Worse than a lunatic

Now that 21 May has come and gone, I had hoped that Harold Camping and his ilk would retreat into shamed obscurity. Such is not the case. As with most movie sequels, he doesn't know when to quit. The sequel comes to a theater near you this October. Rather than slither into the shadows in repentant shame, Mr. Camping has kicked the can five months down the road stating in no uncertain terms that the end will come on October 21st.

I could mock him as Rick Reilly did. Or the Huffington Post did. Or Leno. Or Letterman. Or...or...or...Who hasn't mocked Mr. Camping? Who hasn't made him the butt of a joke?

But Mr. Camping is far worse than a cartoon, a buffoon, or a common loon. He's a heretic.

In a day when any knucklehead can start his own blog ("hey?!"), people opine with less forethought than Lady Gaga puts into her wardrobe, and the number of people who are speaking on behalf of God--on what he thinks, what he did, what he does, and what he will do--are legion. It's not just blogs. Every media web-site has their own religious opinionator. Even the Huffington Post added a Religion section. Movies teem with religious themes.

But for all of the talk on behalf of God, how many grasp the gravity of making such serious claims?

If I am going to speak on God's behalf, a) I must know what he's said, b) I must understand it within its given context, and c) I ought to understand how severe a matter it is for me to say, "Thus saith the Lord." Why do I need to be concerned about that?  Two very big reasons.

First, God doesn't take too kindly to folks saying he said something when in fact he said no such thing. That's why James warns

"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness."  (James 3:1)

Paul goes so far as to suggest that those who preach a gospel other than that which the apostles have preached are accursed (Galatians 1:8-9), wishing later in his letter that such would castrate themselves (5:12, ouch).

God himself made it plain to Israel as he gave them the law that he would send prophets who were speaking directly for him. They would be correctors and encouragers. They would also tell the nation what would befall them should they continue on their present course. But here's the rub. Anyone can say, "Thus saith the Lord." Are we to believe every yokel that comes through the yeshiva? God thought of that and it's one of the reasons for prophecy.

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams." (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

Does it jive with what God has said? If so, great. God's word is confirmed as his through the prophet. If not--well, verse 5 goes on to make that one pretty plain.

"But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God...So you shall purge the evil from your midst."

So if someone were to proclaim something other than what God's word said in ancient Israel they were to be executed.  Is it a serious thing to say "thus saith the Lord" when in fact God did not saith?

Another aspect of prophecy was in the foretelling of future events. The Lord said

"...when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:22)

The same bad news awaited that guy.

"And the LORD said to me, '...the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.'" (Deuteronomy 18:17a, 20)

Do I advocate building a gallows for date-setters? Not at all. In context, we are not Israel. I share the Deuteronomy passages to indicate God's mind on this issue. Jesus Christ also spoke on leading others astray and the consequences for those not careful about their teaching.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." (Mark 9:42)

Teach someone and lead them astray and it would be better for you to be bound to an anchor sans scuba gear and pitched into the deep with no way to hoist the anchor. Serious? Hard to miss that picture especially for those around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spoke and where many made their way fishing.

The second reason that we should be careful about speaking for Christ is a reason that Mr. Camping and company seem to have ignored or forgotten: you slander the name of Christ. Both Peter and Paul hit on this when they warned

"You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."" (Romans 2:23-24)

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Isn't that what's happening because of Mr. Camping? Peter goes on to describe the end times which will precede the return of Christ. He says that many will scoff saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation" (3:4). Are the Campings of the world part of the reason for the scoffing?

Here's the deal. Christ is coming back. He said so. His historical resurrection testifies to his claims. Despite what the date-setters set, Jesus said no man would know the date nor the hour (Matthew 24:36), though he did make clear we would know the season (Matthew 24:32-25). When those who speak for God speak amiss, they either do not understand what they are doing or they know that they are out of bounds. Either way, the consequences are dark.

The blood-red moon

My wife and I set an alarm last night.  1:20 a.m.  It wasn't as painful as I thought it might be.  The minor sleep interruption proved well worth it.


Joel 2:30-31

After throwing on some clothing and stumbling into the front yard, we craned our necks straight up and beheld the moon near full-eclipse.  As we watched, the bright white along the right edge faded into dusty red.  The heavens spread out with breathtaking clarity, the stars twinkling in wonder at the moon's transformation.

I know that scientists knew this would happen.  That's why I didn't sleep through the thing; I believed their calculations.  The sun, moon, and stars seem to work with clockwork precision almost as though they were set in place to help us determine times and seasons.

Wait a minute.  They were.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night.  And let them be for signs and for seasons, for days and for years."

Genesis 1:14

Few would argue with the fact that our years and months have their definition in the cosmos (interesting to note, though, that the seven-day week didn't spring from the heavens but from the pages of Genesis 1).  As my neck began to cramp and the moon slipped into a darker shade of red, I reconsidered the second half of verse 14, "...let them be for signs..."

It seems that the universe God wickered runs with amazing precision, so much so that I was able to set my clock to behold the wonder in the heavens.  At the same time the One who set the celestial clock a-ticking indicated that happenings on high might portend other events, a warning light on your dashboard, if you will.

No, I'm not going to give you eleven reasons why Jesus will return in 2011, but consider this (full article here):

This (2010) was the year the Earth struck back.


Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 — the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.


"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.

And consider this:

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there willl be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Jesus Christ said that to his disciples as to the sign of the end of the age (Matthew 24:7-8).

Am I hiding 'neath my desk?  Nope.  Am I putting all my money in a mattress and heading for the hills?  Nope. I have IRA's and 401k's I hope to see mature one day.  I will say that we are one day nearer to Christ's return than we were yesterday, and the pages of Scripture paint a horrifying picture of what the days will be like before his return to set all things right.

