History and how it operates tends to fall into two forms, there is cyclical view, which claims that history and nations go through a circle of rise, golden age, decline, destruction or rebirth. In this view we are "doomed to repeat history," to an extent, because its hardwired in our world. The Linear view of history and nations states that we are headed to final cataclysmic event, the end of the world or end of human history. Most would say that Bible affirms the linear view, that we are headed to the End of This World (Revelation 21, 2 Peter 3:10) and The Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, in Scripture the Lord does affirm the cyclical nature of history, when he says, "nations will rise, and nations will fall," (Job 12:23) and King Solomon, "for everything there is a season, a time to live, a time to die, a time to destroy and a time to build up." (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3). This has lead to hybridization of the the cyclical and linear view, ...
When we think of blessings, we like to think of positive things like our family, friends, something that happened to us that was comforting. We like to think blessings are things like prosperity, but the Bible has a different definition. Our Lord Jesus says, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:11) Wait we are blessed when persecuted and mistreated?! Yes indeed, the Apostle Peter even says, "But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. And you should not be afraid of their threats, neither should you be troubled." (1 Peter 3:14). What the?! Yes the storm can be a blessing, and yet that is not how we like to think of it. Remember when the storm hit the apostles in boat and Jesus walked on the water, it looked bad, and yet it was a blessing for they saw The Lord demonstrate his dominion over the weather by stilling the storm, and that He is God by ...