Tribute Thread For the Recently Raptured Faith

Except in America.

Here's another contribution to the deep darkness of irrational thinking the world is trying so hard to extinquish these days. I just posted this at my blog.===================================Just heard a sermon by Sam Storms on the number 666 in which he concludes that it's a symbolic number. Storms also discussed some attempts to determine its meaning through gematria, or systems of numbers based on various alphabets.In some cases if the Greek alphabet doesn't work they try the Hebrew and maybe that will work. I think he said Hebrew works for Nero. But why on earth should Nero be identified by the Hebrew alphabet? Hitler comes up on the English alphabet after assigning some special numbering system to the letters. This just gets ridiculous.And I don't know why the system I've posted on so many times isn't better known, or if it is known why it isn't accepted. It is perfection itself. There is no need to manipulate the letters and numbers because Latin has a system of Roman numerals based on its letters that is solidly established. And when it is applied to the LATIN title for Vicar of Christ, VICARIVUS FILII DEI, for the ROMAN Pope, who is also called by the ROMAN title Pontifex Maximus, it adds up to 666 without any manipulations whatever. It's a ROMAN/LATIN system of ROMAN/LATIN letters with ROMAN numbers applied to a ROMAN/LATIN title for the Bishop of ROME who is called Pope and the Head of the Church. By that name he usurps the role of Christ since scripture says Christ and Christ alone is the Head of the Church, and by the title Vicar of Christ he usurps the role of Christ when you understand it through the Latin phrase VICARIVUS FILII DEI, which literally means "in the place of the Son of God." Add em up, it's 666 without even trying.The Pope usurps the role of Christ and the role of the Holy Spirit who is the representative of Christ on earth, NOT the "Pope." Since the temple of God is the people of God the Pope "sits in the temple of God showing that he is God."

OK so I had to look into this book you mentioned:

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Do your friends say they are "spiritual, but not religious"? Are they seized by utopian hopes that fire their imagination and drive their personal behaviour, business and politics? Such Oneist utopian visions can be found in the Green Movement, in radical sexual agendas, in a total acceptance of Darwinian Evolution, and in Eastern mystical movements, among others. The ethic of all Oneist utopias depends on the elimination of the first, all-defining statement of the Christian Creed: "I believe in God the Father, Maker of heaven and earth." Since all of these movements insist that human structures and authorities take the qualities that only God himself possesses, they are doomed to become dystopias.

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In this collection of lectures given at the 2013 truthXchange Think Tank, the authors analyze a variety of current utopian visions that inspire false hopes in today's culture, as well as presenting the true hopes God offers humanity. By showing the emptiness of human utopias and the glorious truth that only God's final "eu-topia" offers, these articles will equip Christians to understand false hopes and to live out the truth of the sure hope Christ offers.
Book Contents:

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"The Oneist Utopia: Always a Dystopian Nightmare" - Joe Boot.
"The Ecological Utopia: 'The Earth Charter' and Global Oneist Power" - Dr. Cal Beisner
"The Geo-Political Utopia: Oneism, The United Nations and World Government" - Janet Mefferd
"Darwinian Evolution: A Significant Inspiration for Contemporary Oneist Utopianism?" - Dr. John West
"A Twoist Model for Helping Your Utopian Neighbours" - Dr. Thaddeus Williams
"The Coming Pagan Utopia" - Dr. Peter Jones
"God's Final Eu-topia" - Dr. Dennis Johnson

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Perhaps I myself am one of the ones duped by the antichrist since I consider myself spiritual but not religious.As pertains to EvC, I looked up the Darwinian Evolution speaker (to find something he said that was free rather than buying the darn book)
and found this:

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Here's another contribution to the deep darkness of irrational thinking the world is trying so hard to extinquish these days.

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It certainly is irrational, and very dark.

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In some cases if the Greek alphabet doesn't work they try the Hebrew and maybe that will work. I think he said Hebrew works for Nero. But why on earth should Nero be identified by the Hebrew alphabet?

