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The Rapture: What Is It?

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Keith Ranville
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« on: March 05, 2010, 12:23:56 am »



The Rapture is an "end times" event ("eschatological" event) where Jesus Christ returns for His Church and believers who are "alive and remain shall be caught up together…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). This is the time of the resurrection, where each Christian receives his or her resurrected body. First to receive their new bodies are those who have died as Christians, and then, those who are "alive and remain."

      Take notice, I am telling you a secret. We shall not all die but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed"
      (I Corinthians 15:51-52).

The Rapture: When Will It Happen?
The timing of the Rapture sparks a great debate within Christianity. Does it occur before, during, or after the tribulation period? The tribulation is a seven-year period that immediately precedes the return of Christ and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, which lasts for 1,000 years. The first 3 ˝ years of the tribulation will be a time of peace and cooperation, and the second 3 ˝ years of the tribulation will be a time of war and catastrophe. At the midpoint of the tribulation, the Antichrist will proclaim himself god and require worship from all people of the world. Many will bow down and worship the Antichrist, including taking his mark of worldwide registration. Some will refuse to worship the Antichrist and receive his mark, and many will be killed for this act of disobedience. The second half of the tribulation is referred to as the "Great Tribulation." There will be extraordinary catastrophes all over the world during this period. (For scriptural support, see Revelation 3:10, Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 17).

So, the main debate on the Rapture is not what it is, but when it will occur in relation to the tribulation. In summary, the pre-tribulation view is that the rapture will happen before the tribulation period; the mid-tribulation view is that the rapture will occur half-way through the tribulation period; and the post-tribulation view is that the rapture will occur at the end of the tribulation period.

The Rapture: Does the Timing Matter for Believers in Jesus Christ?
The pre-tribulation rapture is a wonderful hope for believers in Jesus Christ. However, whether we live to see a pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture, or whether we die prior to any type of rapture at all, the key to eternal salvation is, in all cases, our belief and faith in Jesus Christ alone. Be secure in your relationship with Christ, and nothing else really matters.

      "...For I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I have gone and have prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself so that where I am, you also will be"
      (John 14:2-3).

      "For with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven, and those who died in Christ will rise first. Afterward we, the living who remain, will be cauht up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall forever be with the Lord"
      (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

http://www.allaboutgod.com/the-rapture.htm
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Keith Ranville
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« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2010, 12:25:31 am »

The rapture: Hoax or Hope?

The rapture is Christian belief that forms a major part of the current teaching and expectations of fundamentalist and other evangelical denominations. In its most popular current form, the doctrine involves Jesus Christ returning from Heaven towards earth. In violation of the law of gravity, saved individuals -- both dead and alive -- will rise up in the air and join Jesus in the sky.

The concept of the rapture is found in the Bible -- 1 Thessalonians 4 -- and is supported in other passages. Unfortunately, the Bible is ambiguous about exactly when the rapture will occur. Most believers in the rapture suggest that it will happen just before the expected seven-year Tribulation -- a time of great suffering, instability, the devastating War of Armageddon, and the largest genocide that the world has ever seen. Some suggest that it will happen just after the Tribulation when Jesus finally returns to Earth.
bullet   

The doctrine of the "post-tribulation rapture" was taught by Christianity starting in the first century CE and was popular until the 19th century. It is still held by some Christians. It teaches that when Jesus Christ returns to earth after the tribulation, believers who are alive at the time will be changed into immortal glorified bodies.
 
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A relatively new competing belief promoting a "pre-tribulation rapture" was developed during the 19th century and has become a near universal belief among fundamentalist and other evangelical Christians. This belief has Jesus returning towards the Earth before the tribulation. Christian believers -- both dead and alive -- will rise in the air to meet him in the sky. It will occur without warning. Believers in the pre-tribulation rapture have eagerly anticipated the event since the 1840s and have never given up the hope that it will occur in their very near future.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/rapture.htm
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« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2010, 12:26:44 am »

Chile Quake: The Earth's Axis Moved

by Michael G. Mickey
(3-2-10)

Luke 21:11: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

In the immediate aftermath of Chile's 8.8 magnitude earthquake, many around the globe held their collective breath waiting to see how much the Pacific Ocean had been jostled by it, millions fearing the quake may have unleashed a gigantic tsunami that was racing quietly toward the coastlines of their nations where it would later rush ashore to claim many lives and destroy tremendous amounts of property. By the grace of God, no severely damaging tsunami waves crashed on distant shores but what we're today learning may have taken place as a result of the quake is almost beyond comprehension in scope, more lasting than even a catastrophic tsunami event would've been.

SPACE.com is reporting that the Chile quake "may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet." Richard Gross, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California is quoted in the article as saying the length of an "Earth day" may have been shortened by 1.26 milliseconds. I know that doesn't sound like a lot of change but we're talking about the earth's axis being moved!

As quoted in scripture above, Christ said events like the one we just saw in Chile are but the "beginnings of sorrows", events of this magnitude qualifying as red flag indicators of His return drawing near.

If you're reading this and you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it's past time to begin considering to do so. It's such an easy thing to do, something you must do to have any hope whatsoever of living in a world where there will be no death, sorrow, pain or crying (Revelation 21:4). And who wouldn't want to live in a world like that?

The clock is ticking

Make no mistake about it, on many fronts the prophetic indicators of Christ's return are manifesting in the world around us, seemingly more often and more dramatically all the time. In the prophetic future, perhaps even today, Christ is going to call His Church to meet Him in the air, after which seven years of tribulation will be visited upon mankind the likes of which has never been seen before in human history, the culmination of which will be the visible, physical, bodily return of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom at Armageddon.

