Sally's Question on End-Times

Sally said...

"Ok, thanks, Pastor Larry! I always like stuff on the end times, so if you have anything on that I will definitely be interested."

 

Sally the “End-Times” are a lot of fun to speculate about but we can never really know for sure. IT begins in the Gospel according to Mark 13:26-27 with the promise of Jesus for a dramatic return but an added injunction in verse 32 that no one but God knows the day and time.

Over the last 40 years I have listened to many preachers predict the coming last day and some still do. The prophecy book of Revelation has been quoted and miss-applied so many times I have lost count. I remember in 1999 the air waves were full of doom for the world when mid-night of December 31^st came around. What a big flop that was.

Speculation abounds as to what the last days will be like. Almost each generation since the time of Christ as applied the events of their times to the signs of the last days. So many evil leaders of countries [like Hitler] have been called the “anti-Christ” over the centuries and it wasn’t true. People are reading into the scriptures the things they want to see.

I believe that one day Jesus will return as promised and the faithful church will be taken up. I am ready for that day if it comes in my life time. It may come in my life time and it may not only God knows that. I am also very much aware that my personal last day will come, as it comes to all of us. I have faith in my Lord Jesus for that last day as well. One of the two events will happen to me and it doesn’t matter which one for my faith in Jesus prepares me for both.

We Christians need to be living a Christ like faith that keeps us ready at any moment to meet our Lord. If we do that it won’t matter if the Judgment day comes for all of us at once or our individual last day comes first. Our focus should be living the way of Christ in love rather than living in fear of the punishment that will come to those who do not live the way of Christ.

 

Questions and Answers

The JS-Pastor's Desk was a journal on Journal Space where people could ask the JS-Pastor questions about the bible, faith, morals and ethics. I intend to keep that tradition alive here on Blooger.

If you have a question you can ask it in the comments section and I will be happy to post an answer - at least my opinion on the subject - as quickly as possible.

Blogger does not have the Private Message ability that journal space had so comments will have to do.

So for 2009 the Q and A Pastors Desk is open - ask away!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

A new year and a new blog for me a new beginning as a saddened journalspace citizen is forced to seek a new on line community. I am reminded of the old saying:"Change is the only constant!"

Let us all hope and pray for 2009 to be a year of peace and prosperity.

Pastor Larry

Four Witnesses

All four Gospels have differences and no one has to decide on which is correct.

What we have to remember is that these are the memories and testimonies  of three witnesses and one historian who talked to witnesses. I worked for 14 years as a police chaplain and know that when four people see the same event you have four different descriptions of that same event.

People will see something from different perspectives and also notices different things than the others. Most of their story is the same so police have to sort out the whole story from the combined reports. The same holds true for the Gospels.

Mark was likely giving what  he heard Peter say in his preaching and only wrote notes on what he thought was important. Notice how short it is.

Matthew the Tax collector had a view of Jesus of a sinner converted.

Luke was a convert of Paul's missions and was a historian who went with Paul to Jerusalem and talked to people who knew Jesus and compiled a history of the Life of Jesus as a second  hand account. He states this in his opening remarks.

John, who wrote later in life to a church that already knew the historical gospel, wanted to give us the spiritual side of the story. His point was that God loves us so much that he went to great lengths to let us know it and call us back to belief. John also did not seem to care about chronology.

It is also important for us to remember that even all four of them together did not tell us everything Jesus said and did.

The JS Pastor

Now that JS is dead the JS-Pastor has set up shop here.
The year 2009 must be a better year than 2009. Well that is my prayer.