​People experience few opportunities in life to utilize their “platform” because of some fantastic or unusual experience they have had. I had a unique experience recently, and I don’t want to waste it. So, here goes…

A couple weeks back as I struggled around the track at Pleasant Hill High School I remember thinking to myself, “Was that six or seven-times Angela has lapped me?  Wasn’t it just two months ago we ran the half-marathon side by side through Walt Disney World? What happened? It couldn’t be my mildly sore ribs could it? Hmmm, probably has something to do with being dead for a couple minutes last week...” My sore ribs were from someone doing CPR chest compressions on me.

I’ve decided that if I am going to have another heart attack caused by a blocked artery, I would prefer it be the artery on the right side of my heart and not the one on my left. Whereas the one March 13, 2018 was not pleasant, and resulted in two stents in my heart, a year of multiple medications, life changes, and inconveniences, the one on the left side of my heart last month hurt like “hell.”

When the cardiologist opened my totally blocked right artery with a stent last year, it immediately clogged back up with a blood clot. It required the doc to insert a second stent. He said he had never seen anything like that before (I have been getting that a lot from cardiologists) and suggested I consult with a hematologist to see what is wrong with my blood. Because of what he called “hyper-coagulation,” he decided not to address the 60 to 70% blockage in my left artery that I also had at the time.

A 70% blockage is where cardiologists draw the line for acting. Anything over 70% needs to be fixed. The doc thought it would be best to allow my heart to work on healing what he had already stented, rather than giving my heart more to stress out about if he were to have stented the other artery. He said people have went twenty years or more without having problems even with the level of blockage I had if they take care of themselves.  That was not the case with me.

But, take care of myself I did. I lost 25 pounds, started distance running, and got my cholesterol below 100. Proverbs 16:1 says that “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” I did what I could to prepare my heart for no more trouble, but that was not the plan…

The evening of Saturday, June 8, 2019 I was enjoying my grandson, William’s, baseball game. Coincidently Will’s aunt Heidi and I were talking about our experiences, both being heart patients. Just a short time later I was in the middle of classic heart attack symptoms: persistent chest pain, sweating, clamminess, dizziness, a little confused. They tell me my skin was gray. I ended up going to the emergency room by ambulance where I spent the next six hours only to find out that I had not had another “heart attack.” It was likely angina, caused by the heart not being satisfied with the amount of blood it was getting.  It was trying to let me know I had a problem that needed addressing. The plan was to follow up with my cardiologist in the next few days.

The next Thursday I went to see my cardiologist. After describing the symptoms I had been experiencing he said the only way to tell what is going on, is to “go inside and see.” He wanted to do so right away. I was scheduled for a cardiac catheterization procedure the next day. To my surprise, it was to only be a day procedure, regardless of anything they had to fix in the heart that they found. The worse part of the whole day sounded like it would be fasting until 1:00 PM. However, Angela promised me a non-cardio-healthy treat after it was all over. I looked forward to a Sonic chocolate milkshake.

Everything was going great. Although one nurse was disappointed I had done my own pre-op shaving, the other nurse was cracking jokes like he was a Safari Land riverboat captain in Disneyland. My cardiologist was aware of my previous hyper-coagulation trouble, so he made sure I was being given plenty anti-coagulant meds. Also…a little sumpin’-sumpin’ through my IV to relax me. So, it was off to the Catheter (Cath) Lab where they inserted a catheter through an artery in my right arm, just above the wrist, and guided it up around my shoulder and down to my heart.

Arriving at my heart and injecting the iodine-based dye, they found a now 80% blocked artery on the left side of my heart. That explained all the recent light headedness, occasional dizziness, desire to be napping like a cat, and ongoing mild chest pain. I was awake off and on throughout the procedure. I am glad they had not knocked me totally out. I’ll explain why later. The doc fed a little wire mesh stent up through the catheter and expanded it at the blockage. Problem fixed! The big screen TV the doctor used to see what was going on inside of me showed no more blockages in the rest of my heart. Out came the catheter and off to the recovery room I went.

I knew something was not right as soon as they started wheeling me out of the Cath Lab. My upper chest was hurting a little worse than the heart attack I had fourteen months earlier. As I entered the recovery room, I looked at the nurse that I recognized from before. Half her face was blocked by a multi-colored ring of light. I blinked hard and looked again. It didn’t go away. I was wondering if I was having a stroke or migraine or something. I reported what I saw to the nurse. She stood in front of me and in an irritated tone of voice said, “do you see me?” “Yes” I said. “How many fingers am I holding up?” she fired back. “Four,” I replied. “You can see. You’re not having a stroke.”

Clearly the multicolored ring I saw was not a halo on the nurse. For one thing, it had now disappeared. Secondly, I recognized her tone and technique. It was very similar to countless interactions I had heard over the years as deputies in the jail dealt with very intoxicated individuals. After dealing with your hundredth drunk person, some begin to lose their sense of humor and they may default to getting straight to the point. Even to the point of being rude and unprofessional. Afterall, they assume the person they are talking to is so intoxicated that they will never remember the interaction. I unfortunately do remember what happened in the recovery room. I imagine it gets old dealing with countless people coming out of the Cath Lab who are under the influence of heavy narcotics.

Whereas my vision issue went away, my chest pain had not. I let the nurse know about this. Continuing to use her charming bedside manner, she let out a quick sigh of frustration, furled her forehead and said, “we told you it was probably going to hurt for a while afterwards.” I responded with, “yeah, but it hurts quite a bit. Like at least a ‘four’.”

Nurses like you to attempt to report your pain level on a scale of one to ten. This is a tough thing to do. Everybody’s pain level is different and who knows if I have ever previously experienced a ten: the worse pain a human can experience.  The criteria I have previously used for calibrating my pain scale, is saying that a “ten” is when you take a normal framing hammer and hit your thumb with it, dead on, as hard as you can. Or, maybe sticking a hot iron on your face. That is the type of pain that requires all your attention and will make tears come to a grown adult’s eyes. You can’t think straight, and it will make you utter words you would never otherwise utter. You are totally consumed by the pain.

