July 28, 202

Preterist, Rev 1:1 “The revelation of Jesus Chirst which God gave him to show his servants the things that mut soon take place.” The Preterist view is generally the one which is earliest in time and shortest in duration. The contents of the book are thought to apply primarily to the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.            

Futurists Rev 20:6 “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power but they will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” The Futurist approach to revelation is just about how it sounds. This view states that Revelation details the events immediately leading up to the second coming of Christ. This view holds that before Christ returns there will be a very specific series of events which will begin with certain political events and the rapture. 

Chronologists Rev 4:1 “After this I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I heard speaking to me like a trumpet said “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.” Sometimes called the continuous historical view. It basically says that the book of revelation covers all of history from the first century until the end of time. Those who hold this view believe that key historical events and leaders can be identified in the book from the first century up to today. 

    Generalists, Rev 1:1b-2 “He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ even to all that he saw.” This view is often called the philosophy of history, Idealist, Spiritual or Symbolic approach. Many good people have taken this approach and it’s appeal is obvious. The book does lend itself to a repetitive approach as the seals, trumpets, and bowls are certainly related and repetitive. This view essentially says that the book describes in symbolic form the general struggle between good and evil.  

 Historicist, Rev 6:9-11 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had born. They cried out with a loud voice O Sovereign Lord, holy and true how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Often called the historical background approach (or sometimes considered a variation of the Preterist approach) This view sees the book as having a message to the saints under persecution during the reign of Domitian. It sees the book as primarily describing the fall of Rome through a theological lens. Most of the book then is fulfilled in or before the 5^th century AD. 

     By considering certain key known points we can determine which of these views best captures the message and purpose of Revelation. 

~ Kevin Cleary

 

July 21, 202

     We have all been there, maybe at a family function, maybe at work, maybe in a bible discussion with a friend. Someone expresses an idea that we know is wrong. Maybe it’s a moral issue like abortion or sexuality, maybe it’s a theological issue like how to be saved, or how we should worship. We think to ourselves how can I disagree without causing offence or getting into a heated argument? We may also think I know that’s not right but I’m not sure if I can effectively show why. 

     Often times the result of this situation will be we don’t say anything. This is not desirable for a number of reasons. First, if we love people we don’t leave them believing something harmful. Second, we have a command from the Lord to share the truth, and to be able to speak up for what we believe (Eph 4:15-16; Mat 28:18-20; I Pet 3:15-16). We leave the situation wishing we would have handled it differently. We may dwell on the event wondering what we could have done or said and imagining various scenarios both good and bad. 

     In our Wednesday evening bible study we have been discussing exactly this situation and learning ways to respond. The key theme has been responding in ways that don’t cause offence or lead to heated disagreements but instead lead to productive conversations.

     There is far to much to cover here but let me share just one principle.

     Instead of leaving the situation, or allowing someone to remain in ignorance there is a simple thing we can do. Just ask a question. Not just any question but specifically “how did you come to that conclusion?” or “why do you think that is the case?” 

These questions show respect to the person we are talking to. They indicate that we likely don’t agree but are open to learning. They also help us to better understand where the other person is coming from. 

     Beyond these initial results, asking why a person believes what they do can challenge them to examine their beliefs. Sometimes just asking the question is enough to help them see the error of a weak position.

     In addition, other good things can happen. We may be able to invite this person to further discussion. We may be able to simply ask more questions leading them to see an error in judgement or thinking. We may be able to offer a book or pamphlet or article that addresses the subject. 

     The beauty of asking a question is that it doesn’t lead to any kind of fight or dramatic confrontation. It doesn’t put either party in a defensive situation, at least at first. 

     Finally it allows us to exit the conversation without embracement to either party. Once we get an answer we can simply say,  “I had not thought of that, let me do a little research or let me look into it a bit and ask you about it again later.”

This is just one of the basic tools we have learned in our Wednesday study. There are many more and anyone is welcome to join us. 

~ Kevin Cleary

 

July 14, 202

     I have a friend who I heard tell a little about his life. This friend is now a preacher and a very capable one. That being said he has lived a life which included some bad stuff. When he was younger, he lived in a famously rough city in the US. To supplement his income he began to sell drugs. First it was not a lot, just a little pot to make ends meet. But he soon learned that harder drugs brought a bigger pay day. With that knowledge he moved into selling cocaine and methamphetamine and other things. 

     During this part of his life his description is challenging. He was making lots of money driving a nice car and able to do and have whatever he wanted. His description of this time was “It felt great.” In fact he says he can remember thinking to himself “how could his parents religion (Christianity) be right when his life was so good without it.” 

