Current Times in Light of the Bible

I consider myself a student of the Bible.  In fact, I have a Bachelors’ degree in Theology and am I test away from a Masters’ degree in Theology.  For over 20 years I have read, studied, and meditated on God’s Word consistently, but there are things that still confound and confuse me.  

There are many mysteries in the Bible (not my word, God Himself calls them mysteries).  One thing that always seems to intrigue people is the Book of Revelation.

The Book of Revelation details what will happen in the last days.  One of the key people in this explanation is the Anti-Christ.  Though never identified by name or specific details (wouldn’t that have been nice) we can understand quite a bit about him. 

To gain an understanding of the Anti-Christ, we need to look at another book in the New Testament, the book of Second Thessalonians, chapter two.  Let me quote the text below:

2:1 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

 3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

In verse number 3, we find the Anti-Christ by two other names, the “man of sin” and the “son of perdition.”  Notice that the text states very clearly that there will be a falling away and then the man of sin will be revealed.  Then again in verse 6, we find that the Anti-Christ will be revealed in his time. 

We can surmise that something happens that sets the stage for the Anti-Christ to be revealed.  Some catastrophe occurs that creates the perceived need of strong humanistic leadership.  We don’t know what this event or events may be.  Some have speculated that it would be a global war, terrorism, or an economic collapse that creates such an atmosphere.  Regardless of what the circumstances may be, the Anti-Christ will step up and say that he has the answers, he can save everyone. 

Notice with me verse 4 is a description of the Anti-Christ’s attitudes.  He opposes all that is of God; he exalts himself above all that is called God.  He sits in the temple of God, as if he was God.  What does all this mean?  The Anti-Christ views himself as above God or the notion or idea of worshiping God.  He would say that worshiping God is outdated or old fashioned, that holding to the Christian faith is not necessary or prudent during this day and time (during the great crisis).  The Anti-Christ will set himself up as having the solutions to all our problems.

How will people respond to the Anti-Christ?  With disdain and angst?  With disbelief and heartache?  To find out, we will look to Revelation 13

Re 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Notice that in verse 4, the people worshiped the dragon and the beast (the Anti-Christ).  In verses 5 and 7, power was given to the Anti-Christ and in verse 8, we see that all the earth will worship him.  The Anti-Christ becomes a world leader whom all adore and worship.  All that is, except those whose names are written in the Book of Life—those who are born again Christians. 

People respond to the Anti-Christ willingly.  If we were to continue studying in Revelation, we will see that the Anti-Christ proceeds with giving the people the mark of the beast.  The scriptures tell us that people cannot buy or sell without the mark.  People will surrender their basic civil liberties for the Anti-Christ, because he will save us all. 

One of the questions I always ask myself is how can this transpire?  How can we, freedom loving Americans, willingly surrender our rights and liberties to the Anti-Christ?   As I study the book of Revelation, I see no prophetic mention of the United States.  This tells me that we as a nation must surrender to the Anti-Christ readily early after he is revealed. 

Considering recent events, I have learned some things.  I have learned that the citizens of the United States will for the most part fall into line when someone says that “this is for the greater good.”  I have learned that the American people are easily panicked and will look for a strong voice in times of distress—any strong voice and that strong voice will become an overnight idol in the hearts and minds of countless thousands of people. 

Why will the world turn to welcome the Anti-Christ?  Because it is in our nature to do so.  We, as humans, have a need for a strong leader.  When one rejects God and His Saviour, that leaves your heart open for someone else to fill that need.  As the Beloved Apostle John tells us, we ought to try the spirits to see if they are of God.  Not all strong voices we are hearing these days are Godly. 

Have Faith in God

Have faith in God.  How many times have you heard a preacher or fellow Christian say those words or something just like them?  Just have faith.  Just believe.  Just trust.

As a preacher I’ve probably told someone words to that effect hundreds, if not thousands, of times.  Your loved one is sick?  Trust the Lord.  You’ve got bills that you don’t know how to pay?  Have faith in the Lord.  Your teenager is giving you trouble?  Have faith. 

These aren’t platitudes we use to try to make each other feel better, but quite honestly, this is the best advice we can give to each other.  This morning, you may be struggling with needs.  You may be struggling with issues that no one else knows about.  Those secret things that are weighing you down that you haven’t shared with anyone.  Perhaps it’s a medical diagnosis that you are trying to get your mind around.  Perhaps your marriage is in trouble.  We all face a multitude of struggles and heartaches every day. 

