Adult Sabbath School" Does "Jesus is Coming Soon" Do More Harm Than Good?

Is it healthy or even wise for the focus of any church to be the Second Coming of Jesus?  After 2000 years the concept of "soon", "shortly" and "quickly" have long since faded in reality.  The First Century Apostles were clearly mistaken about Jesus returning soon, although that is the constant theme of all of the New Testament Gospels, Epistles and Letters.  

The Apostle Paul made the point to the Church back in his times that "we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed" (I Cor. 15:51).  Of course he was mistaken and he died as well just as all others who just knew Jesus would return for them died over the past two millenia. Lives back then were put on hold in anticipation of the soon coming event. The Church, for a short time as it was intended to be, held all things in common because "time was short."  That practice was never intended as a long term approach to church practice. It faded when two things happened.  Jesus did not return and more wealthy educated Greeks came into the church and weren't about to give their wealth to the church in such a practice. 

It is and was not just the Worldwide Church of God that heavily emphasised the soon and imminent coming of Jesus. The Adventists, for decades, have made prophecy of Jesus coming again a focal point in their evangelizing.  The Book of Revelation, as still today in the splits and splinters, is THE go to proof that we are in the end times still and again.  It, however, never really seems to be true and one generation after the next has been left disappointed if not dis-illusioned over the issue.

So obvious was the non-return of Jesus and the coming of an earthly Kingdom of God to overcome

all human governments that Church doctrine began to evolve to reflect this reality.  In time, Christians were going to simply die and go to Heaven.  (Or Hell) and it didn't matter if Jesus came literally to earth or not anymore.  Some teach that humans hang out ever dead in the grave until the Second coming and then it all works out just fine for most. As a kid I always wondered just how the sea could give up it's dead when there is nothing left to give up no doubt. I supposed their spirits just hung out on the bottom awaiting their time to return.  

So I ask..

Is it wise, seeing that Jesus has not returned soon, quickly or really shown anyone the things which must shortly come to pass, now 2000 years ago, to keep holding it out as the carrot on the stick to get people interested in church?   The night was not really far spent as noted in the New Testament nor "the hour now is" that wasn't.   

I know we're all very familiar with...

"Verily I say unto you", This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Matthew 24:34).

We simply have to admit, at face value, Jesus was wrong and not only DID that generation pass away, but so have countless others that followed. Jesus has not been misunderstood in this statement. He was wrong. Sincere not doubt and it simply will not go into the bible-reader mind that this might be the simple truth of the matter. There has to be another explanation that makes Jesus right in this perspective not 2000 years past.

And there is! We have read it wrong. Jesus did not mean what he said and we can relax. Jesus wasn't talking to those people at that juncture in history.

"This generation" was not the one Jesus was talking TO, but rather the generation that "these things" would begin to happen IN. Whew! It's in the far future and means a future society when all these signs accelerate and come to a crashing finale ending with the Second Coming.

We now have wiggle room to account for the fact that Jesus has not returned yet. Jesus wasn't mistaken about his own times, he was referring to another time.

Gleason Archer, who offers this solutions to the "Jesus didn't mean it would be in his time," notes accurately what we all know 2000 years later.

"Obviously these apocalyptic scenes and earth-shaking events did not take place within the generation of those who heard Christ's Olivet discourse. Therefore Jesus could not have been referring to his immediate audience when He made this prediction..." (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pg 338).

Archer has to say this as he cannot possibly entertain the idea that Jesus was himself wrong in his perceptions of the times in which he lived and his role in those times. Later in the Gospels, authors would lower the expectations of the early Church, who thought Jesus meant them by reminding them late in the game when it was obvious Jesus wasn't coming any time soon that "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years. Sorry, we forgot to tell you that in the beginning." As long as one is incapable of thinking Jesus was himself wrong the Kingdom of God being just around the corner if he did his part, the doctrine of disappointments would have to be addressed as time went on.

