No conclusions yet (may not be possible), but this weekend i am pondering today’s religious Jews’ description of their still anticipated messiah, the Muslims’ description of their anticipated mahdi and Scripture’s description of antichrist…
Seem like the same guy.. ?
āTo the present day, the orders of service based on the Latin Mass praise Christ as āthe Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,ā (Jn 1:29), for in his Holy Supper Jesus gives us the blood to drink for āremission of sinsā (Mt 26:28). The blood that atoned for our sin now frees us completely from the stain of sin and releases us from its grip. Jesus does not just sprinkle our bodies with his blood, but with it he also sprinkles our hearts, our conscience. He takes away our sin and gives us his purity. We can therefore draw near to God the Father with a true heart in the full assurance of faith (Heb 10:19). We need not fear his wrath and condemnation of us for desecrating his holiness by our impurity.ā
The Lutherans are – IMV – to be commended for making certain their congregants never forget what gives them access to a Holy God. The unspeakable cost…. The efficacy of the sinless blood of the only begotten Son of God…
There is a danger of forgetting what has given the Believer his standing…
That said, i think that the Christian community as a whole is gun shy where watching for Christ’s return is concerned. Are we afraid to ponder N.T. signs prophesied? Afraid to get sucked into another “Late Great Planet…” frenzy? There are some major shifts in the world scene taking place now. I believe a case can be made for a focus on the complete canon as it has been left to us. ..
But…. maybe not… maybe the collection is just for an anointed few… maybe…. ?
I don’t know which “signs” are evidence of the approaching Second Coming.
I do confess that I spend little time thinking about it other than Paul’s clear statement that the Anti-Christ will come first.
There are few things I loathe more than weekly “prophecy updates” all of which now constitute false teaching.
For the time being, I would like to encourage all Christians to following the encouragement of the preacher of Hebrews who said: “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
In particular, “looking to Jesus.” Where do you see him?
The point i was considering is that we are entering a whole new world dynamic and it looks to be aggressively unfriendly to serious Christians… and to continue Jean’s line of thinking on to Second Peter the third chapter – particularly the question he asks in the eleventh verse…
The New Testament is full of soul strengthening food and can one deny that we are in increasingly perilous times? Then againn, my late husband asked the question if the Son of Man’s return might not come as men thought all was peaceful and safe…? dunno
Iāve said this too many times…but history seems to say we live in a golden age.
Changes come, then come again…I donāt see any biblical significance to it.
BUT… ?
When times are unsettled as they are so moving now, we really need to be centered in the Faith to keep our heads on straight …… or so it seems to me ?
Jean, it is the intensity…. I was a child in the 40s, growing up on the west coast with regular air raid drills and blackouts – war was to me normal. But there was a line between right and wrong. Adults made hard decisions and stayed (mostly) between the lines….
Now we are in an intense time, in a world where there is no hiding place and no absolutes… and very few people running the show who think like adults. The cunning politician and the devious schemer are not what i’d call reliable adults. They’ve always been among us, sometimes in power? Yes. But not with the world wide platform and the dominance we see today
In my view we are entering a time when we need Christian adults. Folks who’ve been through God’s training, as well as academics, knowing how to stand. Stand in humility and grace, but firm …. You know, the armor thing. ?
now in your Lutheran world you may see a stable bubble of sweet reason, but that is how the world as a whole looks from here, but, then i’m old…. ?
You asked, Jean
When did I ever say we live in a “stable bubble of sweet reason?” That’s a ridiculous claim. Anyone who knows my theology knows that for Lutherans faith in Christ is not reasonable.
But, and this isn’t to argue, but just to be honest and give my view, we probably wouldn’t agree on what a Christian adult is. What is a mature Christian? In my opinion he or she is one who acknowledges no merit or virtue before God, but has faith Jesus, who became man, who lived entirely in God’s will, and offered himself unto death as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.
The mature Christian loves his enemies; Jesus died for their sins as well. Thus, how can I hold their sins against them if Jesus atoned for them? Thus, Jesus commands us to love and pray for our enemies; that is intercede for them. That’s Christian maturity.
A mature Christian listens to God’s Word. He has an open ear. Thus, he upholds the law of God and trusts in the means of grace promised by Jesus. A mature Christian believes that Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets. Everything that God promised to Israel was given to Jesus, the faithful Israelite (the Son of David), and through Jesus to His Church.
