INFLEXABILITIES

It is said that when one gets older they get set in their ways, even as Christians we can become entrenched in our Theological positions and will not budge under any circumstances. Most Christians for example are either in the Arminian or Calvinist camps and appear to be very inflexible. I have come to see that both these “Salvation” Schools have some potentially extreme teaching. Many Christians and Theologians believe that truth has been progressively restored since the Reformation, thus we have many “New Calvinists” who reject for example Cessationism and Double Predestination but hold onto other very important tenets of Reformed truth.  Many Arminians have come to see  a greater degree the Sovereignty of God  in a Man’s Salvation, and see much greater security in their Salvation  than what they once believed. I personally have had to adjust my thinking greatly in these areas over the last few years.
Another area of potential inflexibility is in  the area of Eschatology (The Doctrine of last Things). So many Schools of belief have developed in the last 100+ years, and literally tens of millions of words have been written many disagreeing with various positions, but all the authors basing their belief on their interpretation of the Biblical text. Prior to world war one, many believed in Post millenialism believing the world was getting better and Jesus would return after 1 thousand year period of prosperity. All the wars in the last century and all the chaos in our world have caused this School to be rejected, Then there was the development of the Pre-Millenial School, that Jesus would return and usher in a thousand years of Messianic rule, some taught Jesus would return prior to a seven year Tribulation period, others taught Jesus would return half way through a seven year period (based on Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy), then others taught that Jesus would return after the seven year Tribulation. All these positions are part of Pre-Millenial teaching. Then there is the Amillenial School that the Millenium is not a literal thousand year reign of Christ on the earth, This School has become very popular in these last twenty years or so.
I have written all the above, because I have become aware of a inflexibility regarding Second Coming teaching in my life, and in reaction to all the above simply applied the principle that I would seek to be ready all the time for the Lord’s return, (iJohn 3:2-3) and keep busy serving the Lord.
You may be aware the  Church Fathers took a number of centuries before they accepted  the Book of Revelation as a part of the New Testament canon, even the Epistle to the Hebrews was considered too Jewish for a long time.
One of the group of colleagues who I meet with regularly recently has been doing a fresh study of The Book of Revelation, I vocalised my feelings as I have expressed above, and felt the Holy Spirit convict me, so I don’t know where it will take me, but from morning I am going to slowly begin meditating in and reading the Book of Revelation. I have always been aware of some gems of truth in the Book, but have struggled with all the signs and symbols. Please do not expect to read “new revelation” in the next few weeks, in my blogs, but trust there will be further gems of truth i can share with you.
Please pray with me that I have “ears to hear” what the Holy Spirit wants to say to me. May you all have a blessed fruitful weekend.