[Lawrence F Vincent]

At the outset it is essential for me to clarify that the Catholic Church to which I belong rejects all forms of millenialism. Moreover, the position of my Church on the ‘messianic age’ that will precede the second coming of our Lord is quite in contrast to the view of ‘premillennialism’.
The Church must engage the present world by being a good example of living the teachings of Jesus Christ and thereby draw many to accept and actualize the teachings of our Lord. The Church must also strive to warn people about the modus operandi of evil (as revealed in Scripture) that they may not be deceived and fall into the trap of evil. The Church must treat the outside world as sharing the same destination but with a different understanding and take special efforts not to alienate others but only strive to draw them closer.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

At the outset it is essential for me to clarify that the Catholic Church to which I belong rejects all forms of millenialism. However, the position of my Church on the ‘messianic age’ that will precede the second coming of our Lord is somewhat close to the view of ‘postmillennialism’.
The Church must engage the present world by being a good example of living the teachings of Jesus Christ and thereby draw many to accept and actualize the teachings of our Lord. The Church must also strive to warn people about the modus operandi of evil (as revealed in Scripture) that they may not be deceived and fall into the trap of evil. The Church must treat the outside world as sharing the same destination but with a different understanding and take special efforts not to alienate others but only strive to draw them closer.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

I expect to know all about different versions of millenialism and gain a clear picture about the prevailing views and understandings of different Christian groups and denominations on millenialism. I would like to understand the evolution of thought and about each group’s rationale and basis. I hope to equip myself sufficiently to be able to contribute in a positive way during future discussions, considering the fact that this topic is a rather controversial one. Finally, I expect to be in a position to either reinforce or modify my own view and understanding of millenialism in the light of clarity and insights gained from these lessons.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

As the promise of glorious future alone cannot sustain our hope, God offers continual foretastes of heaven to keep us going. In order to enjoy these foretastes and continually move forward by the renewal of mind, one must strive against all odds to live Jesus’ teachings and endure obstacles and hardships for doing so. For every suffering endured, there will be a wonderful strengthening foretaste of heaven. The joy experienced in doing a good deed is everlasting and surpasses every kind of temporal pleasure.
God leads and guides us not only with foretastes of heaven but also of hell. Whenever we stray into wickedness we will experience hellish misery that will deter us and also attest the truth of eternal damnation of persistent wickedness.
Learning by God’s grace to sustainably love good and shun evil, is what salvation is all about.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

I believe that Jesus’ second coming will be very different from the first; he is not going to take birth the second time but literally come down from the skies in a glorious and spectacular way that will not go unnoticed but will be the most widely known event ever. There will not be a single person who would not witness it; however I have never tried to imagine how this would happen or whether it would be simultaneously seen all over the earth. I guess it will be like the rising of the sun which is seen at different timings in different places.
There are no changes in my views about the manner of Jesus’ return after completing the lesson. This is because my views are not some kind of brain wave or inspiration but purely biblical understanding. There is hardly any difference between my views and what this lesson teaches about Jesus’ second coming.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

To be honest, I am hardly involved in evangelizing my neighbourhood; however I do strive to live the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and be an example for others. I was able to observe some impact as reflected in the behaviour and attitude of neighbours in all the places where I have lived. I have always enjoyed much respect and appreciation and was also privileged many a time to be considered worthy of consultation on spiritual matters. I also discuss salvation and meaning of life with acquaintances from other religions and never missed a chance to share about the wonderful teachings of Christ as well as bear witness to all my blessings and related experiences.
Towards global outreach, I write articles expounding the teachings of Christ and post them on a website dedicated to this purpose <thenarrowway.in>.
I feel that every Christian should strive to live the teachings of our Lord and thereby serve in spreading the light of Christ that is bound to draw many to the side of truth. Acts speak louder than words and effectively bring the Good News to every nook and corner of our world and thus speed up the second coming of Jesus.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

The activities of antichrist in our context, are exactly as forewarned by John and too obvious and easy to recognise as they fit his descriptions unambiguosly.
According to John, they let go of their faith in Christ who were not outsiders; they were part of the fellowship for a while, then left the church. While living in Chennai 20 years ago I have heard of some former Christians in Annanagar and Kilpauk, who had renounced and even denounced Christianity to practice and promote Satan worship. I have also heard of such cultic groups abroad <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mass>.
Again according to John, antichrists are those who deny the truths that Jesus is the Christ and is also God incarnate. The above groups are known for this particularly.
As John said about the main mission of the Antichrist, these groups are also known to deceive people, especially believers.
John has claimed that the followers of antichrist worship Satan. This is completely true of the satanic cult mentioned above.
Further, according to John, antichrist/followers, speak against God, blaspheme God, slander God’s name, and his dwelling place –the church. This too is a hallmark of the said cult.
The best response to the activities of antichrist would be to enlighten and warn Christians through the teachings of John and help them arrive at the truth which is purely biblical.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Lawrence F Vincent.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Lawrence F Vincent.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