When I see the moon turn into a deep red warning sign right over my head, it gives me pause.  God is calling all of humanity back to himself having provided them forgiveness for their rebellion and sin through his Son, Jesus Christ, the One who will set all things right.  The time is short.  Will it be today?  Dunno.  Tomorrow?  Dunno?  I plan my future on earth like I will be here for another forty years.  I try to live my days on earth like he'll return in fifteen minutes.  I can only do that because my eternity is secure, taken care of by Christ himself.  On that alone, I rest.

Don't ignore the light on the dashboard.

I will show wonders in the heavens

and on the earth,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

Joel 2:30-31



Year end, yet again

Sometimes reality makes my head swim.  For example, as I gnawed chicken wings a year ago tonight (yes, an odd tradition), I had no idea Tom Watson would vie for the British Open title but choke it away on the last hole of regulation play.  I had no idea how our new President would lead our nation.  I had no idea Michael Jackson would up and die.  I had no idea Tiger Woods would prove to be all too human.

I know the painful detail behind all of those events.  Now.

Isn't it odd that before us heaves an ocean of unknown?  The further we try to look from this moment, the hazier the horizon becomes.  And yet when we look back, the wake of our journey has high-def clarity.

Here we stand at the end of the dock in 2009 ready to embark upon 2010.  What storms will come?  When will we know tranquil seas and stellar weather?  What dragons lie at the edge of the map?

Will the nations of the world cripple their economies by submitting themselves to the whim of the weather?

Will America's beacon return to its inceptional brilliance or will it continue to dim?

Where will the adherents of Islam seek to rain their devastation?

Where will Barack Obama guide our nation?

Who will emerge as the Michael Ohrer of 2010 (go see "Blindside")?

What surprises will come out of Hollywood?  Will Pixar continue to bat 1.000?

Who will succumb to the drawn-out consequences of the curse like Ted Kennedy and Farrah Fawcett or die without warning like Billy Mays and Natasha Richardson?

Whose life will end suddenly at the hand of another as happened to Steve McNair and George Tiller?

Will we continued down Hayek's "Road to Serfdom" when it comes to healthcare, bailouts, economic policies, and the like or will we cut the umbilical and accept personal responsibility?

How will marriages fare this year?  Yours?  What will you invest? 

To whom will God entrust a new child on this voyage?

What unforseen boon will blow onboard our boat?

Should , He see fit to grant us each another 365 days, we will know the answers to all these questions.

Better than the knowing of the answers to those unanswered questions is what we will be and what we will have done by December 31, 2010.  Better still, what will we become over the next month, or the next week, or this next day.  Each breath is a gift.  You know that.  So breathe deep and use it well.

Tom Watson could have conceded the British Open by not playing in it.  You know, the game is for younger men.  But Tom got on a plane with his creaking bones, crossed the Atlantic, overcame the jetlag, and played the game.  He very nearly created the story of the century.  Missed it by that much, he did, but he teed it up and let it rip.

Please don't make impotent resolutions tonight.  That's like sitting on the edge of the dock and letting the tide roll in around you.  Commit to something and do it. Climb on board your Mayflower and take the Good News across the ocean.

No telling where God will land your boat 365 days from now should you embark.

Just another day: I'm all shook up

• RUMBLE. It made the news web-sites this morning, but you know, other things happened during the day so it's fallen off the page. What's 'it'? The earth moved. Again. And again. And still again.
  
  The earth's shaking like mad. Today alone, world-wide, the earth fidgeted at a magnitude greater than 5.0 twenty times. Two-zero. Four of those readjusts topped 6.0. Yesterday, in the South Pacific, site of last weeks major burbles, they cleared 7.o three times with a near miss at 6.7.
  
  The world's weaving more than a teen texting while driving (here). Were I merely a student of geology, I would find this unsettling, but I'm a student of theology. Jesus Christ declared with sober certainty that he would return to the earth. The intro to this event?
  

  "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs."

  Is Jesus Christ's return to the earth imminent? That I can't say with certainty. I believe it to be so. What I do know for sure is that we are one day closer than when Jesus spoke to his disciples and the earth won't stop shaking.
  


• ONE IN FOUR. Another article hit the cyber-news sites this morning and disappeared shortly after lunch. Pew research indicates that over one-quarter of the world's population (1.57 b-b-b-b-billion) is now Muslim (here). This is groovy so long as those Muslims are your run-of-the-mill neighbor who doesn't mind going to the pool, bagging your pork at the grocery store, toting your St. Bernard in his cab, or leaving your head on your shoulders.
  
  Conservative estimates, though, indicate that ten percent of Muslims are of the more irritable variety, the kind whose fashion includes vests lined with C4 and a matching belt with detonator buckle. Ten percent of 1.57 b-b-b-b-billion is (math in public...carry the five...) 157 million. That's just under half the population of the United States. Hmmm...
  
  The AP article linked above makes it seem that many of these Muslims aren't just of Arab heritage. They note that more Muslims now live in Germany than in Lebanon. In itself that's an impressive stat, but paltry few of those German Muslims are named Hans or Fritz. You see, Germany has an enormous population of Muslims (as does most of Europe) because of immigration. From the Middle East. So just because the Muslims are German Muslims, they're still named Abdul and Mohammed.

Just thought you'd like to know. 'Til next time, eyes to the east.

