One Last Post About Revelation and End Times

Okay, so maybe I worded the title poorly – don’t worry – I’m still standing my ground as a preterist Christian.

The reason I’m posting this and the reason I chose this title is because I have discovered that people will never stop setting dates and claiming the end is near. It is very tiring for me to write post after post about how it is not the end of the world, so here and now, I will refute the premillennialists and a-millennialists once and for all. Let us examine the Book of Revelation one last time here on Infinite Light.

Right. So first let’s review what the book of revelation is “about”.

Johns Revelation is a prophecy of the tribulation of Christians (the tribulation in Matthew 24 is referring to the tribulation and judgement of Jews).

Since this could very easily be a thirty page report, and since you want simple, direct answers anyway, I will simple post simple points with necessary detail rather than writing several paragraphs about each point. I will list points of interest, and definitive, premillennialist-refuting scripture throughout revelation in list fashion. Let us begin.

1. “I, John, who AM also your BROTHER and COMPANION IN tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle called Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 1:9

This alone should be proof enough that the Tribulation of Revelation has passed, since John states that he was currently going through tribulation with Christians at the time he wrote the book.

2. “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks you saw are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20

Here Jesus was telling John to write to the seven churches of Asia. Not only are there far more than seven churches in Asia, but there are millions of churches around the world. Even if you interpret this scripture to symbolize “kinds” or denomination of churches, the same still goes. There are now far more. Also, the seven churches that existed then would have absolutely no interest in prophecy that was intended to be fulfilled 2,000 years in the future.

3. It is well known that Babylon is another, more ancient name for Israel. When it is mentioned that Babylon has fallen, it is a reference to the Jewish people who betrayed Christ and sided with Caesar when Christ was on trial.

4. The beast of revelation is a double reference. It refers to both Nero Caesar (the man whose number is 666) as well as Rome itself. When the. I bible speaks of the beast coming up out of the sea, understand that the word “sea” was used in biblical text to refer to a chaotic society. Rome was most definitely chaotic around that point in time, and Nero rose up out of it as a promising leader who could bring Rome to peace and security. Obviously that failed to happen, but that’s beside the point.

5. The mark of the beast was something relevant to Nero Caesar as well. He forced his followers to receive a mark on their head or hand to symbolize their devotion and loyalty to him.

6. The fatal head wound that the beast received is referring to Rome again, rather than Caesar. It is symbolic, and it refers to the way that Rome truly should have been defeated by Christ and his ministry, and even though it actually was for a short time, it rose again. However, in regards to the beast being thrown in the pit and imprisoned, that prophecy was fulfilled when the Roman Empire collapsed and was never restored.

7. The reference to the beast being imprisoned for 1,000 years is symbolic writing once again. Notice that almost all other increments of time mentioned in the Bible are relatively specific. 1,000 years is symbolic language that we still use today to represent, in this case, a very long time:

“Oh, man! This food is so good! I haven’t eaten here in a thousand years!”

When we speak like this, it obviously isn’t literal, and in case you haven’t noticed by now, Revelation is a very symbolic piece of literature. It was a very long time after John wrote Revelation that Rome fell.

8. When it is said that new Jerusalem descended from heaven by the will of God and that no temple could be found within, it is obvious that this is our current Jerusalem. No temple stands there now, nor has one stood there since 70AD. There never will be (at least there will never NEED to be) a physical temple in Jerusalem again. The third temple is Jesus Christ, and we that live by His word will enter into Him when we leave this place. To put it simply, at the risk of offending Jewish readers, all things Jewish became irrelevant as soon as Christ physically died on the cross. Nothing matters now, because he was the mediant of the New Covenant. The temple, rituals, regaining of the holy land, etc. are irrelevant, being as all of that is pertaining to the old covenant. Everything jews have done since 70AD has been for their own humanly fulfillment and by their own will, not by God’s.

9. When it is mentioned that there is no need for the sun or the moon to give off their lights, that is a reference to Jewish traditions and ways of life as well. Jews in the old testament and even in the new testament often depended on solar and lunar phenomenon as signs to indicate what God was about to do, so to speak. For example, “Blood Moons” often stood as bad omens for Jews. New moons also signaled feasts. When it is said in Revelation that there is no need for the sun or moon because Jesus and God are the light, it means that celestial phenomena is no longer relevant, and is essentially meaningless. For example, the blood red moon we saw last December came and went with no Ill-natured events for Israel or the rest of the world. The one for. The year before that (2010) came and went as well, and as far as the ones that were succeeded by wars involving Israel(1948, 1967, etc) those wars were controlled, dictated, and willed by the Jewish people, not by God.

10. We are living in the symbolic “millennium” now. Remember, the thousand years are only symbolic, and we are very much living in a world where God, Christ, and the gospel is dominative. Take a drive through your city or town, and just count the number of churches, big or small. Tell me the gospel is dead. As far as the perfected bodies, though we may not be “perfect” in so many ways, we are improved compared to people back then. If you got stabbed or cut bad enough back then, you were as good as dead. Same goes for Illnesses and plagues. If you contracted a bad illness, you were very very unlikely to live. Fast forward to today, where we have antibiotics, treatments, surgeries, etc. that save millions of lives everyday. Christian lives.

If you have any questions that I didn’t cover here, feel free to email me or comment. I’m confident I’ll have an answer and if I don’t, I’ll find you one. Thank you so much for reading. Also, please understand that while I will continue to write about other things relevant to Christianity, this is the last Eschatology post I have in store, unless I stumble across an especially bizarre date setter.

