Confession: I had not planned in any way, shape or form to post a blog about this topic but after a question at our local bank, and after reading some posts, I thought I would throw in my .02 worth. ‘Course inflation may make that $1 worth. So, I will state my thoughts and then ask your opinion. AND NO THIS IS NOT ABOUT ROB BELL AND HIS NEW BOOK!
In the Our Daily Bread devotional for today (Tuesday), the author told a joke about a Texas rancher who was doing agricultural consulting for a farmer in Germany. He asked the German farmer about the size of his property, to which he replied, “About a mile square.” When the German asked the Texan about the size of his ranch, the rancher explained that if he got in his pick-up truck at dawn and drove until sunset he would still be on his ranch. Not to be outdone, the farmer replied, “I used to have an old truck like that!” 🙂 Joe Stowell, the author, went on to make this application: it is important to have the right perspective.
Much is happening in our world today. The biggest, of course, has been the earthquake and the devastating Tsunami in Japan, with all its ripple affects in various other parts of the world. As I was leaving the bank this afternoon, the lady I was seeking help from, said she had a question to ask me. Long story short: what did I think of the current events and the coming of Christ. (Doggone it! I thought I was going to get away from ever discussing it this go ’round). I tried to weigh my words carefully as I am doing now because the last thing I want to do is cause any dissension or sound flippant with my answer. Matthew 16 has the religious buffoons leaders questioning Jesus about the signs and He says, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” (Ed note: I believe that has already been given). Elsewhere, Jesus rebukes them looking for signs. In fact, does He not say that not even He (the Son of Man) knows…only the Father?
ONLY. THE. FATHER. KNOWS. NOT. EVEN. THE. SON. so what makes us think we are privy to special messages and information? Do you know how it makes us look when we go off half-cocked in our predictions of “this-means-this-and-that-means-that” rants? I will admit that I am not the most astute Bible scholar (far from it), and I certainly am not an “End Times Expert.” I will leave that up to other yahoos, (fill in the blank). In Matthew 24 Jesus simply said life will be going on as normal when He will come as a thief in the night. I might be cycling. I might be sleeping. I might be preaching. I might be driving. I might be ____________. Maybe, just maybe, we ought to stop worrying about interpreting the signs of the times and just be about our Father’s business: “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching (telling them)? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?…So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Rom.10:14-15,17
I leave this open-ended to allow your thoughts. Feel free to chime in. If you disagree, do so kindly. I welcome your thoughts and even healthy discussion.
My death is “probably” closer than His coming….either way…I want to finish well. My heart goes out to young people. I have wasted much of my life….please young people….don’t waste a second!!!
I echo this a lot in my sermons Ike. Don’t waste your life. use it wisely. Since you and I are so close in age, we probably can echo the same thought. Thanks Ike.
“Don’t waste your life.” EXACTLY!
Happy Birthday Ike!
I don’t need to stop interpreting the signs. I never started. Everyone can believe what they want. If believing in the tooth fairy gives one comfort then I am all for the tooth fairy.
I haven’t started either jeff. I will let others do that. Thanks.
That is exactly the point. No one knows the time of Jesus’ return. But shouldn’t all believers be prepaired and ready? Are they reaching out to others not yet saved? Do the practice love to others? Are the spreading the words of scripture so that others may know God? Yes there is plenty of work to be done yet before that time.
AS I do study the return of Jesus through Revelations and topics from the Old Testament plus some scholars, it does not give a definite time frame.
I do believe what is happening in the world today is a glimpse of what the future holds. I suspect the current happenings is just the tip of the iceberg. Some of us ( the left behind) will witness a grander scale of calamity when that time is upon us.
I have no problem with saying we should be prepared and ready. Reaching out to others is not dependent on knowing the signs though. It is dependent on having a heart for God and seeing people come to know Jesus so they are ready. Thanks for the comment larry.
Sorry Bill. I did it again. Forgot to put the S in blogspot.com for my addy.
😛
I like the reflection story from Our Daily Bread. Truly, having the right perspective is what really matters. Thanks for sharing thought-provoking stuff always, pastor Bill.
Glad you liked the story Jaycee. I chuckled too since it is a picture of me sometimes…wanting to have the last word. Really appreciate you coming by and commenting Jaycee. Hope you are doing well.
There are always those who point to this disaster or that disaster as proof that the end is near. I have generally been one to focus more on Jesus’ first coming than his second because if we do not get that one right it doesn’t matter what we believe about the 2nd one.
What a great way to put it matt! I love it!! Thanks.
