Charleston massacre: ‘We have no room for hating’

Reuters/The Age, June 20, 2015

Charleston, South Carolina: Relatives of some of the nine black people gunned down while they studied the Bible at a historic South Carolina church offered tearful words of forgiveness on Friday to the 21-year-old white man charged with murdering their loved ones.

Dylann Roof, who sat for an hour with parishioners at the nearly 200-year-old Emanuel African Methodist Church before opening fire, stood quietly as he appeared in court via a video feed.

Dressed in a black-and-white prison uniform and flanked by two guards in body armour, Roof had no reaction as a judge ordered him held without bail.

“May God have mercy on your soul,” said Felicia Sanders, whose 26-year-old son, Tywanza Sanders, was the youngest person to die in Wednesday’s rampage. “You have killed some of the most beautiful people that I know. Every fibre in my body hurts.”

Roof looked down occasionally and showed no emotion as Sanders and four other family members spoke of how he had been welcomed to the church by the nine people he has been charged with murdering.

Roof could be sentenced to death if he is convicted and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a Republican, urged prosecutors to seek capital punishment.

Still, family members offered words of mercy during the brief court appearance.

“I acknowledge that I am very angry,” said Bethane Middleton Brown, who said her slain sister, Middleton Doctor, would have urged love.

“She taught me that we are the family that love built,” Middleton Brown said. “We have no room for hating, so we have to forgive.”

“I forgive you,” said Nadine Collier, the daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance, as the accused, 21-year-old Dylann Roof watched on via a video link. “You took something very precious from me. I will never talk to her again, I will never, ever hold her again. But I forgive you. Have mercy on your soul.”

Anthony Thompson, the grandson of Myra Thompson, 59, told the court: “We would like you to take this opportunity to repent. … Do that and you’ll be better off than you are right now.”

Alana Simmons, whose grandfather Reverend Daniel Simmons, 74, was also killed in the attack, spoke of forgiveness and love. “Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, this is proof, that they lived in love.

“Their legacies will live in love so hate won’t win. I just want to thank the court for making sure that hate doesn’t win.”

As the hearing went on a shrine grew on the street in front of the Emmanuel African Methodist Church in downtown Charleston where the attack took place. In stifling heat mourners gathered to pray and lay flowers and notes of love and support.

One simply quoted the Gospel according to John, “This is my commandment, that you love one another.”

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How to Use a Simple Pocket Notebook to Change Your Life

The Simple Dollar, 18 Jun 2015

It’s really hard to believe, but I have to say that one of the most–and possibly the most–profound changes I’ve made in my life over the last several years was the simple decision to start carrying a pocket notebook and a pen with me wherever I go. Unless I’ve made a mental miscue when swapping out a finished notebook or something, I do not leave the house without my pocket notebook resting in my hip pocket or my shirt pocket, with a trusty pen right there beside it for jotting notes.

Why has this been such a profound switch for me? Simply put, it’s helped me in every single aspect of my life.

I don’t forget names or phone numbers or other contact information. Sure, I can put that information into my smartphone, but this ensures that I’ll always be able to do it, even if my smartphone is out of battery life. This also lets me add specific notes about the person right after their contact information so that I know why I jotted it down rather than just tossing a number into my phone without any context.

If I discover a task that I need to do, it’s immediately saved so I don’t forget about it. I don’t have to try to hold it in my head and hope that I remember it later. I just pull out my notebook anywhere and jot it down.

When I have a fleeting idea, I don’t lose it or have to work extra hard to remember it. Sometimes, I’ll have a great idea for an article for The Simple Dollar or hear a great idea on a podcast or on the radio. A note in my pocket notebook enables me to remember it so that I can investigate it further when the time is more convenient.

I don’t get distracted nearly as much by those fleeting ideas, either. When these ideas pop into my head, I either have to try to hold them in my head for a while until I have an opportunity to do something with them, which distracts me from whatever I’m doing, or I have to let them go. A pocket notebook solves this dilemma, as I can just write down that idea immediately and move back to the task at hand without that thought distracting me or without having to lose it.

I’m much better at learning things, both when I plan to or when an opportunity for learning pops up unexpectedly. Through using my pocket notebook for taking notes during classes, lectures, and so forth, I’ve landed upon a very good strategy that really works well for absorbing and processing the new things that I learn. I’ll explain that in detail in a bit, but the pocket notebook was key.

My “brainstorming” is much more effective than ever before. Not only can I brainstorm almost anywhere that I’m at, the results of that brainstorm are already part of a trusted system, so I can pick up the results of that brainstorm at a later date and actually do something with it.

These things–and many others–have contributed greatly to the quality of my personal, professional, and spiritual life.

My process for actually using my pocket notebook is loosely based on the ideas presented in the book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. In that book, Allen describes a very robust strategy for keeping track of tasks and pieces of information that one might accumulate. While I do not use Allen’s full system, I do use big parts of it, and my pocket notebook is a key part of that.

“Gathering” simply refers to how I actually use my pocket notebook for taking notes and collecting things.

Everything I might possibly want to think about later is written down in my pocket notebook. If there’s even a chance I might want to reflect on it later, it goes in my pocket notebook. I don’t try to filter in advance–I just put everything in there.

I have no qualms about taking it out almost anywhere; if anyone asks, I tell them that they just told me something important that I want to remember or think about later. I’ve found that, over the years, people actually find this to be a pretty positive thing. People are subtly flattered if you tell them that they just said something important enough to you that you want to write it down to think about it later.

Think about it–what if you were telling someone something and they said, “That’s really interesting! Thanks for telling me! I’m going to jot that down so I can look into it more later!” and then wrote down what you said.

Most things are stored as simple notes, prefaced by a dash. I use a small dash or a dot at the start of each separate note. Most of my collection is just a long series of these notes.

I don’t worry about order or organization within my pocket notebook, as I’ll process all of it later. For the most part, I don’t worry about organizing those ideas at all as I write them down. Most of the material in that book is just a sequence of unrelated notes.

I’ll stick paper scraps right into my notebook with a paper clip–things like receipts and business cards so on. I usually have two paper clips attached to the back cover of the notebook. If I find a piece of paper I want to keep and deal with later, I’ll just stick it into that paper clip.

If I’m going to take longer notes on something, I draw a single line through one of the blank lines as a separator before and after the notes, and I title what the notes are about and where I took them.

Processing means that I go through my pocket notebook and figure out what to do with all of the little notes I’ve taken.

I process my pocket notebook a couple times a day (unless I’m on vacation or something). I just sit down at my computer, pull out my notebook, and start dealing with the stuff I’ve written down there.

I start at the previous double line. I use a double line as a separator to indicate where I stopped processing my notebook last time. Thus, when I’m ready to process, I go backwards from my most recent note to the previous double line and start there.

I move names and addresses to my address book and social media contacts to appropriate social media accounts. Usually, I have a note there that explains why I should follow up with this person, and if that’s the case, I either follow up immediately or add an entry to my to-do list explaining that I should follow up.