In closing, thank you for reading, and God bless.

To the premillennialists and a-millennialists, I hereby officially refute you. Amen.

-N

Harold Camping’s Prediction is Now Laughable

As I was reading an article about Camping and his October 21, 2011 prediction, I came across a section that describes how he “calculated” this date for the end.  I read how he places the date of the great flood around 4,990BC, and assumes that Christ will make His return 7,000 years after that, so therefore, October 21st, 2011 is the date for the end of the world.  Even though it is common knowledge that the flood took place much later than 4,990 – actually in 2350BC – I thought, “What the heck?”  So I humored Mr. Camping’s theory and played along for a moment.  Obviously, the first step was to make sure that calculation adds up to 2011AD.  It was then, after spending but maybe 3 brief seconds tapping out the numbers on my calculator, that I came across the most shocking, disturbing, sickening, and hilarious discovery yet.

 

Are you ready for this?  Truly, prepare yourself.  This will change your life forever.  Here we go…

 

7000 – 4990 = 2010!

 

That’s right, regardless of what method you use, subtraction or addition, the result is the same!

 

7000 – 4990 = 2010

-4990 + 7000 = 2010

 

Is this not the most disgusting thing you have ever seen?  Of course, though, it is very funny as well.  I was fascinated by it all day, and it took a double-take to notice it for the first time.  I assumed since Mr.  Camping somehow managed to accurately fabricate every other one of his details, this would be the same.  I was very much expecting the result to be 2011.  What a beautiful surprise!

 

However, let us not forget that this man was also once a Civil Engineer…  This is scary, and may justify a call to action!  We should find out just what structures this man contributed to, and check them over for dangerous defects!

 

Anyway, now I will explain the calendar that was (or, at least should have been) used, because I know many of you want details, regardless of how giddy you may be.

 

The terms “Before Christ (BC)” and “Anno Domini (AD)” are very important terms to familiarize yourself with as a first step.  Before Christ, or BC is exactly what it sounds like; the years of history before the conception or birth of Christ.  They progress in a backward fashion, meaning, for example, 5,000BC was actually earlier than 2,000BC.  Consider it the “Negative” side on a number line.  Anno Domini, or AD, is a Latin phrase which means “In the year of our Lord”.  Thus, AD years begin directly after the last BC year.  An important note: Though this calendar does work like a number line with negative and positive sides, recognize that there is no zero year.  In other words, 1AD directly follows the year 1BC.  There is no year in between the two, since AD years begin immediately at the conception and/or birth of Jesus.

 

With this in mind, we arrive at two possible conclusions:

 

• Harold Camping is, in fact, the worst mathematician in history

 

• Harold Camping in fact has not studied the Bible as rigorously and devotedly as he claims.

 

See, the way Mr. Camping arrived at the number 2011 from that same equation, is he simply added a year into the mix that does not exist, so to speak.  That would be the zero year.  Even though zero has no value mathematically, in this scenario, it would be a space filler and would allow one to arrive at the number 2011.

 

Though there is no zero year, and one era begins immediately after the end of the era prior to it, sometimes 1BC is considered a metaphorical year zero to help with defining millenia.  For example, a new millenia actually begins on dates when the last digits are “01” (1001, 2001, etc.)  The same stands true for centuries.  True centuries actually begin when the last digits are “01” (1801, 1901, 2001, etc.)  So, in layman’s terms, even though 1BC is sometimes considered a zero year, it is strictly for simplicity’s sake.  Mr.  Camping is still wrong.

 

This, above all other things, should completely and totally disprove Harold Camping’s theory, and he should be dismissed, and in all of our prayers that God may have mercy on his deceptive soul when his personal judgment comes.

 

Just for clarity’s sake (and for a little bit of fun) I’m just going to make a quick, simple little list of all the false pieces of evidence that this false prophet used to spindle his false prediction.  Enjoy, and be at peace and free of worry, and may you find God’s grace today and every day.  Amen!

 

• The Doctrine of Futurism – Doctrine created in the mind of Francisco Ribera, Jesuit Priest, and not in the mind of God, in the 16th century.  Not in the Bible.

 

• The Doctrine of Annihilationism – Doctrine that says the souls of sinners and the unsaved will not be damned to eternal hell, but instead will be destroyed and cease to exist.  Not in the Bible.

 

• The Rapture Theory – A theory created by the “vision” of a 15 year old girl in Ireland in the 18th century, as well as the writings of John Nelson Darby, which says that true believers will be raptured away from the earth before the tribulation sets in.  Not in the Bible.  Was not practiced until the 18th century.

 

• The Doctrine of Predestination – A doctrine that suggests that before creation,  God already knew who, in all the years of the world, would and would not go to Heaven, and judged them prior to their birth.  Not in the Bible.  Not to mention, absurd, and goes against Camping’s own teachings.  First of all, if this were true, why would there be a need for a Judgement day or a Rapture?  Second, Camping said the door to salvation closed on May 21, 2011, and no one would be saved after that date.  How could there have ever been a door to salvation if everyone is “pre-judged” anyway?

 

• The Use of Numerology – Using numbers to calculate the end time.  This obviously did not work out too well for Mr.  Camping, and even if it had, another “date setter” false prophet said not too long ago that if his prediction for 2007 did not come to pass, numerology was the absolute worst, most unreliable method for predicting end times.  What is more absurd, is Camping completely changed important numbers from the Bible (The date of creation, the flood, etc.) and then when numbers continued to be problematic and not fit into his equation, he would pick random numbers and assign false, un-Biblical meanings to them, such as “5 is for atonement, 10 is for completeness, and 17 is for Heaven.”  No where in the whole entire Bible is this even implied.

