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The Second Appearance of Jesus

I saw this link at the bottom of the front forum page. I was curious, usually I am not, but I followed the link. I have to say it is interesting. Just wondering if anyone has ever seen this, what their thoughts are, and any other comments.

I have not gone through the whole site. There is a lot too it. But I am quite intrigued by it.
 
The Second Appearance of Jesus

I saw this link at the bottom of the front forum page. I was curious, usually I am not, but I followed the link. I have to say it is interesting. Just wondering if anyone has ever seen this, what their thoughts are, and any other comments.

I have not gone through the whole site. There is a lot too it. But I am quite intrigued by it.

i lost any interest after the mentioning of quakers.
 
I lost interest simply because it's a badly done website. Light colored letters on a light (white) background and different sizes and fonts and colors make it hard to read.
 
uh quakers dont believe in the diety of christ and neither marrage if i recall correctly.

i standed corrected on the later.


As with all large denominations, individual Quakers are religiously diverse. Their beliefs range from Evangelical (conservative) to liberal. The following beliefs are common to most Quakers:

Friends believe that there exists element of God's spirit in every human soul. The Patheos website states:
"Friends don't teach that human nature is inherently sinful. On the contrary, the heart of Quakerism is the belief in an Inner Light, a part of God's spirit that dwells in every human soul." 1

Thus all persons have inherent worth, independent of their gender, race, age, nationality, religion, and sexual orientation. Their opposition to sexism, racism, religious intolerance, warfare, the death penalty, -- and in some Quaker groups homophobia and transphobia -- comes from their "Inner Light" belief.


Simplicity, pacifism, and inner revelation are long standing Quaker beliefs. Their religion does not consist of accepting specific beliefs or of engaging in certain practices; it involves each person's direct experience of God.

There is a strong mystical component to Quaker belief. In the moving words of one reviewer of this essay, "In Meeting for Worship, God is there. God is probably always there, but in Meeting, I am able to slow down enough to see God. The Light becomes tangible for me, a blanket of love, a hope made living."

They do not have a specific creed; however, many of the coordinating groups have created statements of faith. The statement by the largest Quaker body, the Friends United Meeting includes the beliefs in: True religion as a personal encounter with God, rather than ritual and ceremony.
Individual worth before God.
Worship as an act of seeking.
The virtues of moral purity, integrity, honesty, simplicity and humility.
Christian love and goodness.
Concern for the suffering and unfortunate.
Continuing revelation through the Holy Spirit.


Many do not regard the Bible as the only source of belief and conduct. They rely upon their Inner Light to resolve what they perceive as the Bible's many contradictions. They also feel free to take advantage of scientific and philosophical findings from other sources.

Individual Quakers hold diverse views concerning life after death. Few believe in the eternal punishment of individuals in a Hell.

All aspects of life are sacramental; they do not differentiate between the secular and the religious. No one day or one place or one activity is any more spiritual than any other.

Quakers have had a tradition of opposing war. They have followed the beliefs of the early Christian movement which was strongly pacifist. Early Christians even refused to bring charges against others if there was a possibility of the death penalty being exercised. Together with the Amish, Church of the Brethren, and Mennonites, they made it possible for men to be classified as conscientious objectors.



Practices:
On a per-capita basis, they have probably contributed more in the promotion of tolerance, peace and justice than any other Christian denomination. They have been influential beyond what their numbers would suggest in many areas: promotion of world peace, abolition of slavery, fair treatment of Native Americans, universal suffrage, prison reform, improvement in mental hospitals, etc.

Some of the Yearly Meetings publish a Book of Discipline or a book on Faith and Practice. These are not sets of strict rules. They are general guidelines for living and include Quaker history, excerpts from the journals of old and weighty Friends and poetry. Also included are monthly queries, which the individual member and meetings can use to explore what they are doing to make a positive impact on the world. The New York Yearly Meeting's Faith & Practice document can be seen at: New York Yearly Meeting Faith & Practice

Quakers do not simply seek a consensus, as many people believe. They seek the will of God by following the leading of the Spirit to resolve differences. One of their documents states: "In all our meetings for church affairs we need to listen together to the Holy Spirit. We do not seek consensus; we are seeking the will of God. The unity of the meeting lies more in the unity of the search than in the decision which is reached. We must not be distressed if our listening involves waiting, perhaps in confusion, until we feel clear what it is God wants done." 2

Women obtained equal status to men throughout most of the Quaker movement early in its history - centuries earlier than in most other denominations.