Within a few seconds, I was telling the nurse my pain was at least a “six.” It was getting uncomfortable, to say the least. Then things started to get a little fuzzy. The nurse started taking me more seriously. She began to call for some help. I recognized the other nurse who was no longer telling Safari Land river boat quality jokes. For the brief time my eyes were open, he looked quite serious. I was starting to fade and my eyes were closed, but I recognized the doctor’s voice and heard others arriving. The doctor said, “do we have an EKG coming? We need to get the EKG here so we can see what’s going on.”  After this, things got “distant,” and quieter fast. I guess it’s possible to die with a pain level of only six. But, I wasn’t really aware of my pain anymore as I drifted off.

The next thing I remember, is seeing six to eight blurry faces of people dressed in different colored scrubs standing at the foot of my bed in silence. They were all staring at me: their heads cocked at various angles. No, they were not angels… I cannot describe how surreal it was.  Their silence lasted only a second. The doctor broke it: “OK, lets get him in there.” What had just happened was they had just shocked me with the defibrillator, and they were waiting to see if I would come back to life. I did.

What I learned later was that the stent which had just been placed in my left artery had quickly been blocked with a blood clot, starving the left side of my heart for oxygen. As a result, my heart went into a ventricular tachycardia rhythm, I coded out, they did chest compressions on me for about two minutes before shocking me and restoring my heart rhythm.  I call it my “bonus resurrection.”

They wheeled me back into the Cath Lab. This time, they poked a hole in the artery next to my groin. Don’t worry, in anticipation of this happening, I had shaved there too. I felt the catheter being fed into me this time. They were in a hurry. I went out for a few seconds. When I came back, I was breaking new ground in recalibrating my pain scale. It hurt like “hell.” My previous understanding of a pain “ten” was a framing hammer at full force on my thumb. My new understanding of a “ten” is a five-pound hammer repeatedly and relentlessly being pounded on my upper chest, over, and over, and over. Compared to this new pain level, the hammer on the thumb would be about a seven or an eight.

Time out for a quick prayer: “Lord, please make the memory of that pain fade.”

I was conscious of my repeated moaning. I could not stop. I feel like I need to apologize to the three cardiologists and who knows how many nurses and support staff who had responded to the “code blue,” that had been called on my behalf. A “code blue” is called in a hospital when a patient is in cardiopulmonary arrest. I like to tell myself that it was the drugs moaning. That if I had not been under the influence, I could have controlled myself better. I don’t remember specific amounts, but I heard the person who was administering the drugs to me in the Cath Lab tell the doctor how much they had given me and ask if they should give me more. He said, “yes, give it to him!” Probably because I was writhing around a bit too much for his liking while he was attempting to do a delicate surgery in my heart.

“Hang in there guy.” “Hold on man, it’s going to get better.” “Doug, stop lifting your arm. Put your arm down,” the different anonymous voices said. “I’m trying, it hurts,” was all I could say. All the while, the doctor calmly giving out instructions as he manipulated his tools towards the clot in my heart as he watched the screen across my body, to my left. I could see people walking about the room on both sides of me, I was aware of several people behind my head.

Somewhere over the years I have seen some science fiction horror movie where someone gets abducted by aliens, beamed up to the mother ship, temporarily completely paralyzed, placed on a sterile table, probed, painful experiments conducted, implants placed, strange faces coming and going, anonymous voices, and then they get “flashy thingyd” in order to try and make them forget. That about sums up what this experience was like.

I am not proud to say, that the last words I uttered to the person on my right during the procedure was, “please just take me outside and shoot me.” I now understand the mercy killing scenes better in so many westerns and war movies I have seen. But, just after I said this, the pain stopped. In retrospect, I am glad they did not take me out and shoot me. However, if that kind of pain, on an ongoing basis, would be the price of continuing to live, I would stand by the request I made.

The doctor said something like, “got it. Coming out.”  I was aware that people were leaving the room quickly and that the crisis was over. The doctor said, “great job everyone!”  I would like to second that… God used that team to save my life.

There was one person who remained in the Cath Lab with me that I was aware of. I think coincidently his name was also, “Doug.” I asked him, “What just happened?” He said, you had a clot and we had to shock you to bring you back.” 

Me: “You had to shock me!?!”

Other, more healthy Doug: “You don’t remember, do you?”

No, I did not remember. I did not see Heaven. I did not see Jesus. I was just missing some time that others had to tell me about later.

No going home for me. The doc said, “I’m not taking any chances with this character.” I was chilling badly, which caused me to shake violently. They wrapped me up like a burrito in a warm air inflated blanket and shipped me off to ICU. There, my wife Angela, soon joined me, and our eyes filled full of tears. Angela had been in the waiting room by herself. She had just been told by a volunteer what the number of the recovery room was that I was in, when she heard a “code blue” called to that room. It was a rough day for my sweet wife. She got on the phone and was soon joined by my two daughters and Rachel’s husband Dan.

I have known various people, Christian and non-Christian, over the decades who would react to my experience in predictable ways.  One group would ask, “how could a good and merciful god allow such a painful experience to happen?” I think I could now literally write a book about how a good and merciful god could write it in to His story before time began, how He would allow my chest to be pounded on repeatedly with a five-pound hammer and scare my wife so. But I’ll keep it to a few paragraphs here.

Mercifully, God allowed me to live in a time and place that had the technology to fix my heart in a timely manner. Years ago, He caused me to work in an occupation that upon retirement, provided me with health care insurance. It would be getting rough paying for these heart attacks at around $65,000 apiece.  He mercifully allowed me to be in a hospital, surrounded by cardiologists when I coded out.

