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Pam, I will attempt to use the kiss principle (keep it simple saints) and I as everyone who replies to this thread to do likewise. Long posts make things so complicated.

Good terse but apt reply, Naomi. LifeHC is an enigma for many viewers who are more or less expecting dialogue, anecdote, or some flash of inspirational comment. However I do like his emphasis on bible inspiration. Most often the uploaded message doesn't seem to fit the flow of the whole topic. No matter.... I'm glad he's a part of this Forum and faithful to his faith in God. Now I know it is advised not to size up the motivation of whatever a person does because it would be judging. I can only say perhaps the drive in LHC is to evangelized us readers with printing out holy scripture. I believe he is 89 years old at present and not so good for walking door to door in evangelistic ministry service. Besides, he has been a bit hampered from doing full time gospel ministry service because of bed-caring his chronicly ill wife. I give him kudos for that, indeed.

The moral of the story? One small act, whether good or evil, can result in a rising cascade of events, whether for good or for evil.

Very interesting Thomas. Presently, I see the battle of Daniel Cpt 8, between the RAM (pushing N/S/W) and the GOAT coming from the West, as the defeat of Islamic forces, principally ISIS and Iran. That DEFEAT may in fact be the "deadly wound" of the 7th head. Possible. I believe this same battle was prophesied in Numbers. Numbers 24:24 "But ships will come from the coast of Kittim to subdue Ashur and subdue Eber, but they too will come to destruction." (CJB) Kittum is Cyprus, where the US 6th fleet is anchored. Ashur was Assyria (where ISIS is dug in). Eber today is Southern Iran. The 2 horns on the RAM of Daniel 8 were said to be the "kings of Media and Persia". Again the ancient home of the Medes was northern IRAC/ Southern Syria where today ISIS has a foothold. Persia, of course, is IRAN . The goat from the West, throws the Ram to the ground and stomps on him, and breaks BOTH of his horns. The RAM has no power left.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven. We are to serve and as needs are met through His power, and guiding, and inspiration, it rebounds to glory to God.

Please let me be clear, LHC has been on this forum quite a long time and in that time I have never, not, had respect for him and his comments. Nor, in any way, have I had any concerns with him being a part of this forum or questioned his faith in God. I have prayed for his wife when the request was made. My post was in response to him making a post responding to me. I merely made a statement of my personal concerns and beliefs, not a challenge to anyone else's reasons for their choices. If I am allowed to make a personal statement of my beliefs: I believe that if a person uses their name and picture (at least no aviator) that many will be more conscientious of what and how they contribute. It is also my belief that if you have issues that you would not stand in the middle of a busy store and discuss it loudly perhaps you might want to consider not discussing it on the world wide web.

Cool!

I am still stuck on Rev 17:10. Revelation 17:9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. [KJV says "there are also"] Five have fallen, one is (#6), the other (#7) has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while." The KJV makes it seem that the 7 "heads" and the 7 "kings" are different entities. All the other translations indicate the heads and kings are the SAME entities. The 7th "king"/"head" can only remain for "a little while". How can ISLAM be the 7th "head", if it came to power back in the 7th century, and lasted unto 1923? That's NOT a "little while". Now the militant ISLAM of today - on the other hand. That really has come to POWER only recently. I could certainly agree that ISIS will last only a "little while" - and their "caliphate". And how could the entire BEAST be Islam? That doesn't fit. Five "heads"/"kings", on that Beast had already "fallen" in John's day. I could see one "head" being ISLAM (or militant ISLAM) but not the entire BEAST.

