http://ichthys.com/ 
Eschatology Issues CX

Question #1:
I was reading in Herodotus Amyntus' son Alexander-when the Persians came and Amyntus entertained them. And then the Persians demanded their women come out and Amyntus granted it, but then the Persians started sexually assaulting them in the banquet area right then and there that Amyntus was afraid of the Persians and was silent. BUT his son Alexander was not.

As a question of morality, normally I am for the hierarchy and following the system even to self sacrifice, and very distrustful of rebellion or ends/ideal/vision justifying doing questionable things in the present. But over time I have come to the conclusion that some principles are more important, some things are worth middle-fingering the system for, some things worth dying for. And it is something to read a story and find myself agreeing (for once of a rare few moments, out of all the books I read) with the person 'rebelling' and at least trying to say 'no.'

If you disagree though, please do make just a line or two because I do wonder the moral and righteous way. It is applicable to daily life in little things.

Have a very Merry Christmas!
Response #1:
I agree with you. As believers, we are told to "honor the king" (1Pet.2:17; cf. Rom.13:1-7; Tit.3:1-2); but this is not the Millennium, so that we are allowed to take proper measures to defend ourselves and others from violence and abuse (e.g., Lk.22:36). When it comes to "duly constituted authority", also here believers have a right to avail themselves of lawful procedures to protect their lives and freedom (e.g., Acts 25:11), and even to directly oppose it when said authority is preventing us from doing something we ought to do (as in Daniel praying) or forcing us to do something we ought not to do (as in Daniel's three friends refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's idol).

The one thing to add, however, is that such resistance, right or wrong or in-between, always has consequences, and it is good to think about that before going off half-cocked in even a justified emotional rage. I have always been one to err towards resisting injustice from on high (I am certainly not saying that I am perfect in this!), and I can affirm that even in indisputably just instances, there is a price to pay for it, sometimes a very steep one. So be careful to prayerfully consider before acting and to "count the cost" before committing to any such resistance (Lk.14:28). In time shortly to come, such resistance will indeed be necessary to preserve our eternal life.
(4) And they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast. And they [also] worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? And who is able to make war with him?" (5) And a mouth was given to [the beast] to speak presumptuous things and blasphemies [against God]. And it was [also] given to him to do what he wished for forty-two months. (6) And he opened his mouth for [the purpose of] blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name and His dwelling and those who dwell in heaven (i.e., the family of God). (7) And it was given to [the beast] to make war on the holy ones (e.g., believers) and to conquer them (i.e., the Great Persecution). And authority was given to him over every tribe and people and language and race. (8) And all the inhabitants of the earth will worship [the beast], [that is, all] whose names are not [still] written in the book of life [where they were written] from the beginning of the world, [even the book] which belongs to the Lamb who was slain. (9) "If anyone has an ear, let him hear. (10) If anyone is [destined] for captivity [to captivity he will go]. If it is necessary for anyone to be put to death by the sword, by the sword he must be put to death. Herein lies the perseverance and the faithfulness of the holy ones."
Revelation 13:4-10
Merry Christmas to you too, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #2:
There are so many who say the covid vaccine is the mark of the Beast, and that if you take it, even if you repent sincerely afterwards, you are still irreversibly damned...what kind of righteous God would do this!? What kind of God would straight up LIE about the timing of the Mark in His own Word, and have it actually come BEFORE the Antichrist actually shows himself!?

I have yet to see anyone come to one of these people after reading their article or whatever, scared because they took the vacc, and then the "teacher" condemned them and told then they're unforgivable for what they did...but I'm sure it's happened. And these people are perhaps the most vile, evil, Abominable "Christians" I've ever heard of. And their God is even more wicked for doing this! These people speak such blasphemy against God's Grace in HIS NAME!!!

I have not and will not take the vaccine, so I guess I'm still redeemable to these people...a vile w**** from Hell who has no capacity to truly care for right and wrong...while people who are truly, I'm sorry, WERE truly saved and truly lived only for God, are the most vile of creatures and utterly irredeemable because they took a vaccine.
Response #2:
Anyone who has read Revelation should know that the mark is a mark and not something else like a vaccine or shot (this thing was not really a vaccine, not even as close to that as a flu shot, merely an emergency therapeutic), nor a chip implant, nor a digital currency, nor any other such thing. A mark is a mark, a visible tattoo (see the link).

Anyone who would teach damnation for getting a shot is either an idiot or a seriously evil false teacher (possibly both).

Anyone who teaches that salvation is based on anything other than grace through faith in Christ is doubtless not even a believer (Eph.2:8-9).

Anyone who keeps listening to drivel like that is going nowhere spiritually . . . except backwards.

This is what happens in Laodicea. I feel bad for these people (not for their teachers who should know better), but anyone who eats rotten fruit and suffers for it but keeps eating it anyway . . .

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #3:
My first response to you was 'oh that is a relief'. It is a weird feeling observing that you are changing like this and if it is the Lord then it isn't so scary.

But then I also remembered that I myself have thought about how ever since I read Psalm 37:25, and have indeed learned better about the Lord and am not afraid I will get struck down for nothing or for something small (the opposite really), I am more confident and independent and that sort of thing.

Somewhat related: I was praying today and saying that there is this idea that the rules are there for a good reason. And sometimes they are and sometimes they are not. In the moment when you have to make a decision that feels/seems wrong but is according to the rules, you may not be able to figure out if it was a good reason. I can see people doing the opposite (I mean I understand more). I mean our human rules.

Thank you for your prayers my dear friend. Have a good week!
Response #3:
You're growing closer to the Lord, my friend. That is what consistent Bible study – and believing it – will do. Good for you!

Rules are indeed important. All human authority comes from God (Rom.13:1-7; Tit.3:1-2; 1Pet.2:17; see the link), even though it is imperfect and sometimes perverse. Without authority, there would be anarchy, and we believers would not have an environment in which we can learn about the Lord and serve Him by helping others to do so (see the link: in SR 4, "Law and nationalism as restrainers of satanic influence"). So anytime we're tempted to gripe about inconsistent, unfair, and burdensome "rules", we need to keep in mind that God is using them to protect us . . . in order to be able to do His will for our lives.

