Anti-Bullying

We never fully know just how much our words impact and effect the lives of others, but rest assured, they do. The old saying, sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me is ridiculous. Sure, my words won't break your arm, but they could sure break your heart if I'm not careful with them.

In preparation for my Eighth Grade Confirmation Class's study on the Eighth Commandment (You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor), I wanted to show a YouTube video about gossiping. We would watch it and then talk about the harmful things that come from such behavior. In searching for just the right video, however, I unexpectedly came across another topic - bullying.

We've all seen it (perhaps even experienced it) back in our school days. The playground bully who took whatever he wanted from whoever he wanted without consideration or care about the inevitable consequences. That guy still exists today. He's still hiding around the corner waiting to take lunch money from this generation of school children.

It's that group of "mean girls" who are so good at finding the faults and problems of absolutely everyone - well, almost everyone - they never seem to see their own faults. Or do they? Could they be acting out because they've been hurt?

These bullies are bad enough. But there is another bully out there who does just as much harm as the physically aggressive, lunch money-stealing, creep and the pack of extra-spoiled, highly privileged princesses - the words we say and people we say them about on Facebook and other social media. Secluded in the safe surroundings of your computer room, you can say anything you want about anyone you want with absolutely no repercussions for yourself. Or, at least that's what it seems at the time.

But there are serious repercussions and consequences to what we say, even when it's "just online". Our words can hurt. Our words can tear down. Our words can destroy.

Please be careful with what you say and post on your social media. If you wouldn't say something to someone's face, you better not push the "submit" button. Once it's posted, you can't take it back. The damage is done. (Search YouTube on the topic "bullying" if you don't believe me!)

On the other hand, stand up for people. When you see someone being bullied (in person or online), stand up for him or her. Your words can also help. Your words can build up. Your words can heal. This is the right thing to do. It's not the easy thing to do. But it is most certainly the right thing to do.

Death Defeated . . . Today!

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:26

If we truly believe these words, it will dramatically change our lives forever. If we believe that death is nothing more than an enemy to be defeated, we can live our lives unaffraid of it. If we believe we are on the side of the One who will ultimately cast death into the fiery pit along with Satan and his pointless minions, we can stand unshakably steady before the face of any insurmountable obstacle. So why don't we? Why is it that so often the smallest thing can seem like the biggest challenge that we couldn't possibly overcome? Why do we often not live our lives as if we believe that Jesus is on our side?

The Old Testament leader, Moses, suffered from this problem. He came face to face with the God of all creation, yet had the audacity to doubt God was right in choosing him. Moses came up with as many excuses as his feeble mind could contrive to express and explain to his Creator why he was not the man for the job. Now step back from this scene and take a different look at what's really going on. The God of all creation, the God who created Moses and purposed this very work for Moses (Jeremiah 29:11), this is the God speaking with Moses. And Moses is back-talking, saying that All-knowing, Almighty, All-seeing, Eternal God has it dead wrong when He comes to Moses to make him the leader of the Hebrew people. Rididculous!

Ridiculous, but all too prevalent. Moses knew about God and who He is, but when the "rubber met the road", Moses showed his true colors. Moses was a fearful loner with a low self-esteem. The biggest problem with Moses was his lack of trust that God was behind him in all that he would do.

Do you believe in Jesus? What do you mean when you say you believe? That He died for your sins, right? Fine, so one day you will go to heaven when you die. But what does all that have to do with you today? What does Jesus have to do with the choices you'll make tomorrow, the business you'll conduct next week, the family vacation you'll take next month? If we believe in Jesus, we believe this forgiveness has changed everything. The All-knowing, Almighty, All-seeing, Eternal Lord has created you and strengthens you and that everything you do is important. He has chosen you and built you up to be a light in this world. A beacon that leads, yes leads people to the only Savior. The Lord has called you to be a leader! Could He be calling you to leadership in your congregation? In your family? In your community? I join you in prayer to ask the Lord this very question!

In whatever you do, whether for your church, your family, or your community, do it all in complete faith and trust that your Lord knows exactly what He's doing in sending you to do it!

The Dangers of God's Word

On Sunday, May 22, 2011, the day after the Rapture, as predicted by Harold Camping, I gave Mr. Camping the benefit of the doubt. I even felt a bit sorry for him. I mean, to have put that much into something you believe so strongly in only to be proven dead wrong . . . well, I felt for the guy.

But then only a few days later, after a brief silence, Mr. Camping spoke publicly. He apologized that things did not go the way he predicted they would - namely, that all the good and faithful Christians were not visibly raptured to heaven by the Lord. At the same time, he did not admit that he is wrong. Instead, he covered his tracks by claiming the rapture did in fact occur as scheduled on May 21, 2011. He now claims that what he didn't count on was a "spiritual" rather than a "physical" rapture. Thus, Mr. Camping seemed to spend his days of silence dreaming up a way to save face. A better use of his time would have been in repentant prayer to the Lord for the damage he has done in his fallacious and borderline (if not completely) heretical claims.

Unfortunately Mr. Camping continues to believe he is in the right. He continues to believe that it has been given to him by the Lord to know the times and seasons fixed by the Father (something that Jesus Himself said it is not given to anyone to know, Acts 1:7). And so for Camping, the rapture happened May 21st [spiritually] and the end of the world remains set at October 21st.

Don't believe it!

I don't say this because of Camping's atrocious track record (he's made similar claims and has been just as wrong before). Rather, I say this because Jesus says this. No one knows the day or the hour of the return of our Lord (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32, Luke 21:34-36, Acts 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, etc.). (Furthermore, the rapture and the Last Day shouldn't be seen as separate events anyways, but that's a topic for another time!) In Matthew, Mark, and Acts, Jesus is quoted as saying that only the Father knows when the End will come.

Harold Camping is a symptom of a larger problem. Many believe that because they are able to read the words on the pages of the Bible, they are equally able to interpret what the Words on said pages mean. Harold Camping is proof that this is clearly not true. He has read and thoroughly studied certain aspects and passages of Holy Scripture but has made critical mistakes in his understanding. The basic mistake he made was accepting some words of the Lord recorded in the Bible while rejecting others. For example, Jesus said "but concerning that day and hour [of the End], no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only" (Matthew 24:36). These words were rejected in favor of Mr. Camping's belief that he could "decode" the dates, times, and events of the Books of Daniel and Revelation in such a way as to determine an exact date for the End.

The problem is magnified by Camping's radio medium by which he propagated his erring interpretations and viewpoints. If his misunderstandings could have been limited to him and his close circle of associates, the impact could have remained localized. As it turned out, however, there were many who heard his interpretations and acted in ways they saw fit. That is, we've heard many stories of people who refused to address their problems because the rapture would take them all away; people who sold everything they owned because they wouldn't be needing those things where they planned to go; and even a sad case in which a mother injured her children and herself in an apparent effort to escape the promised rapture.

Admittedly, Mr. Camping cannot be blamed for the choices made by people who followed him. However, he can and will be held accountable for his mishandling of the Lord's Word. He has led people astray in an Ezekiel 13 manner. By immersing himself in a relentless attempt to know what is not given to him to know from Daniel and Revelation, Mr. Camping has attempted to say more than what has been revealed to us by the Lord. This is always a dangerous endeavor that is best to be avoided at all costs!

The Lord has revealed much. He has also left much to be revealed at a later time with the invitation to accept the revealed and trust Him about the rest. Trust that the Last Day is coming and that through your faith in Jesus, it will be the best day of your life!