 

• The Perversion and Twisting of Biblical Scripture – The first and foremost absurd example of this that comes to mind is Mr.  Camping’s statement that when the word “earthquake” is mentioned in scripture, it applies to humans, since humans were made of the dust of the ground(Gen. 2:7).  This theory is not supported or even mentioned anywhere in the whole Bible.  There are many, many other scriptures of which Camping has taught a mangled meaning, whether directly himself, or through doctrines and theories he believes in and teaches.  See my other posts regarding him for examples.

 

-N

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harold Camping and his Outrageous Predictions

If you have read either of my first two posts, you probably already know generally how I feel about Harold Camping.  However, one thing I haven’t done is explain in-depth who or what he is.  In this post I will first briefly describe Mr. Camping in an objective and unbiased manner, and then I will tell you why I feel the way I do about him.

Meet Harold Egbert Camping

Harold E. Camping is probably most well known for making predictions about when the end of the world will occur.  He is a broadcaster and president of the Family Radio network, based out ofSan Francisco,California.  He is currently 90 years old, and he recently suffered a moderately large stroke.  He was hospitalized for roughly 2 months, and was recently returned home where his wife is now caring for him.

His 2 most recent predictions of Christ’s return are probably the most well known, and definitely received more feedback and attention from people than any other.  The first of the two predictions pointed to May 21, 2011.  Camping said that on that day, the chance for salvation would close, true believers would be raptured, and the unsaved would be left here on earth for five months to suffer through earthquakes of unparalleled magnitudes, unparalleled levels of lawlessness, horrible natural disasters, and then face annihilation on October 21, 2011.

However, after May 21, 2011 came and went as any regular day, Camping told press on May 22 that he was “Flabergasted” that nothing happened, and that he needed time to think and pray, and that he would have more answers the next day when he returned to work.  When that day came, he said that all of the things he mentioned had taken place “spiritually” rather than physically.  He claimed that the rapture happened spiritually rather than physically, and that all of the torment and suffering is happening spiritually as well, and that October 21 would actually be the date of the physical rapture as well as the proposed “annihilation of the unsaved.”  However, yesterday, October 5, 2011, Camping was interviewed and he sounded incredibly less confident than before, saying that those things would “probably” happen on October 21, as opposed to before when he said that he “couldn’t entertain the possibility of a shadow of doubt that everything would come to a close on October 21.”

Why this Man is a Heretic, and a Deceiver

 

The reason I feel the way I do about Mr. Camping can actually be summed up very simply:  He is a heretic, a deceiver, and a false prophet.  Why?  First of all, as I have said in my previous posts, it is blasphemous and heretical in my opinion to accept and/or teach the theory of rapture, first of all.  The terms “Rapture”, “Futurism” or even the idea of such an event are not mentioned one single solitary time in the bible.  In the book of Revelation, we are warned not to add to the words of prophecy.  Read below.

“I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:  If any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

Revelation 22:18-19

 

I don’t know about you, but I consider the belief and teaching of the rapture – which, again, is not mentioned once in the bible – could definitely be defined as adding words to prophecy.  To make matters worse, Camping not only teaches one rapture, but two.  One “Spiritual” one that happened on May 21, and one “Physical” rapture that is supposed to happen on October 21.  Perhaps the moderately large stroke Mr. Camping suffered shortly after making his prediction could be defined as a plague.  I will not say that, but it is food for thought.

As if that isn’t bad enough, he also takes away from the words of prophecy.  Remember earlier in the post when I mentioned that Mr. Camping said the unsaved would be “annihilated”?  There is more to that statement than face value.  You see, he believes that instead of the unsaved going to hell to receive eternal torment (Like the bible teaches) that they will be “Annihilated” by the definition of the Doctrine of Annihilationism, which says that when unsaved humans die, they do not go to hell, but rather, their soul simply ceases to exist.  They basically die and that’s it – nothing more, nothing less.  Every single bible that I have read says that on judgment day, all people will be judged by whether they have lived a life of sin, or whether they have repented and therefore had their name printed in the book of life.

“Then I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat upon it; from His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Also another book was opened, which is the book of life.  And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire; and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:11-15

 

Nowhere there does it say that those who do not have their name written in the book of life (those who are unsaved) will simply cease to exist.  It says they are cast into the lake of fire, which is synonymous with hell.

So since Mr. Camping has also taken away from the words of prophecy, I will say that he will have his share taken away from the tree of life (book of life.)  What we should be doing is praying for this man.  However, it gets worse.

Mr. Camping is not only a heretic and a false prophet, but he is a deceiver.  There are many, many cases where this is only evident.  The first and foremost example is the fact that only after guaranteeing his followers that judgment day would occur on May 21, 2011, he willingly took donations from them.  He knew he was incorrect, because the period of revelation, that is, when God speaks to humans or sends angels to speak to humans, has long been closed!  Yet he still sat back and watched his followers empty retirement and savings accounts and sell off every single material possession they had and send the money to the advertisement fund for the false doomsday date!  Not to mention, these people also alienated their families, friends, and loved ones because of this man’s deceptive ways.  These poor people now are forced to live lives that may never be fully restored to the state they were in prior to this false prophecy.  To make it worse, Camping and the Family Radio Organization refused to return the money back after this prophecy failed, only commenting, “We’re not at the end yet.  Why would we send it back?”

