Our preacher, Mark Stinnett, publishes articles for the church bulletin each week. These articles are designed to teach, encourage and challenge the members of our congregation. His latest articles can be found below with the most recent at the beginning of the list. Mark has archived all of his articles on his personal blog 'MicroMarks' which can be accessed at: micromarks.blogspot.com.
Preacher's Blog
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Here We Go Again!
In the church mail box came a mailer with the following message: “Inside: Two bombshell events the Bible says are dead ahead!” On the back was a chart that grossly misinterpreted some of the prophecies in Daniel as if they would be fulfilled in our day. They will NOT!
Yet again, an end-of-time/‘rapture’ forecaster has interpreted biblical prophecies to point to a time in his present day. I have never once heard one of these prognosticators shout to their generation: “Warn your great-grandchildren; in yet 100 years the prophecy will be fulfilled.” I have never heard one of them prophesy to another nation about things 200 or 300 years future. Never. It is always going to happen in the near present...and time and time again, the predictions have failed.
The Good
The good thing is that we can read the Bible and apply simple principles of interpretation to discover the divinely revealed truth. We can know the audience to which God’s prophecies were directed. In addition, we can determine either when or what kinds of conditions would make the fulfillment of the prophecy recognizable.
As for the prophecies in the book of Daniel, God actually named three of the four nations (all world empires) that would receive divine judgment: Babylon, Persia, and Greece. The fourth nation to receive God’s judgment would follow Greece, so, obviously, Rome. God also revealed a rather startling message to Daniel about his own people, the Jews. God told Daniel that the Jews would be judged. God judged the nation of the Jews in dramatic fashion in 70 A.D.
The overall message of the prophecies in Daniel is encapsulated in Daniel 2:44-45. The prophecy was about a future kingdom that was not of this world, in other words, the kingdom of God. The simple message: There would come a time when the people of God would no longer be ruled by men and the kingdoms of men. All of that is now history. Fulfillment of the new kingdom prophecy is described in Acts 2. It is a spiritual kingdom, not of this earth, just as Jesus said.
The Bad
The misapplication of biblical prophecy may give some people false hope. Taken at face value, those who teach that there will be a rapture before the final end of the world give false hope. Those who have no interest in God recognize that they will probably be spared and given yet another chance. So why turn to God now!?
At the same time, it scares some people. In the mailer that I received, warnings were given that included the use of digital currency, travel restrictions, worldwide vaccines. One must use a wide brush with broad strokes of biblical interpretation to paint conclusions such as those. Again, they are human interpretations!
The Ugly
At least as bad, perhaps worse, these kinds of predictions undermine the true message of Scripture when the modern-day prophets get it wrong. A watching world, concludes, “Here we go again! It’s another one of those Bible-believing quacks.” It gives Christianity a black eye and for those who already have a healthy skepticism, they lose interest in the Bible.
And by the way, the mailer gave a phone number an Internet address for a product catalog. "Millions will go missing!" "Billions will die!" But get your product catalog today! (Eye roll)
The Bible says...
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
—2 Peter 1:20-21
Mark Stinnett
January 13, 2025
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Resolute
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution in 2024? If so, how did you do?
Were you ‘resolute’?
I don’t get excited about New Year resolutions. However, as a school teacher I made resolutions prior to each school year. I guess it is not that important when a resolution is made. For some folks the end of calendar year is the end of a cycle. For others it might be some kind of cycle at work. For some, there are no regular cycles, but times of transition. These all seem to be popular and reasonable times to make resolutions.
Resolutions mark a beginning, and often an end. Looking forward to the future and anticipating better things, a resolution comes from a desire for change. It may be that you want to do something you have never done before. Or, you may have a desire to put negative habits or experiences in the past.
Resolutions come after genuine reflection. Naturally, the ending of some sort of cycle in life is a perfect time to reflect on the past and formulate future goals. In contrast, resolutions which are little more than passing whims or impulsive thoughts are the most difficult to keep.
Every year articles are written a month or two into the new year describing broken resolutions. Perhaps the broken resolutions are because many people are not resolute when making resolutions.
Are you familiar with the word resolute? According to Webster’s dictionary it means:
Having or showing a fixed, firm purpose; determined; resolved; unwavering .
Strong words. Each begs the use of all caps and an exclamation point for emphasis:
FIRM PURPOSE!
DETERMINED!
UNWAVERING!
A synonym for resolute is FAITHFUL.
Have you ever considered Christianity a resolution?
Was your decision to follow Christ RESOLUTE!?
Resolution: God’s will, not mine.
He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:41-42)
Resolution: Die to self, Follow Jesus.
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
Resolution: Living Sacrifice, Holy Sacrifice.
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Romans 12:1-2)
Whether you make a New Year’s resolution or not, be RESOLUTE in your commitment to Christ.
Mark Stinnett
December 29, 2024
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Saints by Calling
Many people in our day have misunderstood God’s calling. They consider every ‘calling’ in the New Testament to be similar to the way Jesus individually called the apostles to follow Him. With the apostles, He did indeed pick them out by name from among His followers.