There will, however, be a time in the near future when evil reigns and believers will be called upon NOT to "follow the rules" . . . when they come from the devil.
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Revelation 14:9-13 NIV
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #4:
Hi Bob,

Just something I need to tell you to share with your ministry. You know I feel really led by the Lord to expose false teaching and cults.

Wanted to warn some of your readers again about Q Anon. It is a cult as is all "teachings" from the conspiracy theory movement. The reason for the warning is that it is more and more wedded to the Evangelical Christian Right especially in America. It's been publicly endorsed by Trump and is also a major player behind the anti- vaxx, anti-Covid lockdown "freedom" movement.

I think I may have mentioned this before but I think it needs to be said again. The faith behind this movement is NOT Christian but a mix of pagan, new age and Theosophy (basically the same thing!)

I did tell you before but again important to say again that they use prayers from the "I am" cult and also the Church Universal and Triumphant.
Here is a little on both..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22I_AM%22_Activity

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Universal_and_Triumphant

Obviously I don't advise anyone to go deep into this stuff (as it is occultism) and also they often quote from these Ascended Masters by channeling demons so I wouldn't recommend reading the quotes. Knowing some of their lexicon is useful though.

They are both offshoots of Theosophy which believes in Ascended Masters which are the fallen angels under Satan coming to earth to teach us how to reach our "higher potential", positive thinking, through "good vibrations", the "seven rays" of emanationism (represented by the rainbow), the "awakening" and the "ascendancy", also to achieve "Christ consciousness". If you learn how the new age "talk" then you can spot this stuff a mile away. It is basically the idea of self redemption, self ascendancy and "inner godhood" through meditations and Yoga (meditation, visualisation and Yoga are hugely important aspects of this.) There is also a huge overlap with Gnosticism and the idea of gods from the Pleroma helping humans to break through the "prison" we are meant to be held in on earth by the "Demiurge" which is the God of the Bible.

I really do believe that this will be the underpinning of the one world religion as it will have to be pantheistic and syncretic to get everyone on board. The way Theosophy gets around this problem of appealing to all is that they claim that Buddha, Mohammed, Gandhi, Virgin Mary and even Jesus are all avatars or Ascended Masters. I've said before the New Age is the most obvious choice of religion for the antichrist. I doubt it will be slightly altered Christianity as most people hate anything to do with the Bible.

There is a strong leaning in this "religion" towards sexual purity and vegetarianism so that would fit in with the "forbidding to marry and abstaining from meats" from 1 Tim 4:3

Most of what passes as the Church Visible is New age already. 

Prosperity gospel = visualisation/ positive thinking

Charismatic/ Pentecostalism = Kundalini awakening 

Emergent Church = mysticism/ altered states through contemplative prayer

Hebrew Roots/ SDA/ Noahidism/ Messianic = Kabbalistic teaching (Kabballah and Zohar) 

I guess another umbrella term for all of this (aside from New Age) is basically Occultism.

Of course the best way to see through all these lies is to read our bibles and stick with spiritual growth. I do think it useful though for your readers to at least be aware of these things. They don't always come clean and say "we're occultists!" and they even deny the New Age title but it is a broad road to destruction after all! I would say the best way to describe the multifaceted and sprawling lies of the New Age is definitely the broad road!

I don't see Yoga going away anytime soon, do you? 

Thought this lexicon of words will help people to spot the New Age

Acupuncture
Affirmations
Ancient
Ancestral Wisdom
Anima, Animus
Archetypes (if related to Jungian beliefs)
Aura
Avatar
Ayurveda
Balance
Be here now
Bio-electrical
Bioenergy
Biofield
Body scan
Bodywork
Body-Mind-Spirit
Breathwork
Cellular memory
Chakra
Chatter/Mental Chatter/Monkey Chatter (as applied to thoughts)
Chi/qi/ki
Cleansing (the body, mind, spirit, soul, memory)
Complementary Healing/Medicine (CAM)
Consciousness, Higher Consciousness
Cupping
Detox/Detoxify
(The) Divine
Divine Center
Divine Consciousness
Divine Feminine
Divine Reality
(The) Doshas
Earthing
EFT (Emotional Field Therapy)/Tapping
Electrical energy (related to healing)
Electro-magnetic (healing)
(An) Empath
Enneagram
Energy
Energy Field
EFT/Tapping
Feng Shui
(The) Five Elements (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood; used in Taoism for Feng Shui, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and other aspects of Taoist?New Age practice)
(The) Four Elements (air, earth, water, and fire used in astrology, pagan rituals, and many areas of the New Age and occult)
Frequency/Frequencies
Functional Medicine
Grounding
Guided Imagery/Guided Visualization
Healing of Memories (Inner Healing)
Healing Touch
Holistic
Homeopathy
Inner Healing
Itovi Scanner
Inner Self
Integral Spirituality, Integral Christianity
Integrative care/medicine/healing
Intentional
(An) Intuitive, Intuitive Healer
Karma
Magnetism (usually related to healing)
Manifesting
(A) Medical Intuitive
(A) Medical Sensitive
Meditation
Meridian/s
Mindfulness
Monkey Chatter
Monkey Mind
Natural
Natural Healer/Natural Healing/Naturopathy
Naturopathy
Nidra/Yoga Nidra/Nidra Breathwork
Parasympathetic (legitimate term but often used wrongly in pseudo-science to sound credible)
Pineal Gland
Positive Thinking
Pranayama
Pranic Healing
Quantum, Quantum Energy, Quantum Field,
Qi-gong
Shiatsu (based on same Taoist beliefs as Acupuncture)
Spiritual Body
Tapping
Sacred Space
Sacred Places
The SCIO (The SCIO is connected to you via a headband and wrist and ankle straps. It allegedly sends electromagnetic signals to the body and supposedly scans the body).
Shaman
The Shift
Spiral
Spirit
Splankna (an alleged healing modality)
Tai Chi
Tapping/EFT
Therapeutic Touch
TFT (Thought Field Therapy)
Triads (Enneagram)
Touch for Health
Toxins (in context of detoxifying)
Traditional Medicine
TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine
(The) Universe
Universal Consciousness
Vibrational Jackie Summers
Vibrations
Vision Boards
Visualization
Vitalism
Vital Force
Wellness
"Western" Medicine
Yin and Yang
Zyto Scanner

Any words above appearing in the context of healing indicate the primary basis for the healing is spiritual, not medical.

In Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
Response #4:
Quite a list! This stuff is infecting everything. And, judging from the number of yoga shops/salons (don't know the right name), you are right: that stuff is not going away soon. I did a little Judo and Karate when I was younger but was put off by the "spiritual side" – similar to yoga.

Whenever and wherever people turn away from the truth, the devil has all manner of lies, "666 ways" to perdition, but we know that there is only One Way, the Life and the Truth in Jesus Christ (Jn.14:6).

Here's some links on antichrist's religion which will no doubt happily incorporate all of the above:
Characteristics of the New Religion of Antichrist
The False Piety of Antichrist's Tribulational Religion
The Anti-Christian Religion of Antichrist and its World-wide Expansion
The Persuasiveness of the Tribulational False Religion
The False Prophet's Administration of Antichrist's False Religion
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #5:
Doc...you say no believer would ever add to or take away from Revelation right?... I'm worried I might have done that. I misinterpreted the Beast from the Bottomless Pit (Revelation 11), and while It was an accident and I was sure I was right, I still told others it was the true interpretation. My misinterpretation was hearing "Beast" and assuming it was the same Beast that's associated with Antichrist...I was so scared hearing about it I just panicked and assumed that...I didn't mean to fool anyone, I thought I was warning people...why must I damn myself doing the very thing I try to warn people about?
Response #5:
The beast and antichrist are indeed the same individual.  See the link:
Coming Tribulation Part 3B:  Antichrist and his Kingdom: The Beast: All about Antichrist
In any case, that verse you are worrying about has to do with willful alteration of copies of the written Word of God for the purpose of spreading lies on behalf of the evil one. If everyone who misinterpreted or wrongly quoted the Bible were going to hell, I doubt if there'd be anyone at all in heaven. Hope you have a nice 4th! 
In Jesus, 
Bob L. 
Question #6:
Thanks Bob,

I keep you in my daily prayers too, your ministry, your self and your loved ones. I am also praying for your secular research. I am praying through my prayer list now twice a day, once in the morning first thing and last thing at night.

No rush over this next question as I know tonight you will be posting for tomorrow and I am looking forward to Sunday's offering.

Today I am re-reading 2nd Corinthians and I am struggling to understand chapter 3. Paul talks about being absent from the body. Does this refer to leaving this tabernacle behind (our sinful and mortal body) and to instead being with Jesus in either our interim body or our glorified one?
Then it talks about labouring whether present or absent but surely there is no more labouring for Christ after death as our opportunity to do so is only in the here and now in the fiery furnace?

Thanks Bob in advance my friend!

In Jesus,
Response #6:
I'm sure you mean 2nd Corinthians 5:9.

You do have a point. What Paul means is that whether we are focused on the here and now (as we all must be to some degree) or contemplating what is to come as we are still here, in either attitude we seek to please the Lord. Clearly, there are no worries about that once this life is over since that will be the end of all our troubles once and for all:
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:13-17 NIV
So "whether in the body or out of the body", means "we want to please the Lord, regardless of whether we are going to remain here in the body a long time or go to be with Him very soon". 

Looking forward to the latter, but resolved to honor Him even if it is the former.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Philippians 1:21-24 NIV
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #7:
Hello Robert,

I need your assistance regarding Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." There is a young man, a believer, who is hung up on the "destroy both soul and body" phrase. He said he was told that since the body and soul were both destroyed there is no hell. The question he then had was can God destroy - eliminate the soul? I tried to respond but told him I had to study this. I am a bit over my head here and would appreciate your take on this scripture.

In Jesus
Response #7:
Good to hear from you – hope you are doing well.

It's a good example of how believers can get encouragement from scripture but should not attempt to build their own doctrine from it – as if the Church were not a body where each member had its own function for the good of the whole. Even those with the gift of pastor-teacher can't "figure out" what scriptures which are not patently obvious on their face really mean without a good deal of preparation first.

In the specific case you ask about, the solution hinges on understanding Greek. Sadly, in most if not all versions, the word here translated "soul" is misunderstood. The problem is that in English culture the "soul" is thought to be "the spirit". But Greek has a word for spirit (pneuma cf. pneumatic) and that is not the word we have here. The word in Matthew 10:28 is psyche (cf. psychology). The psyche (the Hebrew equivalent is nephesh, cf. Gen.2:7) is the "life" of a person. It is not a separate organ or spiritual entity; i.e., it is not a tertium quid, some "third thing" in addition to the body and the spirit. Far from it. God created Adam by making/forming his body and then breathing in the spirit – and that is the origin of all human life today as well, namely, the creation of the human spirit within everyone whenever a person is born. The psyche/nephesh is the life or "living person" as it says in Gen.2:7. So English is confused and confusing on this point. We do say in English, "the ship went down and every soul aboard was lost" – meaning that everyone lost their physical lives rather than referencing eternal consequences. That is what is going on in the verse you ask about as well. Based on the above, here is how I render the verse:
"And do not fear those who can kill your body, but are not able to kill your self (psyche). But fear rather the One who is able to destroy both your self (psyche) and your body in hell."
Matthew 10:28
Even with this translation, I do realize that the above is still capable of misinterpretation, especially the "destroy" part. Note that the original is Greek not English and that the words are different and not exact equivalents in meaning so that they don't have the exact same connotations. That is to say, in Greek the word does not equal "must be annihilation" as we may think in English when we hear "destroy". Scripture describes damnation, the condemnation coming for all who refuse to believe in Christ, as "the second death". Now we know that the first death does not result in annihilation: believers go the third heaven while unbelievers go to "Torments", the holding pen, so to speak, where they are kept until the last judgment (cf. Lk.16:19-31). The same is true of the "second death", namely, there is no end of existence – it's just so bad in the case of unbelievers that it's described as "death". Or, to look at it another way, believers go off into eternal life, but unbelievers do not. They still exist, but it's not a condition that could be described as "life"; we might call it "eternal death" . . . except that the Bible doesn't use that terminology. But that is what the second death is, namely, a horrible existence for all eternity in the lake of fire, not annihilation, the end of existence.

