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. 

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.
 

BECOMING A BISHOP

   Across the Christian world we use a wide variety of titles to identify different leaders. From denomination to denomination, and from group to group, these titles mean very different things to different people. As a result, when someone is consecrated, commissioned, charged, or ordained into a position with a title, the real meaning of that title lies within the boundaries of its purpose. So, when the title of Bishop at Large was conferred to me last Tuesday, it carried very distinct implications connected to its purpose.

   My function is within the ACTS Network (Apostolic Council of Transformational Servant-Leaders.) This is an internationally operational network of Christian leaders,  unaffiliated with a specific denomination. However, that does not minimize the work and purpose it fulfills. As a network, ACTS is committed to the development and expansion of biblical Christianity under an apostolic framework. This means we are committed to a straightforward, unadorned approach to church polity, governance, and order.

   Early believers knew very little of the wide variety of church perspectives that have become so much a part of modern Christianity. Yet, most of our leadership roles have their origin and identities rooted in the writings of the New Testament. This is true of the office of Bishop. And this defines the nature of the function I now embrace.
   From the earliest days of Church life, the role of a bishop was one of wide-ranging authority over unspecified numbers of church congregations. The office could have been as far ranging as a national or territorial bishopric, or confined to a city and its immediate surroundings. Whatever its scope, a bishop was responsible to promote the well-being and stability of those who were a within his oversight.
   The earliest bishops were drawn from the ranks of the growing body of apostles and their spiritual sons who crossed the face of the known world spreading the Gospel and expanding the Church. Today, the role of bishop looks much different from that, though the basic function has not changed a great deal. In my particular case, I have the opportunity to provide encouragement, insight, and assistance to other bishops and overseers across the length an breadth of this nation.
   Since my formative years were within a Baptist denomination, the idea of being a bishop is a bit alien to many of my friends and colleagues. Baptists are generally unfamiliar with this terminology. except as it is applied to other denominations. Still, they have men who, to some degree, fulfill the role by the manner in which they function.

   Being installed as a Bishop within my network expands my ability to influence other leaders in a positive, Godly way. Furthermore, it challenges me to use my gifts, education, experience, and influence more effectively. I receive this appointment as an honor, but I also embrace the elevated level of responsibility it brings toward those who will be touched by my life and message.

   To the leaders of ACTS, I extend a commitment to assist you in achieving your God-given assignments and vision. To serve you is to serve Christ, and I sincerely desire to do that.

   Serving the King and the King's servants,
                                   Dr. Philip Byler
                                               Bishop at Large - USA

































Ap


   Across the Christian world we use a wide variety of titles to identify different leaders. From denomination to denomination, and from group to group, these titles mean very different things to different people. As a result, when someone is consecrated, commissioned, charged, or ordained into a position with a title, the real meaning of that title lies within the boundaries of its purpose. So, when the title of Bishop-At -Large was bestowed on me last Tuesday, it carried some very distinct implications connected to its purpose.
    My function is focused within the ACTS Network (Apostolic Council of Transformational Servant-Leaders.) This is an internationally operational network of Christian leaders which is not affiliated with an oganized denomination. However, that does not minimize the work and purpose fulfill. As a network, we ar committed to the development and expansion of biblical Christianity in an apostolic framework. This means we are committed to a straightforward, unadorned approach to church polity, governance, and ornder.
     The early church knew very little of the wide variety of church prespectives which today are so much a part of the Christian genre. Yet, most of the leadership roles have their origins and identities rooted in the words of the New Testament. Such is the office of Bishop, and such is the nature of the function I now embrace.
     Within the earliest days of Church life, the role of a bishop was one of wide ranging authority over an unspecified number of church congregations. This could have been as far ranging as a national or territorial bishopric, or as confined as a city and its immediate surroundings.Whatever it was, a bishop was responsible to promote the well-being and stability of those who were a part of his oversight.
     The earliest bishops were drawn from the ranks of the growing body of apostles and their spiritual sons who crossed the face of the known world spreading the Gospel and changing the world. Today, the role of bishop looks much different, although the basic function has not changed a great deal. In my particular case, I have the opportunity to provide encouragement and insight to other bishops and overseers across the length an breadth of this nation.

































Ap

Honesty Is A Good Plan

The weather has shifted once again. Our snow melted after only two days. The ice evaporated in a surge of fifty degree heat. Today, it feels like spring has sprung, even though we expect more chilly nights and rainy days.

Is this climate change or global warming? It's difficult for an amateur like me to know. However, I am convinced it is just as difficult for the professionals to know, too. With all their technology and the specialized equipment the have on hand, the faithful Farmer's Almanac remains one of the most effective and efficient standards of long range weather prognostication.

There's a problem here. Most of the professionals seem to be defending a position that has been cast in concrete. It has to be the way they have declared it to be. But the hard  evidence continues to mount demonstrating that perhaps, just perhaps, they are wrong. Maybe the fluctuations in weather cycles are just that - fluctuations. Weather has always been variable and unresponsive to human manipulation. It makes sense to me that people need to be ready and willing to adjust to the changes without coming to the conclusion that the sky is falling. It's not!

People in leadership often face a similar problem. They stake out a strategy or a position on inaccurately or incompletely informed certitude. They simply have to be right because they have chosen a position they believe to be right. Then, reality begins to contradict their choices and those positions become harder and harder to defend. Yet, in order to save face and not appear out of touch, defending such hastily drawn opinions is exactly what many people do.

Admitting error should not be a problem for an honest leader. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes we rush to judgement and follow a strategy which, in the long run, would be better off if it were abandoned. But an investment in time, energy, and resources holds precedence over common sense and flawed decisions are advanced anyway. What a waste.

CANDID SOUL endorses the opinion that honesty is the ethical and moral choice of champions. There will always be armchair quarterbacks who will kibitz and bluster about how they could have and would have done better. But, they didn't get in the game. They sat on the sidelines, ate their pretzels and drank their (root) beer. Ignore them. They are, as the apostle wrote, "sounding brass and tinkling cymbals."

If you are in a position of leadership and realize you have made an error in judgement, face it squarely. Deal with it honestly, correct it immediately, and move on. If people abandon you in the process, it is likely they were not with you in the first place. If the gripe or complain, let them come up with a better solution. And if they do, be willing to at least evaluate the benefit of their suggestions. They might just have a viable answer.

Soldier on, warrior of the Kingdom.