THE END IS NEAR!!!!!

This first blog may be a bit of a downer, but it’s what’s on my mind right now. Oh well… here goes!

I have recently heard several (and I mean several) messages on the end times. I find this a bit disconcerting to be honest. I kind of cringe when I get the bulletin on Sunday morning and it says “The Battle of Armageddon” for the sermon title. Why on earth would I want to learn more about the bloodiest battle the World will see? What use is it to try and figure out the crazy language of Revelation and claim we know every detail of the end of the world?

I understand the attitude that Paul had when he told us to be mindful that the end is near at hand. We need to be prepared for the time that Christ comes. We need to live as if He were with us. But I don’t always understand why we should predict when the end is coming. Is the world getting more evil, and are we getting closer to the end?

I find myself questioning the people who week after week talk about how morally depraved our country and world is…how much worse it is getting. Doesn’t every generation say this about their young people? The people who listened to Elvis in the 1950’s listened to devil’s music according to their parents. Supposedly homosexuality is more rampant today than ever. Roman emperors took their boy lovers everywhere with them, and showed them off proudly! Orgies were an everyday part of temple worship! Isn’t this all just cyclical?

Now when I ask myself these questions, I also wonder if this is my way of copping out. Do I say these things to somehow justify the sins of my generation? Don’t I also need to be mindful that judgment will come “like a thief in the night”? Well, maybe for myself…I need to be mindful so I don’t fall into those traps. However, I don’t believe that it is our place to predict the end of the world as a way to scare people into belief.

I just don’t see how labeling the people of our society as beyond redemption and condemning them without a second thought is much help to anyone. I feel like Christians put on the attitude that we are above this mess, that we don’t have to deal with it because we have Jesus. Well guess what. We live in it. We are a part of it. We have to deal with because we have Jesus. Our mission is to bring hope, not condemnation. We have no right to condemn, seeing as we were rescued from it ourselves! And yes we need to share our faith fervently, but because we love our savior, not because there is going to be a bloody battle at the end of the world.

I also ask myself, is there really any point in dwelling on all of this? Maybe not...

Well in answer to a previous question, yes, THE END IS NEAR!!! It's always nearer! haha! Just think about these things, because I still am. I don't claim to know anything. I have a feeling I'll know a lot more in about 90 years or so. :)