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Preliminary Theory of the In-Group Contrarian

The In-Group Contrarian is a simultaneously marginal and a central figure for understanding social media dynamics.

I recently tweeted about the concept of the “in-group contrarian” – a figure on social media who nominally belongs to a given ideological formation but consistently dissents from its orthodoxies. Although the thread didn’t get shared all that widely, it did get some good feedback, including being listed as a “thread of the week” at OneZero. So I’m inaugurating this new blog with an expanded post on the topic.

For background, the terminology I’m using here and in the thread comes from the work of the cultural theorist René Girard. Girard was above all interested in the mimetic, or imitative, aspects of human behavior, a quality we can see illustrated constantly in online spaces. Put simply, the path of least resistance when using a platform like Twitter is to observe what others are doing – what they’re talking about, what they’re sharing – and copy them. Retweeting, liking, and reusing hashtags is easier than composing an original post, and the posts you’re most likely to retweet and like are ones that have already been retweeted and liked by many people. Whenever a tweet is widely shared, we see the “mimetic snowballing” Girard described. This is how these platforms prime us to behave at all times.

(I’ve written more extensively on mimetic structure of digital platforms and on Girard’s surprising link to social media’s origins; if you’re interested in a fuller account of all of this, follow the link.)

So with the basic mimetic patterns of platform behavior in mind, we can see that ideological in-groups are fueled by imitation. We can also see that group identities cohere around moments of mimetic coalescence. The spread of a hashtag is probably the simplest illustration. By repeating the hashtag, you merge with a social formation. When a hashtag trends, the result can be what Émile Durkheim called “collective effervescence.” In Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim argued that experiences of ecstatic cohesion formed the basis both of religion and of any collective identity.

Girard drew upon Durkheim’s account, but added other dimensions to it. He was interested not just in behavior, but in desire. And for him, desire is never just a desire for things, but a desire for being – that is to say, a desire to fill an inner void by attaching it to something that validates our sense of self. The point is relatively simple to make in the instance I’ve been describing. When people participate in pile-ons, share viral hashtags, and so on, there’s a deeper desire at work: a desire for the reaffirmation of our identity by fusing with a larger group.

We can now return to the concept of the In-Group Contrarian (hereafter IGC). Anyone who has observed social media platforms, especially Twitter, will know the type. This is the person who, precisely when mimetic snowballing is in progress, attempts to apply the brakes. What’s important is that this figure is not simply an outsider to the group, in which case they could probably be ignored, but instead claims to share the group’s goals, beliefs, etc and merely objects to some aspect of this manifestation of them. The appearance of this figure is as predictable as the mimetic snowballing itself.

Of course, the majority of IGCs are low-follower anonymous accounts, and can be simply ignored. But a few IGCs already have, or gain, a certain reputation and a following (more on that in a minute), and become harder to ignore. The reaction to these high-profile IGCs differs from the response to an ideological opponent (out-group member). The latter’s criticisms of one’s group can usually be dismissed. Often, in contrast, the IGC must not just be dismissed, but destroyed. In fact, many in-groups seem to dedicate more time and energy to attacking the IGCs attached to their group than they do to attacking their straight-up enemies. In fact, hatred of the IGC can become one of the main things that binds the in-group together.

This would be a version of the scapegoat effect, central to how Girard modifies Durkheim’s theory of collective effervescence. For Girard, groups only truly coalesce by expelling, or sacrificing, a group member. It is in the act of violent unity against this “surrogate victim” that the group’s collective identity reaches its apotheosis. That’s because whatever antagonisms exist within the group are displaced onto the designated scapegoat. The repudiation of the IGC represents an incomplete version of this operation, because usually s/he never goes away, because the in-group itself can’t fully expel him or her. That’s partly, I would argue, because on some level it doesn’t want to.

It’s easy to observe that the IGC, rather than simply being cast out, often becomes a persistent object of perverse fascination for the in-group. Here too Girard is helpful. The IGC’s objections function as an obstacle to the fulfillment of desire for collective effervescence and self-affirmation in the group. In this way, he or she functions as a skandalon or “stumbling-block,” a term Girard takes from the Bible.

