Real or Fake? You Must Decide.
Have you heard, “There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!” We all have over the last few years. Instead of a lion, you can insert whatever keeps you afraid.
Are you one to dodge your duties and responsibilities with lame and crazy excuses? Matthew Henry stated (my paraphrase) something like this, “It’s foolish to frighten ourselves from reality by imagining false dangers.” It was true in ancient times and even today. Some folks will not leave their houses to work or buy groceries. They are afraid because someone told them to be frightened. Listening to “experts” who pretend to know anything is now problematic. We see people fearful of catching a virus, cold, the flu, etc., which are all invisible because sickness or even death may occur. All types of masks are worn (however incorrectly). Some keep a six-foot distance between themselves and others. Every shot and booster containing unknown and untested substances is injected into their bodies. All this to keep from getting sick or dying. Yet, in all their vain attempts, they still get ill and die…usually alone.
God has not called us to a life of fear. Even this Christmas season, we remember the angelic voice saying, “Listen! Do not fear. For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people.” Luke 2:10 MEV
The Lazy Man
As a door turn on its hinges,
With a sound everyone cringes.
So the lazy one turns on his bed,
While his family needs to be fed.
How long will you sleep?
Is slumber really that deep?
When will you arise?
The sun already shines!
A folding of hands, a little more slumber,
While little ones hunger.
What worth are you man,
But to do what you can?
The world and flesh hang on hinges
Both move in rhythemic binges.
Yet neither are heaven nearer,
Than he that is not a hearer.
Lies, Liars, and False Deniers
Why do we seem so ready to accept false testimony and lies against people we barely know? Does hate reside in our hearts against our neighbors and toward our political leaders? Perhaps our depravity is on display as we join others in accepting false testimony as accurate and true without further evidence or thought. A false testimony seeks to bruise a good man’s reputation, spoil his good works, and, if possible, deprive him of his life and any public political service. The one who slanders and lies about a good person exhibits their own wickedness and hatred.
“Once a country is habituated (or accustomed) to liars, it takes generations to get the truth back.” ― Gore Vidal
Words of Wisdom – Proverbs 22:1 and Ecclesiastes 7:1
Proverbs 22:1: reads, “A good name is to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” A good name is a name you earn by the kind of person you are, not what you are called by your parents. It is the name you make for yourself by well-doing. Carefully pursue a course of life and do those things by which you may obtain and retain a good name for yourself. Remember that great riches have baggage and bring great care, exposing the holder to dangers.
However, a related passage is Ecclesiastes 7:1, which reads, “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.” As I enter my latter years, I realize I didn’t think about this much when I was younger. But upon reflecting over the past years, I see this truth’s importance. We need to know who we are in the eyes of God. Our name and reality are the same in the Book of Life. We should probably ask if there has been a good work of grace upon us. If we are a child of God, then the day of our departure will be better than that of our birth. A child has nothing before them but uncertainties, labors, troubles, and fears. But with death, storms were successfully battled with all anxieties and worries gone. Our refuge and hope have been secured by Christ’s sacrifice. Good friends and family await the departed. Consider your destination.
The Book of Revelation – personal journey
Am I crazy to read or study a book of prophecy, judgment, warnings, and hope? More people today have questions about the future with all that is going on world-wide. Many scholars have spent a lifetime pursuing an understanding of the Word of God. Yet, the God of the universe has given His word that all will occur as He has said. Revelation has much to say about the coming days for this world. So if you are of a mind, please join me in a journey into a future that you may never have imagined or thought possible. Let us look at the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
What follows comes from a Pre-Tribulation point-of-view, an explanation provided later. Much of the narrative comes from reading a detailed analysis and discussion by Dr. Jack Van Impe in his book titled Revelation Revealed – verse by verse. See all his work at www.JVIM.com. Another source is the commentary Exploring Revelation by John Phillips, available at various book outlets. This journey will be in segments by chapter. I highly recommend both resources.
There are three main views on when the Rapture of the Church will occur:
(1) Pre-Tribulation (the rapture occurring before the tribulation),
(2) Mid-Tribulation (it occurs somewhere at the mid-point of the tribulation), and
(3) Post-Tribulation (occurring at the end of the tribulation).
So what is the rapture anyway? The biblical passage in
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 states that all believers in Jesus Christ, living or dead, will meet the Lord Jesus in the air and be with Him forever and ever. Then in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, the apostle Paul writes, “For God did not appoint us (believers) to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Also, Christ promised in Revelation 3:10 to keep believers from the hour of trial coming upon the earth. What is coming is not for them, but it is the time for Jacob’s trouble. Christ promises to keep believers from the trials in this time known as the Tribulation. A literal and consistent interpretation of the Bible lends itself to the pre-tribulation position as the most biblically-based view.
You can also find clear explanation to your biblical questions on www.gotquestions.org.
I plan to submit another posting each week until we conclude. Next, Book of Revelation – Chapter 1
Bill Wyler
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