RainySunflower said:

Fig tree - solve this problem for me. ^^

View attachment 373183

Edit:

Fig tree is 80 years, not 40. ^^ That aligns with 2028.
Jesus was also born 4-5 BC , not 0 BC , and died 33 , so that also aligns with 2028. ^^

Hard to argue with 2028. ^^

.

Click to expand...

Israel metaphorically represent a fig tree according to Joel 1:7. That is one basis for 1948 as the base year.

The other representation of a fig tree is Jerusalem. In Matthew 21:18-20, Jesus cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit, representing that the Jews of Jerusalem would not bear fruit by rejecting him as their King of Israel.

In 1967, the Jews regained control of Jerusalem. Based on 1967 at the base year, 1967 + 70/generation = 2037. Jesus will return not later than the end of 2037. Minus 7 years =2030. Meaning the Gog/Magog event that just precedes the 7 years, will happen sometime before the end of 2030.

Considering the current status between Israel and Iran, it looks like Gog/Magog should happen sooner.

RamiC said:

Martine Croxall broke rules over 'pregnant people' facial expression, BBC says - Martine Croxall broke rules over 'pregnant people' facial expression, BBC says

"Martine Croxall altered a script she was reading live on the BBC News Channel, which referred to "pregnant people" earlier this year... Croxall was introducing an interview about research on groups most at risk during UK heatwaves, which quoted a release from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

The presenter changed her script to instead say "women", and the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) said it considered her facial expression as she said this gave the "strong impression of expressing a personal view on a controversial matter.""

Click to expand...

Common sense and biological truths are very offensive to some.

Michie said:

If you just seclude yourself, people are going to assume you want it that way and won’t bother you.

Click to expand...

Oh woops, I didn't even think of it that way.

stevevw said:

Here we go again. It doesn't matter who I link everyone is a whacko. You are only proving my point of double standards and bias.

Chris King the framebuilder
For anyone not familiar with Chris, his hubs and headsets (made right here in Portland) are considered to be the best in the world and they have been ridden to three Tour de France victories by the US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.

Chris King the framebuilder

[Chris and an old friend.] While at the Chris King Tour de France party last night, I heard someone mention that a guy rolled up on a bicycle made by Chris King himself. In all my years in the bike industry, including a stint as a King employee, I was surprised I'd never heard about this before.

bikeportland.org

Chris King Technology

View attachment 373192 View attachment 373201

After nearly fifty years in business, CKPC continues to be one of the premier makers of top-shelf hubs, headsets, and bottom brackets made in a leading-edge facility by a lot of folks who care a great deal about what they do.

It’s All Ball Bearings: Chris King Precision Components Factory Visit – Josh Weinberg

Within a relatively straightforward product lineup, Chris King Precision Components manufactures hubs, headsets, bottom brackets, and, perhaps most importantly, the bearings inside that make them spin. On a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, Josh spent some time at the Chris King HQ factory to...

theradavist.com

So if the vases involve machining of any sort and knowledge of precision tooling would not someone with 50 years experience know. Why do you make out good people who are experts are nothing, know nothing on this topic. Its an obvious misrepresentation and that your willing to deminish peoples credibility is another sign of double standards and bias.

We are not just talking about a modern lathe. We are talking about a circular striration at the base of the interior or what was a bowl or vase.

Its that the circular striration points to machining of some sort. Full stop.

Its clearly not pounding, chiseling or hand grinding. Its more like a machine cut whatever you want to call the device be it a lathe or some other method.

Did you not listen to Christ King the expert who uses lathes and precision tooling machines everyday to world class standards. He should know better than you.

Click to expand...

Try to get it through your thick skull this does not make him an expert on the use of copper tubes, abrasives and bow drills.
This is clearly evident in his explanation of the following striations.