I recopy notes from classes or from things I’ve learned. This is key, and it’s helped me to process and absorb information far better than I’ve ever done before. Whenever I’m reading a book where I’m trying to learn something, attending a talk, or listening to a course lecture (I take a lot of online classes for personal enrichment), I take notes in my pocket notebook.

Those notes are great for helping me process the information as I’m hearing it, but they don’t do much for helping me to absorb it. I find that the best absorption–meaning that I integrate the ideas into my thinking and interpretation of the world–happens when I recopy those notes.

So, what I usually do is copy them into Evernote. I make a new note in Evernote with the name of the talk and then transfer my notes from my pocket notebook onto the computer within that Evernote note. As I go along, I’ll look up things that I’m unsure of and add those details to my notes.

This process is incredibly helpful for actually learning material. I had no idea how useful this really was, and I truly wish I had known about it when I was in college. It has helped me to really understand lots of different subjects.

I add to-dos to my to-do program. If an item constitutes a task I need to take care of, I either do it immediately or I add it to my to-do program of choice, Todoist. (During the day, I usually just follow my to-do list and try to crank through as many things as I can find on it.)

I figure out what to do with the other miscellaneous things I’ve written down. There are usually several other miscellaneous things that I need to deal with–things to look up, expenses to record, and so on. There’s usually an obvious thing to do with each one of these things and I try to just do it right then and there; if it’s not feasible, I turn it into another to-do.

I make a double line when I’m finished. When I reach the bottom of the last page of notes, I just make a double line, as before, so that I know where to start processing the next time.

These days, I rarely leave home without my pocket notebook. It’s become such an essential part of my daily routine that I don’t even think about grabbing it when an idea pops into my head. I just pull out the notebook, jot down that idea or that fact, and put it back, almost without any effort at all.

It saves me time. It saves me money. It helps me build social connections. It helps me to learn. It helps me to avoid forgetting important things.

It’s simply an essential part of my life.

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Superando Dúvidas… E Se…

link
Michael Licona

Dr. Craig,

Qual o melhor conselho que o senhor pode oferecer para alguém superar dúvidas e questionamentos do tipo “e se”? Essa é a minha maior batalha. Encontro um argumento convincente, mas depois fico pensando, “mas e se...”. O que me joga de volta à estaca zero. Sei que isso se deve em parte ao medo que tenho de me entregar ao cristianismo e descobrir que errei. Está relacionado ao orgulho, porque eu ficaria arrasada. Já passei por isso quando minha fé foi abalada. Mas sei que jamais chegarei a uma conclusão se ficar sempre questionando “e se”. Como faço para superar isso? Outros talvez achem muito simples, basta parar de questionar. Mas quem já passou por um medo muito forte sabe que é muito difícil ter essa atitude. Então, para aqueles como eu que sofrem da síndrome do “e se”, qual deve ser o próximo passo?—Amanda, EUA
Dr. Craig responde:

Às vezes convido um palestrante para responder a uma pergunta sobre a qual ele já estudou. Recentemente, Michael Licona falou para a minha classe Defenders sobre Dúvida, por isso, Amanda, pedi a Mike para cuidar da sua pergunta. Acho que vai perceber que vocês dois são bem parecidos! Ele deu a seguinte resposta:

Eu entendo a situação dessa “duvidadora”, pois eu tenho mania de questionar já tirando conclusões. Parece que questiono tudo! Não quero tomar decisões erradas nem em questões de pouca importância, então é normal eu ficar em dúvida sobre decisões relativas a questões de grande porte. Não é um exercício intencional. Na verdade, fico frustrado com essa minha atitude. Mas é assim que sou.

Por causa disso, já duvidei da minha fé cristã muitas vezes. Às vezes chegou ao ponto de eu quase renegá-la. Já me perguntei se sofri lavagem cerebral… “Será que não consigo pensar de maneira objetiva porque fui ensinado a acreditar? E se eu estiver errado?" Eu tenho a paz que Paulo menciona ser uma confirmação interior do Espírito de Deus de que pertenço a Cristo.[1] [Mas] como discernir se a minha paz realmente procede de Deus? É uma pergunta difícil. E, para ser sincero, ainda não sei a resposta.

Graças a Deus, quando comecei a ter dúvidas na década de 80, um professor de Filosofia entendeu a minha situação porque ele também já tinha passado por isso. Eu não tive aula com Gary Habermas na Liberty University, já que ele lecionava no departamento de Filosofia, e eu fazia um curso de estudos do Novo Testamento. Mas Habermas me ajudou muitíssimo a entender dúvida e como lidar com ela. A seguir apresento um conjunto de pensamentos de Habermas e meus. E tenho uma boa notícia para quem batalha contra dúvidas: É possível lidar com dúvidas tomando estas quatro atitudes certeiras.

Ação Nº1: Reconheça que é normal ter dúvidas. Abraão encontrou-se com Deus, que lhe informou que teria um filho que daria início a uma grande nação. No entanto, quando Abraão corria perigo, ele mentiu para salvar o seu pescoço, mesmo sabendo que a promessa de Deus de lhe dar um filho ainda não se tinha cumprido.[2] Pensaríamos que ele confiaria que Deus o salvaria. Mas, em vez disso, ele mentiu, e Deus acabou intervindo para ele conseguir recuperar sua esposa, Sara, que tinha sido levada justamente por causa da mentira que Abraão contou. Avancemos oito capítulos, e Abraão está diante da mesma situação. Mas desta vez, sabendo que podia confiar na proteção de Deus, sem ter que assumir o controle da situação e mentir. Olha, não aconteceu assim. Abraão duvidou da promessa de Deus novamente, e repetiu o erro. Mentiu para o rei que, como Faraó, levou Sara para o seu harém, e Deus precisou intervir de novo.[3] No entanto, Abraão se tornou um homem de grande fé, cujo nome consta na Galeria da Fama da Bíblia.[4] Na verdade, se existe um MVP (Jogador mais Valioso) na Galaria da Fama, é Abraão.

João Batista era primo de Jesus. Ambos nasceram sob circunstâncias milagrosas. No futuro João viria a batizar Jesus e veria o Espírito Santo descer sobre Ele, ao mesmo tempo em que uma voz vinda do Céu confirmava a Sua posição. Mais tarde João foi preso, e durante esse período enviou alguns dos seus discípulos para perguntarem a Jesus se Ele era realmente o Messias ou se deviam esperar outra pessoa. Uáu! Como João podia fazer essa pergunta se já tinha ouvido a história do nascimento milagroso tanto dele como de Jesus, além dos sinais divinos que lhe foram revelados ao batizar? João sentiu-se abandonado na prisão, o que causou uma dúvida de caráter emocional. Ele conhecia a evidência, mas a vida não estava transcorrendo como ele esperava. Na verdade, a situação estava bem desagradável naquele momento. E Jesus sabia disso. Ele disse aos discípulos de João para voltarem a ele e contarem os milagres que tinham visto Jesus fazer, milagres que se esperava do Messias.[5] Depois que os discípulos se foram, Jesus virou-Se para a multidão que O fitava intensamente. O que Ele diria para aquelas pessoas que tinham acabado de ouvir que o Seu companheiro de ministério estava tendo dúvidas?

