They Predicted...

They predicted…

• 09/23/2017—The beginning of the end times.
• 05/14/2019—The rapture begins no later than this date.
• 01/06/2025—Notice received that ‘end time’ event is dead ahead.

Many other dates from the past with similar results could be added.

Many other future dates will likely be able to be added to this list.

There seems to be an unending parade of predictions by today’s self-proclaimed prophets. Yet another prediction came to our church email account on August 15, 2024 predicting “OUR Strange FIERY TRIAL.”

After skimming dozens of pages of difficult writing (because of excessive use of multi-colored text and highlighting, and other formatting features), I finally discovered what he meant by ‘Our Strange Fiery Trial.’ Piecing together numerous parts of prophecies in the Bible he concluded that the United States was in trouble with God and would fall on February 17, 2026.

I decided not to spend any more time trying to understand his calculations. Rather, I followed the advice God gave to Israel when they encountered people who prophesied about the future:

Whenever a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the oracle does not come about or the word is not fulfilled, then the Lord has not spoken it. The prophet will have spoken presumptuously, so you need not fear him. 

--Deuteronomy 18:22

I marked the date on my phone calendar app with a notice appearing the day before. That date, 02/17/2026, has come and gone with no change.

The man took snippets of passages from all over the Bible and then joined them together to make his prediction. He justified his method by using a prophecy in Isaiah that suggested that God’s word was given “line upon line, here a little, there a little” (28:13). In other words, the interpretation of God’s word is not based on the context of the passage, but discerning how to piece clues together from many disjointed passages.

Though citing New Testament verses that emphasized that we do not know the date and time of God’s judgment, he reasoned that God’s people should be able to discern dates and times while others cannot do so. And yet, Jesus did not single out one group that would know when a warning was to be fulfilled while another group would not know. We simply do not know when God’s judgment will come. Rather, we are taught to be ready.

If the U.S. had fallen on 02/17/2026, I might be reading his papers more carefully to understand how he arrived at his conclusions. But his doomsday forecast failed. He is yet another false prophet.

The Apostle John wrote, “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) Do you know how to test the spirits? John was referring to the things people speak in the name of God. Some things spoken are truth and some are error. The only way we will know the difference is by comparing the things spoken by man with the things God’s has revealed in His holy word.

A person who claims to speak for God is trustworthy only if the things spoken accord with the things God has already revealed. That is how we know truth from error. If someone claims to know something about the future that is not clearly revealed in Scripture, just wait. Time will reveal whether they have spoken from God. So, don’t be deceived by the false prophets of our day. Keep your focus on God’s word. It is relevant still today.

Mark Stinnett

March 15, 2026

John's Final Warning

I had to turn my head to avoid looking. The wedding couple left the center of the ‘sanctuary’ (as it was called) to approach a near life-size statue. They both knelt and bowed before the statue. (That’s when I turned my head.)

It did not matter who or what the statue represented. How could they not see that they were bowing before an idol!?

The second of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God….” (Exodus 20:4-5)

In short, NO IDOLS, regardless of what the image represented.

While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments and the law, the Israelite nation grew weary of waiting. They demanded that Aaron make a god/idol for them. Gold jewelry was collected and Aaron “fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf.” Then the people said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 

(Read about this event in Exodus 32.)

The appalling idol may distract us from the reality of its intent. The people did not say that the golden calf was a god of the Egyptians. Rather, it was the god “who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” The calf was intended to represent their God, the God of Abraham, the Creator! Aaron acknowledged as much when he announced, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” (v. 5) The term “Lord” is literally the Hebrew name of God (sometimes written in English as ‘Yahweh’).

Israel was not turning away from God but making a physical representation of God...an idol. They were not justified in making the idol simply because it represented the one true God. Idols were forbidden regardless of what they represented. Idolatry was a despicable practice, an abomination. God destroyed nations for idolatry and turned away from His chosen people because of idolatry.

