Wednesday, October 8, 2014
ANTICIPATING AND REMEMBERING
Winter approaches, the chilly wind lets me know we have arrived in the fall of the year. It's a time of anticipation, thanksgiving, the changing of the leaves, the coming of Christmas and the beginning of another year. The eyes of children brighten, looking toward the surprises?? under the Christmas tree. Usually, they are not that much of a surprise. Those who go to Grandma's anticipate the wonderful "memory food." It's so much better, not so much because it tastes better, but because our memories enhance the flavors.
Life can be like that, bringing us joy in anticipation and pleasure in memory. But these can also bring fear or pain. It's really a choice we make, consciously or unconsciously, regarding what we anticipate or remember.
The most inportant memories to me are the ones that help me move past the pain into the place of gratitude. Mom and Dad have been gone for years, yet the empty place in my heart remains, filled with pleasant and loving memories of the times and opportunities we shared together. My anticipation is that I will leave behind such wonderful memories for my children when I finally leave this world.
Dad's birthday was in October. So this month is not able spooks and goblins ... it is about remembering Sam, and remembering Sam causes me to remember Bea (my mom) and John (my brother). On purpose, I strive to remember the wonderful things we did, the trips to Pennsylvania in the old Plymouth car; the camping trips in a rag-tag tent trailer; the wooden runner sled we built to play in the snow when no one else would venture outside.
Sure, John and I had intense sibling rivalry, but I best remember when a neighhborhood kid was beating me up, how John came a-running, the wrath of Khan in his eyes, and saved me from the bully.
As I look toward the coming months, I realize I have new opportunities, new challenges, and new acquaintances to befriend and enjoy. What a delightful thought, that life does not end at 70, it opens up before me with a fresh sense of passion and purpose. Hallelujah! My mistakes are behind me, faint memories of failed wisdom. The lessons learned will help me be a wiser, kinder, more gentle, and more effective leader. So, I anticipate the joy of being called to churches to share the depth of experience I have as a springboard for their advance. I anticipate the years ahead as being more productive than those behind, and I sincerely believe God will continue to use me as a servent of His grace.
What better reason for thanksgiving. What greater gift - not under a tree, but rather being a tree, planted by the rivers of living water.
Next year - 2015 - the new and improved Dr. Philip Byler is coming to the world. Get ready!
Life can be like that, bringing us joy in anticipation and pleasure in memory. But these can also bring fear or pain. It's really a choice we make, consciously or unconsciously, regarding what we anticipate or remember.
The most inportant memories to me are the ones that help me move past the pain into the place of gratitude. Mom and Dad have been gone for years, yet the empty place in my heart remains, filled with pleasant and loving memories of the times and opportunities we shared together. My anticipation is that I will leave behind such wonderful memories for my children when I finally leave this world.
Dad's birthday was in October. So this month is not able spooks and goblins ... it is about remembering Sam, and remembering Sam causes me to remember Bea (my mom) and John (my brother). On purpose, I strive to remember the wonderful things we did, the trips to Pennsylvania in the old Plymouth car; the camping trips in a rag-tag tent trailer; the wooden runner sled we built to play in the snow when no one else would venture outside.
Sure, John and I had intense sibling rivalry, but I best remember when a neighhborhood kid was beating me up, how John came a-running, the wrath of Khan in his eyes, and saved me from the bully.
As I look toward the coming months, I realize I have new opportunities, new challenges, and new acquaintances to befriend and enjoy. What a delightful thought, that life does not end at 70, it opens up before me with a fresh sense of passion and purpose. Hallelujah! My mistakes are behind me, faint memories of failed wisdom. The lessons learned will help me be a wiser, kinder, more gentle, and more effective leader. So, I anticipate the joy of being called to churches to share the depth of experience I have as a springboard for their advance. I anticipate the years ahead as being more productive than those behind, and I sincerely believe God will continue to use me as a servent of His grace.
What better reason for thanksgiving. What greater gift - not under a tree, but rather being a tree, planted by the rivers of living water.
Next year - 2015 - the new and improved Dr. Philip Byler is coming to the world. Get ready!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Chaseing the Moons
I was recently asked what I thought about the tetrad - the amazing sequence of four lunar eclipses in 2014-2015. Honestly, I had not thought much about them, since lunar eclipses have not been at the top of my interest list. But then, people are, and when they ask serious questions about serious subjects, I do want to give some answers. So, knowing little, it seemed prudent to do some honest research into the subject before offering an opinion. Now, I have, and so I will offer an opinion.
