ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION?

ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION?

Thursday, November 08, 2018

   Psalm GW 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Good sense is shown by everyone who follows God's guiding principles. His praise continues forever.

   Luke 19:10-13 [Jesus said] For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to [later] return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

  1John 4:13-18 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

  One day I received the question “Did Jesus name the anti-Christ?” accompanied by information ostensibly identifying the present president of the USA as that person.

  For centuries people and groups have supposedly figured out who the anti-Christ is or will be, and deciding and stating exactly when Jesus is returning. (Was any USA president not purported as being the anti-Christ by one or more contemporary prophets?),

  And to what end? Did all those past calculations honor and glorify the kingdom of God? (Mt.6:33-34)

  Would such precisely knowing add one iota to my or your Christian being? (Mt.6:27) Would such information increase faith (Lk.17:5-10) or exemplify 2Timothy 2:15 education, edification, attribution, or approval?

  Or, could such efforts subtract from Christian function through distraction from existing known Biblical exhortation toward personal responsibility? Would seeing our president as being the anti-Christ contribute to a renewed beginners fear (Pr.9:10) contrary to God’s instruction (1Cor.13) and provision for banishing anxiety (1Pet.5:7-8; 1Jn.4:18).

  Doesn’t our King equip us? Hasn’t He instructed simply “Occupy until I come.”?

  Dear brothers and sisters, pursue such questions His return, the rapture, if you will, I condemn you not, but I do urge you to be aware that the important question is not knowing who the anti-Christ is or will be. The important question is what adds to or subtracts from our Christian function?

 EBB4

PS. For further study type “day” and “hour” into your concordance search and read in the Gospels what Jesus says about His return.