Let me be perfectly honest with you:  I struggle with this.  When my needs are larger than my resources; when things are not going according to my plans and my ideas, my faith isn’t what it ought to be.  Wait a minute, you may be thinking, you’re the preacher!  You’re the pastor!  You’re supposed to have rock solid faith!  True.  But so are you!

I was listening to some music the other day.  A song played that spoke to my heart.  The song was talking about the disciples on the boat in the middle of the sea and the storm came up and they were afraid.  It got so bad, that they thought they were going to die.  Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat. They woke Him and He calmed the wind and the seas. 

As I was listening to this song, I was struck by these thoughts.  First, they weren’t alone.  Jesus was with them in the storm.  They weren’t facing the storm without Him.  Not only did they have Jesus in the boat, there were most likely a total of 13 men in that boat—the 12 disciples and Jesus.  They had each other.  You may indeed be facing issues of life this morning, but you’re not the only one in that boat!

Secondly, I was struck by the thought that Jesus was waiting on them.  I can picture in my mind the disciples running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to figure out what to do.  Peter was probably mouthing off to James and John; Andrew was asking Phillip what to do; Matthew was wondering why he ever left the tax collector business.  But in the back of the boat was the answer, the solution to their problems.  Jesus. 

Thirdly, I realized that Jesus wasn’t surprised by the storm.  I’ve read, studied, or preached from this passage many, many times.  I’ve never had this realization.  Jesus didn’t wake up and say “oh, there’s a storm.  How about that.”  No, Jesus awoke and spoke to the disciples.  He didn’t ask about the storm. He didn’t ask about the boat.  He simply stood up and said “Peace, be still.”  Then He asked these questions:  why are you afraid, and where is your faith.  

We can have faith in the Lord during our struggles.  No one ever said it would be easy.  Having faith is not having storms.  Faith is trusting in God in the storms.  Don’t let your storms distract you from the simple fact that God is God, and He is able to provide for your needs.  Perhaps, you just need to talk to Him about those needs and find peace in spite of the storms.      

Deep Thinking. . .

At the end of 2019, I finished reading the Bible through for the 10^th or 11^th time.  I’ve forgotten exactly how many times, but that’s not important.  Every time I read through the Bible, I find myself in renewed awe of God’s Word.  Every time through, I find something new; well, it’s not new, because it’s in there, it’s new to me because it is revealed to me in a different way. 

This time, I learned something that has really made me think.  I mean deep thinking, like the statue of the thinker, deep.  The New Testament tell us that Jesus, while walking on earth, marvelled over two things.  Let’s look at them:

The first is found in Matthew 8:10 “When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Jesus marvelled at this faith.  This faith was the faith of the centurion that came to Jesus on behalf of his servant that was sick.  The centurion, a Roman, knew that Jesus was the only hope for his servant.  He besought Jesus to just say the word and the servant would be healed.  Jesus said to the centurion that He would go to the man’s house.  The centurion said no, I’m not worthy, just say the word and my servant will be healed.  Jesus marvelled at this man’s faith.  Jesus told the crowd that He had not seen such great faith in all of Israel. 

The second time is found in Mark 6:6 “And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”  Jesus went to His own country and began to teach in the synagogue.  The people said isn’t this Jesus, Mary’s boy?  The scripture says they were astonished.  Jesus marvelled at their unbelief—their lack of faith. Because of their lack of faith, Jesus did not do many mighty works.  

This amazes me.  Jesus marvels over one thing—our faith.  The Lord Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, marvels over our faith.  He told the disciples that if they had faith the size of a grain of a mustard seed, they could move mountains. 

The Bible also tells us in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”  God has given to us the measure of faith that we need. 

Let’s pull this together:  while walking on this earth, Jesus marvelled over a great faith and a lack of faith.  Jesus told the disciples that all we need is faith the size of a grain of a mustard seed and we could move mountains.  God has provided us the measure of faith.  Jesus is marveling over your faith; is it because it is great or because it is lacking?  Perhaps the Lord isn't working in your life because your lack of faith is hindering His working.    Is the Lord marvelling over your lack of faith?  

Looking Back

On New Year’s Day, I preached a sermon out of the Book of James.  Here was my text:

James 1:19-27

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The text is a challenge to look at ourselves.  I would like each of us to look back at this last year, 2019, and see what manner of man (or woman) we were.  This passage gives the picture of the Bible as a mirror in which we can see our own reflection.  Notice the illustration goes on to say that we can look at ourselves in the mirror and then walk away forgetting what kind of person we are.  I asked the folks these questions about their lives in 2019.