We are told at Revelation 2:11 that "he who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death"; that is a funny way to put it if damnation was the end of existence. In fact, of course, our Lord is very clear that those who exit life without faith will find themselves in a situation where "Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mk.9:44; 9:46; 9:48; cf. Is.66:24). 

To apply all this to Matthew 10:28, destroying "self" as well as body in hell is referring to God's ability not only to do bodily damage – which ends at physical death in the case of any human harming any human – but also to inflict ultimate pain and damage on the whole person forever . . . by casting them into the lake of fire. The whole point of this passage, therefore, is to demonstrate that while a person might take comfort in the face of death knowing that physical death means the end of bodily suffering on this earth, in fact, God is able to prolong that suffering forever for those who reject Him, doing so through the second death, through "destroying [any comfort] of body or self/person/heart" by casting said rebel into the lake of fire. 

Thus any and all who want to use Matthew 10:28 to "show" that death ends suffering are completely misreading and misunderstanding our Lord here. He is demonstrating the exact OPPOSITE: human beings can ONLY affect one's body, and after the body dies, they can't do anything more to someone whom they are afflicting. But God has no such limitation. He is able to afflict, destroy (not in the sense of annihilation but in the sense of removing every comfort) not just the body but the whole person and do so forever. Human beings who inflict punishment do affect the whole person but can't do so forever since when the body gives out, the spirit leaves, resulting in the end of physical life (psyche) on earth; but unbelievers who face the last judgment in the resurrection for condemnation will have bodies which never go out of existence, bodies wherein their spirits will spend all eternity. But since they will be doing so in the lake of fire, that is no sort of "life" and so to say that this is the destruction of all a person might hope for, not just of the body but of the entire self, brings the point home with greater emphasis: this is the second death, an existence so terrible that it goes by that name.

I've written a lot about this and related subjects in the past. Here are a few links which might also help:
The Dichotomy of Man
Explanation of Matthew 10:28
Against Universalism I: Free Will and the Image of God. 
Against Universalism II: Only Believers are Saved.
Against Universalism III: Unbelievers in the Plan of God. 
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #8:
Hello Bob,

Things are changing fast here re 'gender' and I am sure that a populist backlash is in the making. Given the scant time we have left, I thought I would be well served by adopting a position that is Biblically sound now before anything else happens.

I have a male member of my family who wants to 'become female' (albeit a distant relative who I never see, though he is connected to relatives I do see a lot.)

I wondered if this strikes the right balance?

• Using a person's preferred name so it will not cause distress (especially in situations where everyone else already is using that name)
• Not using their preferred pronoun as it denies objective reality and may encourage them in their dysphoria. Pronouns can be avoided when you have little dealings with a person and their name can be used instead. I'm not sure what I would do if I had daily dealings with this situation?
• Show people who suffer in this situation Christian love but do not agree that a man can become a woman or vice versa.
• Only deal with this situation if we have to. Don't get politically enmeshed in this (or any other issue) and especially do not seek deliverance through politics.
• When meeting new people who immediately engage on this level (i.e. immediately ask 'What is your preferred pronoun?') be kind and courteous but keep a distance as they may prove problematic in the future.
• Leave any female only spaces if I feel unsafe or threatened at all (my safety and the safety of my loved ones is more important than someone else's feelings)
• When in intimate medical situations, refuse to have someone (for myself or my loved ones) who is not biologically female if a female nurse or carer was asked for.

It is really hard to strike the right balance between not causing distress to people who are already suffering, protecting myself and others from predators who game the system and simultaneously giving a witness of Jesus Christ.

All our boundaries, whether they are national or physical are being so blurred that it is almost becoming illegal to protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm!

I know though that our all in all is Jesus Christ. I will trust Him through these kinds of unknown waters and it will be good preparation for what is to come for us in the Tribulation. He will always show us the way and give us safe passage through. Amen!

In Jesus,
Response #8:
If you're talking about personal ground rules to keep yourself safe, these sound reasonable. Everyone is different and circumstance are kaleidoscopically variable. With so much craziness in the world, the principles behind your rules are good to keep in mind:
Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
Isaiah 59:15 NIV

The wicked strut about on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Psalm 12:8 NASB

When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.
Proverbs 28:12 NIV (cf. Prov.28:28)

When the wicked arise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.
Proverbs 28:28 NKJV

For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous man, you take bribes, and you turn the innocent away [from justice] at the gate. So the prudent man keeps quiet at [such a] time [as] this, for it is an evil time.
Amos 5:12-13 (cf. Matt.7:6)
Believers prudently avoid casting pearls before swine (Matt.7:6) but courageously acknowledge the Lord whenever asked to give an account for the hope which is in us (1Pet.3:15). It is important not to confuse the two situations; that sort of discernment takes spiritual growth.
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise (phronimoi: lit. "discerning" or "shrewd") as serpents and harmless as doves."
Matthew 10:16 NKJV (cf. Prov.14:18; Rom.16:19; 1Cor.14:20; Heb.5:14)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by this renewal of your thinking, so that you may discern what God's will for you is, namely what it is good, well-pleasing, and correct [for you to do].
Romans 12:2
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #9:
Hi Bob,

Maybe I'm waxing a bit hyperbolic, but recent news on the tech front is proclaiming AI is now capable of duplicating a human voice from just a small sample. AI duplication of actual humans has been used in cinema/porn for some time. Tech nerds and programmers have a tendency to boast of their accomplishment, so I'm somewhat inclined to pay attention. Even photos of presumably actual people can be generated by AI. Newscasts can and are being generated by AI. Basically, what you see on TV. read in the papers with photos, what you see on the 6:00 o'clock news is probably bogus. True, some of it may be honest, but you can survive playing Russian roulette, too. Should you trust it? AI is less expensive than paying people.

While I was pulling away from MSM, I occasionally checked Pravda to see how they were spinning things. It turns out, according to Pravda, Russia is cleaning the Ukrainian clock. According ti MSM, the Ukraine, thanks to western help of which more is much needed, is cleaning the Russian clock. I see no reason why this wouldn't intensify during the Tribulation. Many people will believe and be convinced as they seem to be now.

