The Beginning of the End pt 2

Before I begin... Again

I keep thinking of things to say before I say what I really want to say. Inspiration comes erratically and sometimes with large gaps of time. Kinda like Biblical Prophecy. But I feel that I must make certain things clear to avoid misunderstandings that might be perceived by anyone reading this.

The problem with "Topical" preaching is that it is relatively easy to cherry pick scripture to fit any sort of point you want to make, or theology you wish to create. As I stated before, I prefer rhetoric. I like to ask questions and if scripture is searched, let the chips fall where they may. I will use scripture from all over, that may even seem unrelated as is the case in this particular post. Therefore (whats the therefore there for?) please understand that I'm not making a point, but questioning one. It is up to you to come to your own conclusion.

The Final Countdown

Anyone who knows that song, now has it stuck in their heads.

As mentioned in my last blog, the first topic I wanted to discuss was that of "Those who have a form of Godliness, but deny the power thereof".

I know that doesn't sound particularly exciting, and I'm sure you were expecting something along the lines of

1. Wild conspiracy theories involving 
1. The government
2. The Anti-Christ 
2. Or of information related to 
1. Wild natural disasters
2. Pestilence
3. Disease
4. Wars

I'm sorry to disappoint, but this topic is actually what spurred me to restart my blog in the first place, and one with which I felt I personally had a sort of epiphany. I will no doubt cover those other topics at later dates, but this is a big topic as it deals directly with what separates us from God in the first place. 

1. Ourselves
2. Other people
3. The Deble

If we were conducting a countdown of things to take place before the "End of Days" this would be the first. It is what I believe ushers in everything that follows.

The Great Rebellion

2 Thessalonians 2:2-3

"Do not become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us-whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter-asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction." (emphasis mine)

There are two points made here.

1. Preceding the "Day of the Lord" the man of lawlessness is revealed (Anti-Christ).
2. Preceding the Anti-Christ, a rebellion must happen first. 

Two questions that come to my mind are...

1. What is the Day of the Lord?
2. Rebellion against what and by whom?

The first question is easy enough to answer. There are many places in the both the Old and New Testaments that reference this event. This is the event where God comes to earth for the judgement of mankind, or if you prefer, the Second Coming of Christ. It is described as being "Great and Terrible". This is not the rapture of the Church. Despite what it means for those who love God, it sounds altogether unpleasant. I encourage you to read about it.

Isaiah 2:6-12

Amos 5:18-20

Joel 2:28-32 (Acts 2:17-21)

Matthew 24:29-31

1 Thessalonians 5:2

Revelation 16:18-20

The second question can be a little more tricky to form a solid opinion on. If you believe that rebellion is committed by all the peoples of the earth, you must consider that we all live in rebellion to God in some small part simply due to our sinful nature. In the bigger picture however, there are more people living in open and out right rebellion to God's rule in their lives than not. That has pretty much always been the case. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that this verse is referring specifically to people who "claim" to believe in, love, and follow Gods laws.

In my opinion, rebellion generally occurs when someone fights an authority that (at least at one time) they conceded to. Much like a child rebelling against a parent. As a child, my friends could not rebel against my parents, but I sure could. My parents tried to raise me with a set of rules and guidelines they believed were necessary for a successful and productive life. At some point in my life, the pleasing words of others seduced me towards living in a way that came in direct contradiction with what my parents tried to teach me was right. In many instances, this led me to learning some difficult and painful lessons.

I'm not saying that my parents and their ways are perfect, this is just an analogy for our relationship with God. Much like small children we submit to God wholeheartedly in the beginning trusting that he knows what's best for us. Somewhere along the way though, we inevitably decide that we know better than God and much to our detriment, choose for ourselves (based usually on the pleasing words of others) how best to live our lives. Occasionally God intervenes and saves us from ourselves, but the more determined we are to resist God's laws, the more likely He is to allow us to go our own way and fully suffer the consequences of our choices. 

This is backed up by Romans 1:24-32 I urge you to read it if you have not.

As stated in verse 32, They knew Gods commands were right as was his judgment. The word used for rebellion in the 2 Thessalonians passage is in the Greek apostasia (ἀποστασία). It means "falling away". I'm taking that to mean a falling away from a once held position. You can't fall away from someplace you haven't been. Therefore, it seems to me that those who fall away are those who once believed. As I stated before, the whole world (since the fall of man) has lived in generic rebellion to God, but this is a specific rebellion that is so pervasive and severe that it allows the Anti-Christ to come into power (over the entire world). With so many diverse cultures and belief systems in the world, it would take some seriously terrible events to bring the whole world to search for a savior with one voice. Some of those events are listed in a generic fashion by Jesus when speaking with his disciples. Chief among them are people claiming to be the Messiah. So much so that he repeats that statement 4 times in one chapter. The others are more of an environmental nature. 