But the relation to the skandalon is more complex than it seems, because it is never simply an obstacle, but an obstacle to which we return again and again, as if addicted to it. We see this when in-group members obsess over and fixate on the IGC. Why? To restate a prior point, if my desire is mimetic, it comes from observing others. I copy my desire from the large mass of similar people I observe engaging in herding behavior together. But then, the IGC transmits a counter-signal that blocks the full movement of desire. As a result, my desire, and the sense of being I obtain from group belonging, is placed in question. The IGC becomes an object of fascination because of the power he or she is capable of exerting on me by attenuating the fulfillment of my desire. But this, in turn, makes the IGC into another potential model – a prospect that throws my sense of self into crisis.

There are two possible results when this has occurred. One, the most numerically likely, is that I remain fully attached to the group, but must periodically, ritualistically cast out the IGC (in sync with the rest of the group) – an act that both conceals and reveals his/her enigmatic effect on me. But in a certain percentage of cases, the IGC will show my desire a different path, and I will follow it. In this way, the IGC can peel off certain in-group members and push them to the outer boundaries of the group. These IGC hangers-on become mimetically attached to the group’s fringe, rather than its orthodox core.

All the incentives at first seem to work against embracing IGC status. Occupying the role of scapegoat, of object of collective rage and repudiation, is not an attractive prospect to most. But to a few persistent gadflies, IGC status can bring dividends. Since platforms prime us for herd behavior, they tend to produce sameness. But at the same time, success in the attention economy necessitates differentiation. Thus, by standing out amidst the mimetic uniformity of the in-group, the IGC can build a following. (Of course, once this following reaches a critical mass, it may display the same tendency to herding as the original in-group.)

One of the ways the in-group attempts to cast out the IGC is to call him or her a “grifter.” In some sense, it may be true that some IGCs have recognized the pattern I’m describing – specifically, the way that dissent from the herding dynamics can be an effective way to game the attention economy – and are exploiting it consciously. But of course, plenty of in-group members in good standing reap far greater dividends (both socially and monetarily) from reinforcing orthodoxy. These are simply two attention economy self-marketing strategies, and it’s unclear why only one should be demeaned as a “grift.”

Beneath the antagonism, there is a symbiosis between the in-group and the IGC formations that crop up around its edges. To return to a prior point, as IGCs appear and gather followings, the in-group will increasingly define itself in opposition to these fringe figures – again, often more so than against their nominal ideological enemies. So, paradoxically, even as the IGC functions as an obstacle to the in-group’s fantasy of full mimetic apotheosis, the in-group also needs the IGC’s antagonistic presence to consolidate itself against. This, again, is a kind of half-realized scapegoat effect: the in-group maintains the IGC as a reserve of sacrificial victims whose presence can be invoked in order to reconsolidate group identity. Conversely, of course, the IGC’s project is premised on the continued existence of the in-group.

You will likely have a sense of where you fall in the orbit of the group(s) you affiliate with: closer to the core or closer to the fringes of some formation. Your feelings about IGCs will probably depend to some extent on this. But from the systemic perspective I am attempting to outline, there is no point in decrying “contrarians” – or in seeing them as essential. They are a component of a self-regulating cybernetic mechanism. You, too, are part of this mechanism.

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144 replies on “Preliminary Theory of the In-Group Contrarian”

I understand ‘grifter’ in its older, colloquial sense as a con artist or huckster, someone seeking self-advancement who has little regard for the truth or the damage he causes. So by extension a grifter is essentially a yuppie, a careerist. In other words the grifter isn’t simply interested in the thin wages of the attention economy but in real material gains at the expense of other people. Apparently the term has gone the way of ‘gaslight’– i.e., any speaker/speech act contradicting my own. It’s notable though that both of these ubiquitous terms stress the fundamental unreliability of motive and communication on the internet.

For those observing Singapore politics and their upcoming elections, this can be clearly seen in the recent pretty surprising attacks by the ruling party on an opposition politician, who was called out for apparently agreeing with a “loving critic” of Singapore, Alfian Sa’at, when in fact Sa’at, they claim, is in fact a wholly anti-patriotic citizen.

