Opportunity Or Not

[Covenanter]

May I suggest reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and continuing to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 without stopping.

It will immediately be clear that our saving choice must come before the "rapture" as we will either be ever with the LORD, or suffer sudden destruction from which they will not escape.

The exciting LB scenario may (or may not) make a great movie, but if it encourages sinners to reject the Gospel then it is doing the service of antichrist.

And if there is a chance after the rapture, the concern to have non-Christian co-pilots may backfire, when the surviving pilot believes his colleague's warnings!

[John81]

Not a change of topic at all. The way movies, Christian and otherwise, effect what people believe, and how that impacts their living and openness (or closedness) to the Gospel is part of what this thread is about.

 

There are many Christians today who believe UFOs are demons, or sometimes demons and angels. Many now speculate that when the rapture occurs world leaders will claim UFOs abducted those who are missing. I'm doubtful of that idea as such would cause massive panic and there would be virtually nothing leaders could do to convince the masses such couldn't happen to them.

 

In any event, the History Channel (and now other channels too) is known for showing programs speculating that God was/is actually an extraterrestrial in a space ship. They have scores of programs which explain away biblical miracles as simply being things done by technologically advanced space beings. In doing this, they also explain away God, as they claim early humans were simply in awe of the technologically advanced space beings and thought they were gods.

 

Unlearned Christians and non-christians alike here of these things, see these things on TV and movies, and their imaginations run wild. All of this effects their perspective of God and reality; most often negatively.

 

When the movie Passion of Christ came out some years ago pastors were telling their flocks to go see the movie. Churches were renting movie theaters so their whole congregation could watch the movie together. Youth groups were attending the movie, Pastors were speaking highly of the movie, often even those who admitted the movie wasn't perfect, still recommended everyone see it.

 

I think it was last year before I ever even saw a portion of the movie, and that was because I couldn't sleep one night and was flipping through TV channels and saw it on a Christian station. I watch some then and since I found out it was repeating all that week I checked back a couple other times and caught a little more each time. While I never watched the whole movie, and have no desire to, from what I did see I can't understand at all why any pastor would recommend that movie. The portrayal of Satan, Mary, and even some aspects of Jesus I saw in the short portions I saw were not in accord with Scripture. That alone should mark the movie as unfit for anyone to watch!

 

Yet even today that movie still influences many, and not in a good way.

 

Many professing Christians say they can't find time to read their Bible even a few minutes a day, but they can always find the time to watch a two or three hour movie.

 

How do we combat the pollution so many have in their minds through these movies and TV programs when so much of their thinking is based upon what they have watched?

[Invicta]

More hindsight from the NT is what you quote and unclear in total Jim. I challenge to you find one indication in the OT of this. Surely if the new birth for all that believe on Jesus 1- 4000 years before His earthly birth were truth, then there would be at least a hint of it in the OT.

 

What you quote out of the NT indicates that the writers God used to record the OT had the Spirit in them at the time and for the writing but this in no way indicates new birth, a sealing or the permanent eternal security we enjoy in our time friend. I most cerainly believe the Spirit indwelt certain people for certain purposes (this can be found in the OT) prior to Pentecost but this in NOT close to the same thing as Pentecost when God said He will "pour out HIs Spirit over all flesh"

 

John 3:1 ¶  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

 

Just a thought.  How could Nicodemus be expect to have known about the new birth if it isn't in the OT?  That was all the scripture that he had.

[Genevanpreacher]

A point - You know, since the Lord knows all things, why would he come and gather his saved ones, knowing that there were still some 'to be saved'?

It does not make sense to me for Jesus Christ to come back 'premature', knowing all things from the beginning, being the Alpha and Omega

that he is, and leave some of the 'elect' to miss the gathering.

 

Why would he do this?

[wretched]

 

John 3:1 ¶  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

 

Just a thought.  How could Nicodemus be expect to have known about the new birth if it isn't in the OT?  That was all the scripture that he had.

 

 

God changed His dealings with man again in the NT because even the brightest couldn't see it without the indwelling Spirit. Most saved can't figure out the NT et al WITH the indwelling Spirit. This is why God poured out His Spirit after Christ's Resurrection to aid man to come to Him and to understand Him after they come. It is painfully OBvious man was hopeless in understanding God without the Spirit.

 

You seem well versed in the OT Scriptures, could you have figured it out even now? It makes logical sense that Jesus was demonstrating this point and not the expectation. Nicodemus was a natural man, not a born again, indwelt by the Spirit man.

 

The natural man can make no sense of the Gospel as clearly laid out and step by step explained in the NT without the Spirit's aid and it is not a hidden mystery as in the OT, it is plain as day and clear in black and white. The few that understood the Lord before the NT were severally aided by God through mighty wonders, signs and miracles and still struggled to keep the faith in between those signs, wonders and miracles. Even throughout Christ's 3.5 year ministry, He still demonstrated signs, wonders and miracles before the Spirit was poured out to aid in man's belief.