Pastors' Blog

I’ve been amazed—on two counts—over the public reaction to the recent election of a new pontiff for the Roman Catholic Church. The global press has been awash in accolades for Pope Francis. No doubt the dramatic contrast between the personalities of this new pope and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, has fueled the news media’s complimentary, sometimes glowing, coverage of this new reign.  And Pope Francis’ publicly warm and modest persona have only heightened the fascination of the secular press. The reports are nearly daily chronicling the self-deprecating, people-friendly style of Rome’s new leader—from his rejection of the armored Pope-mobile and wading out into the crowds to his decision this week to renounce the palatial papal quarters in the Vatican for a much more modest room in the nearby Santa Martha hotel-style residence that he will share with other priests. The International Business Times reported: “In what seemed to be a further confirmation to his simple, humble and laidback lifestyle, one-week-old newly installed Pope Francis has shunned the Vatican Palace and instead has chosen to remain living in the Vatican guesthouse where he has actually been staying since coming to Rome to participate in the papal conclave that chose him to become its supreme spiritual pontiff” (http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/450767/20130327/what-seemed-further-confirmation-simple-humble-laidback.htm#.UVL83RysiSo). The news media have dutifully pointed out that the new domicile for the resigned pope will be more opulent than that for Pope Francis! But just as amazing as the press coverage has been the scramble among the faithful to show that Pope Francis indeed fulfills the predictions of the canonized Irish archbishop Malachy (1094-1148). Purportedly Malachy predicted the cryptic identity of every pope (112 of them) between his day and the endtime judgment of the world. According to the faithful, Pope Francis is that 112th pope, and now expositors are showing that in fact his family name, along with his chosen name of Francis, are a literal match with Malachy’s identification of the final pope, when “Rome, the seat of the Vatican, will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people." How eager the human mind to latch onto a date for the terminus of history! But the genuine end of human history was writ large on that early Sunday morning when the incarnate God of the universe rose up from the dead, shattering not only His borrowed sepulcher, but also the very barred gates of Death and the Grave itself! “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18 NIV). There were no media to adulate over the risen Jesus—just a smitten band of Roman guards and a handful of women. And yet history was rent in twain by His triumphant resurrection, its ending forever secured for His friends—“Because I live, you will also live” (John 14:19). So never mind the popes, who come and go—for they, like we all, can only hope in the grace and power of the risen and soon-coming Christ!

I keep wondering: Does the intransigence of the politicians and legislators of this nation somehow portend a dark chapter ahead for this government? That’s hardly an uncommon thought, given the headlines these days out of Washington. But could it be that the political and ideological gridlock we are witnessing plays into a  much deeper and darker narrative than the public or its leaders realize? And if so, how? One of these days the game of political chicken will backfire. In the current financial showdown, each side has been banking on their opponents’ unwillingness to be labeled the cause of this nation’s fiscal crisis. Thus each party has bet the last dregs of their already historically low approval ratings on the hope that their opponents will blink just before the deadline and sue for a compromise. But what has surprised observers this time around is that neither side is blinking. It is growingly apparent that both political camps are willing to risk a head-on collision rather than back down. Period. So what lies ahead? Only God knows, since it is more than clear our leaders don’t. While it isn’t the purpose of this Fourth Watch blog to handicap all the possible outcomes of rapidly unfolding current events on this planet or in this nation—be they political, social, economic, ecological, or religious—this blog does seek to keep a careful, watchful eye on the those events for one simple reason—Jesus commanded His followers to do so: “‘But the exact day and hour [of His return]? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable. It’s like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch. So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. You don’t want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. I say it to you, and I’m saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch’” (Mark 13:32-37 The Message). Did you catch that? “Keep a sharp lookout.” “Stay at your post.” “Keep watch.” Thus the mission of this Fourth Watch blog. Two asteroids, one papal resignation and a government in gridlock, all within the last few days—anybody want to handicap the odds of all three turning out to be apocalyptic indeed? As any social scientist will remind us, all it takes for a society or a government or a nation to undergo a rapid paradigm shift is the injection of a single catastrophic event. Knock out the last vestiges of personal and collective security, and all bets are off. History has played out that scenario too many times to be wrong. So Jesus is right. “Keep a sharp lookout.” “Stay at your post.” “Keep watch.” And if you’re a follower of His, that is an order.