     This reveals something critical about the heart and mind of man; It is not a reliable guide for life. The wise man warns us of this truth, “There is a way that seems right to a man but it’s end is death.” Jeremiah reveals this same truth when he says, “It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” 

     Our own life and desires illustrate this truth very well. What person craves green vegetables or omega three fatty acids? When have you ever thought wow I could really go for some lean protein right now? What we crave is fat and salt and sugar. The things doctors tell us lead to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and all kinds of health problems.  When it comes to finances is our first thought boy I should put this away for retirement? No usually we think what can I spend this windfall on? 

     And so good common sense tells us that we are not often very good at knowing what’s right even in our physical lives. That being said, one of the most prominent ideas among religious people today is I am looking for what feels good. What they should be doing is looking for what is good. 

     Only God is truly good and only he can tell us what is good in relation to our religious belief and practice. God has done that very thing. Paul describes men groping for God in Acts 17 but goes on to point out there is no need for doing so. He tells Timothy that scripture provides all we need to live a life that is good and pleasing to God.

     My friend now looks back on his time selling drugs (which ended in a prison term) as a terrible time in his life. Not because he feels different but because he knows different. He will even explain that until he knew right he had no guilt about his past actions. 

     Will we continue to pursue what feels right? Or will we take our direction from God as given to us in the New Testament and actually do right.

~ Kevin Cleary

 

July 7, 202

     Revelation 1:3 says “blessed be the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and keep what is written in it for the time is near.” Despite this promised blessing the last book of the Bible is often the one most neglected. There are a number of reasons for this but mostly the perception about Revelation is that it is difficult to understand and apply to the Christian life today.

     I contend that this reputation is undeserved. Revelation is simply a different kind of language than we are used to reading. Further, there are some things in the book that can be difficult to attach a specific meaning to. Even without an exhaustive understanding of every verse, the message of the book is definitely something that can be grasped. 

     There are a couple of simple principles that come out of the book which will help to make it easier to read and benefit from. 

1. Revelation is written in language that is symbolic, in fact the word translated “made it known” or “signified” in verse 1 actually means revealed by symbols. So, when reading the book try to imagine the picture John is describing and picture it in your mind. This will go a long way in helping you grasp what is happening in the book.
2. The book is written to suffering Christians, the context which launches the main story of the book is found in Chapter 6 verse 9 where the martyrs ask how long? Much of the rest of the book is an answer to their question.
3. The answer that God gives is also a helpful truth to keep in mind while reading the book and his answer is God and his people are victorious over the forces of evil.

     There is more that could be said but even these simple principals will go a long way in helping make sense out of the Revelation.

     Of course, like any book beyond all of these is simply to read, read it through in large chunks or even the whole book in one sitting. Read it often; read the book over and over until you are totally familiar with the content. Read it slowly and prayerfully taking time to think about what you find. 

     So now that you have finished reading this little note, go get your Bible turn to the last book and read it, you will be blessed by the effort.

~ Kevin Cleary

 

June 30, 202

     Lots of people have read the bible, most are sincere looking for eternal truths to guide them in life and death. The Bible does contain these truths however when we find them they are not always what we were hoping for. Truth is often very uncomfortable and making serious changes is hard work. Because of this many people having taken a look put the Bible back on the shelf and don’t let it get into their hearts where it can have its full effects. In order to make the bible more appealing I would offer the following suggestions.

1. Read small portions of the bible while paying little attention to what comes before and or after the verse or few verses you have read. This lack of context will allow for a wide variety of interpretations one of which will probably not be too convicting.
2. Understand that the bible is an old book and while it contains wisdom (those are the parts that make you feel nice) some it of is quite outdated and probably not applicable to you and your life. 
3. Feel free to combine bible verses from any book with verses from any other book if they sound at all similar or even if they don’t. This way you can devise elaborate theologies about things you have imagined. 
4. When you read about bad characters in the bible understand that they are most like your neighbours, co-workers, family members, and people you may have heard about on the news. 
5. When you read about good noble characters in the bible understand that they are most like you and the people you like and agree with.
6. If you don’t immediately understand something in the bible, you can see what someone else things about it by reading a commentary there are lots of commentaries this is so you can find the interpretation that you like.
7. Don’t read a whole book in a sitting that’s too overwhelming, besides who reads letters or emails in one sitting? 
8. When you come across things that sound like direct commands you need to realize that God doesn’t have those expectations of you rather these are more like good suggestions probably for someone else.
9. Sometimes in your reading you will find history, sometimes you will find poetry, sometimes you will find reasoned discussions, sometimes you will find visions or symbols. You don’t really need to worry about all that just approach it all the same.
10. Finally, if you get to a point where you think there might be some reflection of you in the text don’t look to hard. It’s better to go away with your self-image intact than to feel like you might not measure up.

I hope that you will use the guide to aid in your Bible study. One last warning whatever you do don’t read James 1:22-25

~ Kevin Cleary