Surprisingly, the term “loving critic” was coined by an IGC, Prof Tommy Koh, ambassador at large of Singapore, and I see this as a reaction within the in group of the ruling party against Koh, and the attack on both the opposition politician and Sa’at as a sign of brewing memetic contagion and a frantic casting about in the scapegoating process.

Some background here:
https://www.pap.org.sg/news/opinion-news/mr-pritam-singh-supports-alfian-saat/
https://berthahenson.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/singapores-bermuda-triangle/

Wong Weng Yew, memetic conceptual artist

I feel like the In-Group Contrarian typically isn’t actually a member of the group, they’re a member of a different group entirely and they’ve just taken on the local color to fit in.

It used to be that the IGC in question would never get any support or reinforcement for a dissenting view; everyone around them would hold the majority position, and the IGC would stay silent simply to maintain their social group. But with the internet, the IGC can find the group they’re *actually* a member of, and find social fulfillment in that group, and not have to pretend to views and attitudes they don’t hold simply to have someone to talk to.

So they aren’t so much being Contrarian, as simply declaring that they’re No Longer Part Of The Group.

there is an underlying issue here. Who is the contrarian copying? Mimesis must also deal with genesis. In group contrarians are not necessarily taking a contrarian stance directly but as a side effect of original thought. most contrarians respond to the contradictions of an in-group idea. it is not contrarianism to the group that drives the behavior, the contrarian behavior is an effect resulting from an original analysis of content.

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I hope you, your family, and friends stay safe by taking the proper precuations as we enter in to confusing and troubling times as we watch a worldwide pandemic unfold with this Coronavirus.

Could there be something more deeper going on with all of this? Could we be seeing the signs of the times unfolding? Could this be a door of opportunity for people to open their hearts to what God has to say?

Jesus says to His disciples concerning the last days, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8).

We have been seeing a record setting amount of Earthquakes world-wide in various places, incuding places that normally do not receive Earthquakes. Now with this Coronavirus, could this be one of the pestilences that will fall upon us in the last days as spoken by Jesus? Where will it leave our economy? Did you know the Bible teaches there will be a cashless society in the last days? Will this be a major stepping stone in bringing that about?

You may have seen on NBC news just months ago concerning the implantable RFID microchip that is gaining ground in Sweden where people are getting this microchip implanted in their hand.

Would you allow a microchip to be placed inside your body that has the ability to track where you go and what you do? How about if you knew it matched perfectly with Bible prophecy where God warns us not to take it during the future reign of the Antichrist, otherwise we will receive the fullness of His wrath (Revelation 14:9-11)?

This may be the most imporant message you will read in these times…please do not ignore this! This messsage reveals what the Mark of the Beast is, and the meaning behind counting a number people have been pondering for centuries, 666. This is truly a message from God!

In the Revelation of Jesus Christ given to the apostle John, we read:

“He (the false prophet who deceives many by his miracles) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666” (Revelation 13:16-18).

Revelation 13:16-18 is speaking of the end times, and this could only be speaking of a cashless money society, which we have yet to see, but are heading towards. Why? Because we could still buy or sell without receiving the mark among one another if physical money was still currency. It logically deduces itself to this reason.

This mark could not be spiritual, because the word references two different physical locations stating one “OR” the other.

This is where it really starts to come together. It is shocking how accurate the Bible is concerning this RFID microchip. These are notes from a man named Carl Sanders who worked with a team of engineers to help develop this RFID microchip in the 1960’s.

“Carl Sanders sat in seventeen New World Order meetings with heads-of-state officials such as Henry Kissinger and Bob Gates of the C.I.A. to discuss plans on how to bring about this one-world system. The government commissioned Carl Sanders to design a microchip for identifying and controlling the peoples of the world—a microchip that could be inserted under the skin with a hypodermic needle (a quick, convenient method that would be gradually accepted by society).

Carl Sanders, with a team of engineers behind him, with U.S. grant monies supplied by tax dollars, took on this project and designed a microchip that is powered by a lithium battery, rechargeable through the temperature changes in our skin. Without the knowledge of the Bible (Brother Sanders was not a Christian at the time), these engineers spent one-and-a-half-million dollars doing research on the best and most convenient place to have the microchip inserted.