Tell me what type of precision tool produces the irregular striations particularly evident on the left hand side of the hole?
It comes as no surprise this pattern along with the associated drill core has been reproduced using a copper tube, abrasives and most importantly when the tool wobbles which realigns the tube and moves the mobile abrasive around.

stevevw said:

Are you kidding. What about the long cut along the surface that moves the the contour. What about the arc cuts. Are we loking at the same thing.

Click to expand...

The common consensus is the Egyptians used a technique known as relief drilling where they drilled small overlapping holes which were chiselled away and smoothed with abrasives.
Once again experimental archaeologists using this technique have reproduced the arc cuts.

stevevw said:

I recall you even acknowledging one of those cuts as a modern forgery. So you certainly recognised that it looked like a machine cut. If the others look similar why are they not also the same.

Click to expand...

Let me give you some advice if you want to continue to take me out of context you are making yourself look even more stupid than what you are.

stevevw said:

This is rediculous. Your turning one of the worlds best precision toolers in precision parts into a dumb bike maker. No one can have a discussion like this and just dismiss good people and devalue their expertise.

Click to expand...

Engaging in hyperbole is a form of lying as I never referred to him as a dumb bike maker but as my post reveals he is rank amateur when it comes to explaining striations on ancient Egyptian objects.

BelieveItOarKnot said:

Does loving all our neighbors also mean we can think they are going to burn alive forever?

Asking for a neighbor

Click to expand...

1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. NKJV

Love one another in verse 23 is not love our neighbor. We do not have to keep any New Testament law to be saved.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." NKJV

Above is the second commandment in 1John 3:23. We are to love other Christians as Jesus loved us. As you can read verse 35 states by this all will know that you are my disciples, both the one loving and the one loved are disciples

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. NKJV

Above is the OT law to love your neighbor as you love yourself. If we love Jesus, we will keep this one. If we don't keep it we will not be in the Spirit, and the Father will discipline us. We will not lose salvation.

Doesn't your church teach the bible? Do you read the bible?

Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied unto you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As we draw near to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, my heart grows heavy for our Christian brothers, sisters, and innocent children suffering in bondage under landlords and brick kiln owners across the rural areas of our nation. Many of them work from dawn to dusk, enduring hunger, poverty, and hopelessness yet they still lift their eyes to heaven and whisper,
“Lord, remember us.”

The Word of God commands us:
“Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Hebrews 13:3

This Christmas, when we gather around lighted trees and share gifts in warmth and love, let us not forget those who have none. There are children who have never known the joy of a Christmas gift, and families who long simply to know that they are not forgotten by their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our Lord Jesus began His ministry by proclaiming:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor; He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” Luke 4:18

Beloved, this same Spirit calls upon us today. Through our prayers, gifts, and acts of compassion, we can become the hands and feet of Jesus bringing light to those who sit in darkness and hope to those who feel forgotten.

I humbly invite you to:
Pray for God’s divine help and deliverance for these families.
Consider a special offering or Christmas gift to bless the children and provide relief to the families. in face of Finance or Warm Clothes, or Food.
Share this burden with others in your church and community, that together we may awaken hearts to love in action.

“Whoever has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” Proverbs 19:17
Let us not celebrate Christmas merely in words and songs, but in deeds of mercy and compassion. May the love of Christ stir every heart to give, to pray, and to stand with our suffering brothers and sisters until the chains of injustice are broken and freedom sings in every home.

With heartfelt love and prayer,
Pastor Waris Masih
Servant of God
pastor.waris777@gmail.com
+923443085480

HIM said:

The obeying the voice of God is of the hearing of faith that Paul speaks of in Galatians 3. We know this to be true because verse 6 starts with the words “even as” when the spirit speaks of Abraham believing God. And all this is being said in respect to Paul speaking of us being dead but alive, yet not us but the Christ living in us. And the life we now live in the flesh we live by the faith OF the Son of God who gave himself for us. And this Faith is how we are justified. Because we Know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, if not (except) by the faith of Jesus Christ, as verse 2:16 says

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, if not (except) by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Click to expand...