Rev 13 says, "I saw one of his heads, as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed." 13:3 The text does NOT SAY which head was wounded. We just assume that it's the 7th head. The BEAST is wounded when his "head" is wounded. Does the BEAST need all 7 heads, in order to function? Or does he only have one "head" at a time, growing a new one each time the old one is defeated or just fades away? One fellow I know believes each "head" was one attempt (by Satan) at world domination. Muslims certainly WANT/expect total world domination. AFTER the deadly wound is healed, the Beast (not the 7th head) is given authority to continue for 42 months. (SDAs place the deadly wound at the END of the 42 months/1260 years of persecution by the Catholic "Church".) The 8th "head" is not necessarily going to be a resurrection of "head" #7. It could manifest as something entirely different. But it's agenda will be the SAME - world domination. In Rev. 13:7, the BEAST "was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation." THERE - the BEAST has achieved world domination!! But now he wants to be worshiped. The "lamb like beast" (false prophet-maybe Christ personation) will bring this about. Using powerful "signs", he deceives those who dwell on the earth, into making an "image to the BEAST who was wounded, whose wound was healed". Then the "lamb like beast" gives BREATH to the image. The image BREATHES. It is ALIVE!!!! [This is WHY I believe the image IS the 8th "horn" OF the BEAST.] The image then causes every one to worship itself, to take a mark, and decrees death to anyone who will not. The image does the persecuting. (The "lamb-like beast" just deceives.) In Daniel, it is the "little horn" that persecutes the saints. In Revelation, the BEAST persecutes, and his "image" persecutes. The "little horn" comes up among the 10 (on the BEAST). So that's eleven total "horns". It pulls up 3. Eleven (10+1) minus 3 = 8. NOW there are 8 "horns" On the BEAST. One of them is "the little horn". I believe the "little horn" IS "the image of the BEAST" - and the "image of the BEAST" functions as it's 8th "head". The "lamb-like beast" CANNOT BE the 8th head OF the terrible BEAST. The "lamb-like beast" is a separate "beast".

Thomas and Rachel, This is an excellent discussion. Another reason that supports Isa being the False Prophet is that in several places in the Qu'ran and hadiths, he is called the "Prophet Isa". As usual, both of your research is thorough and your presentations are exquisite. If you have interest in a biblical view of which Thomas is speaking, another good (but rather obscure) book is "The Dragon and the Beast" by Faith Jones.

BAR is one great magazine. There was another one I used to receive, it was called "Digging Up the Past." David Down was the editor, he also has a show on 3ABN by the same name. Not sure if he's still alive or not. But he had a great magazine.

You bet He did! While grieving for my son, I was really angry with God; and was yelling curses and really nasty things at Him. He interrupted me; and said (almost audibly) "Do you think I did this? REALLY??? I deal with life; not death. The evil one - the Destroyer - has done this to your family. Go ahead and yell at Me all you want - I've been cursed by a lot better than you! I'm am here to grieve with you as long as you want Me here. If you want Me to leave, just say the word." I asked Him to stay; and I apologized for my tantrum. That was the first time in my life that I felt God actually speak to me when I KNEW it was Him. We've been talking a lot ever since. That particular moment was one of the best moments of my life.

How do I treat GLBT's ? I have had friends who were gay, coworkers and those who have requested Bible studies. I honestly believe that I treat them the same as any other person with whom I come into contact. To my knowledge I have no relatives who were a part of the GLBT community/persuasion. Inside, I have strong emotional scars; a husband who only bothered to come out after numerous distasteful incidents. A very close friend who in the 70ties was one of the first to be diagnosed with HIV and subsequently died.

there is neglect to put one in mind of those things that are essential, like coming to God each morning to put one in mind of the great sacrifice and love of God for every person. Relational issues of memory are not the same as dropping a piece of static data. forgetting to fulfil one's moral obligations... like forgetting you are married when you take up an affair in the office, or forgetting to pay your bills, and buying some gorgeous dress... this is forgetting of another order. relational issues of memory reveal priorities and morals.... If "forgetting is sin" with no other context, alzheimer's patients would be great sinners... we have all heard stories of a mother forgetting her child in the car seat and going into the store, then there is the one of the dad who forgot the baby in the car seat when he went to work, forgot to drop off the little one at the sitter.... we are human.... and we fail... in every area of sin. And we have an advocate with the Father.

