Brian and Cathy Gray Commentary, Rants from the Fig Tree, Red Pill Diaries

Truth or Trump II?

I wrote Truth or Trump? back in 2019. I still have never met the man. But I’m pretty sure I had him pegged back then when nearly 60% of Evangelicals thought he was the next best thing to sliced bread.

Back then he was a modern-day Cirrus. This time he is Jehu. Paula White-Cain is the Senior Advisor of the White House Faith Office esteemed him a bit more. Am I the only one who sees irony in the name Cain? In addition to being a false NAR teacher, Paula White is best known for her 2010 romantic entanglement with televangelist Benny Hinn. Mind you Paula White was a head Pastor at the time and never stepped down or even repented when she was caught. See my previous post regarding the Biblical standards for leaders if you are confused regarding why this is problematic. Paula White recently compared Trump with Jesus Christ.

That seems ironic because in his own words Trump “doesn’t think anything is going to get (him) into heaven.” In response to Erika Kirk’s stated forgiveness, of her husband’s assassin, he said he hates his enemies. In 2015 he said he never asked God for forgiveness.

I had just attended Easter service 2026 as the President posted this.

Meanwhile we have what appears to be Stiffler 2.0 from the movie American Pie running the Department of War.

Pete Hegseth has been rallying our troops to Holy War to facilitate Armageddon and the return of Jesus. Hegseth oversaw a failed attempt at recovering Iranian nuclear material framed as the rescue of an F-15 weapons officer whom no one has seen. Until now.

Is she a swinger, an Uber driver, a door dash grandma or a fighter pilot?

The narrative was conveniently framed with the pilot in a cave from Passover until she was resurrected, I mean rescued on Easter. Never mind that the pilot was a male weapons officer at the time.

Dan Bongino recently lambasted readers for being biblically illiterate, claiming that the United States is represented by the Eagle’s wings in Daniel. According to  Bongino these are the same eagle’s wings in Revelation 12 that will carry Israel into the wilderness to be preserved during the Great Tribulation.

For the record, the Eagles Wings on the Lion in Daniel 7 were plucked off. The imagery is most likely in reference to Nebuchadnezzar and the Neo-Babylonian Empire (605–539 BC). God did rescue Israel from Egypt with metaphoracal eagle’s wings in Exodus which is a type and shadow for the end times.

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle’s wings and brought you unto Myself. Exodus 19:5

While I was for Trump over Biden in 2019 and in 2024 because Putin said he would Nuke the US if Kamala were elected, when I wrote Truth or Trump in 2019 I hoped that people would address their own faulty logic, poor exegesis, and thinking errors regarding their imposition of their worldly hopes on scripture. At best Trump was and is just a man. While that appears to have taken place to a degree, an entire stream of professing Christians is increasingly given over to strong delusion.

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Delusion is plánē straying from orthodoxy or piety:–deceit, to deceive, delusion, error. It is the same word Jesus uses for deceive in the Olivet discourse in Mathew 24-25.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mathew 24:3-4

Plánē to cause to roam from safety, truth, or virtue -go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander.

Strongs Concordance- #4105

Plánē in real time looks Texas Republican Representative Troy Nehls.

‘I think Donald Trump is almost the second coming of Jesus Christ, in my humble opinion’

Rep. Troy Nehls

As I listen to political, pseudo-Christian voices that claim to do God’s bidding in the name of the USA, I also watch biblical truth seekers increasingly marginalized, accused of gossip, division, and heresy hunting. I hear the prophetic words of Jesus echoing in my mind.

…“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death…

Mathew 10:16-21

While people are increasingly corralled by internet algorithms into binary, “left versus right stalls”, it occurs to me that Christian nationalists and the Laodocian church who scoff at those of us who view them and ourselves through the lens and mirror of scripture today, may be the very people who deliver us up to death tomorrow.

Laodocians will inevitably recoil at my assertion. They are prosperous, and more than anything else, they want to remain that way.  So they impose their heart’s desires upon scripture and conform it according to what they want. Hence Donald Trump a blatant narcissist and possible psychopath becomes Cyrus, or Jehu, and now Jesus.

“But God removes kings and sets up kings“, you say. This is a valid argument provided you apply it to Joe Biden as well. The problem we have today is that people view the leader they like as good because God is on their side.

“God bless America! America is Good!”

But what does scripture say?

“No one is righteous.” Isaiah 64, and Romans 3. Apart from Christ and citizenship in His kingdom all are “dead in their trespasses.” Ephesians 2. Apart from Christ there are no good guys. There are just two categories: in Christ Jesus and not. 1 Corinthians 5. If you are in Christ Jesus you are reconciled to God and a new creation. You now have the ministry of reconciliation. That is reconciliation between man and God. You are called to plant and water. 1 Corinthians 3. That means, share the Gospel and pray that God gives the increase. In the meantime, there is no righteous country, economic system, political party, or side in a campaign of organized murder otherwise known as war. Iran, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, North Korea, and yes the United States are dead in their sins. Their only hope is Romans 12:1-2 surrender, the fruit of which looks like very concrete obedience to Mathew 5-7. In the meantime, God is populating and building His eternal kingdom one life at a time.

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 

Acts 10:34-35

When I watch Donald Trump I do not see Cyrus, or Jehu let alone Jesus or lol, a Doctor… Even Trump knew he’d gone too far. I don’t even see a Christian. I see a man surrounded by self-serving heretics whose “god is their belly”, people enamored by narcissists who pander to power for their own benefit. I pray for the salvation of Donald Trump. I pray for the salvation of Benjamin Netanyahu, the IRGC, and the Hutis and every other warped, self-righteous demagogue on the planet. That said, as of today, the only potential typological representation of a Biblical character that I see in Trump is Herod.

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

Acts 12:20-23

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

False Equivalency

Stephen and Charlie Kirk

One of our goals in studying Acts is to understand and compare the very first church to the church today. Are we the church in Philadelphia, or Laodicea? Rev 3:7-13, Rev 3:14-22 Philadelphia is the true church. Laodicea is the worldly church. False equivalency is one path into worldliness that produces a Laodicean church.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 

Revelation 3:15-18

A False Equivalency is a logical fallacy where two things are inaccurately framed as being the same based on shared characteristics while ignoring major differences. The easiest example is saying apples and oranges are the same because they are both fruit. False equivalency is a popular tool that politicians and the media employ to manipulate public opinion.

As Acts 6 opens, we see the newly formed New Testament church growing rapidly. The Apostles realized they could not meet all the material needs of the people and also be devoted to prayer and preaching the gospel. So they appointed Stephen and six other men to fulfill the role of what would later be called deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

Deacon – diákonos One who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister. The servant of a king. One who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use. A waiter, one who serves food and drink.

– Strongs Concordance-

Stephen was full of grace and power, doing great wonders and signs among the people. He was both anointed and brilliant. Surely anyone with the same ability to articulate truth so accurately and concisely today would have a celebrity platform and a large following.

Yet Stephen was chosen to wait tables.

“The Freedmen” (Libertines KJV) who contended with Stephen were former slaves from various regions of North Africa, Egypt, and Asia. They could not coherently rebut Stephen’s exegetical declarations. So they lied and devised a plan to turn public opinion against him. They accused him of blasphemy against Moses and God.

But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

Acts 6:10-14

Falsehood can never refute truth. It can only seek to silence the vessel through which it comes. Most recently, we’ve seen this in character assassination, cancel culture, riots, and, literal assassination. Are the human vessels through whom truth comes ever perfect themselves? Certainly not! That doesn’t make the truth they proclaim any less true. Paul clarified this in Romans. It remains true for all of us today.

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar…

Romans 3:3-4

Simply put, if I proclaim Jesus is Lord of all creation one day and murder my neighbor the next, Jesus is still Lord. A common false equivalency embraced by unbelievers today would be to reject Jesus because one who had proclaimed Jesus then committed murder. Christians are prone to the same error, e.g., a transsexual committed a mass shooting in Tennessee, therefore all transsexuals are mass murderers. In both cases, the implied, albeit unconscious, false equivalency is that eliminating Christians and transsexuals will eliminate murder.

Many outside conservative Christian circles are critical of Charlie Kirk’s politics and economic philosophy. The false equivalency begins with their equating his political views with his character. I never met the man. And while I may disagree with his unbiblical view of history, he was, as far as I know, a man of integrity.  I can hear the patriot rebuttal as I write. Whoa Brian! What do you mean by “unbiblical view of history”?!