I agree. There was a Temporary LAW that was "ADDED" because of the golden calf, that Abraham didn't have, in which a man that sinned was required to take a goat to an anointed Levite Priest, and "kill it" before the Priest could provide for the remission of his sins. And this Law was to be in place, until the Prophesied "Lamb of God" should come. This added LAW, was to lead men with a repentant heart to Christ, which it did for Zacharias, Simeon and Anna, and untold others throughout history, including David, Shadrack and a host of other examples of Faithful men in the Holy Scriptures.

But the Pharisees, who Paul was contending with, didn't believe Jesus was the Christ, the Prophesied Messiah and even those who believed He was, were still requiring that the New converts should come to them, and adopt their religious traditions which Jesus exposed as commandments and traditions of men, not God.

Paul is explaining to the Gentiles that the Blood of goats and the Priesthood "Works of the Law" is not why they received the Spirit of understanding. It was their obedience to God, as Peter also teaches, which is called "Faith". When the same Gospel was given to the Israelites, most of them didn't believe God, and subsequently didn't "obey Him". Here is what God said about them.

Duet. 32: 15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. 17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. 18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, "because" of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. 20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

But Abraham believed God which resulted in obedience to Him, even when it meant offering up to God His most precious possession.

To confirm this, one should ask themselves, "When a man sinned, what Law did Moses tell them to engage in"? Did Moses say, "if a man sins, he shall keep the Sabbath holy and His sins are forgiven? No Him, he didn't. Did Moses say, "if a man sins he shall keep the 10 commandments and his sins are forgiven? No Sir, he didn't. None of these things were the "Works of the Law" that the Pharisees were still promoting for the remission of sins.

What did Moses say then, to the common man that sinned?

Lev. 4: 27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; 28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. 29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. 30 And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. 31 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

This is the "Work of the Law", that was "ADDED" 430 years after Abraham, to provide for the remission of sins. And it was to lead the repentant heart to the true Lamb of God.

It was the ONLY LAW that addressed transgressions in the Law and Prophets. Abraham wasn't given this LAW because he made a covenant with God, and Kept it.

Gen. 26: 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Paul understood that this was only a temporary LAW, that was added after the Golden Calf, (because of transgressions) and in his way explained as much to the Galatians.

HIM said:

Galatians 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the "works of the law", or by the hearing of faith?

Click to expand...

The Galatians received the spirit because they obeyed God. Act's 1-5 is clear about that. But the Jews were promoting "works of the law" that had already come to an end, as Prophesied.

A Law that Abraham didn't have.

HIM said:

Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Click to expand...

Are you so foolish having repented and "Yielded yourself a servant to obey God" from the heart, that you would adopt the traditions and philosophies of a religion that walked after the flesh and not the Spirit?

HIM said:

Galatians 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Click to expand...

You fell on the Christ and were broken, you forsook the religions and traditions of your fathers, like Abraham did. Was this in vain?

HIM said:

Galatians 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Click to expand...

Did Paul or Peter teach you to engage in the Old Priesthood "works of the Law" for the remission of your sins? Or by the hearing Faith, "that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.", as did Abraham?

HIM said:

Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Click to expand...

How do we know Abraham believed God? How does anyone know?

1 John 2: 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Is this not the true test of a man's Faith?

Let me know where you think I'm off the rails, if indeed you do. Thanks for the discussion.

BelieveItOarKnot said:

Evil thoughts defile all regardless of choices, the general point of our Lord in Matt. 7:21-23

There is no escaping that fact by acting good and thinking that eliminates God's Facts

Click to expand...

Matthew 7:21-23 refers to many, not all. And the gospel has nothing to do with just acting good, which Jesus denounces. It has to do with what happens when we turn to God in faith, becoming His people.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. Jer 31:33

God begins a work in us that we could never do on our owm, apart from Him.

It is a statement that is difficult to bear.

‘No independent investigation has found that rapes took place on Oct 7.’

