I was driving down the freeway today and caught a very brief glimpse of a billboard that said in huge letters: Judgement Day Is May 21
Yes, indeed. It immediately brought to mind the fiasco that took place in 1988: 88 Reasons For 88. This was a book and tapes that came out declaring that Jesus Christ was going to return during one of 3 days during Rosh Hashanna in September of that year. It actually got it's foothold in the ministry I was working with at the time.
You see, I went to one of the leaders of that ministry's doors one day - don't remember why, I needed some information or something - and the wife of the leader answered. She had a tape in her hand. She said, "You have to listen to this!" What is it? I asked. It's a tape that proves that Christ is going to return in September!!
During this period of time where this ministry started propagating this nonsense, I took a definitive stand against this teaching and the panic it was causing within the Christian community. I was brought before the leaders of the group - from around the world actually - and after I continued to defy them and this declaration that Christ was, indeed, returning in 1988, I was condemned before this entire group. "In that case, we have determined you are not a Christian because you don't believe this" - or something to that effect. I don't remember the exact words, I DO remember that my salvation through my Lord Jesus Christ was not only questioned, but negated.
Fortunately for me, by that time in my Christian walk which was all of 3 years, I had spent CONSIDERABLE time studying the Word. I wasn't then or am not now claiming to be a biblical scholar, but I had dug and dug into the Word, had done all kinds of word studies in Greek and Hebrew and had come to my own conclusions that were not outside of most thinking in Christian circles.
There was only 1 other man that - in a much lessor way - defied them, but he did stand his ground as well. I informed them that the 3 days of Rosh Hashanna would come and go and we would still be here. I think I also asked them if they were going to apologize to me after it was all said and done and no-one was gone?
The stories came to light that Christians were giving away their homes, cars, bank accounts, everything because they fell for this stuff and believed that they were going home with the Lord, therefore, what need had of material things?
Of course, the 3 days came, passed and guess what? We were all still there. There were no reports of worldwide departures or of cataclysmic events.
And why, Ben, did you believe so adamantly then, as you do now, that these men and women were then and now are deceived?
It's simple, really: New Living Translation (©2007)
"However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows."
Other versions say no man shall know the day or the hour. It's referring to the coming of Jesus Christ. Note that it says NO-ONE will know. It doesn't say some will and some won't. This is the scripture that came to my mind, immediately, when I was standing on the doorstep talking with the wife of that leader, who also fell for this junk.
I went to the website of these people and I heard scripture. Great, love it. I love the Word of God. I am not a perfect man and right now? I have many issues. But I don't hate God for the things that happened to me in my life neither do I blame him. In fact, I endeavor to not even hold things against the people that caused no small amount of pain and grief in my life, just because the Word also says that if you do not forgive those that have trespassed against you, your Father in heaven will not forgive your trespasses, either. That's scary stuff. You mean if I don't forgive someone for doing whatever - the whole realm of it - that I may not be forgiven?
I guess you have to do your own soul-searching and whether you believe the Bible is truth - all of it - or is just fictional stuff made up in the minds of men. I have lived the life and I firmly believe. I don't care what ANYONE else thinks, either. If I heard a bunch of scruff, I will openly oppose it. I have been thrown out of so-called churches because of the preaching of heresy that was allegedly based on the Bible but in reality had no footing in any truth that God teaches us through His word.
Back to the website. No way am I going to waste my time going through all of that. I listened to a video and read several pages of type and found nothing to identify where, exactly, they even came up with this date of theirs and what scriptures actually back them up. I've been there and I've done that in 1988, I don't need to waste my time with it. They did show other scriptures about knowing the hour and this and that, but none of it can supersede the statement: NO-ONE or NO MAN depending on what versions you are reading.
It's not that I don't want Christ to return, it's just that these people are deceived, period. They think they have figured something out and therefore, because their math or however they are coming to these conclusions are "infallible", it must be true. It's the minds of men that have made this up, that's the point I am at now. In reality, if you are Christian and you truly believe, then you should probably be fastidious and attempting to ensure that you are ready for His return at ANY time. Further, that regardless of whether He returns on any given date or not, one thing is certain: YOU - ARE - going to DIE some day and yes, you might want to give some credence to what happens to you after the day of your death.
If you choose not to believe that God exists, that does not, therefore, deny the reality that God does, indeed exist. We do that in our minds and our hearts: make things up and then believe them because there is nothing present to deny it. Great, but when you are standing before the Lord to give an accounting, I'm pretty sure that that isn't really going to help you, at all.