“we ought to stop worrying about interpreting the signs of the times and just be about our Father’s business”
That’s where I am on it. When He comes, I get to go spend eternity with Him. So it’s not like I have to worry about it. And pushing harder just because someone has a “deadline” doesn’t help things…you can’t yell in someone’s face and make them believe contrary to what some people think.
I agree Jason that screaming and yelling in someone’s face will not get the job done. people will come when they are drawn by the Spirit. Thanks for the input.
aww man I was hoping for a post about Rob Bell :p
I love what you said – why do we think we’d get super special information if Jesus doesn’t know!!! And the thief in the night is the nail in the coffin for that idea – we won’t know – it’s slippery, it’s sly, so just live people. LIVE!!!
Sorry to have disappointed you Charlie. 🙂 And I certainly agree with your last comment: just live! Thanks.
Every Generation has thought that they were the last generation. I do not know if we are or not – I have people constant saying “Pastor, Jesus is coming because look at what is happening in ________” you fill in the blank. Here is what I do know – this is our last generation and it our job to get out the Good News. As a matter of fact I used the Pan Theory idea with someone the other day – as you know – that means it will all Pan out in the end and so I need to be working until it does. I do my best to weigh my words but sometimes it gets frustrating when people are more interested in the signs of the times than sharing the good news of all time.
Thanks Bill!
I love this attitude Jim. Every generation is closer. 🙂 Every day gets us closer as well. I couldn’t agree more with your last line. Thanks jim for the comment.
As we see natural disasters happening more frequently, our response shouldn’t be “ooh, the second coming is at hand, let me count the days.” It should give us a check in our spirits. What are we accomplishing? What are we doing with our time? The fields are ripe for harvest.
-Peace
Allen: thanks for visiting my blog although I checked out yours and your cycling is of the other two wheeled kind. 🙂 One of the guys from the church I pastor is Gen Mgr of the H-d in Bloomington, IN store. I am working on having my wife say “yes” to me getting one but it comes with a caveat…she gets to quit work. Reckon I will wait. 😛 I definitely agree with your thoughts here as well. we should be asking ourselves those questions. thanks for visiting.
Hi Bill,
You know, I definitely agree with you.We should not worry about the end time rather we should go on with our Father’s business and even think of how to increase the number of people for His Kingdom.
Thanks for the message.
Love,
Mercy.
Always good to hear from you mercy. you have the right idea. thanks for coming by.
I think there have been natural disasters from thousands of years. And wasn’t one of the early churches already stopping their work because they thought the signs indicated Jesus was coming back? Paul had to tell them, “keep working.” Thessalonika maybe? Anyway, I’m with you, Bill. I think I could worry myself sick thinking about all of the events in the world right now. My thought is that regardless of how it goes down, the end will come and Jesus will come back and ultimately reign supreme. Until that day comes, I have work to do!
Thanks for the post. Glad someone mentioned it. =)
I think you are right Stan in that we could worry ourselves silly thinking about every event and disaster. It was the church at Thessalonica (good point). thanks for coming by.
Bill, just a request today for prayers. My FIL passed away last night. He was a WONDERFUL man who had an amazing life of 97 years. Thanks.
Sorry to hear that Pinky. I hope all who read this will say a prayer for you all. I just did. Thanks for asking me to pray.
Hi Pinky,
I have prayed too. It sounds like your FIL left behind a great legacy of influence and character. I hope your family is able to talk about this and rejoice in his efforts and work in his life among relatives and friends. 97 years is a full slate and more of time allotted to humans on the earth. God Bless.
Thanks for praying Linda.
Jim F’s comment: “Here is what I do know – this is our last generation…”
That’s good. This is my only chance to affect people regardless of when Christ officially returns.
Good post Bill and you have very wise commenters.
Well put Jim: this is my only chance… With young children you have a fantastic opportunity. Thanks for finding the time to come by.
The thing is Bill, this is our generation and we have some some ugly stuff. But earlier generations have said the same thing. I’m sure during WWI and WWII people thought, Oh, this is the sign that the Lord cometh (KJV to sound more spiritual). Well, he didn’t.
Sometimes when I hear people’s answers to disaster as “The signs, Jesus is coming”, it’s a cheap escape road to not show compassion. Our answer should always be, “maranatha” but our response should always be one of compassion.
Moe,
I have been taught to live like Jesus is returning tomorrow, but believe like He is returning in 100 years.
