Dispy Grace

@BaptistBavinck Any examples of numeric fulfillments so far that had less (not more) specificity than the prophecy itself? - 30 pieces of silver - 40 days in the wilderness (for Israel's 40 years) - 3 ordinal days in the tomb

“A thousand years means a thousand years!” Ok, well then, the cattle on a thousand hills belong to the Lord (Psalm 50:10). However that 1,001st hill…

@PDavidCMcGuire God works miracles in response to persistent prayer... in this case, the prayer that he would guide my family into all the truth. Still moving in that direction, got lots more to learn :-)

@DispyGrace From the cult of SDA to 1689 London Baptist

I'm considering joining a 1689 London Baptist confession church. It's wonderful, teaches the gospel, expository, elder-led, Christ-like shepherding, obeys the NT commands to church leaders. No other churches for many miles around match that description. I grew up SDA so I'm allergic to any a-priori theological commitments that don't clearly arise from scripture. And I just can't see reformed covenant theology or supercessionism there. (Note the church does not require "full confessional subscription" for members; I haven't asked about leaders.) I'm generally having trouble with the idea of holding to a historic confession that strays outside the bounds of gospel essentials. It seems to counter the spirit of "do not despise prophecies, but test everything, hold fast to what is good, avoid every kind of evil." God periodically shows people things in scripture that others haven't seen. They should share it with other believers and the church should test everything by scripture - we'd keep our discernment muscles strong (instead of merely saying "that doesn't align with our confession") while remaining open to greater depths in God's word.

@pamuszynski See John 6:29.

Christians: How do you interpret Romans 10:9 in context of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:20-23? By their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven

@DrGladd In other words, they never mean less than they would with an originalist reading (the plain sense to the original hearers). And they are sometimes revealed later to mean more.

@DrGladd Scriptural promises are like good software interfaces: open to extension, closed to modification.

Underappreciated line in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy: WE AFFIRM that God's revelation within the Holy Scriptures was progressive. WE DENY that later revelation, which may fulfill earlier revelation, ever CORRECTS or CONTRADICTS it. (Article V).

@Mark_Wilson_25 don't forget the Noahic and Priestly (with Phineas) covenants :) The Priestly covenant is reiterated and referenced repeatedly and finds its culmination in Ezekiel 44 where the descendants of Zadok (descended from Phineas) are given the job of ministering in the Ezekiel temple.

