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The Not So Secret Rapture
reformed.org ^ | W. Fred Rice

Posted on 01/14/2011 5:57:52 PM PST by topcat54

Evangelical book catalogs promote books such as Planet Earth: The Final Chapter, The Great Escape, and the Left Behind series. Bumper stickers warn us that the vehicle’s occupants may disappear at any moment. It is clear that there is a preoccupation with the idea of a secret rapture. Perhaps this has become more pronounced recently due to the expectation of a new millennium and the fears regarding potential Y2K problems. Perhaps psychologically people are especially receptive to the idea of an imminent, secret rapture at the present time. Additionally, many Christians are not aware that any other position relative to the second coming of Jesus Christ exists. Even in Reformed circles there are numerous people reading these books. Many of these people are unaware that this viewpoint conflicts with Scripture and Reformed Theology.

(Excerpt) Read more at reformed.org ...


TOPICS: Theology
KEYWORDS: crusades; endtimes; eschatology; rapture
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To: count-your-change; 1000 silverlings; Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; boatbums; caww; ...

And since on priest can molest hundreds of kids, the abuse is a more far reaching problem than the statistics reveal. A perfect example of how to lie with statistics. |

*Only* 2% - 7% of the priests were abusive.

“ONLY”?!?!

This sort of thing is an abomination before God. The Catholic church deserves whatever judgment is pored out on it for allowing this kind of situation to persist for so long. Catholic church history is replete with examples of impropriety among the clergy.

The Catholic church’s continued existence in light of the corruption and immorality rampant within it isn’t evidence of GOD’s hand of protection on it, even though I have no doubt it IS being protected.

For Years, Deaf Boys Tried to Tell of Priest’s Abuse
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/us/27wisconsin.html

They were deaf, but they were not silent. For decades, a group of men who were sexually abused as children by the Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy at a school for the deaf in Wisconsin reported to every type of official they could think of that he was a danger, according to the victims and church documents.

They told other priests. They told three archbishops of Milwaukee. They told two police departments and the district attorney. They used sign language, written affidavits and graphic gestures to show what exactly Father Murphy had done to them. But their reports fell on the deaf ears of hearing people.


1,361 posted on 01/20/2011 10:11:31 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Quix
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16)
1,362 posted on 01/20/2011 10:15:32 AM PST by the_conscience (We ought to obey God, rather than men. (Acts 5:29b))
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To: Judith Anne; caww; 1000 silverlings; Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; boatbums; ...

The RM was the one to call this continual asking for personal information *badgering*.

Take up the complaint of the use of the word with him.

The Protestant Christians on this forum have made it clear that their point of authority is the Word of God and our identification is with Christ.

We are hiding nothing because everything we believe can be found in the Bible. All you have to do is read it.


1,363 posted on 01/20/2011 10:16:00 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom

Follow the timeline. Lot was considered righteous by both Abraham and God well prior to his incest. If you have a problem with Lot being called innocent and righteous, please take it up Almighty God. This is plain Scripture, and difficult to misunderstand, unless deliberately.


1,364 posted on 01/20/2011 10:20:36 AM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
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To: Quix
Do not make the thread "about" individual Freepers. That is also a form of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

1,365 posted on 01/20/2011 10:22:32 AM PST by Religion Moderator
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To: metmom; Religion Moderator
You've been warned before not to go there. The mods told you that asking for church affiliation is trolling.

WRONG! Posters may ask. Badgering is another thing, and is making it personal. Go back and read the post. I wasn't posting to you, so what is your complaint?

1,366 posted on 01/20/2011 10:23:15 AM PST by Judith Anne (Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.)
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To: Judith Anne; 1000 silverlings; Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; boatbums; caww; ...
1 Corinthians 5 1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

3For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."

Here is the clear command of Paul in the Bible on how to deal with sexual immorality within the church.

Why has the Catholic church not done so? Why have they been disobedient for so long for so much of it's history in following God's clear, plainly stated commands concerning this issue?

Do you consider this the ravings of a mentally unbalanced, contradictory kook? Was he wrong about how to deal with sexual immorality within the church?

Is the Catholic church right for not following these directives, or is it wrong?

1,367 posted on 01/20/2011 10:25:41 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Quix
Quote: ”I encourage you to give it a rest.”
1,368 posted on 01/20/2011 10:26:53 AM PST by topcat54 ("Dispensationalism -- an error of Biblical proportions.")
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To: MarkBsnr

Catholics make a big deal about righteous works as being necessary for salvation.

My question was, what righteous works were recorded in Scripture that Lot did to cause him to be declared righteous.

Sure, he was declared righteous through faith, just as Abraham was. David was praised for being a man after God’s own heart, in spite of his sin.

Which gets back to the righteousness we have through faith is what saves us because the works of those two men surely don’t qualify as good works or righteous works.


1,369 posted on 01/20/2011 10:29:21 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: cinciella; Cronos
There’s nothing in the OT that shows Abraham worshipping God with the knowledge that He is a triune God. I think to say otherwise is to be speculative.

So you discount Jesus’ own testimony regarding Abraham in John 8? Would you say that’s generally your approach the New Testament?

1,370 posted on 01/20/2011 10:29:27 AM PST by topcat54 ("Dispensationalism -- an error of Biblical proportions.")
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To: metmom

Yes, and all your (plural) Proddie Pastors who abuse children should definitely be on these threads, so we can all be sure that they are punished the way the proddies say they should be.

You, (plural) no more have the words of God as your point of authority than anyone else, Catholic, EO, Anglican, whatever. Furthermore, you (plural) have an incomplete Bible and translations full of error to go by.