Another shimmy in San Andreas

California, not to be out done by American Samoa (is there a Polish Samoa?) and Indonesia, fired up its plate tectonics but could only muster a measly five-point-three on Herr Richter's scale. Which got me to thinking, have the quakes been picking up steam here of late or has it "just been my imagination...runnin' away with me?"

So off to the US Geological Survey I toddle, cyberly speaking of course. Here's what I find. In the early part of this decade, the earth creaked and groaned about 22,000 times per year. Here in the latter part of the decade, it's regularly topping 30,000 quakes (here).

"Yeah, so?" you retort. Well, I went to the little link beneath the table, the one that references quake totals back in the 1990's. Here's what I find. Quake totals worldwide for the early '90's barely broke 16,000 (here). The earth today shakes its plates at a rate almost double what it did less than 20 years ago.

I wish I could have gone back further but I couldn't find the links. I'm sure they're out there somewhere. Still, a near doubling of earthquakes in less than two decades?

Hmmm...

A troubling aspect to Christ's return

When the Nazareth radical left the earth, all those he left behind seemed pretty certain he would return one day, return bodily to the very spot from which he departed. Living again after a most grisly execution, showing himself to many for a period of 40 days in a supernatural yet corporeal form, Jesus, the man, the Christ, God the Son, provided support for his declarations that he would in fact return.

You can't read the New Testament and not get the picture that he's coming back.

Likewise, you can't read the Old Testament and not get the picture that the prophecies of the conquering king were not fulfilled upon Jesus' first advent (purposefully) though the prophecies of the suffering servant were fulfilled in startling detail (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22). Thus the prophecies of the conquering king must be yet to come.

Like no other book, the Bible contains predictions documented hundreds of years before their occurrence that affirm the veracity of the book and affirm a future fulfillment of that which has not yet taken place (i.e. Jesus' return to Israel).

A half dozen years ago, a friend pointed out a section about what will take place that I had not seen before. It haunts me still.

Then that lawless one will be revealed ... that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

It catches my breath. What's it saying? There will come a time, perhaps in our day if Jesus' second advent is nigh, when folks who have heard and rejected his sacrifice as the means to their reconciliation with God will no longer be able to turn to him as their Savior. Despite the overwhelming signs that will precede Jesus' return, those who reject him prior to the unfolding of those events will not turn to him but will spurn him all the more.

Because of what they do now. Today.

Imagine if the dweeb in the office that we ignored for years through crazy circumstances becomes company president. How will he take to our sudden overtures of good will? Why should we be surprised that he fires us for how we treated him? So, also, will God do to those who do not accept his means of forgiveness prior to the coming travails.

Perhaps the biggest question of all is why would those who recognize they fall short of God's holy standard attempt to satisfy his justice by trying to be good, carrying out x-number of penitential acts, or any other man-crafted device when he himself has provided so precious an escape?

Rejecting that priceless gift becomes the most costly decision many will ever make. No wonder one of the writers pleads, "Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..."

Just another day: Dallas to Denver

As the crow flies, the distance between Big-D and Mile High runs just shy of 700 miles. That's about the same distance from Jerusalem to the Iranian border...as the missile flies. Nothing like a little perspective to sober you up to the coming confrontation.

In his novels, Joel Roseberg has posited some interesting stuff. He wrote about an Islamic terrorist plot on the president using airplanes before it occurred. In his book, "The Ezekiel Option," he imagines Iraq acquiring the stuff of nuclear weaponry and the chess match that took place as the free world attempted to hold Israel from destroying the "canned sunshine." Ultimately, the madman of Iraq hit the button.

Here we sit a half-dozen years removed from the novel, and the madman resides a hundred miles further east. This lunatic has vowed over and over the destruction of Israel. And he recently showed the capability of launching a missile into space (for geological purposes). And it's been learned that they have enough weapon's grade material to enter the nuclear club.

Some might consider this no different than the US and USSR standing nose-to-nose over Cuba in 1962. Except that an alliance between the Bear and Cuba is not mentioned in the Bible. An alliance between Russia and Iran is mentioned in a prophecy about the last days and war against Israel (Ezekiel 38:1-5). Such an alliance has not existed until recent days.

I came across an article in the Jerusalem Post online this morning about the imminent clash between Israel and Iran (here...a worthwhile read regarding how near the brink these two nation's are. Please take the time). The language the author uses is staggering. A few excerpts:

• "The consequences for this confrontation are apocalyptic because Iran's full partner in this enterprise is Russia."


• "The question of when and how this endgame will play out is not known by anyone. Israeli leaders wish to avoid military preemption at all costs if possible. But many feel the military moment must come; and when that moment does come, it will be swift, highly technologic and in the twinkling of an eye."

While I don't know that the writer understands the significance of his words, he uses language in a context that is hard to ignore.

Just another day: Don't lose your head

I'll conclude my agony on the Stimulus Plan at some point this week. In case you missed it, you can read Part I and II here and here.

In case you're just stumbling into this quirky corner of the blogosphere, "Just another day" posts highlight the fact that these aren't just ordinary days. The Bible makes plain what life will be like in the days prior to Christ's return to earth. No, I didn't hit my head on the concrete. Christ's bodily return has held a place within credal Christianity for millenia.

Yes, I am one of those who believes what the Bible says. That said, I don't know the day nor the hour (biblical), but Christ commends His disciples to know the seasons. That said, I believe the season draweth nigh. And so, a few observations.

• Shake it up. More rumblings from across the globe. Indonesia topped out at 7.2 earlier in the week. That's a doozy of a quake, but the tremblers race upon the heels of one another such that folks begin to yawn. Ho-hum, guess we best buy new dishes. When New Jersey gets to rocking, though, at least an eyebrow raises away from the Sunday paper (here). Twice in the past few weeks, the Turnpike State has quivered to a couple of hiccups. For the folks who felt the earth waltz, imagine if either the 2.2 or the 3.0 topped out at 7.2!