Did God redefine His covenants… or are His promises to Israel still unfolding exactly as spoken? From Genesis to the Prophets, Scripture reveals not one vague agreement, but four distinct, interconnected covenants made with Israel. When they are blurred or reassigned, prophecy collapses. When they are read plainly, a powerful, unified story emerges. Each covenant does not replace the previous—it builds, clarifies, and moves the promise forward toward its final fulfillment. ❖ The Abrahamic Covenant — The Unbreakable Foundation God begins with promise, not law. Genesis 12:2–3 “I will make of you a great nation… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 15:18 “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.” This covenant is unconditional. In Genesis 15, God alone passes between the pieces. Abraham does not. The promise rests entirely on God. And it wasn’t stated once, it was reaffirmed repeatedly: Genesis 17:7–8 “I will establish my covenant… as an everlasting covenant… I will give… all the land of Canaan.” Genesis 26:3 (to Isaac) “I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.” Genesis 28:13 (to Jacob) “The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.” This repetition matters. God is not revising, He is reinforcing. Jeremiah 31:35–36 “If this fixed order departs… then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” ▶️ The covenant is tied to creation itself. If Israel is redefined, then God’s language has no stable meaning. John Walvoord: “Israel’s covenants are not canceled by the Church; they await literal fulfillment in the future kingdom.” This promise sets the stage for everything that follows. ❖ The Mosaic Covenant — The 613 Commands and the Need Revealed At Sinai, God gives Israel the Law—traditionally counted as 613 commandments. Why so many? Because the Law was not merely moral, it governed every aspect of life: civil, ceremonial, dietary, priestly, and moral. It set Israel apart as a holy nation among the nations. Exodus 19:5 “If you will indeed obey my voice… you shall be my treasured possession…” Deuteronomy 28:1–2 “If you faithfully obey… all these blessings shall come upon you.” Deuteronomy 28:15 “If you will not obey… all these curses shall come upon you.” This covenant is conditional. It does not secure the promise—it tests and exposes the human heart. Galatians 3:24–25 “The law was our guardian until Christ came…” The 613 laws reveal something profound: not that Israel could achieve righteousness—but that no one could. The Mosaic Covenant does not replace the promise. It reveals the need for redemption within it. ❖ The Davidic Covenant — The Throne That Will Not Move God now advances His plan—from promise, through law, to a King. 2 Samuel 7:16 “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” Psalm 89:34–36 “I will not violate my covenant… his throne as long as the sun before me.” This is not symbolic language. It is covenant certainty. Luke 1:32–33 “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David…” If this throne is not literal, then no promise in Scripture can be read with certainty. And Scripture tells us where this throne will be established: Isaiah 2:2–3 “In the latter days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains… For out of Zion shall go forth the law.” Zechariah 14:9 “The Lord will be king over all the earth.” The Davidic throne will be in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, exalted above all. Not metaphorically—geographically, visibly, globally. Chuck Missler: “God means what He says, and says what He means. The covenants with Israel are not poetic—they are contractual.” A real King. A real throne. A real reign. ❖ The New Covenant — Offered to Israel, Fulfilled in the Future After failure under the Law, God promises transformation, not replacement. Jeremiah 31:31–33 “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…” This language is precise. It is never used for a spiritualized group. Ezekiel 36:24–27 “I will take you from the nations… bring you into your own land… I will give you a new heart…” Notice the order: Regathering → Cleansing → Renewal → Obedience This covenant was offered to Israel, and it still stands. Yet many assume it was transferred entirely to the Church. That assumption cannot stand under the text. Jeremiah 31:35–37 (partial) “If the heavens above can be measured… then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel…” Romans 11:25–27 “A partial hardening has come upon Israel… and in this way all Israel will be saved…” This is not God abandoning His people—it is God ensuring their ultimate restoration. The Church partakes in all the spiritual blessings through Messiah, but it is never called the nation to whom these covenants were sworn. ❖ Where the Confusion Begins The issue is not Scripture—it is misreading it. When the Abrahamic Covenant is made conditional, promise weakens. When the Mosaic Covenant is made permanent, law replaces grace. When the Davidic Covenant is made symbolic, the throne disappears. When the New Covenant is reassigned, Israel vanishes from its own promises. ❖ The Chain Reaction Spiritualized land → God no longer means what He says Symbolic throne → Messiah never rules from David’s line Redefined Israel → Covenant identity is erased Collapsed prophecy → Scripture loses predictive authority ❖ The Prophetic Anchor Zechariah 14:4 “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives…” This is not symbolic. It is visible, geographic fulfillment—exactly where God said it would happen. ❖ The Story God Is Telling These covenants are not competing—they are unfolding. The Abrahamic Covenant establishes the promise. The Mosaic Covenant exposes the need. The Davidic Covenant secures the King. The New Covenant restores the people. ❖ The Prophetic Crescendo Amos 9:14–15 “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel… I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted…” God does not revise His covenants. He fulfills them, exactly as spoken, in the place He promised, to the people He named.

@wordsofthislife Ezekiel and Isaiah describe a massive re-terraforming of Israel as well - the area becoming a massive raised plain or plateau

@wordsofthislife This could refer to the disappearance of the Mediterranean Sea. There's evidence that at one time it did not exist but it filled up once the strait of Gibraltar opened

"And there was no more sea" Rev. 21:1. In the millennial kingdom there will be rivers and seas. But in the New Creation the alteration be so great that seas will no longer exist - something hard to understand as now necessary for all life. All will sustained by God then.