I think the four blood moons will occur, exactly as predicted by NASA, on April 15, 2014 - Passover (already passed), on October 8, 2014 - Tabernacles, on April 4, 2015 - Passover, and again on September 28, 2015 - Tabernacles.
To begin, it is important to understand that tetrads, or four sequences of lunar eclipses reoccurring in relatively short periods of time is not necessarily uncommon. There have been many. However, these have not occurred on Jewish festival dates all that often. So it stands to reason that end-time prophecy buffs would want to attach significance to those events. But to be perfectly candid, many events significant to Jewish life have occurred without any visible sign in the heavens. They have not been predicted in some manner by God is speaking through heavenly signs and wonders. And since the presence of both lunar and solar eclipses is astronomically constant, is it reasonable to assume they are Biblical signs? One must ask.
Take it a step further. Does the occurrence of a tetrad in conjunction with Jewish festivals over a period of two years signify any great injunction from heaven either? The fact is simply this. No one seems to have connected these "signs" together before NASA's charting of these phenomena over several centuries.
There have been such occurrences like this since the beginning of time. That they were not logged into a computer system notwithstanding, they are part of the warp and woof of our solar system.
Jewish festivals always begin on the new moon - the only time when it is possible for a lunar eclipse - viz a viz - a "blood moon" to be visible. Blood moons are caused by the refraction of the light spectrum when the shadow of the earth passes between the sun and the moon so that the sun does not shine directly on the moon. Then the light spectrum appears with a red hue, and the moon becomes an orangish-red color. No ultra-natural phenomena here, simply the physical course of the universe following the project paths which God set in motion at the foundation of the earth. Prophetic sign? Perhaps, but doubtful to this biblicist. I simply do not agree. I am convinced they are actually what they appear to be, lunar eclipses - a tetrad which coincides with Jewish holidays.
According to astronomer Danny Faulkner, there have been 230 lunar eclipses during the 20th century, and 1/6th of them took place on Jewish festivals, just not necessarily on Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles. Remember, there are seven Jewish festivals, not just two, and the occurrence of blood moons on the other festivals does not seem to be a subject of prophetic speculation.
The prophetic significance of these is apparently connected to (1) Passover, because it is so closely connected to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and (2) because so many conservative Biblical teachers tend to believe Jesus' return will be the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. I tend also to lean in that direction prophetically, but I place little importance on the "blood moon theory" as a harbinger of the second coming.
For me, the real issue is about the state of the Church, morally, intellectually, spiritually, and socially. Especially within Charismatic circles (a viewpoint which dominates Christian TV), and futuristic fundamentalist circles, (which tend to be large on radio), these eclipses are being touted as prophetic signs that demonstrate the accuracy of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church point of view. Is this view accurate? Only Jesus knows for sure, and He isn't saying.
Many very legitimate, dedicated, Godly men and women hold a very different point of view (self-included). We do believe in the second coming. We do believe in the resurrection of the dead. We do believe that the last trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ shall be raised first.
The problem that arises is simply this. Interpreting biblical prophecy is, at best, an inexact exercise. During the earliest days of my ministry life, I was enthralled with the pre-trib philosophy. I gave away books by the dozens, books that followed that line and presented it as being the clear path to the future. Now, forty-three years later (more than a biblical generation) I find that the story remains constant, but the players have changed. We were told He would come in 1948 - the dawn of the Jewish state. We were told He would return in 1988, then again in '89, etc. We were told He would come in December of 2012 - but He didn't. So when will He come again? Only the Father knows for sure.
Try something else. The procession of possible antichrist figures has been projected until even the antichrist himself must be confused about his identity. The previously mentioned scenarios of the proposed rapture which should have occurred successively numerous times in my life - hasn't. I'm still here, and I'm still preaching the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't dwell intensely on biblical prophecy because in its present state, it fails to edify. It merely divides.
When I contemplate the second-coming, I long for the Lord to return and fulfill His promises to His bride. I yearn for the great wedding supper of the Lamb. I want to join that band of Christians who gather around the throne of God and cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb, the glorious King of kings and Lord of lords." One day, I will.
In the meantime, I believe we are commissioned to be a part of the earth's infrastructure. Lights, shining in the darkness. Salt, adding flavor and preservative to a decaying, rotting society. We are to love as Jesus loved, care as Jesus cared, and give of ourselves to the utmost of our ability.
Christianity is not about our blessings and benefits nearly so much as it is about our presence in the world around us. If we do not live our faith, our faith will not be seen, felt, or considered. If we do not live our faith, but rather embrace the world around us to look like, feel like, smell like, and taste like that world ... that world won't know the difference between us and them. So here's my suggestion:
Make it a point to share your love with someone who has not felt love in a long, long time. Worship awhile with words and deeds outside of a formal service when worship is programmed and prepared for you. Choose to share your bounty with someone less bountiful, there's always someone. Offer your talent to someone less talented, your joy to someone bound by sorrow. Be a healing presence, even when you are incapable of healing. Your presence may be more than you could imaging.