Some people think that God’s omniscience, His divine quality of being all-knowing, means that no one really chooses Jesus. Rather, God has pre-chosen each follower of Jesus. After all, He knows beforehand whether you are a follower of Jesus.
The flaw in this reasoning is just that, it is human reasoning. Human reasoning is applied to things beyond creation, things beyond the scope of man’s understanding.
While it is true that there are some passages of Scripture that are difficult to explain because, on the surface, they sound like God arbitrarily chose those who would follow Jesus, they must harmonize with all other Scripture. It is apparent from many Scriptures that God does not hand-pick anyone to follow Jesus. He did not choose you or me before our birth as if to say we had no choice but to follow Jesus.
This kind of thinking is disastrous. It would say to a person who has come to faith in Jesus and who follows Jesus with all their heart that they might not be among the ones preselected. For that reason, they are doomed!
The early Christians endured mocking, “Where is the promise of His coming?” The Apostle Peter reminded his readers, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:3-9) That does not sound like God chose some to be saved but did not choose others. He wishes for ALL to come to repentance.
The Apostle Paul wrote that we who are Christians are saints by calling (1 Corinthians 1:2). That means that we are not saints by arbitrary choice, or individual choice, or by divine decree. It means that God has called us to be followers of Jesus. Then he leaves it up to each individual to respond to His call.
It really is as simple as an advertisement on television or that you receive in your email or that you see on a huge billboard along the highway. The advertisement is a call to everyone hearing or seeing the ad. It is an invitation to accept the offer. There may be terms to fulfill. There may be something to buy. It may be a limited time offer. Whatever the case, the offer is made and nothing is final until YOU make a decision and respond to the ad. You must answer the call.
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) He did not qualify His offer. It was extended to ALL people.
God really does want every person to turn to Him. He extends His arms of love to all. He offers forgiveness and acceptance to all. His mercy and grace are extended to us by calling.
Some people like to say that our salvation is all Jesus, that we can do nothing to receive salvation. Even the grocery store teaches us that we have to respond to the sale ad to receive the gracious benefit being offered.
God has done everything. He has provided a sacrificial Lamb as an offering for our sins. And He has called us to follow Jesus.
Saints by calling:
God has called.
We must responded.
Mark Stinnett
December 22, 2024
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The Power of Mockery
Perhaps one of the most demeaning aspects of the life of Jesus was the mockery He endured during His trial and crucifixion.
Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king and Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world. After that, Pilate referred to Jesus as the king of the Jews. In doing so, he mocked the Jews who accused Jesus, but he also mocked Jesus.
Before being crucified Jesus was scourged (whipped) like a criminal. The Roman soldiers dressed Him in purple as if He were a king: mockery. They twisted a crown of thorns and put it on Him: mockery. They called to Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Mockery. They beat His head with a stick, spit on Him, and were bowed before Him: mockery.
The Jews were no different. As Jesus was displayed on the cross to passer-byers (mockery), the religious leaders of the Jews said, “He saved others; He cannot save himself.” Mockery. Those passing by wagged their head at Him and sneered: mockery. Some were saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Mockery.
Even the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus insulted him: mockery.
It is my opinion that no one reading this has been mocked like Jesus. And yet, all mockery is the same, perhaps just different in severity.
A little child would say that he/she was made fun of. Mockery is ridicule that insults and shows contempt toward another person. People may mock ideas or ideals that are held by others. Mockery is usually a verbal expression that sharply puts someone down or devalues something held to be true. Mockery may also be non-verbal.
- A young man tells his girlfriend, “If you love me you will….” Then he tries to coax her into compromising her sexual purity. He is mocking love and mocking his girlfriend for his own pleasure.
- A friend group pressures a reluctant teen to shoplift as an initiation into the group. They mock the law and they mock the teen for his reluctance.
- A young lady is left out of future outings with friends when she insists on abiding by her parents’ curfew. Her friends mock her obedience and, in doing so, also mock God’s word that instructs children to honor their parents.
- A person declares, “You have your interpretation of the Bible; I have mine.” He mocks the existence of knowable truth.
- A college student scoffs at the biblical account of creation claiming a conflict with science. She mocks genuine scientific inquiry and, at the same time, the divine revelation of God.
Mockery may be experienced through an accusation on social media or ridicule for something you did or said that offended someone. Your boss may take advantage of your Christian values and in doing so, mock you and Christianity.
Solomon said that there is a time to answer mockery and a time to remain silent. (See Proverbs 26:4-5.)
We need discernment.
Jesus answered mockery by fulfilling His earthly mission.
He was then enthroned as King of the kingdom of God.
The power of mockery lies in those who listen, who give mockery relevance. Some believe they must defend the truth. Yet, in reality, truth defends itself and in doing so mocks the mocker.
Do not fear powerless mockery.
God is your Judge, and He is your Father.
Fulfill God’s will.
Mark Stinnett
December 15, 2024
