I find it fascinating. I regret it took me this long to realize this.
rtm3039
Ray......if you can find the time to do just a little work on Bible numbers and math, you will never be able to stop.
I find it fascinating. I regret it took me this long to realize this.
rtm3039
Hi. I have a few ideas about Revelation that I think deserve an airing. I would like to start with a paper I wrote a few years back that identifies the first and second beasts of Revelation 13 as the Early Pagan Roman Empire and the Later Constantinian Roman Empire respectively. Please excuse the condition of the manuscript, it is a bit marked up.
The Two Beasts of Revelation Identified | PDF
This paper maps the two beasts of Revelation 13 onto the early pagan and later Christian Roman empires respectively. July 10, 2020, Please see "An Appendix to The Two Beasts of Revelation Identified" for additional information on this subject.www.scribd.com
I was researching summaries about the book of Revelation, and found this little gem. Thought I would share it...
SUMMARY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION By David Buck (October 18, 2009)
This paper is a summary chapter by chapter of the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is prophetical in nature and contains much symb...studygodorg.blogspot.com
I belong to one of those mega churches. We have a stage, a band (aka: worship group), a production room, a production team, and broadcast to sever other churches and on-line. I have not missed a weekend, since first attending in January. Since I am a member of the volunteer security team, I usually attend all three Sunday services and, on occasion, the Saturday service. Granted all this attendance is almost "work related," however, I do pay attention to the message.
Now, we have a saying at my church. They are really big on small groups and noted that "A small group is what makes a large church small." At last count, we have over 400 such groups, which meet at church and/or private dwellings. We have a small group for anything you can think of:
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My group falls under the Special Interest category of security and we even have a group focused on firearms. Thenami, you should come over as my group has a vary large number of unmarried 50 somethings. We too have a celebrate recovery group, but they are treated a little different. They even have their own special place to attend services; mostly because we have some who are a little over the top and we feel the need to watch over them a little closer (we have had some try to solicit female members of our guest services team and, at least one was either drunk of high a couple of weeks ago).
Ok, here comes my point. To me, my church is actually my small group "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” Matthew 18:20 (NIV). The actual physical establishment, I see more as the larger community from which all is centered. Yes, this is where the message is first heard, but it is through the small groups that the real study comes (granted, as some of you know, my small group has had some serious drama this past year, but that's another story). However, as a larger community we also have what we call the "Carrying for Miami" ministry where community (big church) members go out as a larger group to feed the homeless, deliver food to needy kids, provide maintenance to some schools, run a mobile dental program, visit the elderly, etc.
I guess this is subject to interpretation. I enjoy going to church because I enjoy how it makes me feel. I feel at home there. I show up early (around 8:00, with the first service being at 9:00). I like to watch people coming into service, I like to watch guest services to their early morning group prayer, and like to meet with my small group (we officially meet on Monday nights) to plan the security process for that particular weekend. I like the first cup of coffee when I meet with the active duty cops that work the services and I like having brunch at the volunteer kitchen. I guess, as my bottom line, when I am physically at my church, I feel like I have temporarily left the "crap" that is our "big city" reality and have stepped into a whole new world that is as it should be.
rtm3039