Freedom Isn't Free

This memorial day, I thought I would post briefly about our servicemen and women who have served their country for the sake of freedom and in defense of peace. Today we honor them for their service, their sacrifice, and their courage. It has been my opinion that sometimes in order to make peace, we must defend the weak and seek justice for the defenseless. And so I say this in honor of all who have served, in the words of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: Blessed are the peacemakers.

It is well to note also that freedom from sin and death also is not free. It required the sacrifice of the one who is blameless to pay the price for our shortfalls. And because of His sacrifice, today we not only enjoy physical and political freedom, but spiritual freedom as well. So this memorial day, in addition to remembering those who have sacrificed of themselves for our freedom from tyranny and oppression, remember the one who sacrificed Himself for our freedom from sin and death.

DH out.

God is Not About Hate

Recently I learned from Philip DeFranco (a YouTube personality) that the Westboro Baptist Church will be picketing in Joplin Missouri, where a destructive tornado ripped the town of Joplin in half and killed a lot of people. The WBC claims that the tornado was God's Judgment on Joplin for accepting homosexuality within their community... Really? This is what people are reduced to now? Is this the new public face of Christianity? Because I can find several reasons why the Westboro Baptist Church is not a truly Christian organization.

First and foremost, the message of Christ is one of love. God loves us, (John 3:16) and we should love God and love other people like we love ourselves. The fact that the message of the WBC is one of hate for homosexuals and people that they disagree with clearly separates them from this message of love which is fundamental to Christian theology.

Second, the message of the Gospel is not "you are going to hell." This cannot be stressed enough. People have over-emphasized hellfire and brimstone in their theology for centuries. But when one takes a closer look at scripture, one sees very clearly that the message is not that we are going to hell, but rather that we do not have to. Yes, in the end there will be those who reject God, and ultimately God honors their decision and separates Himself from them. But scripture is clear: God wants all of us to be with Him in the end. It is simply up to us to choose Him.

Third, Jesus himself spent time with the outcasts of society: tax collectors, prostitutes and "sinners," lepers etc. I would not be surprised in the least to learn that there was a homosexual or two (or more) who spent time with Jesus (though admittedly that is speculative and not clearly recorded in scripture.) The message that the Westboro Baptist Church plasters all over their signs, the one about God and whom He allegedly "hates," could not be further from the truth. God does NOT hate homosexuals. To the contrary! God loves all of His children regardless of their sexual orientation.

The WBC is confusing "sin" with people who sin. God hates sin in all its forms. And we, all of us, are people who sin. None is above reproach. We have all done things that we wouldn't be proud of. And, news flash for the WBC, sexual sin does not rank higher than any other sin. But the good news is that we are not beyond hope! The Gospel message is clear: God came to Earth in the man Jesus and sacrificed himself to save us from the punishment that our sin requires: death. That is love beyond love. And it is free to all who believe; including Homosexuals. And that is missed entirely by the WBC.

So what is the WBC on about? Why are they so riled up? The simple answer is that they are taking passages from the old testament that speak about sexual sin, combining them with apocalyptic texts from the books of Daniel and Revelation, and twisting them around to create a cocktail of hate and judgment. It is true that in the Bible there are harsh words about sexual sin, and homosexual behavior (men sleeping with men and women with women) is mentioned therein. However, homosexual fornication clearly bears no greater weight than say, oh, false teaching or judging others does. These are also spoken about in harsh terms in both the Old and New Testaments.

People would do well to remember that anyone who warns others of God's Wrath is missing the point of the Gospel message. Jesus' message was one of love and hope. We have hope for the future because of God's love for us all. And while God is a God of justice, He is also a God of mercy and grace. And that is why the Westboro Baptist Church does not speak for God or for Christianity in spite of their claims to the contrary.

DH out.

Escatology and the Problems with Prediction

In light of all of this Harold Camping end of the world nonsense, I thought it relevant to speak my mind regarding escatology (the study of the end times) and the dangers of making predictions. First and foremost it is impossible to know the mind of God in its entirety. We understand bits and pieces through our understanding of scripture, but even then, not all of us get it right most of the time, and none of us get it completely right all the time.

So how, then, can we accurately predict exactly when, how, and what will transpire at the end of the world? The short answer: we can't. We can, however, get a rough idea based on the prophetic portions of scripture. We know that a day of judgment is on its way. Some say any day now, others say a bad guy has to rule the world for a few years first. All of that is speculative and highly subjective to the individual's interpretation of scripture. 

We also know that in some way, a better world will come from this "Day of the Lord" as it is referred to in the Bible. Some subscribe to the idea that the entire universe, all of creation, will be destroyed to make way for a new creation. Others say that the current creation will be brought back to a "like new" condition, otherwise called a "redeemed earth" escatology. Either way, we know the new digs will be way better than the old.

Now the concept of a "rapture" which is what Camping predicted for May 21 2011, (which obviously did not happen) whereby all those whom God will save are beamed up to heaven for eternity, in and of itself is controversial within the Christian faith regardless of Camping's date for it. Some say it will happen but disagree on whether a "tribulation" has to happen first, others subscribe to the idea that scripture itself does not describe a literal rapture at all, and that when the day of judgment comes, it will be held here on earth rather than on some celestial plain, or that we will all be physically dead on the day of Judgment. Once again these interpretations are highly speculative and dependant entirely upon one's interpretation of scripture.

