clear his name, viz: he's still in the books for criminal conduct. So then; the
thing that Mr. Nixon really needed was exoneration which, though impossible in
most any of the world's normal criminal justice systems, is very possible in
Heaven's system by means of Jesus' resurrection.

● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was raised to life
for our justification.

The Greek word translated "justification" is dikaiosis (dik-ah'-yo-sis) which means
acquittal; defined as an adjudication of innocence: usually due to a lack of sufficient
evidence to convict.

That's comparable to Isa 53:11 wherein is said:

"By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many; and he will bear their
iniquities."

The thing is: Jesus not only took the punishment for my sins, but he also bore
them, i.e. by some strange administrative process that I have yet to fully
understand, God removed my sins from me and transferred them to Jesus; in effect
making me a joint principal with him on the cross.

● Col 3:3 . . For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

When Jesus' crucified dead body was restored to life; he came back without those
sins. So, in the end, folks whose slates have been wiped clean by Jesus'
resurrection will have nothing on the books with which to accuse them at the great
white throne event depicted by Rev 20:11-15, viz: it will appear they have never
been anything less than 100% innocent their entire lives.

● 2Cor 5:19 . . God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting
their trespasses against them. (cf. Jer 31:34)

The Greek word translated "counting" pertains to keeping an inventory, i.e. an
indictment. Well; without an indictment, the great white throne will have no cause
to proceed with a trial.

* I should emphasize that Jesus tasted death for everyone's sins, yet many are on
a road to the wrong side of things because their sins are still on the books.

FAQ: How does one go about obtaining that acquittal?

REPLY: By means of a simple RSVP. Find a private place, cover your face with your
hands for a sense of connection and tell God, in your own words, that you'd like to
take advantage of His son's crucifixion, and the resurrection of his dead body, to
avoid the prospect of facing justice down the road.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Matt 6:33 . . But seek first . . . . His righteousness,

The righteousness of God is humanly impossible to obtain because He's set the bar
too high.

● Rom 3:23 . . For all . . . come short of the glory of God.

In other words: God has made His own personal sinless perfection the standard by
which everyone is evaluated. Obviously then; no one among the Jews or the
Gentiles-- except for Christ --has ever, nor will ever, measure up; not even the
holiest people that one can imagine, e.g. Noah, Daniel, or Job; and those were
some very righteous guys. (Ezek 14:12-20)

The thing is: Christ's crucifixion and resurrection satisfies justice for people's sins,
and gives them a rating of innocence and exoneration that they could never in a
million years attain on their own. But if the plan of salvation were to be wrapped at
that point, they would still be short of the glory of God, viz: the ultimate goal of
salvation is God's own personal sinless perfection which, again, is something that
people could never in a million years attain on their own.

Now with justice satisfied and out of the way by means of Christ's crucifixion and
resurrection; the supreme being is at liberty to become extremely benevolent with
a remarkable act of God that when fully completed will equip folks with qualities
comparable to His own.

● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so
that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (cf. Ezek 36:24-27)

I think it can be agreed without debating that divine nature is a whole lots better to
work with than human nature.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Jesus' crucifixion, and the subsequent resurrection of his dead body, are sometimes
called substitutionary. But according to the Bible, he took people along with him
into those events, which makes his crucifixion and resurrection joint actions
wherein his believing followers participated.

● Rom 6:3 . .Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized into His death?

● Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him

● Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ

● Col 3:1-4 . . For you died when Christ died

● Rom 6:4-5 . .We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his
death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

● Eph 2:6 . . God raised us up with Christ

● Col 2:12 . . Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him

It's no doubt possible to allegorize the above passages, but I strongly suggest
taking them as-is. I don't know how God went about making Jesus' followers joint
principals in his crucifixion and resurrection, but then to this day I still haven't a
clue yet how God went about making Adam's posterity joint principals in the
forbidden fruit incident per Rom 5:12-21.

There is an obvious benefit to all this. Jesus went to the cross bearing guilt, but was
restored to life without guilt (Rom 6:10-11). So then, all those unified with Jesus in
his death, burial, and resurrection are also back from the dead without guilt, i.e.
they came back with him 100% innocent.

● Rom 8:34 . .Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one
who died for us and was raised to life for us.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Heb 4:14-16 . .Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we
profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are;
yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with frankness, so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Now the thing is: the high priest in Heaven despises rote (Matt 6:7). So it would be
wise to put prayer books away in storage, step away from the Wailing Wall, and
voice one's concerns from the heart with free, candid, forthright, and sincere
expression because frankness stresses lack of shyness or secretiveness or of
evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience; ergo: frankness implies
transparency, i.e. unbridled freedom of speech and the liberty to speak your mind
without fear of ridicule, shame, disgrace, retribution, or retaliation, viz: with
Messiah on the job, people may speak to Heaven just as we'd speak with their
wives and/or their best friends, like this:

"Come now, let us discuss this-- says The Lord. No matter how deep the stain of
your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if
you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool." (Isa 1:18)

That promise is just as good today as it was back in Isaiah's day; made possible by
Jesus' crucifixion.

