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- February 28, 2008 at 9:33 pm#263580NickHassanParticipant
Hi,
How rare is it to see anything posted about any other country by an American. They are so myopically vain that they seem to feel the rest of the world goes around the USA. Even the World News we see here is never about the world but what happens in the US. That attitude puts them at more risk by raising the resentment of the rest of the world against her than any other IMHO.February 28, 2008 at 10:12 pm#263581Broncs453ParticipantWelcome TDubyu, good to see you!
Just wanted to comment – awesome posts. I couldn't agree more.
Peace,
February 28, 2008 at 10:28 pm#263582TDubyuParticipantQuote (Nick Hassan @ Feb. 29 2008,08:33) Hi,
How rare is it to see anything posted about any other country by an American. They are so myopically vain that they seem to feel the rest of the world goes around the USA. Even the World News we see here is never about the world but what happens in the US. That attitude puts them at more risk by raising the resentment of the rest of the world against her than any other IMHO.
Nick,Yes, most people here are arrogant, but our nation didn't become successful because of our arrogance. Our arrogance came after the success (which is typical). However, to be clear, our nation's vast success was promised by God (just as our downfall has been prophesied by God).
There is no extra “risk” we are taking that will lead to our downfall. As far as I'm concerned, nationalism is somewhat irrelevant at this point in time. America (and all of man's self rule on earth) is coming to an end no matter what anyone does. That's the nature of prophecy.
BTW, we never forced Michael Jackson, Star Wars or the Internet on anyone else in the world. Everyone else latched on for themselves
Hmm… your country is mostly reporting US news during the world news report? How is that our fault? News conglomerates all over the world report whatever makes money. It's never always about the news (or the truth).
And just to make you happy… Federated States of Micronesia. There. I mentioned another country Its sole role in end-time prophecy is much less than that of America's, though.
So what country do you live in? I tend to read news from around the world. It can be very interesting. I'll look you up.
February 28, 2008 at 10:30 pm#263583NickHassanParticipantHi TW,
NZFebruary 28, 2008 at 11:09 pm#263584TDubyuParticipantQuote (Nick Hassan @ Feb. 29 2008,09:30) Hi TW,
NZ
Oi! I had some friends from NZ about 10 years ago. They were 3 very pretty women, but unfortunately I'd learn that the “let's just be friends” phrase is a global phenomenon and not just American. The good thing is that they actually meant it because they were so nice and respectful. Anyway, because of them I tend to watch what goes on over there from time to time.The thing is, I've learned that people who live under English parliamentary-based governmental rule are very similar. I guess it's because we are allies. Prophetically, we have much in common because both of our countries are prophesied to fall first (along with CA, UK and AU – and India is next although it's different culture).
Anyway, my friends spoke a lot about US influence on NZ, but not necessarily in a bad way. They would just state the fact that our cultures may have some slight differences, but our economies are tightly woven. You guys feel the effects of everything here, but worse! Until I met them, NZ was just a place on the map, but now if I hear the name I perk up and pay attention. In fact, you guys have your own famous Jackson. There'd be no Shire without you guys.
But no worries. The arrogance of all nations is going to pass away in just a few short years (although it'll feel like 30 years :P). Just don't go thinking that all American's have a group-think arrogance. There are some of us who do think for ourselves. To be honest, I was so fed up with the attitudes of the people here that I'd planned on moving to another country in a few years. Then I read Ron's books and changed my life. Then my priorities changed, so now I'm stuck here .
February 28, 2008 at 11:42 pm#263585NickHassanParticipantQuote (TDubyu @ Feb. 29 2008,09:28) Quote (Nick Hassan @ Feb. 29 2008,08:33) Hi,
How rare is it to see anything posted about any other country by an American. They are so myopically vain that they seem to feel the rest of the world goes around the USA. Even the World News we see here is never about the world but what happens in the US. That attitude puts them at more risk by raising the resentment of the rest of the world against her than any other IMHO.
Nick,Yes, most people here are arrogant, but our nation didn't become successful because of our arrogance. Our arrogance came after the success (which is typical). However, to be clear, our nation's vast success was promised by God (just as our downfall has been prophesied by God).
There is no extra “risk” we are taking that will lead to our downfall. As far as I'm concerned, nationalism is somewhat irrelevant at this point in time. America (and all of man's self rule on earth) is coming to an end no matter what anyone does. That's the nature of prophecy.