• Religion of peace. Did you hear about the Muslim business man who cut off his wife's head? Probably not. Considering Islam is such the religion of peace, the Mainstream Media will not mar that image with such news stories. You can read about it here. Better yet, read Mark Steyn's commentary on it here. This isn't happening in Riyadh where we would expect such barbarity. No, folks, the infection has spread to our soil. I ask again, where are the moderate voices within Islam to speak out against this? Bueller?
  
  At least the Brits kept Geert Wilders off the island. Another successful game of "Don't Upset the Mullahs." Tea, anyone?
  


• Dr. Frankenstein, I presume? As expected, the Friday after the inauguration and two days after Roe's anniversary, President Obama reinstated overseas funding for abortion providers. Expect the Freedom of Choice Act to be birthed from this administration in short order. Seems that President Bush's restriction to stem-cell research that barred the dissection and dismemberment of human embryos will soon be repealed by President Obama (here and here). There was a day that if folks considered a situation ethically iffy, they erred. No more. It's a moral free for all.


• Volcanoes. Volcanologists (studiers of Spock?) surmise that the magmic mountain to the west of Anchorage, Alaska wants to flip its lid (here). Standing by. One did erupt in Colombia (here). I wonder what George Bush did to cause these.


• Oscars. The Motion Picture Association of America, the folks that tell us the best movies of the year because we're not savvy enough to vote with our money, has finally gotten to where the best performances for the ladies only go to those who are dressed most often like the little gold statuette. First, Halle Berry in "Monsters Ball." Now we get Kate Winslet in "The Reader." The latter seems to be a tip-of-the-hat to all the teachers these past few years who've been convicted for their seduction of their teenage pupils. Normalizing child abuse. How very nice. At least she can read, though.
  
  So who will win the Best Female (naked) Actor this year or next ? Who cares! What happened to acting? Give me an actress as opposed to the politically correct "female actor." Give me Ingrid Bergman any day of the week! Let's here it for the few, the proud who actually try to act with a nuanced look, a vocal variation or -- gasp -- a well delivered line ... all while clothed! Grinding like greyhounds in heat should garner nothing but a bucket of water. The most erotic kiss I ever witnessed on screen was the one never seen between Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in "An Affair to Remember." On the steps on the ship. Zoinks, Scooby. Subtlety, understatement, imagination. Mmmm...acting!
  

To end on a happy note: CNN still recognizes the phenomenal affect of "Fireproof" this year in an article off today's web page (here). See you next time.

Just another day: What goes up...

• Iran's launch. No, not a new web-site. And not Ahmadinejad out a window. They put a satellite in orbit (here). Neato, huh? Until the satellite is made with weapons grade uranium, plutonium, etc., and rather than staying in orbit, it comes down...we know not where. But they do. Neato, huh?


• North Korean irony. Coincidence that ill Kim Jong and his rabble announced a pending long-range missile test (here)? Now who would North Korea have issues with that they would need long-range missiles? Hmmm...
  

• Independence Day irony. The movie. It's on tonight. Tuned in briefly and caught this repartee between the President played by Bill Pullman and an alien in the process of choking the daylights out of a former scientist played by Brent Spiner.

  President: There can be peace between us, if we can find a way to coexist. Can there be peace between us?
  
  Alien choking Spiner: No peace.
  
  President: What do you want from us?
  
  ACS: Die.

  Ah, sounds like the regimes of the previous two bullets, doesn't it. President Obama's going to have to have some supernatural savvy to appease those folks who want no appeasement; they only want our demise.
  
  In the movie, the ACS tries to off the President with his alien mind trick, but the cool USAF dude with his pistol blows him to pieces. After he's recovered, the President sobers up to the silliness of his former negotiations. Remember what he said?
  

  President: Nuke'em. Nuke the $#@%&*@$!

  Sometimes Hollywood gets it right.

• Chimeras: Hey, guess what! Scientists have discovered that animal-human clones don't work (here)! Reading between the lines, they're going to keep at it, though. God have mercy...or something.
  

• Technological Singularity: Huh? Yeah, I didn't get it either, even after reading the article (here). Seems that Google and NASA have cyber-birthed a new university to bring the moon into the seventh house and to align Jupiter with Mars. A bit about the university from the article:
  

  "Proponents say that during the singularity, machines will be able to improve themselves using artificial intelligence and that smarter-than-human computers will solve problems including energy scarcity, climate change and hunger."

  Unless Al Gore and the Davos Summit team beat them to it.
  
  One final quote caught my attention. Consider it the comedic part of this post:

  “The day before something is truly a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.”

  That from the vice-chancellor to the university. He failed to note that when the breakthrough doesn't occur, the crazy idea remains a crazy idea.
  

That's enough for now. We are one day closer. Sleep tight.

Just another day: 78* on January 3rd!!!

• Okay, it is Texas. But 78 degrees! Where's the snow? Where's the ice fishing? Makes me want to call Al Gore. Whoa. Maybe the heat's baking my brain.
  

Speaking of the Al Meister, I came across this today.

by Glen McCoy

More on former VP Gore later.


• Papua goes the weasel. 7.9 on the Richter scale in Southeast Asia. Again. That'll rattle the cattle. Tsunami alert. Again. Are these coming at increasingly regular intervals or is it just me? Really. Any geological geeks out there?