There is a lot of scripture in the Bible. You have to take it into context. One scripture talks about God confounding the wisdom of men. Why? Because He is God and we are not. As Moses so succinctly pointed out, we are but mere specks of dust. When a small group of people have "figured" something like this out? I would suggest you completely ignore it. The only thing I can say that might come of good out of it is if it causes people to search their souls and begin to wonder about the reality of God. BUT, having that propagated through fallacy is not good. Then what do those people think after the day comes and goes and nothing happens? Back to questioning God - and in many cases even His existence because mortals have made a mockery of Christianity.
I haven't visited the mainstream preachers to see their take on it. I don't need to. One thing that became increasingly clear during the early days of my walk with the Lord: I have to search out the scripture for myself. That doesn't mean I don't listen to men and women of God speaking forth the truths to be found in the Word, but when it comes to the basic, elemental things, I MUST be convinced through my own walk and search. If not, it will not be a lasting life in Christ, it will be a "fall by the wayside" inevitability.
If you are in fear of the day - May 21st, then do some soul searching. It isn't that day that I would be worried about, it is the fact that eventually - on some given day - your earthly existence IS going to end. No one is going to refute that. Well, mostly no-one. If you aren't sure of where you are going in the end, might I suggest you get a hold of the Holy Bible and start reading? Besides potentially finding Christ through the experience, there are some fascinating events that are told in it that I have loved to read over and over and over. Somehow, God can always show me something new in it that I didn't see the last time I read whatever it is that I am reading.
I end this with this: COULD the Lord be coming on that day? I am not sitting in heaven right now, next to the Lord, hearing whatever He might be saying. I certainly do not know His thoughts. His ways are FAR above our ways. We are so far below His "level" we cannot even fully comprehend it. He undoubtedly has a day set apart for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ - but exactly how that is going to happen is open to much speculation. That's because, besides what we read in the Bible, we don't actually know HOW the event will transpire. But I will say that just because some group of people are declaring "with certainty" a "guaranteed" truth, they proclaim, it undoubtedly will NOT happen that day just because of it.
When we mere mortals start "figuring out" God and how He will do a thing in our lives, I'm not talking about His return here, I'm talking about the things that God does do in our lives, the things we ask of Him for, He seems to find ways to do them that we never thought of. We think how it will be done, we talk about it, and then? He does a thing a different way. I have seen that hundreds of times throughout my walk with the Lord. I have stories that people don't believe. Which phases me not, neither does it make me anyone special, I only point to the Greatness and Goodness of the Lord our God.
Now, I must go. If I am preaching to anyone, I am preaching to myself. I have some repenting to do...........
ben
7 comments:
I heard an interview with a couple who have quit jobs and timed their savings to run out on May 21st. It is going to be a tough thing for them and their kids if things don't happen as the think they will. Anything's possible but I don't think it is going to go their way.
That is the worst part of these things that come and go. People begin to either panic or they start giving away stuff or - as you have said here - quit their jobs. I don't fear for those people, though, they have a rough road ahead of them but a learning experience they will never forget. I have noted that this is one group of people that have come up with, just the same as all the rest of the same thing with individual groups in the past proclaiming the return of Christ on a particular day. Also note that the scripture not only says that not of us will know the day, even the Son himself will not know, only the Father in Heaven.
ben
Tuesday
Finally. 3 consecutive business days starting on Thursday and ending yesterday that we had NO deliveries. The life blood of this business is delivering the material we sell. No deliveries equals no GP. Today's deliveries aren't a lot of money, but it's better than nothing. A bit of a sigh of relief in that department.
Instead of wasting time fearing or anticipating (depending on from where you are looking at this stuff) Christ's return, the energy is better spent praying for all of those people along the Mississippi river whose homes and land are about to be washed away. Some of the stories are heart-wrenching. Today was a guy talking about his attempt to build his own levee around his home and barns.
Ummm, anyway. Work day begins in a just a few minutes. My dad wrote me again after I left work yesterday to my work email account. He's not sure about what to do with this situation that my brothers will be there at the graduation ceremonies. They haven't spoken in years 6 or so that I can think of. That's a pretty good length of time to have to all show up at the same place and consider being together.
That's okay, I rarely see my brothers, either and we don't talk on the phone, in email or otherwise. They are just a notch above being perfect strangers. I do hope they called mom on Mother's Day, at least. In fact, to the end of seeing my middle brother, I am not looking forward to it at all. Seeing my oldest brother means nothing to me anymore either good or bad. He's just a person - that I don't know - that may or may not show up, who knows and at this point, I frankly don't care. I do hope that if we are all sitting together, which would be a photo worthy thing because it will undoubtedly be the only time in this or any coming decades that that will ever happen again, that they will simply keep their negative junk to themselves.
