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1. On December 17, 2021 at 9:11 am, Bill Buppert said:

   Every gun-store large and small is a privately funded BATFE field office tracking private weapons ownership through completed 4473s, ID checks and computerized background check tracking.

   I happen to live in a state (AZ) where private transactions can be done without any of that government interference in my rights.

   I haven’t used a 4473 or the associated tracking nonsense since 1991 when I got smart about this.

2. On December 17, 2021 at 1:55 pm, Fred said:

   Here is the whole sentence that Herschel references:

   13 “I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
   14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
   15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
   16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”

   It’s easy to breeze past some things in these verses and focus on the glorification of Christ as the only Potentate, King, Lord. It’s easy because He deserves all glory.

   That conversation between Pilot and the Lord Jesus is here in part:

   “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 18:37

   This is also extraordinarily interesting, but verses 1 Timothy 6:14-15 are very important to understand. Why would Timothy’s mentor tell him to keep the commandments of this letter without spot or cause for rebuke if the “…appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” was thousands of years off?

   In fact, Paul charges all he writes to throughout his letters to be ready for the coming of Jesus Christ. He knew the people he was writing to personally and cared for and about their eternal souls.

   Was Paul an inaccurate prophet? If he knew that his charges were, in the early days of the church, to be personally ready for the appearing of Jesus Christ was he then sowing confusion among those believers (and us)? Well, Scripture is infallible, and God is most definitely NOT the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) but of truth, and all truth by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13)

   There is no evidence that Paul thought his letters would one day be Canon, although Peter may have thought so. And at any rate, the immediate and first application of the New Testament apistles must be that they were written to real people, in real churches, that were being taught, encouraged, admonished, and yes warned of things that directly affected them personally. Although we do know that all scripture is Holy Spirit inspired, it’s weird to think that Paul is speaking past the recipient of a personal letter and is only addressing us thousands of years later! Incredulity is the word.

   Paul in verses 14 and 15 is speaking of the soon coming judgment of the Lord against those that slew the prophets (Matthew 23:31) and rejected the cornerstone (Matthew 21:42) that was being made the head of the corner, King of kings, Lord of Lords, this Christ of God, Jesus.

   These letters in Scripture must be read first for the immediacy, even urgency of the tone to the first century churches to whom they are personally addressed. And so must John’s letter to the seven churches(Revelation), which were real people in real towns in real fellowships that John and likely other apostles knew personally.

   There’s no mysterious mumbojumbo about these letters!!!

   Now, verse 15 definitely used the plural “times.” You can be sure that 1, Jesus did come in power, might, and glory as the Lord of hosts when he judged that generation into the wastebin of history, ending that religion by the destruction of the temple in the year 70ad, making of Himself heir of all things and head the corner, the head of His church which the Father has given Him. For this, the first century churches had to be ready. And 2. That He surely is coming back!!!

   In the meantime, dear Christian brothers and sisters, you are NOT to be merely waiting for Him. You are COMMANDED to build the kingdom of God (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 1:8) in every nation, among every tongue and people before His throne (revelation 7:9).

   So, making application for us today:
   Are you born again? (John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:3)
   Do you trust in the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation? Do you believe? Have you the Holy Spirit of promise? (Ephesians 1:3) or are you a bunch of fakers? (Matthew 13:20-21)
   Why won’t you do as He commands?
   Do you not believe that walking in the works He has forordained according to His will (Ephesians 2:10) is worth the reward of eternal life? (John 10:28)
   Why do you grieve the Holy Spirit? (Ephesians 4:30)
   You too must be ready, He is coming back!

   America and indeed all of western civilization is falling apart because you won’t work the works of righteousness!!! (Isaiah 32:17-18)

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