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 Tri and Nancy Robinson (picture courtesy of trirobinson.org) There is a lot of fear in the world today about the future. People are scared of earthquakes, super volcanoes, political shutdowns, and the apocalyptic Second Coming of Jesus.
Some of this fear is good as it prompts us to prepare both our hearts and our lives. Yet, unchecked fear is a bad thing.
It is to this unchecked fear that I would like to highlight Tri Robinson’s recent article entitled, “Maintaining Hearts of Tranquility in Times of Global Turmoil.”
This article captured my heart on the subject of global turmoil so beautifully I had to share it with you all. 
Here are the five points Tri makes:
1. Simplify your life – “Physically, emotionally and spiritually. Most of our lives have become cluttered with material things, out of control emotions and wrong choices which have not only complicated our lives but caused a form of paralyzing dysfunction.”
2. Be prepared for short term crises– “Having the experience of working in disasters such as Hurricane Katrina it became evident to me that people who took basic steps of preparedness recovered much quicker than those who became dependent on government help. Not only that, but many of those with the mindset to be prepared also became the workforce that served others in the aftermath of the crisis.”
Continue reading Maintaining Hearts of Tranquility in Times of Global Turmoil
 In some ways, Ultimate Things by Dennis Engleman is a fitting end to a year of eschatological studies. The book focused on strengthening the church for the upcoming struggles against the kingdom of darkness with several chapters devoted to standing firm.
At the same time, there were some parts of the book that I did not like – mainly the parts where the author gets away from Biblical themes and started speculating about how things will be. For example, Engleman looks at Saint Paul’s words in 2 Thess. 2:3-8 about the ‘one’ who is holding back the antichrist and interprets it as a reference to the Christian Monarchy (ie. as long as there is a Christian king/queen on the throne of the Roman Empire, the antichrist will not be reviled).
Note that for Engleman, the Christian Monarchy starts with St. Constantine in 312 AD and continues to death of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II in 1948. (Moscow is concerned the third “Rome” by the Eastern Orthodox following the destruction of Constantinople, which was the second “Rome”). This begs the question of what kept the “man of lawlessness” from showing up prior to establishment of the Christian Monarchy in 312 AD?  Continue reading Ultimate Things: An Orthodox Christian Perspective On The End Times by Dennis Engleman
 One must be careful when studying history – for history can be likened to a wild tiger with sharp teeth and bared claws.
I recently discovered this “dangerous” side of history while researching the theological history of the physical millennial kingdom of Jesus.
What was this “dangerous” item found in the dusty manuscripts of old?
It is the knowledge that in 381 A.D. the Church Fathers gathered in Constantinople and declared that the pre-millennialism view of Revelation chapter 20 is a heresy.
Yes – you read that right.
The hugely popular pre-millennialism view of eschatology promoted throughout the world by the Protestant church was declared a heresy by the SAME guys who canonized the New Testament!!!
Wow! Continue reading Is Pre-Millennialism A Heresy?
 The Apocalypse: In The Teachings of Ancient Christianity A few months ago I mentioned that I was trying to find a commentary on the Book of Revelation from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Well, I found one – The Apocalypse: In The Teachings of Ancient Christianity. Originally written in Russian by Archbishop Averky Taushev, it was translated into English by Father Seraphim Rose in 1985.
In a nutshell – it was the best book on Revelations I have ever read.
Yeah. It was that good.
Why?
Well, for starters the book wasn’t about trying to map out the “end times”, find out what everything John means and how it plays together in the 21st century. Instead, the commentary was written with the knowledge that Revelation is a book of mysteries:
The deep things bound up with the beginning and end of all things, the ultimate purpose of the world and man, the opening of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven; and so we must read it with fear of God, and with a humble distrust of our own wisdom.
Continue reading The Apocalypse: In The Teachings of Ancient Christianity
At the heart of Biblical redemptive truth is the Blessed hope of the personal, glorious second advent of Jesus Christ. Salvation has to do both with the redemption of men as individuals and as a society. Salvation of individual believers includes the “redemption of the body” (Rom. 8:23). We must not only be saved from the guilt of sin, and delivered from the power of sin. Redemption is not completed until we are delivered from the very effects of sin in our moral bodies. The Biblical doctrine of the resurrection is a redemptive truth: it means the salvation of the body. This salvation will be realized only by the personal second coming of Christ.
So begins the introduction of George Ladd’s book The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture.
 The Blessed Hope by George Ladd A fairly easy read, this book tackles a very important issue into today’s church: the substitution of the rapture in place of the Second Coming of Christ.
Think for a minute – if you were to stop your average every-day Christian on the street and ask them what they are looking forward to when Christ comes back, what would they say? I guess that most of them would tell you that they are looking forward to the rapture when they will be taken out of this world.
Yet, Biblical the rapture is not our hope.
Our hope, our Blessed Hope – as Ladd would say – is with the return of the King of Kings. That we may dwell with Him on a renewed earth. That is what we need to be looking forward too – not a pre-tribulation rapture that takes us out of the world like a cosmic escape hatch. Continue reading The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture
The Eastern Orthodox Church has fascinated me for years.
They were the one church that remained faithful to the Teachings of the Apostles when all others broke apart and drifted into darkness. Unfortunately, the believers in the West do not know much about the Orthodox Church – shoot, I heard one man this [...]
When people talk about the “great-capital-T” Tribulation of the coming future they mostly end with this comment: “I don’t want to be here (on earth) when it happens.”
I don’t know if I’m screwed up in the brain for what – but with all seriousness, I want to be HERE – on planet [...]
The book of Revelation is one of the most misunderstood and forgotten books of the Bible. In a nutshell – it is hard to read.
Yeah, there are certain themes and ideas that are easy to understand. Namely the fact that those who follow Christ Jesus win and those who don’t, lose.
As [...]
To begin with, I am back from conquering the Sawtooth Wilderness (at least the East to West approach) – it was a great trip full of adventures and beautiful scenery. Lord willing I will try to upload some pictures tonight or Saturday at the latest.
Until then, I would like to introduce you [...]
Someone should host a “Top Ten Most Misused Bible Verse” competition, ‘cause 1 Chronicles 12:32 would be right up there near the top! 32 men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;
Humor aside (or attempts thereof) – I am tired [...]
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Who Writes This Mess? My name is Joshua Hopping and I am a Son of the Most High journeying through a foreign land following the Wild Goose (i.e. the Holy Spirit) one step at a time.
As I journey along the Way, I have the privilege of serving as the bi-vocational pastor of the Payette River Vineyard Christian Fellowship. I am also a voracious reader who loves studying church history, theology, and world missions.
This blog, "Requisite Danger", is a record of what God is teaching and showing me as I try to follow Him wherever He leads as well as occasional random thoughts. I pray that you will join me in this journey through online/offline interaction as this life is lived in community.
May His grace and peace be upon you.
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