.

On another page we've touched on distractions, hindrances and things that would beset and get us off guard in our walk with Jesus.  Now I think we should look at red herrings and things like strawman erecting, schemed in order to get our eyes off the Lord and onto issues of no or little importance, while made out to be real and paramount, instead of having the mind of Christ.

Take f'instance a strawman.  This is something invented out of thin air and made to look real when it is actually a cover for a weak argument that would never stand by itself.  The weak argument could be if you, as a Bible believer, do not condemn eating meat or wearing fur you are therefore now branded (or labelled or accused) of being an "animal abuser" by those who think they can change the world without changing mans heart first.  Thatz the strawman that only exists in the mind of those who think they have a point to prove.  In real life, outside of fantasy, it simply does not exist.  In your case, anyhow.  Not to forget ...  after the flood God himself sanctioned eating meat and pre flood sanctioned man wearing animal skin (that would be fur in modern terms).  Therefore, pleaze enjoy your cut of steak tonight wrapped in your wooly jumper!

Using other examples, I could mention a loving parent physically disciplining their child (sanctioned by God Almighty himself) being accused of using "violent behaviour" or in need of "anger management" (smacking your child in the smallest way is now a criminal offence in good'ole NZ).  Moreover, using this law change could now be an excuse to arrest innocent folk who could also be frowned upon as worse criminals than the dangerous ones running free with the blessing of Nanny State.  This includes those who have planned and spoken openly about blowing up innocent citizens in our country; while the nation is beng carefully indoctrinated to accept such ratbag behaviour.  Who says the (controlled) media isn't using a slow conditioning effect of guilt tactics and 'pointing the finger' (dobbing in fellow mates)?  Being a Bible believer is now a danger to this obvious Christ rejecting world!  Moreso than those who brutally abuse beautiful, wee helpless, innocent children.

Well, the Bible says things are gonna get worse and worse, doesn't it?  Therefore, if you agree with the Bible and say homosexuality is not a natural affection you are accused of hate mongering.  Strawman ... a "gay basher" this time!  Moreover, if you say Jews are on equal terms with Gentiles as far a salvation goes and can only enter the kingdom through Jesus their true Messiah, you could be branded "anti-Semite"!  Meaning, you're just as bigger a scum bag as Nazis or "white supremacist" thugs, irrespective of whether you are against violence and anti lawlessness!

Moreover, if you are honest and biblical enough to state Jesus is the (only) way, you will be accused (even arrested) of being a "social misfit" or "culturally insensitive", and need to go through an intensive adjustment programme, learning to prove you are a good complaint citizen of the local or international community.

And on it goes!  Get the gist?  All men's excuses and alibis he assembles in order to side-step the cross and fabricate his own remedy!

Then there is the other very effective tactic of manufacturing red herrings and using them to throw many a saint off balance, by diverting and engaging him in fruitless, endless, and destructive debates.  A red herring being a truth, or blatant error, being pumped-up to look much more important than what it is or isn't, to draw attention away from the real issue.  The real issue in the Bible believers walk in making the cross central to our faith, the Bible our final authority in everything, and living outside the Spirit of God a futile and wasted exercise.

One of the biggest red herrings in Christian circles (and this is very sad and a major catastrophe) is the subject of which camp you happen to belong in regards to the end times.  Voilà ...  the running controversy over the timing of the Lord's return!  Plus the side issues that are tagged onto this, breaking up God's one camp out in the wilderness, to many fragments, and reflecting to the world a fragmented and divided people who claim to have found God, but have lost their way.  Contrary to this very important statement made by Jesus of Nazareth ...  "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Actually, there should not be any controversy with this subject at all; nor irate issues.  Evidence in this is even the thought of why something futuristic (that has never occurred and where no one can be 100% sure, if you really want to be honest) should divide us the way it has.  Who is qualified to make 100% accurate predictions in regards to Jesus' return anyway?  Even to the point of all out hostility, breaking fellowship, spitting the dummy, and worst of all ...  being a lousy witness to the world, as well as letting God down no end!  Can you think of a better way to discredit the gospel and dishonour the Lord, outside of blatant sin and fully fledged heresy?  I can't!

Some say the Lord is coming before the great tribulation (labelled - "pre-tribber").  Others say after the trib (labelled - "post tribber") but before the Millennium (thatz the 1,0000 year reign of King Jesus on earth, ruling it with an iron rod from restored Jerusalem).  While others say that after the trib there will be a new heaven and earth without a Millennium (thatz the "amil" camp).  Not to forget those who say the Lord's return will not occur before the trib but during (half way through) the seven year reign of antichrist ("mid trib" if you like)'.  Or that he is coming after the trib but "pre wrath" (another label - phew!!), etc. etc.

Also, some see these future events interpreted as symbols only, being used only to have a practical and literal application.  On the other hand, others teach them as pure figurative with only mystical meaning.  As you could imagine ...  this causes a real stink!  And on it goes!

There are reasons for all this of course (remember, they don't stone wayward prophets to death anymore).  F'instance, through the ugly word called 'pride' there is a underhanded mindset where some folk love to be right, or prove themselves right all the time.  Or subconsciously, somewhere, they think they are spiritually advanced over others or are supernaturally capable of predicting the future (or whatever term you prefer to use).  This may mean they can be associated with, or even titled a "watchman", or "prophet", or "prophetess", or a "minister of discernment", or someone special in the last days, even though they may never admit this themselves.  Furthermore, there is stern warnings given in scripture (Deut. 10:18,14) to those who think they are "observers of times"!  Better to be a nobody really!