If you're not a Christian? My prayer is you will choose Jesus Christ today. This is no time to be indecisive concerning where you want to spend eternity. The midnight hour is fast approaching and you can't afford to be left behind.
http://www.rapturealert.com/2010/030210earthaxis.asp
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« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2010, 12:28:07 am »

Chile: The Day After

by Michael G. Mickey
(2-28-10)

Yesterday's earthquake in Chile was so powerful it ranks among the top 10 earthquakes in recorded history. Let's have a look:

         1. May 22, 1960 - Chile - magnitude 9.5
         2. March 28, 1964 - Prince William Sound, Alaska - magnitude 9.2
         3. December 26, 2004 - Sumatra-Andaman Islands - magnitude 9.1
         4. November 4, 1952 - Kamchatka peninsula, former Soviet Union - magnitude 9.0
         5. August 13, 1868 - Arica, Chile - magnitude 9.0
         6. January 26, 1700 - Northwestern US coast/southern British Columbia, Canada) - magnitude 9.0
         7. January 31, 1906 - Off the Coast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador - magnitude 8.8
         8. February 27, 2010 - Central Chile - magnitude 8.8
         9. February 4, 1965 - Rat Islands, Alaska - magnitude 8.7
        10. November 1, 1755 - Lisbon, Portugal - magnitude 8.7

There are a number of ties in terms of magnitude included in the list of history's most powerful earthquakes prepared above, the simple point of which is to demonstrate that yesterday's earthquake qualifies to make anyone's list of 'Top 10' earthquake events in recorded history. If we grouped all tying events by magnitude, the 8.8 Chile quake would be tied for #5 all-time.
Not only did the earthquake itself leave many of us awestruck, approximately 25% of the world's population watched and waited to see what impact, if any, the Pacific rim rocker would have on the seas near them, with many still remembering clearly the horrific events of December 26, 2004 when a devastating tsunami generated by a 9.1 quake listed above killed hundreds of thousands of people in Asia. Fortunately, for all concerned, no waves of that amplitude struck but it is noteworthy to state ocean waters were affected by the quake's intensity as far away as Hawaii, Japan and Russia to name a few, an 'attention getter' if you will.

Jesus said of the end times, as recorded in Scripture:

    Luke 21:11: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

    Mark 13:8: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these [are] the beginnings of sorrows.

For the people of Chile, reminiscent of a recent earthquake event that left many of the people of Haiti who survived in tears, yesterday's quake marked a "beginning of sorrows" for them. As such, we need to be prayerful for the Chilean people and charitable as we feel led but looking beyond the Chilean earthquake for a moment, Christ's prophecy indicates that a world that has forgotten its God is only now seeing the beginnings of things to come. As the old saying goes, we ain't seen nothing yet.

In 1st Thessalonians 5:3, Paul likened events connected to the end times to a pregnant woman in labor. Just as contractions become more frequent in occurrence and more intense in degree leading up to the birth of a child, that is what lies ahead in the immediate future.

Everything is normal - or not

In a LiveScience article that seemed expressly written to allay people's fears that the earth is shaking more violently than it has in times past, some scientists implied that the Chilean quake was "just Mother Nature as usual" but Stephen S. Gao, a geophysicist at Missouri University of Science & Technology, confessed "relative to the 20-year period from the mid 1970's to the mid 1990's, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 or so years. We still do not know the reason for this yet." What do his words tacitly admit to? From my perspective, that fulfillment of Christ's prophecies concerning the end times are manifesting in the world around us.

Keep your eyes on the skies! Jesus Christ is Lord and He IS coming soon!
http://www.rapturealert.com/2010/022810chile.asp
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« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2010, 12:32:15 am »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC2wpQhBG6E&feature=player_embedded


The top threat to America lies within?


by Michael G. Mickey
(2-22-10)

Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano is saying that domestic extremism is now every bit as big a concern as the threat posed by international terrorists of the variety that committed the attacks of September 11th. I'm not sure I agree with her on that issue, but the following is an excerpt from an MSNBC article detailing what she had to say on the topic:

    Americans who turn to terrorism and plot against the U.S. are now as big a concern as international terrorists, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Sunday.

    The government is just starting to confront this reality and does not have a good handle on how to prevent someone from becoming a violent extremist, she said.

    In the last year, Napolitano said, she's witnessed a movement from international extremism to domestic extremism — cases in which Americans radicalized and decided to plot attacks against the country.

Considering the above is coming from a woman who not too long ago cast every American who opposes abortion, has a military past, believes in bible prophecy, opposes illegal immigration or the Left imposing further restrictions on firearms ownership as 'right-wing extremists', I read the article in question very attentively. To that end I want to stress that Secretary Napolitano said nothing - absolutely nothing - of that sort in this instance.

Napolitano is quoted as having said, in part, "What really is it that draws a young person being raised in the United States to want to go and be at a camp in Yemen and then come back to the United States with the idea of committing harm within the United States? Where in that person's formulation is there an opportunity to break that cycle?"

If there's a word in all I read of what she said that concerns me, it's the use of the word "really" in the question above.

I don't know about anyone else but I would love to know what Napolitano thinks is really driving Americans to turn against their own country. Why? Probably because, even though all of the examples she listed were of young people using radical Islam as a vehicle to turn against the United States, there is no way - and I mean NO WAY - the Left is going to reach the obvious conclusion which is that radical Islam is to blame.

Islam is, after all, a 'religion of peace', one that government reports seem to indicate had nothing to do with the recent shooting deaths of 13 and the wounding of 30 others at Fort Hood by an American-born Muslim named Nidal Malik Hasan.