@ScottRoberts That being said, there are fresh discoveries to be made in God's word :)

You don't need a new revelation. You don't need a fresh word from God. You need to read the one He already gave you. The Bible is sufficient. Full stop.

My prior church in California had a detailed, self-written doctrinal statement... and I found I could sign off on 99% of it. Here I think at least parts of the 1689 are built from a hermeneutical principle and biblical theology I can't get behind: the idea that we can allegorize OT prophetic passages instead of taking the plain sense meaning -- it always means what it says, and sometimes more. Or the "covenant of works"/"covenant of grace" -- given the double-oath of explicit divine covenants are meant to be a bedrock of faith (Hebrews 6), it seems at minimum careless to infer covenants that are not mentioned anywhere.

@DispyGrace Everyone has theological beliefs outside the Gospel essentials. At least that church has them written out for you to examine prior to joining, while not requiring you to affirm them all up front. You know exactly what you're getting.

@akramcodez 37 years

how long have you been using computers?

If you're well read, you'll be familiar with the lifelong adolescence and imbecility among old-money landed gentry. I for one wouldn't appreciate if the US became full of men like Bertie Wooster from PG Wodehouse's "Jeeves & Wooster". But it would be far worse now - at least Wooster actually spent time with people since ubiquitous screens weren't a thing in the early 1900s.

@VigilantFox @elonmusk Ambition and purpose and married, just like laziness and inactivity are married. If anything, in Elon’s proposed model, we would get a really good look at who people really are - when they have the absolute freedom to show who they really are, without excuse.

Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government is the best way to deal with unemployment caused by AI. AI/robotics will produce goods & services far in excess of the increase in the money supply, so there will not be inflation.

@JimmyRayAcuff @MarshaBlackburn I've seen that too -- blue state conservatives tend to be a lot more conservative than red state conservatives

@DispyGrace @MarshaBlackburn No, I am saying that what is "conservative" in a blue state is often very different than red state conservative

People are in pursuit of affordability, and that’s why they’re flocking to Tennessee. In Tennessee, we welcome new families and businesses as long as they check the blue state policies at the state line.

@JimmyRayAcuff @MarshaBlackburn "Conservatives from blue states are less welcome because more of them are coming" - is that you're saying?

@DispyGrace @MarshaBlackburn Conservatives from blue states are different than conservatives from red states. Again, it's not just about politics, it's about volume.

@BretVDB My wife corrects my pronunciation of a word at least once every few weeks. This has been happening for over 10 years now.

There’s also nothing morally wrong or shameful in initially mispronouncing words that you’ve only read.

@mollymcmato @Fahadnaimb On a smaller scale I might believe you ... but the Apollo contractors worked all over the country and there were so many of them. A secret that big is impossible to keep when that many people are involved.

@DispyGrace @Fahadnaimb Compartmentalization , money, blackmail, and a lot of unexplained deaths

45 years ago... April 14, 1981...spacecraft with no engines glided down and touched down like a giant paper airplane on a dry lakebed in California. Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-1, the very first Shuttle mission, coming in hot over Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base. You see the chase planes, the perfect unpowered approach, wheels kissing Runway 23, and that massive dust cloud as it rolls out. Then the crew... John Young and Robert Crippen... stepping out after 54 hours and 36 orbits in space. This wasn’t just another rocket flight. Columbia proved the Shuttle could launch like a rocket, orbit like a spacecraft, and land like an airplane. Reusable hardware, real test pilots at the controls… it changed everything.The beginning of the Shuttle era in all its glory.

@mollymcmato @Fahadnaimb ?? I have no idea what you're referring to

@DispyGrace @Fahadnaimb What about the air bubbles in space?

@mollymcmato @Fahadnaimb Helium has a lower density than air, thus helium balloons rise in air. Same reason air bubbles rise in water. It's not that gravity can't keep the air bubbles in water down...

@DispyGrace @Fahadnaimb Lol , gravity holding gasses into a ball but a but can't hold helium balloons . imagine thinking something millions of miles away can send signals back to earth