So, lets combine a severe sense of hopelessness brought on by horrific natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Throw in a few charismatic leaders whipping people into a fervor leading to wars, which in turn leads to famine, disease and pestilence, and you have the perfect environment for the rebellion spoken about in 2 Thessalonians.

Matthew 24 paints the scenario perfectly. It is all sort of summed up in verse 12 and 24 (you've got to appreciate the symmetry).

vs. 12 "Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of many will grow cold." 

vs. 24 "For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." 

Getting to the point

The point is that Christians need to constantly be on the watch for deceptive Theology. I stated earlier that this all revolves around, "Those who have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof." The Greek word for power is dynamis (δύναμις).

That comes from 2nd Timothy 3:5. Paul instructs Timothy to stay away from them. I had a revelation one day regarding this verse with the word "power". What exactly is "the power thereof"?

Just before Paul talks about Man's poor decisions in the first chapter of Romans, he explains what God's power is.

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." Here again, dynamis is used for the same "power" that Paul says is being denied. Dynamis is defined as "the state of that which is not yet fully realized". This is where we get dynamic from. Not static, always in motion, always active. This is always "being" accomplished as long as there are people who need to be saved.

How is this accomplished? That is explained by Christ himself.

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

If you put those two verses from 2nd Timothy and Romans, you get this.

Those who appear Godly, but deny that God only through Jesus brings salvation.

Nothing new under the sun

There is an epidemic in the modern church that is looking to please the world rather than God. This is nothing new, and as Paul warns Timothy, we see this has been a problem from the beginning. In order to seem "all inclusive" they deny the basic principal of Christian Theology. It is Christ and only Christ who gives salvation. Even the new Pope is getting in on this by telling people that they can find their own way to God. What he failed to mention was that if their own way doesn't go through belief in Christ as God who died for their sins, that their way is a dead end.

When the man that represents the majority of the worlds "Christians" is denying the power of God to save mankind, you know the end is near. The signs I see are that the Worlds governments are spinning out of control. Chaos is coming and there is a concerted effort by the church today to unite people under a banner that will support the acceptance of the Anti-Christ as the savior of our problems.

Remember, only God can grant salvation from the worlds problems, and only though belief in Christ. That is the litmus test. If you don't hold on to that simple truth, how will you know the "false messiahs" when they show up?

Tetelestai

The Beginning of the End pt 1

Preamble

Before I just jump right into the topic at hand, I feel it necessary to discuss (somewhat more seriously) my purpose for this blog. I mentioned previously that the point of my blogging was for Eschatology-related discussion. That obviously leaves a lot on the table. So much so, that I have decided to break this up into two separate blog entries so that the information is more easily digestible. No worries though, I promise to post the main topic I mentioned in my last blog very soon.

First, I'll uphold my promise to define Eschatology for any reader who may have never heard the term. It is the study of Biblical Prophecy, specifically related to "The End Times"

Before you think, "Oh, this is some End of Days/Apocalypse nut", please understand that I believe the "End Days" started the moment Christ ascended into heaven leaving his disciples to continue on with his work. His work is what we know as the great commission.

In regards to the start of the End of Days,

Hebrews 1:2 But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (emphasis mine)

If he has spoken to us, what has he said?

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (emphasis mine)

Seems simple enough to me. If we are and have been in the Last Days, then we should be doing all we can to complete the task given to us. That is the point of Prophecy. Not to frighten or to sensationalize or to confuse. But rather to keep us on track. That is why my first post is, my first post.

I do not believe there is any conspiracy to bring about something that was prophesied to happen by God thousands of years ago. Even if there were, that's how it was always going to happen. With that in mind, when you think (as I do) that there are a great many signs which point to these last days as an escalating certainty much like the signs that tell you "Winter is coming", you can make yourself ready so that you are not taken by the storms that are inevitably coming.

Some people do try to make everything out to be a sign which can disconnect you from the point of the signs, and some people ignore them altogether which is akin to putting your head in the sand. I like to fall somewhere in between and hopefully understand the times we are living in and what might it all mean for us. If the Last Days started 2000 years ago, we should be looking for the signs that point to the end of the last days, not the start as so many are wont to do. Discernment is the key. Don't be fooled by anyone.