BTW, we never forced Michael Jackson, Star Wars or the Internet on anyone else in the world. Everyone else latched on for themselves
Hmm… your country is mostly reporting US news during the world news report? How is that our fault? News conglomerates all over the world report whatever makes money. It's never always about the news (or the truth).
And just to make you happy… Federated States of Micronesia. There. I mentioned another country Its sole role in end-time prophecy is much less than that of America's, though.
So what country do you live in? I tend to read news from around the world. It can be very interesting. I'll look you up.
Hi DW,
I think soon all you will have to boast about in the USA will be what you rate the least-is the generous and kindly nature of your people.February 28, 2008 at 11:58 pm#263586seek and you will findParticipantNick Coming from Germany and to become an American Citizen has had its benefits. Nowhere else would one have been able to start out and succeed the way we have. Not in any other Country then the good ole of U.S.A. Yes things do not look to good, but you can be assured if the U.S.A. falls apart so will the rest follow. You are not safe in N.Z. either. If that makes us arigant Oh well. It almost makes me angry how the rest of the world thinks of us, who else has ever helped others in time of needs then the U.S.A. But I guess that just don't count, right.
Peace and Love Mrs.
February 29, 2008 at 12:55 am#263587davidParticipantQuote david – How old are you? Cause you post like you are somewhere between 18 and 25. I probably have kids older than you.
Mr. Armstrong was 93 years old when he died in 1986, which was probably before you were even born. Just because YOU have never heard of him doesn't mean anything. He worked as God's witness from 1931 until 1986. It was just him, but he went literally all over the world during that time. God's Church had about 150,000 members at its peak, before the abomination in 1994.
Don't assume that just because YOU didn't hear about something that it didn't happen.
I'm about done with this forum, as it is filled with a bunch that don't get it and probably never will.
Hi Broncs. I believe you are wrong about some things here. First, I'm in my thirties. Secondly, this statement: “Just because YOU have never heard of him doesn't mean anything.” Well, if virutually no one on the planet has heard of him, it is a big deal. Sure, he's gone to a hundred countries. But did the people of those countries receive the good news through him?
Jehovah being a God of Justice and love are basic principles in the Bible. If this message that Ron or Armstrong are preaching is so important, I'm thinking everyone on the planet should be able to hear it. But that is in no way the case, and it's not even close to the case. I've lived at several different homes and neither a representative of Ron or Armstrong have ever come visit me. I'm thinking I could have been living just about most places in the world and the situation would have been similar.david
February 29, 2008 at 1:08 am#263588davidParticipantQuote Heh,heh you are not very nice. Let me tell you there are some who did not ever hear of Mr. Armstrong. We were in the Church for 10 years so I do know that He exsisted, now are you satisfied that somebody knows? I'm pretty sure if we did a poll of the world, less than 1% of the world would have any clue who either of these guys are and a much smaller percentage would have heard the so called good news they are preaching in all the nations before the end comes. (Mat 24:14)
Just for fun, let's compare these guys with another group….oh, I don't know….Jehovah's Witnesses.
Unlike Ron, JW's have come to my door. Many on this forum have commented how they have come to their door as well. In fact, they preach the good news in 253 lands. 30 of these countries, it is illegal to do so. Yet, they do so anyway. In hundreds of languages, hundreds of countries, the good news actually is being preached. From this side of the world to the villages in the jungles on the other side, it is being preached, from house to house, from hut to hut, from town to town.And this is what we would expect of a God of love, isn't it? This is what we would expect of a God of justice.
No one could ever say: “Well, no one told me.”But if this Ron's message is accurate, most everyone on the planet could argue that they weren't given a fair chance. Because: “no one told me.”
This is absurd. Jesus disciples preached from “house to house.”
The apostle Paul said regarding his ministry: “I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.”—Acts 20:20, 21
Notice how Christians of that time reached people with the good news: “And every day in the temple and from house to house* they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.”–Acts 5:42
(*Lit., “according to house.” Gr., kat’ oíkon. Here ka·tá is used with the accusative sing. in the distributive sense. R. C. H. Lenski, in his work The Interpretation of The Acts of the Apostles, Minneapolis (1961), made the following comment on Ac 5:42: “Never for a moment did the apostles cease their blessed work. ‘Every day’ they continued, and this openly ‘in the Temple’ where the Sanhedrin and the Temple police could see and hear them, and, of course, also κατ’ οικον, which is distributive, ‘from house to house,’ and not merely adverbial, ‘at home.’ ”)
Jesus “designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come.” These were not just to preach in public places but were also to contact people at their homes. Jesus instructed them: “Wherever you enter into a house say first, ‘May this house have peace.’”—Lu 10:1-7.I think maybe they went from house to house because they loved their neighbors and therefore wanted to share this life saving knowledge with as many as possible, everyone.