You don’t see much about idols in the New Testament until the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys in Gentile territories. We then read strong teachings against idolatry.

Historically the Eastern Orthodox church criticized the Roman Catholic church for using idols (statues and other images). They justified their own idols by noting that they were only two-dimensional representations which are technically not ‘images.’ And yet, change the words; they are still idols.

It’s a good thing ‘we’ are past all that, right? ‘We’ don’t have idols.

And yet, what are all the manger scenes at Christmas? What about the yard ornaments (statues of Jesus or Mary or Joseph or the saints)? What about images in stained glass? What are all the crosses that adorn the walls in our homes, adorn the jewelry worn around our necks and wrists? What is the ‘fish’ emblem carved into plaques or affixed on the backs of our cars? What is the crucifix atop our communion trays or atop the communion table in many church buildings? How have we justified/rationalized these idols?

Among the last writings of the New Testament is the short letter called First John. Here’s the final verse, a warning: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”

Take this warning seriously. Idols come in all shapes and sizes, from little silver trinkets to life-size statues and larger. The warning applies still today because idolaters will have no part in the kingdom of God!

Mark Stinnett

March 8, 2026

Honor Upside Down

Before he wore the title ‘apostle’ and went by the name ‘Paul,’ Saul of Tarsus was an enemy of Christianity. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, a disciple of Jesus, and clearly gave his approval. He had gone to the high priest of the Jews to ask for letters authorizing him to arrest disciples of Christ. Notice again, he had gone to the high priest.

After his conversion to Christ, the Apostle Paul began preaching the gospel. Because of his new allegiance to Christ, the Jews turned against him. When visiting Jerusalem on one occasion, he was falsely accused of preaching against the Law of Moses and defiling the temple of God. For that reason he was brought before the Jewish council among whom was the high priest.

In the course of his defense for preaching the gospel Paul indicated that he had lived his life with a good conscience before God. The high priest commanded those standing next to Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul immediately responded, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” (Acts 23:3)

Someone near Paul said, “Do you revile God’s high priest.” Then Paul replied, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” (This was undoubtedly a different man serving as high priest than the one Paul knew earlier.)

Of all people, the high priest of the Jews should have recognized the Messiah. The high priest should have realized that Jesus fit the description, that He was the Messiah. If not during the earthly ministry of Jesus, the high priest should have been one of the early converts to Christianity. Yet, rejecting Jesus the Messiah, the high priest ordered Paul to be struck for saying that he had followed Jesus in good conscience. It was completely upside down, circumstances that should never have developed. Even so, Paul recognized the position of the high priest when it was pointed out and he acknowledged that he had spoken wrongly against the high priest. Paul displayed honor in an upside down situation.

Jesus was on trial before King Herod and before Pilate, a Roman governor. How upside down was that?! God declared that Jesus of Nazareth was His only begotten Son. Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy as the Messiah of God. That means that He was the prophesied ’king.’ Upon His ascension Jesus entered into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, language describing His enthronement. King Herod should have bowed to honor Jesus. Pilate should have been on trial before Jesus. Caesar should have made his way to Judea to find Jesus and show honor to Him. Upside down!

In his earthly ministry Jesus acknowledged the authority of Caesar by paying His taxes and He taught others to do so as well. When on trial He did nothing and said nothing disrespectful toward the Jewish authorities, King Herod or Pilate. The One who would soon be enthroned as King of kings showed honor to human authorities in an upside down world.

We recognize that we are still living in an upside down world. Elected officials make ungodly decisions at the city, county, state, and federal levels of government. It should not be that way. They should know better. The inequities anger us. Peter instructed Christians to submit to governing authorities. The honor we show human authorities is rooted in our respect for God and His authority. 

“Honor the king” (even in an upside down world).

The Apostle Paul did. 

Jesus the Messiah did.

What about you??

Mark Stinnett

March 1, 2026