God mercifully allowed me to live for, as of today, almost an additional month beyond my most recent heart attack. During that time, I started giving my grandson Will bass guitar lessons. I have been able to “jam” with him (my favorite form of recreation is playing music). What a joy! I got to give away my daughter, Megan, in marriage last Saturday, and gained a new son. I watched my other grandson,  four-year-old Jamie, bust out dance moves at the wedding reception in ways that I wasn’t aware were humanly possible. I was able to see my son, Jared, again for a few days and kid around with him. He has such a great sense of humor. I have been able to cherish and be moved to tears by the sweetness and love of my oldest daughter Rachel. I have witnessed the heart of a quintessential servant of God in Rachel’s husband, Dan, as well as have shared many laughs with him (and a couple shots of fine whiskey). I got to visit with my good friend Marty for a while in person. Marty is closer than a brother to me. I was able to pick blueberries and visit with all my siblings at one time. I got to experience my six-year-old granddaughter call my attention to a “kitty,” that was actually a cougar, fifteen yards away from me (Thanks for the heads up Violet!).  I have witnessed several acts of kindness towards me that were generated out of God given love. And, I have had a month more of looking into my best friend, and lover’s eyes, Angela.  God indeed was merciful in allowing me to stick around and see all these things.

Remember above when I said that I am glad that they had not totally knocked me out for the procedure? In God’s mercy, He allowed me to be awake when I exited the Cath Lab and experience the chest pain. My doctor told Angela that in all his career, there has only been one other patient he has had, who experienced this hyper-coagulation blood clotting problem after the procedure.  He did not mention her name, but I know exactly who he was talking about. It was a lady who attended the same church as Angela and I in the past. She had the exact same thing happen to her as I had happen to me after her cardio catheterization and stent placement procedure by the same doctor. The only difference is that she died. She never woke up after her procedure but passed away peacefully. At that time, the doctor we shared told her husband that he had performed 35,000 such procedures in his career and had never seen such a thing happen before. Around four years later, and who knows how many thousands more procedures the doctor has done, I was still only the second case he had seen. Thank God for His mercy in allowing me to experience the pain so I could get something done about it.

Mostly, God allowed these things to happen to me for the spiritual lessons it has driven home with me. Things I can only do a pathetic job of trying to convey.

Others might phrase their question about God in this way: “Where was God when you were laying there in such pain?”  He was right there with me! Those who might say God could not be a part of such an experience, will have no understanding of how it is that I feel God’s love more than I ever have. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him”-Job 13:15. 

God was right there in that room, hearing my moans and groans, somehow “working all things together for good for those who love him” – Romans 8:28.  The Bible tells us that those who follow Jesus have, “been appointed for good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” -Ephesians 2:10. God determined the "good works" long ago. Not me. Go ahead and form your church committees to “mow lawns for Jesus” or “march for Jesus” or provide “showers for Jesus.” Those are all good things to do for your community, but I am convinced that the “good works” that God wrote into the story He is revealing to us, are contained in the regular details of our normal everyday lives. Sometimes the painful details. They are things that He appointed and causes to happen in order to tell His “story” as He “wrote it,” before time began. Normal, everyday things which accomplish His “good works,” as He sees good works, from His perspective.

I am convinced that God was accomplishing His good work through my painful heart attack. At the very least, He was bringing about a more mature and experienced belief in me. He was testing my faith not for His benefit, but for mine. He was allowing me to feel His peace amid incredible pain and anxiety. He took me by the hand and walked with me through the entrance of the valley of the shadow of death and back out. Again, you probably won’t understand this, or think I am delusional, but what an incredible joy that gives me. I have no idea how God is using my heart attack, but I am confident He is using it for His good purpose.

I have no fear of death. With my first heart attack, I began to “swirl the drain” (my vitals started down a very bad path), this past heart attack, I actually made it into “the drain” (my physical body died for just a bit). Both experiences were surrealistically peaceful. I did not cry out to God with my mouth. I just felt his presence and was aware of His complete control of the situation. There were no words necessary. It was the trying to stay alive and fixing my body that hurt so bad.

Please do not try and tell me that God could not be behind what happened to me. Are you saying God is not sovereign? That things were out of His control as I lay there? That Satan pulled a fast one on Him? Even if you want to tell me that He allowed Satan to torture me for a bit, it still required God’s stamp of approval for what He knew would happen and what I was going through.  

I have also had well intentioned Christian friends that would go here: “Wow, two heart attacks. I wonder what God is trying to tell him. I wonder if Doug has hidden sin in his life? Maybe he is not a tither? It seems like God didn’t get through to Doug with his first heart attack so he has turned up the heat on him with this second heart attack. Let’s pray that Doug has learned his lesson.”

I am a sinner. Of that there is no doubt. I truly deserve any beating by God I have coming to me (Thank God He views me as pardoned for my sins because of the work of His Son!). I do think we live in a physical world where God built in a “reap what you sow” principle. The Bible states as much, and science seems to verify it. Mostly, I think I may be reaping the benefits of my genes and of a high stress occupation where the average life span is 57 years of age. Mix in my high fat tater-tot-casserole years (my 30s), and bam! Heart attack! 

With reaping what one sows in mind, based on scripture, I do not believe that I must have some sort of formula correct for God to accomplish His perfect will through me despite what my circumstances look like. To my knowledge, no one, save Jesus, has ever lived the perfect life. If anyone deserved to live the charmed life on this earth because of being in tune with God, it is Jesus, and we all know what happened to Him. The apostles make for additional swell examples of what I am talking about. If it were possible to keep score for the last two thousand years, I think we would see that Matthew 5:45 is true: “It rains on the just and on the unjust.” Show me someone who may appear holy and subsequently blessed because of it, and I will show you the Pharisees who Jesus referred to as “snakes.”

What is next for me? God only knows. People ask me a lot: “how are you?” Fair question. I hope you will understand when you get mixed signals from me when I try to answer about my physical health. You see, I thought I was alright the morning of March 13, 2018 at 11:00 AM, just minutes before my first heart attack.  I also thought I was OK after a cardio nurse told me last fall that my half marathon training was paying off. She said after my stress echocardiography test, that I had the highest score she had seen in her long career (all the heart patients she has seen). I scored in the 90th percentile for someone who is in their twenties. I thought I was OK after I ran my first half marathon in April. Turns out, I wasn’t OK. My confidence in my body has been significantly undermined. Doc says I will have to take anti-sticky-blood-clotty pills the rest of my life. Still having some angina and mild chest pain without any great reason as to why at this point. My blockages are supposedly all gone.