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are
healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;
and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:5-6)
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[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: Isn't Judaism equally as useful as Christianity for sinners seeking God's
forgiveness? Isn't that the whole purpose of Yom Kippur, a.k.a. the Day of
Atonement?

REPLY: Pinning one's hopes on the Day Of Atonement is futile. For one thing:
there's no one to perform the ritual seeing as how there is neither a Temple nor a
fully functioning high priest on duty in Jerusalem at this time. In point of fact,
neither of those two essential elements of the Day of Atonement have been in
Jerusalem since 70 AD. But that's not the worst of it.

The original sacrificial system was effective-- to a point --for addressing the
peoples' actions, and for sanitizing their bodies, but ineffective for addressing the
people themselves, viz: their persons, the core of their being.

The thing is: when Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, his moral perception underwent
a radical change.

● Gen 3:22 . . And The Lord God said: The man has now become like one of us,
knowing good and evil.

The man became "like" one of us. In other words: Adam began looking to his own
intuition for moral direction instead of looking to his maker, viz: the man became a
tin God. (Psalm 82)

Point being: none of the Levitical system's rituals address the defective human
conscience that came about by means of the forbidden fruit incident.

● Heb 9:13-14 . .The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on
those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to
death, so that we may serve the living God.

Bottom line: no matter how pious somebody becomes, they will never be
completely ready for God until they avail themselves of Christ's crucifixion to atone
for the faulty psychological mechanism within them that discerns between good &
evil.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 7:2 . . It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of
gaiety, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this seriously.

According to the Bible; not many great people are called (1Cor 1:26). If that's true,
then we have to expect that the majority of the world's best and brightest
achievers-- the really big names in sports, science, medicine, law, politics,
technology, business, industry, religion, entertainment, and education, etc --don't,
and won't, make it to safety when they pass on.

As I watched some of the splendor and pomp of President Gerald Ford's funeral
back in January of 2007, I couldn't help but wonder if he was in a position to really
appreciate it; as I suspect people on the wrong side of the afterlife would certainly
no longer really care anymore whether they were given an unknown pauper's
disposal in a City incinerator, or reverently placed in a grand tomb in the National
Cemetery with world-wide television coverage.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Deut 27:26 . . Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by
doing them.

Something that should be emphasized is that the curse is irrevocable; so it's very
important to come to grips with it; and the sooner the better.

● Matt 5:18 . . For assuredly, I say to you: till heaven and earth pass away, not one
jot or one tittle will by any means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

In other words: whoever deserves that curse is absolutely certain to get it.

In point of fact, Deut 27:26 is grammatically present tense rather than future,
indicating that the curse is instant-- no delay and no waiting period. i.e. it's already
on the books hanging over people's heads like a guillotine just waiting for the man
in charge to give the executioner a signal to let go the rope keeping the blade in
check.
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[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: Can you provide an old testament example where God approved human
sacrifice?

REPLY: Yes.

● Gen 22:1-2 . . Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham,
and said to him: Abraham! And he said: Here I am. And He said: Take now your
on, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer
him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.

NOTE: According to Gen 18:23-33, Abraham wasn't above challenging God's
judicial sensibilities. Had the old boy seriously believed that offering his son Isaac
as a burnt offering was wrong, he would've said something; in point of fact, he had
three days to think about it. (Gen 22:4)

Did Abraham slay Isaac? No; but did Abraham offer Isaac? Yes.

● Gen 22:9 . .Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And
Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his
son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.

The thing is: once a gift dedicated to God is placed on an altar, it's a done deal--
whether the offering is dead or alive makes no difference. In point of fact, the letter
to Hebrews credits Abraham with offering his son in obedience to God's command.

● Heb 11:17 . . By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he
who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son

Had God disapproved human sacrifice, He would've stopped Abraham before Isaac
was laid on the altar.

But the grand slam of all human sacrifices is located in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah,
which speaks of an offering fully arranged, sanctioned, and worked out by none
other than "the arm of The Lord". In other words: it was a task wherein God rolled
up His sleeves and really got down to business.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Ps 139:1-12 . . O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about
me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far
away. You know what I am going to say even before I say it.

. . I can never escape from Your spirit. I can never get away from your presence. If
I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are
there.

. . I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night--
but even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as
day; darkness and light are both alike to You.