I must admit, however, that this situation in Japan has me wondering…
Not that I am an “End Times Alarmist”, no. Far from it. Still…even I am going, “Hmmm…”
not sure I can wrap my brain around what you have been taught donald. Maybe an explanation? 🙂
I agree with you Moe. We were never meant to say, “Oh Jesus is coming so i can stop caring.” Contrary: knowing He is coming should give a sense of urgency. Thanks.
I no longer worry about end times only how I will “end” my time on this planet…I want to live now, impact now and end the race well.
Thanks Bill!
I love it jay! Well put! Thanks.
Hi Bill,
I’m going to disagree with you a little bit about signs.
“An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”
Jonah was in the belly of the earth for 3 days in the stomach of a fish then spewed out by the fish still alive onto the land. Jesus was in the belly of death for 3 days then rose, alive from the dead. This was the sign that Jesus spoke of that they would see. I believe that Jesus was not saying that no sign would be given to them. They needed to believe. They wanted to circumvent the reqirement of ‘faith’ for something that would absolutely prove to them without a doubt who Jesus really was. The Bible says in Luke 16:31 that ‘they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’ That was the sign. And the Jews rejected it outright.
Jesus says in Mark 16:17 that’these signs follow them that believe’.
Hebrews 2:4 ‘God also testified to it with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will’
Matthew 24:6 the disciples ask
‘when will this happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’
Jesus says in verses 6,7,8,13 ‘you will hear of wars and rumors…..do not be alarmed….such things must happen….there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains…. he who stands firm to the end will be saved.’
Jesus is not teaching that signs are of no consequence and mean little if anything at all. We don’t know the day and time but we know the signs of the times the Bible say. These signs help us to know that Jesus’ coming is getting nearer by leaps and bounds. We haven’t had or seen the signs in previous generations that we are seeing today and that will continue up to the coming of Jesus. The internet has allowed the gospel to reach the ends of the earth in a few seconds. this has not been possible to the extent of communication before the past 30 years or so.
God says the wicked are going to be left with rubble at the end of the day. We see this in the catastrophe in Japan. Buildings and property and wealth can be gone in a few minutes of time. through earthquakes and tsunami’s. Men don’t control this, God does. The devil doesn’t control this either.
Our flimy flamy little God that we have invented in North America over the past 30 years or so is not the God of the Heaven and earth of the Bible.
I don’t mind you disagreeing at all Linda. However, I would respectfully disagree with you. 🙂 I think the first two references you give are referring to the early church/apostles. The Matthew reference can be interpreted depending on your view of the 2nd coming. Some would say those “signs” were fulfilled in AD 70. I also think it is dangerous to equate “rubble at the end of the day” with an earthquake and tsunami. i don’t believe in a flim flammy God (whatever that is) but not sure how that fits. Thanks for disagreeing. I don’t mind if others chime in on this.
Hi Bill,
I’m refering to the catastrophe in Japan only as an example of how quickly property can be destroyed. Certainly not as an example of wickedness. The people in Japan are no more wicked than any other places of the world.
If a huge earthquake and tsunami for example, landed on the eastern shore of Canada and the USA (New York city,Halifax, etc.) we could see billions of dollars of real estate become a heap of rubble in a few hours of time. That’s what I meant. I’m not a racist so if any of my comments can be interpreted that way you can know that that is not what I am meaning.
One thing about saying that these scriptures were fulfilled at the time of the 12 apostles and Jesus is that we have not seen the resurrection of the righteous dead yet, (that is still to come) and yet, this is what happened to Jesus. His body resurrected. He was the firstfruits, we are yet to come in the area of our bodily resurrection.
In my view according to the book of Revelation, God hasn’t stopped being God in the area of the supernatural since the time of AD 70. Many people’s lives and experiences testify to that, and certainly the book of Acts testifies to signs and wonders and miracles being done by the followers of Jesus up to the end of time. Even greater signs and wonders than Jesus did himself on the earth the Bible says.
We in North America have made God into our solace and balm. We have very little teaching around the power of God other than his power and willingness to forgive and forget our sins. We believe generally (as believers) that there is no judgement with God for us. That whatever we do is excused because we are weak sinful humans who have no choice or power to do anything different, and therefore, God does not require anything from us. This is the generality of the teaching that I have seen lately.
I’m not saying that this is your teaching Bill. I am saying that this is much of the teaching that I have heard about lately in general in North America. I don’t get out much 🙂 Maybe that’s the problem.
I know some find the topic fascinating, but I can’t wrap my brain around it for the most part so it’s one of the areas I just let God be God and I do what I’m supposed to do. Don’t disagree at all, Bill. Thanks!
Reckon you and I are a lot alike in this one Jason. I have decided the same: let God be God. Thanks for your contribution.