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I would like to discuss what it means to put on the whole armor of God. What does it mean to put on "the helmet of salvation" ? I can't say that I've ever clearly understood that armor - and what it means to put it on. Can we talk about that?

It goes beyond belief (mental assent) in our salvation. Ideally, it is unconditional confidence in our salvation - based on our trust that Jesus is who He says He is, has done what He says He has done, and will do what he says he will do - regardless of what the world and our senses tell us. It's not because of who we are, but because of what He's done. It's not because of what we've done, but because of Who He is. As stated above, it is harder to have this confidence when we continue in sin. Doesn't mean we will be "perfect"; just "complete".

When we continue in sin, we also weaken our faith in our salvation; essentially taking of four helmet.

The "sword" hangs on the "belt" - so one can carry the sword with him everywhere. Is this something like "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you." When we sin, we are weakened and have less strength to fight.

It won't be a "second chance". It will be the FIRST opportunity these people have ever experienced. Paul said the Gentiles must HEAR before they can believe. I Thessalonians 3:16 [Persecution by Jews and pagans] “forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved,” To paraphrase Paul, “If we don’t speak to the Gentiles about Christ, they cannot be saved.” You must HEAR the truth, to BELIEVE it. People who could not hear (for whatever reason) could not receive the truth or be "saved". Those who accept EGW believe it is just that such people be left "like beasts" "as if they never were". I cannot accept that as just. Jesus died for those people. He carried their sins. To leave them like dead animals, when they might have believed if presented with the Gospel is not justice. It is not justice to leave human beings as "collateral damage".