Que fostes ver no deserto? Uma cana agitada pelo vento? Sim, que fostes ver? Um homem ricamente vestido? Os que se trajam ricamente estão nas casas dos reis. Mas, então, que fostes ver? Um profeta? Sim, vos digo eu, e muito mais do que profeta; porque é este de quem está escrito: Eis que diante da tua face envio o meu anjo, que preparará diante de ti o teu caminho. Em verdade vos digo que, entre os que de mulher têm nascido, não apareceu alguém maior do que João Batista.[6]

Veja que Jesus não repreendeu João por duvidar, pelo contrário, providenciou evidências, o encorajou e elogiou dizendo que não havia ninguém maior – e sabendo que João batalhava contra dúvidas.

Se Abraão e João Batista passaram por essa experiência de dúvida apesar de terem o favor do Senhor, parece que Deus entende a nossa constituição emocional e tem paciência conosco. Muitos cristãos jamais duvidam. No entanto, para os que passam por isso é reconfortante saber que estamos em boa companhia, com pessoas como Abraão e João Batista. Duvidadores não são cidadãos de segunda classe no reino de Deus!

"Cara! Vai ver que funciona para quem ouviu Deus falar e viu os milagres de Jesus. Mas pra mim não ajuda muito, porque nunca vi nenhum milagre.” Entendo, mas até agora eu só disse que o primeiro passo é lidar com a dúvida: Reconhecer que é normal duvidar.

Ação Nº2: Reconhecer que existe evidência fidedigna a favor do cristianismo. Não podemos entrar em uma máquina do tempo e voltar ao passado para testemunharmos os milagres de Jesus, no entanto, dispomos de sólida evidência histórica comprovando o maior dos Seus milagres, a ressurreição. Gary Habermas mais do que ninguém entende bem desse assunto. Poderiam dizer, “Entre aqueles nascidos de mulher, nenhum conhece melhor a evidência da ressurreição de Jesus do que Gary Habermas."

Se Jesus ressuscitou, o cristianismo sem dúvida é verdadeiro. “Mas”, você pode questionar, “a ressurreição está relatada na Bíblia. Como vou saber se a Bíblia é verdadeira? Será que devo aceitar puramente por fé?" Na primeira visita ao professor Habermas, ele me ofereceu uma sinopse em ordem cronológica da evidência história da ressurreição de Jesus. Foi um consolo saber que tal evidência existe. Mas, devo admitir, havia falhas na explicação. A evidência não me deu 100% de garantia. Mas Habermas não se preocupou. A Ciência também não comprova nada cem porcento. Investigação científica e histórica só nos leva até um certo ponto. Precisamos procurar a melhor explicação com base nos dados disponíveis e aceitarmos uma certeza razoável ou até certo ponto adequada, assim como agimos em relação a todas as grandes decisões na vida. O resto fica no campo da fé, e isso se aplica a qualquer visão de mundo, tanto de cristãos como de judeus, muçulmanos, hindus, budistas ou ateus. Mas a ressurreição de Jesus é incomparável, em termos de fortes evidências confirmando sua ocorrência. [Obs.: Veja o link no final do artigo para um e-livro grátis de Habermas.]

Ação Nº3: Reconheça que certeza absoluta é uma expectativa irracional: Algumas pessoas vivem com fé sem jamais duvidar. Isso é otimo. Mas alguns de nós fomos criados de maneira que somos incapazes de ter essa atitude. Alguns anos atrás, tive um momento “iluminado” que mudou minha vida. Percebi que a minha fé é apenas uma das muitas coisas que questiono. Eu duvido de muitas decisões muuuuuuuiiiito tempo depois de tomá-las. É uma mania de infância que eu detesto. Não me refiro apenas a decisões importantes, como, por exemplo, casamento. Às vezes, eu me vejo reconsiderando, re-reconsiderando, e re-re-reconsiderando decisões sem muita importância, como, por exemplo, algo que comprei, quer um relógio, quer um carro ou um perfume. Só reconhecer essa atitude ajudou-me sobremaneira a entender por que duvido. Fui criado assim. Para mim, a certeza absoluta é uma expectativa irracional. Portanto, estou aprendendo a viver satisfeito com um certo grau de certeza.

Ação Nº4: Reconheça que a fé é mais do que um sentimento ou a falta de dúvida. É um compromisso. Certo homem veio a Jesus e pediu que Ele curasse seu filho possesso. Ele acreditava (afinal de contas, foi ele quem procurou Jesus), mas pediu a Jesus para ajudá-lo com a sua incredulidade.[7] Ele dependia de Jesus para curar o seu filho. Pedro caminhou sobre as águas e começou a afundar quando ficou com medo das ondas e duvidou.[8] No entanto, Pedro é que estava fora do barco enquanto os outros observavam. Para o seguidor de Cristo, fé é confiar em Cristo, e só nEle, para a salvação. Ser um seguidor de Cristo significa que, diante de uma decisão moral, eu sigo pelo caminho ensinado por Jesus. ... obedeço a Jesus porque acredito nEle. Posso ter dúvidas persistentes, mas é a fé que vence e determina a minha conduta na vida de fé. Como o irmão de Jesus escreveu, “Mostre sua fé sem obras e eu lhe mostrarei a minha fé pelas minhas obras."[9]

Resumindo, estas são as quatro ações para lidar com dúvidas:
Reconhecer que é normal duvidar.
Reconhecer que existe evidência sólida comprovando a verdade do Cristianismo.
Reconhecer que a certeza absoluta é uma expectativa irracional.
Reconhecer que fé é mais do que um sentimento ou falta de dúvida. É um compromisso.

Pode ser muito bom para o leitor interessado ler mais sobre lidar com dúvidas no livro online de Gary Habermas The Thomas Factor: Using Your Doubts to Draw Closer to God.(O Fator Tomé: Usar as Dúvidas para se Aproximar de Deus.)

Para ler uma defesa cronológica e abrangente da ressurreição de Jesus, veja o meu livro mais recente, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. (A Ressurreição de Jesus: uma Nova Abordagem Historiográfica.)

Site Reasonable Faith,
http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9333
Publicado no Âncora em junho de 2012.
Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli. Revisão Denise Oliveira.

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On the Charlestown Shooting

By Dennis Edwards:  

Dr. Ellis the famous cosmologists from South Africa when talking on the violence in today’s world said the following: "That's, well, something I have seen in other places, I really want to say here. I think our biggest enemy in all of this is Hollywood. If you turn on the television, within 10 minutes and, absolutely, always, without exception, you will find the cinema TV is teaching people to — the way to solve problems is to kill people. And that is a message which is broadcast to the black people in the townships in my country, sitting there. This is the role model which is offered to them. And what we've got to do is try to make available the alternative models where children learn, from the smallest ages 'til they're adults, that there are other ways to solve this, that there are peaceful solutions, there are ways in which you sit down and try and talk with people. You don't pull out a gun and shoot them, which is what Hollywood is teaching people daily, 24 hours a day. And I really think that is one of the major problems we have at this time. I'm not sure what one does about that." Dr. Ellis worked with Stephen Hawking on the new cosmology for the Big Bang Model. He recently became a Quaker because of their position against violence.

