WHAT I BELIEVE WHAT I THINK.. WHAT I KNOW..WHAT I WISH

My own short 'introspection'

 

I Believe:

The Bible IS the Word of God, given to man, written by men who were given inspiration by the Holy Spirit

            It is the ONLY real truth in a world that wants only relative truth

           

The Bible is ALL about Jesus Christ, from Genesis all the way through to Revelation

            Jesus Christ was not only prophesied about in the Old Testament, He appeared in the Old Testament

                        from time to time. Example: Joshua: 5:13-15

 

IN a world-wide flood in the days of Noah

 

IN a dispersion of the people of the world, at the time of the tower of Babel. 

            This may have been followed immediately by catastrophic tectonic plate movement/continental drift(?)

 

There are many stories that parallel what actually happened, or will yet happen, in the history of the world

            My favorite is: The history of the Jewish Wedding Feast ' A parallel to Christ's return for His Church

 

That the Jewish people are (and always have been) God's Chosen People.

There is NO Biblical basis for 'replacement theology'..NONE.  It is still ALL about God bringing His

            Chosen people to the full knowledge that Christ IS their Messiah.

 

There are many stories in the Bible that 'foreshadow' future events

            1 The story of Joseph placed in Egypt to eventually save his family (the Jewish people)

                         IS the same as the future story of Jesus Christ who came to save the world, and

                                    Ultimately, the Jews during the final days of Jacob's Trouble (the 7 year tribulation)

 

In a 'pre-tribulation' Rapture of the Church.  Not post-trib; not mid-trib; not pre-wrath; not even a 'pan 'trib,' you knowit all PANS out in the end..ha ha.  I believe scripture ONLY supports a pre-trib position, and I have seen a number of GREAT analysis papers on thisand it just makes SOOOO much sense to me!

EVERY line in the Bible is there FOR A REASON. 

Thus, when Matthew 27:52 says: 'and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many,' .. I wonder what this means, or what it foreshadows.  Could it mean that when the Rapture happens, that the 'dead in Christ will rise first' to be a FINAL sign to our generation?  Look in the Bible at:  I Thes. 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven in a shout, in the voice of the archangel, and in the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: and SO shall we ever be with the Lord"   Will we rise WITH them all at once?  Or will there be a short period of time when these who rise first will walk amongst us as a sign? Hmmmmmmm. 

I Think:

Jesus Christ is coming back to Rapture His Church very, very soon

 

The world will be (and is now) just like the Bible says in Matthew 24:  As in the days of Noah.

Thus,    The world will NOT be in the throws of nuclear war BEFORE the Rapture

            The world will NOT be in the midst of total financial collapse BEFORE the Rapture

 

I do think that just AFTER the Rapture.

The world will have a financial meltdown

Think about this..if a large number of Americans are simply 'gone' all at once, the

World WILL fall into chaos. 

 

The world may have a nuclear scare, or a nuclear attack, AT the moment of the Rapture (?)

                       

I Know:

I'd be LOST WITHOUT Jesus Christ..we ALL would be! I am so very glad we cannot (thus, do not have to)

'earn' our way to heaven.whew..!

 

I'd be LOST as I read my Bible WITHOUT the footnotes in the John MacArthur study Bible !!!!!!

            There is SOOOOOO much insight I wouldn't get if they were not there!

I would have learned LESS about God, Jesus, the Bible and Bible Prophecy WITHOUT good Bible teachers over the past 10-30 years..from my church membership, my Pastors, good Christian teachers on the radio and TV and many great books on these subjects when I was looking for more insight. 

 

I wish:

I could have been there that day, after Christ's resurrection, on the road to Ammeus.  What a walk that would have been, listening to Jesus (I assume) quoting the Old Testament on everything that foretold about His coming.  WOW! 

 

Someone had written a book about the Road to Ammeus..telling that story in a personal and riveting way.

(Does it already exist?)

 

I am VERY happy that:

Being in Heaven for ETERNITY..is ALL about Grace.and NOT about my works.

(I have always thought: What a sad place heaven would be if we all sat around 'bragging' about what WE did to get thereugh..instead of about what Jesus TO GET US there. 

 

There are other people like me who are watching for the soon return of our Lord, Jesus Christ. (Five Doves and Rapture Ready.just to name 2)

 

God showed me, and taught me, about Bible prophecy..so He would not come to me 'as a thief in the night.'

 

I've had a chance to be in Israel, and Jerusalem.and to walk where Jesus walked..(1998) and to be able understand the geography and politics of the Holy Land a little better, especially in these times, when Jerusalem is a 'very heavy stone for all peoples.'  Zechariah: 12:3  This trip began my 'road to understanding' Bible prophecy.  I had NEVER given a single thought to Bible prophecy before this trip. 

 

As I have studied and learned more and more about all these matters, I have been thrilled to understand the 'simple,' but amazing, things that now make so much sense to me.  For example, in John 3:14, Jesus says: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21:5-9) even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.'  And my paraphrase..that all who would call on Jesus, would be saved.   YesJesus KNEW the Old Testament very, very well!! 

 

And finally..I wish ALL the Five Doves had Bible study together on Sunday mornings, so we could meet and learn from each other face to face..

 

Presented for your insight and introspection..Thoughts??

YFIC, 

Randy

 

PS>..I always have such good intentions to write ALL of my beliefs and thoughtsand THEN post it on Five Doves.  But if I was looking for total completion..I'd never finish, so some times, I just have to stop and post my thoughtsforgive me