You've undoubtedly heard the phrase; "Life is not a spectator sport". Essentially, this means that - whether we (want to) realize it or not - we are involved in this life and should act like it. We shouldn't be sitting around, doing nothing, just waiting to die. Self-help books will tell you to "decide what you would be doing right now, if you could do anything in the world...Then go do it, or at least do something that can make that happen". To live each day, each moment, as if it is your last. In the Latin, it's "Carpe diem", or "seize the day". I was recently in a Discipleship training where Bill Allison reminded us that for disciples of Christ, this means we need to quit sitting on our hands and actually follow the greatest commandments...
Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
And...
Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
If we can just do these three things; love God with all we have and are, love our neighbors and make disciples, we will be fulfilling our purpose on this earth. But for some people in the church, it's more about deciphering codes and searching out hidden mysteries, all in an attempt to determine when Christ will return to this earth. Now, there is a reason God has chosen to hide Himself in mystery, and just like a close friend or spouse desires to be sought-out and discovered, God desires us to immerse ourselves in studying Him. But when it comes to the second coming, the Word is pretty clear...
Matt 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
We do not know, we will not know, anyone who claims to know or to ever have known is a false prophet. People like Harold Camping, with all their hand-wringing over when Jesus will return, are completely, utterly and totally missing the point. They're like the people at your work, or in church who spend the entire time staring at the clock, not doing what they're supposed to be doing. In the business world they're called "clock watchers" and they likely cost businesses billions of dollars a year in lost productivity. It's no different in the rest of life, or in the church...If you're focusing on the clock, so to speak, you're missing the point entirely. We are here for a reason with a job to do and we can't do it with our eyes on the clock. Jesus will return when the Father tells Him it's time. It's to us to be ready, not to try and guess when that will be.
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[ran across this item on the net - Ginger]
ReplyDeleteStamping Out Harold Camping
Is Second Coming date-setter Harold Camping worthy of death? He already has a zero batting average after his September 1994 prediction fizzle and, according to the Bible, is a false prophet.
Nevertheless that California shaman, who should be ashamed, claims he's found out that Christ's return will be on May 21, 2011 even though Matt. 24:36 says that no one knows the "day" or "hour" of it!
A Google article ("Obama Fulfilling the Bible") points out that "Deut. 18:20-22 in the Old Testament requires the death penalty for false prophets."
The same article reveals that "Christians are commanded to ask God to send severe judgment on persons who commit and support the worst forms of evil (see I Cor. 5 and note 'taken away')."
Theologically radioactive Harold Camping and his ga-ga groupies (with their billboards featuring "May 21, 2011") should worry about being "stamped out" if many persons decide to follow the I Cor. 5 command.
The above article concludes: "False prophets in the OT were stoned to death. Today they are just stoned!"
Ginger - thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts. In my Bible I Corinthians 5 simply states that we are not to associate with believers who are seriously immoral (doing things even pagans don't tolerate, per the verse) and are to cast them out of our fellowship.
ReplyDeleteAs for Deuteronomy, it is part of the old Law, which was not abolished, but was fulfilled in Christ. We are all born into sinful nature, deserving of death, but Christ suffered that death for us - once and for all - on the cross.
In that light, people like Harold Camping are simply to be cast out of the church. Believers are simply not to associate with them.
~Michael