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (emphasis mine)

Whether you know it or not, there are a vast number of blogs, websites, books, and videos on this topic. Some by very well known and respected Theologians, and some not. Why anyone would take the time to read and care about what I have to say or contribute to the conversation is not up to me to say. It seems that even Hollywood is getting in on the action as demonstrated by the many TV shows of an Apocalyptic nature. This seems to me one more sign that something is coming. All of mankind can feel it, but how we react is what is important.

For my part, I'm doing this primarily for myself. I (at any given moment) have a great many ideas floating around in my head relating to this topic in general, but rarely do I have an opportune moment to discuss them with anyone even remotely interested. By the time I would, I have usually forgotten what it was I was thinking about, or moved on to some other idea. In hopes of getting these thoughts out so as to spur thinking and conversation (even if only with myself) I figured it would be a good idea to blog them out. If you're reading this, please take anything I say with a grain of salt. If anything I put forward causes an interest and desire to study this topic, then I have done my job.

More formalities

What I am not.

1. Pastor, Minister, Preacher, Bishop, Priest, or any other kind of clergy. 
2. I hold no degrees in Theology, Ancient Languages of the Bible or any other such related (and appropriate) areas of study. 

I actually have a degree in Technology Project Management, but that doesn't really apply here. What I do have is

1. An intense interest and desire to know and understand the times we live in regarding
1. How it relates to Biblical Prophecy yet to be fulfilled and 
2. Of God's mechanisms for completing his objectives. 

This is an area that I have been studying for 10 years or so and am no closer to really understanding than when I first started. When I first began researching "The End Times" I had already developed some pretty strongly held opinions based only on a fictional book series and a very cursory instruction from my Pastor while growing up. I'm happy to say that after a decade of study, I have far fewer opinions than when I began, and the ones I do have I don't hold onto with much conviction. I say happy, because I hope that

1. It is a sign of humility and
2. Anyone who says they know exactly how something that has yet to happen will happen has only fooled themselves into believing in a wish

 Those last two points about what makes me happy might be because of the first two points I made about what I am not, but I digress.

In regards to the last point made,  my way of thinking and of discussing  is always to ask more questions when there doesn't appear to be a simple answer. I follow a more rhetorical style of debating and believe that while anyone might read my blog and agree with my ideas, unless they have come to their own conclusion by way of their own internal struggle with the presented information, it won't stand up to any type of challenge and may be easily replaced by any other idea that sounds more pleasing. I like to believe this is the way that Christ talks to us. The truth is almost never what we want it to be and there is a saying about why people will believe a lie.

A book series by Terry Goodkind, states a rules named "The Wizards First Rule".

It states that people believe a lie either because 

1. They want it to be true or
2. They are afraid it is true

From now on, I'll call this "The Prophets First Rule". The Apostle Paul covered this, and I'll get to it soon.

What I try to do is ask God the hard questions (I may not want answered). Hopefully I'll be patient enough to allow him to answer, and to be willing to accept it even if I don't like it.

Currently I'm still in the asking phase. I'll let you know if I get any clear answers. 

For the record, my personal belief is that God appreciates our taking the time to wrestle with this (and any questions we may have) and uses it as a way to get us to lean on him for guidance and understanding, and to trust that he will provide the answers as we need them. If we are quick to rush to an answer of our own, then we might think that we do not need God. When has that ever worked out well for us?

I'll leave us here for now, feeling like I have explained myself a little bit better, and I hope I have piqued your interest enough to continue reading. I will try and make my posts a bit more straight forward than the last (since my wife says it was very confusing) while maintaining my ever charming and humorous style.

Tetelestai

Properly Pontificating Pretense

Preface

In sticking with my "Modus Operandi" of being completely spontaneous and non-sequitur, (and perhaps even a little supercilious) I'm writing this blog as my first attempt at being a theological commentator of something so completely subjective (and moo) that to for me to even offer an opinion is a little bit like, well a cow's opinion I suppose.

3 points to make at this early point in my blog.

        1. Yes, that was the longest run-on sentence you've ever read.

        2. No, it wasn't on purpose, I just noticed it.

        3. Yes, I'm too lazy to fix it.

In my defense, words inside of parentheses (and quotes) don't count.