Before I move on to the next part, read this statement that is currently posted on Family Radio’s homepage:

“We always look at the word ‘earthquake’ to mean the earth, or the ground, is quaking or shaking violently.  However, in the Bible the word “earth” can include people as well as ground.

 

In Genesis 2:7 we read:

‘And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground…’  Thus the word ‘earthquake’ can also be understood to teach that mankind shakes.

 

Therefore we have learned from our experience of last May 21 what actually happened.  All of mankind was shaken with fear.  Indeed the earth (or mankind) did quake in a way it had never before been shaken.  God had come spiritually to bring judgment upon the whole world.”

 

Now, read this, copied from an article on Real Truth Magazine’s website:

“May 21 came and went like any other day—nothing happened.

 

Realization began to dawn on Camping followers: no rolling earthquakes starting in the South Pacific and crossing the globe—graves still closed—and true believers still here. The prophecy failed. But some things did happen.

 

A distraught 14-year-old Russian girl scrawled a note in her diary: ‘We are not righteous people, only they will go to heaven, the others will stay here on Earth to go through terrible sufferings.’

 

The writings, obtained by Russian news agency RIA Novosti, indicated the prediction that ‘Judgment Day’ would arrive Saturday, May 21, 2011, was too much to bear. Her final entry said, ‘I don’t want to die like the others. That’s why I’ll die now.’

 

On May 21, she hanged herself.

 

A Taiwanese man reportedly also committed suicide by jumping to his death. A California woman attempted to kill herself and her two daughters weeks earlier, slitting their throats then her own, in an attempt to escape Earth’s doom.

 

Other stories began to unfold, less tragic, but still painful. Some now face bankruptcy. They had quit their jobs ahead of an expected ‘rapture’ and emptied retirement accounts and savings in order to send all the funds to the Judgment Day group. Others had alienated family and friends through their fixation on the ‘end of the world.’

 

Terror. Panic. Hysteria. Suicide. Financial ruin. Embarrassment. Depression. Disillusionment. Anger. Confusion. Feelings of betrayal. Thousands—many thousands—wrote us describing their feelings.”

 

Undeniably, yes, people were “shaken”.  However, it was not because of God returning spiritually to judge the entire world, it was because this heretic terrified many who heard his false prophecy that was based on false doctrines!  Do you realize what Harold Camping has accomplished here?  Ruination of the lives of his followers, and he couldn’t even give a sincere apology for that!  All he had to say when confronted with these deaths and misfortunes fueled by his predictions, is this:

“I don’t have any responsibility.  I can’t be responsible for anybody’s lives.  I am only teaching the Bible.  I am not teaching what I believe, as if I am the authority.  I am just simply teaching what the Bible says.”

 

Undeniably, it was ultimately the choice of the individual whether or not to play along with Mr. Camping, but he could at least send out a sincere apology to the people effected.  Not only is this incredibly insensitive and cold, but he is straight up lying in this statement!  He claims he is not teaching what he believes, but he truly is.  The predictions were wholly based on Harold Camping’s own personal beliefs, plain and simple.  Let’s review what this prediction was based on, in detail:

• Numerology
• The Doctrine of Futurism
• The Doctrine of Annihilationism

None of these things are mentioned or supported in the Bible, and belief in these things is not encouraged in the Bible.  How, then, I wonder, might Mr. Camping be “only teaching the Bible”?  He cannot.  He is a heretic, a deceiver, a false prophet, he is partly responsible for suicides and attempted homicides, he is fully responsible for the destruction of many of his followers’ lives, and he is a bastard.

This man must be silenced.  However, we must not approach the situation with violence of any kind.  Not physical, emotional, or verbal.  The way we will silence him is to not give him control over us.  We cannot buy into his carnal and deceptive schemes any longer.  We must see the true light.  We must see it for ourselves, and if we know any friends or family members who are being lead away from the truth by this man or any man like him, we must do what we can to keep them from being deceived as well.  For this man does not know more than Jesus, nor does any man.  We should pray that God has mercy on his soul when judgment does come for him.

May you find God’s grace every day in plentiful proportions.

-N

Inspiring Music that isn’t Actually Labeled “Christian”

We all want to be able to listen to music that possesses Christian messages, but sometimes we don’t want to be limited to Christian music.  While a lot of it is good, it all tends to be the same flavor, in a sense.  So I got to thinking and I came up with a fair list of songs and artists that possess messages that are similar to those found in Christian music (Aside from the up front and direct praise of God and Jesus, of course.)  Some very devout Christians think that any music that isn’t labeled “Christian” is therefore the polar opposite, secular, and therefore not worthy of being listened to.  If you’re one of these people, please, give these songs a try.  If you totally disagree with me, that’s fine, and I apologize for wasting your time.  I feel that one of the main morals of Christianity, though, is understanding.  I also think that we should not focus so much on giving others a chance to be understood, but rather, giving ourselves the chance to understand.  After all, there is only one judge, and it is wrong of us to assume that sort of position.  Check these out.  I’ll include a brief description of the song beside the title and artist.

