Why have a ministry that focuses on the Second Coming of Jesus and the End of the Age? Won’t Jesus’ return take care of itself? After all, didn’t that one Pop-Christian “author guy” write in his book, that the Lord might return before you finish reading to the bottom of the page?
I’ve asked too many questions already. Let’s get caught up on the answers:
· One: Why have a ministry that focuses on the Second Coming? There is a complex answer to this first question and there are many reasons I have this ministry. I will discuss literally millions of them in this blog (be patient) …
· Two: Won’t Jesus’ return take care of itself? Yes, Jesus will return with or without your obedience or attention to what He said is essential for you to know.
· Three: Did someone write the Lord could return before you finish reading to the bottom of this page? Yes, that “author guy” did write that, and too many agree with him. I don’t, and that is one of the many reasons I have a ministry that focuses on the Second Coming of Jesus and the End of the Age. (I have written the answers to these questions with confidence that you, dear reader, were not raptured prior to reaching this point on the page. Note: I do believe the Bible teaches there will be a rapture of the Church prior to God pouring out His judgment on the earth).
There are over 77 million Protestant, Mainstream and Evangelical Christians in the United States, over the age of 18, that believe Jesus is going to return to the earth before the year 2050. Of course it’s not like God is counting votes to decide when He should return, but this number indicates a great deal of interest on the subject. If that 77 million doesn’t convince you, type in “End of the World” on Google. You will get 2.1 billion hits.
Naturally, there are exceptions, but within the group of 77 million Christians who think Jesus will return in the next 34 years, there are two main subgroups. There are those pious individuals that are leaving it all up to the Lord (“Pan-tribulationalists:” whatever pans out is okay with them). These folks might believe that the 27% of the Bible that is made up of prophecy, was clearly written for someone other than them to understand. Typically, this group thinks they have nothing to worry about, because Jesus could cause all Christians to vanish from the face of the earth at any moment. Certainly prior to anything bad happening which is associated with the end of the age (i.e. The Antichrist, etc.).
On the other end of the eschatological spectrum are the “end times nuts;” those that buy all the “late great,” “four blood,” hundred reasons why Jesus will return in 2016,” “left behind,” “Islamic Antichrist,” theories that come along. I recently reviewed 117 different “bible prophecy” websites that are counting on this group of people to regularly visit them. The main purpose of about a third of these web-sites (the most popular ones) appears to be to superimpose today’s news headlines over the top of bible prophecy.
So, to those that don’t think they need to know what Jesus said to His Church in regards to the End of the Age and His coming; read the words of Jesus again and heed the warning that many will be deceived in regards to His Second Coming. That there would be many false messiahs, false prophets, and false teachers. We see false teaching taking place just a couple decades after Jesus ascended, by the time Paul was writing letters to the Churches he had planted. How ironic that the deception begins with deceiving Christians into thinking they don’t need to study the very scripture that warns them about being deceived! Score one, Satan…
Now, to those who are on the more zealous end of the End Times awareness scale; there are millions of Christians and Pseudo-Christians, both now and in history that have either been involved in greatly modifying their lives because they were sure Jesus was going to return on a particular date, or who believed that Jesus has in fact already returned.
In the 1800’s, William Miller convinced over 100,000 Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians that Jesus would return by March 21, 1844 (Miller’s second guess). Jesus didn’t return then, but those that continued to follow Miller started what we know today as the Seventh Day Adventist Church. 7.53 million Jehovah’s witnesses believe the “presence” of Jesus returned in 1914. Many, such as followers of Jim Jones in the 1970’s, have literally “drank the Kool-Aid” of false messiahs and died for not studying and paying close attention to the warnings of Jesus.
Being excited about the return of Jesus is unavoidable for someone who is legitimately in love with and watching for Him. Channeling that excitement in sound Bible based reality is what I call being “biblically watchful;” gaining KNOWLEDGE of the scripture. Applying that knowledge in WISDOM, and living as a servant with EXPECTANCY of the return of the Master, Jesus.
Many on the “nut” end of the spectrum are not being Biblically watchful by un-wisely spending too much time on man’s latest “pin the tail of the Antichrist” theory, and not enough time on close study of Jesus’ actual words as recorded in the Bible. Many things in the news that Christians today say are signaling the Lords return are really only signaling people’s ignorance. Some of these events are in fact specific things that Jesus warned will not serve as signals of His return.
Christians are to be “Priests of God,” and “lights unto the world.” People inside and outside the Church have questions and Priests of God, and lights unto the world, should be ready and willing to give answers. Jesus, just prior to ascending to Heaven gave His great commission to “make disciples” and teach “all” (everything) that He taught. The “all” that He taught, includes what He taught regarding His return. Jesus gave a most comprehensive discourse to His disciples on His return to this earth at the Mount of Olives. Are you prepared to pass on the answers He gave?
Why do I have a ministry that focuses on the Second Coming of Jesus and the End of the Age? To sum up my first 77 million reasons; I am first and foremost a bond-servant of my Master, Jesus. He left His servants instructions to love and take care of one another while He is away. It is my prayer that I can be of assistance to at least some of my 77 million Christian brothers and sisters who are looking for the Lord to return by 2050, and the millions more who are not, encouraging these to be watchful for His return in a Biblically sound way that will be pleasing to Jesus.
