Alan

We were reading Psalm 9 in our devotions this evening and while we were reading verse 8 the situation in Myanmar, Burma, came to mind. "The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9:8. It our prayer that the Lord will bring refuge for the Christians in Myanmar in the current oppression and troubles that they are going through.

The situation in Myanmar, or Burma, has affected Chinese, or Taiwanese, businesses in Burma. Because there are both Chinese businesses from Mainland, or Communist China, and Chinese, or Taiwanese, businesses from Taiwan. Many local Burmese citizens can hardly distinguish from the two countries. So, the Taiwan Government Agency, “The Overseas Community Affairs Council has suggested that all Taiwanese citizens fly the Taiwan flag on their business. “The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday warned Taiwanese businesses operating in Myanmar of the highly risky situation in the nation after a Taiwanese company was damaged in a fire amid protests against a military coup on Feb. 1, while the nation’s representative office in Myanmar advised Taiwanese firms to fly the national flag at their premises. … “The nation’s representative office in Myanmar had earlier advised Taiwanese companies to fly the national flag and hang signs stating that they are Taiwanese to avoid being confused with Chinese businesses.”1 As there is no end in sight as of yet in Myanmar the situation is bound to not only affect Taiwan but other countries in Asia. 1 Taipei Times, Myanmar firms urged to fly flag, Accessed on: 18 March 2021. Available on: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2021/03/16/2003753909

Here is a good video from Answers in Genesis, called, "Science Confirms a Young Earth - The Radioactive Dating Methods are Flawed," given by Dr. Andrew Snelling from Australia. Dr. Snelling examines the science, and assumptions, used in the Carbon Dating method. Dr. Snelling proves that the carbon dating method is flawed with three major assumptions. Therefore, proving that the carbon dating method is not accurate but flawed.

Thank you for giving us the link to your Bible site. I appreciate the following notice on the top of your site quote: "All text is from the King James Version also known as the Authorized Version." As you stated, the subject matter, the cross references, the maps, and the other material in the Master Study Bible is massive. There are so many that a study of this size can only select a few. That is one of the reasons why I asked the question in the first post if anybody had any thoughts on the material within the References and material. I appreciate your thoughts on the Master Study Bible. Keep up the good work on your website. May God Bless you and your work.

"The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat." Proverbs 15:30 Thank you.

Exodus 22:10 & 11, "If a man deliver unto his neighbor an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good."

Enoch – A Type of the Church Age Saints Enoch was a saint, a man of faith, who lived a holy life in the wickedness of the ante-antediluvian age. Enoch walked with God and pleased God. “Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” The mind, the thoughts, and the daily life of Enoch was in heart agreement with God and all of His ways. The Chinese have this proverb to explain the mind of Enoch with the mind of God, 俗語說「同心同德。」Translated to English it means, “To be of one mind.” Or, “Same heart, same virtue.” Enoch is a saint that is an example for every Christian to emulate. Enoch is a type of the saints who are alive when the Lord Jesus comes in the air at the rapture and will never experience the death of the body. Genesis 5:21-24, “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Enoch, as with many other saints of God, walked with God. His walk with God was so intimate that God decided to take Enoch home into heaven without dying. Thus, Enoch became a type of saint who enters into heaven, in the rapture, without dying. The prophet Amos explained how to walk with God, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” Amos 6:6. The Lord Jesus explained how to walk, or abide, with Him, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:4-5. Enoch, by faith, walked, or abideth, with God. Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Because of his relationship with God, Enoch escaped physical death and is a type of the saints in the church age who will escape death at the coming of Christ; the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 “ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with 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.” When the Lord comes again for the saints in the church age those that are alive will, like Enoch, never taste the sting of the death of the body. Also, besides escaping physical death, after Enoch was ‘translated’ or, ‘caught up’ from the earth into heaven, those left behind wondered where he was, ‘and was not found.’This is also like the coming of Christ for the church in the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” The world will not see the saints caught up to heaven in the rapture as the Lord Jesus is coming as a thief in the night. A thief does his work in secret. A thief is extremely careful not to let anyone know what he is doing or when he takes something. A thief secretly sneaks in a house, or business, or bank, by night, to steal the family jewels, valuables or precious stones, and departs by night, or secretly, in order to not be seen. In the mind of the Lord Jesus, His saints are like precious jewels. “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Malachi 3:17. The Lord Jesus is coming for His jewels, that rightly belongs to Him, as a thief in the night.