Be kind and gracious, even in the face of rudeness, harsh words, and foul commentary. Give of yourself without attaching emotional strings, or expectations of great reward. It can make a difference. It will make a difference.
In other words, try this. Be the second coming of Jesus ... for some, you will be the first. You may well be the first time they have ever have a real chance to meet Him. They just might meet Him in you.
I think the four blood moons will occur, exactly as predicted by NASA, on April 15, 2014 - Passover (already passed), on October 8, 2014 - Tabernacles, on April 4, 2015 - Passover, and again on September 28, 2015 - Tabernacles.
To begin, it is important to understand that tetrads, or four sequences of lunar eclipses reoccurring in relatively short periods of time is not necessarily uncommon. There have been many. However, these have not occurred on Jewish festival dates all that often. So it stands to reason that end-time prophecy buffs would want to attach significance to those events. But to be perfectly candid, many events significant to Jewish life have occurred without any visible sign in the heavens. They have not been predicted in some manner by God is speaking through heavenly signs and wonders. And since the presence of both lunar and solar eclipses is astronomically constant, is it reasonable to assume they are Biblical signs? One must ask.
Take it a step further. Does the occurrence of a tetrad in conjunction with Jewish festivals over a period of two years signify any great injunction from heaven either? The fact is simply this. No one seems to have connected these "signs" together before NASA's charting of these phenomena over several centuries.
There have been such occurrences like this since the beginning of time. That they were not logged into a computer system notwithstanding, they are part of the warp and woof of our solar system.
Jewish festivals always begin on the new moon - the only time when it is possible for a lunar eclipse - viz a viz - a "blood moon" to be visible. Blood moons are caused by the refraction of the light spectrum when the shadow of the earth passes between the sun and the moon so that the sun does not shine directly on the moon. Then the light spectrum appears with a red hue, and the moon becomes an orangish-red color. No ultra-natural phenomena here, simply the physical course of the universe following the project paths which God set in motion at the foundation of the earth. Prophetic sign? Perhaps, but doubtful to this biblicist. I simply do not agree. I am convinced they are actually what they appear to be, lunar eclipses - a tetrad which coincides with Jewish holidays.
According to astronomer Danny Faulkner, there have been 230 lunar eclipses during the 20th century, and 1/6th of them took place on Jewish festivals, just not necessarily on Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles. Remember, there are seven Jewish festivals, not just two, and the occurrence of blood moons on the other festivals does not seem to be a subject of prophetic speculation.
The prophetic significance of these is apparently connected to (1) Passover, because it is so closely connected to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and (2) because so many conservative Biblical teachers tend to believe Jesus' return will be the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. I tend also to lean in that direction prophetically, but I place little importance on the "blood moon theory" as a harbinger of the second coming.
For me, the real issue is about the state of the Church, morally, intellectually, spiritually, and socially. Especially within Charismatic circles (a viewpoint which dominates Christian TV), and futuristic fundamentalist circles, (which tend to be large on radio), these eclipses are being touted as prophetic signs that demonstrate the accuracy of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church point of view. Is this view accurate? Only Jesus knows for sure, and He isn't saying.
Many very legitimate, dedicated, Godly men and women hold a very different point of view (self-included). We do believe in the second coming. We do believe in the resurrection of the dead. We do believe that the last trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ shall be raised first.
The problem that arises is simply this. Interpreting biblical prophecy is, at best, an inexact exercise. During the earliest days of my ministry life, I was enthralled with the pre-trib philosophy. I gave away books by the dozens, books that followed that line and presented it as being the clear path to the future. Now, forty-three years later (more than a biblical generation) I find that the story remains constant, but the players have changed. We were told He would come in 1948 - the dawn of the Jewish state. We were told He would return in 1988, then again in '89, etc. We were told He would come in December of 2012 - but He didn't. So when will He come again? Only the Father knows for sure.
Try something else. The procession of possible antichrist figures has been projected until even the antichrist himself must be confused about his identity. The previously mentioned scenarios of the proposed rapture which should have occurred successively numerous times in my life - hasn't. I'm still here, and I'm still preaching the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't dwell intensely on biblical prophecy because in its present state, it fails to edify. It merely divides.
When I contemplate the second-coming, I long for the Lord to return and fulfill His promises to His bride. I yearn for the great wedding supper of the Lamb. I want to join that band of Christians who gather around the throne of God and cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb, the glorious King of kings and Lord of lords." One day, I will.
