As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
In our culture, it’s become the proverbial fifth wheel of holidays.
Really, we don’t even celebrate it anymore. It used to be that we would pause for much of the day—to feast, spend time with our families and, yes, to watch football … but, most importantly, to worship and give thanks.
Read Part 1
It will be here before we know it! December 25th, that is….
But long before that big day, we’ll sense the sights, the sounds and smells.
Christmas, in fact, permeates our culture so thoroughly that it almost mingles together with all things related to fall—the cooler weather, a warm sweater, the desire to stay inside, football on television, a hot cup of cocoa, and the crackling of the fireplace.
If you work in a retail environment, you’ve already seen them—maybe as early as July, but certainly in August. Yes, you’ve seen the signs!
I am referring, of course, to the signs of Christmas.1 They’re all around you by now.
“…let me offer seven Scriptures that I have used to help people who wonder if they will be reunited with their believing loved ones in heaven. All of these point to our knowing one another in the resurrection, and some of them point to believers knowing one another immediately after death.” - Colin Smith
“…the Bible shows that in His unfolding drama of redemption, God is at work to reclaim not just our souls, but also our bodies, and not just our bodies, but also the earth from which that first human body was made, and over which God purposed us to reign.” - Randy Alcorn
“ ‘Pastor, are vaccines the Mark of the Beast.’ This was a sincere question from a church member about a year ago. My answer was definite. ‘No, vaccines are not the Mark. Believers will KNOW what it is when it comes.’” - P&D
“A ‘Rapture Index’ — on which any reading above 160 means ‘Fasten your seatbelts’ — was raised this week to 187, close to its record high of 189 in 2016.” - RNS
How is the Great Tribulation Shortened? The GT is said to last 42 months, 1260 days or time, times and half a time. The perspective below is premillennial and futuristic.
“It’s those with long experience who are in a position to “keep calm and carry on”—to focus on executing the fundamentals when it looks like the other team is just going to run up the score. To be the tortoise rather than the hare.” - Olinger
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