What's Sure About Prophecy?

We just completed the 12 weeks of Bible Study here at Avon Park Holiness Camp in FL. I have taught this winter on the theme, "A More Sure Word of Prophecy." This is taken from the words of Simon Peter when he wrote, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed" (2 Peter 1:19).

Why did he say that the word of the Biblical prophets was at that time more certain? Truly, it must have been because as he and the other disciples had been with Jesus and had seen the Old Testament prophecies about Him be literally and completely fulfilled, they were more certain than ever that the prophecies given in the Bible were true. And as they saw the prophecies about the first coming of Jesus take place with pin-point accuracy, they were all the more convinced that the prophecies concerning the end of the age and the return of Jesus had to be true as well.

Therefore, those who wrote the New Testament letters filled their writings with either direct teaching on end-times prophetic events or allusions to them. When we think of Bible prophecy, we find our minds turning first of all to the Old Testament books of Daniel, Ezekiel and the other books called the Major and Minor prophets. And some people seem to think that Revelation is the only prophetic book in the Bible. But the entire Bible is a prophetic book. Twenty-seven per-cent of all Bible verses contain some prophetic material. That convinces me that God wants us to know the future. The best way to discover these wonderful truths is to begin to read and study God's Word. As you do, you will arrive at the same conclusion of truth that Peter did. The word's of the prophets are becoming more and more certain.

Where's America?

One of the questions we often hear asked is, "Where is America in Bible Prophecy?" This is a difficult query to answer because we don't find any Bible material that is clearly a reference to the United States. So it appears that when we look to discover America's future, we can only find our answer in terms of general principles that relate to all the nations. Since its inception, the U.S. has been an exceptional nation and quickly rose to prominence as a world power. For many of us who have never been a part of any other kind of country, it is hard to face the reality that our nation is slipping from its position of prominence. The emphasis on globalism is beginning to bear fruit, and it is not the kind of sweet fruit we are used to. The current situation in Libya is a strong case in point. America is playing follow the leader. We are allowing the U.N. to call the shots. European countries like France are out in front asking us to come along for the ride. A few years ago, such a position would have been unthinkable. As we begin the ride down the slippery slope of yielding our leadership to other nations, we will become increasingly less significant as a power player on the world stage. And that is exactly what most of the world is anxiously awaiting. Unfortunately, we are likely in the near future to see ourselves relegated to just another one of the many nations that will be caught up in end-times events with no real understanding of how we fell from our lofty position. Yes, there is good reason to ask where America is both in terms of its standing in the world politic and in regards to its role in the end-times described in the Bible. It is getting harder and harder to see its role.

Triple Whammy

Wow, this thing in Japan just keeps getting bigger. As if a gigantic earthquake, followed by a massive tsunami wasn't enough, now we have at least four nuclear reactors in trouble with moderate amounts of radition already threatening residents. I'd call that a Triple Whammy! What does the Bible say about such things. WhileJesus specifically mentioned that we would see an increase in earthquakes as we approach the end of the present age (Matthew 24:7-8), He also gave us a key principle to help us understand Bible prophecy. In verse 8, He said of the increasing numbers of natural disasters, "All these are the beginning of birth pains." Any woman who has delivered a child, and every husband who has stood by feeling helpless, knows what that means. As the birth of the child gets nearer, the pains become more frequent and increase greatly in intensity. That's what we are seeing in our world today. What Jesus called the "Signs of the Times" are happening much more often and with much greater force. What we have seen in Haiti, Chile, and now Japan will not be unique happenings. You can expect to see many more such events in the near future.

Just Beginning

Here I am, feeling totally like out in left field. I was never very good in softball so they usually put me in left field hoping that I would not have much action to mess up. But blogging seems the way to go these day so here we go. I have been publishing an e-newsletter for the past few years, but it is always a chore to get it done. Hopefully, by doing a little bit far oftener, we can be much more effective in our communication. For those of you who don't know me I have been a pastor most of my life with some other kinds of ministry thrown in for excitement--missionary, church planting, evangelist, writer, etc.

In these last few years my studies have taken a definite turn towards Bible Prophecy. My writing and teaching have followed suit. So that is mostly what you will find here. You won't know what I had for breakfast or my daily schedule. There are much more important things in the world that I hope to share if I can figure out how to get this blog in gear. Blessings till next time.