Thanks for asking.

Like many politically conservative Christians, Charlie Kirk believed that America is a Christian nation because its founders were Christian and founded on Biblical principles. This is in itself a false equivalency. For example, Thomas Jefferson, who stated that our form of government is only fit for a moral and religious people, also used a razor blade to cut out every reference to the supernatural from his Bible. Benjamin Franklin was a Deist. The entire architecture and landscape of Washington DC is rooted in Freemasonry. While the Biblical principles injected into our Constitution and Juris Prudence remain true, it does not make the USA righteous or Christian any more than the Freemason architecture in Washington DC makes America Freemason.

The history of every nation is always a story of conflict between so-called good and evil according to human standards gleaned from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Genesis 3  When the gunfire ceases and the smoke of battle clears, the winner is declared righteous. History is subsequently written and taught to a respective nation’s populace from the perspective of the winner. 

Paul addresses the biblical example of this false equivalency in his dissertation regarding the moral state of mankind. He addresses the Jews who believed they were righteous by birth. Romans 1-3 lays the foundation for the case that apart from Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles are exactly the same.

What then? Are we Jews any better off?  No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 3:9-18

Charlie Kirk used scripture to support his political activism. The scripture he shared remains true as ever. But scripture can not sanctify politics any more than it can sanctify sin. Scripture counters sin by replacing the lie with truth.

Choose your preferred media narratives surrounding the death of Charlie Kirk.  At the end of the day, we can not, and probably will never be certain why and who killed him. What we do know is that, like the Jews who killed Stephen, Kirk’s killers could not refute his assertions and concluded the only right choice was to kill him. Whether they were transgender leftists or Israeli Mossad or representatives of an unnamed agenda matters little. They were and are of their father. 

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:59

The underlying dynamic of the fear of truth remains the same. Truth is truth. Truth is only affirmed and supported by questioning.

Jesus contrasted how truth and those of the truth manifest themselves with those of the father of lies. There is no deviation. It doesn’t matter what church you attend or don’t attend. It doesn’t matter what side of the political aisle you prefer. If murder and mayhem are your solution, then you are of the devil.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

John 10:7-18

As Christians, we are to proclaim and seek to live according to the gospel and the example Jesus set. That example may include our death. It does not include taking the lives of others. We can only do this by abiding in Jesus.

Stephen is a model of that abiding.

No one seems to know anything about Stephen before Acts 6. That doesn’t matter much because the grace and power with which he was filled came from the same Holy Spirit that filled Peter and all those in the upper room in Acts 2. The same applies to us today. Our scarlet sins are now white as snow. All that matters now is Christ in me, the hope of glory. Col 1:24-29 There is a fine, but very important line between the message of Stephen and that of Charlie Kirk.

Once again, Charlie Kirk debated moral and political issues based on a Christian worldview as defined and supported by scripture. This apologetic approach is only valid in the context of an audience that shares the same worldview underpinned by the same presuppositions regarding moral truth. Kirk argued with those who shared a different worldview and definition of right and wrong. It is pointless to argue against issues like abortion or gay marriage with those who dispute the existence of objective moral law. Apart from God, right and wrong are completely subjective. The definition and value of life are subjective. The definition of a man and a woman is subjective. We must understand that all worldviews are rooted in one or more empirically unprovable presuppositions otherwise known as faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1 Believers understand that faith in the cross of Jesus is the source of our understanding and power. Meanwhile, unbelievers regard this as foolishness. 1 Cor 1:18

If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

Proverbs 29:9

In Acts chapter 7 Stephen is brought before the High Priest to answer the charge of blasphemy. 

And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

Stephen replies with the most concise presentation of Israel’s history with God found in scripture. Note that he begins by addressing them with the utmost love and respect.

“Brothers and fathers, hear me.”

Like the rest of the disciples, Stephen’s purpose is not to change political policy but to bring them to repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ. Most of his sermon is a summarization of history. He concludes with quotes from Isaiah 66:1-2, and Exodus 32:9.

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Acts 7:51-53

Stephen presented the truth to Jewish leaders in the context of their shared history and worldview. It was in this context that he presented the error that they had murdered their long-awaited Messiah. They could have repented. Instead,

they cast him out of the city and stoned him. 

Acts 7:58

Stephen was laser-focused on defending the truth of Jesus and His kingdom that is not of this world. He did not venture into politics, social issues, or economics.

Shouldn’t we do the same?

You’d think the church would get it by now. The same Kingdom versus world dynamic keeps repeating. Jesus was tortured and slain by the Romans. The Jewish leaders and many of their followers consented to the crucifixion of Jesus, as evidenced by the consensus that Barabbas should be spared instead of Jesus. Mat 27:15-26 They lied and framed Jesus as the Zealot revolutionary and threat to Caesar. The error and danger here is to create a false equivalency between the group of lying Jews who chose Barabbas and all Jews then and thereafter.

It is important to always keep in mind that we do not war against flesh and blood. Ephesians 6 Wherever we see human beings operating in accordance with a false equivalency be sure you are witnessing the enemy at work. The devil rallies people into groups like football teams then sits back and watches while they persecute and kill one another. Meanwhile, the path to salvation begins with understanding that no one is right. No person or group, no political party or country is right. Only God is right. We are made right by His grace and the love with which He loves us. Ephesians 2:1-10

It occurs to me as I write that in addition to questioning leftist ideology, Charlie Kirk also began to question the narratives following the October 7th Al Asqa massacre and subsequent decimation of Gaza. He did so based on the same objective moral truth defined in the Bible and the presupposition that Truth is never threatened by questions. Rather it is confirmed. After all, Israel has had evil leaders. Ahab and Jezebel are two well-known examples. I am not saying that Bibi Netanyahu and his government are evil. What I am saying is that Charlie Kirk posed several worthwhile questions that have yet to be answered. The false equivalency drawn by many conservative Christians is that anything and everything Israel does today is inherently good and right in God’s eyes simply because it is Israel. The implication that those currently living in the Holy Land, and its current secular government called Israel, define Biblical Israel in its entirety is another false equivalency. Israel is composed of 12 Tribes – thirteen if you count Joseph, the majority of whom remain dispersed around the globe. This matters because many have asserted that Israel killed Charlie Kirk. Can you imagine the firestorm that would result if a world driven by media narratives rooted in false equivalencies discovered that some Jewish people were behind the death of Charlie Kirk? The world would turn against Jewish people even more and their persecution would escalate.  Be careful of false equivalencies, especially those that support unforgiveness in any form.

Lest Satan should get an advantage over us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

2 Corinthians 2:11

We put ourselves at risk anytime we step out of the pure word of God and preach anything other than the gospel of the Kingdom that is not of this world. Another false equivalency is the assumption that Charlie Kirk is a Christian martyr because he was a Christian who shared scripture in support of the Turning Point USA mission. Many are claiming that preaching the gospel was the primary mission of Turning Point. It was not.

Turning Point USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk. The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.

TPUSA About Page

The danger here is the further conflation of the gospel of Jesus Christ with Conservative politics. The implied false equivalency is that Jesus is a capitalist and a Republican. Jesus wasn’t a capitalist or a socialist. He is niether Democrat or Republican. He was neither for nor against any earthly “ist” or “ism”.

His only desire was that all men be saved.

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He set the standard. Countless men and women have been martyred for the same reason, that is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians in places like Nigeria are being martyred as you read. As we will see in the remainder of Acts, the followers of Christ followed Christ. There were no attempts at influencing, let alone changing the political and socio-economic landscape of society.

We are witnessing a gradual progression in the intensity of persecution in Acts. I believe we are witnessing a similar progression in our society today. Now might be the time to ask ourselves,

What hill am I willing to die on? 

Stephen was absolutely certain of the Truth he spoke and died for it. Charlie Kirk did the same. Stephen died preaching the gospel. Charlie Kirk died answering a question related to the 2nd Amendment. Like Jesus, Stephen never debated those who would kill him. He simply declared the truth. He loved them like Jesus. Charlie Kirk’s last words were in reference to a false equivalency, namely that most mass shootings are  committed by white people. His last statement was, “are you inculding gang violence?” Stephen’s last words mirrored those of Jesus toward the least of His brethren,

Many are calling the recent events surrounding Charlie Kirk a revival. Maybe. Still, I see the risk of our falling into heresy and calling it revival.  Once again, I find myself echoing Jeremiah’s words to Hananiah in Jeremiah 28.

“Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true… 

Jeremiah 28:6

I suspect the Lord’s answer to those prophets and their followers believing in the greatness of America apart from national repentance and the rejection of the leaven of Herod, the Pharisees, and Sadducees will receive the same response as Hananiah and the false prophets in Jeremiah 13 and Jeremiah 23. Jeremiah lamented in the end, even if he was preserved amidst what came upon Israel. 

One thing seems certain. False equivalency is a primary tool of battle in Satan’s kit. That people today tend to feel more than think concerns me. The future looks like tribulation to me. May the Laodicean church in America repent and become Philadelphia. Lord help me to follow the example set by Jesus and Stephen. 

Maranatha

The featured photo is one I took of Cathy sitting in the exact spot just outside of Jerusalem where Stephen was stoned.

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study

Plumb Line

There is a school of thought within parts of the church that errantly separates the Old and New Testaments. “Jesus fulfilled the law,” they say. “We are in the New Testament now!” Paul repeatedly declares the relevance of all of God’s word and does so again in Romans 15. 

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:4

Some might say that love and forgiveness are the primary difference between Christianity and all other religions,  I say it is the God-breathed word of scripture that defines and separates the followers of Jesus from everyone else. The Word of God is our compass, lens and mirror. It is our plumb line that shows us what is straight, narrow and true.

“But people are being saved through dreams and visions in places where the persecution of Christians is rampant,” you say. Amen! Anyone who confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead, will be saved.  Anyone who calls on His name will be saved. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. Rom 10:9-10, Rom10:13, Mark 16:17 Salvation is an important first step.

It is not the last step.

It is through scripture that we know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Prov 9:10

We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:9-13

The next step is to become disciples of Jesus. Mat 16:24. The benchmark for disciples is found in Ephesians 4.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:11-16

Our ability to fulfill the Great Commission to  Go and make disciples assumes we have been disciples ourselves. Maturity defines our ability to disciple others.

Hearing comes by the Word of God!

The God-breathed Word 2 Tim 3:16-17 is what tunes our ears to hear. It is what ultimately separates the practice of Christianity from other faiths. It supports, confirms, and sometimes refutes our perceptions and ideas. The Bible is a glass – a mirror in which we see dimly and, therefore know in part. 1 Cor 13:12 It is through the lens of the Word that we begin to apprehend the faith Heb 11:1 required to follow Jesus. 2 Cor 5:7.
His Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 At the end of the day Truth is found in the sum of it. Psalm 119:160 I don’t know about you but nothing gets me more excited than when a truth I haven’t seen is revealed in His Word. I know what it means to feel like one who finds great spoil. Psalm 119:162. Most of all I praise Him for His truth. I rest in the assurance of knowing the power and importance of His Word because I know He has magnified His Word above all His name. Psalm 138:2 If the Word of God is most important to God then it follows that it should be most important in the life of a believer. It is impossible to know God apart from it. Thankfully Holy Spirit makes it possible through revelation amidst our self-disciplined study and our God-given powers of understanding. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:1 They have been declared in His Word. As for other ways of hearing and knowing God, e.g. prophetic words, we can be certain that they are real. So is falsity. Falsity happens when a speaker usurps the authority of God’s Word. Therefore we are commanded to test everything.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thess 5:19-22

We test everything with the Word of God because all genuine prophecy begins and ends with God’s Word who became flesh. John 1:14

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 19:10


We ask Holy Spirit to guide and lead us into all truth contained in scripture – to teach us about the character, nature, and plan of our God who does not change. Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8. We endeavor to be good Bereans in the interpretation of revelations, ideas, perceptions, presuppositions, and experiences. We all see as in a glass darkly. It makes sense that we all might see better if we see together. We believe that we can and should Study God’s Word both individually and as a community because Jesus affirmed it when he prayed,


Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

John 17:17

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Character Reloaded

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1-2

We were locked down in Honduras when I wrote the original version of this blog. COVID cases had begun to double daily. The borders and airports were closed. No one could leave the country.  There was a 6-month to 2-year jail sentence awaiting anyone who violated the lockdown. Ironically it had been just two months since I’d presented a teaching based on the book The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy-What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous with Destiny. By William Straus and Neil Howe. I had no idea at the time how prophetic it was. My audience was comprised of Millennials and Gen Z-ers who were learning how to be missionaries.  My message was not well received. You can read the book or better yet, its sequel The Fourth Turning is Here,. You can also view my original post for a quick synopsis. Suffice it to say that we are in what Straus and Howe called The Fourth Turning otherwise known as

“The Crisis”

Today we find the globe moving deeper into the Fourth Turning that is scheduled to peak sometime between 2025 and 2030. If the cycle simply repeats it will usher in another First Turn “High”. Just to give you some context, the previous High was 1945 -1965 and gave birth to “The Boomer Generation” and the proverbial “American  Dream”. That the cycles of history repeat is as unavoidable as it is undeniable. The key to surviving and thriving is rooted in recognizing the season and responding correctly. One of the most common errors people make during Fourth Turns is to mistake them for a First.

For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time when it suddenly falls upon them.
Ecc 9:12

The Root of Crisis

Judge and judgment are among the most contentious words these days. This is especially true in the context of Christianity where “judgment” has become a pejorative. The WOKE especially like to cite Jesus in Mat 7:1-3 “judge not lest ye be judged” usually in response to any mention of sin. Today love is increasingly defined as tolerance of sin. Conviction is hate. The Greek word for judge in Mat 7 is krínō, meaning to “condemn or pronounce sentence upon”. The absurdity of one person judging another for judging them aside, we agree that no man should krínō another.

There is more than one word for judgment in the Bible.

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” 1 Cor 2:14-15 “judge” is Anakrínō – to discern.

I Anakrínō right from wrong – truth from lies etc. In practice Anakrínō looks like intuition or “gut instinct”. Yet it is a knowing in one’s spirit that can be later verified with God’s word.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment… Philippians 1:9

Judgment here is Aísthēsis – perception by the intellect as well as the senses, discernment, Cognition, moral discernment in ethical matters.

Among other things, Aísthēsis is the bedrock of a 1 Peter 3:15 Apologia, a defense for the hope that is in us.

Still, there is one other word for judgement.

That word is Krísis, the word from which the English word “crisis” is derived.

Krísis is God’s judgment.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17

Discussions of God’s judgment may trigger charismatic believers. We may encounter a similar emotional response is when discussing spiritual gifts with reformed cessationists. Theological paradigms get rattled and arguments are formed as we debate whether or not God really is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yet almost no one would dispute that God can not be mocked. We reap what we sow. There is a point on the path of sin where God turns his head and gives those who remain in it over to do that which ought not to be done. Rom 1:18-32 This turning over is for the destruction of their flesh in the hope that their soul might be saved. At the end of the day, the wages of sin is death. God does not cause us to sin. He allows us to sin. It is not God’s desire that crisis falls upon us. He desires that we wake up and rise from the dead. Yet all are without excuse. Rom 1: 18-32. Therefore God does not change the consequences of our chosen rebellion. Does the devil play a role? Certainly! In fact he thinks he is winning. Little does he know that he is God’s stool pigeon. The pressure (Thlipsis- tribulation) that Satan is allowed to impose on us is used by God to conform us to the image of His son Rom 8:29 and remove the spots and wrinkles from His bride. Eph 5:27 Imagine what might happen if we took responsibility for our collective sin and resulting Krísis like Daniel did in Dan 9 instead of assigning power to the devil and deferring blame upon Him.

Consider how that might shape our prayers.

While the scandal at IHOP at least partially inspires this post, the allegations against Mike remain as yet unconfirmed. Please don’t get lost in speculation regarding his innocence or guilt. Rather I hope that you will consider the Krísis that has been brought to light within the body of Christ.

Having attended Ravi Zacharias’ School of Apologetics, I was devastated when his lifelong sexual sin was exposed immediately following his death in 2021. No man has impacted my theology and faith more than he. If I have ever placed a man on a pedestal Ravi was it. I cried when his ministry, life’s work, and legacy collapsed. Yet Ravi’s sin was not the root cause of his ministry’s implosion. It was the leadership team who knew about Ravi’s sin and covered it up to protect the ministry that detonated its demise. Despite the title, the video below is not about Mike Bickle per se. It is Lew Engle’s public confession of his porn addiction at a One Thing Conference in 2018. I think we were in Ecuador on the Amazon at the time and had no idea this had happened. The current scandal at IHOP is the only reason I – and maybe you – have become aware of it now.