A mature Christian seeks spiritual insight from the Holy Scriptures, not from pundits on cable news or talk radio.
Well, Jean, two mature Christians would agree on what a Christian adult is, i believe ?
The problem we’re dealing with at the present time is that there seem to be fewer and fewer mature, responsible people running things in the world – period
Am, every aspect of human existence has been horrible and filled hate – ever since Cain wiped out one quarter of the human population.
But when were things good in the 20th century? During the wars (WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam and fill in any others – the Cold War, the enslavement of millions in the Gulags? The extermination of Jews, the Jim Crow era?
What about the roaring 20s, Prohibition, the gangster world fought by Elliot Ness and the FBI.
No, never a good time and today is no worse. We just see and know more of what is going on with worldwide 24 HR news cycles.
This is the best of times and this is the worst of times.
sometimes known as “Am”
it isn’t a question of when were things good…. this world is Satan’s at present. Is the dispensing of news real and fake more permeating than it once was? Yes. That is not the point… Don’t buy into the mantra that it is no worse than it has always been.
What we call sophistication today is not more understanding, more wisdom. It is more rationalization. What is truth? Now we can answer that question. There’s your truth and my truth…. a world wide case of Sodom and Gomorrah? dunno
“we, the human race, are in an intense time, in a world where there is no hiding place and no absolutesā¦” and IMV Christians really need to mature in these times….
Jean’s thoughts on the subject are headed in the right direction:
“A mature Christian listens to Godās Word. He has an open ear. Thus, he upholds the law of God and trusts in the means of grace promised by Jesus. A mature Christian believes that Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets. Everything that God promised to Israel was given to Jesus, the faithful Israelite (the Son of David), and through Jesus to His Church.
A mature Christian seeks spiritual insight from the Holy Scriptures, not from pundits on cable news or talk radio.”
He focuses on the Faith for clear thinking and mental health in these very unhealthy times. He does not go off the deep end, selling his goods and heading to a mountain top to wait the Lord’s return. At least, not in my view….
It’s all yours today…
No conclusions yet (may not be possible), but this weekend i am pondering today’s religious Jews’ description of their still anticipated messiah, the Muslims’ description of their anticipated mahdi and Scripture’s description of antichrist…
Seem like the same guy.. ?
The Theology of Holy Communion (a Lutheran view):
āTo the present day, the orders of service based on the Latin Mass praise Christ as āthe Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,ā (Jn 1:29), for in his Holy Supper Jesus gives us the blood to drink for āremission of sinsā (Mt 26:28). The blood that atoned for our sin now frees us completely from the stain of sin and releases us from its grip. Jesus does not just sprinkle our bodies with his blood, but with it he also sprinkles our hearts, our conscience. He takes away our sin and gives us his purity. We can therefore draw near to God the Father with a true heart in the full assurance of faith (Heb 10:19). We need not fear his wrath and condemnation of us for desecrating his holiness by our impurity.ā
– John W. Kleinig
I’ve heard John Kleinig speak a few times. He was my friend’s PhD supervisor.
The Lutherans are – IMV – to be commended for making certain their congregants never forget what gives them access to a Holy God. The unspeakable cost…. The efficacy of the sinless blood of the only begotten Son of God…
There is a danger of forgetting what has given the Believer his standing…
That said, i think that the Christian community as a whole is gun shy where watching for Christ’s return is concerned. Are we afraid to ponder N.T. signs prophesied? Afraid to get sucked into another “Late Great Planet…” frenzy? There are some major shifts in the world scene taking place now. I believe a case can be made for a focus on the complete canon as it has been left to us. ..
But…. maybe not… maybe the collection is just for an anointed few… maybe…. ?
I don’t know which “signs” are evidence of the approaching Second Coming.
I do confess that I spend little time thinking about it other than Paul’s clear statement that the Anti-Christ will come first.
There are few things I loathe more than weekly “prophecy updates” all of which now constitute false teaching.
The next sign is to see Jesus appearing in the sky at his return.
God is not waiting for a tsunami in Japan or an earthquake in Nepal.
For the time being, I would like to encourage all Christians to following the encouragement of the preacher of Hebrews who said: “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
In particular, “looking to Jesus.” Where do you see him?
The point i was considering is that we are entering a whole new world dynamic and it looks to be aggressively unfriendly to serious Christians… and to continue Jean’s line of thinking on to Second Peter the third chapter – particularly the question he asks in the eleventh verse…
The New Testament is full of soul strengthening food and can one deny that we are in increasingly perilous times? Then againn, my late husband asked the question if the Son of Man’s return might not come as men thought all was peaceful and safe…? dunno
Iāve said this too many times…but history seems to say we live in a golden age.