And so we simply need to ask a very simple question. To whom was Jesus speaking? From the opening NT texts, it is obvious that the disciples, apostles and members of the church thought it meant THEM and did not get any hint of Jesus meaning anything other than THEM in THEIR time, which was short. The idea that Jesus would "build my Church" came decades after Jesus death when most were dead or dying of old age and yet the end did not come. Jesus never envisioned a Church that would follow decades and millennia after his death. Jesus life would always be lived and lost in the context of Judaism and the Synagogue.

But back to the original question. To whom was Jesus speaking when he said the words and to whom did he mean for it to apply? The answer is within the context, plain and simple.

"Take heed that no man deceive you." (Matt 24:4)
"...ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars..." (Matt 24:6)
"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted..." (Matt 24:9)
"When ye therefore shall see the the abomination of desolation..." (Matt 24:15)
"But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter..." (Matt 24:20)
"Behold, I have told you before." (Matt 24:25)

The context in which Jesus spoke was his own. The "you" that he was addressing was the group he was addressing then and the group to which all these things would happen for, and soon. Jesus was telling those disciples that these things would happen in their time. Jesus made a mistake in his perceptions.

In our time, Christians read the same words and see the "ye" and "you" as "me" and "us" just as the original disciples would have. The only difference is that the disciples actually were disappointed and this generation has yet to realize their own disappointment to come.

The proof that Jesus himself meant the people he was talking to is found in the fact that the "this generation" comment is actually the tale end of a much larger, often overlooked quote taken in it's entirety.

"So likewise YE when YE shall SEE ALL these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto YOU, THIS generation shall not pass, till ALL these things be fulfilled." (Matt 24:33-24 emphasis mine)

There is no reason to twist the words of Jesus to mean more than they were ever intended to mean. A scripture can never mean what it never meant. The early disciples and infant Church, knew it meant them and we see the gradual deterioration of their personal confidence in the immediacy of the Second Coming promise throughout the NT.

I Thessalonians 4:15-17 "...For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..." Meaning...some would die, but not us who tell you this. Jesus still means us.

I Corinthians 15:51,52 "...We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump..." Meaning...you will die, but we won't but it all works out...Jesus still meant us.

Romans 13:11-12 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand..." Meaning...we had some doubts, but now we know it's almost here. Jesus still meant us.

James 5:8 "Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Meaning...impatience was growing, hang in there. Jesus still meant us.

I John 2:18 "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." Meaning...Jesus still meant us.

I Peter 4:7 "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."

Revelation 22:20 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly...." Meaning...ok, it's been about 60 years, but Jesus still means us.

Obviously, everyone of these quoted hopes and statements were wrong. Jesus did not return for them and to date has not returned for anyone. Paul and the early church who wrote in his name was just as wrong as the many COG prophetic types are wrong in this time. And it is based on the fact that Jesus himself was wrong which I know most Christians can never come to admit.

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Second-Coming-The-Eternal-Carrot&id=94672

So again I ask, Is it wise of the Splits and Splinters or any Church for that matter to promote the "soon" and "quickly" of Jesus imminent return with now 2000 years of proof that it simply was not so for those to whom the promises were actually made? Is this not obviously something that is simply not true.  Does it not promote more skepticism than hope and doubt than encouragement?   Are fear, guilt and shame along with the "Jesus is coming soon" the only motivators for the faith?

Kieren Underwood: The Exclamation Mark Church of God!

The Exclamation Mark Church of God!

Kieren Underwood

Multiple exclamation marks," he went on, shaking his head, "are a sure sign of a diseased mind." - Terry Pratchett

"Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose." - Elmore Leonard

For a man claiming to be inspired by God, Gerald Flurry's books sure are boring as hell. To paraphrase a quote I can't quite remember exactly, "God tells us he called the weak and base, but do they have to be banal as well?" 

As a child growing up in the PCG, I always had a feeling Flurry was a bad writer. I loved reading. But not his books. I don't agree with other Christian writers like C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton, but at least they're interesting.

The years I spent at Herbert W. Armstrong College were probably the tipping point. I'd be sitting in my study chair, 6:00am and still groggy, trying to fit in the compulsory hour of Bible study (also known as: "Flurry's New Booklet" study). Then, bam--"This world will go through the most horrible suffering it has ever known!!"--smack--"The Laodiceans are going to have to face God's wrath!"--boom--"Joseph Tkatch Jr. is literally Satan!"--crack--"I am the new Elisha, bitches!!" Wait... I thought this book was about Daniel?