Clearly, there is a crisis in the body of Christ.

How did we get here? As Ray Comfort says, “God comes to us with a subpoena in one hand and a pardon in the other.”  Today we love to tell people about the loving pardon. The subpoena…not so much. We emphasize grace and joy and downplay God’s justice. We thank Him for His goodness and redact His severity and Holiness. In a word, there is no fear of God. Instead, we fear man and man’s rejection. We redact the truth in the hope that we will be accepted.

All who live Godly will be persecuted.

Praise God for Lew’s courage and transparency even if it took him fifty years to get there. I’m not being snarky. It’s just a fact. He has ministered to at least two generations of new believers all the while being double-minded and therefore unstable in all his ways. Sexual sin’s portal is a man’s eyes. It is the number one sin that threatens to beset all men. No man is immune. If you think you are then take heed lest you fall. One reason I don’t have a porn problem today is because I know that I could. The other reason is that I understand how real the battle is and how it is fought.

Lew mentioned years of futile prayer and fasting against his compulsion. That makes perfect sense. The Bible tells us to flee youthful lusts. Prayer and fasting is for unbelief. Those who fail to heed the warning to flee soon find themselves caught in the snare of addiction. Now they must expose it Eph 5:11 before they can hope to flee it. Exposure is what many people fear most because the required vulnerability produces suffering. This suffering may be the result of shame, the loss of the esteem of men, position, and or material consequences like the loss of a career or even one’s freedom. Fear of exposure keeps us stuck in our sin. As the 12 Step adage goes,

“We are as sick as our secrets.”

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. 

What I found most perplexing about the video is that Mike Bickle seemed embarrassed by Lew’s transparency. The words he chose were anything but supportive of accountability. Mike seemed quite familiar with Lew’s struggle as he attempted to minimize and rationalize the sin. Thankfully Lew Engle wasn’t having any of it. The fear of God was on him and he quaked in his boots as he publicly repented.

But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 1 Cor 11:31

The reason for God’s judgment on the house of God and global society is that we have avoided addressing the subject of sin for so long that today we increasingly call good evil and evil good.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. 1 Pet 4:1-6

Arm yourself with the same way of thinking… is similar to gird up the loins of your mind and having done all to stand, stand therefore… Could any true believer engage in a besetting sin if they were present at Jesus’ crucifixion? Peter is calling us to Jesus’ battle. It is a call to be ready to suffer like Jesus amid a reprobate society. It is the act of resolving to lose one’s life to save it, …to overcome by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony and to NOT love our lives onto death. Mind you it is not a call to pursue suffering or martyrdom but a willingness to embrace it if necessary. Still, the question remains;

Suffer for what?

Paul calls it persevering. Once again, tribulation is Thlipsis (pressure) and specifically refers to a form of Roman execution where a large bolder was placed on the victim’s chest and slowly crushed the life out of him. In this context, pressure could be iniquity which includes the pressure to sin. We refer to this pressure as temptation. Yet iniquity left unaddressed becomes generational. The longer we remain isolated in secret sin the greater the iniquity and the more fragmented we become. Fragmentation is the opposite of integrity. Both fragmentation and integrity are opposing expressions of character. Our character is what God seeks to transform and conform to the image of His son. Persevering under pressure is God’s formula for transformation that produces hope.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Rom 5:3-5

One thing seems certain Krísis reveals character. While it is often misconstrued as wrath to which believers are not appointed, it is in fact, the discipline of a loving Father and a catalyst for transformation. The pressure increases according to our resistance until we surrender and repent or ends in death. The choice is ours. The final outcome is determined by our response. How silly we must look to the principalities to whom we are called to make the manifest wisdom of God known any time we pray against God’s Krísis in Jesus’ name. This is one way many have and will be caught in the aforementioned snare. Everything will be shaken. Only what can’t be shaken will remain…our God is a consuming fire.  Who we are and what we do “will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.”  Only that which is of God will survive. Therefore arm yourself with the mind and character of Jesus. If we suffer with Him we will be glorified with Him.

One thing seems certain. Hard times and big challenges lie ahead. More and more we will see true character exposed both in and out of the church. I understand the importance of the honor that so characterizes my own faith stream. It’s true context applies to missions and becoming all things to all men in order to save a few. We honored Muslims in Africa to earn credibility and the right to be heard by them. Honor was never intended to be a perversion of do not touch God’s anointed – a proverbial bunker in which leaders avoid accountability. God is not having it. My prayer is for wisdom and courage for all of us to judge ourselves and that we allow the transformation of our character wherever needed so that we can faithfully fulfill what God has called us to in these last days.

Every outcome will ultimately be determined by our character.

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Rants from the Fig Tree

Hackable Animals Reloaded

A Rant

How ironic that the segment of people who embraced one radical ideology and labeled anyone who disagreed with them as an opposing ideology in 2020 are now aligning with the very ideology they previously opposed. These ignore one massacre to oppose another. They remain blind to the fact that the very group they support now will be obliged to kill them if they come to power.

Meanwhile, the people labeled as “not human” and  “animals” who were saved from genocide 78 years ago are now celebrated for their necessary eradication of “evil animals” who are “not human” today. These justify one massacre in opposition to another. Elsewhere in the world, those who fought to free the first group being opposed by the very group they liberated.

Meanwhile, back in the land of prosperity, and entitlement, those who oppose the alleged systematic oppression of one minority people group, demand the right to murder their children in the name of the human rights and health of another allegedly oppressed minority group. This is further justified by the claim that people in the womb are not human.

Perhaps you have noticed the absurdity is clarified by the absence of labels and names.

How did we get here?

Many people do not have a point of reference beyond themselves. Hence truth is defined as whatever they experience or perceive. Furthermore, we have sacrificed the ability and right to think critically on the altar of consensus rooted in, and driven by emotion. Our hackers easily direct our individual and collective discontent toward whatever fragment of imperfect humanity they deem most likely to inflame our emotions. Once in this state, we confuse “awfulizing” a problem and choosing a side, with contributing to its solution never realizing that “we”, not “they” are our real problem. All are dead men walking – appointed to the very wrath we would assign to others. Our condition is further confirmed and reinforced by our self-righteous hatred for whichever side our hackers have assigned us to oppose.

We are double-minded.

The root of our confusion and hypocrisy is twofold.

On one hand, we have the attempted negation of absolute truth and with it the denial of a source. Truth becomes a personal affair. Within this paradigm, consensus is love and disagreement hate. All hate must be killed so that love can thrive. 

On the other hand, we have consensus-based affirmation that absolute truth does exist. Yet there is little to no understanding of what that TRUTH is. In its place, we have emotionally contrived, stump speeches and celebrity pulpits labeled as absolute truth as the preferred influencers imagine it.

It would seem that one man surmised correctly in 1871. People in both groups will kill one another and themselves until only a controllable few are left. Those that remain will be so demoralized that they will gladly accept the chief hacker as king.

Still, there remains one way to be unhackable. One truth, that leads to our origin, true freedom, true life, and the reconciliation of the family to which we all belong. It is a narrow way.

Only a remnant will find it.

As in the story Pinnochio, the wider, easier way is filled with comfort and pleasure. This broad beautiful road will remain more attractive, more interesting for a season as those who traverse it are conformed to the image of proverbial donkeys. Thinking themselves wise they inevitably become fools and all that they have permitted themselves to hate.

They are without excuse.

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study

On Milk and Meat

1 Peter 2 begins with Peter’s exhortation that the newborn believers exiled in Asia Minor would desire the pure milk of the word so they would grow. Spiritual milk is the gospel of salvation and the resulting new identity we have in Christ. Eph 2:1-10 This is the foundation of Christianity and reality itself. If indeed you are in Christ, you are a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor 5:17  If indeed you are in Christ you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Your identity is in Christ. Col 3:3-4

Many contemporary Christians lose sight of the fact that the purpose of milk is to grow teeth capable of chewing solid food. 1 Cor 3 The KJV calls it meat.

I prefer meat.