With this statement, Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, has once again caused outrage. Not because there is a lack of information, but because she is disregarding the available evidence. While teams of United Nations experts, forensic specialists and humanitarian organisations have meticulously documented the atrocities, Alsalem has decided to publicly downplay this reality.

The fact that this statement comes from a high-ranking UN official makes it all the more explosive. On Oct 7, Hamas terrorists committed acts of sexual violence with a brutality that is almost impossible to describe. Most of the victims did not experience liberation. They were murdered, mutilated and buried. Many bodies were only brought to forensic scientists weeks later, in a condition that left no doubt as to what had happened.

An international team of UN experts reviewed hours of video footage, thousands of photos and numerous statements from survivors, first responders and independent witnesses. After this analysis, the experts determined that rapes had taken place in several locations at the same time: along Route 232, in the vicinity of the Nova Festival, and in Kibbutz Re'im. The patterns were clear. The violence followed a calculated approach aimed at humiliation, intimidation and maximum destruction.

These findings are the result of structured work, not political rhetoric. And yet Alsalem chooses the path of denial. This is not the first time she has ignored the Israeli context. She had previously stated that she knew nothing about rocket attacks on Israeli towns. Now she claims there is no evidence for crimes that have long been documented.

The crimes of Oct 7 are among the most serious attacks the country has ever experienced. The fact that a UN representative is ignoring the suffering of those affected sends a devastating signal: anyone who does not fit into the political narrative will have their pain downplayed. Those who are no longer alive cannot defend themselves.

Valletta said:

Many Democrats just didn't understand how beneficial tariffs could be to our country.

Click to expand...

Then why the need to reverse them?

Valletta said:

It will be nice for everyone to get $2000 to put back into the economy.

Click to expand...

It would be nice if things just didn't cost so much. A one time $2000 bandiad isn't going to fix the problems driving up the cost of living for the average American but reducing these pointless tariffs will help.

Servus said:

It seems more likely that if a president is being protected, that president is Bill Clinton.

Click to expand...

Who cares? They all should rot in jail. Send him too.


You think we have some kinda blinding loyalty to bubba? Not in the least.

Arcangl86 said:

True, though they could have limited the change to only apply to CRs.

Nope, there was a choice. The other option wasn't palatable, but it was there. Whereas the Democrats working alone could not pass the bill.

They voted for a CR. The CR that finally passed in the Senate was a different bill because of significant amendments made to it.

Well yes, because every time the vote was held on the same bill they had already rejected. After the first rejection the GOP should have offered some kind of compromise, which is how our system is designed to work.

What are you talking about? The Democrats not only supported those things but introduced to implement them.

Click to expand...

They had no choice but to oppose removal of the 60 vote mandate. You obviously disagree, but I'm glad they stuck to the beliefs on this.

They voted for the CR, which essentially was the same with slight modifications made in the House.
That bill could've been approved by Schumer and the Democrats then sent back to the House as it was.
Schumer and the Senate Democrats refused which shut the government down, until some logical democrats in the Senate jumped shipped and voted for the bill.

JohnB445 said:

I am learning more about the Bible.

What happens in the future? Where there be an eternity of people being on Earth then dying later to be judged or will there come a point where there is no longer a need to judge and either people are in heaven or hell. And there are no more people left for God to judge?

If that is the case, what happens next? Is it possible for another rebellion to occur and people get kicked out of heaven? Remember the angels rebelled from the very beginning.

Click to expand...

All good questions, which I've heard over the years. I believe angels and men began with free choice, but are given a time to make up their minds whether they will stay true to God or rebel against Him.

So, once mankind has gone through his mortal history, the placement of all men will be realized. Many will be in paradise with God forever on the earth. Many will be in outer darkness, wherever that is.

Some people believe the damned will experience the torment of Fire for all eternity. That's over the top for me. I believe in Eternal Punishment, but not in a literal fire burning human flesh for all eternity. Eternal Punishment is eternal separation from God, period--not a torture chamber!