To be honest, my personal involvement in evangelizing my neighbourhood is rather negligible. I mainly strive to live the Christian values and observed that it has always had a positive influence on my neighbourhood wherever I lived. The influence was noticeable from how neighbours treated my family and me and often sought our counsel many a time. I also have the habit of one-to-one discussions about meaning of life and salvation with people of other religions and invariably share about the teachings of our Lord Christ during such discussions. Towards global outreach, I have dedicated a website (thenarrowway.in) through which I communicate my evangelizing thoughts in the form of articles.
I feel that the best way to speed up the coming of Jesus to fulfill the first sign of the second coming of Jesus, is by living the Gospel and thereby drawing people to Jesus.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

The systematic approach of classifying the signs of Jesus’ second coming as first, second and third, and making meticulous charts, is rather new. This enables us to carefully correlate historical facts with the foretold signs. While all the signs are analysed minutely the real focus is on Jesus’ teaching on how to be prepared and not become alarmed about anything.
In a sense our preparation is not for Jesus’ second coming but a kind of readiness to face him whenever he may come. This calls for meditative practice of Jesus’ teachings complemented by sustained efforts to amend self by daily examination of conscience, sincere repentance and a strong desire to grow in virtues by grace. Prayerful steadfastness in terms of not giving up faith during severe trials that are bound to come. Taking care not be mentally weakened as to fall prey to any kind of rumors and not be deceived by much hyped false teachings.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Lawrence F Vincent.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

Good to read your testimony Ms. Cyrileene. The journey of faith is indeed a ‘roller coaster ride’ that transforms one into a committed torchbearer.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

That was an inspiring and beautiful testimony Mrs.Tamilarasi. It demonstrates the power of patience in accomplishing God’s plan in our lives.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

After an unexpected and unusual encounter, I felt the same urge as Andrew after he had met Jesus: The first thing Andrew did was
to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah”(NIV John 1:41). We simply have to say yes to avail God’s free offer to redeem all His fallen children. Our problem is chiefly to do with the impossible imagery of this greatest gift and our inherent tendency to count on our own abilities while not discounting our disabilities. I was fortunate to learn to count on His power and yes, I did face much difficulty and continue to do so with trying to stop counting on my own ability and not becoming frustrated with my disabilities. Like any other ordinary person, I too have been through the stages of disbelief, doubt and confusion to reach this stage of gradually but steadily growing in faith. It may sound incredible but it is true ―now regular visits by troubles and boons, teach me to cope with adversity and also to contain excitement. A sustained thirst that is continually quenched, engages me in amending self and moving closer to God. I really feel that I have tasted living water which has now become a perennial fountain within, propelling me towards Him for reaching the destined goal.

[Lawrence F Vincent]

Dear brother Richard, I am sure that most of us are in the same boat as you when it comes to the book of Revelation. We all may look forward to some clarity and enlightenment from this course. Regards – Lawrence F Vincent

[Lawrence F Vincent]

Dear brother John Jeyasekar, unlearning many things is indeed very essential for all of us. That’s the only way we can listen to something new with an open mind. Regards – Lawrence F Vincent

[Lawrence F Vincent]

The misinterpretations of OT prophesies about the first coming of the Messiah, led to the failure of the large majority of God’s people, to recognize the Messiah during his First Advent to be our own Emmanuel–God with us. This led to our Lord’s rejection as the promised Messiah that he truly was and his unfair criticism and persecution culminated in the worst variety of execution. It involved slapping false charges of the then most abhorred sin of uttering blasphemy against God, brutal torture, being made a public spectacle of even more inhuman torture while bearing the cross of pain and humiliation, followed by public stripping and the most dishonourable crucifixion.
Credible expounding of Eschatological truths revealed in Scripture based on path-breaking research that is complemented with simple-to-comprehend articulation, is the need of the hour. This is why I chose to enroll for this course.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Lawrence F Vincent.

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