Dylan Storm Roof, the shooter in the Charlestown Shooting, was acting out his evolutionary beliefs of the survival of the fittest. Like Tolstoy said, "If there is no God, then everything is permissible." When Jesus was asked by his disciples about the "signs of his coming" he told them: "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the coming of the Son of man."[1] How was it in the "days of Noah?" In Genesis we read, "And the earth was filled with violence,"[2] and "Every imagination in the heart of man was only evil continually."[3] We have forgotten our Maker and are reaping the fruits of atheism, materialism, evolution and relativism. We no longer have an absolute moral compass on which to judge because we have eliminated Him from our thinking, from our education and from our relaxation. "God is dead and we have killed him," like Nietzsche said. "Doesn't it feel colder? Isn't it darker?" These are the fruits of our actions. "We are all guilty! We have all killed Him."[4]

Like David said, "If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?"[5] We have destroyed our Christian foundations upon which our nation was built. Like Daniel Webster, who lived from 1782 until 1852, the American orator and Secretary of State for three US Presidents warned, "If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is one to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we and our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."[6] He also warned, “If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, then error will be. If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendency. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of this land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end.”[7] Need I say more?

Footnotes
[1] Matthew 24:37
[2] Genesis 6:11
[3] Genesis 6:5
[4] Nietzsche , “The Parable of the Madman”
[5] Psalm 11:3
[6] http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/31180.Daniel_Webster
[7] Ibid

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Columbine High School Victim's Father Addresses Congress.

From Frank Runiak's facebook post:

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this. On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be
in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws.
Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.

To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
- Darrell Scott

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As Bênçãos da Cegueira

Link
Steve Hearts

Eu escrevi previamente sobre como aprendi a considerar a minha cegueira como a bênção disfarçada que ela é na realidade.[1] Neste artigo, quero salientar alguns dos maiores benefícios da minha cegueira, na esperança de encorajar a fé de outros que estão encarando desafios como o meu ou semelhantes.

Para começar, dou graças a Deus cada dia pela Sua sabedoria ao permitir que eu ficasse cego pouco depois de nascer, antes de sequer entender o que é enxergar. Apesar de ter sido doloroso quando caiu a ficha de que eu não enxergava como a maioria das outras pessoas evaporou rápida e permanentemente quando conheci pessoas que perderam a visão como resultado de acidentes ou doenças. Essas pessoas passaram por um trauma maior do que eu jamais passei, pois viveram a vida inteira enxergando e então perderam a visão. Porém continuaram motivadas e determinadas a se adaptarem à situação e fazerem o máximo do que ainda lhes restara, em vez de chorar pelo que haviam perdido. Seu exemplo me fez logo entender como eu era bem afortunado. Consequentemente eu nunca mais reclamei da minha situação. Aqueles que sofreram, contudo superaram o trauma de terem perdido a visão mais tarde na vida, sempre serão meus maiores heróis.

Minha cegueira também serviu para me manter motivado. Pois aqueles entre nós que vivem com deficiências físicas sempre terão a escolha de quer se resignarem às suas aparentes limitações ou procurar maneiras de superarem e passarem por elas. Sei que há certos limites que não podem ser rompidos com relação ao que eu posso ou não posso fazer. Mas nenhuma dessas limitações me mantém de levar uma vida gratificante e produtiva. Na maior parte, tenho sido abençoado por estar cercado de pessoas que acreditavam e tinham fé em mim e nas minhas habilidades. Contudo, como é sempre o caso, houve gente que também manifestou uma atitude contrária. Apesar disso ter me deixado triste a princípio, disse repetidas vezes para mim mesmo o seguinte: se alguém tentar me dizer que eu não consigo fazer algo, tudo o que terei de fazer e dar a volta, sem sequer proferir uma única palavra, e fazer tal coisa—claro que dentro do bom senso. Não estou falando sobre tentar algo tão ousado como pegar no volante de um carro ou tentar pilotar um avião. Essas coisas definitivamente se encaixam na categoria de limites inquebráveis. Estou simplesmente falando de estar disposto a encarar quaisquer desafios para as capacidades que realmente possuo.

Tenho que admitir prontamente que também houve vezes em que a única pessoa me dizendo que eu não era capaz de algo era eu mesmo. Mas com a ajuda do Senhor, e também a ajuda e encorajamento dos outros, consegui provar o contrário. Por isso que Filipenses 4:13 sempre foi uma promessa valiosa para clamar, “Posso todas as coisas em Cristo que me fortalece.”[2]

Segundo vejo, praticamente não há nada que inspire mais empatia e compaixão pelos outros do que uma incapacidade física. Minha cegueira fez com que fosse definitivamente mais fácil me identificar com aqueles que também lidam com problemas e desafios físicos. Eu geralmente consigo encorajar e motivá-los sem sequer saber que estava fazendo isso. Por exemplo, certo dia, vários anos atrás, eu estava com meu pai em um centro esportivo local que tinha uma pista. Era uma rotina diária para ele dar algumas voltas ali correndo enquanto eu caminhava com minha bengala. Dei algumas voltas e então um homem que eu nunca havia encontrado antes foi até mim e se apresentou dizendo, “Sabe, você me ensinou uma lição muito importante hoje.”

“Como assim?” perguntei.

“Tenho um problema nas costas que me incomoda muito,” ele disse. “Eu o uso como desculpa para não vir aqui e me exercitar tanto quanto deveria. Eu o tenho visto dando voltas sempre que venho aqui. Ver você se exercitar regularmente apesar de sua deficiência é um exemplo e motivador para mim.” Conversamos um pouco mais, e no final eu consegui guiá-lo a Jesus.

É de certa forma comum para as pessoas que não convivem com uma deficiência ou problema físico terem pena ou menosprezarem as que têm. O Senhor, entretanto, tem usado a minha cegueira para dissipar essa mentalidade. Quando eu tinha 19 anos, toquei violão em uma banda de louvor e adoração por vários meses. Desfrutei do tempo que passei com este grupo e me senti aceito e apreciado por todos. Eventualmente chegou a hora de eu deixar a banda e seguir outro chamado diferente. Antes de partir, fizeram uma festa de despedida para mim. Em algum momento do evento, cada um dos membros tomou um tempo para contar de que maneiras eu tinha tocado suas vidas. Uns dois deles disseram, “Antes de conhecer você eu sempre sentia pena, e até mesmo menosprezava, as pessoas com deficiências. Mas aí eu vi como a sua deficiência não o impede de servir a Deus a cem por cento, e agora minha perspectiva é diferente.”

Minha cegueira também serviu para me manter humilde. Apesar de eu tentar levar uma vida o mais independente possível, obviamente ainda preciso da ajuda dos outros com certas coisas. Admitir isso muitas vezes é um golpe no meu orgulho. Mas Deus sabe que é preciso para eu permanecer no caminho da humildade. Apesar de eu conseguir lidar com a maioria das habilidades práticas da vida essenciais para uma vida independente, algo que ainda não consegui dominar é conseguir atravessar as ruas sem ajuda. Eu certa vez abordei outro amigo cego para lhe pedir ajuda sobre isto. Esperava que ele fosse me dar dicas sobre o uso correto da bengala, ganhar confiança, etc. Em vez disso, ele disse, “O mais importante que posso lhe dizer é o seguinte: Nunca tenha medo de pedir ajuda ao atravessar a rua, mesmo se for de um estranho total. Do jeito que as pessoas dirigem por aqui, pode ser arriscado não pedir ajuda a ninguém.” E concluiu dizendo, “Nunca pense que vai chegar a ser tão totalmente independente e auto suficiente que jamais precisará pedir ajuda dos outros.”