Not only would you have to sit through book-long rants against people you'd never met and the ever-immanent threat of The Worst Suffering Ever, you'd have to see it repeated in italics, all-caps, and then the most formidable format of all: the double size all-caps italics with multiple exclamation points. 

So I got to thinking the other day: just how many exclamation marks does Flurry really use?

Elmore Leonard, an author whose credibility comes from the fact that people read his books without the threat of the Lake of Fire, tells us to use no more than "two or three per 100,000 words of prose." Since most of Flurry's books are less than 50,000 words, we should be looking at one or two exclamation marks per book. 

I went straight to the first eBook on theTrumpet.com--January 16: God's Miracle Day. A quick search revealed 130 exclamation marks. Oops. At a mere 9072 words, this works out, according to Leonard, as an exclamation mark ratio roughly 716 times too large.  It also makes for an "exclamation mark to sentence" ratio of 0.23--every fourth sentence has one. 

I couldn't help myself, so I did the other books as well. Here are the results:

double click to enlarge

Flurry tops out near a 0.25 "exclamation mark to sentence" ratio. Take out chapter headings and external quotations I'm pretty sure Flurry could hit the 1-in-3 ratio, and then you could be in for a real nice reading rhythm. Calm-Calm-Shout! Calm-Calm-Shout! Just as you're about to fall asleep, you'd be hit with another exclamation mark wake-up call! No sleep for you! 

Some of the books which hit the high end of the ratio aren't ones you'd expect. John's Gospel--The Love of God tops the list with 24.7 percent of sentences ending with exclamation marks. God loves you--but he's really angry about it. The Epistle of James is second, with 23.7 percent, and taking third spot is The New Throne of David, which, of course, was unofficially ghost-written by Joel Hilliker. I wonder if he had to go through and add in extra exclamation marks just to give it an authentic Flurry vibe. 

I also wondered whether Flurry has been getting angrier over the years. So I sorted the books by publication date.

double click to enlarge

With the exception of Jordan and God's Church in Prophecy, Flurry seems to have become slightly angrier. From 1992-2000, Flurry sat at a 13.2 percent exclamation mark rate. Then, from 2001-2019, he took off, averaging 19.0 percent exclamation mark usage. 

On a final note, Brian Davis's The Administration of the Spirit, and Wayne Turgeon's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have exclamation mark rates of 10.0 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively. Armstrong started the tradition, and PCG ministers are continuing it. There you have it--real, definitive proof of Apostolic Succession. Except it's not inspiration, it's just tone of voice.

Backslidding LCG Members Skipping Services

Why is it that the boys in Charlotte cannot ever compliment the members of the Living Church of God and say anything encouraging?  They are always getting beat over the head for some offense.  They can never do anything right.  Ultimately though, it is not about people skipping services, but the fact that LCG's income takes a hit.

From Church of God News:

Gerald Weston writes in LCG’s latest update (Sept.19):

“… we notice that when a Holy Day falls between Monday and Friday, our attendances are lower than when a Holy Day falls on the weekend. Everyone should be prepared to take time off from work or school, as this is an annual Sabbath, a Holy Convocation (a commanded assembly – Leviticus 23:4, 23–25). The difference in attendance is not great, but it is noticeable.”

Members are expected to make an offering on every annual holy day in addition to tithing. Not everyone can afford to take all these days off work, or is allowed to take their children away from school, and those who don’t attend might not send in an offering.

And some of those who do pay offerings in addition to tithes cannot afford to do so …

“… we take up offerings on these special days, and I hope all are preparing for this in advance. Sometimes people write checks for money they do not have in their accounts. Sadly, this costs them exorbitant fees, but what many do not realize is that fees are also charged to the Church. Please prepare in advance for these special days and do not give what you do not have.”

