Why Doesn't Anyone Want To Talk About It?
Let's just say that there is not going to be a rapture before any of the shaking occurs....what then? How much time do we have? Will it be our children or their children who will witness the tribulation and 2nd coming of Christ? How will we know or prepare?
How many people are really serious about studying these things, being ready? Not very many...most people avoid this topic like the plague...there are a lot of excuses. Some say we should not know, that Jesus directs us that we cannot know. Some say that it's too negative for the church to focus on. Some say, "If I believe in Jesus, it will all pan out...I don't have to worry about anything..." Some think that there is no way to know if we are in that generation. Some church authoritative figures claim that groups in the past who preached "we are in the last days," have hurt the church considerably, and have made Christians look like a bunch of nut cases...Some think that if you are knowledgeable or interested in the end times you are a psycho squirrell with an underground capsule full of guns and ammo, duct tape and plastic wrap.
What is the right answer? There seems to be scripture after scripture prophesying the 2nd coming of Christ and describing the events that precede that time. There seem to be numerous warnings in the Bible to God's people to watch, to be ready, to know what to look for, to not be deceived. Is this for someone else to worry about, in another time and place? Or is it for the church, anyone who believes in the scriptures?
How many people are really serious about studying these things, being ready? Not very many...most people avoid this topic like the plague...there are a lot of excuses. Some say we should not know, that Jesus directs us that we cannot know. Some say that it's too negative for the church to focus on. Some say, "If I believe in Jesus, it will all pan out...I don't have to worry about anything..." Some think that there is no way to know if we are in that generation. Some church authoritative figures claim that groups in the past who preached "we are in the last days," have hurt the church considerably, and have made Christians look like a bunch of nut cases...Some think that if you are knowledgeable or interested in the end times you are a psycho squirrell with an underground capsule full of guns and ammo, duct tape and plastic wrap.
What is the right answer? There seems to be scripture after scripture prophesying the 2nd coming of Christ and describing the events that precede that time. There seem to be numerous warnings in the Bible to God's people to watch, to be ready, to know what to look for, to not be deceived. Is this for someone else to worry about, in another time and place? Or is it for the church, anyone who believes in the scriptures?
posted by KariBryant @ 6:28 PM
4 Comments:
At 3:23 PM,
KariBryant said…
It's 20,000, or as much as a downpayment and closing costs on a house would be. How's that for therapy?
I actually quite liked your response and I agree...I am a little bit curious as to why we do not have a perspective, why we do not know more, why we forget the martyrs, and why no one wants to learn. I think think that the possibility of things getting a lot worse is great, we have far to go, but it seems no one is looking anyway and it may be because of the reasons you spoke of.
The form of persecution that may come to the church who is not prepared for it has been predicted in the Bible to lead many believers astray. They will not stand. Jesus addresses those who believe, He warns those who believe to be ready, but I don't know of many who care to know what that preparedness means. I guess first of all, you would have to believe that Christians are going to be on earth during the time of the tribulation...
Even in writing this I feel what a TABOO subject this is...I wince as I wait to be completely socked or booed or something!
At 7:45 PM,
Anonymous said…
I think that was the point
At 11:18 AM,
Anonymous said…
--disclaimer--
The following is just the meandering of my mind while reading this post, questions and commentary that shot out from the corners of my mind. Perhaps you went to or came from different places of prespective, but this is mine... and mine alone, I claim no authority here. Please know that I am thinking of no particular persons in my ponderings and intended to point no fingers, these are just my personal reflections.
How much of this worry about being prepared for the "end-times" stems from lack of faith in the ability of God preserve , whatever His intent for the individual life or the Church corporate?
What is it about a person's inability to embrace temporariness of this life? This life will end, whether it be with great suffering or in peaceful slumber, after a fullness of years or while still in one's youth, and no one will be able to add a day to it by worry.
Disaster could strike at any moment and it would be the "end-times" for one it strikes, no matter the state of the world. Am I prepared to trust God through the pain of cancer? Protracted suffering is a possibility for us all, we are not exempt of it because we love Jesus or even that He loves us. My mother's bout with cancer has taught me this.
How often do people use the word worry in the place of fear? I worry about the end-times and wonder what my ignorance will bring down on our heads. But Paul said to the Corinthians that he "determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." and he felt that in that he was doing them justice.
If I could only bring one section of the Bible with me to study for the rest of my natural life would I choose Revelations over the Sermon off the Mount? I believe there is a mystery in the second-coming of Jesus that God intends in order to, I believe, make us depend more fully on Him. If I am going to be guided by the Bible, let it be for today, to grow closer to God, to His people and to share His love with a lost and dying world.
The end will come soon enough for each of us, whether we are ready or not, it is how we live our life today that is important. Do I reflect God's love here and now, illregardless of what tomorrow may bring? If not, why?
Would a better understanding of end-times improve one's ability to love God better, embrace their fellow Christian more or make them more earnest in reaching out to those who do not know the Love of Jesus and are desperate for just such love?
Maybe it just comes down to having a sense of urgency about things, knowing that no matter what, man's time is short. The Love that is in us is urging us ever torward, for myself, revealing procrastination and laziness at every turn. Still, if that is not enough to drive me to action what makes me think that fear will make any better work in me?
Is there any pride and self-worship in being prepared, having it all figured out? Does one become their own master when they in control, when they think that they know what's around the next bend? In prophecy, Isreal thought they had it all figured out when it came to the Messiah, he was to be a conquering king, he would deliver them from oppression. Many mapped their lives based on that very surety. Now, here we are 2000 years later and much the same is happening, people think that they have prophecy all figured out. Does it give them a feeling of control? Do they feel safer in that control? Is that how it should be?
After these questions I still get my strength, as I stated in my comment on your previous post, from that there is the resurrection, there is eternity with God and nothing can take that away from us.
Ok, now that I got that out of my system, what's the next post have to say?
At 7:40 AM,
Anonymous said…
if you study the greek phrase "the last days" you begin to find out the difference between "chronos" time and "kairos" time. chronos signifying quantity and kairos signifying quality. the "last days" definitely fall into the quality of time category. we have been living in the last days since jesus left and will continue to live in them until he returns. it is not so much a specific quantity of days that are the last ones so much as it is the overall type of days that we are living in. namely, ones in which overwhelming grace and freedom are possible and we are responsible for what we do with our time and freedom while the master is away.
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