Já ouvi muitas vezes, inclusive do Senhor, que minha falta de visão no físico me possibilitou ter uma visão mais aguçada das coisas do Espírito. Hesito em elaborar sobre isto, visto que não me considero uma pessoal especialmente “espiritual”. Segundo penso, eu geralmente batalho em desligar a mente carnal e me revestir da mente de Cristo tanto quanto qualquer outra pessoa que enxerga batalha. Ainda assim, o Senhor já falou através de diferentes pessoas com relação ao dom que Ele me deu para Sua glória de uma visão espiritual maior. Por exemplo, o diretor da banda na qual toquei me disse que tinha perguntado ao Senhor por que Ele não tinha me permitido ver. Ao que o Senhor respondeu, “Por que Eu faria isso? Steve já Me vê.”

Você está lidando com uma incapacidade ou situação desafiadora? Está difícil de ver quaisquer benefícios reais disso? Eu sugiro que leve essa situação direto para o Senhor. Ele certamente poderá guiá-lo como me guiou, e lhe mostrar como a sua situação o está servindo e beneficiando de maneiras que jamais imaginou. É possível que, apesar de você poder ver fisicamente, sinta-se cego espiritualmente—incapaz de ver o caminho à frente, sem certeza do caminho pelo qual deve seguir. O Senhor promete, “Conduzirei os cegos por caminhos que eles não conheceram, por veredas desconhecidas eu os guiarei; transformarei as trevas em luz diante deles e tornarei retos os lugares acidentados. Essas são as coisas que farei; não os abandonarei.”[3]


[1] Ver http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/fe-vs-vista/ e http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/cruz-ou-coroa/.

[2] ACRF.

[3] Isaías 42:16, NVI.

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Is the "Cutting Short" Doctrine Scriptural? - Part 1

By Dennis Edwards:  

Pre-wrath Rapture Chart posted by Michelle Troup McCullough with my comments.

This first chart was posted by Michelle showing the new "cutting short" doctrine with the Pre-Wrath Rapture Chart.

This second chart is my correction of Michelle's chart as much as I was able to do with my limited knowledge of microsoft photoshop. Sorry they have come out so small. 

Following is my explanation for Michelle. For those who are not familiar with Bible prophecy it may be a bit tedious or hard to understand. I suggest you follow Mark McMillion's Daniel classes on YouTube which can be found here. I would suggest you roll down on his page and start with the classes at the bottom of his page such as: Introduction to Bible Prophecy, Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Alexander the Great Comes to Israel, Famous Failure Prophecies, Daniel 9 and Some Say the Antichrist Has Come. 

The picture above gives the basic outline of the Post-Tribulation view. We see the Tribulation period divided into two 3 1/2 year periods. The heading should be the Last Seven Years. The Tribulation period is only the second have of the seven year period or 3 1/2 years. The Rapture of the saints occurs after the tribulation. Once the Rapture takes place, then begins the 30-75 days of the Wrath of God. In the chart directly above, however, is missing the 30 to 75 days of wrath which occurs after the Rapture. Jesus' actual return to take over the earth occurs at the Battle of Armageddon and takes place at or after the first  30 days of the Wrath have taken place. 

The first diagram above, the 70 Weeks chart, correctly shows the 30 days plus 45 extra days, which occur after the 3 and 1/2 years of tribulation. I would designate the 30-75 days as the Wrath and mopping up exercise where God's forces take control of the earthly kingdoms.  The 75 days precede the 1,000 year Millenium of Christ's rule on earth. Jesus' forces come back at the 1290 day of Daniel 12:11 durung the Battle of Armageddon. The Wrath terminates at the 1,335 day of Daniel 12:12 or 75 days after the Rapture. 

The following is my letter to Michelle.

Is the “Cutting Short” Scriptural?

I took some liberties to adjust the first time table-above, to what I believe is a more accurate interpretation of the scriptures. The view I hold to is found in the second time-table. Two things surprised me the most in the chart you presented. The first was how people get so confused with the Seals. They try to put them in chronological order and cannot see how they are panoramic in their scope. 

The second view, that was new to me, and reminded me of the pre-tribulation doctrine, is the idea of “cutting short” the Tribulation period to less than 3 ½ years. Over and over again in God’s word the Tribulation is described as a period of 3 ½ years. Let’s look at some of them.

The first place we see the 3 ½ year period is in Daniel. We read, “And he, (the Antichrist), shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they, (God’s people), shall be given into his hand until a time, (one year), and times, (two years), and the dividing of time, (half a year)."[1] 

We see nearly the same imagery when talking about the Antichrist in Revelation. “And there was given unto him, (Antichrist), a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months, (which is 3 ½ years)…And it was given unto him, (the Antichrist), to make war with the saints, and to overcome them.”[2] The saints are obviously God’s people and the 3 ½ years cannot be missed.

Even a simple reading of Matthew 24 shows that God’s people will suffer through the Great Tribulation and be Raptured after the Tribulation. First of all, we need to remember that Jesus is answering the question of his disciples: “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”[3] 

He gives them the various “signs of the times” or “the beginnings of sorrows,” which you are familiar with and finally leads up to the statement: “When you therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whosoever reads, let him understand).”[4] What in the world is Jesus talking about here? To find out, we need to look back to Daniel.

In Daniel 9 we find one of the passages talking about the Abomination of Desolation. “And he, (again talking about the Antichrist), shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, or seven year period: and in the midst of the week, (or half way through the seven year period-3½ years), he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

Traditionally this passage has been understood to mean that half way through the seven year pact, at the 3½ year mark, the Antichrist will Break the Covenant. He stops the sacrifice in the rebuilt Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and “places the abomination that makes desolate” there instead. 

In another passage in Daniel concerning the Abomination of Desolation we read, “And arms shall stand on his part, (the Antichrist’s), and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate.” Some eschatology students have speculated that the Abomination of Desolation may have something to do with the “Image of the Beast” spoken of in Revelation 13 which all the world is forced to worship.[5]

Paul seems to be talking about the Breaking of the Covenant which happens at the beginning of the Tribulation in his warning to the Thessalonians. He writes, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (in other words the Rapture), that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, (the Antichrist); who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”[6] 

Here we see the Antichrist in the Temple demanding to be worshipped, which seems to take place at the time of the placing of the Abomination of Desolation. 

Revelation shows us that the Antichrist will be successful in gaining popularity. “And all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon, the devil, which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?...And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not found written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”[7]

Going back to Matthew 24, we see Jesus saying, “When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation stand in the holy place…then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”[8] “Immediately after the tribulation of those days…he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”[9]

What we notice here in these verses is that Jesus is saying that it is for the elect’s sake that the days would be shortened. But then we see the elect being raptured “immediately after the tribulation.” Therefore, since the elect are present during the Tribulation and then at the Rapture the “cutting short” is in fact the 3 ½ year period. 