In the meantime, I believe we are commissioned to be a part of the earth's infrastructure. Lights, shining in the darkness. Salt, adding flavor and preservative to a decaying, rotting society. We are to love as Jesus loved, care as Jesus cared, and give of ourselves to the utmost of our ability.
Christianity is not about our blessings and benefits nearly so much as it is about our presence in the world around us. If we do not live our faith, our faith will not be seen, felt, or considered. If we do not live our faith, but rather embrace the world around us to look like, feel like, smell like, and taste like that world ... that world won't know the difference between us and them. So here's my suggestion:
Make it a point to share your love with someone who has not felt love in a long, long time. Worship awhile with words and deeds outside of a formal service when worship is programmed and prepared for you. Choose to share your bounty with someone less bountiful, there's always someone. Offer your talent to someone less talented, your joy to someone bound by sorrow. Be a healing presence, even when you are incapable of healing. Your presence may be more than you could imaging.
Be kind and gracious, even in the face of rudeness, harsh words, and foul commentary. Give of yourself without attaching emotional strings, or expectations of great reward. It can make a difference. It will make a difference.
In other words, try this. Be the second coming of Jesus ... for some, you will be the first. You may well be the first time they have ever have a real chance to meet Him. They just might meet Him in you.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
The Turning Tide
Anyone who has seen the ocean has noticed the effects of the tide. It comes and goes with the regularity of the rotation of the earth, rising and falling twice each day.
Life, like the tide, is never truly static. But unlike the tide, the rise and fall of life circumstances is neither stable nor regular. Thus, we go through seasons of change - transitional times when everything becomes different than it was.
We grow to adulthood and move away from our parents - we change. We find a life partner and marry - we change. We produce offspring, and their presence dramatically changes our lifestyle and circumstance. Then, they grow up and leave our homes - we change.
While some changes in our lives are sudden, traumatic, or dramatic, most are like the changing of the tide - slow, steady, and almost imperceptible. Only when we realize that the way things were is no longer the way things are, do we deal with that change.
Recently, the tide of life took a turn for me. At first, I was not really aware that such a great change had occurred, only a small one at best. I was not ready for the adjustment I needed to make, so I resisted. But the inexorable insistence of a changing life tide made it impossible not to recognize the changes which were occurring. I embraced them, new perspectives, an adjusted career track, a different outlook on the responsibilities I was carrying, and a greater willingness to be used by the Lord in a different way. These were the results of that change.
Perhaps God is doing something in your life which is requiring an adjustment you are not ready to make. If so, rest assured you will either change with the tide or be swept out to sea. You cannot stand still if the Lord wants you to move.
For me, the change has marked a fresh outlook, a greater opportunity, and hopefully a more effective ministry. From my earliest days of ministry, I was always the one who pressed for change - until that need overwhelmed me. Then, I became like so many "old fogies"... slow to adjust, and resistant to something outside of my comfort zone.
Thank God, I made the adjustment before I drowned. I pray you will, too.
Life, like the tide, is never truly static. But unlike the tide, the rise and fall of life circumstances is neither stable nor regular. Thus, we go through seasons of change - transitional times when everything becomes different than it was.
We grow to adulthood and move away from our parents - we change. We find a life partner and marry - we change. We produce offspring, and their presence dramatically changes our lifestyle and circumstance. Then, they grow up and leave our homes - we change.
While some changes in our lives are sudden, traumatic, or dramatic, most are like the changing of the tide - slow, steady, and almost imperceptible. Only when we realize that the way things were is no longer the way things are, do we deal with that change.
Recently, the tide of life took a turn for me. At first, I was not really aware that such a great change had occurred, only a small one at best. I was not ready for the adjustment I needed to make, so I resisted. But the inexorable insistence of a changing life tide made it impossible not to recognize the changes which were occurring. I embraced them, new perspectives, an adjusted career track, a different outlook on the responsibilities I was carrying, and a greater willingness to be used by the Lord in a different way. These were the results of that change.
Perhaps God is doing something in your life which is requiring an adjustment you are not ready to make. If so, rest assured you will either change with the tide or be swept out to sea. You cannot stand still if the Lord wants you to move.
For me, the change has marked a fresh outlook, a greater opportunity, and hopefully a more effective ministry. From my earliest days of ministry, I was always the one who pressed for change - until that need overwhelmed me. Then, I became like so many "old fogies"... slow to adjust, and resistant to something outside of my comfort zone.
Thank God, I made the adjustment before I drowned. I pray you will, too.
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