So what can we expect, and when can we expect it? The Bible's prophetic words speak of destruction, desolation, famine, pestilence, war, natural disasters, economic turmoil, and a general popularity rating of 0 for God's people.  (Some say both Jews and Christians, others say just the Jews, still others say just the Christians.) Now, some believe that the Bible is speaking apocalyptically about things that have already come to pass, either in the 1st century Rome (believed to be the "new Babylon" spoken about in Revelation) or in more recent history. (the black death, 2 world wars, the holocaust, earthquakes and floods, volcanic activity, the great depression, the great recession, 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, etc., etc., etc.) Still others believe that the worst is yet to come. Either way, the world has seen a lot of hard times already, (see list above) and our future as a society does look grim here in the united states with an ever increasing debt and huge deficits, bankrupted entitlement programs, millions out of work and even more overworked and underpaid. But I'm getting off topic...

So why is it dangerous to make hard and fast predictions about what will come to pass? The first danger is that in making a prediction often people dismiss you, and the faith with which you associate yourself, outright as malarkey, insanity, and idiocy. And if any predictions are made for an upcoming date, as was done by the now debunked Harold Camping, their initial dismissal of you and your beliefs are proved to be correct and the mocking comes to a head as was the case with poor Mr. Camping.

Secondly, there is a distinct problem of arrogance about making predictions based on scripture. Once one claims to be "enlightened" in their exegetical formula to the point that they are seeing things in scripture, like dates and times, that no one else ever saw or even agrees with now, then we have a problem. That person basically claims they know more than all the scholars in biblical eschatological history combined. Somehow they are better than everyone else at reading and understanding the Bible. And THAT is arrogance and pride at an enormous level.

So what do I think will happen? I think it it important for us as Christians to remember 3 fundamental truths: Christ will return again, his victory will be complete, and we will spend eternity with Him. When it happens and how we get there are, at this point in history, immaterial. And as I do not presume to have all the answers, I do not espouse any one side of escatology over the other. And I think I like it that way.

So what does that mean we should do?

The bible is very clear: keep your lamps trimmed and burning. That is to say, be spiritually ready for Christ to return any moment, but live your life as though you will live on earth for a hundred years. This is sage advice, as when death takes us unexpectedly, we will be prepared to meet our Lord.

DH out.

About blogging...

This medium of information sharing known as the internet is strange, and very much so. Here, unchecked and unabashed, people may air their opinions and views regarding any subject that enters into their brain-box. Sadly, and more often than not, these opinions go unnoticed and fade into oblivion without significance.  Why should anyone else out there care about the opinion of someone they don't even know? How do we gauge the validity of an opinion and weigh it against the opinions of those we know? An opinion carries validity when it is poignant, relevant, educated, intelligent and ethical. These are the standards by which I attempt to formulate my own opinions and perspectives. As a Christian my opinions are often weighed against the ethics and moral standards of scripture. As an academic my opinions are weighed against the opinions of my peers and of other learned folk. These factors are what make my opinions worth a look at the very least. The fact that my opinions are fluid and dynamic alone are reason enough to engage me in dialogue when an opinion of mine strikes you as problematic.

All that to say, I am going to try to update this blog more often, and I hope you, my readers, will engage my opinions with your own in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter. (@davidsheise)

Thank you, my readers, for taking the time to read my opinions. Stay tuned!

DH out.

An open letter to all “True Believers:” A message of caution, hope, and love.

The following is a message that God has been laying upon my heart to share with all those who were taken up by Harold Camping’s prophecy of Judgment Day on May 21 2011. Now that this date has been proven beyond a doubt to NOT be Judgment Day, and now that many of you have become disillusioned to Mr. Camping’s teachings after sacrificing much of your time, money and effort in support of this fallacy, I wanted to bring you the following message of caution, hope and love. First and foremost, remember that no matter what, God loves you. His promises are steadfast and true, regardless of what anyone says. The Bible is clear about God’s love for us:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 3:16-17 (KJV)

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)

This verse in 2 Peter is key. God wills that none should perish, but that all should be brought to salvation by His Grace through faith in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-10) I caution you: do not be caught up in the next prophecy of Harold Camping. Rather than await Judgment in October, spiritually prepare yourselves DAILY for Christ’s return. For October 21 has just as much likelihood of being the day of Christ’s return as tomorrow, or a thousand years from now. Here is the evidence:

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

2 Peter 3:10 (KJV)

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Matt 24:36-42 (KJV)

Therefore, do not quit your jobs, or sit at home and wait for Jesus to come back. Do not sell your homes and possessions to donate the proceeds to Family Radio or to further Harold Camping’s message. But rather live your life; Live life for Christ and His Kingdom daily. In this way you will be prepared for Judgment Day no matter when it occurs, and you will be a living testament to the Gospel of Jesus Christ to non-believers all around you.

The fruit of Harold Camping’s false prophecy has been revealed. And believe me it in and of itself is a sign of the end times. Christ had this to say of what will come to pass before the day of the Lord:

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Matt 24:11-12 (KJV)

Harold Camping's message has done harm to many. Not only have your gifts of love been made waste, but our faith has come under scrutiny and ridicule from non-believers as a direct result of Camping's prediction being proved false. "The love of many" has waxed cold indeed. I have wept bitter tears over this fact alone. But we have no reason to fear Mr. Camping. The Bible tells us so:

“And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

Deut 18:21-22 (KJV)

Harold Camping has failed not once, but twice, to speak the truth regarding God’s word and has thus revealed himself to be a false prophet as defined by the Bible. I pray, do not be deceived by him again, but live in love and hope through faith in your Lord Jesus Christ and the word of God alone.

This is my prayer and hope for you all: That the peace of our Lord which surpasses all human understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. This I pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.