The Philadelphia Church of God expressed the same problem in 2018:

“Some members unfortunately have been over-generous. In processing holy day offerings and other donations, the business office has encountered more than 50 returned checks. A returned check ‘bounces’ because the amount written on it is higher than the amount available in the checking account. When banks process these checks, they stop the intended donation from going through and often charge the Church a fee.”

Its all about the money, plain and simple.  When will the boys ever wake up that their butt-numbing sermons are boring as hell?  Can anyone blame LCG members for skipping services?

Reminiscing: Lake of the Ozarks Feast of Tabernacles in the 70s/80s.

One of the "Holy Grails" of the Old Worldwide Church of God's Feast of Tabernacles was the Site which was located at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It is this site I wish to focus on today on a more reflective post as the Festival 2019 draws near for those who celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 

My memories are, you will understand, quite vague, as my time at the Feast of Tabernacles in the Ozarks was as a young child - 4 and 5 years of age. Yet decades on decades passed has not diminished many of the memories of the Ozarks in my mind. In fact, the details are as clear as ever -despite the fact this was so long ago. Perhaps my memories are shared by others who went there back in the 70s and 80s. Perhaps this post will bring back some memories. 

The Feast was hyped up to me as a child. My family had two weeks reserved for the Feast, so we took our time going there - and took our time coming back. The first year we went, we stayed on a beautiful lakeside cabin at the now-defunct "Lazy-D-Resort". The Second year, we stayed at an inexpensive twin-story motel called the "Scottish Inn" off Highway 54 - which, surprisingly, still stands today. 

There wasn't any lack of anything to do for young children on a vacation at the Ozarks. One of my biggest memories of the Ozarks was the Bagnell Dam - which still runs and exists much as it did back then. We were able to take a tour of the dam's powerhouse - a very frightening and loud place, I remember - and had no idea what the "two houses on stilts" on the dam's top were (turns out, they are massive cranes to lift floodgates). We visited a great Cave called "Jacobs Cave" just up the road a little bit - I can still remember the pitch blackness when they cut the lights, and the distinct "cave smell" that existed deep inside the bowels of the cavern. There was a little lady about my age I had a crush on at the time - whose parent ran the concession/gift area I still remember. 

There was also the "Strip" - an entertainment and shopping district just across from the Dam - which contained a lot of fun activities for the whole family. There was a mini-golf course which contained a massive "sky-slide", and bumper cars. There was an arcade which had "Skee-ball" - a delight for a pre-schooler and adult alike. Two large statues of Indians flanked each side of the highway. 

And, of course, there was the Tabernacle. A giant metal warehouse held all 14,000 of us Festival goers just outside of Route 54, right next to a tall water tower. There was never anything fancy about this "Tabernacle" - plain was an understatement. Yet, it did the trick for all of us waiting for a long, long time to get out of the parking lot when services were over. I also very clearly remember having picnics between services on the lawns of the Tabernacle - with egg salad sandwiches and potato chips. It was also at this site that I heard the infamous "Behind the Work" videos of 1981 and 1982. 

As far as church-specific memories of the Ozarks, of course, there was Armstrong hollering about, echoing throughout the cavernous warehouse his kingdom proclamations. There was sitting on the grey floor with a "Little Professor" calculator and a gray etch-a-sketch. There was hanging on to the coat-tails of a parent - and the awe of so many people everywhere. And of course, the long, tiring days of double services. Yet, one of my most pronounced memories was hearing "Behold the Day Will Come" and shouting out to all who could hear over the singing that the day HAD come - the day of my birthday. It was a late feast that year. 

Looking now, the Ozarks are, in many ways the same, but also, in many ways, very, very different. The "Strip" is but a shadow of its former self. The Dam is still there but looks more utilitarian and un-explorable then it used to be. The Lazy-D-Resort cabins are gone, and so is the massive Sky-Slide and bumper cars. Yet, a few of the long-standing memories still stand - the tall statues, the fudge store, and even Jacobs Cave. 

The Tabernacle itself? It's now an indoor boat-storage warehouse for the ever-growing lake and boating industry of the Ozarks. Surprisingly, it still stands - another former ghost of itself - a ghost of an alternate universe of times past. Those who store their vessels within the walls of the Tabernacle would have no idea of what took place - and what we believed - within and around those walls. Yet those of us who were there remember. And remember well. 