God lets us know exactly how long the persecution will be to encourage us during this terrible period of history. In this case, knowing the length of the Tribulation will give us strength and conviction to hang on. It will help us keep fighting the good fight of faith, knowing that our Lord will soon return to deliver us and bring Satan’s demise for a thousand years.

I can understand why people look for these escape hatches from passing through the persecution. That is why the pre-Tribulation doctrine was so popular. People long to escape the Tribulation period. Now again, we seem to have a similarly unscriptural doctrine in the “cutting short.”As much as I would like for it to be true, it is just not so. 

The period of Tribulation is revealed to us over and over again in the scripture to be 3 ½ years. It will not be secretly “cut short” to save God’s people from having to suffer any longer. In fact scripture says he will be giving us power for witnessing and power for miracles. “But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many.”[10]

Daniel goes on to say, “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, (like the 144,000 who were given white robes),[11] even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.”[12] In other words, the end will not come earlier than it is appointed to, it will not come sooner. 

If we look at the two end-time witnesses we see the same thing. We see that “the holy city shall be given to the Gentiles: and they shall tread it under foot forty and two months, (or 3 ½ years).”[13] The prophecy is talking about when the Antichrist breaks the covenant and takes over the Temple Mount and the Temple and Jerusalem itself. Then concerning the two end-time witnesses we read, “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, (or 3 ½ years).”[14] 

The two witnesses will not be cowering, but will witness with power and miracles. Nevertheless, they will also be killed. But their death shall be turned into victory at the Rapture. So, again we see no escape. God lets them suffer and be killed. But remember what Jesus said, “And fear not them which can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”[15]

To me it seems that the “cutting short” idea must be coming from one of those preachers with “itching ears,” who turn our hearts away from the truth. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”[16]

We believe what we want to. We do not want to hear that we, our children, or our grandchildren or some future generation will have to suffer through 3 ½ years of Tribulation. Let’s invent a doctrine, a fable, to save our sorry selves from the persecution Satan shall be unleashing on us and all those who refuse to obey him. 

The scriptures repeat the 3 ½ year period more than seven times in Revelation and Daniel. I counted ten. But I guess God doesn’t mean what he says. Yet the scripture says that “God is not a man that he should lie.”[17] Maybe the Lord will “come as a thief in the night”[18] and cut things short? And yet he has told us that “you are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”[19] 

I think we are just having wishful thinking with the “cutting short” doctrine, because we do not want to suffer? But Peter admonishes us, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s suffering; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy!”[20]

The Pre-Last Seven Year’s Birth Pangs or Sign of the Times

In the chart I would put the “Beginning Birth Pangs of Matthew 24” from the time of Christ through to the Breaking of the Covenant at the mid-seven year period, not just during the first half of the Tribulation period. Perhaps, like a woman in labor, these signs may become more frequent and more intense, which many Bible students claim is the case. It is obvious that false Christs have already arisen and there have been wars and rumor of wars, earthquakes, pestilences, and famines in diverse places, with the hearts of man growing colder.[21] And yet, we are not in the last seven year period, as far as we know. 

But many believe we are already in the “beginning of sorrows,” of Matthew 24. You cannot just put those “pangs” during the first 3 ½ year period. They are occurring before the beginning of the last seven years, like right now, though they may be more intense during the last seven year period.

In Daniel we find another verse which also serves as one of the “signs of the times.”We read, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”[22]Obviously this prophecy is talking about today’s mass rapid transportation system and the new vast web of information now available through the internet. These are signs of “the time of the end.”

But the book of Daniel has been shut up or man has been unable to properly understand it, until “the time of the end.” The fact that the prophecy seems to be fulfilled, plus we seem to be able to understand the Daniel prophecies serves as a good warning that we are living near to or in “the time of the end.”

Understanding Daniel 8

In Daniel 8 we read, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?”[23] From the same chapter, we see that “at the time of the end shall be the vision,” and “I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be,” and later still, “in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.”[24] Therefore, we know this prophecy of Daniel 8 is concerning the last days and specifically for the last seven year period.

The vision in Daniel has two parts, “the daily sacrifice” and the “transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and host to be trodden under foot.” The “daily sacrifice” has been traditionally understood as a returning to the ritualistic Jewish custom of daily sacrifice on the Temple Mount. 

The Temple Institute in Jerusalem is specifically working to bring this possibility to fruition. The second part of the verse has been understood to be the Tribulation period when the Antichrist stops the newly invoked daily sacrifice, places the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple and begins his persecution of all those who do not accept the Mark of the Beast.

God’s People are Persecuted During the Great Tribulation for 3 ½ Years

In Daniel 7 we have seen that the little horn, the Antichrist, “made war with the saints, and prevailed against them…and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”[25] In Daniel 8 we see the little horn again, and it “waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.”[26]

Later in Daniel 12 we see further in response to the question, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” The response is “that it shall be for a time, times, and an half, (again we see the 3 ½ years); and when he, (the Antichrist), shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”[27] In these verses we see God’s people, whether or not they are newly converted Jews, we do not know; but we do know that they are Christian saints, and that they are persecuted: “the host to be trodden under foot,” “made war with the saints, and prevailed against them,” “cast down some of the host…and stamped upon them,” and “accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people.”

Very much in the same way we see in Revelation 12 the Woman, the Church, fleeing into the wilderness from the face of the serpent “for a time, and times, and half a time,”[28] the same 3 ½ year period. We also read “And the woman fled into the wilderness… that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days,”[29] again 3 ½ years. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman,” remember the Woman is the church of believers which we see will be persecuted during the Tribulation period and not just Mary, the mother of Jesus; “and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”[30]

In Revelation 13 we see the same events from a different perspective. Talking about the Antichrist we read “and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”[31]Forty-two months is 3 ½ years. A bit further on it says, “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”[32] So the during the Great Tribulation God will be tribulating the unbelieving world, while the Antichrist will be persecuting God’s people and any others that refuse to submit to him.

The point I am trying to show you is that the scriptures are pretty clear that the Antichrist is persecuting God’s people, the saints, the believing Christians, during the 3 ½ year period of Great Tribulation.

The 2,300 day period mentioned in Daniel 8 is talking about the period of the sacrifice at the rebuilt Jewish temple before the Tribulation and the period of the Tribulation/persecution of the saints after the Breaking of the Covenant.[33] 

Since we know the persecution will be for 1260 days or 3 ½ years, or 42 months, or times, time and half a time; all we need to do is subtract 1260 from 2300 and we get the length of the period of time of the sacrifice and oblation. Doing the math, we find there will be a total of 1040 days of sacrifice before the Breaking of the Covenant and then 1260 days of Tribulation afterwards, for a total of 2300 days.

Who are the 144,000?

Another thing that usually screws up people’s interpretation of Revelation is Scofield’s unscriptural footnotes and doctrine giving special place to the unsaved Jews who will find Christ during the Tribulation period. 