Just my opinion. I hope and pray all is well up there in L-ville.

In our Lord,
Response #9:
Re: ". . . what you see on the 6:00 o'clock news is probably bogus"; pretty much ALL of it is, but that has been true every since at least the mid 60's. People in totalitarian regimes learn to read between the lines. When Hitler gave his new year radio address for 1945 he said nothing about the Ardennes offensive (battle of the Bulge) . . . so that even the dullest German realized they must have lost that one big time. All you need to do is read a headline, pull out the spin and the bias, and you get the essential info. I.e., re: Ukraine, it's a nasty war (not that all wars aren't nasty), a lot of people are dying. Is there really anything much else we need to know about it? It's a lot easier to start a war than to stop it (the Civil War comes to mind).

On AI, I'm collecting up my upper level Latin midterms tomorrow on which I gave an essay question asking them to compare an ode of Martial with one of Horace. Naturally, I gave the citations. Well, I also this AM signed up for a free service and had the AI answer the questions. It gave a fair answer but everything was generalized and no specifics given, the kind of answer a smart freshman or sophomore might give if he/she spent a half an hour or so on Google and just wanted to be done with it – but couched in very good English. Here's another response I got, this one from Chat GPT:
The authorship of the book of Hebrews is a matter of debate among scholars and historians, and it is not possible to definitively say whether or not the apostle Paul wrote the book. While some early Christian writers, including Clement of Alexandria and Origen, believed that Paul was the author of Hebrews, others, such as Tertullian and Eusebius, did not attribute the book to him. Modern scholars also have differing opinions on the matter. There are several reasons why some scholars believe that Paul did not write the book of Hebrews. For one, the writing style and vocabulary of Hebrews is different from Paul's other letters. Additionally, the book of Hebrews does not include a customary greeting or closing that Paul includes in his other letters. On the other hand, there are also several reasons why some scholars believe that Paul could have written the book of Hebrews. For example, the book's author demonstrates an extensive knowledge of Jewish scripture and tradition, which is consistent with Paul's background and education. Additionally, the author's emphasis on the superiority of Christ and the importance of faith aligns with Paul's teachings. Overall, the question of whether or not Paul wrote the book of Hebrews remains a matter of debate and is unlikely to be definitively resolved.
This reminds me of IBM's "Watson" which was able to win easily at Jeopardy (once the bugs were worked out) . . . simply because it accessed the internet and added up the response hits. In the above, at least they are training their AI to "give both sides" to questions where there is a debate – and then not take sides at the end. The other AI told me definitively that Paul did NOT write Hebrews. That is the most common conclusion, and, like much conventional wisdom, is wrong (as in, "Russia will win over Ukraine easily and quickly" – I thought so myself on that one). It's worth asking just how useful an AI is which is either incapable of giving you a straight answer or else falls back on what most other people think. Not much insight there. Not much to worry about either – not even for professors who are actually spending time on grading essays carefully.

During the Tribulation, it won't just be "mis-information". The problem then will be the "lying signs and wonders" and the huge pressure to conform. But believers (who have been preparing spiritually) won't be fooled nor will we allow ourselves to be pressured. That would be beyond foolish, given the stakes.
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
Revelation 14:9-12 NIV
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #10:
Hi Bob,

Once again I chose my words poorly. What I meant was what you will see on the 6:00 news will increasingly no longer have any basis in reality; it'll be computer generated. I remember in the '70s when MIT began playing with artificial intelligence. No one at the time expected anything to come of it. It was written in a cockeyed programming language called "Lisp." It was aptly named; the language was a programming disability. I have no idea if it's still used for the current versions of AI.

The news has been bogus since at least WWII when DoD effectively took over media. And most likely since the 1850's. Given the recent covid fiasco, it doesn't appear to have changed. It doesn't appear to me that people have changed at all in the past 6,000 years except maybe the sports and snacks they enjoy. I believe that if we do the same things for which the ancients were punished, we can expect the same thing. I think we're seeing that beginning now.

Thanks for sharing your experience with AI. You're the only one I know who uses it. Having known and worked with programmers, I wouldn't trust anything they did. Although I think you were wise using the application because some of your students may resort to that. (Computerized Cliff Notes?) I've worked with IBM before, too, as a systems engineer and I can't say I would trust them much either. Maybe I just have a bad attitude.

I'm seeing so much today pointing to the Tribulation, it's chilling. The social pressure is real and considering '30s and early '40s Germany, I think we will have to be quite careful of what we say, to whom and who we consider friends. I've already started that. I consider it basic training. After all, scripture says that family members will even turn on family members and I'm beginning to see some of that also.

I have to say, I consider scripture a more credible news source than WXYZ-TV at 6:00.

In our Lord,
Response #10:
"I consider scripture a more credible news source" – Amen indeed! God and His Word alone are worthy of our trust.

My point about AI is that while it can manipulate language, there's not much point in it that I can see for that purpose. Make things up? If AI tells us over the news that an asteroid hit earth yesterday and everyone was annihilated, first, that would be fairly unbelievable for those of us still here, but second and even more important, I'm not sure what purpose that would serve for the powers that be. And isn't that really the threat? Namely, as a weapon to advance the purposes of those who oppose the truth? But if we are heeding the only reliable source of truth, such lies are unlikely to get any purchase on our hearts. I find weather reports somewhat useful. When they start handing them over to AI and it predicts warm and sunny then we get a blizzard, I'll stop listening to them as well.

Interesting background. Thank you! I have a very good upper Latin class with some highly intelligent individuals therein, and today they mostly thought the answers the AI gave were good (I didn't tell them that they were AI generated at first). But a couple them did point out some noticeable errors. Bottom line: the thing is good at hedging a hodgepodge of generalizations it finds on the internet, but not of coming up with anything import or new, or of conducting any real analysis. It just frames what it does in very good English (admittedly not easy!). I don't think it's going to commandeer the nuclear triad any time soon. That would probably be antichrist's job (talk about manufactured evil intelligence).