Of the Fort Hood shooting, TIME magazine wrote the following:

    "Hasan wore his radical Islamic faith and its jihadist tendencies in the same way he wore his Army uniform. He allegedly proselytized within the ranks, spoke out against the wars his Army was waging in Muslim countries and shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is great) as he gunned down his fellow soldiers."

TIME noted that the Pentagon's official review was conducted by "former Army Secretary Togo West and the Navy's onetime top admiral, Vernon Clark", neither of whom felt it necessary to "drill down into Hasan's motives".

As a former police officer, I can tell you that I never encountered a case involving an act of violence that I didn't feel it necessary to drill down into the motive of the suspect. Even if the course of an investigation I conducted revealed an event to have been one of random wickedness, I knew I was going to be testifying in a court of law with the suspect's future, as well as the victim's opportunity to see their suffering avenged to some degree, hanging in the balance.

Give me the Fort Hood case and a handful of witnesses who would testify in court to Hasan's radical Islamic beliefs demonstrated prior to the shooting, as well as a few who heard him shouting praises to Allah as he gunned down innocent people, and I would've shouted from the rooftops, "This was a hate crime committed by a follower of radical Islam!" But our government didn't do that. They just couldn't bring themselves to piece together what really drove Hasan to do what he did.

Isn't it funny how some things work today? So-called 'right-wing extremism' poses such a threat to our nation that Christians (or even secular conservatives for that matter) who do nothing other than believe in bible prophecy, hate to see babies torn to shreds inside their mother's wombs, or simply believe they should be able to own a firearm as outlined in the Constitution can be pinpointed by our Leftist government as potential threats against our nation, but a guy shooting up one of our military bases and killing our troops in the name of Islam? That isn't worthy of so much as a mention in an official government report detailing multiple homicides!

While I am somewhat hopeful, based on what I read of Napolitano's most recent comments, that even the Left is beginning to see the threat posed by radical Islam, I know how the Left operates as a rule of thumb, which causes me to take anything seemingly positive in nature with a heavy dose of salt as opposed to a mere grain.

Even if the Left casts a wary eye in the direction of anti-American sentiments seeping into our freedom-loving society via some of the mosques in our nation, I can't help but suspect the Left will seize each and every opportunity that comes down the pike to demonize conservatives of every variety along the way, particularly those who are conservatives of the Tea Party variety. Michelle Malkin wrote a commentary recently that highlights why I am only cautiously optimistic quite nicely.

Malkin wrote, in part, the following concerning the pilot who recently made national news by flying a small airplane into an Austin, Texas office building, Joseph Andrew Stack:

    Stack had deadly grudges that transcended partisan lines. But within minutes of the story breaking, a furious left-wing blogger at the popular Daily Kos website -- where countless Democratic leaders have guest-posted -- fumed: "Teabag*** terrorist attack on IRS building." The article immediately cast blame on the anti-tax Tea Party movement: "After months of threats on the United States government, and government institutions, the Anti-Government forces known as the teabag***s have struck with their first 911 (sic) inspired terrorist attack."

    At the eponymous mega-website of Arianna Huffington, a 2,000-plus comment thread was filled with allusions to "teabag***s":

        * I would bet he has a membership card to teabag nation and the Glenn Beck fan club!
        * Tea bag bomb.
        * Good to see natural selection still works! Tea party Unite!
        * This guy sounds just like a teabag***.
        * Oh please. This has tea bags dripping all over it.
        * I hope teabag***s are proud!! ...
        * Great opening day for CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference) isn't it??
        * This guy sounds like a Tea Partier first class! Maybe that movement is more DANGEROUS to our freedoms than they let on! Be afraid America, BE VERY AFRAID!
        * He was a Tea Party Terrorist.

    In the early aftermath of the suicidal pilot's attack, there was no evidence that Stack belonged to a Tea Party organization. In any case, no law-abiding Tea Party group would ever condone what he did. But it didn't stop the haters from immediately smearing advocates of limited government. And it's just the latest in a long line of calculated attempts to paint the vast majority of peaceful Tea Party activists as terrorist threats to civil society.

The bottom line? Hard Left liberals like those in the Obama administration tend to be hard Left liberals all the time, which is why I think it would be more than a little naive of us to dismiss the possibility that, sooner or later, the conclusion is going to be reached that what is really behind the great threat posed by domestic extremism is religion in general, particularly fundamentalist religion. Leftist government reaching a conclusion like that would be safe in their eyes, politically correct by its inclusive nature, lumping every Christian who believes the bible is literally true, a great deal of its content being politically incorrect, alongside Muslims of the extremist variety.

Think I'm being paranoid in suspecting that? If so, ask yourself how conservatives of every type, conservative Christians numbered in that group, have been openly labeled as potential threats to our nation with no apologies offered by the Obama administration in contrast to how lead from an openly radical Muslim's handguns flew all over Fort Hood, killing many and rending the flesh of many others, never losing sight of the fact that the official report subsequently filed on the incident made no mention of the role the gunman's faith played in the bloodshed whatsoever.
http://www.rapturealert.com/2010/022210topthreat.asp
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« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2010, 12:34:06 am »

Obamacare, Whether You Like It Or Not

by Michael G. Mickey
(2-23-10)

On Thursday President Obama, along with Democrats and Republicans, are going to hold a healthcare summit, the purpose of which (or so we are to believe) is to open the lines of bipartisan communication and help President Obama gain support for a revised version of his healthcare reform plan, but is that true? I don't believe so based on what I'm reading all over the web.

Has President Obama's healthcare bill really changed?

The following is an excerpt from a OneNewsNow.com article on the topic:

    President Obama claims the 33 policy changes outlined in his healthcare proposal will bridge the gap between the two very unpopular House and Senate bills, but one healthcare reform expert says the plan is not much different from the bill that passed the Senate on Christmas Eve.

