Debit v Credit cards; Solar flare, The Rapture is a Necessary Inference, Homosexuality IS different

Here are a few items of interest for you:

In this first one I was drawn in by the illustration. It is the best visual representation of the rapture I've seen. Then I read the article and it is excellent too.

The Rapture—A Necessary Inference
By Dr. Steven Hayes

"...This new (or renewed) consistency in the use of a literal hermeneutic naturally led to new insights in many areas of theology. As an example, a literal hermeneutic applied to prophetic passages in the New Testament led students of the Bible to conclude that the Rapture of the Church was a phase of the return of Christ that had to be distinguished from the 2nd Coming. That is, the yet future return of Christ will actually be comprised of two distinct events separated in time: 1) the Rapture of the Church, in which Christ comes in the air to receive His Bride and take her back to heaven with Him (e.g., John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and 2) the 2nd Coming, in which Christ comes from heaven with all His saints to establish His kingdom on this present earth and personally reign over it for a thousand years (e.g., Matthew 24:30; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-6).

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FIRST-PERSON: Why homosexuality IS different Mike Goeke
"...Many churches have taken to heart the level nature of sin and clearly acknowledge that sin is sin, be it gossip, envy, lust, gluttony or homosexual behavior. The level nature of sin, however, makes many reticent to discuss or address the issues surrounding homosexuality in more detail or with any special emphasis. "We don't want to highlight any one sin," they reason. The truth is that homosexuality IS different. It is not different as a "sin." God sees the sin of homosexual expression as He sees all sin. It is different, however, in that no other sin (or, better said, an identity based primarily on sinful behavior) has impacted, or is likely to impact, culture in the dramatic way that homosexuality has done and will do."

An interesting secular article on the debate over credit cards vs. debit cards. How we spend is a good topic for the Christian to think about carefully.

Debit Cards vs. Credit Cards: Your Best Arguments
Credit cards and debit cards both have their advantages, but one must emerge victorious in an all-out battle of financial usefulness and security. Which will it be? Here are your best arguments.

Stormy spaceweather, large sunspot and an X-flare. Spaceweather.com has the story
STORMY SPACE WEATHER: Giant sunspot AR1944 is directly facing Earth and crackling with solar flares. Yesterday, Jan. 7th, an X1-class explosion in the sunspot's magnetic canopy hurled a CME in our direction.

Here is the quote I read on Twitter that I liked so much. It's  from pastor JD Hall: JD Hall ‏@PulpitAndPen

"Want to know if someone is an idolater? Speak ill of their idol. You'll find out really quickly."

And another quote to get us going today:

From Jimmy Needham ‏@JimmyNeedham

Don't mistake obedience for legalism. Legalism seeks to justify self. Obedience celebrates the justification of Christ.