I’ve asked too many questions already. Let’s get caught up on the answers:
· One: Why have a ministry that focuses on the Second Coming? There is a complex answer to this first question and there are many reasons I have this ministry. I will discuss literally millions of them in this blog (be patient) …
· Two: Won’t Jesus’ return take care of itself? Yes, Jesus will return with or without your obedience or attention to what He said is essential for you to know.
· Three: Did someone write the Lord could return before you finish reading to the bottom of this page? Yes, that “author guy” did write that, and too many agree with him. I don’t, and that is one of the many reasons I have a ministry that focuses on the Second Coming of Jesus and the End of the Age. (I have written the answers to these questions with confidence that you, dear reader, were not raptured prior to reaching this point on the page. Note: I do believe the Bible teaches there will be a rapture of the Church prior to God pouring out His judgment on the earth).
There are over 77 million Protestant, Mainstream and Evangelical Christians in the United States, over the age of 18, that believe Jesus is going to return to the earth before the year 2050. Of course it’s not like God is counting votes to decide when He should return, but this number indicates a great deal of interest on the subject. If that 77 million doesn’t convince you, type in “End of the World” on Google. You will get 2.1 billion hits.
Naturally, there are exceptions, but within the group of 77 million Christians who think Jesus will return in the next 34 years, there are two main subgroups. There are those pious individuals that are leaving it all up to the Lord (“Pan-tribulationalists:” whatever pans out is okay with them). These folks might believe that the 27% of the Bible that is made up of prophecy, was clearly written for someone other than them to understand. Typically, this group thinks they have nothing to worry about, because Jesus could cause all Christians to vanish from the face of the earth at any moment. Certainly prior to anything bad happening which is associated with the end of the age (i.e. The Antichrist, etc.).
On the other end of the eschatological spectrum are the “end times nuts;” those that buy all the “late great,” “four blood,” hundred reasons why Jesus will return in 2016,” “left behind,” “Islamic Antichrist,” theories that come along. I recently reviewed 117 different “bible prophecy” websites that are counting on this group of people to regularly visit them. The main purpose of about a third of these web-sites (the most popular ones) appears to be to superimpose today’s news headlines over the top of bible prophecy.
So, to those that don’t think they need to know what Jesus said to His Church in regards to the End of the Age and His coming; read the words of Jesus again and heed the warning that many will be deceived in regards to His Second Coming. That there would be many false messiahs, false prophets, and false teachers. We see false teaching taking place just a couple decades after Jesus ascended, by the time Paul was writing letters to the Churches he had planted. How ironic that the deception begins with deceiving Christians into thinking they don’t need to study the very scripture that warns them about being deceived! Score one, Satan…
Now, to those who are on the more zealous end of the End Times awareness scale; there are millions of Christians and Pseudo-Christians, both now and in history that have either been involved in greatly modifying their lives because they were sure Jesus was going to return on a particular date, or who believed that Jesus has in fact already returned.
In the 1800’s, William Miller convinced over 100,000 Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians that Jesus would return by March 21, 1844 (Miller’s second guess). Jesus didn’t return then, but those that continued to follow Miller started what we know today as the Seventh Day Adventist Church. 7.53 million Jehovah’s witnesses believe the “presence” of Jesus returned in 1914. Many, such as followers of Jim Jones in the 1970’s, have literally “drank the Kool-Aid” of false messiahs and died for not studying and paying close attention to the warnings of Jesus.
Being excited about the return of Jesus is unavoidable for someone who is legitimately in love with and watching for Him. Channeling that excitement in sound Bible based reality is what I call being “biblically watchful;” gaining KNOWLEDGE of the scripture. Applying that knowledge in WISDOM, and living as a servant with EXPECTANCY of the return of the Master, Jesus.
Many on the “nut” end of the spectrum are not being Biblically watchful by un-wisely spending too much time on man’s latest “pin the tail of the Antichrist” theory, and not enough time on close study of Jesus’ actual words as recorded in the Bible. Many things in the news that Christians today say are signaling the Lords return are really only signaling people’s ignorance. Some of these events are in fact specific things that Jesus warned will not serve as signals of His return.
Christians are to be “Priests of God,” and “lights unto the world.” People inside and outside the Church have questions and Priests of God, and lights unto the world, should be ready and willing to give answers. Jesus, just prior to ascending to Heaven gave His great commission to “make disciples” and teach “all” (everything) that He taught. The “all” that He taught, includes what He taught regarding His return. Jesus gave a most comprehensive discourse to His disciples on His return to this earth at the Mount of Olives. Are you prepared to pass on the answers He gave?
Why do I have a ministry that focuses on the Second Coming of Jesus and the End of the Age? To sum up my first 77 million reasons; I am first and foremost a bond-servant of my Master, Jesus. He left His servants instructions to love and take care of one another while He is away. It is my prayer that I can be of assistance to at least some of my 77 million Christian brothers and sisters who are looking for the Lord to return by 2050, and the millions more who are not, encouraging these to be watchful for His return in a Biblically sound way that will be pleasing to Jesus.
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