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Thanks, but no thanks for the recommended videos or teaching. The thousand years represents a certain period of time, but not to be taken literally. Just like in Revelation 14:1-5,Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. If this was taken literally, it would mean that only unmarried virgins would make up the 144,000 of the redeemed here. But the language is symbolic of purity. Just like the lamb in verse one represents Jesus, as the lamb of God. The 144,000 is a figurative number for 12,000 out of each tribe of Israel (Revelation 7:4-8). But even still, these were things that happened already, and not future events. This all was a part of Rome's persecution of Christians in the first century church.

Hebrews 5:9, 'And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,' Please use all of the Bible to make good exegesis of the Scriptures, not just coined words from the minds of men. On the day of Pentecost, they asked what to do and they were not told any of the things you mentioned. But they were told by Peter, "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38). Man's reposes to God's grace does not nullify grace, but complies and accepts the grace of God for salvation.

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 Hebrews 5:9 you obey Him by believing on the one He has sent. The will of the Father is found in John 6: 40. Romans 9: 5 "By the obedience of one many are made righteous." Acts 2:38 is for service not salvation. Acts 16: 31," And brought them out and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

​@@colonalklink14 To believe in God requires more than just believing alone. That is the mistake of Martin Luther and others who have followed him. To believe goes deeper than just acknowledging Jesus as our Savior. Otherwise, the Demons would be saved, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:19-20). This passage caused Martin Luther to want to declare the book of James an uninspired book. But it is a part of the New Testament we cannot ignore. I know it is confusing to some how faith and works work together for our salvation, but it does not nullify grace. We still haven't earned our salvation, but just complied with Jesus' way of salvation. Jesus gave the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16, and the baptism there is for salvation by faith and obedience. Just like in Acts 2:37-38; But also note the context in verse 40-41, "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." If they were already saved, then why did Peter exhort them to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins (forgiveness)? Galatians 3:26-27 shows us how being baptized into Christ is still acting in our faith in Jesus. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." This is when we put on Christ in what begins with faith (Hebrews 11:6), repentance (Acts 17:30), confession of Christ (Romans 10:10), and ends in the new birth of baptism (Romans 6:1-6). Notice what Paul says in verses 17-18, "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Clearly what they obeyed was all of what God and Jesus said to do. Not stopping at faith alone as men are taught to do today. Paul (Saul) could have stopped at faith alone in Jesus, but he was told to go to Damascus to find out what he must do. "So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:6-7). We find in Acts 22:16, the purpose of his baptism in water was the same as the Day of Pentecost. "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ (Acts 22:16). As far as the Philippians jailor you referred, just like you said, he had to believe first, and that's when he was told the word of the Lord and obeyed it. "So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized." (Acts 16:31-33). To believe is to go on to obedience in all of Jesus' words. Notice some who believed only and were not saved: "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43). They were not willing to confess Jesus, therefore not saved (Luke 12:8; Romans 10:10). Faith alone leaves out Repentance, confession, and baptism-- otherwise it is not faith only. Please consider carefully these words. May you seek to understand the knowledge of His will more accurately (Acts 18:26).

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 LOL, the purpose of Romans 10 8 9 10 is to put all of your confidence (trust) in the person and finished work of Christ alone for salvation. Baptismal regeneration is a false doctrine. The Phillipian jailor was saved by believing on Christ alone. Water baptism is a Service issue. Acts 2:38 should read repent and be baptised because of the remission of sins. Salvation is absolutely free and not conditional upon service to God. Everything you said is for service not salvation. Salvation is not offered to Satan and his demons; furthermore monotheism is a great start but saves nobody. Anyone who says that believing is not enough is actually an unbeliever. You are an unbeliever.

@@colonalklink14 The context of James 2 is talking about those who have only faith and how it is no better than the demons who believe, but do not obey. Will you answer my questions with Scripture? Where does the Bible say that baptism is a service issue? Romans 6:1-6; 17-18 is a salvation issue, not a service issue. Paul is pointing them back to when their sins were forgiven and they were free from the "old man" who was buried with Christ. "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4). When does the newness of life begin? "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." When and where is the old man crucified with Christ? And what does it mean that the body of sin might be done away with? When does the Bible say that takes place? One can believe and never go through the new birth that Jesus talked about in John 3:3-5. Case in point, King Agrippa believed, but did not follow in obedience to the gospel. He was almost persuaded. (Acts 26:26-29). Just to say something is false teaching or doctrine doesn't necessarily make it so. How were the Jews on Pentecost saved? They were not told to believe by Peter after asking the question about what they must do. "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). What was Peter's answer and when were they saved?

Sorry for the late reply, and thanks so much!

Thank you for your comments and agree. It is that the new tolerance is completely intolerant of belief in God's ways.

The good news of the gospel is that you can be free from vile behavior, and that my friend, makes the world a better place! "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Satan hates us (1 Peter 5:8), God loves us (John 3:16). Many have that backwards.