Guess what? These researchers found that the forehead and the back of the hand (the two places Revelation says the mark will go) are not just the most convenient places, but are also the only viable places for rapid, consistent temperature changes in the skin to recharge the lithium battery. The microchip is approximately seven millimeters in length, .75 millimeters in diameter, about the size of a grain of rice. It is capable of storing pages upon pages of information about you. All your general history, work history, crime record, health history, and financial data can be stored on this chip.

Brother Sanders believes that this microchip, which he regretfully helped design, is the “mark” spoken about in Revelation 13:16–18. The original Greek word for “mark” is “charagma,” which means a “scratch or etching.” It is also interesting to note that the number 666 is actually a word in the original Greek. The word is “chi xi stigma,” with the last part, “stigma,” also meaning “to stick or prick.” Carl believes this is referring to a hypodermic needle when they poke into the skin to inject the microchip.”

Mr. Sanders asked a Boston Medical Center doctor what would happen if the lithium contained within the RFID microchip leaked into the body. The doctor responded that if the microchip broke inside a human body, the lithium would cause a severe and painful wound filled with pus. This is what the book of Revelation says:

“And the first(Angel) went, and poured out his vial on the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore on the men which had the mark of the beast, and on them which worshipped his image” (Revelation 16:2).

The Bible tells us we cannot buy or sell without the mark of the beast, or the number of its name. This number is identified as 666. The Bible tells us to calculate the number 666. How do we calculate 666?

This is where it gets really interesting. Calculating the number 666 has been long debated throughout the centuries, but has now been revealed in these last days by God. What I will show you confirms itself with the Bible the true meaning to calculate 666.

Throughout the Bible, God uses the number 3 as confirmation of things. Here are a few examples:

“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7 NKJV).

“and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4 NKJV).

“…Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8 NKJV).

Now what is interesting is the the mark of the beast is described in detail in three separate verses (Revelation 13:16,17,18), and each verse lists three different examples of the given topic. The last three being the number 6 being used three times in a row. This is a key point to unlocking how to calculate the number 666.

What does it mean to count? It means to add up. So how could we add up 666? Remember my previous point about God confirming in threes. So logically, what would be the best way to count the number 666? To count it equally in threes based off the number. We cannot count it equally as 600+60+6, this would also bring us back to the start. We cannot count it as 600+600+600, or 60+60+60, because there are no zeroes in between or at the end of 666. The only logical option is 6+6+6=18. What is interesting is that the verse that reveals for us to count the number itself is verse 18, being the third verse out of three verses that describe the mark of the beast. What is 18 divided by 3? 6. So 3×6=18, or 6+6+6=18.

Another interesting point is the only two other combinations (making a total of three possible combinations) for placing a “+” symbol in between the 6’s are 66+6=72, and 6+66=72. Add both 72’s together and you get 144. Why the number 144 is interesting is because the verse following Revelation 13:18 is the first time in the Bible where the 144,000 are being described in detail:

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads…” (Revelation 14:1).

Now if you add up all three numbers by counting 666 by moving the “+” symbol around in all three possible combinations, it would be 72+72+18=162. What is interesting about the number 162, is, if you divide 144,000 by 162, you get 888. The name of Jesus in Greek gematria adds up to 888. The New Testament was orignally written in Greek. Revelation 14:1 not only mentions the 144,000, but also the Lamb who is Jesus.

Now what is interesting about the number for Jesus, 888, is that if you apply this same formula, you get 8+8+8=24. Why the number 24? Revelation chapter 4 tells us there are 24 elders seated around the throne of God. This is the same throne where Jesus sits:

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads” (Revelation 4:2-4).

Now if you take 8+8+8=24, and 8+88=96, and 88+8=96, you get 24+96+96=216. Take 144,000 divided by 216 and you get 666. Remember that this was the same exact formula to get the number 162 out of counting 666 that brought about the number 888 when dividing 144,000 by 162. It is perpetual.

With using the same formula of counting by adding the “+” symbol in between the numbers, why do all these numbers relate in such a way?

