Fair enough.
I'm curious: Did you and Zaac come over here from a message board in which you and he have had previous conversations? Both of you appear about the same time, espousing the same message; if there's some other message board that y'all have been conversing on, would it be too much of me to ask where? (You could send it to me in a private message) Or I may be completely off the wall, and it's simply a coincidence.
The only affiliation Zaac and I share, is that of Jesus. We don't know each other, but I also don't think it is a coincidence. More and more people are waking up to the fact that... Things are not what they seem to be. Things like UFOs and "aliens", and everything that I've already talked about in this thread, are more important than the outward appearance of "politics".
It is all a spiritual deception, simply to get us to doubt God.
The main reason I disagree is because the verses around 22:11 indicate that we're talking the end of time, and who may enter the city at the end. In order to take the viewpoint you're espousing, we must necessarily agree that we're at the point where what we do, who we preach to, doesn't matter any more because it's too late; and yet, verse 17 indicates we mere puny humans should be preaching even unto the last breath, in order to reach the "whosoever will."
We agree, but we're arguing about it in a different way. Preach, reprove, instruct... But how shall we impose our biblical views upon people who refuse to believe God or Satan even exists? Why do we make it a personal charge to pass laws under the force of government, as if somehow this will change a person from within?
But, as Zaac has pointed out in some earlier posts, we are also to judge righteous judment. The difference being, what you posted was about hypocritical judgment; finding fault in others without regard for our own (or worse, finding fault in others while ignoring that we have the same fault ourselves). And let us not forget that the passage referenced by the "Let he who is without sin" was a trap set by the Pharisees and scribes; the situation wasn't about not identifying sin, but about hypocritical judgment and punishment.
I used the "let he who is without sin" verse to try and show you what I mean when I say that voting doesn't matter. Voting is the proverbial casting of stones. We vote for laws, like the death penality, to try and pawn off our responsibility as Christians to try and change people from within by teaching them about God. We effectively make ourselves judges as to who is fit to live and die. I don't have any problem with putting someone in prison for life, if it means at the end of their life while sitting in a cell that they finally admit they were wrong and accept Jesus.
And speaking of the death penality, did you know that quite frequently, innocent people ARE put to death despite the evidence against them? Things like DNA testing which came later, has proven the innocence of people long dead who were wrongly accused. God saved Lot by sending him angels to warn him of what God was going to do to the city. Only God knows who is righteous, and who is guilty of sin.
You'll also recall that "turn the other cheek" was given to us with the preamble: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." In other words, don't repay evil with evil. Don't seek revenge. Instead, do as we're told in Romans 12:20-21, and overcome evil with good.
Yup. But how is voting going to change that?
I was going to vote for Ron Paul, but he dropped out of the race. I wouldn't be surprised if he got death threats in order to force him out, which is all the reason more that I should vote for him... But I see now that putting my trust in any man isn't going to work, no matter how great they may seem to be.
Totally agreed that it will always fail miserably. But I also have to ask: Does God ever use people to see evil fail? If so, could you or I--or both of us--possibly be used by Him?
Who can stand in opposition to God, and live? No one! The Word of God is even in the mouth of His rebelious children!
I'm reminded of 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 12, and Ephesians 4, which all tell us that none of us are the same; that we are all given differing gifts and abilities to be used in conjunction with all the others to glorify Him; and that none are better or more comely or more important than any of the others. In other words, I don't mind what you're saying at all; and I encourage you to continue to speak out about what you know about all the different little pieces of the puzzle going on in the background that most of us don't realize are slowly coming together. But at the same time, I recommend you encourage all the others with differing gifts than yours, in order for us all to work together towards the same goal.
These gifts that God gave us can be corrupted by the lies of Satan. God allows it, so they who wish to do things their way, are deceived by the lies themselves. No one would tell a lie if they weren't first convinced that a lie was truth, hence why it is written that men would rather live in darkness than live in the light.
2 Corinthians 11:
"12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