• Broken, Beat, and Scarred – Metallica

The lyrics of this song are full of Christian references, as are most of Metallica’s lyrics after lead singer James Hetfield converted to Catholicism.  The lyrics in question include “You rise, you fall, you’re down then you rise again.  What don’t kill ya will make ya more strong through black days, through black nights, through pitch black insides.”  “Breaking your life, broken beat and scarred, but we die hard.”  Perhaps, firstly referring to death and redemption during the resurrection.  We are born, we live, we die, and then we will rise again when Christ returns.  Secondly, perhaps referring to the persecution that we Christians go through and will see more and more of, and the fact that we will never give up and that God will have us forever.

• The Day That Never Comes – Metallica

This song in my opinion is about a man(or woman) who is living life in a difficult situation, perhaps because of an abusive spouse or family member, and their hope is that Jesus will intervene, but after suffering for a while, they realize that they have to make the first step, and that Jesus is already waiting, and with Jesus, no physical torment can ever defeat you.  The lyrics are full of Christian-oriented hope.  Read below

“Born to push you around, you better just stay down. You pull away, he hit’s the flesh, you hit the ground.  Mouth so full of lies, tend to block your eyes.  Just keep them closed, keep prayin’, just keep waitin’, waitin’ for the one!  The day that never comes!  When you stand up and feel the warmth, but the sunshine never comes!  Push you ‘cross that line, just stay down this time.  Hide in yourself, crawl in yourself, you’ll have your time.  God will make them pay, take it back one day.  I’ll end this day, I’ll splatter color on this grey.  Waitin’ for the one, the day that never comes.  When you stand up and feel the warmth, but the sunshine never comes.  Love is a four letter word, and never spoken here.  Love is a four letter word, here in this prison!  I’ll suffer this no longer, I’ll put an end to this I swear.  This I swear, the sun will shine!”

• The Unforgiven III – Metallica

This is one of the deepest songs on my list, if not the deepest, as far as a Christian message.  You truly have to listen to it.  However, I’ll give you an idea of what I think it’s about so you’ll see it like I do.  I believe it’s about a young person worrying too much about pleasing people rather than God, and his vision becomes twisted and he starts blaming God for his life being very sub-par, and he finally realizes at the end that it’s not God who won’t forgive him, but rather himself.  Listen.  You truly have to.

• Until It Sleeps – Metallica

This song is confirmed to actually be about the lead singer’s mother who died of cancer, but when you listen to the lyrics, it seems that it could also be about converting to Christianity and accepting God in your heart and giving up all the sinful things in his past.

“So tear me open, but beware there’s things inside without a care, and the dirt still stains me, so wash me until I’m clean.  It grips you, so hold me.  It stains you, so hold me.  It hates you, so hold me.  It holds you, so hold me until it sleeps.”

• If Today Was Your Last Day – Nickelback

This is a song that is absolutely full of Christian lyrics and allegories.  Listen, and I’ll post the lyrics here.

“My best friend gave me the best advice, he said each day’s a gift and not a given right.  Leave no stone un-turned, leave your fears behind, and try to take the path less traveled.  That first step you take is the longest stride.  If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late, could you say goodbye to yesterday?  Would you live each moment like your last, leave old pictures in the past, donate every dime you had?  If today was your last day.  Against the grain should be a way of life, and what’s worth the prize is always worth the fight.  Every second counts, ’cause there’s no second try, so live like you’ll never live it twice.  Don’t take the free ride in your own life.  If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late, could you say goodbye to yesterday?  Would you live each moment like your last, leave old pictures in your past, donate every dime you had?  And would you call those friends you never see, reminisce old memories, would you forget your enemies?  Would you find that one you’re dreaming of and swear up and down to God above that you’d finally fall in love?  If today was your last day, would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?  You know it’s never too late to shoot for the stars, regardless of who you are.  So do whatever it takes, ’cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life.  Let nothin’ stand in your way, ’cause the hands of time are never on your side.”

• What it’s Like – Everlast

Remember how I said there is only one judge, at the beginning of this post?  And how we should never judge and always try to understand?  This song gives three stereotypes of people that other people judge every single day.  Poor and homeless people, people who have accidental pregnancies at a young age and are judged for their decisions on whether or not to keep the baby, and people who are loosely involved with criminals, perhaps, people that are in love with criminals.  Then, after the examples, the lyric “but God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in their shoes, cause then you really might know what it’s like to have the blues” comes in.  Now, this one does have a bit of profanity in it.  However, it’s very easy to find a “clean” version.  Please listen.

• Not Afraid – Eminem

Yes, that’s right.  Eminem made my list.  I know he has gotten a bad wrap (Pun? You decide) in the past, particularly with Christians, but this is something completely new and different for Eminem.  It’s his story about giving up drugs, alcohol, and other negative indulgences and accepting God.  Just listen to it, you’ll be surprised, I guarantee it.  You will, however, want to listen to the clean version of this one as well.

• Sorry – Chris Daughtry

Though this song is primarily about a man changing himself for a woman he loves, it is also about accepting God and giving up ungodly things from his past.

“There’s no excuse, no explanation, believe me if I could undo all I did wrong, I’d give away all that I own. ” “If I told you I’ve been cleaning my soul, and if I promise you I’ll regain control, will you open your door and let me in, take me for who I am, and not for who I’ve been?”  Listen.  This is a touching song as well.

• Open Up Your Eyes – Chris Daughtry

This is a very bittersweet song.  It’s about a man dying and going on to Heaven, and his wife living her life as good as she can without him, and then finally dying as well and seeing her husband when she arrives in heaven.  The song also praises heaven for it’s beauty and peacefulness.

“For the first time, you can open your eyes and see the world without your sorrow and no one knows the pain you left behind.  All the peace you could never find is waiting there to hold and keep you, welcome to the first day of your life, just open up your eyes.”