• Gaza-ntheit. Israel's spent from trying to abide this factitious peace with Hamas. When your foe says they want to make nice but continues to Moe Howard the back of your head, you can either take the thumping in squeaky whinyness like Curly or you can wield around on your heels and jam digits one and toe into the sockets of your irritator.
  

Yes, the tanks have pushed into Gaza. Hamas has released an interesting response. They have promised to unleash a "day of wrath" (here). Interesting choice of words.

• 2012. Remember the disaster movies of the 70's? Airport and it's sequels? Towering Inferno? Earthquake? What made those movies compelling was their plausibility. You could imagine something like that taking place today or tomorrow.
  

Apocalyptic disaster movies have replaced the localized disaster movie. The usual cause of this cataclysm? You and me. Next in the queue is 2012 by Roland Emmerich. He took a unique slant for this flick. His film imagines what would happen if the prophecies from the Mayan calendar would actually come to pass.

How is it that Hollywood will bite on Al Gore apocalypses and pagan religion apocalypses, but they utterly ignore the judgment and destruction promised by God in the Bible?


• Tragedy. I do not know what 2009 will bring. Standby for my "9 certainties for 2009." One of those certainties is death. Wow, Keith, tracking a little morbid, aren't we? Yeah, I guess so. But one of the things God calls us to do is to learn to number our days (Psalm 90:12). We are to be aware that none of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Most of us grasp that. It touches a more tender spot when we think of those nearest our heart.
  

The sudden and tragic death of John Travolta's sixteen-year old son exemplifies this truth. I say this not to make you live in fear. Each day is a gift from the Lord. So as the clock takes us further from the drop of the puck for 2009, savor the rich blessings of your family and friends. Enjoy strangers, too, and let them know you enjoy their presence. Live without regret to the glory of Almighty God.

Keep your eyes to the east.

The Nicene Creed

Growing up in the Lutheran Church, I learned to recite the Apostle's Creed at a young age, before it was even required. You know how kids pick up rote memorization. Have 'em quote some Napolean Dynamite for you; you'll get the idea.

After a time, to spice things up I guess, they switched to the Nicene Creed. To a kid, it's like learning Scripture memorization in a different version. No problem.

The Nicene Creed contains a statement about Jesus' return to the earth. Specifically:

He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end...

Honestly, I don't remember any teaching on that point. After teaching my Sunday school class last week on "End-Times" doctrine, I asked my mom, who happened to be in town, if she'd ever heard such things. "Never," she responded.

Maybe it's that 2000 years (almost) have passed since He rose into heaven, and we figured we must have gotten that one wrong. Maybe it's the fact that major denominations have so diluted their biblical teaching you'll find more substance from Jay Leno.

But if we read the prophecy in Scripture that has yet to be fulfilled the same way we read the prophecy in Scripture that has been fulfilled, we understand that within context, we can read that prophecy plainly.

Jesus will return. He said He would (Matthew 24:29-31). The angel's who spoke to the disciples following Jesus ascension said He would (Acts 1:10-11), that He would return just as He went, bodily, on the clouds and to the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem.

The time preceding His return will be a time of horrors like no time the world has ever known (Matthew 24:9-28), a time of God's wrath (yes, wrath) being poured out on those who have not accepted what God provided as a mean's of salvation (Revelation 6:15-17).

And that's the kicker. God has provided a solution to man's problem with rebellion. We are rebellious by nature. Romans 3:10-18 delivers that picture in Hi-Def detail.

“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
“ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
“ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
“ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.”
“ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

We have a sin problem. No, we're not basically good. We are rebellious, and a holy God rightfully and righteously cannot tolerate sin. And because we cannot fix ourselves, He provided the solution.

"For He made Him who knew no sin (Jesus Christ) to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21

While He walked the earth, Jesus told His disciples that He was the way, and the only way, to mend the chasm between God and man when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Christians get accused of being narrow-minded. If we were arguing the Best Picture of 1963, our adamance can be dismissed. But Jesus is coming back. And next time, He won't be cooing in the manger. And so we proclaim the solution, not our solution, not some Ponzi scheme, but the fix for the broken relationship between God and man.

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."" Romans 10:9-11 (v. 12 is good, too)

I don't know when Christ will return. But as the land He trod once again erupts in flames, I know for certain that it is far closer today than it was yesterday. What a blessing to know that I have been adopted into His family (Galatians 4:4-5).

Just another day: Black Friday

The glorious tryptophan haze of yesterday's feast has faded after a glorious night's sleep. No, I did not awake in the wee hours of a chilled morning to save twenty bucks on something I really don't need anyway. Been there. Done that. Not a tradition I long to further.

Here's some of the wackiness that's caught my eye of late.

• HICKVILLE. I live in a town of just over 100,000 folks. A small state school resides here, too. Despite the fact that Islamic nut-jobs have murdered over a hundred folks on the other side of the planet, our local paper covered it on page 9. Some of the stories that preceded it? Harvey Milk. Iraq voting on America's departure in three years. Oldest woman died. Planned Parenthood gift certificates. Police taser naked DUI suspect...in California. I don't live in California. But you wouldn't know it from my paper.


• BLACK FRIDAY grew blacker still. Seems some zealous, me-first shoppers trampled a New York Wal-Mart employee to death in their haste to get-what?- an iPod? Guitar Hero VII? Greed. No, Gordon Gecko, it's not good.
  


• BACK TO MUMBAI. The world cries out against "terror." Terror didn't kill 100+ folks in India. It was not what left none alive in the Mumbai Jewish Center. How much savvy is required to assemble this five-letter puzzle.? Here are those letters in no particular order. See if you can piece it together (I picked a color as close to blood red as I could find).
  

A-M-L-S-I

Here. Maybe this picture will help.