8thdaypriest, I think you’re exactly spot on, and your observance is extremely perceptive. I have wanted to commend you more on your thoughts previously but I’ve had little time. Your observance that “the lamb-like beast is ‘the false prophet’” as well as “the Beast cannot actually be Satan, but only an agency OF Satan” are my thoughts exactly! Now I’m addressing all readers. The Lamb Beast as the False Prophet This Lamb-like Beast seems to parallel “the false prophet.” Now it seems clear to me, and it should to everyone, that a “false prophet” is literally that: a human being who is falsely seen as a prophet. And this ‘false prophet’ is distinct from the ‘Sea Beast’ because he forces upon the nations the worship of the “First Beast before him” (Rev. 13.12) – obviously by calling the ‘Sea Beast’ the “First Beast” and qualifying it with “before him” distinguishes the Sea Beast from the False Prophet/Land Beast. Yet they have the same “authority”: “He exercises all the authority of the first beast before him” (Rev. 13.12). But he looks like a Lamb and speaks like the Dragon. A lamb has only ever been a symbol of one person and one person alone – Jesus, the sacrificial lamb to save the world. It has never been representative of a nation or the religion Christianity. Therefore, I think the traditional Adventist interpretation that refers this to the United States is faulty because it extrapolates far beyond what the image represents. Anyone would be hard pressed to find any text that suggested a Lamb represented the United States. And speaking like the Dragon means he speaks like Satan. So it must refer to the fact that this False Prophet, is a human being who is an exact replica of Jesus (Lamb) but is in fact a Satanic incarnation (hence, speaking like a Dragon). And this is fitting to the description of ‘False Prophet’: a human being who is falsely seen as a prophet. The Return of the Mahdi and Isa What became fascinating for me, was when I heard a most brilliant revelation given to Joel Richardson (New York Times best-selling author of The Islamic Antichrist), that revealed how in the Islamic end-time end-game, Muslims believe that their saviour-king, The Mahdi, is to return at the End of Days – this is why leaders like former Iranian President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Ayatollahs have been calling for his return. But they also believe that Jesus/Isa will also return with him. Even Islamic State said as much in a video of beheading 20 Coptic Christian Egyptians on the shores of Libya. Ryan Mauro, ClarionProject.org’s national security analyst and professor of homeland security, describes what they said: “Jesus, peace be upon him, will descend, breaking the cross, killing the swine and abolishing the jizya [tax on non-Muslims],” the English-speaking Islamic State member says to the camera. Here, the Islamic State is citing an apocalyptic Islamic prophecy about Jesus appearing with the Mahdi, the Islamic messiah, to vanquish Islam’s enemies. According to this prophecy, Jesus will authenticate the validity of Islam and disprove Christianity by destroying a cross. Sometime after he reappears, the entire world will become Muslim, and so the jizya tax on non-Muslims will no longer be needed. This is not a fringe interpretation of the prophecy only held by Islamic State. Other Islamists like Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood also refer to it. This is based on their scriptures: “The Messenger of Allah said: A section of my people will not cease fighting for the truth and will prevail until the Day of resurrection. He said: Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their commander [the Mahdi] would invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some.” – Hadith Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0293, Narrated by Jabir bin ‘Abdullah. ‘The Prophet [Muhammad] said: There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus. He will descend (to the earth)… He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish jizyah. Allah will perish all religions except Islam.’ – Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 37, Number 4310, Narrated by Abu Hurayrah: see also Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Number 656. The Match Between Islamic History and Eschatology with Biblical Prophecy So lets play this out (I won’t include references to avoid too lengthy a post). The Seventh Head (Birth 622; Succession 1453) The 7th Head/Empire as has been established is the Islamic Empire of the Ottoman Dynasty, beginning in 622 with Muhammad, and succeeding the Roman Empire in 1453 with Mehmet/Muhammad II ‘The Conquerer’. The Mortal Wound: World War I (1914-18) to the Abolition of the Caliphate (1924) The 7th Head is to have had a Mortal Wound. Mortal wounds are wounds that lead to death which is why some translate it “wounded to death.” 