You (plural) SAY you identify with Christ, but I cannot begin to imagine the Lord of Lords and King of Kings acting in any way like some of your (plural) arrogant “we know it all and we’re perfect” junk.


1,371 posted on 01/20/2011 10:30:09 AM PST by Judith Anne (Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.)
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To: metmom; Cronos
Genesis 12:1-3 ... God's promises are forever. God is not a man that He should lie.

And the promise is for what exactly?

1,372 posted on 01/20/2011 10:31:25 AM PST by topcat54 ("Dispensationalism -- an error of Biblical proportions.")
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To: boatbums
Perhaps you could one day accept that I have not discounted nor ignored anything our Lord preached.

Interesting. I have attempted to engage in a proper discussion of the Sermon on the Mount many times. The Sermon is dismissed offhandedly with claims that it is examples of Christian living but doesn't mean anything particularly important, even though Jesus is very explicit in saying what the results of following His commands (or not) are. Throughout the Gospels, on an almost continuous basis, Jesus tells us of the works that we must do and what in peril it puts the salvation that He holds out to us when we fail to follow His commands. All four Gospels pound home the same message again and again. Paul repeats it. Peter repeats it. James very expressly repeats it (part of why Martin Luther did his best to jettison it). And to address the idea of Revelation's statement that nothing impure can enter the Kingdom of Heaven that you are pure already flies totally in the face of the contradictory statements that every man is impure and a sinner.

The purification of those Judged to salvation is rejected. Do you see that this cannot work? No, because you tell me that either you have already been Judged by Christ (an impopssibility since you have not died and been Judged yet) or will not be, or the Judgement is a formality only and doesn't mean anything since you already know the outcome.

What is unscriptural is any doctrine which attempt to place the works of men as a requirement for salvation. The work we are required to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ anything else is not of grace through faith.

Perhaps I can convince you by reinvigorating my postings of Scriptural proofs of this very point. I must say that, at least you have not told me that the Gospels mean nothing to Christians, since they were to the Jews only, and that Paul is the authority as to Christianity.

1,373 posted on 01/20/2011 10:33:17 AM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so..)
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To: metmom
Why has the Catholic church not done so? Why have they been disobedient for so long for so much of it's history in following God's clear, plainly stated commands concerning this issue?

Why hasn't YOUR church done so? I don't care what church it is, there is no proof offered that your church has handled the problem of clergy abuse any better than the Catholics have. I think we can rightly guess that there is quite a lot covered up by the insurance companies, from the little crazy denoms.

1,374 posted on 01/20/2011 10:37:30 AM PST by Judith Anne (Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.)
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To: caww; Cronos
As for the churches I’ve attended...the Pastors were not abusing children.

That sounds like what we hear on the local news from Joe-in-the-pew just after they load the pastor into the paddy wagon. Sadly, it happens in all sorts of churches, usually in the most abusive/legalistic/authoritative ones. Pastor who believe they can control their flock in every area are more willing to try abusing the helpless. They think they can get away with it because the idea of getting caught is lessened. It's all about power and control.

1,375 posted on 01/20/2011 10:38:28 AM PST by topcat54 ("Dispensationalism -- an error of Biblical proportions.")
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To: Judith Anne
That you know of. Why would anyone tell you?

Well obviously the children do talk...and should that happen or one be suspected you can be sure it would be delt with immediately. We recognize the authority we have. Again the catholic church did NOT act with the authority given it by God to judge those within the church and rid itself of these Priests...it's a fact not an assumption.

It's also a fact that when this was known leadership moved them from place to place without prosecution...which endagered other children and enabled these Priests to further commit their crimes. Had any church I've attended faced such an issue either it would have been dealt with immediately or/and if not there would be a grand exodus from that church...which we of course now see happening in churches which are supporting the homosexual agenda.

1,376 posted on 01/20/2011 10:39:43 AM PST by caww
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To: Judith Anne

Yes, you have been warned about that. Here it is, in black and white.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2503880/posts?page=1471#1471


1,377 posted on 01/20/2011 10:45:04 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: topcat54

Nonsense.


1,378 posted on 01/20/2011 10:45:47 AM PST by caww
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To: the_conscience
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16)

One of the cardinal doctrines of a certain brand of futurist eschatology is that God has two chosen people quite distinct from each other. One is called Israel (earthly people) and the other is called the Church (a heavenly people). One is the wife of God and the other is the bride of Christ. One inhabits the kingdom of heaven and the other inhabits the kingdom of God. One is the sum and substance of all we read in the OT, and the other occupies a mere gap in one verse.

This idea is fundamental to their system, and any questioning of that view is immediately met with all sorts of name calling, including by not limited to “anti-semite.” “Replacementarian” is a mild form of the same epithet.

1,379 posted on 01/20/2011 10:48:31 AM PST by topcat54 ("Dispensationalism -- an error of Biblical proportions.")
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To: caww

Plenty of posts have been put up that show Protestant pastor perpetrators, moved from place to place, changing denominations, and they’ve been posted by denomination as well. For some reason, you seem to have missed those.

Evidently children DON’t always talk. Especially when their parents and the pastor and his wife are friends...sometimes, the youth minister, or the janitor, or the pastor, or whoever the abuser was, move on, and the child puts it behind him/her.

You should know this is true if you’ve been reading these threads for a year. If you don’t, I’ll dig up the junk today, and forward it to you. Because the insurance statistics are only the tip of the iceburg — the claims that were paid out, not the ones hushed up.


1,380 posted on 01/20/2011 10:48:40 AM PST by Judith Anne (Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.)
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