• Tennessee Line – Chris Daughtry

This is a very touching and heartfelt song as well, and is full of Christian lyrics.  It’s about a man giving up his past and accepting God and deciding to follow his own heart, which has Jesus in it, from now on rather than trying to please humans.

“I open my lungs to breathe in forgiveness and love.  Haunting me now, reminders of how I used to be.  On down the road, my troubles are sure to follow, looking out the window, hell if I know where I will go, so I’ll just keep on driving.  On my way to LA, looking into the rear view as the roads fade away.  I’ve sworn off my past, the first to last bad call that I ever made.  Tell me how to make right every wrong turn that I’ve learned so this can all end tonight.  The Tennessee line just changed my mind, and it’s my heart I’ll follow this time.”

• One Last Breath – Creed

This, again, is a song about a man finding out that he thought he was doing the right thing by pleasing everyone around him rather than pleasing God, and now he is close to death, and even though he asks for forgiveness from God, he’s afraid it’s too late, and he would take even no afterlife at all if it meant not going to hell.

• Storm To Pass – Atreyu

For anyone that knows Atreyu, I know it’s just about the hardest thing in the world trying to imagine one of their songs containing Christian lyrics, but this song makes very large reference to the return of Christ / the end of the world.
“Will lightning strike our sins away, or is our future looking grey?”

• Becoming the Bull – Atreyu

This is a song that looks at the negative side of Christianity, that is, if you’re not a Christian, and the kinds of troubles you have to face without Christ in your life.

• Spoken Word Poem – AFI

This is a strange thing, because this “song” was written right around the time David Passaro, the lead singer of AFI gave up his faith, yet this poem is written as if to tell what the world will be like for those who are alive and remaining at the very end of the great tribulation, prior to Christ’s return. It’s actually spoken word, but it’s very disturbing to listen to, so I’ll copy the lyrics here.

“We held hands on the night on earth.  Our mouths filled with dust, we kissed in the fields and under the trees, screaming like dogs, bleeding dark into leaves.  It was empty on the edge of town, but we knew everyone floated around the bottom of the river.  So we walked through the waste where the road curved into the sea and the shattered seasons lay.  The bitter smell of burning was on you like a disease.  In our cancer of passion you said, ‘Death is a midnight runner.’  The sky had come crashing down like the news of an intimate suicide. We picked up the shards and formed them into shapes of stars that wore like an antique wedding dress. The echoes of the past broke the hearts of the unborn as the ferris wheel silently slowed to a stop. The few insects skittered away in hopes of a better pastime. I kissed you at the apex of the maelstrom and asked if you would accompany me in a quick fall, but you made me realize that my ticket wasn’t good for two.  I rode alone.  You said, ‘The cinders are falling like snow.’ There is poetry in despair, and we sang with unrivaled beauty, bitter elegies of savagery and eloquence. Of blue and grey. Strange, we ran down desperate streets and carved our names in the flesh of the city. The sun has stagnated somewhere beyond the rim of the horizon and the darkness is a mystery of curves and lines. Still, we lay under the emptiness and drifted slowly outward, and somewhere in the middle in the wilderness we found salvation scratched into the earth like a message. ”

• This Time Imperfect – AFI

This comes directly after the poem on the same track, and is a continuation of the same idea.  Listen to it.  These songs remind us of why it’s good to be strong believers.

There are many, many songs out there that are not labeled Christian, but that are Christian in essence, and that remind us of why it’s good to be Christian, and how bad the other option is.  Please keep an open mind and don’t judge one another.  We are all children of God, and just because some children are disobedient to their Father doesn’t mean we should be the ones to judge them.  That will all be taken care of.

-N

Christian View on Marijuana Use

Drug use has always been frowned upon by Christians, but can Marijuana truly be classified as a drug?  Sure, it is hard to find “plain weed” anymore.  It seems like there are 30 new genetically engineered, super ultra powered variants that are sure to give you a better high every day!  For the record, I do consider those engineered variants to be negative and worthy of shun.  What about plain ol’ green, though? Should we really discriminate on the use of that so much?  I think not.

My reasoning for this is complex, but here’s a simple rundown.

Unlike alcohol and other drugs for example, marijuana truly is natural, that is, not created by humans.  It came from a seed, grown in the earth.  The plant that comes from the seed is then dried and smoked, exactly like tobacco.  Tobacco isn’t frowned upon, so why should marijuana be looked at any differently? Both are plant products that originate from seeds, which originate from God.  “But weed has THC and THC is a drug, and drugs alter your mind!”  I know that’s what a lot of you are thinking right now, and that’s fine.  If you wish to carry on thinking that way, do so by all means.  I cannot and will not judge you, even if I disagree.  However, consider this first:  Yes, surely marijuana contains THC.  Just keep in mind that we humans didn’t add THC.  It was already there and it has been forever.  Ever since God placed the seed of it on earth, which – let us not forget – He gave us dominion over.  If you still consider it carnal and secular, that’s fine.  Just don’t call people who use it sinners.  All signs point to it being here since creation.  If it is still negative in your eyes, maybe we shouldn’t make use of any other plant or animal either.  Surely marijuana isn’t the only thing on earth that can alter one’s mind when consumed.

On the contrary, I do think that use of marijuana should be moderated and kept under control.  Too much of anything worldly, even if it has been here since creation, is indulgence, and indulgence is a sin.