We made it to 1 Pet 2:4 in our Bible study last week.

…Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Pet 2:4-5

Peter is quoting from Isaiah and Psalms. The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone. Psalms 118:22 “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, and a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Isaiah 28:16 Jesus is the living stone, rejected by men, but chosen by God. …the chief cornerstone. We the church are living stones being built into God’s building. 1 Cor 3:9 Once again, the foundation laid by the Apostles is the Gospel. It is the template for reality.  If that foundation is changed or corrupted the whole building will burn and collapse. 1 Cor 3:20-14 It is for this reason that Paul gives such a very dire warning.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9.

Peter goes on to say that the purpose of God’s building (His people) is the offering of spiritual sacrifices. In the past, not even kings could offer sacrifices but only Levitical priests. In 2 Chronicles 26, the Lord struck King Uzaiah with leprosy for daring to offer incense on the altar of incense. Today believers are a Holy Priesthood. Our spiritual sacrifices include the sacrifice of praise, acts of charity, and submission to spiritual authority. Heb 13:15-17 We are to walk in love as Christ loved us. Eph 5:2   Most importantly we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Rom 12:1-2 “Self” must be slain on the altar before we come boldly (as holy priests) to the throne of grace. Heb 4:16 This includes but is not limited to our self-image and facades, our pride, our rights, and if necessary our very lives. Rev 12:11 Not loving our lives onto death is a scary thought. But Jesus told us to fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mat 10:28 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Prov 9:10 This also is spiritual milk. Fear phóbos (terror) of the Lord is the terror associated with the idea of ignoring or rejecting Him.  It begins with the recognition of our littleness, our weakness, our brokenness devoid of wisdom and understanding. As we mature, phóbos leads to reverence and awe more than terror as we behold and appreciate the awesome wisdom power, and grandeur of our sovereign God in the context of the Spirit of (our) adoption as sons… Rom 8:15 The reverence and awe that flows from sonship is a function of love and gratitude.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Sometimes suffering is where the meat begins. Rom 8:16-17

Understanding the necessity of suffering only comes with maturity grown from a diet of spiritual meat. The transition from milk to meat begins when we find ourselves less and less consumed with self e.g. my identity, my calling, my comfort, my rights etc., and become so enamored with Him and His will that self drops away. You know you are eating meat when the words you’ve read a thousand times jump off the page and give way to deeper revelation and awe.

For example

One of the most awe-inspiring, faith-building albeit mind-boggling aspects of God’s word is that scriptures written in the past tense may describe future events. For example, Isaiah wrote about Jesus in the past tense seven hundred years before He was born. David did the same in Psalms 22. Spiritual meat that reveals deeper truth nourishes faith that can endure testing and be proven genuine. 1 Pet 1:6-9

Why would God write about the future as if it already happened?

Did he intentionally confuse us? After all Solomon did write that, …he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecc 3:11 In my experience, scriptures that conflict with my existential perceptions and understanding of creation, time and distance bring me to a crossroads of awe and doubt. Do I lean on my own understanding, remain wise in my own eyes and doubt the validity of the text? Prov 3:5-8  Or do I trust God’s word that tells us He saved us before He created us and allow the paradox to birth revelatory awe in my soul?

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Eph 1:4

Trust the Science.

As is often the case, the science with which so many try to refute God’s Word repeatedly validates it. Four hundred and fifty years before Jesus was born Solomon wrote That which is, already has been; that which is to be already has been; Ecc 3:15 Today the Theory of Special Relativity in quantum physics states that everything that is going to happen has already happened. 

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? … Rom 11:33-34, Isaiah 55:8-9, Job 38:4-7

According to these physicists, while everything that ever will exist already does exist, it is the act of observation on our part that brings each moment into what we call physical or experiential existence. The Bible uses the word “fulfillment”. If that sounds weird or “New Agey” then consider this.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

What if we replaced the aforementioned “act of observation” with “faith”? Lots of believers attempt to walk this out individually, especially regarding healing. Miracles and healing do happen. However, statistically speaking, more often nothing happens. Now you might conclude that my observation of the “nothing” is the problem. But denial and faith are not the same. Perhaps the reason we fail to manifest the power that should attend our roll as priests is the fact that what we call the body of Christ amounts to what Art Katz called an aggregate of individuals doing their own thing. Perhaps the problem is that we are consumed with “My Identity” rather than

“Our identity”

Ephesians 4:11-16 is the cry of my heart amidst pipe dreams of “unity in community” based on games, social gatherings, dinners, and birthday parties. Our identity will only be found when we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; We can get together over a taco at the drop of a dime. But to come together in His Word, according to His Word to search out the mysteries of His word Prov 25:2…well ya know I’m really tired and besides I have a birthday party to get to”… But what if unified corporate belief  in His Word that produces faith Rom 10:17 is what is required for His biblical blueprint to be made manifest as reality? Ephesians 4:11-16

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds  and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting… Ephesians 4:11-16

The guiding principle behind the Acts 17:11 Bereans Bible Study is that we all see in a mirror dimly. 1 Cor 13:12 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Rom 10:17 It follows that we all see and hear better when we do it together. Holy Spirit is our teacher. John 6:13 

Still, how can unity of the faith happen when almost no one wants it? How do I know that no one wants it? Because as I showed in our previous post only 6-9% of professing Christians and 37% of pastors in the US have a Biblical worldview based on the Word that God exults above ALL His name. Psalms 138:2.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Heb 5:12-14

Eat Meat.

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Cracked Pots

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 1 Pet 2:1

Lots of people feel called to prison and recovery ministries today. Almost everyone has a different twist on what they think former inmates and addicts need. In truth, prison is like the Eagle’s song “Hotel California”. People check out but the majority never really leave. Statistically, approximately two percent actually become the people God created them to be. Mat 7:13-14, Mat 22:14 The only way past the revolving door of recidivism is in the words of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, to

“Live not by lies.” John 8:32

“Hey, you know – I was just thinking…”

began my three-hundred-pound Samoan prison bunkie, “I wouldn’t want to do or say anything that would make someone want to kill me when I got out.” The implication was profound. We’d just learned that another Christ-professing friend of mine in the same prison drug treatment program had been found shot in the back of the head – execution-style. They found him slumped over on his knees in the parking lot behind his church.

He’d been out less than a week.

“He was a rat!” they said. A rat is a liar who for whatever reason suddenly begins telling the truth.

To be honest, my dead friend’s speech and behavior weren’t always reflective of a surrendered life. He’d still had a lot of world in him. James 1:8 That is always dangerous. Granted all of us are works in progress. Phil 3:12-14 But, Paul was clear about,

forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Too many people continue to dabble in darkness after they are saved. Instead of getting as far as possible from the edge of the abyss they want to know how close they can get without falling in. If there is one thing I learned in prison, running a prison/recovery ministry, and finally living on the foreign mission field it is that safety is only found in the context of obedience to God. That obedience begins with truth that itself is found in

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalms 139:23-24

Live not by lies.

The root of why addicts relapse and die is that they believe their own lies. This understanding is a prerequisite for prison/recovery ministry. Once committed to a wrong course of action those in active addiction seek affirmation from well-meaning albeit naive people. While it may not be a conscious decision, deep down they need an excuse to abandon their recovery and someone to blame for the inevitable future consequences of their choice. Personal responsibility ruins the pleasure of sin. If someone refuses to affirm their lies they simply move on until someone does. Those who support them become “the best ever!!” Those who fail to affirm them become a source of offense. Offense produces hypocrisy, envy, malice, and slander.

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Rom 16:17-18

Anyone truly living their lives in the context of Psalms 139:23-24 will immediately recognize that all of us are recovering criminals and addicts to some degree. Eph 2, Rom 3 Still how easy it is to lose sight of our mutual status as cracked pots that only the Potter can transform. Isa 64:8, Rom 8:29 Of course we are new creations. If you are already fully transformed and conformed to the image of His Son then none of what I am writing applies to you. How tempting and easy it is to magnify and compare one crack to another. 2 Cor 10:12-16 Hence our primary identifying sign of Rom 16:17-18 in action is when WE fail to truly own OUR OWN transgressions and failures. “Yeah, I know I’m not perfect but

THEY…!!!”

As the saying goes, “Everything before the “But”_is a lie.”