1.            Are you the Christian You Ought to Be?

Have you lived the Christian life that you should have? I’m sure there were spiritual highlights and spiritual low lights in your year, there sure were in mine.  Look back with me for a few moments and think of the highlight reel of your 2019.  There may have been some true spiritual victories.  Sin that you overcame.  Discouragement that you set aside.  There may have been some true spiritual missteps as well.  I think of these as our blooper reels.  You know, when the receiver fumbles the pass or when the shortstop misses the easy catch.  Things that leave you smacking yourself upside the head.  The real question is what did you spend 2019 seeking?  Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Have you put the kingdom of God first? Or have you put yourself first?

2.            Are you the Friend You Ought to Be?

Humans have a need for social interaction.  Some of us like to be alone, but there comes a time we seek out friends.  Remember the Tom Hanks movie “Cast Away?”  He got to a point where he needed companionship, so he made a friend out of a volleyball.  We need friends.

Are we the kind of friend that we should be?

Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Have we been a true friend?  Have we been willing to help those in need? Were we the kind of friend that we would want to have? 

3.            Are you the Spouse You Ought to Be?

How was your married life in 2019?  Were you the husband or wife you ought to have been in 2019? The Bible gives us clear direction on what kind of wife and husband we ought to be.

Ephesians 5:22-25 tells us:

22 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

Ladies, have you submitted like you ought to have? Jesus submitted to God.  If we are Christians, we ought to be Christ-like.  Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.  The Lord Jesus submitted to the Father. 

Brothers, have you loved like you ought to have? In that passage of scripture, men are told to love their wives three times.  It’s 3 times as important for men to love their wives as it is for wives to submit to their husband.  If we love our wife like Jesus loves the church, our wife will have no problem submitting to us.  How did Jesus love?  Jesus loved selflessly, sacrificially, and steadfastly

               

4.            Are you the Child You Ought to Be?

Young people, have you been the child you ought to be?  Have you listened, obeyed, and honored your parents?  Adults, have you been the child to your parents you ought to be?  You’ll always be a child, no matter how old you get.  We find directions on how to be the child we ought to be in the Bible.

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Are you the man, woman, boy, or girl that you thought you were? Are you the spouse or friend you thought you were?  Do you need to make some improvements in your life? You can start today!  We’ve looked in the mirror that is the Word of God.  Are you going to make changes or walk away forgetting what manner of man you are?  

'Tis the Season

Looking at my wife’s calendar is exhausting.  Looking at my calendar is as well.  I’m reminded of my Grandmother saying this one time: “we’re trying to put 10 pounds of sugar in a 5-pound sack.”  Christmas means many things to many people, but I think we can all agree on this one thing.  From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, we are super busy. 

Work parties.  School parties.  Getting together with family and friends.  Church activities.  School programs.  Who has time for everything that comes at us?  Everyone wants to share some time with us during the holidays, which is great.  I love getting together with family and friends and spending time with the church family during the holidays. 

But wait, there’s more!  Decorating, shopping, wrapping, cleaning, and cooking!  And of course, there’s the dreaded waking up in the middle of night, with the realization that we forgot to get a gift for Great-Aunt Edna!  What are we going to get her?  She has everything imaginable! 

I’m not surprised that Santa made a list and checked it twice, I’m surprised he only checked it twice!  

We get so busy that we often forget the purpose of the holiday. 

What is the purpose of Christmas?  It’s not the gifts, nor is it the decorations, nor is it even all the get togethers.  The purpose of Christmas is to take some time to reflect on what happened in Bethlehem all those years ago.  When a young woman gave birth to the Son of God.  If that isn’t amazing enough, that same babe would grow up into a man Who would willingly give His life in exchange for people who didn’t even know Him at the time (Romans 5:8). 

As Christmas approaches, let’s purpose to slow down our hectic pace and spend time quietly reflecting on the purpose of the season.  Stop pursuing the perfect gift for Great-Aunt Edna and instead, pursue a closer relationship with Jesus. 

The Bible tells us about some wise men who visited Jesus in Bethlehem.  The wise men must have taken a wrong turn in the desert because they didn’t get to see Jesus until He was about two years old.  For two years, they followed the star that was guiding them.  They didn’t give up.  They didn’t give out.  They didn’t give in.  They pursued.  Over hill and mountain, moor and fountain, they pursued the star, not because it was an astronomical anomaly, but because of what it represented—the birth of the King of the Jews. 

