1Timothy115

@Konstantin, you still here?

Calvinist doctrine takes "total depravity" to the extreme that the sinner is so depraved that he cannot respond to the gospel without the "irresistible grace" to force him come to Christ. I may not have worded that exactly right but that's it in a nutshell. Some of them call it "total inability". Yes, concerning those extra 2 points, I would say John Piper is a more "honest" calvinist. With one of those points he basically teaches that God specifically created/predetermined the non- elect to burn in Hell for God's glory. That is a cold. dead religion right there. And it is blasphemy to the character of God.

You might be an Independent Baptist if everyone agrees to have lunch at...any buffet style venue.

To the groom...
Proverbs 31:10   "Who can find a virtuous woman?"
Follow up with, 'If the wisest man in the world needed help to find a virtuous woman what makes you think you did? ? ? ?
Probably not the best advice ?.

“Even the mob engaged in pillage and murder is not the disorganized thing it appears to be. Somewhere behind the violence is a leader whose ideas it is simply putting into effect."
                                                                                                            Aiden W. Tozer

“Whenever the church gets in bed with politics, the church gets pregnant, and the offspring does not look like God the Father.”
J. D. Greear

"The plain truth is, within the space of our lifetimes, much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped, and sold to us as though it had great value. By skillfully playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity, and tolerance, these marketers have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America’s founding regarded as grossly self-destructive -– in a word, evil.”
David Kupelian -The Marketing of Evil

"You can always test the quality of religious teaching by the enthusiastic reception it receives from unsaved men. If the natural man receives it enthusiastically, it is not of the Spirit of God."
A. W. Tozer

I don't have a knowledge of other local churches and how they conduct their worship activities. Therefore I'm probably naive about them. However, in much of my reading both in scripture and Christian authors, it would seem to depend on how they position Jesus Christ in their worship as to whether they are a cult. I know of an 'SBC' church which in a very short time went from Baptist to "Church" including having the name 'Baptist' dropped from their sign out front. Now they're quote, "VIBE
Casual, Creative, Spirit-filled, Friendly, Young families, Lots of kids"
This is one of their shows or what they call services.

The difficulty on whether there is a pre, mid or post Trib rapture rests on discerning whether the nation of Israel will be restored as a separate group with the OT promises literally fulfilled to them or if they will just become part of the Church as Jews who get saved do now and all the OT promises have been fulfilled in the Church. I'm always leary of the position that we have replaced Israel.
The Tribulation is a period of Jacob's trouble and the emphasis is on their restoration though many Gentiles will get saved. As I stated before Isaiah 26, that those verses, which in context are about the Tribulation and Second Coming, apply to Israel but I'm not immoveable from this position. 
I'm not so sure about these things as I used to because there are a lot of godly, God fearing, bible believing brethren on all sides of the debate which makes me think we all may be a little right and a little wrong in our positions. From my experience that is usually the case.
One thing is for sure is that our Lord will return, until that time we are to occupy for him, spread the gospel, live holy lives, edify the saints, do good to the unsaved, watch for his return, that we will be "raptured" aka caught up to meet him in the clouds when he does return and that "all Israel shall be saved".
 

Wearing a mask is comparable to wearing a strip of window screen. The actual Corona Virus particles are SMALLER than the weave of any mask used to prevent it; so where is the protection for wearers or non-wearers?
*****************************
Wear a mask
Sneeze in your elbow
Stay home
Don't touch your face
Wash your hands
Sterilize everything you touch
Don't visit anyone, including family
Stand six feet apart
Limit your time in public to lessen infection
Forbid any gatherings of more than X number of people
Forcibly close any and all institutions that do not comply 
Does anybody see a concentrated agenda to isolate people from each other? We, as humans are a social species and isolation can have severe consequences.
When was the last time you saw someone smile, or not be afraid to greet someone else?
Mandatory vaccination for all looms on the horizon.
No comply = no travel.
no comply = no buying.
no comply = no  selling.
no comply = business shut down.
no comply = no access to any services.
Covid19 = A grand global conspiracy experiment to control people.
It is very possible that The Mark of the Beast will be implemented in a manner very much like this; and millions will willingly comply through fear, apathy and ignorance.
1 John 4:18 (KJV) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

God didn't change anything, if that's what you're trying to say. God spared Nineveh because they fell in line with God's eternal direction (His will). If I were to put it in the common vernacular, "my way or the highway."
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." [2 Peter 3:9] "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." [Malachi 3:6]

I miss the reasoned, godly voice and advice of my friend Alan.
I miss his lessons posted here.
I miss his input to the discussions.
Mostly I miss his gentle advice, direction, and when necessary, rebukes.
Pro 27:6(a)  Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
Pro 27:17
(17)  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
 
Although we never met face to face, I count him as a true friend, and look forward to the day when we do meet face to face, as we glory  in the Lord together.

True Christians will suffer tribulation, be persecuted, be martyred for their faith. This has happened all through history - and even now is happening in some other countries (maybe not much in North America) - so there is no need for true Christians to go through the Great Tribulation (ie. in the sense that “they are not undergoing persecution and tribulation now” - but they are, just not here - and who is to say there won’t be greater tribulation and persecution as this world turns further and further from God and His Word). Also, from several passages, it is clear that the whole seven year tribulation period is a time of God’s wrath. The Lord Jesus Christ has already endured the wrath for our sins and has promised we will not face it. We would be enduring it if we were here during those seven years.

