Head-dibs

"The Bible has a total of 31,103 verses, 8,352 of which are prophetic; they speak of events yet to come. All biblical predictions about the future can be grouped into 737 different predictions. Of the 8,352 verses, 6,312 (or 522 different predictions) have already happened exactly as God's Word said they would. About 2,040 verses, with 215 specific predictions from God about the end of the world, are in process of being fulfilled. . . . These prophecies can be further divided into eighteen chronological categories (by the timing of the events). There are only five categories of the eighteen left to be fulfilled. Here are the categories: church prophecies, Second Coming prophecies, Millennial prophecies, Final Judgment prophecies, and New Jerusalem prophecies. Each of the prophetic signs that Christ and His apostles gave is very specific. Jesus has explained that as we get closer to the Second Coming, we will witness these events, which will begin at the same time, run conc...

Douglas Adams four-part trilogy, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, includes a curious setting where at the edge of the universe, one is able to sit down to a nice restaurant meal and watch the oscillating beginning and end of all things. Reflecting on this last year leaves me with the impression that we’ve had the appetizer and salad, now awaiting the arrival of the main course (or at least one of its features). Take a moment and think through the headlines: how many times has the world ended? There is the first lesson I’ve learned: think. Think about the source of the information. Some may quickly say, “ religion and religious fanatics are the source.” The second lesson I’ve learned is this: God can be trusted. Now, let’s process this. It takes not much thought to agree there will be an end to the world and it will happen in two ways: our personal death and the leaving of it; and, the actual cessation of all things as we know it. One will happen before the other, and should the l...

James M. Black published "When The Roll is Called up Yonder" in 1894.  This song has been sung often by many churches through the years.  I have a few questions for your consideration, at the end: Stanza 1: When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more, And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair; When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. REFRAIN: When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. Stanza 2: On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, And the glory of His resurrection share; When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. (REFRAIN) Stanza 3: Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, Let us talk of all His wondrous love and ...

FOXNews.com - Scientists: Latest Deadly Quakes Are Just a Coincidence Posted using ShareThis Actually, these are one of many signs of the end-times. Review this checklist found in Matthew 24:4-8: [ ] And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and will deceive many. [ ] And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. [ ] And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

While "Waiting for Godot" to arrive, Vladymir (Didi) banters with Estragon (Gogo) about the two thieves crucified along with Christ. Didi recalls that one was saved and the other was . . . he can't seem to remember, oh yes, "damned." Funny how such little things (such as damnation) seem to slip just to the edge of recall. In like manner the subject of coming judgment for most is not a matter of great importance--if it were on the tip of the tongue, the matter could be swallowed by accident--who would miss it? Or like Gogo's old carrot--the more one eats, the worse it gets, so it gets spit out. Most treat the subject of judgment the way Didi does with Gogo's bad dreams--we just don't want to hear it. This (universe) is enough for us. Judgment is coming. Last post we observed that the judgment of the cross has come and gone, which produced two kinds of people: those who enjoy the benefits of that judgment, and those who will not. Those who reject the j...

A while back I shared the conversation I had with twin 10 year-old girls on my front doorstep. I showed them a Cross, asking if they knew what it was. They got excited and told me that "'t' stands for 'Church.'" They go to Sunday School and learn that all you have to do is be good, help people and stay in school and you will go to heaven. Is that it? Just go to church and do good? Does Jesus' death on the cross mean anything? Are we to just believe that Jesus died on the cross so we can carry on in life stuggling to keep our noses clean, so to speak? Is God supposed to let everybody into heaven just because Jesus died on the cross? Does God no longer judge because He is so gracious? If that is the case, then what do we do with 2 Peter 3:7, "But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."? Part of the confusion lies in the lack of teaching on the different kin...

The last verse of Daniel 9 has been the subject of intense study and long, deep debates among those who seek to discern the matters concerning Daniel’s 70 weeks of prophecy. Why so much energy is expended discussing this final verse of this twenty-seven-verse chapter to the neglect of the previous twenty-six verses is partially driven by the fact that the first 69 weeks of Daniel have already been fulfilled. With great excitement, students of the Bible are eager to know if they will see the unfolding prophecy of this final week. Daniel is good to give us the setting, a significant historical marker as to when he received the vision that includes this final week of intense interest: the first year of Darius the Mede. We were first introduced to Darius at the end of Daniel 5 as the one who received Babylon the same night that Belshazzar the Chaldean was slain—Darius was an invader. For the captive people of Israel held in Babylon, hopes of deliverance were at an all time high. Danie...

One once observed the difference between a learned and an unlearned person is that one says, “I don’t know,” while the other says, “I don’t remember.” This led me to reflect on the kind of person I was in school? I was a completely different person in College and Seminary than I was in High School or Junior High. I don’t know who that person was in Junior or High School. Were you a fast learner? Legend has it that Daniel Webster was not a tidy child growing up. One day in the district school the teacher told him if he appeared in school again with such dirty hands, she would thrash him. But the next day Daniel appeared with his hands in the same condition. “Daniel,” the teacher said in desperation, “hold out your hand!” Daniel spat on his palm, rubbed it on the seat of his trousers, and held it out. The teacher surveyed it in disgust. “Daniel,” she exclaimed, “if you can find me a hand in this school that is dirtier than this one here, I will let you off.” Daniel promptly held out his ...

The subject and study of future things (eschatology) is more than just a casual interest for most people. Interestingly, individuals with comparable backgrounds may have different ideas about what is to come. One Christian woman once remarked to another, “I have taken a single ticket to Glory, and do not intend to come back.” Her sister in Christ replied: “You are going to miss a lot. I have taken a return ticket, for I am not only going to meet Christ in Glory, but I am coming back with him in power and great glory to the earth.” Were they talking about the same future, or something different? There is no inconsistency in what they were saying, but a differing emphasis on details. A former US Secretary of State once spoke of future events, but a future that would never happen. John Foster Dulles once remarked: “Peace is often identified with the imposition by strong nations of their benevolent rule upon the weaker. Most of these efforts collapsed in war. The best known effort of ...

As the rivers increase in size and importance with their increase in length, so do the events in the history of this world. Year by year finds them increasingly full of interest. Everything is heading up. Things are assuming new and strange forms. Many feel that significant, foreboding events are at hand. Why is this? It is, we believe, because the greatest of all events now facing men is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world. He has been here before. We have all heard of the perfect, sinless life of love and goodness He led here on earth--a life never before lived or known among men. We also know how men rewarded Him for it, how they crucified Him, hanging Him between two criminals. We have learned, too, how He came forth triumphant in resurrection three days later, and ascended back to heaven, from where He had come. Before going back, however, He left testimony about His return in its two aspects. First the Lord Himself will descend from heaven to rapture every...