No one has to agree with homosexuality

Going To Hell is NOT a choice that any rational thinking person would gladly choose. Jesus said it is better to get rid of the sin that would take us there than to go there: "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire-where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’" (Mark 9:43-48).

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 nah thanks. Your Jesus is nothing but hate. He's not worthy.

Not according to the Bible (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 do you keep that law?

@@dansaber4427 If we want to go to heaven, we must repent of all sin, right? Please note what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." According to an inspired writer of the New Testament, One cannot persist in any of these sins and still be saved. Adultery, idolatry, effeminate, homosexuality, thieving, being covetous.... Repentance is required (Acts 17:30). The Corinthians did repent and obeyed Gods in stopping such behavior as Paul says in the next verse, "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11). Do you see that?

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 so were you washed or do you still sin?

@@dansaber4427 They were made free from their past sins as Romans 6:17-18 states for all who obey the gospel, "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Paul began this thread by saying in Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" Paul was talking to some who obeyed the gospel and had not stopped sinning. He is teaching that we cannot use God's grace to cover unrepentant sin. Thus, Romans 6:12-13, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." That's what a practicing homosexual or adulterer or thief does and why they cannot do those things and still have God's grace. We have to walk in a "newness of life." (Romans 6:4). Notice what Paul says to the thief who wants to be a Christian in Ephesians 4:28, "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." They have to repent of stealing just like a liar must stop lying, and for the homosexual-- they must no longer identify and they must put to death that kind of behavior. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds," (Colossians 3:1-9). I hope that helps.....

Sounds to me like someone has never really studied the Bible on this subject. In Matthew 19:12, Jesus is talking about people who refrain from marriage for the kingdom of God's sake. There is no rational reason to say that Jesus, David, and Joseph were all transgender..... or returning as a woman. And to say that God prefers for people to be in LGBT relationships is simply ignoring everything God says about homosexuality, and being effeminate as being SINFUL CONDUCT. This is a perfect example of twisting or distorting the Scriptures to one's own destruction, as 2 Peter 3:16 states.

We are glad you liked the lesson. Much appreciated!!

No, it would be truly awful to face death without God. To reject His mercy, grace, and forgiveness that He freely gives to those who seek it, and then be punished for our sins. Sin is the reason we go there. God wants us to live with Him eternally.

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 So for just not finding any convincing evidence for your God I get to go to hell to be tortured over and over again for ever? When my son was naughty I told him off and/or banned him from the PlayStation. I did not burn the skin off of him. Wait for him to recover and then do it again. Yep, your fictional God is truly a hideous despot.

@@johnhammond6423 I would encourage you to prepare for the Judgment Day and be saved! Your emotional argument notwithstanding. The court of our land today punishes those who do wrong, and often severely. God will punish sin and He is right and just for so doing. We all need to escape that sentence! Romans 3:23.

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 If your God existed I would rather go to hell than to worship that despot! But as I think all religions are just silly I will end this. All the best to you and yours my friend, nice talking to you. Bye, John.

Thank you so much!!

Thanks!

Appreciate your kind comments!

how so? I really would like to know your thoughts.

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 "how so?" Read your fables. Your deity is the villain setting you up for failure, demanding obedience under penalty, raping a 12 year old married girl to give birth to itself so it can fake its own death in order to forgive itself (and failing to) for offering choice to a dirt-man that listened to a rib-woman and ate fruit from a magic tree after listening to a talking snake. The lesson here, stop being gullible.

@Brian Meade "Do we all go into the void and our lives mean nothing?" Appealing to fear and circular reasoning. "I see your attitude toward God’s word as just fairy tales and fables, but the problem seems to be a lack of faith in God, or at least in His word." Not a problem, a strong advantage not to be as gullible as a theist. "Mary didn’t think she was raped" In that fble, she was too young to make that determination, but do tell how your 12 year old girl is having sex with an adult and because she doesn't think it's rape, it's ok. " I encourage you to live for the Lord" Yeah? How's that working for the birthplace of your superstitious nonsense? Just stop.

@@frosted1030 A: Since the Scriptures do not explicitly discuss this question, no one is certain of the answer. At one time, Joseph was assumed to be elderly when he married Mary. However, now we believe that Mary and Joseph were both in their teens when Jesus was born, around sixteen and eighteen respectively. This was the norm for Jewish newlyweds at that time. I will be praying for you, and know that God loves you and wants you to be saved (2 Peter 3:9)

@@meeksstreetchurchofchrist2114 "Since the Scriptures do not explicitly discuss this question" (Facepalm) You are done, circular reasoning again, and the inability to make rational determinations. " However, now we believe that Mary and Joseph were both in their teens when Jesus was born" Not what the fable says.. so now you just choose what you accept and manipulate the story to fit your own personal version of an acceptable narrative with no cultural reference outside your own. "This was the norm for Jewish newlyweds at that time." Maybe you should look into Kiddushin, she would have been property sold into sex slavery or have had sex if the fable was based on the culture. " I will be praying for you" LOL How's that working for the birthplace of your fables? Riiight.. you won't look at results.

Very welcome

Thank you so much!

Thank you kindly

Thank you so much!