The book of Revelation contains the use of the number 7 in various forms. For instance 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls. What is interesting about the number 37 (three sevens) is if if you divide any number that contains the same single digit three times in a row, such as 111 to 999, it comes out to the value of if you were to add all three numbers up. For example 888 divided by 37 equals 24. So 8+8+8=24. Or 666 divided by 37 equals 18. So 6+6+6=18. Could this be another way of God’s word confirming itself that the mystery behind calculating the number 666 indeed is 18?

Another interesting point to note is that if you add up all the numbers from 1 to 36, it totals 666. The number 36, as in three sixes? Could this be a hint that we should add up three sixes instead of perceiving the number as six-hundred sixty six?

So what could this mean? Well we know in this world we are identified by numbers in various forms. From our birth certificate to social security, as well as our drivers license, being identified based on a system of ruler ship. So it is possible that this RFID microchip will contain a new identification that has a total of 18 characters.

“here the wisdom is, the one having the mind let him calculate the number of the wild beast, number for “of human” it is, and the number of it 666″ (Revelation 13:1, Greek Translation).

The Greek word “anthrōpos” being used in verse 18 where it says “of human” is the Greek strongs concordance G444. The first two definitions of the word are “a human being, whether male or female”, and, “generically, to include all human individuals”. Could the number of the beast apply to all mankind?

In the Greek (the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language), and other translations, you will notice the beast is described as an “it”, instead of “him”. The reason I’m making this point is because when a translation says “His number is 666”, this would imply a singular person, the Antichrist. But by saying “the number of it 666”, implies that it is of the beast system as a whole.

We can know the number of the beast cannot be to identify products (like a new barcode) to buy or sell because scripture says we cannot buy or sell without the number of the beast. What am I getting at? There will be instances where you could buy something someone made themselves and it wouldn’t have a store branded identification on it. But for this number to be in our chips, that is where it must be to conclude ultimately that we cannot buy or sell without having the number of the beast. As previously mentioned in Revelation 13:18, the number of the beast (6+6+6=18) is a “human number”, definition “generically, to include all human individuals”.

Could this be the name of the beast, the number of its name? The one-world beast system that is identified by 18 characters? This would fit scripture that speaks of a mark that we must have to buy or sell in our right hand or forehead, and that it also contains the number of the beast, during a future cashless money society.

Go to: http://voice-truth.com to see all the proof!

The Bible warns us in the end times that a false prophet will rise up doing miracles to deceive many to receive this mark:

“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image” (Revelation 19:20).

No matter the cost, DO NOT TAKE IT!

“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9-11).

We are living in very prophetic times with major Biblical prophecies being fulfilled. When Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as capital of Israel in December of 2017, this was a big step to bring about the Third Temple prophesied in the Bible.

The Bible tells us that the Antichrist will seat himself in this temple:

“…and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

In the Islamic religion, they have man called the Mahdi, known as their messiah who they are waiting to appear. There are many testimonies from people online who believe this man will be Barack Obama who is to be the biblical Antichrist. I myself have had strange dreams about him. He came on stage claiming to be a Christian with no affiliation to the Muslim faith, but was later revealed by his own family members that he indeed is a devout Muslim.

So what’s in the name? The meaning of someones name can say a lot about a person. God throughout history has given names to people that have a specific meaning tied to their lives. How about the name Barack Obama? Let us take a look at what may be hiding beneath the surface…

Jesus says, “And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven'” (Luke 10:18).

In Hebrew, the word Barack means “lightning”, and the use of Bama (Strongs Hebrew word 1116) is used to refer to the “heights” of heaven.

The day following the election of Barack Obama (11/04/08), the winning pick 3 lotto numbers in Illinois (Obama’s home state) for 11/5/08 were 666.

Obama was a U.S. senator for Illinois, and his zip code was 60606.

Regardless, whoever seats himself in that Third Temple in Jerusalem declaring himself to be God IS THE ANTICHRIST. DO NOT BE DECEIVED.

Why do we need Jesus?

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Our good works cannot save us. If we step before a judge, being guilty of a crime, the judge will not judge us by the good that we have done, but rather the crimes we have committed. If we as fallen humanity, created in God’s image, pose this type of justice, how much more a perfect, righteous, and Holy God?

