‘OBVIOUS’ END TIME DETAILS

It’s easy to expound on one’s interpretation of the end-times time-line—from this side of the future.

The farther you go out on a limb, the more convinced you become that you are right just by repeating your position.

The position becomes more important than what is really important.

Classic—increasing emphasis on accepting Jesus in order to escape ‘great’ tribulation, overshadows accepting Jesus to escape hell—indeed, overshadows accepting Jesus because you are a sinner in need of His salvation.

Pitfall—increasing numbers of speakers (teachers, preachers) spending increasing amounts of time on the end-times, expound with the assumption that their ‘time-line’ interpretation is obvious—and by default obvious to their listeners (preaching to their choir?).

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What about the non-Christian listener?

What about the new listener?

What about the not-so-end-times-savvy listener?

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When does the average person get brought up to speed on foundation steps to arrive at the ‘o b v i o u s’ time-line?

And speaking of speed, I observe end-time speakers literally talking faster each time they go over the sequence again (sounding more and more like everyone believes and agrees).

One ‘little detail’ (BIG DETAIL) where no one offers sufficient or satisfactory answers is to the question, “Why should studying facts of the tribulation matter to Christians—if Christians are not going to be here?”

That question is quickly swept away with a cursory response, so focus can get back to the neatly charted time-line.

The question does not have a neat answer.

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We know that percentages and majority do not determine truth.

Only a small percentage of Christians and pastors believe we will escape the tribulation.

Likewise, a majority among popular scholars today, who teach that we will, does not determine end-time truth.

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It’s not easy to write about this, without affirmation, because it may well be unpopular, or worse.

We see many in the church, many churches, falling into many false and dangerous ways these days.

The only warning I hear about end-times teaching is the lack of it in most churches.

Could it be that the overwhelming, prevailing, current teaching emphasizing an ‘obvious’ time-line may have flaws endangering souls?

MY NEAR MURDER EXPERIENCE

It’s been quite a few years, and I can’t say I remember, but it is so real, and I am so thankful to be alive now, every day.

The first part of my life was wonderful and secure, as anyone would expect for a young child.

Then one day something was terribly wrong.

I didn’t understand why my mother took me to the doctor.

I was not sick, and my mother was not sick either.

The doctor did a simple checkup on my mother.

And the doctor did a checkup on me, checking my heartbeat, my size, and how I was growing.

That much was not so terribly wrong—just a feeling that my mother knew something was wrong.

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Then the terrible wrong started happening.

THE DOCTOR TRIED TO KILL ME—RIGHT THERE IN HIS OFFICE ! ! !

AND MY MOTHER LET HIM DO IT ! ! !

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Then another unthinkable happened.

Something went terribly wrong for the doctor.

HE WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN TRYING TO KILL ME ! ! !

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According to my mother, the doctor was very shook up, and scared to death, and scrambled to cover up his attempted murder.

And my mother was equally scared, and looked for a way to get out of this terrible situation and get it behind her.

But she couldn’t, and that’s why I can tell you parts of my story.

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One of the nurses who helped the doctor commit numerous murders every day, successfully without incident, saw that I was alive, and couldn’t help herself but try to keep me alive.

SHE WAS SUCCESSFUL ! ! !

Everything had to be secretive, because no one had to know in the doctor’s office that I was alive, and the nurse depended on this job to provide for her family.

So she told the doctor she would find a place for me, without telling anyone what happened.

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But my mother knew.

So the nurse talked to my mother privately in recovery.

My mother told the nurse of a place someone told her she could have taken me after I was born, with people who could take me as their child.

The nurse called, and in a matter of minutes someone came for me and gave me the emergency medical help I needed.

I recovered from most of the injuries from my attempted murder, and in a few weeks I was in a loving home with a devoted mother and father, who gave me the life I now have.

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And, the rest of the story, so far . . .

The nurse and my mother agreed to stay in touch, and I am thankful for that.

And my new mother and father agreed to their request to make contact after a time, and I’m thankful for that.

My parents openly talked about my early life a little at a time, and when I was ten, we met with my mother and with the nurse who saved my life.

I was ready, because my new parents had raised me to be thankful to God for life, and put my trust in Jesus for everything.

So, not only was the meeting, the reunion, a blessing beyond measure, I was able to let my love for Jesus bless my mother and start the healing she so desperately needed, with her own new relationship with Jesus.

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And that is just the beginning—my story, now, and how it started a couple decades ago.

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You’ve heard stories with a turning point from evil to good, with the phrase, “But God . . .”