We have no way to know if the 144,000 are saved Jews or saved Christians. The mixing of Jewish blood throughout the Christian nations is widespread, so who is it that does not have the blood of Shem within his DNA? I saw one mathematical study which seemed to indicate that everyone in the world would have DNA from Shem by this time. Also, some say that most of today’s Jews are not descendents from Jewish blood but in fact from a bloodline that were converts to Judaism.

Are the 144,000 saints of the Tribulation flesh Jews, or could they be spiritual Jews that Paul talks about in Romans? “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”[34] And later in Galatians he writes, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”[35]

If God sees fit to have 144,000 flesh Jews in Israel become believers in Christ, that’s wonderful. But let’s not leave them to suffer alone while we get secretly raptured away in some “cutting short” of the Tribulation period. We, the believers on Christ, are in this together, whatever our flesh bloodline may be. Let’s not believe the “fables” of “itching ears” preachers. Even Jesus said, “the flesh profits nothing.”[36]

The Key in Matthew 24 – the Abomination of Desolation or the Breaking of the Covenant

Jesus gave us the key sign in Matthew 24 when he said, “When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the Holy place (whosoever reads, let him understand.)”[37] We then go down further to where we read, “For then there shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”[38] 

The sacrifice and oblation plus the Tribulation period equal 2,300 days. Therefore, I have put the 220 days for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, where sacrificial worship will take place once again, at the beginning of the seven year period.

How did I get the 220 days? Well, the whole seven year period is 1260 days plus 1260 days or a period of 2520 days. If we subtract the 2300 days, which is the period of both the sacrifice/oblation before the Breaking of the Covenant and the period of the Great Tribulation afterwards, we are left with 220 days. (To read more on the 2,300 days of Danoel 8 click HERE.)

The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, which I mentioned earlier, has already made the plans for the rebuilding of the Temple and already has the stones prepared for assembling. So it is possible that during the 220 day period, which is a little more than seven months, the Temple could be rebuilt. The Temple itself was not a very large building, though the original Temple had other buildings with it on the Temple compound. Bible scholars believe the Holy Covenant will give the Jews the right to rebuild a temple on the Temple Mount. 

Apostle Paul describes the Breaking of the Covenant with these words which we have also looked at earlier, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day, the day of Christ’s appearing and our gathering together unto him, shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”[39] The Breaking of the Covenant starts the 3 ½ years of Tribulation.

To go to Part 2

Footnotes

[1] Daniel 7:25
[2] Revelation 13:5,7a
[3] Matthew 24:3b
[4] Matthew 24:15
[5] Revelation 13:14,15
[6] 2Thessalonians 2:1-4
[7] Revelation 13:3a,4,8
[8] Matthew 24:15,21,22
[9] Matthew 24:29a,31
[10] Daniel 11:32b,33a
[11] Revelation 7:13,14
[12] Daniel 11:35
[13] Revelation 11:2
[14] Revelation 11:3
[15] Matthew 10:28
[16] 2Timothy 4:3-4
[17] Numbers 23:19
[18] 1Thessalonians 5:2
[19] 1Thessalonians 5:4
[20] 1Peter4:13
[21] Matthew 24:5-8,12
[22] Daniel 12:4
[23] Daniel 8:13-14
[24] Daniel 8:17, 19, 23
[25] Daniel 7: 21, 25b
[26] Daniel 8: 10
[27] Daniel 12: 6-7
[28] Revelation 12: 14
[29] Revelation 12: 6
[30] Revelation 12:17
[31] Revelation 13:5
[32] Revelation 13:7
[33] Daniel 8:13,14
[34] Romans 2: 28-29
[35] Galatians 3: 29
[36] John 6:63
[37] Matthew 24: 15
[38] Matthew 24: 21
[39] 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-4

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Zulmira the Florist

By Dennis Edwards --

Zulmira is the sixty-nine year old florist that lives in the little town of Níne some ten kilometers from Familicão. She hasn’t been a florist all her life as she was a mother of two girls and a boy. She stayed at home to raise them as most Portuguese mothers did in those days. When she finished her duties of motherhood, she took up making floral arrangements. She has done that for last eighteen years. Yesterday she told me why she chose her trade.

“I was thirty-six at the time and due to have my second child. In those days most of the woman gave birth at home with the help of a trustworthy midwife. Everything was going fine and without much ado my second lovely daughter came into the world. What a joy the birth of a child brings to a mother. The midwife had an extremely good reputation, but for one reason or other, the placenta wouldn’t detach from the womb and I started hemorrhaging. I could see that the situation was serious by the consternation in the midwife’s face. No matter what she did, she couldn’t stop the bleeding. Finally, she pushed a sheet inside me and phoned to the hospital for an ambulance. I can remember laying in the ambulance and the nurse gently slapping my face to not let me go to sleep. When we arrived at the hospital the emergency nurse and doctor were ready with the transfusion. But as I had lost so much blood, my blood pressure was way down and the nurse after various attempts couldn’t find the vein. Finally, she called for the doctor’s help. It was at that very moment I left my body which I could see for a moment below me on the emergency room bed.”

“Suddenly I was walking along a beautiful road. It was beautiful because it was lined with the most wonderful assortment of flowers and trees that I had ever seen. I was so enthralled by the beauty. It was overwhelming. Never had I seen such marvelous, such exquisite colors and shapes and sizes. As I walked along it just got better and better. The trees didn’t have one dead leaf on them. All was alive and growing, but with an awesome beauty I had never imagined possible. Then, just as suddenly as I had arrived in this amazing place, I could feel myself swallow and I watched as I returned to my body on the emergency room bed in Familicão.”

“That was thirty-three years ago. That’s why when I could; I decided to become a florist. Heaven has the most beautiful flowers. These people that say that death is the end of it are so blind, so foolish. Even the imperfect creation here on earth cries out that there is a Creator. Look at the stars, the moon, and the sun; how they are all just working perfectly like a clock so that we can have life on this tiny little planet in a great big universe. Look at the flowers, the trees, the animals, and the human body, with trillions cells working together in utter perfection. How could that be? All this could not have happen without a Great Designer of it all. I have three different Bibles, one Catholic, one Jehovah Witness, and another one. They all tell the same story. But men have rejected the story and believe in fables, intellectual fables if you like, but fables never the less. We may have more materialistic comforts, but the world is worst today because men have forgotten their Maker. They have forgotten God and believe they have created themselves. They’ll have some awakening when they die. They’ll have some awakening.”

