Awesome insight there 2T.  Didn't notice that before.  Thanks!

Thanks 2T.  Before your answer I was kind of stressing over the "blindness" thing in Scripture.  Not that I believe that God's Word contradicts, just that there was a thirst within me for understanding concerning this subject.  I always wondered how God could blind people, etc.  Isn't this against His nature?  Doesn't He want all people to be saved and come to repentence?  If He blinded Israel wouldn't this be awefully anti-love so to speak?

Your answer confirmed what I believe God was leading me to believe.  Namely, that if we are blind, we are blind on behalf of our own doing.  Yes, God can supernaturally open people's eyes to the truth (like the remnant before His return), but His soveirgnty and wisdom righteously determines the times and people.

This leads me to another relative topic.  Jesus said that if Tyre and Sidon had seen the works that the Jews in His day had seen, then they WOULD HAVE REPENTED.  It seems to me that perhaps this Scripture indicates that God does ENOUGH (certainly) for each person who has ever lived to reach knowledge of the truth but NOT EVERYTHING WITHIN HIS POWER.  I have been somewhat troubled by this and wonder if you have some insight you would like to offer here.  

I used to always think that God would never let a soul perish in hell unless He did everything within His means to save them.  Of course, the Cross was EVERYTHING.  However, I am still somewhat confused over this matter.  But I have no doubt that God will bring me into His will concerning this matter and I thank Him for the thirst He puts within me.  Praise Jesus!!!

2nd Timothy, let me add this if you will.  The microchip founder Carl Saunders, of whom many have attempted in vain to discredit, says that the biochip consists of three compartments made up of 6 bits each.  I thought that that was interesting.  Do you think that the Rapture is a saved-based event or a reward-based event?  Certain parables of Jesus and His words to some of the churches in the Book of Revelation make me think that perhaps the Rapture is works-based.  Nothing to do with salvation though.  What do you think?

Wonderful testimony...God bless your heart!

Fabulous story...PRAISE JESUS!!!!

Just curious to know if you guys were aware that the Universal Product Code contains 666?  Notice that there are three bars, one on the left, one on the right, and one in the centre that are not showing their numerical value.  Take a guess at why!  Also, the Word Wide Web is encoded also.  In Hebrew, W's number value is 6.  www.com = 666.com  Also, notice the phrase WORLD-WIDE WEB, sounds like a synonym for the New World Order!  The antichrist will excercise power over all nations and kindreds and perhaps the internet is likewise a mechanism in this scam.  Not trying to sound depressing, just realistic.  What do you guys think?

Felix, I've never heard anyone describle the fall in such a manner before.  I like your reasoning.  Seems Biblical.  Never looked at it like that.  Thanks.

Peter, I know that this is your topic, I don't want to intrude here, but allow me to come to your defense concerning this issue if you don't mind.  

God told His people in His Word that His Word would abide for ever and be faithfully available unto ALL GENERATIONS.  The Modern Versions are all based on manuscripts (Aleph, Oleph, Alexandrian, Vaticanus, Sinaticus, etc.) that, for hundreds of years, WERE SITTING LOCKED UP INSIDE OF CAVES AND/OR THE VATICAN.  They were and are NOT the promised Divinely preserved texts that God promised.  That is enough to credit their dismissal.

The fact that the Modern Versions are MISSING WORDS that the Authorized Version (Textus Receptus) DOESN'T, means that one of them is right and one of them is wrong.  Take a guess at which is which.  Jesus said that man should not live by bread alone but by "EVERY WORD" that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Every word means every word.  We cannot and should not attempt to make Jesus' Words void or unavoidable with our finite, carnal understanding.  

The Holy Spirit will and would never lead someone to believe wholly in a Version that does not say "Thus saith the Lord..." but instead "SOME MANUSCRIPTS MAY CONTAIN...".  God is not UNSURE OF HIS WORD, let me tell you that right now.  The last few verses of Mark, 1 John 5:7, 1 Timothy 3:16, etc., are not MYSTERIES OR QUESTION MARKS to God.  He is absolutely certain whether or whether not they are inspired text.  The only manuscripts that pass the test concerning God's faithfulness of preservation and textual credibility is the Textus Receptus, the foundation of our King James Bible.