How am I emotionally? I have good days and bad days. I have occasional bad dreams about being on the table in the Cath Lab in pain. I sometimes start crying spontaneously when I think about Angela being alone in the waiting room hearing the “code blue” called. Every little chest pain I experience now, takes up a great deal of my attention when they occur, not knowing if it is the beginning of another event. I wonder if I am going to spend the next 72 hours dressed in a thin cotton robe that my butt hangs out of in the back. My life is different now. I have a tough time planning too far out in the future, and I must let others do some things for me I never would have previously allowed. These are all blows to my pride that I am dealing with. I perhaps don’t enjoy some things as much as I used to and enjoy other things more. Some things seem “flat,” other things, like doing research for my next book (Lord willing) excite me. I’m sure, like He did after my first heart attack, God will use time to heal the emotional scars.
​
How am I spiritually? From my perspective, unexplainably Fantastic! From God’s… I can only hope the same. My question for you is, how are you doing?

Where would you fit on the pendulum of watching for the Second Coming of Jesus? On one side of the pendulum are those who look at every earthquake or weather phenomenon as an indication that Jesus is about ready to split open the sky and surprise us all like a sneaky thief in the night. Let’s call this side “Sensationalist.” On the other side are those who appear to have all the information they need or want about the Second Coming. They don’t need to read about it or discuss it. They don’t need to pay any special attention to what is going on in the world or study what the Bible has to say about it. The matter is settled in their mind. They were given the answers long ago and now Bible prophecy has no further relevance for them. Jesus has made it simple for them. He is going to take care of everything. All that is left for the Church to do in regards to His coming is to be “faithful and ready.” Let’s call this side of the pendulum “Apathy.”
 
Some on the Apathy side of the pendulum just don’t want to get involved in the debate over such things as when the rapture of the Church will occur, or if the Church will be around to experience the persecution of the Antichrist. They may jokingly call this outlook on the Second Coming, “Pan-tribulationalism;” whatever “pans out” in regards to the return of Jesus, will be just fine with them. They too, only think it’s important to remain “faithful and ready.”

The question is, what do they mean by being faithful and “ready?”  Faithful and ready for what? Without being knowledgeable of the prophetic scriptures, how do they even know what it is they are waiting faithfully for?

Ready? Are they going to be ready to give a new believer, or anyone for that matter, who has questions about the Second Coming and the end of the age a sound biblical answer, or are they going to propagate their own ignorance on the subject and tell whoever is asking the question not to worry about it? Are they going to be ready to recognize the specific signs Jesus gave that will indicate His return is within a few short years or months and point those signs out to others, or ready to avoid being deceived? Jesus said “even the elect” could be deceived in regards to His return. Are they going to be ready to see through the pervasive false teaching, false prophecies, and what appear to be supernatural occurrences in the last days? Or, are people who say they want to be faithful and “ready,” merely talking about being ready to save their own hides from being “left behind” on the earth to suffer through God’s wrath and a subsequent eternity in Hell, because they have their salvation “in the bag?”

Think. Just what if the Pretribulation rapture theory doesn’t work out to be true? This is the theory made popular in the early 1800’s that often supports the idea that we don’t need to worry about prophecy because Jesus is going to rescue His Church before anything bad happens. How ironic that often the same group of people that say you don’t need to study bible prophecy are often the most opinionated about how the Bible says it is all going to play out.  It is this type of approach to understanding what God expects of us, by relying on traditions and what we want to believe because it best suits us, that people will be deceived. What an ingenious and insidious strategy on the part of the enemy; deceive Christians into believing they do not need to study the very scriptures that will keep them from being deceived!

Will this group have their hearts prepared and be ready to be martyred for their Lord, if that becomes necessary, or will they deny Him?  Will they know when it is appropriate to stay or go, possibly saving their loved one’s lives, based on what the Bible has to say? Will they one day be able to explain to their un-saved neighbor that current world events were spoken of in the Bible or will they be confused because it didn’t happen like the Left Behind series said it would? Will they be ready to give their Master, Jesus an answer for why they were not faithful with the information He left for them regarding His return?

When someone tells me they don’t need to worry about what the Bible has to say about the Second Coming, I always wonder what other crucial doctrine(s) there are that they don’t know or care about. When a Pastor says that “prophecy just isn’t my thing,” I have to ask why imparting accurate information to “their flock” about the Second Coming of the Messiah in order that they may be prepared and ready to overcome deception is not “their thing.” It was very much Jesus’ thing.

To all my Pan-tribulation brothers and sisters, are you also a pan-salvationist? Saved by grace or saved by good works; whatever pans out is OK with you? Are you a pan-theist? Saved by Jesus or saved by Allah, it’s all good? Is there anything that we can understand and trust in the Bible, or is it only a collection of things that don’t really matter because the God you choose to believe in is merciful and everything will all pan out in the end? How do you know what your Master, Jesus, expects of you? Are there some things Jesus said that are not important for His disciples to know and others that are? How did you make that determination? Perhaps by listening to some other human opinion about what you should believe rather than relying on God’s own word?

There is much more at stake than your own personal salvation. What about the friends and family you influence in your life? The “elect of God,” have been appointed to be a “priest of God;” a minister to others on God’s behalf. Being “faithful and ready,” until the day Jesus returns includes fulfilling our role as a minister to others in the name of Christ. For those who will be alive during the end of the age, whenever that occurs, the role of priest or minister will include guiding others through that perilous time, armed only with the information that God has provided them in the Bible.

How is it going to “pan out” for you? Are you going to be faithful with God’s word and so be ready to avoid deception, and provide Biblical answers to others? Will you be ready to show love and guidance to others in the name of Jesus, or will your level of readiness only be enough to save your own eternal hide?

