[TheRealThing]

Sorry for the sabbatical guys, I thought I might give time for our leftist group thinkers on here to look up some more fake founder's quotes.

News flash--- the word of man does not eclipse the Word of God. The words and intents of the founders have been under serious left-revisionist attack since the turn of the 20th Century at least. The left have maligned, misquoted, extrapolated, distorted, unjustly accused, misconstrued and otherwise lied about this nation's founding. And although I find the words and selfless actions of the founders inspiring, God is still sovereign.

Attacking character and word twisting is a ploy that is at least as old as man himself. Satan used the tactic to tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden which, ultimately led to man's fall. God told Adam as straightly as it could have been said, not to eat of the one tree because once he ate of it, he would surely die. Then came along Satan who working through the serpent, suggested to Eve that God did not want them to eat of the tree of knowledge because doing so would cause them too, to become as gods "knowing good and evil."

Only one rule had to be kept, but Adam did not obey even the one rule. It has been said that Adam and Eve were created innocent, but not righteous. Righteousness is innocence which has been tested through temptation. Integrity of character is developed only in such way. Men who celebrate giving in to sin as something to be proud of, have subscribed to Satan's deception. They tell themselves they are wise and accuse those who live righteously as to the Lord, as being fools. At this point J Vernon McGee makes a distinction between the religions of the world and Christians. "Christianity is not a religion; Christianity is Christ. There are a lot of religions (in the world), but the Lord Jesus went right to the fountainhead when He said, "Ye must be borned again."

Anybody can join a cult for example, and just joining a Church is a similarly futile gesture. Christians are born of the spirit, and theirs is a regenerative choice based on Godly sorrow and repentance, that causes one to become "a new creature in Christ." Further, long before we could ever hope to discuss doctrine and the other things of God, as I posted earlier in the thread; God put the knowledge of Himself within us. We are born into this world dead in trespass and sin; but the gift of God is eternal life through the justification of Jesus own shed blood and Who died in our place on the cross. The Lord would have us all make the right choice but make no mistake. It is our choice. We all know of the existence of God, therefore at the judgment those who have rejected Him will be without excuse.

As to some of the comments made in this thread. Men quoting other men in the attempt to put the character of God on trial is absurd and abominable. Not to mention an act of service to their true father, the devil.
John chap 8   Jesus speaking---
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

All truth in this world is of God---
Romans 3:4
Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

In other words among the things we can be certain of in this life is the fact that God's people will be judged by this world. It simply cannot be escaped. To be judged and suffer any scoffing which might come my way for the cause of Christ IMHO, is a high honor. They scoffed at Christ Himself as He hung on the cross after all, did they not? Nonetheless, the Christian's charter is to warn and spread the good news of Christ among men. He will do all the judging, and He will do all the actual saving of men's souls.

But as has been pointed out by our liberal friends, this is a thread about the end of time. Time is a mere commodity that God uses like a matrix. A construct if you will, to give men the opportunity to be born into this world in order to make one monumentally important decision. For or against Christ. And then like a vapor, this life is over and it's out into eternity either to be with God, or separated from Him. And what is eternity? I submit it is the absence of time. For us eternity has a starting point because we have a beginning, we all have baby pics to prove that. But it has no end. It's all in with Who and where you spend it.

So back to J Vernon's observation about righteousness of character. We all have a choice to make. To duck making that choice and immerse ourselves in the cares, rewards and pleasures of this life is in and of itself, a choice against Christ. No we all choose, one way or the other. The Lord has been compared to the Church's bridegroom. He wants all to choose Him, but He knows not all will. In fact, "few there be that find it."