This season take time to celebrate Jesus.   The gifts, decorations, and the hustle and bustle are something we enjoy and possibly endure, but Jesus is the reason for the season.

 

Discovery Trail

This morning I continued my annual Thanksgiving tradition of running a 5K.  It wasn’t an official race, but I ran it anyway.   No cheering crowds or official timers, just me and the pounding of my feet on the trail.  There is a wonderful trail here in Clinton called the Discovery Trail.  It’s a running/biking trail along the Mississippi River.

 

The trail is dedicated to three astronauts from the Clinton area; Cmdr. Dale A. Gardner (U.S. Navy), Dr. George D. (Pinky) Nelson and Col. David C. Hilmers (U.S. Marine Corps).  I only ran 3.1 miles of the trail, but it stretches 14 miles along the riverfront. 

Often, we take for granted things that others have sacrificed greatly for.   As I was running, I thought about those who sacrifice for our freedom.  I was thinking about those astronauts who worked so hard to achieve their goal of becoming an astronaut.  They sacrificed and served our country in ways we may never now.  Likewise, many in my family have served in the military.  Whether in the US Army or the US Navy, my family has been well represented in this fashion.  They have made sacrifices that we may never know of as well.   

One of the lighthouses along the Discovery Trail

While running, I passed by other runners and walkers enjoying the trail.  It was quite chilly but everyone I passed had a wonderful smile on their face.   While running, I decided to research these three astronauts.  

George Nelson flew on Challenger, Columbia, and Discovery.  He received several medals from NASA for his work as an astronaut. 

Dale Gardner flew on the Challenger and Discovery.  He completed two space walks for a total of 12 hours.  His work helped salvage two satellites.  He received recognition from the Department of Defense and several commendations from NASA.

David Hilmers has logged over 493 hours of space flight on Atlantis and Discovery.  He was part of a classified mission and during other missions he completed at least 66 experiments while in space. 

These men dedicated their lives to something bigger than themselves.  Yes, they received commendations, awards, and had the experience of being in space, which very few people have done.  But they still dedicated themselves to serve a higher purpose.   

I’ve learned a couple of things.  One, when you commit yourself to something, go after it with all you have.  These guys reached the height of their careers because they made the effort to do so.  We can each accomplish great things when we set our minds to do so.  

Two, take the time to learn about your surroundings.  I have been aware of this trail for some time and have even ran it a couple of times before.  But I never took the time to research these astronauts.  There may be people from your hometown that have done great things that will inspire you.     

I'm Thankful!

This year, my family and I have come home for Thanksgiving.  Home for me is Iowa.  I’m looking forward to spending time with my extended Otto family and with my Mom’s family as well.  We’ve spent a few days here in Iowa resting and relaxing, just being with my folks.  I’ve spent the last several services at church preaching on thanksgiving.  This last Sunday, I preached on what I am thankful for.  I’m thankful for a lot of things: for my family, for my home, for my church, for my salvation and for the Word of God. 

This morning I was reading in my devotion time out of the Psalms.  Specifically, I was reading the 136^th Psalm.  This psalm is completely about being thankful to the Lord.  Verse after verse tells us what we need to be thankful for—His mercy, His works, His goodness.  We ought to be so very thankful. 

It seems that our society has drifted from the intent of the original Thanksgiving meal.  The Pilgrims were thankful for the basics—survival.  They were thankful for just being alive.  They were also thankful for another basic item—liberty.  We’ve moved away from that and spend a lot of time being thankful for material possessions, for wealth and, well, stuff. 

I find it interesting that in America, the self-storage industry is over $38 billion dollars a year.  There are 2.3 billion square feet of storage space available nationwide.  That’s a lot of stuff.  Apparently, it’s a lot of stuff that people don’t need because they are storing it. 

Here’s irony:  we’ll spend Thursday being thankful for stuff.  And then starting Friday, the largest shopping season of the year will kick off with a vengeance and we’ll begin the hunt for more stuff.  I’m not against gift giving or shopping. 

I’m against being thankful only one day a year.  We should be thankful every day.  We should express our thanks for what the Lord has done for us every day.  Take time to be thankful.  Perhaps if we were more thankful every day, we wouldn’t see so much discontentment with what we do have.  Do we really need that 65-inch 4K TV that’s on sale for Black Friday?  It is bigger than the 55-inch TV that we have now.  Maybe I should go look at that sales paper again. . . .