Does the tablecloth (hijab) give it away?

• SAVE THE PLANET. As if the enviro-cataclysmic obsessions weren't bad enough, some folks are asking the UN to develop a plan to deflect incoming asteroids. Sounds great in theory and on the silver-screen, but deflect an asteroid?!? Little ones are of no concern. They fry in the atmosphere. If it's big enough to get through the atmosphere and do some damage, it's too stinking big for anything we've got to nudge it out of the way (apologies to Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman). Imagine Al Gore standing on the Mississippi River Delta holding up his large though not-quite-omnipotent hands trying to hold back Katrina. Can you say, "Absurd." Then there are these:
  


• Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:8-9)


• Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. (Revelation 8:10-11)


• NORTH & SOUTH. Of the border, that is. Things are goofy in Canada. It seems they don't know which way they want the country to go. The current government recognizes the economic crisis in which it finds itself and wants to decrease spending particularly toward political parties and government workers. The opposition threatens to dissolve the government. Just to the north.

In and around the Caribbean, just to our south, Russia continues to cozy-up to kooks like Castro and Chavez. JFK had the spine to stare down Khrushchev. Will Bush for a few more weeks and then Obama have the wherewithal to stand toe-to-toe with Medvedev and Putin as the Neo-Sovs begin to up the military ante in our own backyard? Maybe our leaders consider Russia a "nation of peace." Maybe their just looking to swap some Stoli for a few Havanas and a couple sacks of coffee. Maybe.

Until next time, enjoy your turkey sandwiches!

Just another day: The economic summit

I would have included this last night had I known it was taking place. Both of these articles appeared today.

As leaders of the world's 20 largest economies, dubbed the G-20, gather in Washington, some European leaders are pushing for global financial regulation.

-CNN

World leaders at an emergency economic summit are moving to sharpen detection of risky investing and regulatory weak spots, hoping to avoid future financial meltdowns like the one now threatening the global economy.

-FoxNews

Not that many years ago, I could not have imagine the world's economies being so interlinked that the hiccups in the U.S. would ripple across the planet, nor that we would be impacted by the crises of other nations.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius (a day's wage); and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

- Revelation 6:6

Who would have thought that they would get together to try and determine how to stabilize the world markets? It doesn't require the imagination of Aldous Huxley anymore to see the international financial web growing stronger and then requiring some form of user ID to access the financial market.

...and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark...

- Revelation 13:17

It's not just finance, either. National identities were so strong when I was a kid, you couldn't imagine an international figure that would hold sway across the oceans. Mao? Loved in China, hated everywhere else. Brezhnev? Loved in the USSR, hated everywhere else. Nixon? Hated pretty much everywhere (too bad, really). Even the most loved leaders were loathed by a good 50% of the nations.

It seems that things have changed. Notice the international fawning over Vlad Putin. Good grief, he was Time's Person of the Year! The press can't get enough of his beefcake, stud-islav persona. He fishes mountain streams (sans shirt), hunts tiger (with shirt), and knows the martial arts. And he invades former Socialist states without a care knowing that the neutered international community and ham-strung US won't bat anything beyond the diplomatic protest eye-lash.

Who is like (this one)? Who is able to make war with him?

- Revelation 13:4

Putin is not the only man with which the world has fallen in love. Our very own president-elect has smitten the world-wide community. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the majority of nations ached for his election. Before he has done anything of substance, the image of Barack Obama and the eloquence of his rhetoric has earned him international superstardom.

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

- 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

Am I saying Putin is the Antichrist? No. I'm not saying it about the president-elect, either. But both men use biblical language with great panache to advance their cause, but when you delve into their deeds and what they espouse, those positions run contrary to God's word or are just a little bit "off." Note Putin's polish

Time Magazine: What role does faith play in your leadership?

Putin: First and foremost, we should be governed by common sense. But common sense should be based on moral principles first. And it is not possible today to have morality separated from religious values...

T: Earlier you used the phrase Thou shalt not steal. Have you read the Bible?

P: Yes, I have. And the Bible is on my plane.

The rise of such men shows to skeptics and affirms to the saints the truth of God's word. Such prophecies that even a generation ago seemed beyond imagination today are headlines.

Christ will return to this earth in body. The Bible does not equivocate on that. Much will take place before that occurs and most of it will not be pretty. Again, the Bible is clear.

The increased fragility of international economics and the rise of international supermen portend an imminence to all these events.

Stay tuned.

Just another day: Columbus Day

The action in the world around us is moving faster than during a hockey game. Most folks can't follow the puck, and fewer folks know the rules.

• Christian genocide: It's a big and overused word, but when persecution of a people group moves to execution and the world's civil rights groups remain mum, I think genocide is legit. Seems Christ-followers are either purposefully being picked off in the town of Kazraj, Iraq or they don't know how to get out of the way of random bullets. 13 lost their lives in the past two weeks. And the world's civil right's groups remain mum. Many thanks to CNN for at least reporting the story (here).


• Gas prices plummet: Call me a glass-half-empty kind of guy, but the fact that gas prices have dropped a dollar in a month roils my gut. Granted, oil prices had no business being as high as they were. They were artificially inflated. The market ricocheting faster than a bullet off a brick wall bodes ill for the free market. Such instability creates great insecurity among the nations, and they will look to impose stabilization (as they already have here). This would be the perfect time for a man with the savvy to handle economic turmoil to step in and steady the scene.

Hey, I have an idea. Why not do away with money all together! Our personal wealth could be stored in a governmental data base. That way nobody would get hammered by outrageous interest. The government would oversee our money. And if we wanted to buy our sell, all we would need to do is flash our government ID. And, hey!--considering many people lose ID cards, what if it were permanently affixed to our body, kind of like those GPS chips they give to dogs. Hey! What if...