Most meetings are unprogrammed. That is, they are held in silence. Attendees speak when moved to do so. Elsewhere, services have programmed orders of worship, usually led by a pastor.

They usually arrange the congregation in a square or circle, so that each person is aware of everyone else, yet no one person appears raised above another in status.

Programmed services may be composed of prayer, readings from the Bible, readings from the Book of Discipline, a sermon, hymn singing, music, and "free worship based upon silent waiting,"

They do not have a ritual of baptism. Rather, they believe in the "inward baptism of the Holy Spirit" described in Ephesians 4:4-5.

Throughout their history, Quakers have refused to take oaths. Their belief is that one should tell the truth at all times. Taking an oath implies that there are two types of truthfulness: one for ordinary life and another for special occasions.

The common names of the days of the week and of the months of the year were originally derived from Pagan deities or were numbered using a Pagan Roman notation. For example Wednesday is a corruption of Woden's Day; Monday was once Moon Day. January was named after the Roman God Janus, while December was the Tenth Month. Quakers in olden times replaced the names with numbers. Sunday was called First Day; Saturday was Seventh Day; January was called First Month, while December became Twelfth Month. Early in the 20th century, they began to revert to the common names, because they felt that the public had long forgotten their Pagan origin.



References used:
"Society of Friends (Quaker) Overview," Patheos, 2008-9, at: Balanced Views of Religion and Spirituality with Faith | Patheos
The "Quaker Faith & Practice" of the Britain Yearly Meeting - Paragraph 2.89.
 
The Second Appearance of Jesus

I saw this link at the bottom of the front forum page. I was curious, usually I am not, but I followed the link. I have to say it is interesting. Just wondering if anyone has ever seen this, what their thoughts are, and any other comments.

I have not gone through the whole site. There is a lot too it. But I am quite intrigued by it.

It is a false doctrine to believe that the second coming is our born again experience when Christ reveals himself to us and gives us the counselor, the promised Holy Spirit.

Study of enough scripture will nullify such belief.

Destructive heresy is a sign of the end.

One thing is for sure in my mind, weak minded and foolish people are being led astray by every wind of teaching and the cunning and craftiness of men and their deceitful scheming.
 
I have to admit. It could be very luring. In fact, there were a lot of things that I believed to be true before I read them on the site. Not the whole second coming thing. That was new to me.

But it really makes you start to think about deception. And someone who is not sure about their faith could indeed find themselves doubting. I mean, at face value, it seems to be a rather 'harmless' teaching they are putting forth.

I found it interesting. Never seen anything like that before. It makes me sometimes wonder though. What it would be like growing up in a faith like that. I mean, I have to wonder what it would be like to have that as the only thing you have ever known. What would their view of most of us be like?

Is there not a point in which true faith can be tested? But I guess that is why we have the Bible? The whole point in God singling out a particular group of people to pass down His spoken and written word. So that in the days we live, we can have something to measure our faith by?

But then I think again of that site. And how they quote verse after verse. So then growing up in that group of people, you would have a predisposition to interpret the Bible the way they do. So then, what would be the measuring stick of true faith at that point?
 
Effective deception is not about building a mountain of lies.

Effective deception is building up a mountain of truths and hiding a few critical lies within it.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
Here's my personal belief. The second coming has already happened. We are actually waiting for the third coming.

Jesus came, suffered and died.
Then he wouldn't let the women touch him on the road because..."Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God."

John 20:17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Then He appears to the disciples and lets Thomas touch him. John 20:19-31

Why?

It was prohibited to touch a dead body according the Levitical law. Once Jesus ascended and then returned in His glorified body He allowed Himself to be touched.
 