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Because Gematria is Hebrew of course. If you want to do perfect gematria why would you use any other alphabet ?

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And I don't know why the system I've posted on so many times isn't better known, or if it is known why it isn't accepted. It is perfection itself. There is no need to manipulate the letters and numbers because Latin has a system of Roman numerals based on its letters that is solidly established.

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One obvious reason is that it only assigns values to 7 letters. That’s a big weakness and makes it far from perfect. In fact that severe deficiency is an obvious reason why it isn’t used.

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And when it is applied to the LATIN title for Vicar of Christ, VICARIVUS FILII DEI, for the ROMAN Pope, who is also called by the ROMAN title Pontifex Maximus, it adds up to 666 without any manipulations whatever.

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That would be VICARIUS FILII DEI. Which only adds up to 661. (And why ignore the fact that Roman numerals are not usually read by simple adding - the order matters. 106 is CVI. IV is four, not six.)

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By that name he usurps the role of Christ since scripture says Christ and Christ alone is the Head of the Church, and by the title Vicar of Christ he usurps the role of Christ

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Obviously not to anyone who understands the role. And you know that.

Dr.Peter Jones, the author of that book you mentioned earlier which was a compilation of various authors challenges many of my beliefs. One of us or the other is wrong.
Is Mindfulness Christian? whereupon he asserts that

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In raising this question of Mindfulness, we must not be ignorant of what has transpired in Western history since the 1960sto which not enough mindful attention is paid. Many Westerners have turned to Eastern meditation, including, in particular, yoga, which is a subtle but clear introduction to Hindu spirituality. So in the West, yoga (Hinduism) gives us healthy bodies; and Mindfulness (Buddhism) gives us sound minds. But what is going on? Are we, in the church, like Westerners in general, being captured by alien spiritual influences? Philip Goldberg says yes. In his important book, American Veda: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West (NY: Harmony Books, 2010), in light of the great success of yoga and Mindfulness, he concludes that Americans (and we can include the West in general) have been deeply brainwashed. In Canada, Mindfulness or MindUP, is imposed upon children in state schools as normative practice, without parental permission. Doubtless without realizing it, the West has bought into the Indian worldview philosophy of Advaita, which means not two (non-duality or Oneism). This notion of existence is assumed to be the truth, so all distinctions are erased and oneness rules. Goldberg, who is convinced this is a good thing, is surely onto something, since we are seeing a constant and determined eradication of the binary, or twoness, especially in the area of sexuality and spirituality. Our world is seduced by the utopian idealism of oneness or unity, both politically and religiously.

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Behind these Eastern spiritual techniques is a Oneist worldview in conflict with biblical spirituality, which I call Twoism. Twoism is the biblical insistence on the truth of distinctionsgood and evil, true and false, male and female, God and creation. The Eastern worldview claims that by going within we find our inner divinity, so our problem is not sin but ignorance. We are ignorant of the god within, the god we actually all possess. God is not separate from us, He is within us. We are god. So this Eastern worldview advocates spiritual meditation and altered forms of consciousness to focus on the self, precisely to gain gnosis, knowledge of the god within. There is no distinction from God. We are god. We must ask whether these methods, yoga and Mindfulness, born in Eastern Oneism, can be scrubbed of their religious content.

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You are rigid and authoritarian in your thinking whereas I am more balanced and mindful. According to Dr.Jones, I am the one being duped. (read the article)

You've said a great deal here but I really don't know how to respond to it yet. It's interesting that this book seems to have brought out a lot of your thinking that otherwise might not have become apparent. I'm not sure why that is but it may help me understand why you never seem to be quite Christian although you eventually convinced me you believe the basics. Now I'm thinking perhaps you don't after all. As I said I really don't know where to begin to discuss this with you.