    President Obama in advance of Thursday's televised healthcare summit has unveiled a healthcare plan that would cost nearly $1 trillion over 10 years, and according to the White House would provide coverage to more than 31 million uninsured Americans. It would be paid for by a mix of Medicare cuts, tax increases, and new fees on healthcare industries. The plan would also allow the government to deny or roll back insurance premium increases.

    Not only would the president's proposal increase the cost of the Senate bill from $871 billion to $950 billion, says Dr. Robert Moffit, director of the Center for Health Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation, but it retains all the objectionable portions of the Senate bill.

Not a lot of positive change there from my perspective, unless one considers sinking the United States another $79 billion in debt is an upgrade.

America, as a whole, has never taken a fancy to what many refer to as Obamacare. A vast majority of people from all walks of life have consistently and resoundingly voiced their opposition to it from the very start and yet here we go again! No wonder February 22nd's daily tracking numbers provided by Rasmussen indicate that 41% of Americans strongly disapprove of the Obama presidency! Americans keep saying no to Obamacare and the liberals keep saying yes, even daring to leave the possibility that Americans opposed to abortion are going to soon be paying taxes to fund precisely that on the table.

Taxpayer Funded Abortion?

ONN is quoting Susan Muskett, legislative counsel for the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), as saying President Obama's latest Senate-authorized healthcare bill is "the most expansively pro-abortion bill ever brought to the floor of either house of Congress since Roe vs. Wade."

The Obama administration is "clearly turning its back on the will of the people", according to Muskett.

We The People Have No Voice

Americans are beginning to figure out that 'We The People' have been effectively removed from having a voice in the affairs of our nation's business and it isn't sitting well.

The screaming voices heard at town hall meetings all over the nation, even Republican Scott Brown's surprise election win in Massachusetts, apparently didn't get anyone in the Obama camp's attention. Why? I'm not sure but perhaps it's because the liberal media has consistently portrayed everyone who doesn't support the liberal agenda of President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid as fringe radicals. Hardly the case, but maybe the Obama administration believes that tall tale is going to gain traction if told enough times and trust me when I say it's going to be told a lot on the way to 2012, especially if the Tea Party movement continues to influence politics beyond the media's ability to snuff it out.

Exemplary of the image the mainstream media is projecting of everyone opposed to Obamacare, Ken Shepherd of Newsbusters had the following to say concerning a photo gallery Newsweek recently posted to the web depicting the angry faces of town hall protestors:

    As my colleague Tim Graham brought to my attention this morning, Newsweek is not content to let its advocacy for ObamaCare lie in the realm of biased writing. Nope, it appears the gang at Newsweek wants to help along President Obama by lampooning earnest Americans who expressed their displeasure last year at town hall meetings.

    Why Newsweek chose now to roll out its photo gallery on "The Town Hall Face" now is anyone's guess, but I believe it's part of an effort by Newsweek to deride the skeptical American public as too deranged to understand how good ObamaCare will be for them.

Propaganda. Pure unbridled liberally-motivated propaganda.

A Mere Photo Op

As the healthcare summit draws near, evidence is mounting that the event is little more than fluff, an opportunity for President Obama to get even more face time in front of the mainstream media's cameras than usual, and, perhaps, a chance for him to get in a few soundbytes for his friends at MSNBC to place on a near continuous loop on their network. Why do I say that? Because the Democrats are already suggesting that some version of Obamacare is getting passed into law in the not-too-distant future regardless of what happens at the summit, defeating the purpose of a summit taking place to begin with!

The Hill is reporting the following, in part (emphasis added mine):

    President Obama's new healthcare proposal will likely gain only Democratic support, and that's a good thing, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) said today.

    "[T]his bill is a 51 vote plan and not a 60 vote plan – that is great news," Weiner said in a statement. "Democrats wasted a year bowing to the altar of Olympia Snowe, Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson and it got us nowhere."

    Weiner's comments suggest that Obama hopes to pass his plan using budget reconciliation, which would only require 51 votes.

Remember how much media time was spent in recent months trying to calculate whether the Democrats had enough votes to ignore the will of the people, the magic number being 60, and pass Obamacare into law? Well, it seems the liberals have figured out a way around that little issue in the wake of 'The People' being heard in Massachusetts where Republican Scott Brown took Democrat Ted Kennedy's vacant Senate seat, dropping their vote total down to 59.

Here's how Reuters explains how the 60 votes once needed to pass Obama's healthcare plan has dwindled down to 51:

    Although they have 59 seats in the Senate, and not the 60 needed override Republican attempts to prevent a vote, Democrats could push legislation through using a particular process requiring a simple majority in the 100-member Senate.

    Republicans have blasted that idea as forcing Americans to swallow an overly ambitious plan that the country cannot afford and that the public does not want. Democrats insist that the country cannot afford not to address the healthcare issue.

And to think that all of conservative America breathed a sigh of relief when Scott Brown won! We should've known better when it comes to the bunch we presently have representing us in Washington.

The bottom line? If you have entertained the possibility that Thursday's healthcare summit is going to be genuine in its purported intent to bring everyone on Capitol Hill together, ask yourself why the slick 51-vote trickery has surfaced as a possibility in the days leading up to it. Isn't it obvious?

From where I'm sitting the liberal message to all opponents of Obamacare, from the American people to our leaders in Washington, is clear. It goes something like this: "Obamacare is a done deal. In one form or another, it's coming whether you like it or not. We'll do whatever it takes to ensure that."