Falling between the sides of the pendulum, Sensationalism and Apathy, where the Antichrist namers, alarmists and date setters reside on one side and the “ain’t-my-thingers” and pan-tribbers live on the other, is a place I call “biblical watchfulness.” It is there, where gaining knowledge of the prophetic scriptures, applying that knowledge in wisdom to the world around us, and waiting for the Lord’s return with certainty and expectancy can be found. It is the approach to understanding what God has in store that does not try to cram all of today’s headlines into prophecy, but will endure for generations, if the Lord delays His return.

The best starting place for gaining such knowledge and understanding the essential information Jesus wants His followers to know in regards to His return, is the Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24 & 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. May God lead you into His truth through the faithful study of His word, so that you may be found “faithful and ready” when He returns.

The term, “blessed hope,” gets thrown around from time to time in end times prophecy circles. Those who believe that Jesus will return secretly, without any previous sign or warning, to rapture His Church before the Antichrist can cause them any harm sometimes insinuate that the “blessed hope” exclusively represents their point of view. However, the “blessed hope,” of those who know Jesus as their Lord, represents so much more than when the Church will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air.

When Jesus’ talked with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, about His return to this earth and The End of the Age, He told a story about a master who goes away on a journey leaving servants in charge of his household.[i] In the story Jesus represents the “master,” who left the earth almost 2000 years ago, and the “servants” are those who claim to be His followers. Like the master in the story, Jesus will one day return, and hold His servants accountable for how they took care of Jesus’ “household” while He has been away.

The story speaks of both good and bad servants. For now, let’s focus on what happens to the good servants. Specifically, the words that the master speaks to them. The book of Matthew 25:21-22 records these words that we all want to hear;
 
His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
 
Setting aside for now what the “good and faithful servants” did to deserve to hear these words from the master, what does it mean to be given an invitation to take part in the “joy” or “happiness of the Lord?”  God, literally, only knows. Followers of Jesus cannot possibly imagine all the joys that lay ahead of them.[ii] The mere concept of “eternity,” is something that will take a while to sink in… in eternity. Our lives now are spent rushing about with a looming sense of urgency, as though the clock is always ticking, and our time is running out. Many look forward to life slowing down in retirement. I did. Now, I am retired and I still rush around with a sense of urgency as if time is running out.

How blissful it will be for the elect of God to have the dimension limitation of time come to an end. What will it be like to have a body that is imperishable coupled with no time limitations? A body that does not know hunger, loneliness, sickness, soreness, tiredness, or sadness?[iii]  A body that is no longer subject to death?[iv] And, no longer in bondage to hundreds of generations of genetic breakdowns caused by the fall of man?

The joy of the Lord? One day I will not need a bungee in order to jump into a river that is a hundred feet below, or an aircraft, wing suit or parachute to fearlessly soar within inches over the mountains. I, like my Master has done before me, will be able to walk across the top of a raging sea.[v] If Mount Everest survives the Second Coming and my Master gives me any vacation time, I plan on climbing it without the aid of an oxygen tank or ropes. There are places that I would love to visit that I likely will never see in my mortal lifetime. If they still have any appeal to me after Jesus returns, there will be no limit on time to explore. How about a picnic with Jesus and His disciples on the shore of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland followed by a hike along the rugged coast of Iceland (if those places still exist!). Or, maybe go for a 26.2 mile run from Marathon to Athens and never grow weary.

One day I won’t feel bad about children around the world who don’t have enough to eat, because my Master will stop hunger.[vi] I won’t need to pray for cancer patients, because cancer will be a thing of the past. Jesus, the Great Healer, will be the King of the World. Hospitals will be empty. Macular degeneration will be a thing of the past and will no longer stand in the way of recognizing the face of an approaching friend, even from a mile away. There will be no elections. Jesus will be the eternal King. Crime, corruption and injustice will not fill the headlines. Jesus will rule with a rod of iron.[vii]

The “faithful servant” of Jesus in this present age, will be given a great deal of responsibility in the coming age. In the eternal kingdom that Jesus brings to this earth, His faithful servants will act as His “deputies.” They will make decisions as they govern on His behalf in His Kingdom which extends throughout the entire world. Those who Jesus has chosen will “rule” with Him. [viii]

Under Jesus’ authority, His faithful servants will have complete dominion, power, and authority to execute the will of Jesus. That is how they will “reign,” with Him. [ix]
​
Wherever their Master has assigned them in His Kingdom, the faithful servants of Jesus will act as magistrates and arbitrators among the inhabitants of the earth. This will make the Elect of God “judges,” on Jesus’ behalf. [x]

In addition to the responsibilities in the coming age already mentioned, one of the things the Bible tells us we will be doing in eternity is serving God in His Temple.[xi] What could that possibly be like? Our God is a God of infinite wisdom and creativity. While on “temple duty,” we will never know who or what will next come through the door of God’s throne room.
​
Our physical universe is contained in three dimensions, yet goes on forever in all directions. Jesus demonstrated that His glorified body has the ability to travel in any one of those directions without aid, pass through matter and operate in both the physical and spiritual realm.[xii] How long would it take to explore an infinite universe if we are allowed to do so? Is there an infinite amount of things we cannot even dream of left to discover? Will our glorified bodies have the ability to feel, understand, sense and know things our current bodies are not capable of? We cannot even begin to imagine the depth of the joy that lies ahead for the faithful servant of Jesus!

My blessed hope is in Jesus and whatever future He has in store for me. It begins with seeing my master face to face, whenever that occurs.[xiii] It involves so much more than escaping temporary trouble at the hand of the Antichrist who, after all, is destined to be appropriately dealt with by our sovereign and just God.[xiv]
 

[i] Matthew 25:14-30
[ii] Isa 64:4, 1 Cor 2:9
[iii] Rev 21:4
[iv] 1 Cor 15:42-54
[v] Matt 14:25-33
[vi] Rev 7:16
[vii] Rev 2:27, 12:5, 19:15
[viii] Rev 3:21
[ix] 2 Timothy 2:12
[x] 1 Cor 6:2
[xi] Rev 7:15
[xii] John 20:19, Acts 1:9, Col 3:1 Heb 8:1
[xiii] Titus 2:13
[xiv] Rev 19:20

There are no new stories. Is this tale from the pages of a 1950’s comic book, a made for TV thriller series or the Bible?
 