I consider it absurd to the extreme to believe that Ron or this other guy in any way are fullfilling or have fulfilled the words of Mathew 24:14.
February 29, 2008 at 1:13 am#263589davidParticipantRegarding Matthew 24:14, it has been said:
Quote This verse was in fact fulfilled by Mr. Armstrong, as he did indeed “preach the good news to all nations”. First, okay, I'm sorry. I kept referring to Ron and Armstrong. Let's focus on Armstrong.
First, how did he preach this good news and to which nations exactly did he go? If you tell me he preached the good news by talking with the leaders of those nations, I would have to ask: How does this help the people of those nations?
February 29, 2008 at 1:36 am#263590TDubyuParticipantQuote (david @ Feb. 29 2008,12:08) Quote Heh,heh you are not very nice. Let me tell you there are some who did not ever hear of Mr. Armstrong. We were in the Church for 10 years so I do know that He exsisted, now are you satisfied that somebody knows? I'm pretty sure if we did a poll of the world, less than 1% of the world would have any clue who either of these guys are and a much smaller percentage would have heard the so called good news they are preaching in all the nations before the end comes. (Mat 24:14)
Just for fun, let's compare these guys with another group….oh, I don't know….Jehovah's Witnesses.
Unlike Ron, JW's have come to my door. Many on this forum have commented how they have come to their door as well. In fact, they preach the good news in 253 lands. 30 of these countries, it is illegal to do so. Yet, they do so anyway. In hundreds of languages, hundreds of countries, the good news actually is being preached. From this side of the world to the villages in the jungles on the other side, it is being preached, from house to house, from hut to hut, from town to town.And this is what we would expect of a God of love, isn't it? This is what we would expect of a God of justice.
No one could ever say: “Well, no one told me.”But if this Ron's message is accurate, most everyone on the planet could argue that they weren't given a fair chance. Because: “no one told me.”
This is absurd. Jesus disciples preached from “house to house.”
The apostle Paul said regarding his ministry: “I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.”—Acts 20:20, 21
Notice how Christians of that time reached people with the good news: “And every day in the temple and from house to house* they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.”–Acts 5:42
(*Lit., “according to house.” Gr., kat’ oíkon. Here ka·tá is used with the accusative sing. in the distributive sense. R. C. H. Lenski, in his work The Interpretation of The Acts of the Apostles, Minneapolis (1961), made the following comment on Ac 5:42: “Never for a moment did the apostles cease their blessed work. ‘Every day’ they continued, and this openly ‘in the Temple’ where the Sanhedrin and the Temple police could see and hear them, and, of course, also κατ’ οικον, which is distributive, ‘from house to house,’ and not merely adverbial, ‘at home.’ ”)
Jesus “designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come.” These were not just to preach in public places but were also to contact people at their homes. Jesus instructed them: “Wherever you enter into a house say first, ‘May this house have peace.’”—Lu 10:1-7.I think maybe they went from house to house because they loved their neighbors and therefore wanted to share this life saving knowledge with as many as possible, everyone.
I consider it absurd to the extreme to believe that Ron or this other guy in any way are fullfilling or have fulfilled the words of Mathew 24:14.
Hey David,Actually, “I didn't know” doesn't apply to anyone at any time because the time will come when all will know and have a chance to be a part of the Church. This is important because even today not everyone has had a chance to hear the gospel and choose to follow God's laws. This includes people who lack the mental capacity to understand and follow God's law (think of babies and people who are mentally unstable or deficient) and of course those who know nothing about it.
Everyone will have a chance after the 1000 year reign to be a part of the church. Those not alive during in the 1000 year period will be resurrected (without their deficient/flawed bodies) to live in the kingdom (for 100 years) after the 1000 years has past. At that time because they will be in God's Kingdom and under His rule (not man's rule) and the people already in the kingdom will have built a world with a focus on God's love and therefore His laws. So things like murder, stress, disease and interest rates will be unheard of and those who are resurrected at that time will be in paradise (as Christ told the thief on the cross next to Him). Now they can choose to follow Christ or… die never to be resurrected again.