Your food for thought is interesting and somewhat relative.  Although not a mirror image of the principle at hand, they do seem to be parallels on some level.  Basically, I believe that God will never judge anyone (children, mentally handicapped) unless they have eyes where they can see.  However, if people who can see, see not and remain blind, it is THEIR OWN DOING, NOT HIS (GOD'S).  For example, Jesus said, "He who has EARS TO HEAR LET HIM HEAR", etc.  This isn't much of a debate topic but I thank you 2nd Timothy for your sound Biblical response.

Michael.

Thankyou both for your excellent replies.  2nd Timothy, I believe that God just confirmed my thinking through you.  He didn't say that the Pharisees were not blind, but that they SAID they were blind.  When Jesus said that certain people should not have sin, I believe that He was alluding to people who do not have the mental capacity to accept and/or reject Him on an intellectual basis.  Obviously the Pharisees did have this knowledge and that is what our Lord was implying.  Just wanted to clarify this in my mind and I am sure that God did this through you 2nd Timothy.  Thanks again!

Remember when Jesus said (paraphrasing), "If you were blind you should not have sin, but because you say you see, your sin remaineth."?  Yet Jesus also said to the Pharisees that they were "blind leading the blind".  A seeming contradiction at face value, however, just wondering what the correct understanding of these two verses, in light of one another, should be.  I have inclinations of what the Biblical interpretation is, just thought that maybe God will give me a more definitive one through one of you.

Also, God said that Israel is blind "in part" until the fulness of the Gentiles.  Does the fact that some of them are blind mean that their sin will not remain?  I know that the answer is no, just curious of what you guys will throw out there.  Seek and ye shall find, right???  

Remember on the day of Pentecost when they were all of "one mind" and "one accord"?  God wants that for us.  God wants His will to be our will.  God's will does not change.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  If you have different Christians thinking different things, someone is right and someone is wrong...because God is never wrong and never contradicts Himself.  No two Christians can disagree on any one topic and both be right.  For example, one Christian may say that Saturday Sabbath is right.  The other, may say that it is wrong.  In fact, they are both wrong because Paul the apostle said, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that one honours the day unto the Lord, and the other doesn't honour the day unto th Lord.  Any opinion other than this one is WRONG.  Plain and simple.

As far as I am concerned, all versions except the KJV are corrupted and NOT God's Word.  They CONTAIN God's Words, but ARE NOT God's Word.  Even if the NIV, NASB, etc., were only missing 1 word of what God intended to be there... why read them knowing that there IS A VERSION that does not omit 1 word?  The KJV and the others ARE NOT THE SAME.  Therefore, which version is right about what it says?  The version that says, "Some messages may contain...", etc., or the version that says, "Thus saith the Lord..."?  God is not unsure about what His Word may and/or may not contain.  God knows.  The last few verses of Mark are not a mystery to God.  The King James Version knows this.  But does your New Age Vaticanus manuscript???  Heaven and earth shall pass away...you know the rest.

I visted your website and read your testimony Mrs. Chosen.  God bless you...great is your reward in heaven!  Stand strong my sister in Christ...

What I am saying is this.  (The following illustration will provide a basis for my defense:) Some people pray for God to heal their headaches.  Yet, this same God they are praying to also gave them money and a drug store to buy medication in.  Yes, God does work miracles.  However, sometimes the answer is more simple than we would have assumed.  I believe that God usually only intervenes supernaturally when his provisions in the natural capacity will not suffice.  How does this apply to the situation at hand?  Some say, "Don't use contraception and just trust God not to get pregnant" (providing one believed that conception was not His will for them at the time).  Yes, God could answer that prayer.  But God probably won't because a little bit of faith in common sense (which He gave us) would rather dictate one taking a trip to the drug store for some condoms.  Our God is a simple God.  Take the cross for instance.  He uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.  My point is this: I think that God is capable of all things, yet at the same time, He wants us to utilize the capabilities He gave us: REASON AND COMMON SENSE.  Show me a verse in the Bible that explicitly condemns contraception and I will happily conceed.  Until then, this arguement appears to be splitting hairs.