As a law-abiding citizen of this great nation, I am in no position to offer any meaningful response to the liberals at this point, but my time to be heard, November of 2010, is coming. Every bum I see on the ballot that smells the least bit liberal to me, whether they be Republican, Democrat, Independent or otherwise, can count on me voting against them.

Between now and November, making my concerns about Obamacare known and voicing my utter disapproval of taxpayer funded abortion is all I can do and all I advocate anyone of the Christian faith doing in response to the outrageously unconstitutional behavior of our leaders in Washington, but do them I shall.

In closing, my prayer is that God will speak to the hearts of His people here in the United States, as well as to our leaders. We, as a nation, have lost our way terribly of late with no let-up in sight, but prayer can change things. Prayer and living out God's will for our lives to the very best of our ability each and every day.

http://www.rapturealert.com/2010/022310ocare.asp
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« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2010, 12:47:02 am »

End of the World,

Biblical Account: 

Gospels,  Daniel,    Revelation

 

  Order of the End of the World   

  The 7 Signs   

Abomination of Desolation   Antichrist

  Great Tribulation   

  Second Coming of Christ    Rapture

   Last  Judgment   The Great White Throne

   The 7 Parables of the Second Coming   Armageddon         

   

   Gospels Account

"On the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Jesus privately , saying: Tell us... what shall be the sign of your coming, and the end of the world?" (Matt.24:3).

The disciples tied both events in the same question: "Christ Second Coming", and "the End of the World" (or "the end of age").

 

For many Christians this question is at the heart of their lives, and they are daily expecting the Second Coming of Jesus, and being caught up in the clouds...

... Millions of Evangelicals already died without being part of this Rapture... and many are wrong thinking the Rapture will take place "before" the Great Tribulation, when the Bible account says clearly otherwise: The Rapture will be "after" the Great Tribulation.

... Many Christians are also mistaken when they believe that the "elect" will not have to suffer the Great Tribulation because they will be Raptured before it: The Bible says the "elect", or the "chosen ones", will be in the Great Tribulation, and they will be Raptured after it, and it says it twice! (Matt.24:24, 31).

... Other Christians are confused expecting a "Millennium" of peace and joy on earth, after the "Second Coming of Christ"... and this is wrong!, there is no place for it in the simple, clear description of Jesus of the End of the World, in the three Gospels... and, on top of it, there would have to be a "Third Coming of Christ" at the end of the Millennium... absurd!... no place for that!.

... Millions of Christians are confused, because they do not read the clear description of Jesus about the End of the World in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and they misinterpret the beautiful prophecies of Daniel, Revelation, 1 Thessalonians 4, 2 Thess.2, 1 Cor. 15...

... Among them are many Protestants, Evangelicals, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses...

... To them I dedicate with love this simple writing.

 

The Order of the End of the World: As described in Matt.24, Mar.13, and Luc.21.

There are 4 main events, in the words of Jesus himself:

1- The 7 "signs" announcing it: Matt.24:4-14.

2- Abomination of Desolation: Matt.24:15-20. (For three and a half years.Dan.8, Rev.13)

   By the Antichrist.

3- Great Tribulation: Matt.24:21-28. (For another three and a half years. Dan.8, Rev.13).

    - The "elect" are on it (the Church!). It says it twice!

4- The Second Coming of Christ: Matt.24:29-41.

    - He will gather the "elect": Matt.24:34:31

    - Like in the times of Noah: Matt.24:36-39).

    - The Rapture: Matt.24:40-41.

    - The Last Judgment: Matt.24: 31-46.

5- The Parables.

The same Chronological Order is shown in Mark 13 and Luke 21, in the words of Jesus.

Then Matthew adds 4 parables, and Mark and Luke 2, to show us the way to live these times. Matt. 25 ends with the "Last Judgment", one the most glorious and practical pages of the Bible.

 

1- The 7 "signs" announcing the End (in Matthew 24:4-14):

They correspond to the "7 Seals" of Revelation, and they are called "labor pains" in v.8, coming every time stronger and with more duration.

1- The many "false prophets" that will deceive many, in v.5, corresponds to the 1st seal, the "white horse" (Rev.6:2). They are also in v.11, and in v.24, during the Great Tribulation.

2- "Wars and rumors of wars" in v.6; corresponds to the 2nd seal, the "red horse", in Rev.6:3.

3- "Famines" in v.7, corresponds to the 3rd seal, the "black horse" of Rev.6:5.

4- "Earthquakes", in v.7, corresponds to the 4th seal, the "pale green horse" in Rev.6:7.

5- "Persecutions and tortures to the elect", v.9, corresponds to the 5th seal in Rev.6:9-11.

6- "Many will fall away... lawlessness... the love of many will grow cold", v.10-11, corresponds to the 6th seal in Rev.6:12-17... and it is the "apostasy" or "the final rebellion against God" of 2Thess.2:3.

7- "This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world", v.14, corresponds to the 7th seal, in Rev.8:1, the 7 Trumpets!.

 

2- "The Abomination of Desolation" (in Matthew 24:15-20):

By the Antichrist

"When you see the Abomination of Desolation, of which Daniel spoke, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)...", in Matt.24:15.

When you go to "Daniel", he describes the horrors of this "Abomination" in 4 places: Daniel 8:11-17, 9:26-27, 11:31-32, 12:11.

These Abomination refers to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem... but Daniel states that "the vision refers to the time of the End" (8:17), and Jesus himself refers us to it in Matt.24:15.

This abomination will be the very first thing the Antichrist will do, as reported here by Jesus.

 

This "Abomination" consists of 5 facts:

1- "He magnified himself even to the prince of the host" (8:11).

