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I love astromony.

What 7 years, JoeMo? I was interested to notice that in the text we read as I am coming soon. The word for "soon" means quickly, which is slightly different. I think the quickness of it is the most encouraging for believers. when the time of Jacob's trouble really comes the events will be so rapid. We won't have time to worry about "preparations" we have to have the oil NOW.

Unity gained by human effort and design is often what is achieved in a cult, and is evil. And unity the spoken of in John 17 is union with Christ, "may they be one as we are one". One in knowing God, and in the purpose to glorify God, and in the effort lift up fallen humanity. This is the exercise of Love.

I have a friend that always says that! It goes over a few heads. God does forgive if repented of! It really was at the Cross where the action manifested!

How about BAPTISM by sprinkling? I read that it started in Antioch. There was a severe drought, with water rationing. There was NO bathing, etc. etc. New converts could not be immersed, but they wanted to use some water, so they began just sprinkling. Dr. Jeffrey Seif sites sources for this, in his book "To the Ends of the Earth". It could have been seen as a continuation of the sprinkling with the ashes of the red heifer - for cleansing. Numbers 19:18 "A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water (which contained some ashes of the red heifer), sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave." Hebrews 10:22 "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

Wow!! Thank you Gail. I had forgotten about the "uncleanness" factor. A woman was "unclean" for some 40 days after giving birth to a male child. Women after childbirth do typically have vaginal bleeding for several days. The estrogen levels in the mother are higher when carrying a female fetus, and she will have vaginal bleeding for a longer time after giving birth to a female. Still - It's unlikely a woman would have vaginal bleeding 80 days after delivery of a female infant. Perhaps the LORD just wanted women to bond more tightly with their female offspring. Leviticus 12:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying:`If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. (On the 8th day the male child was circumcised.) THEN: Leviticus 12:4 She is to wait an additional thirty-three days to be purified from her blood; she is not to touch any holy thing or come into the sanctuary until the time of her purification is over." Leviticus 12:5 "But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days." The "guest quarters" at the city of Joseph's clan, would have been filled because of the Feast, but additionally, there may have been no place for someone who was "unclean". Mary may actually have been in labor when the couple arrived at Bethlehem. (First time mothers usually labor for many hours.) With the birth imminent, they needed a place quickly. Kevin and Gail - you have widened my understanding.

The Passover/Unleavened Bread feast is mentioned many times. If one were to keep anything, keep this, since it is mentioned in the New Testament, whereas birthday keeping is not. And they are called HOLY days. One cannot make holy what God has not made holy. That is why the Sabbath is HOLY and Sunday is not. Celebrate Christ's death, not His birth. Why do you think the Bible tells you the day of His death, and hides the day of His birth? Christmas is a classic case of syncretism. syn·cre·tism ˈsiNGkrəˌtizəm/Submit noun 1. the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought. Sorry if this harshes anyone's Xmas buzz.

I wonder what type of telescope was needed to get this view!