But you are right. Everyday it's some new travesty. Just when it seems like there couldn't be any more such and couldn't get worse there is and it does. Good training for the time when the pace of disaster is exponentially worse indeed!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #11:
Hi Bob,

Do you think I'm off-base in seeing a parallel to the Tribulation in Joseph's saga; sold into slavery by family, adoption in Egypt, success and family returning to beg? What about Jacob's indenture to Laban and eventual marriage to Rachel? Or perhaps, even Ester's saga, though farther afield? Could these parables be guides to surviving the Tribulation?

I pray you and yours are well.

Yours in our Lord,
Response #11:
Well, "all scripture is profitable" (2Tim.3:16), so we mature believers who read the Bible are always finding useful applications and parallels every time we read it.

There are certainly deliberate "tribulational paradigms" in scripture, that is, where scripture itself makes that connection (e.g., the flood, the exodus). Here are the two links in CT where they are discussed:

1) Paradigms for the Tribulation (in CT 7).

. . . and a little more generally . . .

2) Biblical sources for the end times (in CT 1).

It is certainly true that there are aspects of the Tribulation and our negotiation of it which can be illuminated by all manner of scripture, including the examples you suggest. David's time in the wilderness being hunted down by Saul also comes to mind. The only thing I would caution is against making any temporal connections or direct interpretations about the Tribulation from such comparisons. That is to say, the fact that David went to Gath to escape Saul does not mean we should think of escaping to some safe haven (personally, I firmly believe that David's move was a mistake); the fact that Jacob served for twenty four years in total can't be number-crunched to have anything to do with the Tribulation's time-line; the fact that Mordecai resisted Haman shouldn't be used to inform how we are to comport ourselves once antichrist takes over; the fact that Joseph was wrongly imprisoned by his brothers but then came to rule Egypt shouldn't lead us to think that there will be any such deliverance while the Tribulation is still going on. In other words, while we are certainly meant to gain insight and encouragement from seeing how godly believers of the past handled personal tribulation of all sorts – through trusting in the Lord with a faith built up by consistent spiritual growth – it's an overly precise application of the details I feel compelled to warn against. 
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4 NKJV
So by all means . . . we are with David in the desert, with Joseph in the prison house, with Jacob in the hard-scrabble shepherd life, etc., and we have joy in the Lord in spite of all such sufferings, looking forward eagerly to the day of our coronation/liberation/restoration just as these great believers did, knowing that just as the Lord delivered them temporally, we will be delivered eternally when we are raised in glory at our Lord's glorious return.
(39) And through their faith, all of them though they became witnesses [to the world] (lit., "were martyred"), yet they did not receive the promise (i.e., resurrection and reward), (40) since God was looking forward for our sakes to something better, so that they might not be made perfect (i.e., resurrected and rewarded) without us.
Hebrews 11:39-40
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #12:
Bob, I apologize. I really need to keep my questions more tightly focused. I wasn't thinking in terms of surviving the Tribulation. More in terms of how to behave, You went into far more depth than I was thinking -- though instructive . Having said that, I never understood the Exodus to be a paradigm of the Tribulation. I saw it as, "Here's what you get if you trust the Lord and what you get if you ignore Him." Daniel's three friends in the furnace gives me hope for the Tribulation but I understood it the same way.

I saw Joseph as an example of going through great tribulation and being blessed at the end, much like we'll go through great tribulation and be blessed with resurrection and paradise at the end.

Thanks for the explanation. You've given me much more to think about.

In our Lord,
Response #12:
It's my pleasure, my friend.

Certainly, the Tribulation will be a time of intense trouble. Everything in scripture is helpful to enduring personal tribulation of every sort, and the chronicles of solid believers in the Bible who managed to endure are absolutely worthy of consideration on that score. 

On the exodus: Pharaoh as antichrist and the people of Israel as believers who are brought through the "sea of trouble" (cf. Zech.10:11) while the enemy is entirely annihilated by the Lord thereafter (just to hit the high points), has a lot in common with the chronology of the Tribulation. Links:
Pharaoh
The Exodus Parallel
The analogy of the Exodus
Daniel's three friends (and Daniel too, re: the lions' den) are wonderful examples of trusting God in the face of threats from powerful authority and being delivered. However, we believers here and now also have to accept the very real possibility of martyrdom from which all four of these great believers were delivered.

The same thing goes for Joseph. But there will be believers who are imprisoned during the Tribulation and who yet make it through to the second advent – when we will be resurrected and then share in Christ's millennial rule (that will be the case also for those martyred, possibly, depending on the entire ledger of their response to the Lord in this life, in more powerful positions; cf. Rev.20:4).

Wishing you a great weekend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #13:
Hello Brother Robert

Like to ask you a question we see in the gospels where the Lord mentions that he would provide all our needs and he provided food for those that were hungry. A question is why was Paul sending a message about him being hungry thirsty cold and no clothing.

A friend tried to explain to me Paul was not in the will of the Lord when he was hungry and thirsty and no clothing when he was cold could you help open up about what I see that he went through his suffering for the gospel

Thank you 
Response #13:
Good to hear from you as always, my friend.

In the gospels, I assume that you are talking about Matthew 6:25-34 (Lk.12:22-31 )? Our Lord does say that we shouldn't worry about what to eat or wear, and there are many passages in scripture which likewise affirm our Lord's supervision of us and His taking care of all of our needs (Job 5:20; 5:22; Ps.33:18-19; 37:18-19; 37:25; Prov.10:3; Is.33:15-16; 49:10).
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:34-39 NKJV
As the passage quoted above tells us, however, it is not hunger or cold that we should fear: we should be confident that no matter what we are called upon to endure in this life, we have a better life on the other side because we have been rescued from the lake of fire through our faith in Jesus Christ. Believers are called upon to share in the sufferings of Christ (Rom.1:18; 2Cor.1:5-7; Phil.3:10; Col.1:24; 2Tim.1:8; Heb.10:21; 1Pet.4:13; 5:9; see the link), and during the Tribulation that will be so even more intensely so than has ever been the case before (link).
"If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
Revelation 13:10 NIV
The apostle Paul was called upon to endure much more suffering than almost any of the rest of us could possibly endure (Acts 9:16; cf. 1Cor.4:8-13; 2Cor.4:7-12; 6:3-10; 11:16-33; Phil.3:7-11). But we note with joy and take confidence in the fact that our Lord never ever let him (and never lets us) suffer beyond what we can actually endure (1Cor.10:13). Paul may have been without proper clothing from time to time – but he never froze to death; Paul may have gone without food from time to time – but he never starved to death. During the difficult seven years to come, we may be inconvenienced, we may be uncomfortable, we may in fact suffer tremendously before the Lord returns – but we can be absolutely certain that our Lord will never abandon us or forsake us (Heb.13:5): if it is His will for us to be able to endure until the end, then we shall do so . . . just as long as we never give up our faith and confidence in Him even if we get a little cold and hunger – or even a lot (n.b., the Peter series has much about such suffering and "personal tribulation"; see especially: PE 25, PE 26, PE 27).
"But he who endures to the end shall be saved."
Matthew 24:13 NKJV
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #14:
Hello Bob,

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday.