2- "Abolished the perpetual sacrifice" (8:11): And as a logical consequence, if there is no "sacrifice", there will be no "altar", and   no "priests" to offer it... this is the main and most important feature, described by Daniel in his four descriptions of the Abomination in the Holy Place.

3- "Threw down his sanctuary" (8:11).

4- "Shall destroy the city" (9:26).

5- By his deceit he shall make some who were disloyal to the covenant apostatize (11:26).

The Jews already have this Abomination: They have no sacrifice, no altar, no priests, no temple... as it was prophesied it will happen after  the coming of the Messiah.

For many Protestants this "Abomination" means very little, because they already do not have the "perpetual sacrifice", nor "sanctuary", nor "altar", nor "priests", nor the "prince of hosts", which in Christianity is the successor of Peter, the Pope...

The Orthodox already do not have the "prince of hosts", nor "the city", like the Vatican.

Many Catholics wonder how come the Mass and priests could be abolished... but this already happened partially at the coming of Muhammad when there were 800 Christian bishops in Africa, among them St. Augustine, and in a few years there were reduced to just 5!... the "remnant" always mentions by Isaiah. And when Martin Luther came, in a few years millions of Christians were left without sacrifice, altar, and priests... So, this is what it will happened at the coming of the Antichrist during the Abomination of Desolation, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be abolished, and consequently there will be no need for altars nor priests to celebrate it... and, of course, a "remnant" will be left!.

As described in Daniel 8 and Revelation 13, the "Abomination" will last for 3˝ years, and the "Great Tribulation" for another 3˝ years.

 

3- The "Great Tribulation" (Matt.24:21-28):

"Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matt.24:21).

... So, it shall be a greater tribulation than the Flood at the times of Noah, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the 10 plagues of Egypt...

The "elect", the Church, will be in the Great Tribulation repeats twice: "for the elect's shake those days shall be shortened... false Christs shall deceive the very elect, if it were possible" (Matt.24:22,24).

- The "restrainer":

St. Paul talks about "that" or "the one" who restrains the Antichrist to appear, or who withholds him to appear, in 2Thess.2:6-7... and that "restrainer" is Jesus in the Eucharist!... when the Eucharist is abolished, the Antichrist will appear with full force!.

 

4- The "Second Coming of Christ" (Matt.24:29-49).

"Immediately after the tribulation... they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (24:29-30).

Jesus tells us many things about this, "His Second Coming":

1- It will be "after the Tribulation"... "Immediately after the tribulation"!.

2- In v.31: "His angels, with a great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect"... those of  his Church who just passed the Great Tribulation.

3- It will be "like in the days of Noah", says in verses 37-39: At that time only were saved those who were in the Ark of God, which was the Ark where Noah was, all the other big ships shrunk and the people in them perished... now it will be the same: Only shall be saved those in the Ark of Christ, which is the Ark where Peter is!, or his successor, the Pope... all the other churches shall shrunk, and the people in them shall perish (2Pet.2:5).

4- The "Rapture": "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (24:40-41).

This is the time and order of the "Rapture" described in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, 1Cor.15:52... it will be "after" the Great Tribulation.

The essence of this Second Coming of Christ is "to Judge": The bad ones to Eternal Hell, and the good ones to Eternal Heaven... most beautifully described by Jesus himself at the end of the "Sermon of the End of the World", in the "Last Judgment" of Matt.25:31-46.

Jesus will come this time in glory, and he will not come "to save" anybody, but "to judge"... this is the time of salvation!... right now!... do not wait until the Second Coming of Jesus to be saved (2Cor.6:2).

Armageddon

 

4- The "Last Judgment":

This is the bottom line of the "Sermon of the End of the World", in Matthew 25:31-46, a long description!... its essence, the works!, the fruits!, is also the essence of the "Great White Throne" in Rev.20, and of Rom.2:5-10, 2Cor.5:10, Jn.5:29.

Many Protestants do not like it, do not understand it, and very rarely mention it, one of the most brilliant and practical pages of the Bible.

In the words of Jesus himself, in your Last Judgment, you will not be asked: Did you had faith in Christ, or in Buddha, or in Moses?... you shall only be asked: Did you give bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty?... so, come in!.

.... You shall not be asked: Were you a Catholic, or a preacher, or a Muslim, or a Hindu?... you shall be asked: Did you clothed the naked, and visited the sick and those in prison?... so, come in!...

You shall not be judged for the "free gifts" you received, but for what you did with those gifts, for the "fruits" you produced!...You shall not be judged for the strong hands you have or for your beautiful face, but for what you did with those hands and face... you shall not be judged for the gift of faith, or the gift of the Bible you received, or for the Church you belong to, but you shall be judged for what you did with that faith, and for you did with the knowledge you got from the Bible, and for what you did with the help of the Church...

"St. Paul", repeats the same in Rom.5:2-11, and he is still more specific when he ends up saying "for God shows no partiality", he shall judge with the same measure the Christian, and the Muslim, and the Hindu, and the carnival of 5,000 years ago... each one shall be judged by the "fruits" he produced, not by the "gifts" he received, because "there is no partiality with God" (Rom.5:11).

        In the "Great White Throne" of Rev.20, the "works" are the only reason mentioned. The faith or the church you belong to are not even mentioned!... "And the dead were judged according to the works, as recorded in the books", and repeats it again: "the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Rev,20:12,13)... the "works", the "works", repeats twice!... the "fruits" made with the free gifts, not for the "gifts"!.

Description of the "Last Judgment":

The "King"... and "all of us":

This "Last Judgment" of Matt.25, starts presenting Jesus, the King, on his throne of glory, escorted by all the angels... and there we are, all of us!... since Adam to the last person on earth... the living and the dead... all the nations assembled!, since the beginning of the world... the Egyptians, the Romans, the Chinese, Americans, Christians, Hindus, Muslims... all of us!... the living and the dead, because the dead will be resurrected with same body and soul they had on earth... and they will be first! (1Thess.4:13-16)...