Jim, Good question. I heard Dr. Keen use this quote at a Missions Conference back in sometime in 1994 or thereabouts. I had written the quote in my Bible and then Dr. Keen signed the Bible. He may, or may not, have been the originator of the quote. If you have any other information that lets us know who originally used this quote let us know. Alan

"The Missionary Conference is the business meeting of the church to determine the fate of the heathen." Dr. Charles Keen, First Baptist Church, Milford, Ohio

The next installment will occur as soon as I get out of this traffic jam.

Lesson # 5b Revelation 1:4 & 11, “The Calling Out of the New Testament Church From the Earth.” The objective of this study, “The New Testament Church,” has been to discuss the passages of scripture that pertain to the local church. I have attempted to abide by that objective. The objective in this lesson is one: At what point does the local church, the body of Christ, cease to be on the earth and all of the saints in the church are assembled in heaven. In this lesson we will be looking at two passages, the words of the Lord Jesus in Revelation 1:19 and the fulfillment as written in Revelation 4:1. In Revelation 1:19 the Lord Jesus stated, “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” The things that the apostle John were to write down were: (1) The things which thou hast seen. (2) The things which are. (3) The things which shall be hereafter. The phrase, ‘things which thou hast seen’ are the events as recorded in Revelation 1:1-20. This includes the calling of John as a prophet in revealing the end times, the characteristics of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus as the Almighty, the vision of the Lord Jesus in His glory, and the vision, along with the interpretation, of the seven candlesticks. The phrase, ‘and things which are’ are the events, and admonitions, of Revelation 2:1 to 3:22, as depicted by the seven local congregations, or churches, or local assemblies, in Asia that are representative of all of the churches throughout the church age. The phrase, ‘and things which shall be hereafter’ is a clear reference to the events after the events of the church age, or from Revelation 4:1 to 22:21. In Revelation 4:1 we read of the start of the events of, ‘ the things which must be hereafter,’ “After this I looked, and, behold a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” (Revelation 4:1). The first phrase in Revelation 4:1, ‘After this’ is a reference to the events in the seven churches as recorded in Revelation 2:1 to 3:22. After these events describing the characteristics of the church age marks the beginning of the apostle John being caught up into heaven and the beginning of, ‘things which must be hereafter.’ Therefore, the prophecy of the Lord Jesus, ‘’the things which shall be hereafter,’ is fulfilled ‘after’ the departure of the church age saints as revealed in the Revelation 4:1 phrase, ‘’After this’ and then, ‘things which must be hereafter.’ According to the words of the Lord Jesus in Revelation 1:19, ‘the things which shall be hereafter,’ and the words as of a trumpet talking in Revelation 4:1, ‘things which must be hereafter,’ the coming of the Lord Jesus, commonly called the ‘rapture,’ for the saints marks the end of the church age and the calling out of the church from the earth to the clouds to meet the Lord as written in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Furthermore, the calling out of the New Testament church, the Body of Christ, as written in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 occurs before the events of the beginning of the 7-Year Tribulation Period as recorded in Revelation 6:1 and following. This is why the rapture of the church age saints is called, ‘the pre-tribulation rapture of the church.’

Thank you Jim. The prophecy of Daniel 12:4, "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Also, it is my thoughts, that 'transhumanism' is one of the evils of the last days. Furthermore, as with the 'religious' world looking to issues like 'transhumanism,' and other social issues, to change the world; we are entering the days of Noah and Lot.

The individuals that I am thinking of are using pseudonyms. Even though they are using pseudonyms I have read their (some of them), background, computers OS's they are familiar with (some list the different OS's they use), and noticed the material that they post, over several years, to know their knowledge of modern technology is expansive. Also, some are Systems Analysts and programmers and some work for major technological businesses in management and development. I do respect their computer programming and expertise.

From my observations on the Linux forums, a lot of these individuals involved in the development of AI fully understand that they 'create' AI. In fact, because they can create AI, they are lifted up with pride. Here are some of personal observations (which can be faulty), of studying, AI and Transhumanism: In my observations, they, not all, are not the least concerned of the human emotions, such as; wisdom, compassion, joy, etc... that a human being expresses on a daily basis. The transhumanists that I have listened to, and studied, have no moral inhibitions, or interest, in the moral, or the spirit, aspect of 'Mind Uploading.' In my observations, these individuals are extremely intelligent when it comes to technology. Numerous times, in numerous studies, and in posts on the internet computer forums, they are convinced that they can extend their brain functions through technology. Furthermore, in my observations, which are limited, the creators of AI, as with the creators of cryonics, are primarily atheists and agnostics. In fact, most of them are openly, and most verbally, against all religions and have a deep hatred of the Bible and any church. Most of these individuals, not all, openly state that God, if there is a God is a hateful and vengeful "force" and that all religion, especially Christianity, is 'superstition.'