Offense is deadly to us but especially to the population we serve. “Resentment is the number one offender.” Any malice they may hold for those they perceive as having betrayed them becomes a root of bitterness that eventually turns inward. Left unchecked it always results in relapse that in turn eventually ends in death. Rom 6:23 Unforgiveness is deadly for those in recovery. Once again,

We are all in recovery. Phil 3:12-14

It’s not that we are committed to enlarging the proverbial cracks in our pots by consciously conspiring to lie. Rather, rationalizing, justifying, minimizing, and generalizing otherwise known as “criminal thinking errors” are a primary means of survival in our dysfunction. Some or all of these are present when repentance is lacking. Hence defining truth is the first order of business. Defining truth means confronting a lie. Confrontation is always a potential breeding ground for hypocrisy, envy, deceit, malice, and slander that Paul requires us to

“put away.”

Charm is also listed as a criminal-thinking error and adds to the confusion. The most astute criminal knows how to charm others into affirming their lies so they can avoid taking responsibility for their choices and actions. Lies mixed with truth is satan’s and the world’s preferred approach. Succumbing to charm looks like condoning sin in the name of love. Left unchecked this progresses to viewing authority and correction as hate. Finally disobedience becomes the supernatural hand of God who is

doing a new thing!

A common strategy of the Devil is to inflate our Phil 4:8 hope for a struggling person then beat us to death with it when they fail. You can be sure you are under spiritual attack if one day you are God’s unique gift, more helpful than anyone else. The next you are a religious-spirited, legalistic, Pharisee. A fake Christian, hypocritical, and unloving. Know this! You can be certain that you are dealing with a spirit of witchcraft anytime you feel compelled to

Align with a lie.

Those who remain faithful in ministry understand that faithfulness to God alone must be the goal. Success if it happens in our presence is incidental and only given by God. 1 Cor 3:6-8 If we take credit for the increase that only God can produce then we must also receive blame for the failures.

Aim for truth and faithfulness.

That is all.

If in your frustration you do give way to envy that itself is rooted in pride and do not repent- you will eventually fall. The fruit of envy is manipulation, intimidation, and domination which is also witchcraft. If you strive to control rather than water and sow, you will soon find the crack in your pot matching those of your fellow cracked pots that betrayed your trust.

If on the other hand, the role of Chief Enabler is your default and you are easily charmed – if supernatural manifestations fix everything in your view and everyone just needs to be healed. Know this,

“Then he (Jesus) began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done because they did not repent.” Mat 11:20

People are not transformed because they refuse to repent. They may be saved, and have seasons of popularity and success that are misconstrued as approval from God. They and others will weep in confusion when the fantasy finally unravels. 1 Cor 3:13 The truth that remains and can save us is that complete repentance in accordance with His word is God’s standard. Luke 13:1-5

It does not change.

The word of God is a lamp. Psalm 119:105 It is a fire that consumes and a hammer that shatters our illusions, especially those about ourselves. Jer 23

It is living and active, sharper than any  two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, it discerns the thoughts and intentions of
Our hearts. Heb 4:12

It is impossible for us to discern the intention of our hearts on our own.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jer 17:9-10

The word of God is a mirror that shows us what we really look like in God’s eyes. James 1:23-24 The word of God is a strong tower to which the righteous can flee to safety. The word of God is Truth. Apart from it and the willingness to lean not on our own understanding or be wise in our own eyes Prov 3:5-8 and surrender to Jesus, every last one of us is a lying, malicious, criminal, hypocritical addicts ridden with envy and slander. Search me O’ God that I may

Live not by lies

At the end of the day, the fruit of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander is the same wherever they arise. They are the root of disunity the opposite of which Paul calls us to pursue. Eph 4:11-13 Every believer must actively put them away. The only real difference between one cracked pot and another in the midst of these is that one might have a plank and one might have a speck in their eye. Mat 7:3-5 That status may be reversed the very next day. What is important to understand is that the plank in one person’s eye in no way diminishes the severity and importance of the speck in the eye of another.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me…Help me put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander… lead me in the way everlasting! Psalms 139:23-24, 1 Pet 2:1

Lord, you are the Potter. Test me. Have your way in me. Burn off the dross. Conform me to the image of your Son Jesus.

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.“

-Mark Twain-

MARANATHA

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Devotional

Smart Like A Rock

“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) John 18:10

I often wonder about Malchus, the servant of Caiaphas whose ear was cut off in the Garden of Gethsemane. Naturally, I did some digging. Ironically, the name Malchus means “My king; kingdom; or counselor”. The Bible doesn’t say what he believed before the attack. It would seem that he lived his life according to the collective religious consensus into which he was born. Like many people today, he probably never questioned the assumptions that undergirded his worldview. One day he was simply performing his usual duties when a lunatic named Peter chopped off his ear. If that wasn’t crazy enough the zealot insurrectionist named Jesus whom he’d come to help arrest picked up his ear and stuck it back on his head.

That Jesus’ final miracle before he was crucified was to miraculously restore Malchus’s ability to hear strikes me as poignant if not prophetic.

The Bible says nothing about Malchus after Jesus was arrested. But extra-biblical historical texts indicate that he was converted and went to live in a monastery in Greece until the end of his life.

Smart like a Rock

It is uncertain whether or not Peter was a Zealot (Jewish nationalist). We do know that his initial hope was in a physical messiah that would fulfill the prophecy as they understood it.  Peter thought Jesus would conquer Israel’s enemies once and for all, and then reign like King David. More than a few professing Christians are prone to similar errors today.

But His “Kingdom is not of this world…” John 18:36

Peter is fishing, when Jesus calls Him. He simply drops his net and follows. The Bible isn’t clear about what went through Peter’s mind when he followed Jesus. But his actions before the resurrection imply anything but a divine revelation of Jesus’s true identity and plan. 

None of the disciples truly understood Jesus until after the resurrection.

Peter’s first encounter with the true identity of Jesus is found in Mat 8:14-17 when He heals Peter’s mother-in-law.  Healing is a primary basis of faith for many today. I could be completely wrong but I imagine Jesus rolling His eyes a lot. His healings often seem like a concession rather than His primary point.

So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” John 4:48

While I am only listing scriptures where Peter is at the center, we should keep in mind that he is present throughout all of Jesus’s teachings and miracles including His calming the storm. Mat 8:23-27

The next paradigm-shifting encounter comes when Jesus sends the disciples out in a boat and then follows them later on foot. Peter sees Jesus walking on water and tells Him to command him to get out of the boat and walk – if in fact, He is really Jesus.  He does. So Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking. Then the wind scares him and he starts to sink. 

Jesus takes Peter’s hand and pulls him up before admonishing him.

“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Mat 14:22-33

Peter had his eyes and faith fixed on Jesus as he stepped out of the boat. Then he was distracted by the wind. His focus moved from Jesus to his external circumstances and he began to sink.

If I am honest, I’m a lot like Peter.  I know that I know I was supernaturally delivered from a point-blank shotgun blast and over two decades of addiction that I’d tried everything known to man to beat. It is empirically verifiable that my life made a 180-degree turn from that moment on. Still, I have occasionally been tempted to question and consider alternative explanations. Was that really you Jesus? It was of course. Still, it got me thinking. Maybe, miracles, signs, and wonders come with a shelf life. They point to the source upon which our focus should remain. 

Or they expire and leave us craving another experience. Mat 16:4

In Mat 15:10-20 Jesus explains to the Pharisees that it’s what comes out of one’s mouth that defiles them not what goes in. Peter still doesn’t understand and Jesus explains it to him.

Next, we have an amazing display of discernment in Peter’s revelation that Jesus is the Christ to which Jesus replies “Upon this rock, I will build my church.” Mat 16:13-18 Some people think Peter was the rock.

He was referring to Peter’s revelation that He – Jesus was the Rock. 

Somehow Peter assumed the authority to rebuke the one he’d just acknowledged as the Messiah. Peter determined that he would not allow Jesus to go to the cross in fulfillment of Isaiah 53 and at least 351 other prophetic scriptures. So Jesus rebuked Peter,

“get behind me Satan” Mat 16:23

Peter was sincere but earthly-minded.


Next, in Mat 17:1-8 Peter is one of the disciples accompanying Jesus to the mount of Transfiguration where He Jesus, attended by Moses and Elijah, reveals His deity. Peter was busy wondering if he should make tents for the three when suddenly,

“Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Later as they walked down into the valley. Jesus commands Peter and the others, 

“Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” Mat 17:9

Apparently, this wasn’t a problem because based on their reaction to Jesus’ crucifixion no one understood what he was saying anyway.

