I don't know, but I can tell you that I don't think we may have has much free will as we'd like to think. I assure you I am probably the least qualified person on this forum to comment based on scriptures, it is just what I see as one big metaphor based on what I know thus far and what I've experienced in my own life. I almost think of it as all of us playing our parts in His grand cosmic plan and we may be able to zig or zag a bit, but if He wants us to play a certain part, we're going to whether we want to or not. I think the question around free will becomes something like this... He gave certain people a calling almost like giving some people more brains or perhaps being more pleasing to the eye. Gifts right? So the accountability piece is what did you do with those gifts, because He clearly didn't give them to everyone. Perhaps the reason you accepted it, is because he purposed you to teach it to others and desired that you would understand what it was like in feeling the sting of rejection so that you may be more effective in the millenial kingdom?

Perhaps it for the same reasons that Judas Iscariot was chosen to be an apostle. I've always wondered what a millstone being hung around someone's neck would mean in the Hebrew. Is it an idiom for something or was He being literal about ol' Judas?

Another, funny thing is, I went through 13 years of Catholic school. The pagan aspects of the church were actually very well communicated - it wasn't hidden. Neither I nor anyone else thought to ask why we did that stuff. I didn't think about it until I was half-way though my life and even then it was because I had grown to distrust organized religions. Funny eh? So was it a random thought that got me there or was I nudged along? I don't know, because I've always "felt" something - some kind of "calling". Did I do anything to deserve it? Did I choose it? To be completely honest I'm not sure I can say that I did especially when after talking to others this "calling" is not there or in some cases is really strong. So... did these persons choose to be called? Did their brains just happen to have the right pattern? Perhaps there is something to the genetics after all? Oh no.. I've gone cross-eyed again.

This should make for an interesting discussion me thinks.

I don' think there's anything special about us that brought us here. For me, I was very much led by what I would expect to be the Set Apart Spirit. First I was led to scripture that seemed to amplify things that had been glossed over before, then once the scriptures opened up it was probably just a matter of time before I was led to YY.

There seem to be others launching websites that are arriving at similar conclusions to Yada, but coming at it from different angles.

Maybe this is the beginning of some type of "end time" revival.

The scriptures fairly blast out that in the end times there will be a return to calling on Yahweh's name which is one of the chief tenets behind what we all seem to believe. I came to understand this through my own isolated study so when I stumbled on YY it became a great proof for me that where the Spirit was leading me was correct and verifiable.

well I don't know but for me I know I prayed a deadly prayer back in 2000! I told God that He could break me, mould me, make me whatever He wanted me to be. I gave Him the driving seat and He's been in charge ever since. I'm nothing special, no better than anyone else, just willing to listen and act I suppose. :)

Maybe we should all get DNA tested and see if we're descended from the Hebrews. If we are, I don't think it's a good time to return to Samaria. Israel has authority over the territory, but it's in the hands of the Palestinians and we wouldn't last long there. Olmert is ready to hand governing authority of Samaria and Judea back to the Palestinians. Land for Peace.

So.... if the Israeli government does open the doors to "Messianics", does that mean it is time to get out of Dodge (err - make haste to Israel) for those of us still living in America?

Yes Yes, but which believers?

All? Just the Philadelphians? Everyone who professes His name? Everyone who has a Y in their native tongue and uses the name properly spelled and annunciated, and celebrates the Sabbath? Those who have done good work? Those who remember their first love? I remember reading this somewhere in YY about there being some sort of criteria. Goes back to the question I had asked awhile back about not "making the cut". I'm not talking about salvation here, I'm talking about going through the tribulation or not, which there seems to be different set of critieria for who goes and who doesn't if I remember correctly.

Hold your horses, I'll reread that section and see if maybe I missed it something the first couple of passes to save you some trouble and frustration with my very thick skull.

James, you gave an excellent example showing that even humans can control others, seemingly taking their freewill. Ultimatly the free will is still there though. Humans are extremely predictable and tend to act the same way under any given situation. There is a book by Kevin Hogan called, "The Science of Influence" and it details very simply how easy people are to influence and manipulate. So, being able to do that based on our earthly observations, how much easier would it be for Yahuweh to guide people how he would like, yet still allowing them the free will to do as they please?

My point is that influenceing someones free will and removing it are different. If you are driving and I step in front of your car, you still have the free will to continue driving and hit me, but I know that more likely you will change directions to avoid hitting me. I have influenced your free will, but it is still their. Yah could do the same thing.