I did read your blog and understand your belief process. I cant say that you are wrong, though I cant think exactly how you do either. Even though jar and I disagree on most philosophy and theology, he has taught me to be unafraid to question my beliefs---though to some this surely must make me appear weak and indecisive. Contrary to what you may think, I have studied a lot of the Bible and likely understand it as well as you do...but where we differ is that I allow myself to question what I once would never question. Unlike jar, I cannot simply "throw God away" as if denouncing my profession when I first became Born Again. Many of my Christian brethren also discourage me from questioning the precepts of our Faith and believe that Satan is waging war with me and through me. So I too really dont know how to discuss anything...we are two different people.I respect free speech, however...and so EvC continues with our neverending arguments, beliefs, persuasions, and world views.

Perhaps it would help just to clarify something about those basics I mentioned:Do you believe you are a sinner who has been saved from sin and from Hell by God's grace alone without your having to do anything to earn it? Do you believe that the Lord Jesus' death on the cross is wholly sufficient to pay for your sins in entirety, that His blood shed there pays for your sins? That He died for all those who believe on Him and rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father? That He is the way, the truth and the life and that nobody comes to the Father except through Him?Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

You don't seem to be particularly bothered by this. Do you think they are wrong, or what?ABE: Another question: Do you pray much? Do you pray to understand these things?AND: Perhaps this should all be discussed privately, if it can be discussed at all.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

Yes. I believe that salvation is by faith first and that works follow naturally. That being said, I question the concept of original sin in general, though observation of human behavior historically and currently seems to verify its reality. One thing that I question, however, is why God chose to do things the way He allegedly has, (according to dogma). I definitely believe that the Bible itself, though inspired, is far from perfect in describing current reality fully. I may eventually end up believing otherwise...I am always open to further information. Yes. I have entertained questions about the exclusiveness of such a belief, but I fervently believe that IF God accepts me based on surrender and acknowledgement alone, I'm all in! Unlike you, however, I occasionally side with some of the counter-arguments here at EvC that most Christians I know wouldn't ever entertain. Thats simply my character...I believe that if God knows me and accepts me He is strong enough to keep me from slipping away...and allows me to question, doubt, and examine the beliefs and ideologies of others.I believe in Spiritual War. I see it here at EvC all of the time.
Like when jar gets angry and calls *bullshit* and accuses his opponents of palming some pea and misdirecting a topic, I see him as angry that they wont fall in line and follow his ideology based as he claims simply on plain reading.I dont just consider the content of what is written. I consider the motives behind the author. As an example, what possible good would it or has it ever done to teach people that the allegorical snake told the truth and that the god character lied? ...see...to me this only leads them to the belief that all religion is simply written and interpreted by man.I also saw jaywill lose his composure for a moment and lash out at his opponents, even though he normally makes such sound theological posts. Surely somewhere, demons are laughing at their success at needling believers and getting them to lose their composure.As to why I believe? Thats a deeper question....one that I would have to think deeply about. I trust God---dont get me wrong---I talk with Him a lot.

No let's keep it public. I WANT people to see us discuss and debate these theological concepts. I DO pray often, though sometimes informally on my way to work, for instance, while driving. Other times I fall on my face and have even cried before God. Perhaps some critics of our belief have questions for me...in fact, I even anticipate some of them.Do I believe that a Rapture is imminent? Do I even believe in such a thing?
Do I believe that God exists, is personal, and gives me a second thought in the grand scheme of how reality will play out?There are many questions

The problem now is that I'm getting awfully sleepy though I hate to interrupt this. I don't think I can do a very good job if I'm about to nod off though, so I've really got to get some sleep and come back to this later.

That's what you call "Spiritual War"? You don't think the truth is worthwhile?

I'm back, Phat, but now I don't see much reason to continue this, unless you raise some particular issues I could think about. One thing I'd comment on is that I don't think you know what "mindfulness" is. It's a specific discipline of meditation practiced in Buddhism, and possibly also Hinduism, in which the person watches his/her thoughts as they come up.

What' your last meal going to be Faith?