For those who think they are called with a special call of rebuking, correction or discernment, or title; please let me know by emailing your request here beyondcamp@clear.net.nz and I will send you a name tag to printout and pin on your chest or lapel, to show people how important and really spiritual you are (why risk being overlooked).  Please let me know if you prefer "ENDTIME PROPHET" or "WATCHMAN FOR THIS DAY AND AGE" or "THE APOSTLE OF THE MOST HIGH" or "IMPORTANT VAPOUR" (or whatever soundz better) and I can tailor-make it and customize it to suit your ego and piety (please don't order "PASTOR" or "REVEREND" as I am well out of stock at present and can never keep up with the demand).  Warning, it is a sign of being overly super-spiritual if you wear more than one name tag at once.
.

......."Imprtant Vapour"

.............Your very own badge (FREE)
...............-Valid in all denominations-
.
Everyone wants to be an "authority" in some way, but never a 'servant' in the truest sense, when it comes down to the tintacks of our faith, don't they?  Oh, if we could only heed the simple and clear words of Jesus to his (Jewish) disciples when they thought the signs were there and said, "wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel (his 1,000 year reign)?"  Jesus' reply (and is this not his reply to us if you don't happen to break 'the church age' up into segments of time, as some do?):

"It is not for you (dispensationalists are excluded for some reason) to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."

In the Father's power it was HIS WILL for NO ONE (get that, NO ONE! - whose excluded?) to know when Jesus would return, but just to be comforted with the fact it was going to happen sometime, and that in the meantime it was business as usual (there was a very important job to do after all - aka, getting the gospel out!).  If they did know, they would be a "spiritual" 'cut above' everyone else after all (even above the man Jesus of Nazareth, who, as a man, was resigned to the fact he never knew the time of his return).  Moreover, we would not need the Holy Ghost either, would we, if we had revelation all sown up?  Who is our teacher anyway?

Herez that reminder again from the gospels, and this is what we are told to do:

"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is."

Capping it off, Jesus went onto say, after his disciples where asking him about the time of restoring the kingdom (as we just read previously), "it is not for them to know"!  On the other hand, herez WHAT IT WAS for them to know (that includes all servants and nobodies) as well as experience:

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Looks like we are ALL called to be witnesses first (or at least after the call servant). This is the principle thing, right at the commencement of Acts, and is nothing to do with wrangling or fighting over dates or future events that has not happened up to this point in time.  Whatz the most important thing to do?  The New Testament answer:  Bring Jesus to the world as one faithful body and frail earthen vessel, in his power and might!  Or (alternatively and ineffectively), come as a divided front fighting over this same Jesus in regards to his timing and entry back to this world ...  and the gospel will be discredited to no end!

Trying to convince another group or individual that you are right and they are wrong simply will not work.  Allowing the Lord to reveal himself to the other party prayerfully, with brotherly love, will have a much greater impact and effect!  2 Peter 1:7 says (paraphrased) about allowing 'godliness' to produce 'brotherly kindness'; that 'brotherly kindness' will result in 'charity'.  Thatz nothing to do with supporting a mission or slipping a donation onto the plate by the way, but placing others before yourself, to the point of being prepared to die for them.

Her'riz another from 1 Peter 1:22  ...  "unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently"!  This is allowing the Holy Ghost to do his work, and not us getting in his way or taking over his job.  The opposite to devouring one another, because you would not capitulate to someone's "biblical" doctrine or intellectual view point, just for their sake or to appease their "caring", "heart throbbing", "kind intention".

Some?  They prefer to remain on their high horse or mighty lofty plain, at the expense of true love and the unity of Jesus' precious body, we are to fearfully discern and to let shine as a city on a hill!

Hopefully, me?  I know what I believe ...  and it iz more to do with the past than the future!  The past iz always safer and more proven than the future, iz it not?  It is a proven 'track record' case, in other words!  A running principle right through scripture; to do with God always removing His righteous before proceeding with His wrath!  However, you are entitled to your opinion.  As long as you don't use mine to attack me in person and undermine my credibility!  Or cut me off because my convictions would not allow me to agree with you in this case!  After all, I am only saying ...  'confirmation' is far safer and prudent than 'speculation' (maybe 'presumption' is a better word used here)!

However, I am refraining from getting involved.  Whatz the point?  I seen no fruit; just friction, heated debated, sour 'falling outs', and destroyed relationships between good people.  My advise now (to both babies and the mature in the Lord) ...  stay out yourself!  If someone is out to distort and complicate the simple gospel or water down Christ's divinity or prove the Bible is unreliable, thatz a different scenario.  The word says the following things are inevitable ...  "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."  Therefore, these are the ones to mark and avoid.  Not your precious (even wayward) brother or sister, who can't always (for some reason) agree with you!

Patronizing, again?  Nope!  Just giving sound advise, if that iz all right?   Here it is ...  letz just preach Christ and Him crucified!  After all, he is coming back (this iz a divine decree and solid guarantee) and this is our blessed hope!  Just as he has promised!  Can we trust him this much, as always!  The important thing is to be always ready (for His appearance) and on the alert for such things as strawmen building and red herrings, and other distractions, like feeding religious trolls or naming dates.  Not to forget to mention ... unproved predictions and theories, no mater how plausible they appear or are justified!

Don't get bogged down, look up (thatz scriptural)!  The KISS principle always applies ...  Keep It Simple (dear) Saint!  Jesus is coming again!!

Maranatha!!