In a nutshell that's saying all the things we've done in secret-- privately, behind
closed doors, and/or when we thought no one was looking --was observed, and it
was noted.

● Heb 4:13 . . Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is
uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Eternal life is often mistaken for immortality. The two are not the same.

Immortality pertains to a body that's immune to death.

Eternal life, on the other hand, pertains to a soul that's immune to death.

It's possible for people to obtain eternal life prior to obtaining immortality.

For example: Christ had eternal life all along (John 5:26, 1John 1:1-2) but
according to Rom 6:9 and Rev 1:18, he didn't obtain immortality till after his
crucified dead body was restored to life.

Likewise his believing followers have eternal life now (John 5:24, 1John 5:13)
but according to Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:51-53, and 1Thss 4:14-17 they won't
obtain immortality until their resurrections.

The properties of eternal life are a little easier to understand when juxtaposed with
natural forms of life.

Human life was created.

Eternal life wasn't created, i.e. it always was, it always is, and it always shall be.

There's a large variety of created life.

There is only one eternal life.

Human life's primary characteristic is human nature; roughly defined as the
fundamental dispositions and traits of the human being.

Eternal life's primary characteristic is divine nature, roughly defined as the
fundamental dispositions and traits of the supreme being.

So when the New Testament speaks of eternal life, it isn't necessarily speaking of
longevity, rather; it's sometimes speaking of divine qualities, e.g. 2Pet 1:3-4 &
1John 1:1-2

NOTE: Eternal life and immortality are very important benefits primarily because
they protect people from the second death depicted by Rev 20:11-15.

● Matt 10:28 . . And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Everything is a foregone conclusion with God; nothing surprises Him. God foresaw
the forbidden fruit incident, He foresaw Cain and Abel, He foresaw the Flood and
knew He'd regret Man's creation, He foresaw the Tower of Babel, He foresaw
Sodom and Gomorrah, He foresaw the Exodus, He foresaw the Holocaust, and He
has known all along who would, who will, and who won't believe in His son.

● Eph 1:3-5 . . Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He
chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His
sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with His pleasure and will.

In other words: there are no new believers to God. He's already foreseen every one
of them back at the very beginning just as He's foreseen everything else ahead of
time before it comes to pass. (Isa 46:9-10)

Ergo: if somebody's name isn't already in the lamb's book of life per Rev 20:11-15,
then their name will never be in it because the book is closed; it was completed
long, long ago.

NOTE: When I was a kid back in the decade of the 1950s, I asked my mom how I
have free will if God already knows all my choices before I make them. Well; mom
wasn't all that deep of a thinker, so she couldn't respond. But the thing is: I make
my own decisions; God doesn't make then for me, He only foresees them, viz: God
is the ultimate crystal ball, so to speak. (Ps 139:4)
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Eph 1:4-5 . . He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with His pleasure and will

There are important differences between adopted kids and foster kids.

The latter have no inheritance rights, they have no right to be known by a foster
family's name, they have no right to address their foster parents with a filial
vocative like mom and/or dad, and they have no right to a place in the family tree.

Plus, foster care is temporary. Older kids eventually age out of the foster system
and the State ceases to assist foster parents to continue providing for them. At 18
the older kids are legally adults in my country, and the responsibility for their
providence is upon themselves. Ouch!

Adopted kids' circumstances are so, so much better. They are legally just as much
an adopted family's children as their biological offspring. Ergo: adopted kids have
inheritance rights, they have a right to be known by their adopted family's name,
they have a right to address their adopted parents by a filial vocative, and they
have a right to a place in the family tree.

Plus, adoption is permanent. Older kids don't age out of their adopted homes so
they always have a family support base to fall back on should their circumstances
become difficult.

Not every Christian is related to God as His kin by adoption. But those in that
envious position aren't left to guess at whether they are or not.

● Rom 8:15-16 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear
again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out:
Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children
of God.

NOTE: Abba is neither English nor Greek; it's Aramaic. The word means father, but
not as an ordinary noun. Grammatically, it's a filial vocative.

When my son points me out to one of his friends at the mall and says: "That's my
dad over there" then his use of "dad" simply indicates how he and I are related. But
when he shouts: Hey dad, I'm over here! then his use of "dad" is a filial vocative
because he's addressing me personally to get my attention-- same noun; different
sense.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● 1John 3:9 . .Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in
him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

Born-again Christians are not 100% sinless (1John 1:8-10, 1John 2:1) whereas
Christ is. (John 8:29, 2Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15, 1Pet 2:22)

So then I think we can be reasonably confident that 1John 3:9 is talking about
God's paternal descendant rather than born-again Christians because Jesus is in
God's family circle by means of heredity (John 1:14 John 1:18 John 3:16, John
3:18, Heb 1:4, 1John 4:9) whereas born-again Christians have been brought into
God's family circle by means of adoption. (Rom 8:15, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:15)

So then; the birth spoken of by John 1:12-13 and John 3:3-7 isn't talking about
reproduction, rather; those verses speak of regeneration, i.e. God's handiwork.
(2Cor 5:17 Eph 2:10 Eph 4:24, Col 3:9-10)
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Acts 17:28 . . For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your
own poets have said; "We are his offspring."