They are everywhere, walking among us and often extremely hard to recognize. On the outside, they take on many human forms, but surprisingly they can appear to be successful and happy. They have even learned to disguise themselves as the “Immortals,” as if they have already received the “antidote.” They have pervasively infiltrated every race, socio-economic class, religion, and nation.

We know much about them from The Ancient Book. Their hunger and thirst is never satisfied. Their bones rot within them.  They feast on wickedness and violence. They are denied rest, unless they have done wrong and caused others to stumble. They are often seen in daylight, but hating the light, they are always veiled by the shadow of death. They prefer the darkness. Yet, even in the darkness, their eyes are closed, as they grope and stagger about. These wretched beings gather against the Immortals and tear at them without ceasing. They mockingly profane them and gnash their teeth. All these things occur in varying degrees, but everyone who is not of the light, is counted among these “Spiritually Walking Dead.”

These spiritually dead “Zombies” follow an evil tyrant. Their Zombie Master has been called by many other names: “Lucifer,” “the Serpent,” “Satan,” “the Devil,” “Deceiver.” Their Dark Lord is so deceptive, that almost all who follow him, do it blindly, without knowing.  

It was the Zombie Master that deceived the first humans into disobeying the Law of God, causing the “virus” to be introduced into human DNA. Since that time, the entire human race has become infected. The virus attaches to every newborn child through their parents. Thankfully, there is good news: there is a cure.

The cure exists behind a one-of-a-kind “narrow door.”  There are many signs in nature pointing to the door.  The ancient book reveals the secrets of the door and the source of a great light shining from within. Astonishingly, the antidote is the blood of a unique, first-century Lamb. It was acquired at great expense but the greatest physician the universe has ever known dispenses it free to anyone who enters through the narrow door and accepts it. Yet, only relatively few will ever find the door. For now, the narrow door is unlocked and on the other side is the proven antidote which turns the Spiritually Walking Dead into Immortals. One day, the narrow door will slam shut, be locked, and access to the antidote will be cut off. The clock is ticking…

The source of the great light which shines out from the door is the Lamb. This great light of the Lamb is given to every Immortal. The Spiritually Walking Dead loathe the great light.  It sears their being when exposed to it. The light reveals the deeds they prefer to do in secret, and in darkness.  

Even though many zombies know what lies on the other side of the narrow door, and they have seen and heard the claims of the Immortals, they decline to enter. They refuse to believe the stories of these “people of the light.” The ancient stories of the first century Lamb that was slain and came back to life. How ridiculous! The stories that the blood of that Lamb would somehow allow the Immortals to live forever. The stories that when the Immortal’s flesh can no longer contain their spirit, they will go to live with the Lamb and one day be given a new imperishable body with super human capabilities. How could any of that be? The Zombie Master whispers that these are all lies, and says “come and please yourself, you are a good person. There is no such thing as the Lamb…”
 
Instead of taking the antidote that is kept on the other side of the narrow door, many of the Spiritually Walking Dead attempt to gain immortality by doing what they consider to be good deeds. Yet, their deeds merely fall to the ground and become as dirty, filthy rags, smelling of death.  Every zombie that has ever walked the face of the earth, without finding the narrow door, has eventually fallen into the great fiery pit, where only hopelessness and perpetual weeping and gnashing of teeth are found.
 
The Immortals also once walked in darkness with their eyes closed. They opened their eyes in response to hearing the voice of the Lamb. Once opened, their eyes allowed them to see the great light shining from within the narrow door and walk through it.  Without the Lamb, they would have forever stumbled in darkness.

Although the Immortals now live for the Lamb who saved them with His blood, they are still temporarily contained in the same spiritually-walking-dead mortal bodies.  Their bodies still get sick, hungry, and tired. The Immortals are still constantly subject to battling their former zombie instincts, habits and behaviors. Never-the-less, the Lamb expects every Immortal to venture out into the world to help the Spiritually Walking Dead find their way to the door. The Lamb calls to all to open their eyes, find their way to the narrow door and avoid stumbling into the fiery pit. Sometimes there is great physical risk associated with the work of the Immortals.  But, even death of their physical bodies simply means that they are finally made free from their decaying zombie flesh.
 
The Ancient Book, the Bible, uses many strong words regarding the status of those who have not yet made Jesus their Lord and Master. Calling them “zombies” and “spiritually walking dead,” accurately reflects the very strong message of the Bible in today’s pop culture terms, but is not intended as an insult.

If you are one of the “Immortals,” I encourage you to take your light into the world and be ready to assist those whom have had their eyes opened by the voice of the Lamb (The Holy Spirit).  They may need help finding their way to our master, Jesus.

If you have been walking in darkness and are one who has not yet found your way to the narrow door, and the Holy Spirit has opened your eyes to the truth, Jesus is eagerly waiting for you. There is no time to spare. Please find the “narrow door,” and run through it into the light of truth, and accept the gift of salvation from Jesus, before the door is locked or you fall into the pit, or your eyes close again. 

Copyright Doug Hooley 2016

Scripture references in order of use:

i Ecclesiastes 6:3, Proverbs 13:25
ii Proverbs 14:30
iii Proverbs 4:17
iv Proverbs 4:16
v Psalms 107:14
vi Job 12:25, Psalms 82:3 Acts 26:18
vii Ps 35:15-16
viii Isaiah 14:12, 2 Kings 1, 1 Chronicles 21:1, Revelation 12:9
ix 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
x Genesis 3
xi Romans 5:12
xii John 14:6
xiii Luke 13:24
xiv Psalms 50:6
xv Matthew 7:14
xvi Matthew 24:10
xvii Matthew 24:44
xviii John 3:20
xix John 3:19
xx Psalms 10:4, 14:1, 53:1
xxi Job 15:16, Psalm 53:3, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10
xxii Matthew 13:41-42, 13:49-50, 22:13, 24:50-51, 25:30.
xxiii Isaiah 9:2
xxiv 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5

The Ring of Fire has awakened and Christian “end times” blogs and web-sites have exploded with observations in the last few days, speculating about how these earth-shaking events match up to what Jesus said regarding His return to this earth, and the end of the age.
 