• The Steel Eel. I'm hoping to go to Sea World at the end of the month. My thirteen-year old has already signed my up for the Steel Eel and other horrific up-and-downers at the park. Actually, after watching the stock market and seeing 30% of my retirement account vanish like the magicians cards, the Steel Eel will seem tame.


• Debates: Did anyone learn anything new from any of the debates? Anyone? Bueller? Debates only serve to provide each candidate the opportunity to shoot themselves in the foot on national television. The honored tradition of political debate has become nothing more than a grisly episode of Fear Factor.


• Come and see. Despite the darkness and turmoil in the world around us, a beacon still shines like the lighthouse out of the storm. God will set all things right, and before that takes place, God himself has made the way for us to be right with him. Our church this past Sunday had a service that honored God by showing to all what He had done in the lives of many in our congregation. While you cannot see what took place (we don't video, yet), I stumbled across Mike Adams' column today where he recounts what Christ did in his life and the life of a friend (here). Be encouraged.


• Prayer and fasting. I intend to pray and fast at some point before the election on behalf of our nation. Much is at stake for our nation's future. Will you join me? After the polls close Tuesday night, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation whether my spirits are soaring or my heart is crushed, and I will begin to pray fervently for my new president.


• Tremors: Anybody noticed the earthquakes in odd locations? We had a 6.1 in Bolivia this morning and a 6.1 in the Caribbean on Saturday. And the earth continues to tremble...

God's peace, my friends!

Just another day: Gustav

Photo from Intellicast.com

• Gustav: Coming around the clubhouse turn and entering the homestretch is Gustav, the next in a series of devastating hurricanes to cross the Gulf of Mexico and smash into New Orleans. And like a thoroughbred hungry for the finish line, it appears that Gustav is only going to get stronger and more fierce the closer to land it gets.
• Hanna: If Gustav wasn't enough, Hanna sits 1000 miles due east making the duo look like a demonic barbell. At least there is no tornadic activity forecast for the plains today.
• Hurricane Vladimir: Georgia and Russia are still in the news. Rather than recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, the Kremlin has decided to absorb them into Mother Russia. Out of the goodness of their heart. Georgia has cut ties with the bear. What's left of it.
• Iran/Israel: They both start with "I" but that's where their similarities end. News stories note that Israel has determined not to let Iran go nuclear. No matter the cost. Iran's response? No surprise, really. "We'll kick of WWIII." Kumbaya.
• Rock and Roll: FoxNews is reporting another 6.1 earthquake in China where the 7.2 brought devastation earlier this year. I went to the US Geological Service's web-site and found that China has had two other earthquakes on top of the one today that topped 6.0. Almost seems like the earth is trying to tell us something. Anybody speak seismonese?
• Bananas: I read this week where former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards' fee for speaking has been raised to $65,000 per engagement. Am I missing something? Wasn't he just exposed as an adulterous fraud and liar? Astonishing to think how close he came to the White House.
• Kickoff: The NFL season starts this next week. My blogging may tail off a bit for the next six months... Go Vikings!!
  

Just another day: The Beijing version

The Olympics concluded. Maybe now I can get something done.

• No, they didn't win the most medals, but the Chinese shwacked everyone when it came to gold medals (51 to 36 for the next nearest (us)).


• Oops? Did anyone else hear Chris Collinsworth during the closing ceremony state that the national anthem that moved him the most during the two weeks of the Olympiad was China's? Even in context, I recoiled.


• Architecture. Lots of folks lauding the Chinese for the "Bird's Nest" and the "Water Cube." Their communications building is something, too. Too bad nobody (few) took the time to point out how their architecture and infrastructure fared when struck by an earthquake. The Olympic structures were meant to be beheld by the world distracting the eyes from what was going on behind the curtain.


• Fay. The remnants of the beast are now drenching the lower Mississippi River valley. Good riddance. Now can someone explain to me the twisters in Colorado in August? (not Fay at right)
  


• Global warming. Minnesota and Wisconsin should receive frost tonight.


• Georgia. Anybody heard anything from Jaw-jah? Anyone? Bueller? Cricket...cricket...


• Left. With the addition to Joe Biden to his ticket, Barack Obama can quit with the "bridge-builder," "common-ground" rhetoric. Neither one has a moderate corpuscle in their body. When I heard that Al Gore was being attached to Clinton's campaign, I had at least seen some conservative hope from he and Tipper and their loathing of our culture's rot. That was before he sold his soul to the enviro-friendly devil. With the gauntlet thrown (with the force of a Nolan Ryan fastball), will McCain vacillate to the center or will he hold to principle? Stay tuned...


• Fear of flying. Ten dead in a plane crash in Guatemala. 68 dead in a plane crash in Kyrgyzstan. 154 dead in the takeoff crash in Madrid, Spain. I think I'll pay the $3.50 per gallon.


• The bottom of the barrel. Madonna's back on tour.


• Deeper still. Bill Maher, "comedian," has produced a movie titled "Religulous" (you know, like "ridiculous") where he monologues on the horrifying effect religion has on society, culture, politics, etc. For those of you who have never heard the man, he makes George Carlin seem destined for sainthood. Paul got turned around. Pray for Bill.

Ending on the positive side of sin (?!?), my pastor gave a great message on repentance from Matthew 5:4. You can listen to it here ("SotM: Blessed for Mourning??"). It'll run you about 45 minutes.

Georgia on my mind

Kumbaya...

We are the world...

I love you, you love me...

I'd like to teach the world to sing...

