An End Times Manifesto

Once upon a time a long time ago I was sitting in my office opening the mail, when what do you suppose I should see but a full color brochure advertising some end times prophecy seminar that was coming to the area. I think I still have it buried in the archives somewhere, who knows if I will ever be able to find it again.

Now don't get that look on your face. I'm not here to debate end times theory. That is a discussion for another place and another time. Here is what struck me by this full color brochure advertising that end times seminar. There was this big painting of The Second Coming. Angels in the air blew trumpets, Jesus was there in the clouds, and all that. But dig the rest of the painting. The earth was devastated and was laid low. Fires, earthquakes, war, pestilence, famine and disease had laid waste to the countryside and the town.

Now, here come The Saved. They were ready to meet our Lord in the air. They had come through a terrible trib. Who knows what awful things they had suffered and endured! But I noticed one thing. All the men and boys without exception were dressed in coat and tie. All the women and girls without exception were dressed in June Cleaver dresses. An amazing feat, considering what they had been through!

Oh, c'mon! Do we really think this is what the End of Days will be like? You know, there are so many differing notions about the end times. Who knows who is right and who is wrong? Perhaps I will cling to my standard pan-millennial view: which is, namely, everything will pan out in the end! In the meantime I don't know what to think about it all! Should I be post trib pre mill, pre trib post mill, post trib post mill or, wait a minute, what was that again?

Sheesh! What should we think about all this stuff? Wait. I have an idea. Let's let the Biblical writers direct our thinking on such things! What a concept! I have in mind the advice of the Apostle Peter. I think he had a pretty good grip on these things.

2 Peter 8:10-14 says "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

In other words, just live the life. We don't have to worry about all this stuff, because God has it very well in hand (thanks for asking) and it is in his awesome control and in his perfect will and we can just let God handle all the end times stuff. We just need to live the life. We just need to seek and save the lost.

Folks just get so hung up on superfluous non-essentials. Hey! Live the life! Seek and save the lost! Edify the saints!

God will handle the rest. And is that cool or what? Of course, it may be easier to talk about scary end times scenarios with each other than to go out and engage in (shudder!) evangelism. Ah, and therein lies the rub! Do ya think?

Pastor Mackster

ps: We in the churches have completely lost the vision of the return of Christ. This is dangerous! How to regain that? Join us for the next episode of the End Times Manifesto.

What will The Righteous do with me?

Once upon a time a long time ago I was working at a College Press Publishing. I was a student at Ozark Christian College at the time, studying for the ministry and one of my fellow workers and I were in conversation about personalities and such, and my co-worker looked at me and said, "They just don't know how to handle you."

To which I replied something to the effect that I had already figured that out.

"They" in this instance referred to The Righteous. Now, don't get that look on your face. I'm not going to bash good Christians. They are good people, doing their best in this evil world and they find themselves in a Christian world that has no tolerance for things that are worldly. I didn't say things that are evil, just things that are worldly.

Once upon a time a longer time ago I was so rotten and so evil that my very nature only sinful. I did abide with John Barleycorn and probably accounted for half the global warming of the planet by clouds and clouds of cigarette smoke bellowed into the atmosphere from my lungs. My language could turn a longshoreman's ears red with shame. You get the picture.

Then came the Holy Spirit who worked a number on me, and before I knew it I turned on my old master...the devil...and returned to my true master, who is the Lord Creator of the Universe. Now, not every one is called to quit their job and go to Bible College, but that's the way it worked for me. I don't want you to think that this is a surprize, but I literally had old acquaintences laugh in my face when I told them I was Bible College bound.

It has been 20 years since I left for Bible College. My problem is that I suppose that I was so scarred from life that I had a difficult time morphing into The Righteous. I still listen to rock n roll music. I still watch James Bond movies. I am a fan of Mel Brooks, and unless it is Life of Brian (which gets me frothing at the mouth) I still like Monty Python. In other words, I have dedicated my life to service to God and to Christ and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, but you see it's still me.

And both The Righteous and Those Who Suppose Themselves Righteous just don't know what to do with me. Apparently I don't fit the mold or the fold. I don't know what to do about that at this stage of the game. I guess I'll just keep on talking with sinners, there are plenty at work, after all I do speak their language (not cussing, just how they speak and think) and I can only hope that I can plant seeds of righteousness that the Lord will grow to a fruitful harvest in their lives.

And at the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about?