God has brought down His moral law’s through the 10 commandments given to Moses at Mt. Siani. These laws were not given so we may be justified, but so that we may see the need for a savior. They are the mirror of God’s character of what He has put in each and every one of us, with our conscious bearing witness that we know that it is wrong to steal, lie, dishonor our parents, and so forth.

We can try and follow the moral laws of the 10 commandments, but we will never catch up to them to be justified before a Holy God. That same word of the law given to Moses became flesh over 2000 years ago in the body of Jesus Christ. He came to be our justification by fulfilling the law, living a sinless perfect life that only God could fulfill.

The gap between us and the law can never be reconciled by our own merit, but the arm of Jesus is stretched out by the grace and mercy of God. And if we are to grab on, through faith in Him, He will pull us up being the one to justify us. As in the court of law, if someone steps in and pays your fine, even though you are guilty, the judge can do what is legal and just and let you go free. This is what Jesus did almost 2000 years ago on the cross. It was a legal transaction being fulfilled in the spiritual realm by the shedding of His blood, with His last words being, “…It is finished!…” (John 19:30).

Now why did Jesus have to die for us?

Because God is Holy and just, the wrath that we deserve could not go unnoticed. Through the perfect righteousness and justice of God’s character, it must be dealt with, it must be quenched and satisfied.

For God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23). This is why in Isaiah chapter 53, where it speaks of the coming Messiah and His soul being a sacrifice for our sins, why it says it pleased God to crush His only begotten Son.

This is because the wrath that we deserve was justified by being poured out upon His Son. If that wrath was poured out on us, we would all die and go to hell. God created a way of escape by pouring it out on His Son who’s soul could not be left in Hades, but was raised and seated at the right hand of God in power.

So now when we put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14), God no longer see’s the person who deserves His wrath, but rather the glorious image of His perfect Son dwelling in us, justifying us as if we received the wrath we deserve, making a way of escape from the curse of death.

Now what we must do is repent and trust in the savior, confessing and forsaking our sins. This is not just a head knowledge of believing in Jesus, but rather receiving His words, taking them to heart. Where we no longer live to practice sin, but rather turn from our sins and practice righteousness:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

By doing so we may become transformed into the image of God through faith in His Son Christ Jesus Who is willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask of Him:

“Most assuredly, I (Jesus) say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3:5-7).

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).

What are you waiting for? Our Father in heaven only wants the best for us, restoring everything this world has stolen from us. This is what it means to be “holy”. To be made whole.

He is waiting to hear from you. That God given tongue to speak language, through faith, pray to Him, ask Him to forgive you by confessing your sins and be willing to forsake them; that you accept the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross, and that you want His Holy Spirit living inside you transforming you into a child of God.

Jesus says, “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him (the Holy Spirit) will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Did you know that Jesus spoke more about hell than anyone else, even more than He spoke about heaven?! For this very reason He came to die for us, to rescue us from this place that we deserve.

He describes hell as a real place where,

“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44).

And where,

“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…” (Luke 13:28).

Jesus tells us who to fear,

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’

Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’

And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.'” (Revelation 21:1-8).

Out of all the world religions, how can we be sure the Bible got it right? The scientific data has established and continues to support that the universe once had a beginning in which space, time and matter were created. Many know this as the big bang.

“The non-biblical religions tell us that god or god’s create within space and time that eternally exist. The Bible stands alone and says that time and space don’t exist until God creates the universe.” – Astronomer (Phd) Hugh Ross

The Bible not only got it right that space, time and matter all came into existence at the beginning of the universe, it also states in 7 different places that the universe is expanding thousands of years before scientists discovered these things.

Did you know that the real Noah’s Ark was discovered in the location where the Bible told us it would be, as well as having the correct dimensions? As well as proof for the destruction of Sodom Gomorrah and the Exodus account of the Red Sea crossing?

The Bible is the most translated and read book in the history of the world, full of predictive prophecies, matching what we find in the book of nature. Wouldn’t you expect God’s word to be so?

This information and more can all be found here: http://voice-truth.com

God loves you!

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