Just a little tip for you coffee drinkers out there: If you want a little holiday spice in your favorite coffee blend, just dash a bit of nutmeg and/or cinnamon on top of your grounds before you brew. I’m drinking a cup right now, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy it. It’s about as close as I can get to the fabulous “Christmas Blend” coffee that Starbucks offers up every year.
Anyways, I don’t have anything profound to write this morning. Work yesterday was a little better. I made a few more deals, so I’m a little more motivated today. It’s chilly today, so I’ll have to bundle up.
One of the guys at work, who was my trainer on my first day in the field has been talking theology with me. He’s a really great guy and I enjoy our conversations. He’s also posed a really great challenge for me. I get to spend the next few days, weeks, maybe even months researching and debating his theology. You see, he’s a preterist, which, from what he’s told me so far, means that he believes that the entire book of Revelation has already come to pass. I can’t go into all the details right now, but he believes rapture, second coming, judgement, etc have already happened and we are currently living in the full glory of God’s kingdom. Now, I’m pretty much a novice when it comes to eschatology, but I do have a pretty firm belief about what will come to pass. Regardless, I’m going to have to do some serious studying if I want to try to straighten my friend out. If any of you out there have a good knowledge about this crazy theology (which I have not heard of previous to this week), let me know if you have any thoughts. Here’s a list of a few websites that he gave me that support and advocate this belief. Remember, I do not support these sites in any way (in fact, I haven’t even visited them yet). Tell me what you guys think.
www.rapturereadyinsurance.com
www.prophecyrefi.org
www.wordofvictory.com
www.eschatology.org
www.beyondtheendtimes.com
www.preteristcosmos.com
www.audiowebman.org/bbc/index.htm
www.preteristarchive.com
I actually have heard of this theology, but never of anyone who follows it today. I was struck by the websites’ emphasis of (a very narrow interpretation of) Jesus’ reference to ‘end times’. My own view holds that Preterists make a pretty big mistake (that is common) in strict literal interpretation. In the case of the Revelation, they tend to emphasize historicity at the cost of the eternal truth of John’s message. On the other hand, the more common interpretations today err, in my opinion, on the other side. They emphasize the eternal (future) truth and ignore historicity. Both ditches are inevitable when you are concerned with literal interpretation of symbolic writing. I think the real issue Preterists struggle with is that truth must equal historicity which must equal literalness. Maybe the best approach is to share how you understand eschatology differently with an emphasis on the fact that eschatology is not what determines salvation. If you can share a view that is respectful of his own, yet show him that you also have a true relationship with Christ, perhaps he will begin to think about diversity in understanding scripture. Just my guess.
By the way, I have trouble sometimes when I use cinammon in my coffee grounds with the coffee being dry–that is, it sort of leaves a dry flat taste in my mouth. How much do you use?
Walt, just two firm taps of the index finger on the side of the cinnamon canister should provide adequate and noticeable flavoring without making your cup taste too “powdery”. Enjoy your coffe and thanks for your feedback on Preterism!