The Athenian poets wrote about mankind in general which, if we go back to the
beginning, we see that mankind came into existence by means of creation. In other
words: mankind's birth is better understood as sort of like when Geppetto
constructed Pinocchio. The little wooden boy was the image and likeness of its
father but wasn't the father's direct descendant.

Textual evidence indicates born-again Christians are similar to Pinocchio, viz: they
are children of God by creation rather than His paternal descendants. (2Cor 5:17
Eph 2:10 Eph 4:24 Col 3:9-10)

The thing is: were born-again Christians to be God's paternal descendants, they
would be divine beings because like gives birth to like, i.e. were God to reproduce,
He would produce Gods, viz: duplicates of Himself like as people produce duplicates
of themselves. For example:

● Gen 5:3 . . And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his
own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Neither aqua life, winged life, nor terra life were created in the image and likeness
of God; only man has that distinction. And whereas we are told man has a
conscience, we are not told the same about the Earth's lower forms of life so I think
it safe to assume the animal kingdom is amoral; which can be defined as having or
showing no concern about whether one's behavior is morally right or wrong.

The image and likeness of God also implies a sense of justice, i.e. an inclination to
honor good by penalizing evil.

FAQ: According to Gen 9:5, animals that kill people have to be put down. Doesn't
that imply they can be charged with murder?

REPLY: Well; one can scarcely accuse an animal of murder when the animal is
incapable of understanding what murder is. But it goes further than that:

● Gen 9:2-3 . .The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth
and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and
upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives
and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you
everything.

That passage empowers man with the right to slay animals, but I have yet to
encounter language in the Bible empowering the animal kingdom with the right to
slay man. In point of fact, in the beginning, God subjected the animal kingdom to
man's dominance.

● Gen 1:26 . . And God said: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
upon the earth.

* All in all, I think we have to concede that animal life was, and is, meant to be
expendable; whereas human life was, and is, meant to be revered.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
I've watched a number of films pertaining to the rapture and every one of them left
out the part where the remains of 2,000 years of deceased believers from all over
the globe will be restored to life.

The films also left out the part where folks unified with Christ rise into the air to
meet him. Instead the films showed them here one second and gone the next, but I
rather suspect the event should be easily observed all 'round the world if it
proceeds as described by 1Thess 4:13-17 because 2,000 years of believers added
to the world's current believers, will likely construct a flash mob resembling a mini
Oort Cloud when they all levitate together at one time to rendezvous with the Lord
up in the sky.

The mob is likely to get pretty noisy too what with all the cheering, laughing, and
shouting that's sure to take place when Jesus' followers receive their new bodies;
which of course will be immune to death and the aging process. (1Cor 15:51-53)

* The "blink" component of the rapture pertains to the miraculous transformation
that Jesus' followers will undergo during the event. (1Cor 15:51-52)

The films also showed tiny children being taken while their parents are left behind.
That's highly doubtful because minors have often been collateral damage in the
Bible when God slammed their parents, e.g. zero children survived the Flood, and
120,00 would've been lost had God found it necessary to follow thru with His threat
to annihilate Nineveh. (Jonah 4:11)

One of the films depicted a Christian pastor left behind and to him it was no
mystery. He frankly admitted to being a career minister rather than a called
minister, i.e. he was a man of business rather than a man of faith. In real life, there
will likely be quite a few like him miss the cut because numbers of men coming out
of seminaries take up the cloth as a career rather than due to a longing to be of use
to Christ.

I once heard a retired pastor say on radio that if the rapture were to occur
Saturday, quite a few churches would have no members missing Sunday morning.
That's a strong possibility as some card-carrying, church-attending Christians, are
so because it rounds out the week and it looks good on a social resumé.

NOTE: People left behind shouldn't let the rapture cause them panic because it isn't
the end of the world. They can still get themselves spared retribution and perdition,
viz: it's not like all hope is lost. In point of fact, vast numbers of folks from all over
the globe will be spared during the interlude between the rapture and Christ's feet
touching down on the ground to set up the kingdom conditions foretold by the
prophets in the old testament. (Rev 7:9-14)

However, the rapture terminates the church age so folks saved during the time of
Jacob's trouble won't become members of Christ's family circle. But hey; is a friend
of the family such a bad deal when we take into consideration the final option?
_