December 2019 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter Don't miss Cyber-Monday at www.AdventistBookCenter.com FREE shipping on December 1 and 2, 2019. The Signs of the Times newsletter is a collection of stories and quotes from past issues ofSigns and These Times. *************************** Usually the stories in this newsletter are short. This story is an exception. The powerful reminder of God’s care, combined with a Christmas story makes it one well worth reading during this holiday season. I remember a day one winter that stands out like a boulder in my life. The weather was unusually cold, our salary had not been regularly paid, and it did not meet our needs when it was. My husband was away much of the time, traveling from one district to another. Our boys were well, but my little Ruth was ailing, and at best none of us were adequately clothed. I patched and repatched, with spirits sinking to the lowest ebb. The water gave out in the well, and the wind blew through cracks in the floor. The people in the parish were kind, and generous too; but the settlement was new, and each family was struggling for itself. At the time I needed it most, my faith began to waver. Early in life I was taught to take God at His word, and I thought my lesson was well learned. I had lived upon the promises in dark times until I knew, as David did, who was “my fortress, and my deliverer.” My husband’s overcoat was hardly thick enough for December, and he was often obliged to ride miles to attend some meeting or funeral. Many times our breakfast was cornbread and a glass of milk. Christmas was coming; the children always expected their presents. I remember the ice was thick and smooth, and the boys were each craving a pair of skates. Ruth, in some unaccountable way, had taken a fancy that the dolls I had made were no longer suitable; she wanted a nice large one and insisted on praying for it. I knew it seemed impossible; but, oh! I wanted to give each child his present. It seemed as if God had deserted us, but I did not tell my husband all this. He worked so earnestly and heartily. I supposed him to be as hopeful as ever. I kept the sitting room cheerful with an open fire, and tried to serve our scanty meals as invitingly as I could. The morning before Christmas James was called to see a sick man. I put up a piece of bread for his lunch—it was the best I could do—wrapped my plaid shawl around his neck, and then tried to whisper a promise as I often had; but the words died away upon my lips. I let him go without it. That was a dark, hopeless day. I coaxed the children to bed early, for I could not bear their talk. When Ruth went to bed, I listened to her prayer. She asked for the last time most explicitly for her doll and for skates for her brothers. Her bright face looked so lovely when she whispered to me, “You know, I think they’ll be here early tomorrow morning, Mom,” that I thought I could move heaven and earth to save her from disappointment. I sat down alone and gave way to the most bitter tears. Before long James returned, chilled and exhausted. He drew off his boots; the thin stockings slipped off with them, and his feet were red with cold. “I wouldn’t treat a dog that way, let alone a faithful servant,” I said. Then as I glanced up and saw the hard lines in his face and the look of despair, it flashed across me that James had let go, too. I brought him a warm drink, feeling sick and dizzy at the very thought. He took my hand, and we sat for an hour without a word. I wanted to tell God His promise was not true, for my soul was so full of rebellious despair. Suddenly there came a sound of bells, a quick stop, and a loud knock at the door. James sprang up to open it. There stood Deacon White. “A box came by express just before dark. I brought it around as soon as I could get away. Reckon it might be for Christmas. ‘At any rate,’ I said, ‘they shall have it tonight.’ Here is a turkey my wife asked me to bring along, and these other things, I believe, belong to you. There was a basket of potatoes and a bag of flour. Talking all the time, he hurried in the box, and then, with a hearty good night, he rode away. Still, without speaking, James found a chisel and opened the box. He drew out first a thick, red blanket, and we saw that beneath, the box was full of clothing. It seemed at that moment as if Christ fastened upon me a look of reproach. James sat down and covered his face with his hands. “I can’t touch them,” he exclaimed; “I haven’t been true, just when God was trying me to see if I could hold out. Do you think I could not see how you were suffering? And I had no word of comfort to offer. I know how to preach the awfulness of turning away from God.” “James,” I said, clinging to him, “don’t take it to heart like this. I am to blame; I should have helped you. We’ll ask Him together to forgive us.” “Wait a moment, dear; I cannot talk now,” he said, and left the room. I knelt down, and my heart broke; in an instant all the darkness, all the stubbornness, rolled away. Jesus came again with the loving word, “Daughter!” Sweet promises of tenderness and joy flooded my soul. I was so lost in praise and gratitude that I forgot everything else. I do not know how long it was before James came back, but I knew he, too, had found peace. “Now, my dear wife,” he said, “let us thank God together.” He poured out Bible words of praise, for nothing else could express our thanksgiving. It was eleven o’clock and the fire was low; and there was the great box, with nothing touched but the warm blanket we needed. We piled on some fresh logs, lighted candles, and began to examine our treasure. We drew out an overcoat; I made James try it on. It was just the right size, and I danced around him; for all my lightheartedness had returned. Then there was a cloak, and he insisted on seeing me in it. There was a warm suit of clothes also, and three pairs of woolen hose. There was a dress for me, yards of flannel, and a pair of arctic overshoes for each of us—in mine was a slip of paper. I have it now and mean to hand it down to my children. It was Jacob’s blessing to Asher: “Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” In the gloves, evidently for James, the same dear hand had written, “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” It was a wonderful box, and packed with thoughtful care. There was a suit of clothes for each of the boys and a little red gown for Ruth. There were mittens, scarfs, and hoods; and down in the center, a small box—we opened it and there was a great wax doll. I burst into tears again; James wept with me for joy. It was too much. Then we both exclaimed again, for close behind it came two pairs of skates. There were books for us to read—some of them I had long wished to see—stories for the children to read, aprons and underclothing, knots of ribbon, a gay little tidy, a lovely photograph, needles, buttons and thread, a muff, and an envelope containing a ten-dollar gold piece. At last we cried over everything we took up. It was past midnight, and we were faint and exhausted even with happiness. I made a warm drink and cut a fresh loaf of bread; James boiled some eggs. We pulled the table before the fire, and we enjoyed our supper. You should have seen the children the next morning! The boys raised a shout at the sight of their skates, and Ruth caught up her doll and hugged it tightly without a word, then went into her room and knelt by her bed. “Look here, wife; see the difference?” We went to the window, and there were the boys out of the house already, skating on the ice. My husband and I both tried to return thanks to the church that sent us the box, and we have tried to return thanks unto God every day since. Hard times have come again and again, but we have trusted in Him, dreading nothing so much as to doubt His protecting care. Over and over again we have proved that “they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”—Anonymous, These Times, December 1958. Quote: “The word of God is solid; and it will stand a thousand readings; and the man who has gone over it the most frequently and the most carefully is the surest of finding new wonders there.”—By James Hamilton, Signs of the Times, June 17, 1908. *************************** Don't miss the January, 2020 issue of Signs of the Times: To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or CLICK to online. *************************** NEW from Pacific Press—Christmas In My Heart, Vol. 28--When the first Christmas in My Heart book rolled off the presses in 1992, Dr. Joe Wheeler had no idea it would develop into the longest running Christmas story series in America. Book 28 is a collection of Dr. Wheeler’s favorite entries from books 1–13, including three of his original stories. To get into the holiday spirit, gather your loved ones around the dinner table or snuggle into a favorite chair with a steaming cup of cider and read a story each day in the weeks before Christmas! CLICK to read the first chapter of this book online. Order online or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955. *************************** An old Scotchman was asked whether he ever expected to go to heaven. “Why, man, I live there,” was his quaint reply. Let us all live in those spiritual things which are the essential features of heaven. Often go there before you go to stay there.—Unknown,Signs of the Times, April 16, 1894. Quote: “When we look into the long avenue of the future, and see the good there is for each one of us to do, we realize, after all, what a beautiful thing it is to work, and to live, and be happy.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, October 28, 1913. *************************** Place this in your church bulletin or newsletter: Send a GIFT that helps your friends and neighbors find hope and meaning in these momentous times. Each month Signs of the Times takes on a broken world and directs hearts to Jesus for relevant answers. The result is changed lives! Order from your Adventist Book Center. Call 1-800-765-6955 or go online at: http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/signs-of-the-times-magazine-yearly-us-subscription.html *************************** A small boy was perched far out on the branch of a tree, enjoying a luscious red apple, when a kindly passerby offered a word of warning. “Sonny, it is dangerous out there. That limb might not be very strong; and, should you fall from away up there, I am afraid you would be hurt.” “I’m all right, mister,” bluntly came the reply. “I’ve been up here lots of times, and this old limb doesn’t even crack. Watch!” And, with this invitation, he began to swing the branch violently up and down like a springboard. There was a loud crackling noise, and a very surprised little lad found himself half stunned on the hard ground. Between sobs, he lamented: “I didn’t know that limb was all rotten in the heart! It looked strong from the outside.” Many things appear to us as that limb looked to that lad before he learned its true condition. We are not as Christians to put our faith in material things—things of the world—or to trust too much in men, even though from all appearances they seem trustworthy. From such trust can come only disappointment. Our faith must be in God. “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” Psalm 146:3.—By Alexander Clark, Signs of the Times, January 20, 1942. Quote: “I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the disciples, but a great deal about the Acts of the Apostles.”—By Horace Mann, Signs of the Times, January 8, 1908. *************************** Are you looking for a gift to give a friend this holiday season? A gift that will remind them of Christ and His love? Check out the books and materials atwww.AdventistBookCenter.com *************************** Our Friend By Mark Vanderbilt Signs of the Times, February 11, 1913 God sent His singers to the earth To tell us of our Saviour’s birth, And shepherds watching in the night Heard voices praising in the height. A holy Friend from heaven came To win our hearts from sin and pain, A Friend whose merits can suffice To win us back to Paradise. A Friend so close I can not tell, A Friend who doeth all things well, A Friend more close than any ties Of human love or sacrifice. His love has bridged the gulf of sin. Accept His love, and peace within Will fill the soul, and there abide In heavenly graces glorified. *************************** Compiled by Dale Galusha. Please pass this newsletter on to others.