Acts 2
[19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
[20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
[21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Not the synoptic gospels but authored by Luke nonetheless.

As far as linear events go, yes, some passages refer back to earlier events and then bring us to the present (such as the initial verses of chapter 12) - but Revelation 1:19-20 and 4:1 clearly indicate that the rest of the book of Revelation takes places after the events of chapters 1-3 (which is the church age).

Since I hold that Luke 21:11 is a summary statement that looks forward to the statements of Luke 21:25-26, and thus should be viewed in union with Luke 21:25-26 (as per my reasoning above), I would further hold that Luke 21:11, 25-26 are to be viewed in parallel with Matthew 24:29 & Mark 13:24-25.  Now, contextually Matthew 24:29 & Mark 13:24-25 seem to place these events AFTER the "great tribulation" (as per Matthew 24:15-28 & Mark 13:14-23) which is initiated by "the abomination of desolation" (as per Matthew 24:15 & Mark 13:14).  Furthermore, I would hold that "the abomination of desolation" is to be defined as that future event wherein the antichrist will sit "in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (as per 2 Thessalonians 2:4 & Revelation 13:1-18), which event seems to initiate the second half of the Tribulation Period (as per Revelation 12-13).  Thus I would hold that the events of Luke 21:11, 25-26, Matthew 24:15, and Mark 13:24-25 are to be viewed in parallel with the seven vial judgments of Revelation 16:1-21 (especially the fourth, fifth, and seventh).
(Note: Although I acknowledge that the Book of Revelation contains a number of allegorical elements, I would view the prophecies therein to be a bit more "linear" than Brother Mike seems to hold.)

There are several passages that give general prophecies of judgement that also state if those same people turn from their sin, God would withhold the judgement, and also the opposite: if the righteous turn from righteousness, God will bring judgement. I’m not feeling well, but I am sure it is not too hard to find those passages.
Also, though Esau repented and later wanted the birthright, God did not change His mind on giving it to Jacob (it was His plan to give it to Jacob all along). Esau was never interested in walking with the Lord or getting any spiritual blessings - he just wanted to feed his fleshly appetites.

The whole seven years of the tribulation is a time of God’s wrath. Compare Luke 21, Matthew 24, and Mark 13 with Isaiah 13.
Isaiah 13:6-13
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand;
it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore shall all hands be faint,
and every man's heart shall melt:
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them;
they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth:
they shall be amazed one at another;
their faces shall be as flames.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,
cruel both with wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate:
and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light:
the sun shall be darkened in his going forth,
and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
And I will punish the world for their evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity;
and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease,
and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold;
even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Therefore I will shake the heavens,
and the earth shall remove out of her place,
in the wrath of the LORD of hosts,
and in the day of his fierce anger.
 
Luke 21:25-28
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
in Isaiah 13 and Luke 21, there is both a near and far focus on the prophecies presented - but, notice how both passages use the same language to describe what will happen, and that Isaiah calls it the day of the Lord and a time of His wrath and anger.

It's possible that some things taking place in heaven will be seen on earth during the Great Tribulation. Most notably Revelation 11:11-19. The world watches the slain witnesses ascend to heaven, they hear the voice of God from heaven declaring the kingdoms of the world now belong to the Lamb, there's thunders, lightnings, voices, and the temple of God opens and the ark can be seen. My guess since this passage states the nations of the world become angry at this is because they can see and hear it going on.

Brother 1Timothy115,
I believe that contextually Luke 21:11 is a summary statement that looks forward to the statement of Luke 21:25.  Furthermore, I believe that contextually the phrase, "But BEFORE all these things," with which Luke 21:12 begins, places all that is reported in verses 12-24 as a contextual break between the report of Luke 21:11 and Luke 21:25.  As such, I would hold that Luke 21:12-24 reveals the events that will occur throughout "the times of Gentiles" (the time of the church age) as per verse 24; and I would hold that the report of Luke 21:11 & 25 (in union with one another) reveals events that will occur during the time of the Tribulation Period.

This church should have never been involved in a secular mess like doing a production of Annie. I seriously doubt this was an Independent Fundamental Baptist church. Why are you here, to accuse? Get into a godly church that preaches the word of God faithfully, stays out of foolish things like school plays, and just serve God. 

Drive-by poster.

Unfortunately, some churches do display this kind of behavior. Like Pastor Markle said, put your trust in God alone and not people.
May I ask what hypocrites in the church have to do with your individual relationship with God? Your faith should be in God, not a pastor or people

Different indeed. "Most Americans wouldn’t know how to survive being hindered by illness or disability." This story reminds me of Joni Eareckson Tada. Have you ever heard story of Joni's life or heard her sing, Alone Yet Not Alone? You know her husband had to help her breath so that she could sing that song. There are two ways to come out of disability, either bitterness or beauty. Many Americans are depending on someone other than Jesus Christ.