8thdaypriest also rightly pointed out that it is a wound inflicted by a “sword” (Rev. 13.14). A sword in this context, it seems to me, represents war (swords are used for violent warfare) on a global scale as depicted in Rev. 6.4, which depicts a red horseman with a “great sword” turning planet “earth” into a slaughtering ground with no “peace”. In 1914 the first truly global war got underway. In that war the crumbling Ottoman Empire was called upon by its ally Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany to attack the British assets in the Middle East/Asia/North Africa. This culminated in one of the greatest invasions of the war at the Battle of Gallipoli where allied forces tried to take Constantinople. They failed, but won the war. The hero to come out of this battle was Mustafa Kemal, soon to be known as ‘Ataturk’, Father of modern day Turkey. Eventually, the result for the Ottoman Sultans was that the more secular politicians started taking over, and this finally culminated in Ataturk becoming the lifelong president of the newly formed Turkey, abolishing the Turkish Sultnate, and thus ringing the death knell, once and for all, for the 1400-year reign of the Islamic Caliph. Total utter decimation. This was a massive shock to the Islamic world. For the first time in its history there was no caliph. So, in my estimation, the First World War was the ‘wound struck by the sword’ that Rev. 13 refers to. As suggested by the phrase “mortal wound,” it was a wound that gradually over a short period of time would lead to its death. The Islamic Caliphate of the Ottoman Dynasty being struck in World War I, gradually led to its death in 1924 when Ataturk abolished the Caliphate after 1400 years. Gone. No more. Shock. Disaster. The Wound Healed: The Return of the Islamic Caliphate and The Rise of Islamic State (2014) And ever since, Islamist groups have been calling for its return, from the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, and now Islamic State, who actually believe they in 2014 have brought it back! And many are starting to recognise that they have successfully done so, since they are actually functioning like a state. And now more and more Christians are beginning to recognise this phenomenal act of historical proportions. They announced it in June 2014. Interestingly enough, the Islamic Empire was born in the same month June back in 622. And now, they are calling for the return of the Mahdi (Beast) and Jesus (Lamb/False Prophet)! Exactly as Rev. 13 foretold! The Image of the Beast Comes to Life What’s even more fascinating (as if that wasn’t fascinating enough!) is that the Islamic Scriptures and scholars tell us that there is to be brought forth out of the earth an actual Beast that marks the heads of believers and unbelievers! “And when the word is fulfilled concerning them, We [Allah] shall bring forth a beast of the earth to speak unto them because mankind had not faith in Our revelations.” - Qur’an 27.82 (Pickthall translation) “The task of the Beast will be to distinguish the believers from the non-believers, with Prophet Moses’ staff it will draw a line on the forehead of every believer whereby his face will become bright and luminous and with the ring of Solomon it will seal the nose of every non-believer where by his whole face will become black. Thus there will be complete distinction between the Muslim and non-Muslim…” – Abu Huraira-Musnad Ahmad/Tirmidhi, by Shaykh Ahmad Ali in his Major Signs Before the Day of Judgment. Similar Hadith narrated by Ibn Majah in Kitab al-Fitan, Hadith 4061, 2 – 1351, 1352 and Ahmad, Musnad, 2 – 295. What’s even more fascinating is that this Beast has a similar description to that in the Bible!: “[The] Beast is some form of ultra-conglomerate of many different animals.” – Tadhkirah al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi. Of course, other details of the Islamic scenario are seemingly mythical and strange, but the core crux of the end-time belief as well as Islamic history matches Biblical prophecy in an eerie and unique way. The Seventh Head The Islamic Empire (Born in 622) of the Ottoman Dynasty Succeeded the Roman Empire (1453) The Mortal Wound of the Seventh Head by the Sword of Global War World War I (1914-1918) Strikes a Final Blow to the Ottoman Empire which Culminates in the Abolition of the Caliphate (1924) The Wound Healed The Rise of the Islamic State Caliphate (2014) The Appearance of the Antichrist “Beast” and the False Prophet Jesus Imposing Worship of the Beast The Coming of the Mahdi and Isa (Islamic Jesus) who will Impose Islamic Worship on the Whole World The Bringing to Life of the Image of the Beast that Marks Followers of the Beast Distinguishing them from True-God Believers The Bringing Forth of a Conglomerate-Animal Beast that Marks Muslim Believers, marking a Distinction between Muslim and Non-Muslim There is nothing match like this in any other religion. Why reject it? Something to think about. God bless