And you? What kind of awakening will you have? Will you awake to shine as a star forever because you loved and obeyed the Creator, Jesus Christ? Or will you awake to shame and contempt because you rejected his love and mercy and truth and forgiveness? It’s never too late to do the right thing. Open your heart today to Jesus. He’s just a heartbeat away and stands knocking on your door. He wants to be your friend and help you through life’s most difficult moments. He wants to give you answers so you can understand the reason for it all. Will you open up and let Him in? You could pray a prayer like this: Dear Jesus, I need help. I’ve done it my way, but things have not turned out like I thought. I have pushed you aside because the media taught me that the “straw-man” Christian was you. But, I’m lost. I need a friend. I need a helping hand. I need to be able to understand “why?” I open my life to you. Please forgive me for being so hard-hearted, for being so full of doubt. Come into my life and show me the way wherein I must walk and think. Help me to find faith. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

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Manter o Materialismo no Devido Lugar

Palavras de Jesus

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“Pois os olhos do Senhor estão atentos sobre toda a terra para fortalecer aqueles que lhe dedicam totalmente o coração.” — 2 Crônicas 16:9[1]

No tocante às possessões terrenas e materiais, Eu disse aos Meus primeiros seguidores: “Não acumulem para vocês tesouros na terra ... Mas acumulem para vocês tesouros no céu.” “Nenhum servo pode servir a dois senhores... Vocês não podem servir a Deus e ao dinheiro.” “A vida de um homem não consiste na quantidade dos seus bens.” “Quem tem duas túnicas reparta-as com quem não tem nenhuma.” “Dê a quem lhe pede.” “Busquem, pois, em primeiro lugar o Reino de Deus e a sua justiça, e todas essas coisas lhes serão acrescentadas.”[2]

Nas Epístolas, falei por meio dos ensinamentos do apóstolo João: “Não amem o mundo nem o que nele há... O mundo e a sua cobiça passam, mas aquele que faz a vontade de Deus permanece para sempre.”[3] As palavras que Tiago falou para as pessoas ricas daquela sua época eram contra a acumulação de bens: “A riqueza de vocês apodreceu, e as traças corroeram as suas roupas. O ouro e a prata de vocês enferrujaram, e a ferrugem deles testemunhará contra vocês e como fogo lhes devorará a carne.”[4]

Você mostra com a sua vida, as roupas que usa e os bens que possui, e pela sua disposição de compartilhar o que tem, que seus bens materiais não são importantes demais para você? O seu exemplo mostra que suas possessões não são sua principal prioridade, e que você poderia muito bem passar sem elas se necessário fosse?

Você não tem que ter muito para ter “grandes posses”, ou para ser materialista e colocar seus bens em um lugar mais alto do que deveria. As suas coisas o “possuem” ou é você que as possui e as administra com sabedoria e oração?

A questão chave aqui não é se você tem duas ou dez calças. Nem se você tem o seu próprio laptop, tablet ou smartphone. Nem é o caso de se você tem uma loja em um shopping, um bazar ou um brechó. A questão é: em que posição está o seu coração quanto aos bens deste mundo?

Como Meus discípulos, seus corações e mentes deveriam estar postos nas coisas do Meu Espírito e de Deus. Então, é importante manter as coisas deste mundo — posses, modas, bugigangas, aparência e tudo o mais — em perspectiva. Você é chamado a não amar o mundo ou as coisas que há no mundo; isso significa não “amar” as suas coisas de tal maneira que hesita em compartilhá-las com quem tem necessidade, e não acumular tantas possessões a ponto de elas serem um peso e atrapalharem o seu exemplo cristão.

Como cristãos e discípulos, parte de seu testemunho é sua simplicidade no tocante às coisas deste mundo. Isso não significa que você não pode ter coisas bonitas, nem tampouco que nunca deverá ter bugigangas ou que só deveria ter dois pares de sapatos. Mas se você tiver algo do qual não precisa, considere dar a alguém que precise.

Seguem-se algumas perguntas importantes para medir o seu relacionamento com as coisas do mundo: Você tem as prioridades certas? Está disposto a dar a quem tem necessidade? Você evita perder o seu tempo correndo atrás de bens materiais excessivos ou desnecessários? Você está dando um bom exemplo aos seus filhos do que é ser um bom administrador, dar aos outros, gastar dinheiro com sabedoria e confiar em Mim para suprir o que você precisa?[5]


As riquezas da graça de Deus

“É grande o meu prazer no Senhor! Regozija-se a minha alma em meu Deus! Pois Ele me vestiu com as vestes da salvação e sobre mim pôs o manto da justiça, qual noivo que adorna a cabeça como um sacerdote, qual noiva que se enfeita com joias.” — Isaías 61:10[6]

Meus olhos andam por toda a terra para fortalecer aqueles cujos corações estão totalmente comprometidos Comigo. Neste mundo sempre “girando”, Eu lhe asseguro que Meus olhos veem tudo com clareza. É claro que isso significa que eu também vejo tudo com relação a você. O coração humano — na sua condição caída — é enganador acima de todas as coisas. É natural para todas as pessoas fazerem ídolos, inclusive os Meus seguidores.

Até as coisas boas podem se tornar ídolos se elas escorregarem para o primeiro lugar em seu coração. Entretanto, o seu desejo de ter um coração inteiramente compromissado Comigo faz com que você seja alguém fácil de se ensinar. Quando o Meu Espírito aponta um ídolo, você confessa esse pecado e torna a voltar o seu coração para Mim, seu Primeiro Amor. Eu retribuo dando-lhe forças — concedo-lhe poder para viver por Mim cada vez mais. Assim, à medida que trabalhamos juntos, seu coração fica cada vez mais dedicado a Mim.

Se você treme só de pensar que vejo tudo sobre você, lembre-se que o vejo com os olhos de graça. Apesar de nada estar escondido dos Meus olhos, escolho vê-lo com olhos da graça. Eu o vejo vestido em uma roupa brilhante de salvação, e isso é uma vista gloriosa![7]


A alegria da Sua presença

“Tu me fizeste conhecer os caminhos da vida e me encherás de alegria na Tua presença.” — Atos 2:28[8]

Amado, o fato de você ansiar por uma alma desperta é em si uma fonte de prazer para Mim. Muitos dos Meus filhos veem a devoção a Mim como um dever, e buscam prazer em outros lugares. Falham em entender que a alegria da Minha presença é superior à maior alegria e deleite terrenos. É claro que não é uma situação de ter ou um ou outro. Você não tem de escolher entre desfrutar-me ou desfrutar dos muitos bons presentes que supro.

É simplesmente uma questão de prioridades. Quero que Me entesoure acima de tudo o mais. Na verdade, quanto mais plenamente Me desfrutar, mais capacidade terá de apreciar as bênçãos que derramo sobre você. Quando você tem em Mim o seu maior prazer, você Me glorifica ao desejar estar próximo de Mim. Ao se deleitar em Mim, posso abençoá-lo com muitas coisas que o agradam. Se Me mantiver em primeiro lugar na sua vida, Minhas boas dádivas não se tornarão ídolos. Deleite-se em Mim e lhe darei os desejos e as petições secretas de seu coração.[9]

Publicado no Âncora em maio de 2015.

[1] NVI.
[2] Mateus 6:19–20; Lucas 16:13; 12:15; 3:11; Mateus 5:42; 6:33; NVI.
[3] 1 João 2:15–17, NVI.
[4] Tiago 5:2–3, NVI.
[5] Publicado originalmente em novembro de 2004, adaptado.
[6] NVI.
[7] Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Thomas Nelson, 2009).
[8] NVI.
[9] Sarah Young, Dear Jesus (Thomas Nelson, 2007).

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Jeremy Begbie: Theology through the arts

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