Yes, indeed, the Olympics are kicking off again. If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium.

During the opening ceremonies Beijing's Olympics, NBC had an interesting shot of President Bush leaning back and chatting with Czar Vladimir Putin of Russia who was sitting just behind him and to his right. Do presidents and emperors just chat?

It seemed odd to me that Mr. Putin would be sharing a quiet evening at the Olympiad while his nation's fighter jets were waylaying Georgia, a territory that was formerly a Soviet Socialist Republic. Tanks and MiGs are not intended to win friends but to influence people. And Mr. Putin sips his chai.

When we think Georgia, we think peaches, the Braves, and the Masters. When Mr. Putin thinks Georgia, he thinks buffer zone and access to the Middle East. Georgia (not ours) sits just the east of the Black Sea with Russia to the north and Turkey to the south. What else is within 100 miles? Iran. Hmmm...

Georgia, Georgia
No peace, no peace I find
Just this old, sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind.

Ray Charles

QotD: America's spiritual temperature

Religion. To our Founders, religion meant what denomination means to us today. Religion was some form of orthodox Christianity. Today, when we hear the term religion, our minds race over every bizarre thought form used to explain the supernatural, biblical or not, deity or not.

USA Today has not ignored the spiritual aspect of man. In their News/Opinion section, they dip into the pool of religion twenty-first century style hitting the nail on the head from time to time but usually denting the wood or blistering their thumb.

I came across a letter to the editor from a gent in Venice, Florida asserting that "as people become less religious, they sow peace." Here's the letter. Here's the quote that spilled my coffee:

It won't be until the Vatican contacts the Shas Party in Israel as well as the Shiite and Sunni leadership, and they form a joint council for peace that we can claim that religion is now a progenitor of peace.

A joint council for peace? I have no doubt such a council will one day form. Who the players will be is unknown, but it will have nothing to do with peace. More and more folks have been duped into thinking all religions are reconcilable, that they are nothing more than an extension of the same religion.

God seems to think otherwise:

For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12b

Go figure.

Just another day: The week that was

• The heavens: Seems a comet crossed the skies of Israel this past week tracking from east to west. Some reported that they heard "a shrieking sound."
• Earth fight's back? It's not a new concept. It was the plot of "The Day After Tomorrow." Now Russia's newswire, Pravda, takes a look at the recent rash of natural disasters that have hit our usually hospitable planet. Like most, they're quick to cruise on the global-warming-bandwagon and to ignore the Christ-is-coming prophecies of Scripture.

  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?”
  
  And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
  
  “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 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...

• News??? On Saturday, the front page of our local paper lauded an 80 year old stripper. On the front page!!! Yuk. Can a news-day be THAT slow?
  
• Bluster: Iran asserts that if anyone (i.e. Israel and the United States) attempts any military action, their name would be Mudd.

  "If Israel and the US fire a bullet or a missile at Iran, its forces will attack the heart of Israel and 32 American bases in the region before the dust from such an attack has settled," and ulimately "destroy" them, barked an Iranian spokesman for their Revolutionary Guards.

  They're cute when their playing with nukes, aren't they?
• The Islamic Republic of Australia: I came across an article at Pravda's web-site that spoke of a major demographic shift in the land down under. It seems that the fact that Australians have reduced their offspring to such levels that their numbers are dwindling while at the same time, the Muslims are ramping up their child production. One expert surmises that within fifty years there won't be any shrimp on the barbie because Australia will have become a Muslim nation. As I have noted often, Mark Steyn has made all of this quite plain in his book America Alone.
  

If Christ be not raised

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

And we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.

If the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.

If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

If in this life only we have hope in Christ (if there exists no resurrection), we are of all men the most pitiable.

All that's from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Do you think he felt the resurrection a substantial doctrine? Do you think that he put great weight on the historic occurrence of Jesus' resurrection?

Is it any surprise that the most recent attack upon historic Christianity would target this foundational doctrine? An ancient tablet from the region where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found has been interpreted to say that Jewish tradition already had a three-day resurrection account before Jesus came along. Scholars and theologians have taken that to mean that the Messiah's disciples had heard this tradition and simply applied it to the dead Rabbi.

The tablet and its translation remain controversial (remember the James Ossuary or the Gospel of Judas?). Early translations rendered the troublesome section indecipherable. Out of the mist pops a Jewish scholar who can read it plain as day.

It seems the professor held this theory back in 2002 when he wrote "The Messiah Before Jesus" which then makes his translation even more suspicious.

Where are the voices of refutation? They are out there, but to find them, you have to wade either deep into lengthy articles (see Time Magazine's treatment here), or figure out how to strain through the mass of information that Google regurgitates to find the masked nugget.

For many, the damage is done. As the Proverb states, "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him" (Proverbs 18:17). Because of articles that give great support to the Jewish professor (here), those who've already rejected God and those in doubt will become further blinded by deception.

Even if the tablet proves to be authentic, such a legend (perhaps a prophecy?) in no way neuters the biblical and extra-biblical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rest easy. There is no other event from ancient history so well documented and so replete with corroborative evidence as the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ provides a concise look at that evidence). Pray that the lost would not be deceived.

But let's say the delusion catches fire and many become convinced the resurrection is a hoax. What would happen if, like global warming, homosexuality, and evolution, the resurrection of Christ became a topic that could not be discussed within our society because "the facts are in and the discussion closed?"

And then what would happen if, in front of our instant-anywhere media , a man were to receive a mortal wound but then in front of the camera's lens came back to life? With Jesus dismissed, this man would become a celebrity. He would become a hero. He would become a god.

Is the stage being set?