We are told people are thrown into a fire forever. But to me that just means their place on an earthly paradise is removed forever, so that they are cast into outer darkness, away from the paradise on earth. Where that is I don't know?

But we are told several times in Scriptures that the earth is forever. And since God rested from His creation of the earth, I don't think He's going to start all over again. Rather, I think He will remake the earth, or remodel it, removing anything associated with temporality or sin.

We are not told things that won't benefit us while we remain in sin-infected mortal bodies. It would be too much for us to bear, or of littler concern with respect to our needs today. But it is an interesting thing to think about...

I had heard that axis are accurate. My friend had one in 22-250. He only loaded it with unique. The barrel seemed a little heavy. It did pretty good. Do you like the creedmoor round? I think it’s kind of cute, but never shot one. I like anything 6.5 . Have only tried old calibers like 6.5x53.5R. They sure need jacketed bullets though and to go pretty fast. They are heavy enough to slow down a little but small enough to have slight recoil. Anyway I like the accuracy.

The Barbarian said:

Vaccines don't change genomes. There is the issue of epigenetics, which can last for a generation or two, but don't persist long-term. So no.

Click to expand...

that is what everyone thinks today, which is fine, that is their right.

the whole point is a prediction of unforeseen consequences on the order of past our lifetimes.
We don't know what vaccines will morph into, but i think we're going to have a problem when our vaccine schedule reaches 300-500 different immunizations.

partinobodycular said:

Can you tell me which traits you're referring to?

Also, can't this concept be extended to any set of traits? In that we can find people with these traits everywhere, not just in one specific subset of the population. For example, can we find Sadducees everywhere, or Zealots, or Samaritans?

And following this line of reasoning, should we really expect to find Christians only among the members of a specific religious group? Are we really to distinguish them solely by their adherence to a specific set of religious dogma? Or are there Christians everywhere? Even among the Gentiles, be they Muslims, or Buddhists, or agnostics, or atheists?

Click to expand...

Christ singled out the Pharisees a lot and the traits associated with them.

partinobodycular said:

In other words, if we define people solely by their traits, i.e humility, honesty, patience, and mercy... who then are the Christians?

Click to expand...

Sounds like fruits to me.

9Rock9 said:

Hello!

I'm undecided about eschatology but doing some research on it. I think good points are made for both amillennialism and premillennialism. The only view I currently hold to with is inaugurated eschatology (or "already and not yet") where most prophecy has double fulfillment. It's normally associated with George Eldon Ladd, who was a premillennialist, but I don't see why one can't be amillennial and also agree with inaugurated eschatology.

I'm wondering if one can hold to a non-literalistic premillennialism?

Like, I don't think the events in Revelation are strictly chronological and probably could be oit of order or just the same events from different angles.

I also don't know if I believe the 1,000 years mentioned in the book to be be a literal millennium.

Could one believe in a Millennial State after the Second Coming, but not think the Millennial Kingdom will be a literal 1,000 years?

Click to expand...

I think I've answered this question before, either on this forum or on another forum. And my answer would be the same. Personally, I'm Premill, but acknowledge the long history of the Amill position, which I also grew up with. And I'm a big fan of George E. Ladd. What position you hold to is something you'll have to investigate for yourself. I just hope that you will remain open until you've thoroughly reviewed all of the positions.

The strength of Premill for me is that it appears to be a very early view in the history of the Church. It appears that the change to Amill in the larger Church may have been due to the failure of Israel to look like it has any future role in biblical prophecy. The Jews remained recalcitrant and unwilling to convert to Christianity. Premill anticipates a return of Israel to their biblically-promised place as God's chosen nation.

I completely reject Dual Fulfillment as a system of interpretation. But there certainly are repeating patterns in history, since what started with Israel ended up applying to many nations. The same salvation, as well as the same judgment, would follow for both Israel and the Christian nations, when they fall away.