The world was stunned this past Monday morning when in his weekly meeting with Vatican cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation: “ . . . well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.” As the news bulletin circled the planet, church historians scrambled to find a precedent in Roman Catholic history. The most recent papal resignation, they have told us, was the abdication of Gregory XII in 1415 “to end a dispute with a rival claimant to the papacy” (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/11/us-pope-resigns-idUSBRE91A0BH20130211). Six centuries later the Church of Rome now faces the reality of electing a new pope while his predecessor is still very much alive. What role will Benedict have in the election of his successor? None, the Vatican responds, adding that Benedict’s papal symbols including his ring will be destroyed as would have been the case had he died in office. Instead he will live out the rest of his days in a monastery on the edge of the Vatican gardens. His successor? Already the ubiquitous handicapping of papal candidates is preoccupying the news media and cyberspace. The wait will not be long, since the Vatican indicates that the new pope will be crowned by Easter, March 31. And for students of Bible prophecy what does this nearly unprecedented papal resignation portend? I imagine that over the next few weeks renewed examination of Revelation’s cryptic prophecy in chapter seventeen will focus on “he must continue a short time” (v 10), leading some no doubt to identify Benedict with that phrase and thus conclude there is but one ruler left before the return of Christ. Already some in the press are drawing attention to the purported prophecies of the Catholic mystic Malachy (1139 AD), who apparently predicted with (some say) uncanny detail 112 popes from his day to the end of the world. With Benedict being the 111th Pontiff in Malachy’s prophecy, supporters believe the 112th pope, predicted to be named Petrus Romanus, will be the final one (http://www.pakalertpress.com/2013/02/12/petrus-romanus-900-year-old-prophecy-says-next-pope-will-oversee-end-of-days/). What shall we believe? First of all, the Reformation principle of Sola scriptura (the Bible and the Bible alone) must be the foundation of any prophetic interpretation. The Bible remains its own best interpreter—go deep within it. Secondly, be cautious about transforming immediate headlines into Bible predictions. In this age of instant cyberspace news and commentary, be slow to link sensational events to apocalyptic fulfillment. Third, avoid the “lone ranger” interpretations. While every prophetic interpretation begins with someone’s earnest study, faithful interpretation and genuine fulfillment will bear collective scrutiny. Fourth, always remember that God’s mission includes more than you and me. I.e., fulfilling Bible prophecy is not about getting the insiders saved, but rather the earnest reminder that all seven billion of earth’s inhabitants are the passionate object of Heaven’s rescue mission. While you pray “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” work as never before to lead lost people to their Savior. And finally, let every headline be a reminder that the return of our Lord is near. New Testament Christianity has always lived with the expectancy of Jesus’ Second Coming—“Behold, I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:12). It is called the “blessed hope” for a reason! So let your heart exult in His hope.

Have you been following the debate about change—the change in your pocket, that is? In order to save money President Obama is recommending that the composition of the U.S. penny be reconsidered.  All because of a long word nobody can spell, let alone pronounce: “seigniorage” (and that’s not Spanish for “Mr. Age”). Seignorage is the technical term that describes the difference between the value of a currency and its production cost. And right now our copper one cent piece (which is no longer copper, but zinc) costs  2 cents to produce. That’s why our neighbor to the north has decided to withdraw the Canadian penny from circulation, beginning February 4. Should the U.S. follow suit? Two thirds of Americans polled say No. Why such loyalty to an overpriced piece of zinc? Beyond the “what would we give to the Salvation Army?” quip, there is the fear that since many prices end in a 9, removal of the penny would be the equivalent of a “rounding tax” on consumers that one study suggests could be as high as $1.5 billion over a five-year period. And besides, if we got rid of the penny, we would have to mint more nickels, and a U.S. nickel now costs 10 cents to produce. But then there’s another study that concludes “getting rid of the penny could save $730 million per year by eliminating the time customers and cashiers deal with the coin in cash transactions” (TIME, February 4, 2013). So what’s a nation to do? What’s a God to do? Surely some have suggested to Him that the seven-billion-plus humans on this planet are hardly worth their original purchase price. Like the penny that in 1913 had “almost 25 times the purchasing power it does today,” even so the value of a single human being has surely plummeted beyond a reasoned defense for its salvation. But we humans are hardly pennies in the Treasury of Heaven, are we? Not if the worth of a single human soul is measured by the crimson price paid out on the auction block of Calvary. If the Good Shepherd was willing to lay down His life for just one hopelessly, miserably lost sheep, then the commensurate value of that one lamb is catapulted beyond calculation, is it not? “. . . He made a gift of such magnitude that it can never be said that God could have made His gift, His donation to the human family, greater. His gift defies computation” (Our High Calling 28). So if God so values the world—one lost human at a time—that He gave His Only Son, then should we not so value even just one lost soul—be it roommate, neighbor, classmate, peer or complete stranger? In seven days “iPerceive: A Future You Can Count On” begins (see www.iperceive.org for details). And if you can’t think of one lost friend or stranger to bring, would you please pray that Heaven will turn this short series into a salvation event for every lost soul who comes? Forget saving pennies—it’s people that are priceless.