Changes come, then come again…I donāt see any biblical significance to it.
BUT… ?
When times are unsettled as they are so moving now, we really need to be centered in the Faith to keep our heads on straight …… or so it seems to me ?
“When times are unsettled as they are so moving now”
I guess I would ask, give us a time period when the times were settled, so we can compare.
I hope I’m centered enough to get home before dark…that’s the best I can hope for.
Jean, it is the intensity…. I was a child in the 40s, growing up on the west coast with regular air raid drills and blackouts – war was to me normal. But there was a line between right and wrong. Adults made hard decisions and stayed (mostly) between the lines….
Now we are in an intense time, in a world where there is no hiding place and no absolutes… and very few people running the show who think like adults. The cunning politician and the devious schemer are not what i’d call reliable adults. They’ve always been among us, sometimes in power? Yes. But not with the world wide platform and the dominance we see today
In my view we are entering a time when we need Christian adults. Folks who’ve been through God’s training, as well as academics, knowing how to stand. Stand in humility and grace, but firm …. You know, the armor thing. ?
now in your Lutheran world you may see a stable bubble of sweet reason, but that is how the world as a whole looks from here, but, then i’m old…. ?
You asked, Jean
When did I ever say we live in a “stable bubble of sweet reason?” That’s a ridiculous claim. Anyone who knows my theology knows that for Lutherans faith in Christ is not reasonable.
But, and this isn’t to argue, but just to be honest and give my view, we probably wouldn’t agree on what a Christian adult is. What is a mature Christian? In my opinion he or she is one who acknowledges no merit or virtue before God, but has faith Jesus, who became man, who lived entirely in God’s will, and offered himself unto death as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.
The mature Christian loves his enemies; Jesus died for their sins as well. Thus, how can I hold their sins against them if Jesus atoned for them? Thus, Jesus commands us to love and pray for our enemies; that is intercede for them. That’s Christian maturity.
A mature Christian listens to God’s Word. He has an open ear. Thus, he upholds the law of God and trusts in the means of grace promised by Jesus. A mature Christian believes that Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets. Everything that God promised to Israel was given to Jesus, the faithful Israelite (the Son of David), and through Jesus to His Church.
A mature Christian seeks spiritual insight from the Holy Scriptures, not from pundits on cable news or talk radio.
How do others define a mature Christian?
Well, Jean, two mature Christians would agree on what a Christian adult is, i believe ?
The problem we’re dealing with at the present time is that there seem to be fewer and fewer mature, responsible people running things in the world – period
Am, every aspect of human existence has been horrible and filled hate – ever since Cain wiped out one quarter of the human population.
But when were things good in the 20th century? During the wars (WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam and fill in any others – the Cold War, the enslavement of millions in the Gulags? The extermination of Jews, the Jim Crow era?
What about the roaring 20s, Prohibition, the gangster world fought by Elliot Ness and the FBI.
No, never a good time and today is no worse. We just see and know more of what is going on with worldwide 24 HR news cycles.
This is the best of times and this is the worst of times.
sometimes known as “Am”
it isn’t a question of when were things good…. this world is Satan’s at present. Is the dispensing of news real and fake more permeating than it once was? Yes. That is not the point… Don’t buy into the mantra that it is no worse than it has always been.
What we call sophistication today is not more understanding, more wisdom. It is more rationalization. What is truth? Now we can answer that question. There’s your truth and my truth…. a world wide case of Sodom and Gomorrah? dunno
“we, the human race, are in an intense time, in a world where there is no hiding place and no absolutesā¦” and IMV Christians really need to mature in these times….
Jean’s thoughts on the subject are headed in the right direction:
“A mature Christian listens to Godās Word. He has an open ear. Thus, he upholds the law of God and trusts in the means of grace promised by Jesus. A mature Christian believes that Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets. Everything that God promised to Israel was given to Jesus, the faithful Israelite (the Son of David), and through Jesus to His Church.
A mature Christian seeks spiritual insight from the Holy Scriptures, not from pundits on cable news or talk radio.”
He focuses on the Faith for clear thinking and mental health in these very unhealthy times. He does not go off the deep end, selling his goods and heading to a mountain top to wait the Lord’s return. At least, not in my view….