I have a coworker who is a licensed minister in a different denomination than I am in, or have ever been a part. Yesterday I told him he would probably make a better Nazarene than me. He thought about it a couple of minutes, and said he agreed. He agreed because we do a lot of talking as work together first thing many mornings for a couple of hours.
His denomination believes in the idea of a physical rapture and a time on this earth when Satan will be "bound" for a "season." The Nazarenes do as well. I don't. Many of the Nazarenes as well as the denomination this friend is affiliated with believe in a physical battle commonly referred to as Armageddon. I, again, do not. In fact, I mostly discount all of the prophesies attributed to Daniel and to John the Revelator. I think at best they were feeble human attempts at explaining spiritual realities going on at the time of the writings as well as future events. I actually lean more towards them being fantasy with possible hallucinate influences.
But are they workable or fatal differences? It really depends on parties involved. For me, they are workable. For my deceased parents and deceased and living family, fatal. And there is the sad part.
On the flip side, we can agree on things that are fatal not only to our own spiritual relationship, but to those that look on our spiritual relationship.
As people who don't really know anything about us observe us, what are their impressions? Are they attracted to us and by way of that attracted to the Gospel? Or are they turned away because we maintain that things have to be a certain way and are not willing to consider other possibilities? I am not talking about spiritual relationship ending sin here. I am talking about concepts and ideas that we can not prove or disapprove via the Scriptures. Like a rapture. Like an Armageddon.
If you know for sure what is going to happen at the end of time, please write it up as clearly and succintly as possible, chew it up and swallow it and let nature takes its course. Please do not send it to me. I also do not believe in fortune telling.
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