February 29, 2008 at 1:40 am#263591rkay101ParticipantNick – what about all the people who have already died, how will they hear the good news?
February 29, 2008 at 1:45 am#263592NickHassanParticipantHi TW,
You say
'Everyone will have a chance after the 1000 year reign to be a part of the church. Those not alive during in the 1000 year period will be resurrected (without their deficient/flawed bodies) to live in the kingdom (for 100 years) after the 1000 years has past. At that time because they will be in God's Kingdom and under His rule (not man's rule) and the people already in the kingdom will have built a world with a focus on God's love and therefore His laws. So things like murder, stress, disease and interest rates will be unheard of and those who are resurrected at that time will be in paradise (as Christ told the thief on the cross next to Him). Now they can choose to follow Christ or… die never to be resurrected again.”Is this biblical teaching?
Extra 100 year second chance?
I have never read it anywhere there.February 29, 2008 at 1:49 am#263593NickHassanParticipantQuote (rkay101 @ Feb. 29 2008,12:40) Nick – what about all the people who have already died, how will they hear the good news?
Hi rk,
It remains my opinion that more will be saved outside of the way of Christ than through it. God blesses the children of the saved[1Cor7] and who knows what your prayers for your antecedents might do?Mt 25
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
February 29, 2008 at 1:54 am#263594davidParticipantQuote Actually, “I didn't know” doesn't apply to anyone at any time because the time will come when all will know and have a chance to be a part of the Church. This is important because even today not everyone has had a chance to hear the gospel and choose to follow God's laws. This includes people who lack the mental capacity to understand and follow God's law (think of babies and people who are mentally unstable or deficient) and of course those who know nothing about it. Yes, I realize all these situations occur and I realize that in times past, the good news wasn't preached globally, so 'what about those dark ages?'
And I believe, sort of as you do, that all will have a chance during that thousand year reign, well, but not really those who knowingly rejected God today. Or not those who were given every opportunity to “obey the good news.” (2 thess 1:6-8)
I'm wondering what you think of that scripture?ACTS 17:30-31
“True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent. Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.””2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-8
“This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for YOU, but, to YOU who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.”The good news is being preached for a reason.
February 29, 2008 at 1:56 am#263595davidParticipantQuote Nick – what about all the people who have already died, how will they hear the good news? True, THAT is where this resurrection of “righteous AND UNRIGHTEOUS” comes in. They weren't given a chance. They were times of ignorance and a time when the good news wasn't being preached everywhere. But that time is not now.
Now, the good news is virtually being preached everywhere.February 29, 2008 at 1:59 am#263596NickHassanParticipantHi david,
We cannot add to scripture and fill in the gaps we think we can see so that it suits our sensibilities.February 29, 2008 at 2:02 am#263597davidParticipantACTS 24:15
“and I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”Nick, why does God resurrect these unrighteous? It's because they didn't know any better.
“True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent.“
February 29, 2008 at 2:15 am#263598davidParticipantQuote Everyone will have a chance after the 1000 year reign to be a part of the church. Those not alive during in the 1000 year period will be resurrected (without their deficient/flawed bodies) to live in the kingdom (for 100 years) after the 1000 years has past. At that time because they will be in God's Kingdom and under His rule (not man's rule) and the people already in the kingdom will have built a world with a focus on God's love and therefore His laws. So things like murder, stress, disease and interest rates will be unheard of and those who are resurrected at that time will be in paradise (as Christ told the thief on the cross next to Him). NOW they can choose to follow Christ or… die never to be resurrected again. (CAPS ADDED)
I pretty much agree exactly with what is stated here.
What would your comment be on this scripture:
ACTS 17:30-31
“True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent. Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.””ACTS 14:16
“In the past generations he permitted all the nations to go on in their ways,”We are told also that the good news of Christ would be preached in all the nations—starting out from Jerusalem,” (luke 24:47)
I do not consider what Armstrong did to be in any sense the good news being preached in all the nations. What people did back then, starting in Jerusalem–that was preaching, and it was vastly different than what Armstrong did, was it not?
February 29, 2008 at 2:31 am#263599NickHassanParticipantQuote (david @ Feb. 29 2008,13:02) ACTS 24:15
“and I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”Nick, why does God resurrect these unrighteous? It's because they didn't know any better.
“True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent.“
Hi david,
Jesus decides who is a sheep and who is a goat.
You cannot improve on the written plan of God.
All face judgement after the second resurrection - AuthorPosts
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