YES ! YES ! YES !

That’s my story—But God . . . did not want me to die.

I am determined to live every day of my life to the glory of God, to the best of my ability.

I am determined to live every day of my life to do everything I can to prevent others from such a near murder experience, knowing that for most it does not include “near.”

And I am determined to make a difference in any lives affected by such experiences, just like the nurse, my mother, my new parents, were blessed—and you the reader, can be blessed with Jesus.

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The nurse who saved my life could not continue ending the life of others like me by assisting the doctor. She quit that job, and got a job with blessings at the center that found my new parents.

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When I started writing this, I had no idea I would get so involved. You see, I’m sharing it on behalf of someone else—in fact, someone I don’t know. The intensity is so strong, like it was my own story. I pray it will impact someone with an untold story—a child, a mother, a father, a nurse, a doctor, a volunteer for life.

IS GOD’S WORD ENOUGH ?

Starting with Eve in the garden, people expect someone to tell them what God really says.

And learned theologians, and some not so learned, have been quick to oblige, consistently and persistently giving their explanation of what the Bible says—as though the Bible is not clear, to speak for itself.

Read your Bible first.

Read your Bible every day.

“IT’S NOT FAIR”

Kids say “no fair” all the time, and don’t think twice about it—adults should make life fair.

Big surprise—grow up, it’s still not fair, so there.

Accept that life is not fair, and get to work.

Or

Complain through life.

Or

Become a ‘promising’ politician.

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Actually one of the most appealing parts of politics—make lots of promises, and the complainers will cheer you and pledge to vote for you to “make things fair.”

That makes you feel like you’ve got power.

And if the complainers really mean it, they will actually give you power.

THEN . . .

No one dare talk about reality, what happens next, has happened before, what always happens.

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First a mouse trap

Then a rat trap

Then a bear trap

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First inclusion

Then acceptance

Then rights

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Then “equality”

Then “fair”

Then demands

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Then promises

Then more demands

Then restrictions

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Then rejection

Then hostility

Then more demands by the ‘powered’ politicians

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Then a knock on the door

Traps—become actual physical

Trap on wheels

Bigger trap downtown

No fair ?

Indeed

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Politicians who are offered power must decide . . .

George Washington said no to the offer himself—King George ? (ultimate irony!).

Donald Trump promised to give power back to the people, and did it, and capitalism rose again.

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Democrat candidates all clamor and shout in frenzy to give them power to make everything ‘fair’ for everyone.

But believe me—believe history—if any of these ‘promising’ candidates get the power they’re asking for to do what they’re promising—that is the day they will forget all the people they promised . . . because they now have power—and they won’t use it to make life fair, GUARANTEED!

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But as pointed and prophetic and ‘no brainer’ as all that may be, it is not the bottom line of this article.

In light of the enormous influence that culture and politics have had on the church in America, the parallels in the church with the above are frightening.

Churches have often gravitated to power . . . concentration of power in leadership and church hierarchy and even doctrine.

But my greater concern is people expecting the church to make something fair then, when stuff falls apart, because it’s supposed to stand for God.

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Problem is, the church has been following rather than leading, and doesn’t have a message much different than comfort promised by the world.

And when things turn ugly because the ‘promising’ politicians turn, on the people big time, the church won’t know what to do (in the same darkness, shock), because we have not stuck to the message of Jesus—plain and simple and sometimes hard.

COST EFFECTIVE WASTE

(This could be a footnote to SAVE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, but I wanted that article to be succinct.)

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So, what about the times when it is cost effective to waste natural resources?

In the construction industry, in the restaurant industry, in land development, in government right of imminent domain—there seem to be times when it is clearly impractical to avoid waste.

Then some people get up in arms against these goliaths, and work passionately for change against all odds.

I am not likely to make a statement of wisdom to settle these battles, but I have two thoughts for consideration.

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ONE, the current culture we happen to live in in America, is not typical of world history.

Let us not get caught up in thinking this day is the only standard to judge what hills to die on.

Loving money, and making money, runs way too much in this country.

Do not get focused either on making money, or fighting those who make money, if it takes your focus away from more important things of eternal value—sharing Jesus.

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The Bible definitely gives us perspective and the right focus, if we are willing.

“The love of money is the root of all evil.”

“Love not the world, neither the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

“Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”

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TWO, does God ever condone waste?

Yes, He ordered, and sometimes orchestrated, mass destruction of wicked people and all their stuff—the Flood, the Egyptians, the Canaanites, Sodom and Gomorrah—maybe too much for us to stomach, but not too much for a just and holy God. He did give us His rationale for all that, if we will read it in His Book.