Back in the valley, Peter watches Jesus cast out a demon and admonishes the other disciples for their faith that apparently was a lot smaller than a mustard seed. Mat 17:20

Next, we have money collectors asking Peter if Jesus will pay tribute in Capernaum.  “Of course, He will”, says Peter. Then he asks Jesus. Jesus says “No”. But just to avoid offending people He tells Peter to catch a fish and give them whatever he finds in its mouth. Peter loves fishing.  He finds a gold coin in its mouth and gives it to the collectors.

One would think that would have rattled Peters’s worldly paradigm.

Given that I can so identify with Peter’s misunderstandings, mistakes, and failures, I have to wonder. Was it apathy born of Peter’s familiarity with Jesus? Was Peter so consumed with his view of things and the hope of a coming overthrow of the Roman empire? Or was he simply naive and uneducated?

Jesus gives an in-depth teaching in Mat 18 about cutting off everything that leads to sin. Peter has heard all the other teachings about forgiveness and still asks ‘How many times do I have to forgive? Is seven enough?’

No, Peter.

“70 times 7”. Mat 18:21-22

Jesus teaches about the potential bondage of material wealth in Mat 19 and finishes with the idea that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into the kingdom of God. Luckily all things are possible with God. 

How does Peter respond?

Ok….but what about us? We gave up everything. What do we get? Mat 19:27 Like so many of us Peter lost sight of the fact that he already had the most valuable gift in Jesus Himself.

Well, Peter, here’s the deal. Y’all get to rule with me from 12 thrones in heaven.

Still, Peter sincerely loves Jesus. He swears that he is different from the others and will never deny Him. Jesus looks at Peter and says, actually Peter you will. In fact,

you are going to deny me before the rooster crows three times… Mat 26:34

Peter is incensed and responds with even greater determination. “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. Verse 35

Things come to a head in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter has one of the two swords that Jesus told them to bring. Jesus goes off to pray and asks them to watch and pray with Him. Naturally, Peter and the others fall asleep. Peter gets the brunt of Jesus’s anger. “So, could you not watch with me one hour?!” Maybe Peter is overcompensating for crushed self-esteem born of his failure. Now more than ever he stands ready to defend Jesus as the soldiers come to arrest Him. If I were Peter I probably would assume that Jesus told me to bring a sword so I could use it. I’d be wondering if this moment marked the beginning of the zealot rebellion for which I’d been waiting.

Peter swings hard. I’m guessing that splitting Malchus’s head was his goal.  Instead, he misses and cuts off his ear. Malchus and Peter stare in dumbfounded amazement as Jesus exclaims “No more of this!” Luke 22:51 picks up the ear and reattaches it. Then He blasts poor Peter again.

“Peter! Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” John 18:11

It wasn’t long after that Peter denied Jesus three times. John 18:17-27

Fast forward

Jesus is crucified and resurrected. Everyone is standing around the tomb talking about the fact that everything happened just as Jesus said it would. Now what? Peter is even more confused than before.  He runs into the tomb in apparent unbelief to see if Jesus’s body is there.

…for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. John 20:4-10

Soon after Jesus shows himself to the disciples. Peter still doesn’t get it and characteristically replies,

“I’m going fishing!”

He and the disciples spend a fish-free night on the water. In the morning Jesus calls to them from shore and instructs them where to throw their nets.  Suddenly, “the one whom Jesus loved” (John) realizes it is the resurrected Jesus standing on the beach. What does Peter do? 

He puts all his clothes on, jumps out of the boat, and swims to shore.

Later during a beach breakfast fish fry, Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves him. The irony that Peter had denied Him three times just three days ago seems lost on Peter as he passionately affirms His love. Jesus replies that if Peter loves Him then he should “feed my sheep”. Then He prophesied Peter’s death. John 21:15-19 Peter still did not have the remotest clue as to what Jesus was saying as evidenced by Peter’s next question. What about that guy? John 21:21

“If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

How often have I been so focused on what I think God is doing or wants to do in others that I remain oblivious to what God was doing in me?

There is a story about Charles Darwin as he arrived in Patagonia on the HMS Beagle, a colossal steel brigantine ship. Darwin and his crew rowed ashore in rowboats. To his surprise, the Patagonians who had canoes themselves clearly saw the row boats. But they did not perceive the HMS Beagle. Why? Because a ship so large was so far outside the realm of their experience and resulting presuppositions that it was too much for their brains to process. Instead, their brains filtered it. They literally could not see it.

I often wonder, as I read about Peter, how much I fail to see?

Peter wasn’t stupid. He simply had his own ideas about God. They prevented him from seeing. It didn’t matter how many times Jesus explained God’s plan. Peter filtered what didn’t fit his paradigm.

In the Marine Corps, we referred to guys like Peter as “Rocks”.

Still, Peter’s heart and intentions were in the right place. It didn’t matter how many times he failed and was rebuked. Peter loved Jesus and never stopped pursuing Him. He remained “Semper Fi“. Ironically, it wasn’t until after Jesus ascended Acts 1:11 and Holy Spirit was poured out in the Upper Room that Peter finally understood everything Jesus had taught.

He preached the entire Gospel in his first sermon beginning in Acts 2:14-15

“For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel…”

Peter was apprehended by Holy Spirit in the upper room. Paul was apprehended on the road to Damascus. I was apprehended at gunpoint on a beach. We don’t know for certain what happened to Malchus and I may just be projecting. But I suspect he was apprehended the moment his hearing was restored. I know a lot of people who were miraculously apprehended by Jesus. I am convinced that a truly transformed life is always the fruit of divine apprehension, not merely an act of human will. John 15:16

Even so, our will often gets us into position for our appointed arrest.

1st and 2nd Peter address some hard topics. Let’s keep in mind that like Peter, every one of us is prone to be smart like a rock. It is only through the power of Holy Spirit in conjunction with the whole counsel of God through His Word that we gain the right perspective and ability to joyfully walk out the hard things to which every Christian is called.

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Warfare 👀

The Belt of Truth.

We are on the topic of spiritual warfare as we complete our study of Ephesians with the full armor of God. Eph 6:10-20 People have all sorts of ideas regarding the nature of spiritual warfare. Intercessory prayer, deliverance, and worship are some of the most common and popular forms within charismatic circles. Even so, Jesus clearly demonstrated that the first line of spiritual attack that believers face is rooted in “disinformation” otherwise known as twisting the truth. Many times the the devil, the father of lies injects confusion by accusing us of what he is doing. While his methods might vary, he always disguises himself and his intentions by mixing truth with lies. Mat 4:1-11

Python

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. Acts 16:16-18

Divination is Pýthōn in Greek – the Python spirit of which you may have heard. It presents as “good”, or even Godly, and honoring of those who seek after Him but it is Satanic. Flattery and validation are its bait. Heresy is its fruit.

While not exactly divination, if you consider the obsession with things over which we have absolutely no control, you might see a connection between compulsive news-watching and the desire for foretelling future events.

One of our primary sources of deception today is media programming. Most believers willingly acknowledge the inherent dangers of uncensored and unmitigated media consumption. Yet few heed the warning enough to stem the flow of lies designed to program our minds. Jesus alluded to this principle in Mark 8:15 and Mat 16:6. Most of the media we consume amounts to high-tech, leaven, and or a subliminal repetition of the age-old question,

“Did God really say?” Gen 3:1.

Unbeknownst to most, we are entering into a more sinister synthetic realm of disinformation. One that not only threatens to distort our most basic Christian values. But also the presuppositional fabric upon which reality as we know it is based. Some might even say that the makings of a 2 Thess 2:11 strong delusion are upon us. Not only must we ask ourselves “What is true?” but also “What is real? It’s a brilliant strategy if you are a fan of the devil. Because at the end of the day,

Confused and deluded people are easy to herd.

Hence we are grateful that the Belt of Truth is the first piece of armor mentioned in Eph 6:14.

Like it or not we are living in a time of profound darkness and deception. It might be tempting to wonder if it isn’t prophetic. Isaiah 60:2 That said, there is more than one reason for darkness.