... And each one of us shall be judged by his or her "works", by what he or she did with the free gifts he or she received... because "there is no partiality with God" (Rom.2:11).

It is glorious:

Whatever we do to our neighbor, we do it "to Jesus"... 13 times Jesus repeats it!... nor "for Jesus", but "to Jesus himself"!... though there is a Bible that wrongly translates "for m", instead of "to me" or "unto me" in verses 41 and 45 of Mat.25.

... If we give bread to a nun, we are giving bread to Jesus... if we give water to a Jew, we are giving it to Jesus... if we cloth a Muslim or a Hindu, or a drug-addict, we are clothing Jesus himself!...

... If we do not give the bread of truth to a pagan, we are not giving it to Jesus... if we do not teach an ignorant, we are not teaching Jesus... if we hate an African, or an European, or a Mormon, we are hating Jesus himself...

... 13 times repeats it Jesus, and ends up saying: "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me"... not "for me", as some Bibles translate, but "unto me"... "unto Jesus himself"! (Matt.25:40)...

... And Jesus ends up the long and most practical discourse saying: "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, the righteous into life eternal" (Matt.25:45-46").

... I pray you and I are among those on the right side, who go into "life eternal" on the day of the Last Judgment, at the end of the world.

 

... Then, the "Faith"?:

... Then, if the "works" are the only one requirement in the Last Judgment, what about the "Faith"?... is there a "contradiction" in the Bible?:

No, there is not a contradiction: The "Faith" is a very important "free gift" that God gives to us... we all want to love, but nobody can love, because we all are "selfish", we love ourselves, and "selfishness" is exactly the opposite of love... but if God is in us, then we are going to love, and not us, but God who is in us...

... And the way to have "God in us", is "by Faith"... by Faith in the Son, or faith in the Father, says John 3:36 and 5:24... and that's why is so important the gift of "Faith"... Faith is the foundation of Christianity, because only by Faith we can have God in us... and only with God in us we can do good works to be written in the book of life, for the Great White Throne judgment...

... By faith we are saved from the devil, and receive God in us, becoming children of God... Faith is the very foundation of Christianity... but we are not yet in heaven!... we are still on earth, and still "free" to reject God... by Faith we do not become "robots" nor "animals"... we still can sin!... and , in fact, we all sin after having been saved by faith!... we all still can become another Judas!...

... So, who can deliver us from this body of death that we are?: The grace of God -thanks be to him- through Jesus Christ our Lord... because we, with the mind serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin...

... This is why "Faith" is very essential, the most important treasure-gift we can receive from God... the only one capable of making us erupt in love, and joy, and peace... the only one gift to save us from our selfishness, making us capable of doing "good works"... "Faith in the Son", or "Faith in the Father", says John 3:36 and 5:24...

... We don't have faith because we do good works, but we have faith, as a free gift from God, to do good works... like the Prince: He is not a Prince because he does good works, but because he is the son of the King... but he is a Prince to do good works, though he still can do nothing, or do bad works, becoming a bad Prince, deserving severe punishment, because he had many "talents", many "gifts", but he did use them.

 

... And the "Church", and the "Bible"?:

Again, both are very important free gifts from God, millions did not have them!... and you will not go to Heaven because you read the Bible, or because you belong to the Church of Christ, but because of what you did using these two great treasures!...

... You can be in the Church, or read the Bible, and still sin... and, in fact, we all Christians sin!...

... Otherwise, millions in the world never have the Gospels nor the Church of Christ... nobody before Christ!... and Jesus himself told us that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets are in Heaven (Matt.8:11, Luc.13:28)... because "there is no partiality with God", who wants every human in Heaven, everyone since Adam!... and He shall judge each one of us particularly with the same measure: The "good works" each one did, written in the "books of life" of Rev.20:11-15, in the "Great White Throne" of judgment.

 

5- The "Parables":

The 3 Gospels add "parables" to this "Chronological Order of the End of the World" to show us the way to live these times.

Mark 13, and Luke 21, describe 2 parables. Matthew, in two chapters, 24 and 25, with 4 parables, and ends up with the incomparable "Last Judgment" of chapter 25, with the same substance that the "Great White Throne" of Rev.20.

1- The "fig tree" (Matt.24:32):

This is the first parable described in the three Gospels, to emphasize the importance of reading the "signs" of the coming of the End of the World.

 

2- The Times of Noah (Matt.24:37-39). Already commented.

 

3- The Rapture (Matt.24:40-42). Already commented.

 

4- Coming like a "thief" (Matt.24:42-44):

This is the second parable in the 3 Gospels, emphasizing the need to be "alert" at all times, because Jesus will come at the time least expected, like a burglar does... keep alert!... stay awake!... they repeat on and on... be prepared at all times... because nobody knows the day of his coming, not even the Son, only the Father (Matt.24:36)... the Son as a man, does not know it, in the same way that the Son as a child could not speak, nor walk, and had to be fed... as God He knows it, of course!.

"The day of our Death": This is most important for you and for me, because the End of the World for you and for me will be "the day of our death"... as it was the End of their World for St. Paul, and Kennedy, and Stalin... the day they died!.

Matthew says that "the coming of the Lord will be like lightening striking". Luke describes it saying: "That day will come upon you unexpectedly, like a trap"... so will be the day of your death and mine, "unexpected", "like a trap", all of a sudden, "like lightening striking"... and so will be the "end of the world", as described by 1Cor.15:52: "we shall be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet"... so will be the end of the world, and most important, the end of your world and mine... on the day of our unexpected death!.