How about just plain old waste, when there was plenty to spare?

The Israelites had free honey bread every morning for forty years—if they horded it, it spoiled—if they did not collect it, they went hungry—if they obeyed, they thrived. Hmmm.

Jesus provided free food for thousands, more than once, and it didn’t cost anybody a dime (or farthing), so what did He say about the leftovers after everyone was full?

“Gather the remaining crumbs, that nothing will be lost.”

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You take it from there—it’s amazing how many puzzling things are not so puzzling as you spend more time with Jesus in the Bible. And let the rest, rest—it’s okay.

DIVERSE TO INCLUSIVE TO . . .

A healthy society does not start down this road and survive.

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From diverse to inclusive to exclusive to divisive to demanding to destructive to deadly anarchy to tyranny.

Not opinion—just fact.

SAVE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES

What are all our resources for?*

Where did they come from?*

Who gave them to us?*

Who made the rules to use them?*

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Some say, “Don’t use our natural resources,”
—and reverse the progress of better living.

Some say, “Don’t use our oil and natural gas and coal,”
—and mandate impractical (impossible) alternatives.

Some say, “Don’t use our intellectual resources,”
—and punish people with potential.

Some say, “Don’t use our children’s resources,”
—and kill their potential—kill them directly—America’s ‘not see’ holocaust.

Some say, “Don’t use our free enterprise resources,”
—and pursue unsustainable economics to kill capitalism.

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So, what are we saving our natural resources for—for whom are we saving them?

If we’re not going to use them, somebody else will !

Our enemies are eyeing our rich resources, salivating over them, full-bent on weakening and taking over America.

Guaranteed, they will ravage our resources, while they destroy the beauty of this land, with no regard for the environment or ‘green energy’ or the people who loved the USA and sacrificed to preserve our sovereignty.

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*To the above questions:

God told us in the very simplest terms that He made everything—the heavens, the earth, the sea and all its creatures, the land and all its plants and animals, and people who are instructed to till the ground and rule over all the creation and ‘subdue’ it all.

Just as He told us everything we need to know about Him in His Book, in the same way He placed in our mind to wonder and seek out the mysteries and powers built into every detail of creation from the beginning.

When we thank Him for all this and use all those gifts to make life better for everyone, God reveals even more of His inexhaustible resources.

A fitting quote here:

“God has unlimited resources at His disposal for our use, if we make ourselves available as His resources with no limits.”

WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT DO ?`

Very little that is helpful, except to provide policies that foster strong families that produce morality and spiritual foundation for our country, with the result of God’s blessing and prosperity nationwide.

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It would be a good time for the President to do what others have done in times of need—call for a national day of prayer and repentance.

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“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”—–John Adams

“Maybe we need to put God back in our public schools.”—–Todd Starnes

That’s “MAYBE” with a big “AMEN!”

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And, constitutional clarification on government gun control laws:

Yes, government gun control is in the U.S. Constitution—IT IS SPECIFICALLY FORBIDDEN ! ! !

“Control” equals “Abridged” equals “Infringed.”

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“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

BEWARE, THEOLOGIANS

Two biggest, universal, prevalent pitfalls in theology:

1-Quoting man and man-made terms in place of the the Bible.

2-Quoting Bible verses most of the time to back up man-made statements.

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Solutions:

1-Skip man-made terms of theology, not in the Bible.

(The Bible itself has plenty of words to describe God and explain His Word, without elevating our words to doctrinal status.)

2-Let the Bible speak for itself.

Let the Bible speak first.

Get doctrines and beliefs directly from the Bible, not from man.

(“Trust Me” can be as dangerous from a theologian as from a politician.)

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The above title—dual meaning:

Beware of theologians at work.

and

Theologians beware.

“MY RIGHT” or “MY LIFE”

Is it “my right” to have an abortion?

OR

Is it “my life” to not be aborted?

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Women scream for abortion.

Little women and little men scream for life, silently.

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How can anyone separate pregnancy from a living human being inside?

Who was in your mommy’s tummy before YOU were born?

How long were you in your mommy’s tummy before YOU were born?

Do you believe YOU had no life for those nine months?

Do you believe YOU had no rights for those nine months, including no right to life?

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Who gives a woman rights—who gives a mother rights—without giving the person inside equal rights?

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Bottom line—little people growing in the womb are just as passionate to live, as big people outside are passionate to kill.

I will do my part to defend the defenseless little people.