I am currently re-reading PE pt 6 and I am still struggling on the part about "suffering for blessing". When you write after the False Query #2 that residual pain is for our good and our edification. I am still struggling to understand this. Is it because we are learning not to sin this type of sin again? Like a child who touches a hot stove and burns their hand. Even when they remove their hand and the parent scolds them and the child vows to never do it again, the pain will still be there and the child will know not to do this again.

Is this what is meant by suffering for blessing and edification?

Thanks in advance my friend!

In Him,
Response #14:
The point is that when we sin, it has consequences, sometimes divine discipline, sometimes the natural results of what we may have done. But after we confess, it's all for blessing – because we are back in the will of God and everything He does for us in His plan is a blessing. So we don't need to feel "hang-dog" about whatever pain was the result of something wrong we did – any more than we should allow ourselves to be depressed by suffering that is for blessing in the first place. As James says . . .
(2) Brothers, when you are being beset with all manner of trials, take pains to be joyful. (3) For you should keep in mind that this testing of your faith develops perseverance. (4) So let your perseverance develop fully, that you may become fully mature and entitled to a full reward, having been found lacking in no respect.
James 1:2-4
Ice is finally melting here! Almost ended up on my keester while trying to walk this AM, however. Tomorrow will be worse after "melt-n-freeze".

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #15:
Thanks for straightening that out for me in a way I could understand!

Keep yourself high (up) and dry (-ed out) my friend! Either that or don some skates and a pillow next time! 

Am I way off beam here? In the garden of Eden, the tree of life represents Jesus. So does the tree of knowledge of good and evil represent the law? Or am I taking the symbolism too far? 

In Him,
Response #15:
My pleasure!

Yes, still a bit slippery in spots today. Probably will be a few days or so before it's all gone.

Hmm. Well, in some respects the Law may represent the tree of TKGE (containing more detailed prohibitions), but that tree represented the essential choice to fail to follow God, and there has always been that choice, in Eden, before the Law, and after the Law, so I wouldn't want to limit it.

Hope you are doing well, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #16:
Thanks Bob!

Yes I am muddling along and structuring my day around my spiritual growth and as I am getting a lot of that done through study, I am now ready to organise a work schedule also!

Stay in fine fettle and upright!

In Him,
Response #16:
That's wonderful!

You are an encouragement to me.

Keep running your good race for Jesus Christ!

In Him,
Question #17:
Hi Bob,

Thanks so much for all your encouragement too!

The one thing that made me smile the most was when you said, "God is glorified by that!" That's what our lives are all about - glorifying the Lord in all we think and say and do. So that made me very happy!

I'm glad the ice is on it's way out now. And it's great that you're able to do a little bit of jogging again too.

Today was a long and busy day at work. I'm going to get an early night tonight - keep on top of my sleep and looking after myself.

Consistency is good in all the important and healthy things in our lives isn't it?

With all my heart I love the Lord and I love His Word and I love being in the family of God!

Your friend in Jesus
Response #17:
Good for you: sleep is medicine, especially with this Covid trouble all around us at present.

Yes, I plan to get out there and do more tomorrow. Busy time here at the university and also with "life stuff", but God sees us through it all, one day at a time. Grateful for that! And grateful to be one day closer to the end every day. That is a real blessing.

Yes indeed, we need to keep plugging away as best we can. Keeping at it is the only way I've ever been able to get things done. That''s how the tortoise won the race! Even if the rabbit was a much better sprinter.

Keeping you and your family in my prayers my friend, and thanks awfully for yours as well.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #18:
Thanks. I have another question I may have asked but forgot what you said (use this in "Political Action verses Spiritual Growth IV" if that ever comes around). 

Should we as believers boycott (I just use that term as a catchall for refusing to buy products) certain companies? A lot of Christians say to boycott entirely companies that produce products that support anti-biblical causes, like a movie that depicts a trans person in positive light, or has a gay couple for example. I do have companies that I refuse to buy from just for conscience sake because of the sheer evil they push for (Disney these days pushing for child sex change surgery for example), but other than that I would assume we don't need to?
Response #18:
As I've often remarked in posted comments, modern products are so complex that for a person to be Simon-pure in what they consume on these issues they would have to go off into the forest and eat roots. As the famous essay, "I, Pencil", demonstrates, even such a seemingly simple product is impossible to make without dozens of sophisticated processes at many different facilities requiring resources and inputs from a large number of companies (many of which are overseas). How much more a cell phone (for example)!

In any case, as much as possible believers are better off steering clear of all things political, in my opinion. We are here to grow spiritually, progress in our walk with the Lord, and help others do the same through engaging in the ministries the Lord will lead us to – none of which is possible without diligently studying the Bible under a good teaching ministry, believing the truth taught, and applying it to one's life. Worrying about the world is distracting from what for us ought to be "job #1".
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40 NIV
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #19:
Dr. Luginbill.

I sent this last week and perhaps you didn't get it since you always respond in a timely manner. Hope you are doing ok?

Hello Dr. Luginbill,

I hope you are well and life is good! I know that the scripture says that The Mark of the Beast will be on the right hand or forehead and that you have said in your studies that you feel it will be a tattoo. Also receiving this mark will mean you have denied Jesus and are following the Antichrist who is to come, but by not taking this mark than you will not be able to buy or sell anything. That being said do we need to worry about this new digital currency that the US is talking about especially in light of the recent banking failures and perhaps a pretext for the banks to now go digital? They are talking about eliminating all cash purchases as the government wants to see and control our money and purchases. I see a time when our deposited moneys whether from a payroll direct deposit or social security may not be deposited if one hasn't signed up for this digital system i.e. The Beast System.