 

5- The faithful and wise slave (Matt.24:45-51):

To emphasice that the faithful servant will go to Heaven, and the wicked one to Hell, "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth"

 

6- The "Ten Virgins", or the "Ten Bridesmaids" (Matt.25:1-13):

In Matt.25, emphasizing again the need to be prepared at all times... the bottom line is again, "stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour" (Matt.3513)... we don't know the time of our death, the "end of the world" for us!.

 

7- The "Parable of the Talents" (Matt.25:14-30):

It is described in Matt.25, mentioned in Luc.21, and also described in Luk.18.

It is most important for us, emphasizing the importance of "our work": We will not be saved for the "talents" or "gifts" we have received, but for what we did with those talents or gifts... for our "fruits"... we will not be saved for the "gifts" of our hands, or heart, or faith, or Bible received, but for what we did with our hands, and our faith, and our heart, and our Bible received...

We will not be saved for the talent of being in the Church, or for the talent of being a preacher or a senator... but for what we did with those talents, with those free gifts... we will be judged for our "talents", but for our "fruits".

Many Protestants do not like this parable, but it is the teaching of all the Bible, and it is overemphasized in the description of the "Last Judgment", as we saw.

 

In the "Book of Daniel":

The same chronological order of the "End of the World" is presented in the Book of Daniel, not with so many details, and called there the "End of Times":

In Daniel 12:

1- There shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations have been until that time (12:1)... this the Great Tribulation.

2- The deed shall awake, some for everlasting life, and some to shame for everlasting contempt... in the Second Coming of Christ.

In Daniel 7:

1- The Antichrist and the great tribulation, in 7:1-12.

2- The coming of one like a Son of man with the clouds, given everlasting dominion, in 7:13-14.

 

In Revelation:

The same chronological order is shown, though is a little more complicated, and there is no space here to deal with it. I have written a book on it, but it is "in Spanish", and I will be glad to send it to you... we already commented the Great White Throne.

Come "for" his saints...:

Some Christians are confused thinking that Jesus has to come "for" his saints, in order to come later "with" his saints.

Jesus does not have to come for the "good thief", because he is already in Paradise (Luc.23:43)... and surely this "good thief" is not in Paradise all alone... surely, Peter, and Paul, and John, and millions of others are already in Paradise with the good thief... Jesus does not have to come "for" his saints, they are already with him!...

... And otherwise, it will mean two more Comings of Christ!, one before the Millennium, and another after it, which has no place in the Bible.

You and I are going to die, and soon!... before 100 years!... and two eternities are waiting for us, believe it or not: Eternally in Hell, or eternally in Heaven...

... I pray that you and I will go to eternal Heaven, with the "good thief" of Luc.23:43, and with Abraham, and St. Peter, and St. Therese... and if you are not a Christian, I pray you to go forever to the same glorious Heaven of  Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph, and Jesus the Messiah (the Christ in Greek). Amen.

 http://www.religion-cults.com/millennium/endworld.htm
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Keith Ranville
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« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2010, 12:50:04 am »



Will Christians be able to identify the Antichrist before the rapture?

It is very unlikely that Christians will be able to positively identify the Antichrist. The Word of God says that the body of Christ is removed before the Antichrist comes on the scene, see 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4,8). 2 Thessalonians 2:7 says, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” It is the church who must be taken out of the way before the Antichrist can rise up.


End Of Days
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Bob137
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« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2010, 03:00:40 pm »

So many misguided fools. The rapture is not going to be of someone coming here to save you, it will be the rapture of your mind, to a higher understanding, of the properties of each and every human, and that each of you have done each other harm. So I would suggest getting it together, and start treating all human beings and animals, and the earth and all creatures better than you have prior to this. Since you now know the truth you will have no excuse to say you did not know. You now know, and now you must act or suffer your own consequences from your own actions.  So I have spoken,and so it is written, so let it be done!
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archaeologist
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« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2010, 03:50:01 pm »

Quote
So many misguided fools. The rapture is not going to be of someone coming here to save you, it will be the rapture of your mind, to a higher understanding, of the properties of each and every human, and that each of you have done each other harm.

that is just wrong and the Bible is right when it says Jesus will come quietly to take His own back to heaven with Him. 

Guess what will be used to explain this sudden vanishing of people from around the world?  my guess is that it will be the alien theory.

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Warthanex
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« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2011, 01:40:54 am »

There won't be any mass exodus of Christians around the world.

How do yo know that your values are the same as God's?  Most of the ultra religious people I know will tell you that they are religious, but don't hold any of the values that Jesus does in the Bible.  Most would say they believe in the Bible, but don't know much about what is in it.

It could be that a lot of you are jerks and God doesn't have any interest in your brand of hate-spewing, prejudicial and hardliner Christianity.
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Brigster
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« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2011, 09:18:40 pm »

Typical librals.  We know we're gonna be raptured up cause we're good, God-fearin' Christians, that's how.
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Bob137
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« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2011, 01:30:55 pm »

A true believer would not only read the Bible from beginning to end, but would also do research from all the information out there on the true beginnings of the Bible, and all it's stories, and what was left out, and why, and the beliefs for Jesus and of Jesus, and what was real and what was not, and find out the whole truth, and then would become enlightened, and would no longer follow religious beliefs, but would become a spiritual person of enlightenment, and follow their own path, not blindly following the blind.
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Robert0326
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« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2011, 09:22:12 pm »

What is it?...  It is wishful thinking of deluded and poisoned minds.
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"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as His father, in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."     Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823 -Thomas Jefferson
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