My life was going in the wrong way when by chance, or perhaps not, somethings were occured in my life, that I could have choose to ignore, but because of my nature, something that Yah knows, I changed direction and have corected my path. As I said perhaps chance, or perhaps Yah put these things in my life knowing that I would likely change because of them.

I think Yah sometimes compels us to do things that serve his will, Yada felt that Yah tasked him to confront Islam, I happen to agree with him. I believe that Yah might sometime compel believers to be in a place at a time that they are capable of doing his will. This does not go against our free will, since as loyal followers our desire is to serve his will. And our being in that place at that time might put us in a position to influence others, plant the seeds. If Yah puts us their and our presence influences someone who is there, and that was why Yah put us there, then he has indirectly influenced that person, but has not taken away that persons free will.

This then begs the question, since Yah knows the begining from the end, then he knew that putting the right person there would influece the person, and if that was his intent why does he not do similar for all people, or is it just that some people will not let anything influence them and Yah knows this so he only attempts to influence those he knows are open to it.

Sorry If I got a bit rambling and incoherent.

In my experience, Yahweh rewards people who are honestly searching for Him with knowledge of His character and evidence of His love. But many people, even believers, are not searching for Yahweh; they're searching for vindication. They're not looking for God; they're looking for heaven.

We wonder why Yahweh "chose us." Fact is, He chose everybody. Or at least, He cared enough to pay the price of admittance into His presence for every person ever born. Everybody has a ticket in. But He won't force anyone to accept His invitation. The choice is ours alone.

The same thing is true of enjoying a closer walk with Him once we have accepted His awesome gift. It's our choice. Do we really want to know Him, to walk with God the way a small child walks with his father? Many christians find the prospect a little frightening. Trust Him? Really trust Him? What if He tells me to give all my money to the poor, or become a missionary to darkest Borneo? Or adopt nine children, most of 'em handicapped? (That's the one He pulled on me.) No, it's far "safer" (they think) to stick to tradition, put in their hour and a half on Sunday morning, and not think too much about the ramifications of having a close familial relationship with the Almighty Living God. We like the safety of the sandbox; we're okay with climbing the jungle gym, but not too high. But when Papa asks us--challenges us--to jump from the top rung into His waiting arms, we lose our nerve. We choose not to make the leap. And by doing so, we cheat ourselves out of the thrill of a lifetime.

kp

"The Sacrifice is for everyone. But He does not seem to call everyone. So why me?"

Shalom everyone! Three points here: 1) Yahweh's plan is for everyone; 2) He does not call everyone now; 3) He is calling you now.

The first two points are quite obvious. So the real question is, "Why me?" Like many of you, I did ask. It is obvious that He is not calling everyone now. Never did. The recorded history of mankind over the past two thousand years indicate that few actually were in a position to hear the message. But now you hear the message. What do you do?

James is right... to a certain point. Yahweh knew that you will be in a position to hear... but will you listen and obey? Do you think He knows what you will do? Probably. Did you know what you are going to do? Probably not. So it is an adventure for us to discover ourselves and our role in this life.

So why do we get this special invitation? Are we so special? Yes, because He redeemed each one of us. But what does it mean for us to answer His call now? It actually means a heavier responsibility as we will have to do as He says, and sometimes that is not very comfortable from the track record of the prophets and apostles that He chose.

So, then, what's the payoff? KP is right in that people look for heaven and self-vindication rather then Truth. For us, the payoff is that although we realise that we don't really deserve anything for all that we are, the Truth is that we are called to be part of Yahweh's Family! Not to lord over the rest and make them serfs for eternity, but to help them be part of the Family!

Will people really accept this? It is too good to be true! But what else can you expect of a loving Father? Sadly, some will not want His love. They will deny Him because they hate. They despise themselves and think themselves unworthy so other people should also be unworthy. There is no good in them so there cannot be good in others. This self denial is self destruction. And that is what is really is... destruction. Not eternal torment, unless they poison others with their lies and hate. But I digress.

I read a book more than 30 years ago that stuck in my mind, and it is not the King James bible. It was "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov. In the book Hari Seldon was the master mathematician of an advanced society and he had calculated and set off a chain of events into motion to affect and influence hundreds of generations after he died, to the point that at each critical moment in its development, an individual will step up to take the lead and take action and influence the following generations. This is the story being lived out in the flesh today and the past few millenia! What a rush! And we are coming to the end of the book.

So the bottomline here is... the Eternal Chessmaster knows the game and is making the moves... it is up to you to respond. Don't get stalemated or checkmated! Join the winning team!