For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be hunger, and pestilence, and earthquakes in various places. (Matthew 24:7b)
 
Look at the recent earth shaking evidence for “earthquakes in various places!” Wednesday, April 13, 2016 a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the nation of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. There were no deaths reported, but dozens of injuries. The next day, southwestern Japan experienced a magnitude 6.2 earthquake. A little more than 24 hours later a second quake, magnitude 7.0 again rocked Japan. The two quakes killed at least 41 people. Late Saturday, April 16, 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Ecuador, the death toll is still rising but at last estimate more than 230 people and over 1,500 injured. This was followed by more than 130 aftershocks.  As of writing this article, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, there have been 28 magnitude 2.5+ earthquakes in the world in the last 24 hours! What is going on?
 
Jesus was right on when He said there would be earthquakes in various places.  However, He did so in the context of saying that earthquakes are normal, natural occurrences, that will continue to happen until the end. In regard to such things as earthquakes, wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, and famines, Jesus said,
 
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not troubled. For all this must take place, but it is not yet the end. (Matthew 24: 6)
  
You can read Jesus’ words regarding His return, and the end of the age, in the Olivet Discourse recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Jesus started off that talk by warning His disciples about end-of-the-age related deception. He knew that people would associate natural catastrophes and severe human hardships with the “end of the world.” So, immediately following His warning about deception, He warned that things like earthquakes are normal and will not serve as a signal of His return. Earthquakes have been around since the beginning of the Earth’s history, and per usual, will continue to contribute to the planet’s ever changing geologic record and geography up until Jesus’ return. It would be far more unusual if the earthquakes stopped!
 
Jesus went on in The Olivet Discourse to inform His disciples about the things that would indicate His return to earth was near. He talked about the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by the Prophet Daniel, a great falling away from the faith, and wide spread persecution of those who identify themselves with Him (Christians). The Apostle Paul wrote about these same things (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). By utilizing the Olivet Discourse passage along with the scripture in Daniel, which Jesus cited, as well as other prophecies in the Old and New Testaments, we can put together a list of events that will be unmistakable for those who know about, and are watchful for them.
 
Many authors, pastors, and commentators have weighed in with their opinions that earthquakes will serve as a sign that the end of the age will occur soon. I personally have witnessed such false claims for the last 40 years.  In his book, The Apocalypse Code, well known Pop-Christian culture, end times author, Hal Lindsey, implies that we are near the end of the age, when he cites “experts” who say the frequency of earthquakes are increasing; but, are we really seeing a trend today of more earthquakes?
 
I began seriously watching earthquake data almost 20 years ago. During one check of the U.S. Geological web-site in 1997 I recorded that the Mammoth Lake area in California experienced 944 quakes up to a magnitude of 3.8 in one weekend!  In December of 2005 I recorded 21 earthquakes ranging from magnitude 2.7 to 6.1 throughout the world in a 24-hour period. When I checked in August 23, 2015, I recorded that there had been 28 earthquakes over a magnitude 2.5 in the preceding 24 hours.
 
There truly are a lot of earthquakes in “diverse places!” However, contrary to Mr. Lindsey’s claims, at this point, according to the real experts, earthquakes have not increased. Only our awareness and the media’s sensationalism of earthquakes has increased. Here is the answer to a “frequently asked question” found on the National Geological Survey’s website:
 
Question: Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has earthquake activity been increasing?
 
Answer: Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years.
 
Science and historical data tells us that many modern day prophecy teachers and commentators are giving us alarming and false information. They are contributing to the very deception of which Jesus warned. Pointing to earthquakes, wars, rumors of wars, pestilence (disease), and civil disturbances as signs of the soon return of Jesus is a misunderstanding and misuse of Bible Prophecy. 180 degrees off, these teachers have taken things that Jesus warned would not serve as a signs, and claimed that they do serve as signs.
 
Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, etc., all rightfully sound like yesterday’s headlines. It is because they have been in yesterday’s headlines since there have been headlines. Even with the best of intentions, many pastors, teachers, authors, and commentators, have perpetually used such news to sensationalize whatever it is they are “selling.” Well intended or not, through engaging in this “shell game,” they are aiding and abetting the enemy in distracting and deceiving followers of Jesus into watching the wrong events in the world. It is as though they believe that in order to keep people interested in the return of Jesus, they need to hype it up a bit. Seriously? The real return of Jesus will be spectacular enough and does not need to be sensationalized!
 
It certainly was the “end of the world” for those who died in the recent earthquakes. However, the geological record, as well as countless ruins from antiquity, stand as memorials to the fact that big earthquakes, like wars, famines, and pestilence, have been occurring for a long, long time, and Jesus has not yet returned.  So, what’s the answer to the question, “what is going on?” As tragic as these earthquakes have been for those living in Ecuador, Japan and Myanmar and the families abroad that have lost loved ones, it is still just another day on a planet that is “groaning and travailing,” as it has since creation.
 
There are a few, very significant earthquakes that will occur in association with the return of Jesus. The first of these biblical sized earthquakes will immediately precede the return of Jesus, and will shake the entire world. Every “mountain and island” will be moved “from their place.” It will cause the seas to “roar,” and will occur at the same time, or close to the same time, that the “sun will go dark,” the “moon will turn blood red,” and the stars will “appear to fall from the sky” (see Revelation 6:12-16, Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28).  None of us will probably be sitting around blogging about such a quake a few days after it happens. In fact, if you are an elect of God, saved by the blood of Jesus, and such a quake occurs, “look up” because Jesus is about ready to appear, and you are in for the ride of your life!
 