Joe: With all due respect the word is only mention 3 times in the Bible. But all of the scholar who believe in the angels chooses to pick the root word, "nâphal," which means fall, not the fallen ones. Here is the problem what people choose to do and that is make up words that the Hebrew root does not state at all. You then become upset, why because to your knowledge it has "1,500 root words; each with different nuances of meaning."The Hebrew root words that scholars want to claim has many so call shades of many? So our HEAVENLY FATHER Word is not true HE DOES NOT CHANGE? Because these Bible scholars today have stated this factual. Just like they stated that the language is Semitic and it is not! The Phonecians the Afrikan Canaanites created it. YAHSHUA stated that angels do not marry, and THE FATHER Said when have HE ever call any angel HIS son! These Scriptures do not matter? I have not seen shades in ancient language like there are shades today. Even ancient Greek do not have shades that actually started in the Middle Ages. My question is why have a Bible, why believe that YAHWEH is real, why accept any of it if there is so many shades. We go back and forward on these things because we want to refute the obvious. Now, Rev 9:1 is plain. John sees an angel fallen and it is a know fact that the angel was speeding just like a star. I explain earlier about the morning star and what it meant. So, now the superhumans along with the angels are release? No Scripture to back this up. YAHSHUA didn't say it, YAHWEH never claimed it at all. The Bible said very clear that Adam was made a little lower than the angels, but nothing anywhere that you claim. The Bible in Jude and Peter states clear that Satan angels were place in prison and a special angel had the key. Same angel instead being a star, takes Satan and throw him in prison. You know Joe, we think everything center around just this earth. Really! YAHWEH stated that HIS SON created the worlds and everything. But we think that everything has to be just about the earth. If you read Job, when YAHWEH spoke to him, YAHWEH stated where was he when made all things. On earth and beyond! Do we think we are the only ones, just us? We can't even fathom to realize that like the Adams which I brought a long time ago, that Rachel stated that son in Hebrew also means children! We are not the only world and that is what so sad. You don't even see that Satan tried to tempt them as well. We are the only one that fail. These beings had to be lock down are they would have destroyed this earth. Here were are dealing with them wanted to have sex with flesh beings, really? When they are constantly known to destroyed everything in site. You seem not to remember in Luke, YAHSHUA dealt with a man that had a legion of angels torquing him. Yet, the man recognize YAHSHUA and he freed him from the legions of evil angels. They begged not return to prison, (scholars change that too, causing again confusion), so they ask mind you to go into the swine. They have to ask, yet they can take flesh woman and have sex, really! They cause the swine to go crazy and killed themselves. Now, this story could be told and Job learn about the mysteries of the Universe, but we can't know the truth about the angels. They can't even killed the wicked unless THE ALMIGHTY allows them. But yet they can take flesh beings for sex when they want! You want it to be accepted like those people in the days of Noah convince them that there would be no flood! The Garden of Eden was still there at that time, so they knew. There was a flood and you have not yet, told me how did these superhuman die in a flood? When we are trying to make sense of things as believers of the Bible, we should not get angry. We need to come and reason together, the Bible said or is that a nuance too? What should we believe is my question with so many nuances. THE HOLY SPIRIT is obsolete if that be the case! YAHWEH just chose a language to confuse us and to tried to make the Bible to say what we want! What the use to many nuances to know right for wrong! Is this our fate Joe? I want to know! Finally, you cannot use "nephilim," wrong word, the scholar uses the root word "nâpha." And they do not tell the truth it only means fall. I haven't seen shades can you show me? I am serious! Take care be blessed! I will all respect you and pray for you!