A forward

I've heard that it’s (almost) always a bad idea to write sarcasm in email (and probably sanctimonious blogs). For reasons being that those who read it may not realize it as such and falsely assume you’re being a bully. In this case, either: 

1.      No one has ever read anything by Dean Koontz,

or

2.      Those writing the sarcasm really are mean.

Just so you know, I'm a very nice person (just ask my cat) and Dean Koontz is one of my most favorite authors. But, just in case that means nothing to you, there are two things that should be considered when reading my blog.

1.      It is important for you dear reader to remember that when I am waxing philosophical about ideas which I can claim absolutely no formal knowledge of and/or enlightenment from on high, I will undoubtedly find it necessary to apply heavily sarcasm layered analogies and metaphors in order to make myself sound more learned and thus the authority on whatever opinions I am espousing.

2.      I really like long run-on sentences.

You have been warned.

Getting down to business. Maybe.

I believe the key to being a well-respected theological commentator is the ability to "properly pontificate pretense". This is the skill to righteously claim or imply a deep and personal emotion or observation in a way considered annoyingly pompous, dogmatic and not at all supported by fact. As a blogger, the most important thing to remember is that most people reading either:

1.   Don't care

or

2.  Don't know half as much about whatever it is you are:

a.   Obtusely (annoyingly insensitive) describing to the

b.   Philistines (those who despise or dis value art, beauty, intellect, and content)

The second most important thing to remember when ascending to the heights of Super-Bloggerdom is to completely and consciously ignore the first most important thing you were supposed to remember.

A distant third is to make superfluous lists of items. It not only makes you look well organized, but:

1.   Implies you have so much knowledge on the subject that it:

a.   Literally overflows into a stream of  random and sometimes non-related topics which:

                                                                        i.    Serves to keep your readers slightly off balance and:

1.   Incapable of formulating well-reasoned arguments to your main points.

A preview of whats to come. Definitely.

So, now that  I have issued all of the proper disclaimers  I'll give you just a little taste of whats to come. Be warned though, the following contains no sarcasm or anything even remotely funny. At least for now.

For my next (and first serious) blog, I'll be focusing on 3 particular verses in the Bible, and how I believe they relate to Eschatological matters. 

John 14:6

Jesus answered "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Romans 1:16

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."

2nd Timothy 3:5

"Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

See. Nothing amusing about that at all.

~Tetelestai~

Return of the Goofball

I'm back.

I know, right? OK, so you're thinking to yourself
"Self, he's said that before, and did he use the right you're?"

Yes to both. Think of this as:

1. A reinvention of my previous Blogging attempt
1. With more focus and 
2. Less je n'est ce que
2. And a way to compete with my wife

I realize that sounds weird, but let me explain.

Men can make a sport out of just about anything provided there is any modicum of competition. I've always fancied myself a writer, but lack any serious semblance of motivational gusto to actually write.

Here's where my wife fits into the picture. She decides out of the blue to start her own blog. It doesn't matter that it's:

1. Primarily  geared toward a group of people who would rather submit themselves to the grueling and rigorous torture of Ultra Trail Marathon running or
2. Not about anything that I am personally interested in

It's the simple fact that despite her finding time to:

1. Go to ASU full time to finish a degree in Micro-Biology and
2. Actually run Ultra Trail Marathons

that she has created a very well written, passionate, interesting and educational blog.

IT IS SO ON! (Note that my blog will probably contain none of those things which I used to describe her blog).

Before I go any further with this, it is important to do a quick compare & contrast between my wife's blog and mine own.

Compare: Similar to her blog, it primarily serves as a way for me to discuss a topic which I am particularly interested in and passionate about.

Contrast: Unlike her blog, mine will contain absolutely nothing about running.

OK, now that I've gotten that out of the way, I'll quickly explain the purpose and plan of my future blogging attempts.

1. It will focus mostly on Eschatology related subject matter. 
1. For the lay person, don't worry. I'll explain what that means in my next blog.
2. It will involve both religion and politics soooo.... yeah, you'll probably be offended sooner rather than later.

And just so you wont think I'm blowing smoke, I will be quickly following up this introductory blog with another which will focus on nothing in particular, but will serve as a vehicle to further cement my blogging style into your sub-conscious and give me time to write my third blog about something actually relevant to my claims of actually having a purpose. That, and I already had them written and I hate to see good writing go to waste.

For those who have accidentally found themselves here and actually made it through all of my preamble, but were for some strange reason wanting to read about running (stop being so lazy and just go do it already) you can find my beautiful wife's blog here.

And as always, I look forward to and appreciate any comments you would like to throw my way. I will however delete it if I don't like it cause I'm a jerk like that. And I can. Just saying.

~Tetelestai~