Effective deception is not about building a mountain of lies.

Effective deception is building up a mountain of truths and hiding a few critical lies within it.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days


Amen Adstar, AMEN! That's it in a nutshell. That's also how deception has worked its way into the faith. Like propaganda, tell people a lie enough and eventually they'll believe it.
 
Is there not a point in which true faith can be tested? But I guess that is why we have the Bible? The whole point in God singling out a particular group of people to pass down His spoken and written word. So that in the days we live, we can have something to measure our faith by?

But then I think again of that site. And how they quote verse after verse. So then growing up in that group of people, you would have a predisposition to interpret the Bible the way they do. So then, what would be the measuring stick of true faith at that point?

Jesus said he was leaving so that He could send the promised Holy Spirit.
He said the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. John 14:15-21.

With the Holy Spirit and scripture, truth and conviction (evidence of our faith) comes to us.

The works of deception are usually the result of one without the other, Spirit & Scripture together are a hard combination to beat.
Scripture alone without the Holy Spirit guiding can lead to misunderstandings, and believing what you think the Spirit has said to you is truth WITHOUT checking it against Scripture does the same thing.

(This also follows our discussion in the decline of Christianity)
 
Amen Adstar, AMEN! That's it in a nutshell. That's also how deception has worked its way into the faith. Like propaganda, tell people a lie enough and eventually they'll believe it.

I can think of quite a few things that are pounded into peoples heads, over and over, in modern day fellowships. Praise God for His every reaching mercy! I cannot even think about what I would be if it were not for His loving kindness and patience toward me.
 
I have to admit. It could be very luring. In fact, there were a lot of things that I believed to be true before I read them on the site. Not the whole second coming thing. That was new to me.

But it really makes you start to think about deception. And someone who is not sure about their faith could indeed find themselves doubting. I mean, at face value, it seems to be a rather 'harmless' teaching they are putting forth.

I found it interesting. Never seen anything like that before. It makes me sometimes wonder though. What it would be like growing up in a faith like that. I mean, I have to wonder what it would be like to have that as the only thing you have ever known. What would their view of most of us be like?

Is there not a point in which true faith can be tested? But I guess that is why we have the Bible? The whole point in God singling out a particular group of people to pass down His spoken and written word. So that in the days we live, we can have something to measure our faith by?

But then I think again of that site. And how they quote verse after verse. So then growing up in that group of people, you would have a predisposition to interpret the Bible the way they do. So then, what would be the measuring stick of true faith at that point?

Acts 5:32! Are they 7th day Sabbath keepers? Isa. 8:20 + 1 John 2:4 + James 2:8-12 + 'IF YE LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS'

Whatever??

--Elijah

PS: I suppose that Eve found an 'interesting' being at the forbidden tree also. And surely being an ex/covering cherub in the Godheads Throne room, gave him a lot of knowledge. And what was under the Mercy Seat & INSIDE OF THE LORDS ARK!
 
Here's my personal belief. The second coming has already happened. We are actually waiting for the third coming.

Jesus came, suffered and died.
Then he wouldn't let the women touch him on the road because..."Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God."

John 20:17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Then He appears to the disciples and lets Thomas touch him. John 20:19-31

Why?

It was prohibited to touch a dead body according the Levitical law. Once Jesus ascended and then returned in His glorified body He allowed Himself to be touched.
The Law against touching a dead body was reserved for the Priests.

#382 That a High Kohein shall not defile himself with any dead, even if they are relatives (Lev. 21:11) (negative). See Kohein, Care for the Dead.
#383 That a High Kohein shall not go (under the same roof) with a dead body (Lev. 21:11) It has been learnt by tradition that a kohein, who does so, violates the prohibition, "Neither shall he go in ", and also the prohibition "He shall not defile himself" (negative). See Kohein, Care for the Dead.

Judaism 101: A List of the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments)

Walter, who took the dead body of Jesus off the cross and carried it to the tomb? Who closed the eyes? Who laid Him in the tomb and covered Him? Who prepares the body?

Taking that last question into consideration, why was Mary at the tomb early that morning in the first place?
 
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