How do you know when to use it, then?  I consider it a pain reliever, first and foremost.  I guess it won’t be terrible if you use it for fun, but there are plenty of other things God placed on this earth for us to have fun with that should come before this.  Anyway, I personally feel that God would be happier seeing us relieve pain with something that He placed here at creation rather than chemicals that are wholly made by humans.  Simply put:  Marijuana should be used in place of man-made drugs (ie Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Oxycontin, etc.) when you have a broken bone, or a chronic pain, or a tooth extracted, or if you’re suffering from cancer, etc.

I think it perhaps may be beneficial in other situations as well.  For example, say you have someone tormenting you, whether it’s a friend or a colleague or a complete stranger.  Say you get very, very angry and are close to going into a rage and attacking that person, regardless of how the attack might manifest(Verbal, Physical, etc.)  Now obviously the perfect Christian would block it out and pray and ask for and receive guidance, but Christians aren’t perfect.  If you’re simply incapable of doing this and taking this route, regardless of the reason why not, it would be better to smoke a bit of marijuana than it would be to go and attack someone.  If you see both of those options as negative, then perhaps this is a situation where it’s best to choose the lesser of evils (I use the word “Evil” lightly, pardon me.)

Another problem is the fact that the use of marijuana is unlawful in most areas of the world, and no Christian would consciously break the law.  However, if you’re willing to go about obtaining and using the marijuana in the proper way, it is lawful.  Medicinal Marijuana.  No big deal, as long as you are mindful of all the boundaries of the law that permits the use.

What do you think?  This is one subject I would absolutely love to see some conversation on.  Comment below!

Until next time.

-N

An Argument with an Atheist

As we all know, it’s difficult being a Christian at times.  Perhaps the most annoying obstacle we all come across is atheism.  Not that it’s tempting, or appealing, but atheist can really be scatter-brained at times.  I can’t speak for any of you, but I know that personally, I would never give one the pleasure of beating me down, but that might be easier.  They can just be plain annoying.

A couple days ago, I asked a conversational question on the website Yahoo! Answers regarding the rapture theory which I have been heavily discussing lately.  I placed it in the Religion and Spirituality section of that website, obviously, and the first person to “Answer” my question was a loud-mouthed atheist.  My question was, “What proof do you have that a rapture does or does not exist?”  and this person said “Your claim buddy.  You better show some proof first, otherwise you just look like a raving lunatic.”

Even though it isn’t necessarily a requirement of Christians to stand up for themselves, being the kind of person I am, I promptly began writing a response.  I must say, I’m happy with my self, and undeniably, God gave me power and strength in that moment.  I think I made an argument that most of us want to, but either are afraid to, or don’t know exactly how to.  Here’s what I said:

“Irrelevant.  And I honestly don’t need to explain myself.  But if you’re referring to proving the existence of God, I used to be an atheist too.  But my atheism and atheistic way of thinking lead to my current faith in Christ and God, really.  The critical thinking which I possessed, and that you surely possess, made me ask, even if the Darwin/evolutionist theory and the big bang theory are correct, why did it happen?  There’s no obvious scientific reason.  If everything originated with one grain of sand, how did it come to be that the grain of sand got where it needed to be?  Gravity?  Solar wind?  Fair enough.  Why is there gravity?  Why is there solar wind?  How did these things come to be?  Even the all-logical atheistic physicist cannot fully prove how gravity  is created.  Even if we could, the question remains, what came before that?  Just as the fact remains that there always was something before the last thing.  There’s something bigger than any given thing, setting everything in motion.  There is reason, without reason.  God does not need to have reason.  Don’t bother asking me how God got there to set everything in motion.  I can’t answer that.  Just like you can;t answer how gravity is created.  Neither of us can answer, or prove our theories, but you have faith just as much as I do.  Also, I need not say this because of how much deeper the subjects  I have already covered are, but don’t waste my time saying that God is not visible, touchable, or measurable, therefore is not real.  Love is not visible either.  Electricity is not visible.  However, there are bi-products of all of these things.  Two lovers embracing is a bi-product of love.  A mother coddling and nursing her baby is a bi-product of another form of love as well, yet “love” itself cannot be seen touched or measured.  Plasma energy undeniably is a bi-product of electricity, though electricity itself cannot be seen.  Everything around you, every last thing including yourself is a bi-product of God, in a sense, though God himself cannot be directly seen, touched, or measured.”

The atheist never responded.

The reason I decided to share this with you is because I pray that it can inspire you.  I know you are already inspired by Jesus, but confronting an atheist can still be intimidating.  I hope I can inspire you to lead in that confrontation, and come out of it feeling good and blessed as I did.  While we may not be placed here to convert every atheist we come across, it isn’t bad to stand up for yourself and for Christ.  Just keep it peaceful and as righteous and as Jesus like as you can.

 

-N

My View on the Doctrine of Futurism

My view on the proposed Futurism / “Rapture” doctrine is that it is one hundred percent false.  The first and foremost reason for this is because the doctrine was conceived in the mind of a Jesuit priest named Francisco Ribera in the sixteenth century.  It was not conceived in God’s mind, nor was it revealed to one of God’s prophets.  In the sixteenth century, reformists such as Sir Martin Luther believed that the Roman Papacy was the antichrist, and the Roman Catholic Church was the Harlot of Babylon.  In order to both change the minds of the reformists and deflect the focus of the public off of the Roman Catholic Church, Ribera presented the Doctrine of Futurism, which is referred to in modern times as the “Rapture Theory.”

What Does This Doctrine Say?