There is a lot of symbolism in biblical prophecy, particularly in the apocalyptic literature. The reason for that may be debatable. I think it is because the authors could not spell out doom for the pagan nations that presided over them. Symbols had to be used to cloak references to judgment against these pagan nations, lest the authors be accused of sedition or rebellion. Jesus told parables because those rejecting his claims would use the information to attack him.

There is also symbolism used because what began as "shadows" under the Law came to a more literal fulfillment in Christ. So the language of the Law has been used to depict Christian realities in the New Testament era. We find a number of references as such in the book of Revelation, including the Temple, the Altar, and the Ark. Jerusalem itself may be a symbol of the entire Church--not sure?

Good luck. You're half the way there if you refrain at this point from committing before you've done all the research!

"The number of people who believe their faith does not depend on attending Mass has increased as more Catholics are cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus, according to a recent survey of U.S. Catholic beliefs."

So, this is bad?

Consider a parish that embraces LGBTQ+ ideology and works to drive conservatives away?

Apple Sky said:

They were faked & just because F/E's don't believe it, doesn't make it any the less true.

Click to expand...

And that's just another statement. There's the TFE YouTube channel with videos of real on the spot eyewitness evidence. But you won't believe that either.

The fact is not that we haven't shown you any evidence. It's that you continuously dismiss the evidence as fake, and then just post videos yourself of statements and claims, as if any of that is evidence, which it isn't. It’s just people making statements and claims.

partinobodycular said:

Normally I wouldn't go off topic like this, especially to respond to something as inconsequential as insults. But I thought that in this singular case I'd make an exception. Don't be surprised if I don't make a habit of it.

As to my solipsism, perhaps I should've been clearer, I'm an epistemological solipsist. Which simply holds that nothing can be known to exist outside of one's own mind. To me this term simply reminds me to be humble about just how much it is that I simply don't know. My profile says 'Agnostic', but that's simply because 'Solipsist' isn't one of the available choices, and to be honest, to me that's all that epistemological solipsism is... agnosticism pushed to its logical conclusion.

You also must've missed the post where I referred to myself as a Christian. Perhaps this post will better explain this seeming dichotomy:

Click to expand...

Ah...I appreciate the explanation, and I'm in a similar camp though I find the terminology suspect and prefer the more conventional Pyrrhonist/Pyrrhonian skeptic. Though I prefer to stick to epistemological confidences rather than speaking in terms of knowledge, as I don't believe that such skepticism is liveable outside of philosophical speculations.

My approach can come across as harsh, but that's because a lot of my interactions are patterned after Jeremiah and Elijah in their dealings with pagan prophets. And i don't think we're as off topic as it might seem, because these epistemic and metaphysical issues are necessarily involved when we discuss objectivity of ethics.

Delvianna said:

I think you're missing the point. If someone has God, then God will lead/guide them. Since Jesus is the Shepard and we form our covenant with him, then we trust in his guidance. Can God use people and scripture to back up the truth? Yes, but without God's guidance, we can fall way off the road. Jesus is the "way, the truth and the light", all you technically need is God and he will guide/direct. When you start adding other things as a "requirement", you're essentially saying God can't guide correctly to truth without other stuff. If he really needs to, he'll show up himself. Loads of testimonies of God showing up in dreams and such, for people in other religions or even atheists. All you NEED is God, but scripture does help. As I said, it's an aid, but it shouldn't ever replace your walk/relationship with him on a personal basis.

Click to expand...

The word of God is more than an "aid," it is
the source of spiritual regeneration (1 Pe 1:23),
spirit and life (Jn 6:63),
living and active. . .dividing soul and spirit. . .judging thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Heb 4:12).

Freth said:

Also, consuming fire:

Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 9:3 Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.

Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Click to expand...

Be aware that the Lord does NOT Return in a consuming fire, but in glory, as described in 1Thess 4:16 and Revelation 19:11-14

He SENDS fire, Psalms 11:4-6, to destroy His enemies in the Holy Land, Zephaniah 1:14-18, and to commence the Prophesied end time events.