12/08/2007: "The End Times"

Many people speak of when the end will come. They start to talk of the book of Revelation and state how they see things occurring that are in tune with what is described in that book. Such as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other great terrors or forces of nature that are signs that the end is coming soon. Society continuing it's downward spiral to immorality incarnate seems ever present and less and less people going to God is nothing but fuel for the fire that the hour seems to be at hand.

Before everyone jumps off a cliff and starts mass religious hysteria I would like to remind you all that throughout history people thought this same thing, over, and over, and over again. So many times people have predicted the end of the world and even a simple search on the internet will locate several authors who have shared there predictions. Mind you while racking in the sales of their book until the time has come and passed, and their prediction proven false obviously as you are alive to be reading these words now.

I am not here to disprove Revelation, God, or the Rapture by any means. I just would like people to be more realistic about the subject. 20% of people out there think the Rapture will occur in there lifetimes. That to me is absurd and illogical. I won't dispute that there is a great benefit I suppose in the reverence to God it creates but at the same time, God wants you to come to him because of your belief and not because of fear of death.

Revering God is respecting him, fearing God is humbling to him, and loving God is acknowledging that life isn't easy but he wants what is best for you.

Jesus said that the end times will come when you least expect it. Does that mean it's going to happen today? Right now? Are you prepared? Without wanting to make a prediction and look like a fool, now would be a decent time because I bet many would be shocked at what seems like such a short existence for humanity. However I do tend to believe it is a few eons or thousands of years down the road. I can't say for sure of course but just because of a few natural disasters that doesn't mean I'm going to agree that the end is here tomorrow, and if it is, I'd be surprised and wouldn't have expected it like Jesus said. Who knows when all is said and done on the mystery of the rapture and what time that is prepared for, perhaps the secret is in Jesus' very words, "when you least expect it".

In closing I think a lot of people can get wrapped up in the Rapture and get lost in thinking the world is hopeless so why try to do anything to improve it. But it's that kind of thinking that will lead directly to more and more problems. If we know we have a fate stored for us as humans, and we know the Rapture is coming that doesn't mean we should act without reason and good conduct. In fact it suggests the opposite that we should do the best we can for each other to fight off our eventual end as long as possible. Perhaps there is nothing we can do though and even if we do good things for each other, the evil of the world will consume us all until the end time does come, but if that is the case I would advise to everyone of you to enjoy what you have now and not worry about the future and our eventual end.

Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.