SO WHAT IF....
the world ends this Saturday? Some pastor, somewhere, has predicted that "the end", or "the rapture", or "God's judgement" will happen this Sat., May 21st. (The Mayan Indians have supposedly predicted the world as we know it will end in 2012.) A few thoughts:
1 People have been predicting "the end of the world/God's Final Judgement" for at least 2,000 years. (The Jehovah's Witnesses have predicted the end of the world 7 times since 1917!) A couple of years ago, a supposedly "Christian evangelist" told all the people in Korea that the world would end on a certain date. The people sold everything they owned, went to the mountain to wait for the end, and nothing happened. They ended up broke and beat up that preacher. There have also been some very dangerous people - James Jones, David Koresh, and others - who have convinced people that they are"chosen by God" to lead people to "the Promised Land." These were truly "false prophets" who were interested in sex and power, not God. All they have done is get a lot of people killed in Jonestown/Waco, TX.
2 Jesus predicted that the world would end, but Jesus told us that only Father God knows this information(Matthew, chapter 24). Knowing when the world will end means nothing. Being ready whenever our "world"(life) ends is what matters. So, Jesus tells us how we ought to be prepared. Read Matthew, chapter 25:31-46. Jesus teaches us that everyone dies. Even Jesus died, on the Cross! The point is not the WHEN & WHERE of death. It is HOW we lived with the time we had. HOW did we use the gifts (skills, talents) God gave us to be of service to those who cannot repay us?
So this Saturday, I plan to drive to Milwaukee, WI to witness the Ordination to the Priesthood of CHRISTOPHER KLUSMAN, a deaf young man, who will become a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. I hope the sun is shining. I will thank God to see another deaf person pledging his/her life to serve God's people. And, somewhere on the drive back, I will stop and buy an ice cream cone. Why? Because if, by chance, my "world" ends this Saturday, I want it to end with me enjoying one of God's great signs that He loves us.....ice cream!
1 People have been predicting "the end of the world/God's Final Judgement" for at least 2,000 years. (The Jehovah's Witnesses have predicted the end of the world 7 times since 1917!) A couple of years ago, a supposedly "Christian evangelist" told all the people in Korea that the world would end on a certain date. The people sold everything they owned, went to the mountain to wait for the end, and nothing happened. They ended up broke and beat up that preacher. There have also been some very dangerous people - James Jones, David Koresh, and others - who have convinced people that they are"chosen by God" to lead people to "the Promised Land." These were truly "false prophets" who were interested in sex and power, not God. All they have done is get a lot of people killed in Jonestown/Waco, TX.
2 Jesus predicted that the world would end, but Jesus told us that only Father God knows this information(Matthew, chapter 24). Knowing when the world will end means nothing. Being ready whenever our "world"(life) ends is what matters. So, Jesus tells us how we ought to be prepared. Read Matthew, chapter 25:31-46. Jesus teaches us that everyone dies. Even Jesus died, on the Cross! The point is not the WHEN & WHERE of death. It is HOW we lived with the time we had. HOW did we use the gifts (skills, talents) God gave us to be of service to those who cannot repay us?
So this Saturday, I plan to drive to Milwaukee, WI to witness the Ordination to the Priesthood of CHRISTOPHER KLUSMAN, a deaf young man, who will become a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. I hope the sun is shining. I will thank God to see another deaf person pledging his/her life to serve God's people. And, somewhere on the drive back, I will stop and buy an ice cream cone. Why? Because if, by chance, my "world" ends this Saturday, I want it to end with me enjoying one of God's great signs that He loves us.....ice cream!
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