If it then comes to this digital system do we need to worry or just go along knowing it may be a precursor to the mark but not the actual mark. I seldom use credit cards and usually purchase with cash and keep little money in the bank. Not that I do not trust our government, banks, etc). Any thoughts on this? It has been report that this may be implemented in 2025. I have also read that some eschatologist feel that year may be the start of the tribulation.

___'s health has improved some and she is going to a pain specialist who she feels is helping but unfortunately I am not sure she will ever be completely healed after all the medical issues she has gone through. I keep her in prayer daily that our Lord will heal her and more importantly that she will accept Him as her Savior.

Thank you also for your continued prayers for her and for your hard on Ichthys.

Blessings,
Response #19:
Apologies for misplacing your email. Don't know what happened. Thanks for re-sending (having trouble with "Hotmail" on this end again)!

In terms of what the mark of the beast is, you have correctly stated what I teach at Ichthys (which I feel is just the very straightforward expression of what Revelation 13 clearly states; here is a link to one place where this is all hashed out in some detail).

Regarding "do we need to worry about this new digital currency that the US is talking about", well, we're told not to worry about anything (but I know what you mean). I've never been a fan of believers "prepping" for the Tribulation in material ways. I've always encouraged spiritual preparation. The latter no one can take from you; the former can indeed be taken away, no matter how clever or diligent a material prepper you may be. After all, the beast will arrest many believers in the course of the Tribulation and at that point all material preparation will go right out the window. Given that we also can only dimly imagine the scenarios that might unfold in terms of the specifics which any material prep would have to address, it seems to me a fool's errand to go that route – especially to go "all in". Who imagined this switch to digital currency five years ago? Few, I would imagine. Who imagined all the things that AI would be doing? Who imagined that what seems like a huge percentage of our youth would be tricked into "transitioning"? One could go on, and on, an on, sadly. But however unsettling things are at present, they will be more so during the Tribulation. And however rapidly and disturbingly so the pace of change is presently progressing, it will exponentially more so during the Tribulation. So whatever we start to worry about now will be greatly different during the few short years to come – in ways we cannot anticipate ahead of time.

What we DO know is that the Lord is faithful. Absolutely. Jesus us told us not to worry . . . because GOD takes care of us. Our job is to believe that with all our hearts. And it IS true, by the way. So whatever awful things happen now or in short order or once the Tribulation starts, while we can't have any confidence of anticipating them or taking sufficient material measures to guard against them, we can be absolutely sure that our Lord is going to take care of us, that He is going to employ us like the good Christian soldiers we are to glorify Himself – if we are only willing to be so employed. And we won't be ready to be employed/deployed if we are not preparing spiritually now.

I know that the Lord will keep us fed and clothed until He returns . . . if it is His will for us to endure until that day. Until then, we do the best we can interacting with the dark world in which we live, trying to set the best example we can, an example of deep faith for all who observe us, the witness of the life and, when prudent, of the Word as well. Training ourselves to focus on the "end game", a good reward and a "well done!" from our Lord in spite of the disturbing things we are seeing and experiencing now (with worse to come), is essential to this. And such an approach is only even possible for those who are spiritually mature. 

I know you know all this, but you've given me an opportunity to "preach to the choir", so look for this being posted fairly soon.

I'm happy to hear that ___ is some better. I'm keeping her in my prayers. Thanks so much for yours as well, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #20:
The arguments people make on the Right Wing for their political action being what needs to be done are so compelling and make too much sense for me to brush it off. How do I deal with this?

I pretty much immediately discredit what comes from the Left Wing with how far gone they are (the things they do these days would be too disgusting to be put on Ichthys), but the Right Wing for the longest time seemed to be the logical and rational choice...how do I let go of it?

Please read my last email too please. I know you may not like talking about something like this but I need to know if you're willing to answer (you don't have to put it on Ichthys either if you're not comfortable with that):

What should be done about convicted pedophiles (specifically ones who actually have assaulted a child or looked deliberately at illicit pictures of them)? Asking because I was in a chatroom on social media and someone said they need to essentially be tortured in the most painful ways possible for the rest of their lives...One person even said we should kill them, implying also we need to keep the Gospel away from them so they're forced to go to Hell (!?). I actually fell for their arguments for a while until I realized Jesus wouldn't want either of these, ESPECIALLY not the latter.

I do agree that most of them are probably so far gone they'll most likely never repent, and there's no doubt they should be punished severely under the law, but how should this be handled?
Response #20:
As to "what should be done", my question in response would "by whom?"
LORD, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
Psalm 131:1b NKJV
A good example to consider – especially since David was probably king by the time he wrote this psalm (and was almost certainly in some position of great authority in any case). You and I are not in any great position of power. It is not our job, not our responsibility, to issue policy edicts or to carry them out. If the Lord promotes you like He did Joseph to be dictator over the whole country, then perhaps you would need to consider such things. As it is, there is absolutely no point in worrying about politics in any way shape of form – since you have no say in the matter at all. Fretting about politics and political/societal issues is not only a complete waste of time but also a great distraction in terms of emotion, in terms of focusing on the Lord who is actually in control, and in terms of getting down to the business of spiritual growth.

What should be done about all of these sorts of matters in these emails? If we REALLY cared about our country, we believers would double down on spiritual growth. Why? Because the only influence we actually have is through our relationship to the Lord. He not only hears our prayers – and all the more so if we are walking close to Him (Jas.5:16b KJV: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much") – but it is also important to remember that we believers are the "salt" of the nation, the remnant of the righteous which acts as preservative when the salt is good. But if it loses its "savor" then "It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out" (Lk.14:35).

What should be done? "We" should stick to our knitting in reading, e.g., the Basics series (link) . . . and not waste our time in chat-rooms with unbelievers and Laodicean believers who are intent on wasting theirs (IMHO).

In Jesus,

Bob L.
http://ichthys.com/