Saturday, January 3, 2009

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 31st 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.

 

10 comments:

  1. Understood, Pastor! I personally believe that things are going to get even worse than they are now before the tribulation and ultimate coming of Christ. It is getting pretty bad though already, but WORSE, oh dear!

    Ok, I have another question for you to add to your list. I was raised Seventh Day Adventist (as I think you already know). They are firm believers in soul sleep. I do not think along those lines. I am reading a book called "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn that Paula told me about. It is really good. I have also as late been getting my back massages from an old friend from my old church. She is devote Seventh Day Adventist and brought the subject up about soul sleep the other day. She is firm in believing that when we die we are dead (spirit and body) until the coming of Christ and she is comforted with that. I did not state my position on the matter. Didn't want to get into some long drawn out deal. Well, that is fine if they want to believe that, but it is said that Jesus came to give us ETERNAL life. To me being dead is not eternal life. Now, the body may be dead, but I do not believe the spirit is when we die. What is your take on this?

    Oh my goodness I get so carried away. You see why I stay gone for so long. LOL! Takes a lot of time to do all this thinking and typing! (((hugs)))

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  2. Oh boy, Sally said things that I've thought about forever! Does the spirit die? Do we go somewhere else? Do we look down and watch our family? It's something no one knows until they're gone and then they can't tell us about it! I would sure hate to think that I'm a spirit wandering around and watching my family suffer and not be able to do anything about it. Oh well, it's that SDA teaching that's so confusing.
    Thanks so much for being here, Pastor Larry. ((hugs))

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  3. Thanks Betty :-) {huggs}
    Good to see you again solider and a Happy New year for you too.

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  4. I have a question, Pastor Larry :)

    Where do we go when we die? I hope I can go traveling especially to Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Austria, and Paris when I die.

    I have more questions too!

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  5. Happy New Year :) Strange that I would stumble into your blog and this would be the topic. We were just discussing this at my church last Sunday, and its been on my mind.

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  6. Pastor Larry, are you on Facebook?

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  7. Matthew, my son, has been clinically dead more times than I can count, once for as long as nearly 25 minutes. He tells me the same thing every time, and it matches perfectly the teachings of Christ. He says his soul flew to heaven, and he was met by loved ones, and God the Father (who he describes as a very loving warm, bright body of light) and Jesus Christ.

    When he was asked why he 'came back' to his body, he has always replied that Christ told him that he was not done "teaching you and Dad". He was a little bitter about it a few times. *grinning*

    How was your holiday Pastor Larry? I am very glad to have found you again.

    take care- (db) Gina (aka petunia)

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