You (and everyone else) are free to do and think whatever you like. My comment was to JoeMo, and was an endorsement of *his* beliefs based on *his* study.

5 Things You Didn't Know About John Lennon's Death_3 On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York by Mark David Chapman. The death stunned the world, and the details only make the case stranger and sadder. Here are five things you didn't know about John Lennon's death... Lennon's Death Was Announced as a Football Game Was in Its Last Tense Minutes Monday Night Football was on when news of Lennon's death broke, but the network couldn't quite cut away. The game was in its final minutes. Given how upset fans can get when a game or show is interrupted by an emergency weather alert, TV-viewing fans probably wouldn't have been too keen to miss those last few minutes of play. Instead, as Howard Cosell and his colleagues gave the play by play for the game, Cosell announced Lennon's death and said there would be more news after the game. Mark David Chapman Said He Tried to Talk Himself out of Killing Lennon The moment of the murder was not the first time Chapman and Lennon had encountered each other that day. Lennon actually gave Chapman an autograph earlier that same day, and even Chapman admitted that Lennon had been very kind to him. In between those two meetings, according to Chapman, he prayed for help to stop his plans to shoot Lennon. Chapman said he was too obsessed with killing Lennon to stop himself. No One Knows Where His Remains Really Are Yoko Ono had Lennon's body cremated, but she hasn't revealed where the ashes are. This is understandable as the site would no doubt be a target for vandals and thieves. Fans think the ashes might be in Strawberry Fields, a section of Central Park in New York that is dedicated to Lennon, but no one has found and verified a specific location. The Most Iconic Picture of Lennon and Yoko Ono Was Taken the Same Day He Died Just hours before he was killed, John and Yoko posed for Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz. The picture depicted a nude John wrapped around a clothed Yoko Ono. Now known as one of the most iconic pictures ever taken of the pair, it graced the Rolling Stone's cover on January 22, 1981. In 2005, that cover was named the top cover of the previous 40 years by the American Society of Magazine Editors. Chapman Said He Killed Lennon Just for the Attention Chapman did not have lofty societal goals when he shot Lennon. Despite claims that Chapman was angry at Lennon for his claims about God and other religious and philosophical issues, Chapman has been adamant that he shot Lennon just for the notoriety. Chapman did admit to being jealous about Lennon's posh New York digs at first, but he has also said that by the time he shot Lennon, it was all about gaining fame. Chapman apparently had a list of celebrities to shoot, including Johnny Carson and George C. Scott.

Pam, it does not take an expert on linguistics and semantics. The Strong Dictionary is a Bible Dictionary. Also, Biblehub.com uses a lexicon which like the Strong and American English Dictionary breaks words down to their meaning. I never heard anyone question an American English Dictionary, that I had to learn in elementary how to use. I think that is how we learn our semantics. I still struggle with it today. If one needs to know what something mean don't you think it would be wise to find the actual meaning? We use the Bible to learn how to travel to Heaven! Satan has thrown many false words that has become so common in the Bible. Now, I ask you why does the Bible continually say seek understanding? How do you propose we do that? Blessings!

Joe, I hurt when you think it is about a point of view. It is about what something actually means in the Bible. You nor I can change that! Remember we are to believe the truth. Many want to keep Sunday because their ancestors did. Their ancestor probably didn't know the truth and lived up to all they knew. So that person cannot blame their salvation on their ancestors. What truly makes me frustrated is the translation which cause so much confusion. Trying to understand the diversity of modern cultures is difficult enough. Hebrew is an African language and it must be understood in that language, grammer, syntax, meaning and so forth. We cannot bank on English words they have two many shades of meaning. That is why it is so hard for people of different countries who become American citizens have a hard time understanding it. I was born here and I have a hard time! I pray that you hang in there the truth will alway prevail and you will see! With much respect and blessings!