Much like the other Church-owned sites - Mt. Pocono, Big Sandy, and Wisconsin Dells, Ozarks had its own flavor and its own distinctiveness all of its own. For Worldwiders - whether you were a child, or an adult, for over 14,000 of us, the memories of times long past still hold clear and strong for those who experienced the times and the season of fall on the Lake of the Ozarks. And it's these memories that the onset of Fall brings clear for those who lived to experience the Feast of Tabernacles during the Armstrong Era of the Worldwide Church of God.

Submitted by SHT

LCG Leaders Continue To Treat Members Like Uneducated Little Kids

Why does the Church of God and particularly the Living Church of God continue to treat its members like little children that have to be constantly reminded on how how to do things?

Appropriate church service attire

What Is Appropriate Dress at the Feast?

At Worship Services: In most modern cultures, coats, collared shirts, ties, and nice slacks are considered appropriate attire for men on special occasions. 1 Timothy 2:9–10 explains that ladies should dress “in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation.” Just because something is comfortable or acceptable in our modern society does not make it appropriate at Church. As we gather to picture Christ’s glorious reign on earth, our ladies should be careful not to dress in a manner that can become a distraction to others from the real purpose of coming to the Feast.

LCG men...please do not wear these anymore!

At the Beach: Appropriate beach attire for women and men is swimwear that is modest and in good taste. Following our Living Youth Programs policy, beachwear at the Feast for ladies should be a modest one-piece or a modest tankini (covering the mid-section), and for the men, no Speedo-type suits. 

The State of UCG At 25 Years: Stale Sermons, Bored Youth, Uninteresting Websites

Victor Kubik writes: “The United Church of God is nearing its 25th anniversary. This time is proving to be one of critical reflection … Where have we been? Where are we now? And perhaps most importantly, where are we going? …

For 25 years now UCG has been struggling to find its purpose and mission.  After their apostasy from the mother church, the United Church of God has had one issue after another, even suffering a massive hemorrhage of ministers and members disgruntled by the corruption going on.  As hard as they try, they just cannot make a discernible impact upon the world or even with other COG's. Even with their new TV studios, they are still incapable of drawing an audience of potential money streams.

Dr. Ward noted that with the incredible experience of the Church’s youth camps, young people in the Church “may be so excited through their teen years” about biblical truth, but then comes a challenging “transitional period between high school and college and the first year of college” that often proves to be a difficult time to stay grounded and committed to the truth of God. It is during this critical transition time that young people can be in danger of slipping away …

Another issue UCG is having and as all of the other COG's, is their inability to keep their youth interested in staying in their churches.  Seriously, why should they?  When has the church ever truly cared about its youth?  Its focus has always been on money, strict doctrines, and insufferable sermons.  YOU, YES lessons and videos of a purple sock-puppet do nothing to keep the youth interested in church.

Thursday conferences, as Dr. Ward mentioned to the Council, are open and honest discussions, even to the point of admitting that sometimes the weekly church presentations in our congregations are “stale”. To build more energy and excitement into our weekly church meetings, Dr. Ward noted that “some of those things we could do – shorter sermons and more focused sermons and improving our messages – we really need to focus on … we really need more excitement and energy in the local churches.”

Stale?  Stale?  Try BOOOOOOOOOORING! UCG members on various Facebook groups complain regularly about how boring and dull UCG ministers are in their sermon subjects.  What more could we expect when they are sitll preaching the same sermons they were preaching while in the mother church decades ago?``It is almost 2020 and they still are stuck in 1986 mode.

Church of God News makes this astute observation:

Is Donald Ward correct in supposing that young people in the Church are excited through their teen years about biblical truth, but then slip away when they leave home? Could it be that children get bored much earlier with “stale” sermons and dull music styles, but continue attending until they are no longer obliged to do so by their parents?

What is their fondest memory of the youth camps? – the messages of “exciting biblical truth”, or the sports and social activities? Admittedly, young people flock to the corporate churches’ Winter Family Weekends – but do they go for the services and bible seminars, or for the sports and social activities?

