The Seal of God

[Stygian]

I was approached earlier today by a young lady about something called "The Church of God," which she claims is the church that Jesus started before he died. She started by showing me a video about how diverse her church is, how many churches there are around the world, etc... etc... But then, she told me how the Bible predicted all the horrible things that have been happening ie. the recent hurricane, turmoil in other countries, and all the usual stuff. But then, she brought me to a few verses claiming the Bible has predicted World War III, and that God will reveal himself to all his followers and tell them how to escape destruction.

Now what put me off about this, she told me believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ are not enough. You need "The Seal of God." I'm unsure about what this means exactly. She pointed me to a few verses about WWIII and the Seal, but don't ask me to name them since she flipped through them wicked fast, and with a pretty darn thick accent.

She pointed me to a website: http://www.zionsa.org/. Thoughts, anybody?

[PaulSacramento]

Site says they are Lutheran (reformists).
As for the bible predicting things, well, the bible is a collection of books and letters, IT doesn't predicate anything at all.
If you don't pick it up and read it, it doesn't do anything at all.
Certain passages can SEEM to predict events that can be seen as happening now, yes.
When take out of the context they were written and and who they were written to.

[Stygian]

It's strange, because I've never heard that much about the Seal of God, and what I did hear never really interpreted it in this way, especially that it is more important than Jesus Christ. And of course, they not only say the Bible predicted World War III, but it's going to happen real soon.

I dunno, but I think simply loving God and accepting Jesus, and studying his Word, is what is needed for salvation, unless of course that IS what you need to get the Seal of God is, but they seem to think it isn't, and that this Seal is entirely different and far more important.

[PaulSacramento]

It's strange, because I've never heard that much about the Seal of God, and what I did hear never really interpreted it in this way, especially that it is more important than Jesus Christ. And of course, they not only say the Bible predicted World War III, but it's going to happen real soon.

I dunno, but I think simply loving God and accepting Jesus, and studying his Word, is what is needed for salvation, unless of course that IS what you need to get the Seal of God is, but they seem to think it isn't, and that this Seal is entirely different and far more important.

By seal of God maybe they mean "sealed by the Holy spirit", not sure.
Nothing is more important than Christ since NO MAN can come to God BUT through Christ.
Christ is the Seal of God, Christ is the HS ( our advocate with God), Christ is the Way, the light, the bread of Life.

[jlay]

I read through their statement of faith and didn't see anything that touched on these issues.

[Stygian]

Yeah, I noticed that... maybe this particular girl was a... false teacher, heh. I'm currently trying to find the verses speaking about The Seal of God, and the ones she used to indicate World War III was imminent. I remember it had something to do with "holding the winds", which she equated "winds" to being a metaphoric word for "war." I dunno. It was probably the most convoluted Biblical conversation I've had in a long time. But in other words, is there any legitimacy to the claim that it was the church founded by Jesus himself?

[Stygian]

Ah-hah! I think this was the one!

Revelations 7:1-3 NIV - After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

[RickD]

Stygian wrote:
But in other words, is there any legitimacy to the claim that it was the church founded by Jesus himself?

Why don't you give her your entire life savings, then I'm sure you'll find out!

But, you'd better do it before WWIII!!!

[Stygian]

Rick! I tried that but nothing happened! D=