Just read this and couldn't agree more. I don't particularly have anything against using real names nor do I have anything to hide, but I personally don't want too, at least not at this current moment in time. For the reasons listed above and also, due to the fact that just by Googling a person name you can get a slew of information. I didn't even think of search engine results until you said this. But its true, I have no social media accounts of any kind yet I can find myself on the internet because others have posted my name or picture on Face Book, or the likes there of. This is what I don't like, the unintentional display of information to others. Thus, I have shortened my handle as the original contained part of my name. I work at a large organization, we have a team of people whose SOLE jobs are to search social media for employee posting negative comments concerning the company or posting pictures that aren't suppose to be shown. I'm getting off topic I feel, but yeah, it's amazing how much you can find on someone just by their name.

Read More Daily Jesus Scripture: Matthew 5:44 Starting Question: Have you ever prayed for an enemy? Have you ever loved one? Serving Your Enemy The northern riders, darkly robed, came at dusk—when they came. Without warning or pattern to the attacks, they would gallop gracefully through town grabbing any child within reach. They always came when they needed more. But only they knew when that need arose. The townspeople waited each day in fear that today the riders would return. As quickly as the torrent of riders rushed in one end of town, they would flow out the other, followed only by tears of mothers and shaking fists of fathers. She had been one of those children. Taken—playing in the street. Now she served as the personal slave of the commander’s wife. The commander who led the raiding parties. The commander who planned attacks on her parents and their people. Yet, she did her best to serve. She wanted to please her mistress, to follow instructions and to love her new family. Yes, love. It was the way of her people. The people of the one true God. Only one word was required to define their indescribable God—love. While she had no choice about leaving her mother and father, she did have the choice of whether or not she would leave her God. And she chose to love. She chose to hold onto her people by holding doggedly to their God—and living the way He required. She would serve willingly and love generously. Never could she have imagined the reward it would bring her. The glimpse we are given in scripture of this little girl is fleeting. She is unnamed. But her master is well known, for he was the leader of all the armies of Aram. He too may have been left unnamed, had he not encountered the love of this young slave girl. Because of her, he became part of the narrative of the Israelites—her people—as a blazing testimony of the power and love of her God. His name was Naaman. His story can be found in the fifth chapter of 2 Kings. It is a story of numerous amazing things—not just the miracle healing often told as a children’s story. There is much more in this brief chapter of Scripture. The character of God is revealed. And the character of His true followers is demonstrated through the slave girl, through God’s Prophet Elisha and ultimately through the healed Commander of Aram’s armies—Naaman. All because of the love of one small girl who, hearing that her captor had leprosy and believing she had a God who was able to heal, said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:3). Having lived in the house of Naaman for some time, the slave girl would have known of his military genius. His king had high admiration for Naaman. As did, unbeknownst to him, his slave girl’s God. This foreign God—the Israelite God—demonstrated His inclusive nature, in the life of Naaman, when “through him the Lord had given Aram great victories” (vs 1). Only later, would Naaman realise how very involved the true God was in his life. Thousands of years later, Jesus would say, “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44). Could it have been the presence of this little slave girl—her prayers and her love—that brought the hand of God and His military blessings to Naaman? ** Continued in Confessing Brokenness tomorrow ** Reflection Question: What blessings could you bring your enemies by making them your friend? How would it also bless you? Prayer time: Before you pray together, ask: What would you like to say to Jesus today? View the full article

Why oh why do they do it? No winners here on any level, just potentially ruined lives.

This kind of violence is why we need a judgment and Jesus to come again to make everything right