I’ve had my share of being short tempered but have not benefitted from those experiences much at all because I continue to do it. It seems if someone disagrees with me I lash out and try to belittle them and their point of view. This is definitely not coming from anyone other than Satan.
I recently received a letter about End Times. I immediately attacked him and said he had been brainwashed and was irrational. His response was forthcoming and was, to put it mildly, highly insulting. He called End Times preacher John Hagee a clown and launched into tearing down the Bible and widely accepted belief systems such as the seven year tribulation and the antichrist ruling during that period which he referred to as “nonsense”. He touched on Zionism being the “scourge” of humanity, and the Rothschild family as creating Israel, “the false Doctrine of Matthew Henry, John Gill, Adam Clarke, and Alfred Barnes as having “got it wrong”, Sigh . . .
This guy is a good friend and we agree on most things, but his original letter to me (which was unsolicited) I took as his attempt at destroying and belittling my belief system. I don’t think Reverend Hagee is a clown and I believe there will be a seven year tribulation and rapture beforehand just like brother Hagee does. As a matter of fact, I believe we are getting very close to it and absent a revival I think we might be raptured in the coming years.
Obviously, we cannot prove who is correct one way or the other until we both die. Thus, it is pretty much a waste of time to argue the point. Television host and atheist Bill Mayer says that the Bible is a farce and anyone who believes it is an idiot. I believe he is an idiot for thinking that way, but I suppose that I just need to hold my tongue and pray for him to come around.
The Bible tells us that it is wrong to argue Scripture. My good friend is entitled to his opinion but so am I. I think it best to just leave him to his belief system. By the way I do believe he might get into heaven and walk the streets of gold as portrayed in the Bible. He might think that the streets are not gold, but we will see soon enough.
2 Timothy 2:23
Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.