COG youth have always flocked to the summer camps, not for the biblical "instruction" they got but for a chance to get away from home and to have fun with their peers.  It is more about fun than the stale and boring Bible junk they receive.  That is why so many flock to the annual Christmas weekends the church masquerades as a "family weekend".  They can play with their peers and secretly enjoy Christmas, while sitting through yet another insufferable Bible study or sermon.

Jim Franks of COGWA said recently that, “For the past 18 months, our unique visitors to Life, Hope & Truth has leveled off at just under 500,000 per month. This is about half the number we were getting at our high point. We are investing resources to develop a strategy to increase our numbers. There are some technical things that we can do with the Internet, but we also realize the need for more compelling articles that get people’s attention …”

How about dumping the boring subjects and have stories and articles relevant to 2020 instead of the canned crap of the past?  How can anyone find the current version of UCG as "compelling?

All Along the Watchtower

All Along the Watchtower

"All along the watchtower,
Princes kept the view,
While all the women came and went —
Barefoot servants too.
Outside in the cold distance,
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching, and
The wind began to howl." --Bob Dylan

There are a great many religious leaders who have or do fancy themselves to be watchmen for the world. They see their mission as one of protecting Christian values against the wiles of the devil and the society which "he" has inspired. They stand along the wall and sound the alarm when they see threats approaching the city of the saints. Of course, they believe that they have been assigned this task by Almighty God. Moreover, most of these Divinely appointed sentinels believe that they will personally welcome the king back into the citadel when he returns.

Did they get all of this from a burning bush? Did God speak to them in a dream? Did a voice from heaven thunder these instructions? NO, they claim to get their commission from Scripture!

Chief among the passages which they love to quote are several from the thirty-third chapter of the book of Ezekiel. One of their favorites is "Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself." (Ezekiel 33:7-9) Of course, they often fail to mention that they are referencing a record of the story of a long dead prophet's message to the people of ancient Israel. Likewise, they often fail to account for why their message is needed when almost everyone in the world today have access to the exact same Scriptures that they do!

Continuing with Ezekiel, the message which the prophet was instructed to deliver was that "The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins." (verse 12) Now that does seem like a worthwhile message, and one that could fairly be said to apply to all times - including our present day. Even so, the message has been delivered! There it is in Scripture. We just read it together. You can go get your Bible and read it for yourself in one of several English translations of the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic (or in one of the hundreds of other languages into which those same Scriptures have been translated).

And many of these self-appointed watchmen ignore the principal focus of Ezekiel's commission which is recounted in the very next chapter of the book! We read there: "Then this message came to me from the Lord: 'Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey." (Ezekiel 34:1-10) Hmmm, that sure sounds like the political and religious leaders are a big part of the problem! In fact, it sounds like the people should have been watching them (we are told that God was watching them)!

 It might, therefore, behoove some of these shepherds/watchmen to reconsider their decision to apply Isaiah's commission to themselves: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." (Isaiah 58:1) Notice too, Isaiah's commission was specifically addressed to "my people" or "the house of Jacob" - not to the world at large or society in general. Perhaps, these shepherds would be better served by taking a second look at the commission which Jesus Christ gave to his church?

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) Maybe I missed it, do you see in this commission anything about serving as a watchman?

To be sure, Jesus Christ did instruct ALL of his followers to "keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." (Matthew 24:42-44) Why must we (Christians) ALL be watching world events? So that false preachers and prophets won't deceive us! (Read the entire chapter)

As for Christians pointing out other folks' sins, I seem to recall that Christ had something to say about that as well. In the seventh chapter of Matthew, we read that Christ instructed his followers: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you." (Matthew 7:1-6) Seems like pretty good advice to me, and consider the source!

Finally, just as Dylan implies in the song for which Jimi Hendrix is remembered, many of us (Christians) believe that someone is approaching the walls of the citadel and "the hour is getting late." Nevertheless, many of us believe that he's coming to overthrow what's behind those walls, not protect and perpetuate it! What do you think?

Miller Jones