And while we know that the eschatological implications regarding the timing of final events will be debated until the day they are fulfilled, one thing is certain. History is a continuum that terminates with the wedding supper of the lamb. Rev 19:6-9 In the meantime we know the world will become darker until the permanent light shines. Rev 22:1-4 In the meantime we are called to be watchful. 1 Cor 16:13, Col 4:2 That said,

What time is it? Mat 16:1-4

Jesus was speaking of Himself, His death, and his resurrection in Matthew 16. Still, the overarching principle remains valid today. Several New Testament verses concerning the final fulfillment of the Gospel of the Kingdom include a warning about deception. 2 Thess 2:1-4 Jesus’ first response to the disciple’s eschatological question on the Mount of Olives beginning in Mat 24:3 was

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

While some contemporary translations say “I am the Christ” the original Greek is “I am Christ“- Christós – anointed. Anointed implies the authority to speak as, or for God. Many have and will claim to be Messiah. A great many more claim to be anointed. The anointed can define and declare truth. The anointed can define what is real. Deception marked the beginning of the Fall. Deception is progressive.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Mat 24:24.

Read the full article.

If you are in Christ Eph 2:5-6 then you are among the elect.

Our common problem is that we tend to fix our eyes on what is seen and at best give lip service to the unseen on Sunday. We do so in direct contradiction to scripture. 2 Cor 4:18, Col 3:1-4 So often we are unwittingly consumed by the cares of this world – so myopicly focused on our own desires and gratification that we open ourselves to the enemy and he blinds us. 2 Cor 4:4

Consider that most if not all of what we know about the world beyond our respective communities is derived from what we see, hear, or read in the media. Given that fewer and fewer people read these days it’s probably safe to say that the majority of that information is consumed in video format. As a former video producer, I can tell you that video is inherently deceptive even when the editor is doing his very best, to be honest.

Just playing with our phones in Honduras but you’ll get the idea.

Using cuts, and B-roll is deceptive enough. But did you know that what we define as reality is becoming “synthetic” by design?

The two following videos are AI generated deep fakes.

AI-generated version of Morgan Freeman.
AI-generated video of Joe Biden.

If like me you’ve ever wondered what Mat 24:6 might look like…

So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

…I think we are on the right path.

So what is the belt of truth and how do we put it on? For starters may I suggest rereading the first introductory post in our Acts 17:11 Bereans Bible Study series; What Is Truth? Perhaps read and meditate on 1 Cor 2. Then join the discussion on Thursdays at 6 pm in the Rock Church sanctuary.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study

Ephesians and Eschatology.

Eschatology: a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind.  Merriam Webster Dictionary

Eschatology can be a touchy subject these days. Those who endeavor to understand it soon find themselves traversing a theological gauntlet. Today some sects and denominations reject those who do not adhere to their end-times doctrine. Add to that the multitude of failed end-time prophecies, in the 1970s and 80s and it’s no wonder that eschatology has become a proverbial hot potato that many pastors simply avoid. Still, if we adhere to the basic tenants of Christianity rooted in an eternal perspective, we will always begin with the end in mind.

Our view of the end drives how we live in the present. 

Most people automatically think of the book of Revelation anytime the end times are mentioned. Yet it is a huge mistake to begin there. None of the New Testament existed when Jesus gave His near bullet-pointed eschatological discourse on the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Even so, given that we are studying the Book of Ephesians it may be worthy to note that Ephesus is the first Church to be addressed in the Book of Revelation.

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Rev 2:4-5

Given the current and emerging state of Polycrisis in today’s world, more and more people are concerned about eschatology. That’s not a bad thing. The sheer number of unbelieving friends and family that suddenly wanted to know about the end times when COVID lockdowns went into effect made us realize that sometimes “eschatology drives discipleship”.

Still, there is a multitude of eschatological views and variations of those views regarding when and how the end times play out. Add to that the differing views regarding when a “Rapture” Harpazo takes place and you’ve got seeds of even more division. We think Jesus is super clear in Mat 24:29-31.  Even so, we will be thrilled if we are wrong and receive early cloud tickets home.

Confusion arises when people trust their preferred eschatological experts without testing 1 Thess 5:20-21 or searching scripture to see if it is true. Acts 17:11 Reading books and listening to sermons about scripture instead of studying scripture itself is unacceptable 2 Tim 2:15. At the end of the day, eschatology should be studied like any other topic in the Bible. That means as literally as possible in the original textual, grammatical, and cultural context.

A common problem among those most interested in eschatology is viewing scripture through a lens of current events. The tendency is to focus on topics like the Mark of the Beast Rev 13  as people try to predict the identity of the antichrist and the trajectory of humanity toward the greatest tribulation. Dan 12 Mat 24:21 Rev 13 An unintended result is that the plans of the enemy may trump (pun intended) the return of Jesus as every disease, conflict, disaster, and member of the political and financial elite is falsely correlated with scripture.

Some correlations are crazier than others…

This approach becomes most problematic when the resulting eschatological views become dogmatic. That’s what happened with people such as Hal Lindsey in the 70s and 80s. In the end, the multitude of false end times prophecies made Christians everywhere look like children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Eph 4:14  They also helped to validate things like New Atheism as those not firmly rooted and grounded in God’s Word continued to destroy the Christian witness with bad exegesis.

At worst bad eschatology results in crazy cults and tragedy like the Branch Davidians in Waco Texas in 1993.

Hence not only can eschatology drive discipleship. Eschatology can also drive heresy.

We’ve studied it in depth and still only scratched the surface. If you still insist on studying eschatology; great. But let us do it soberly and well. 1 Thess 5:6 “Sober” is nḗphō to be calm and collected in spirit, temperate, dispassionate, circumspect.

Our Hope in Two Parts

The Gospel message is two-fold. First, we have the fulfilled Gospel of Salvation whereby Jesus conquered sin and death and made a way for all people to be reconciled to the Father. Eph 2:8-10  Where people previously relied on a high priest to enter the Holy of Holies on their behalf Heb 9:7, Jesus tore the veil that separated us from God. Mat 27:51 Today we are able to come boldly to the throne of grace…on our own. Heb 4:16 This is the meaning of “It is finished”. The second part is eschatological, the Gospel of the Kingdom which is yet to be fulfilled. Rev 21-22 Together these define the Aramaic word

Maranatha. 1 Cor 16:22

Jesus has come.  Jesus is coming.

If we view the world and its events through the lens of scripture then we remain mindful that Judgement comes first to the house of God. 1 Pet 4:17 Our first concern should be the status of the body of Christ, not the anti-Christ. Psalm 139:23-24, 1 Cor 1:10, Eph 4:13, Heb 12

Any correct view of eschatology prioritizes the fulfillment of God’s purpose and plan for His bride without spot or wrinkle Eph 5:27. The endgame for the end of days is the full acquisition of our inheritance for which Holy Spirit deposited in every believer is

“an earnest” – arrhabṓn – a down payment. Eph 1:13-14

That’s not to make light of the gift of Holy Spirit but a call to be mindful of how much more is to come. This is the correct approach to eschatology. We must keep in mind that our inheritance will only be realized by individuals existing as part of a unified bride, not individual Gnostic Christians, prepping for battle with returning Nephilim and the antichrist. Regardless of how we imagine the end times, if we study eschatology as Jesus taught it we will see an emphasis on a call to endurance and faithfulness. Rom 5:3-5, Mat 24:13, Rev 12:11, Rev 13:10 Jesus framed endurance in the context of childbirth. Mat 24:8 Faithfulness carried to fruition looks like All attaining to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ… Eph 4:13 Incidentally “manhood” does not refer to the masculinity of individual men any more than the spotless bride refers to individual women. Both are allegorical references to the body of Christ unified in Him. Eph 2:15-17

It’s no accident that Paul concludes Ephesians 5 with the image of marriage between a husband and a wife. The one new man and unity of the faith is represented in ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,  and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Gen 2:24, Mark 10:7-8 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Eph 5:32-33 It follows that the state of our marriages in the church reflects the state of the church and visa versa. Hence, our eschatology should be more focused on spot and wrinkle removal, unity in the faith, and maturity than on wars and rumors of wars over which Jesus said we should not be alarmed. Mat 24:6 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Cor 11:1-3

The potential consequences of rejecting this essential foundation of eschatology are profound.

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Mat 22:11-14

The benefits of embracing it are beyond comprehension.

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Rev 19:6-9

Our view of the end drives how we live in the present. 

Maranatha!