No one knows the day or hour when Jesus will return. Like sin and deception, earthquakes, wars, famine, disease, and terrorism will continue to routinely vex the world up until He returns.  Those who are waiting on that return must know the scriptures well in order to guard against deception. Tragically, even from within the Church. The watchful will remain alert and awake, while they patiently wait for the real signs which Jesus gave. Those signs alone will truly indicate that His return is near.
 
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How does being “biblically watchful” apply to the raucous race for the White House currently vexertaining (A combination of the words “vexing” and “entertaining”) the land of the free and home of the brave? Is there anything significant going on with the current presidential election process in regards to watching for the return of Jesus and the end of the age? More specifically, maybe you’re asking yourself, is there anything in the Bible about a rich and boastful, orange-skinned descendant of Japheth, who would be “king” that desires to build a “beautiful wall” to keep out the “kingdom of the south?”

Being “biblically watchful” for our Lord’s return, is about becoming knowledgeable of the prophetic scriptures. That is, studying them to a practical level of understanding. It is to take that knowledge and wisely apply it as we observe and do business in the world around us; comprehending our observations of the world through the lens of the divinely inspired Word of God, watching for the scriptural signs that will signal the end of the age, striking down false signs, and guarding against deception. Finally, being biblically watchful is to live as a faithful servant of Jesus as we await His return to this earth with certainty and expectancy.

Having Biblical knowledge of prophetic scriptures is the only way for us to recognize if events in our time are significant to the end of the age.  Let’s assume that together we have an adequate level of such knowledge while we begin moving forward deciphering what is going on in the world around us. As we do so, it is important to follow two important rules: no filling in blanks where the Bible did not give us details and no synthesizing possible scenarios that may take place based on our finite and limited human perspective. To do either of these things is to come dangerously close to prophesying without a license.

Have we seen any specific biblical signs fulfilled in relation to the presidential election process?
·       Has Bernie ran on a platform of implanting national identity chips in everyone’s foreheads and confirming a covenant with Israel and others? No, at least not that the media has reported.
·       Has Hilary suggested that reinstituting the Jewish ritual of animal sacrifice on the temple mount in Jerusalem may hold the answer to peace in the middle east? Hmmm. No, I haven’t heard it mentioned.
·       As the result of the “smack down” World Wrestling Federation-like debates, has there been a massive falling away from the Christian faith?  Well, no human can judge hearts, but the answer must be “no” based on Pew Research Center data.
·       Did anyone personally see “the Donald” rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns? Nope, although his hair does get mistaken for a lot of things, I am sure that such an event would have been a world-wide trending topic.

For the most part, what my Bible filter is telling me, is it is just another day living in a fallen world full of sinners. A fallen world, which is “groaning and travailing” (Romans 8:22). 
How then should “faithful servants of Jesus” be navigating through this perilous, but non-end of the age time of elections as we continue to wait on the Lord’s return? What should our reaction be? How should we make our opinions known? Who should we vote for when the choice seems unclear?

As every servant knows, everywhere they go, and in everything they do, they represent their master first. Whatever is done as a servant of Jesus, should be done with that in mind; “…whatever you do, do all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). 

Jesus always acted in love. He would have His servants do the same. He never had “off duty” time, nor do His servants. To act in love, is to fulfill the law (Rom 13:8). However, how to best show love is sometimes a complicated issue requiring a great deal of wisdom. We most often think of acts of love taking the form of patiently and kindly fulfilling the physical and emotional needs of others, even when it is not easy or convenient for us to do. However, I retired from a profession where it is sometimes necessary to show love by Tazing someone with 50,000 volts for 5 seconds, in order to keep them from harming themselves or others.  For Jesus, although showing love included feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and casting out demons, sometimes love meant throwing over the tables of the money changers and calling those in positions of authority “blind guides” and “serpents.”

Whether it is in the role of being a servant of Jesus, a Priest of God, or citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, I relate well to a little story found in the book of Joshua. Joshua, and the “Children of Israel,” had just wandered around the wilderness for 40 years and were now outside of the City of Jericho when Joshua ran into a man who was standing before him with a drawn sword. Having the task at hand, to overtake the City of Jericho, Joshua asked the “man” if he was on Israel’s side, or their enemies’. The “man” answered, “Neither; I am the commander of the army of the Lord.”  Recognizing this was not just a man, Joshua fell down to worship what he finally recognized as an angel.

This story reminds me that sometimes rather than choosing a “side” on some temporal earthbound issue, I am to keep my attention on my Master’s business. My world is to center around my Master and my thoughts on “things above,” which have eternal and lasting value. Again, love can be our guide in decision making: For example, is it loving to let the weak and helpless be harmed or oppressed, go hungry or unclothed, or should you take action when you have the ability to do so?  At the same time, is it loving to enable people in their slothfulness and sin?

Those of us who God has blessed to live in the 21st century in the United States and are over the age of 18, have the right to vote. We need to cast that servant sized vote with our Master’s interests in mind, realizing “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).  In other words, according to His divine purposes, no one is going to get elected, if God does not want them elected.  So, if you are His servant, whether you understand what He is accomplishing or not, trust God, everything is going exactly according to His plans. If you are on His side, then your “side” always wins!

Many believe it is acceptable to synthesize conspiracy theories that superimpose today’s headlines and high profile people, such as political candidates, over the top of Bible prophecy. Someday every prophecy contained in the Bible will be fulfilled perfectly and at the appointed time. Those that are watchful will recognize the signs when they occur and take appropriate action.

As we look back at the fulfilled prophecies from that future vantage point in time, will those who have engaged in wild speculation feel foolish having falsely accused people of being the “Antichrist,” or the “great whore of Babylon?” Equally as tragic, how many will have been distracted and deceived and join in the hatred generated by these products of human imagination?   Such unloving activity hardly seems like the type of thing a faithful servant of Jesus would want to associate with the good name of her or his Master.

​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.