 

The Doctrine of Futurism basically states that before the beginning of the seven year tribulation (Which IS in the Bible) described in the Sermon on the Mount of Olives by Jesus Christ Himself, that God’s true believers will be “Raptured”  — or “Caught Up” into the air to meet Jesus and be saved from the world wide, unparalleled sufferings that are to come.  However, the Jesuit priest did use biblical scripture to support his theory, even though neither term (Futurism or Rapture) appears one single time in the Bible.

If There is Scripture to Support it, it Must be Real, Right?

 

Absolutely wrong.  While biblical scripture is cited to support the theory, the said scripture was actually just conveniently misinterpreted.  The scripture 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 reads…

“For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17]  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

It is easy to see how this could be twisted around to support such a theory, but this scripture actually disproves the theory of a rapture-type event.  The passage is actually referring to the resurrection.  When you read from verse 13 on to the last verse of the chapter, this becomes evident.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. [15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. [16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

 

        Paul is answering a question that the Thessalonians asked him about the followers of Christ that had died and not participated in the resurrection of the righteous.  He refers to the followers as having fallen asleep, rather than dying.  That metaphor is clarified in verse 16.

In short, these biblical verses that were and still are used to support the Rapture theory actually disprove such an event when read correctly.  They refer to the resurrection that will take place at the return of Christ, not a secret rapture that takes place 7 years before the return of Christ.

Fair enough.  But I’m still not convinced.  What else do you have?

 

The first and foremost body of proof that comes to mind is the scripture that says God is the author of peace and not confusion; 1 Corinthians 14:33…

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

 

        In the Rapture theory, Christ’s followers will simply disappear and their bodies will cease to exist.  Imagine this happening now, in these days with automobiles, planes, etc.  In just one short moment, people would disappear out of their cars while driving, pilots of airplanes would vanish, leaving the planes unpiloted, etc.  Does this sound to you like an event that would create peace and understanding, or an event that would create confusion and panic?  Even in biblical times, such an event would still cause confusion and panic.  Imagine if you were living back then, and you were talking to your friend out in the field one day, and suddenly, out of nowhere, your friend vanishes into thin air?  Would you say “Hm…  Oh well.” And continue on with your day, or would you be very, very confused and panicked?  I know I would not be at peace.  I would be confused and panicked.

 

        Next, we have the fact that the Holy Bible is a book of God’s word.  God’s word is truth, and truth cannot be contradictory.  During Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount of Olives, he describes what current times will hold for his followers and believers during the Tribulation preceding His return. Read Matthew 24:1-14.

“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. [2]And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’ [3] Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?’ [4] And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. [5]For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many, [6]And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [7]For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. [8]All these are the beginning of sorrows. [9]Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. [10]And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. [11]Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. [12]And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. [13]But he who endures to the end shall be saved. [14]And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.’ ”

 

        If Jesus bothered to warn His followers of what things would be like during the end, why would he “rapture up” all of his followers beforehand anyway?  The entire sermon would be for nothing, and I highly doubt that Jesus would give an amazing sermon like this for no good reason.  He was warning us of what we should prepare for.  Why would He give us such a serious heads up if we wouldn’t experience it anyway?

 

I Know People Who Are Hopeful that the Rapture is Realistic, Though.  It Was Their Only Hope.  What Do They Have to Hope for Now?

 

Just because the rapture does not exist does not mean salvation does not still exist.  Yes, we Christians will be persecuted like never before, and will have to live through prejudice and hatred when the end comes, but in my personal opinion, that will make salvation even sweeter.  Simply put, we are still guaranteed salvation, nonetheless, no matter what we go through first, and that is what we should be hopeful for.

Also, I would like to mention that since the original composition of this post, I have done some additional research, and found that Matthew 24 has already been fulfilled.  It was fulfilled in 70AD when the Roman Armed Forces destroyed the temple inJerusalemand executed all people who refused to convert away from Christ’s teachings.  Hence, “There will not be one stone here left upon another” and, “They will deliver you up to Tribulation and kill you.”

A key part of the scripture that supports this belief comes slightly later in Jesus’ sermon, after he tells the parable of the fig tree.  He says “Now, learn the parable of the fig tree:  When it’s branches are tender and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.  Assuredly I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place.”

Notice how Jesus says “this” generation and not “that” generation.  The destruction of the temple came roughly within 40 years after the time the sermon was given.  Therefore, this chapter cannot accurately “set the table” so to speak for what end times will be like.

As for the Futurist interpretation of this, they basically feel that the temple will be rebuilt and destroyed a third time, this time by the antichrist.  They feel that everything named here will occur a third time prior to the rapture.  So even if the rapture was real, there are several things that must happen first.

• Israel must once again disobey God

The fig tree is a symbol that represents Israel, specifically, Jerusalem.  He cursed a fig tree and commanded it to never bear fruit again.  After cursing the tree, the tree immediately withered.  Remember the parable of the fig tree? “When its branches are tender and it puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near, and also that He is near.”  Now read Matthew 21:18-22

“In the morning, as He was returning to the city, He was hungry. [19] And seeing a fig tree by the way side He went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only.  And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. [20] When the disciples saw it they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”  And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and never doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will be done. [22] And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

 

So in other words, when Israel begins disobeying God, the end will be near.

• The temple must be destroyed and rebuilt again

• The antichrist will resume the daily sacrifices in Israel, and then he will be revealed for what he truly is.

Then, and only then, if the rapture were even real, would it happen.

-N