I will have no qualms, whatsoever, in getting up and moving to another spot if they start trouble as the event is about my son, not any of us.
The day looms closer and thusly, the thoughts of having us all together in one place also are starting to pop up.
G'day.
ben
Lots of gloom in the world. Look at the History Books and the context of the Bible and you will probably figure out that it is recent history really.
I was brought up believing in something bigger than myself. I am not cavalier enough to try to tell someone else what to believe.
The Bible is rather sinister in the Old Testament. We live in a world of free will where chaos rules at times...
Cheers Buddy,
Bobby
The Old Testament is full of stories of God-ordained killing of entire towns including, women, children and livestock. We no longer live under that era in the Biblical sense, we are now in the of "grace".
The guy that is behind this? Wonder what happens to people like that after their predictions fail, the day comes and goes and life goes on?
ben
Wednesday
Strange thing happened yesterday. Dogs next door were barking, which isn't strange, I'll get to that part in a minute. I decided to see if the police and their statements that I should call them instead of turning on the music would actually turn up any results. I suppose, if I had wanted to be sneaky about it, I wouldn't have done so right next to the fence where they could hear me making the call.
But I didn't care about sneakiness. The officer on the phone told me I would have to call a city prosecutor's office. No, no and double no. This is NOT what your officers told me, in person, last week. Call them, they would come out and start writing tickets. That is what they said. This guy went on about the prosecutor's office. No, again, I want the police to come out here and do what they said they were going to do.
Of course, I had no thought, whatsoever, that they would actually come out and write tickets. That, along with several other things they told me last week, was all made up junk.
So, call in, I'm outside waiting - and waiting - and waiting. Next thing I see is a white SUV pulling up to - me, actually. It was not the police, it was what appeared to be a family. No clue who this is. Guy gets out - covered, and I do mean covered - with tattoos. Not that that automatically predjudices me, just an interesting sight to see a man's arms and the visible part so his legs and even his neck with tats completely covering the skin surface.
Okay, I DID think, upon seeing that, that maybe there was trouble? No clue. Braced myself as the man got out of the vehicle and approached me. Is Rey here? Rey? Oh, Reyyy! No, he's not here, they left a while ago for parts unknown. Turns out it's Rey's girlfriend's parents. He went back to the vehicle, they called them and asked where they were at, etc etc etc.
Well, they waited - and waited - and waited for them to show up, I was waiting for the police - the people next door heard me and shortly after making that call they all piled into their van and left. Lol. About the time the last eeklings of the sun's rays were showing, I bid the family out front a goodbye, as I was heading in - I had been chatting with them for well over an hour while they were waiting for Rey to show up.
20 minutes later, they were ALL coming into the house. I think Rey had no small amount of trepidation bringing his girlfriend's parents in, plus their daughter and his girlfriend's daughter as well. He looks at me and asks if he's going to get an eviction notice tomorrow.
Lol, I'm not mean-spirited and besides, tattoos and all, these were nice people. I actually ended up entertaining them for a while, until it was time to go to bed.
About 8:45 is when I went to bed. At a bit after 10:00, my cellphone wakes me up. I get up to go look at it. 602-000-0000. No such number exists, I knew it was the police. I was in no mood to talk to them, it was 7 hours earlier that I had placed the call. I just let it ring and went back to sleep.
That's it. An odd night. I might call the police again today. Depends on my mood, I guess and whether their dogs put me into that mood, really. They have an unregistered vehicle parked on the street, the police can have it towed if they were so inclined. They have 4 vehicles, actually, no, make that 6. 2 in the driveway next to their house behind a gate, 1 in the driveway in front of the gate - none of those are working vehicles. Then 3 more on the street, only 1 of which they drive.
6 vehicles, 1 family, plus all the rest of the junk they have scattered everywhere.
Well, whatever. OH, I sold my ponds yesterday! Yoooohooooooo. The guy told me last weekend he would come on Tuesday to get them and by golly, he did! He didn't even try to talk me down in price. Amazing. So, that gone and money in pocket, that money pays for a liner for that horse trough and then some. In fact, I am going to spend all that money - $125 - on pond stuff since I already had it spent on pond stuff in the first place. I am going to buy another 9 watt UV sterilizer.
Anyway, work day is here and there is an "emergency" delivery that i have to get out first thing.
G'day.
ben
Post a Comment