Have you been getting spammed incessantly with emails and links leading to the theory that May 21, 2011 will be, in essence, the "end of times"? Maybe you've seen the millions of billboards or cars around town with "MAY 21, 2011" plastered all over them. Or maybe it's just word-of-mouth. Or perhaps you subscribe to Family Radio, which featured a huge segment with Mr. Harold Camping proclaiming that after 5 decades of Bible study, he has managed to calculate the exact date and time of the rapture (May 21, 2011) and the final destruction of the earth (October 21, 2011). No matter how you've heard it, and I'm sure you have, there are some very interesting key points about this theory that should be addressed.
My soapbox, please...
First of all, I want to concede that I do believe we are nearing the end. Key word: nearing. Violence world-wide has escalated, along with a crazy mix of natural disasters and economic woes - all of which have their place in the book of Revelation. I do believe that the numbers of generations from this point forward are numbered, and that it may very well be possible that the rapture will occur during my lifetime, my children's lifetimes, or their children's lifetimes. But, this information is not disclosed to me so that I may know at exactly what hour my savior returns. I just know that there are signs in the world that let me know that we draw nearer to such a day. When is that day? I do not know.
Secondly, I do not actually care to know what day the actual return of Jesus Christ will be. Why? Because either I am fully prepared, or I am not. And if I know what date his return will be, I will likely wait until the last possible moment to live the life that my Creator intend for me to live. If I knew I had 5 days of living left to do, I would live 4 giving in to my every earthly desire, and spend the last getting reconciled to God for all the errors made during the previous 4. We're human, and that's the kind of stuff we do. So, it doesn't make sense that people with a specific timeline would live to further the Kingdom if we knew how long we had to accomplish that. Instead, God lets us know that at any time, ANY TIME, we can be taken - therefore, we should live EVERY DAY for His glory.
Third, the evidences given in the paper entitled "NOTHING Is More Important" from www.may21-2011.com, which is the theory of the May 21 deadline, are completely subjective and open to interpretation. Because God did not make a formal, world-wide, clear announcement of when the seals were broken, there are many, MANY theories as to when the Great Tribulation began or will begin. Without getting too deep into a book which I confess I do not fully understand, it is important to know that there is a specific timeline given for the "end of times". However, it is not made known to us exactly when that timeline begins. Today? 23 years ago? I don't know. Biblical evidence, in so much as I understand it, does not give any specific dates. If one knew the specific date that the Great Tribulation started, one could know exactly when the rapture would be. You should refer to my "secondly" paragraph.
Fourth, have we not suffered through enough "end of days" prophecies already?? The end of the world was supposed to happen on March 21, 1844. Of course, that date was adjusted on March 22, 1844 when the Rev. Miller realized he had not been taken up to heaven in a blaze of glory after all. The famous work (insert sarcastic face here) "88 Reasons" by Edgar C. Whisenant told us that September 13, 1988 would be the rapture of the Church. I remember this as a child because Trinity Broadcasting, based out of my home state of California, had signs and commercials backing this idea. Then this date was adjusted to September 15, 1988 and then October 3, 1988. Then it was a date in 1989, 1990, and 1991. I guess he gave up after that. The same fella who is telling us that May 21, 2011 is the end, previously predicted that a date in 1994 would be the end. Harold Camping wrote a book called "1994?", which was a much more humble approach to the theory he states today. And let's not forget the millions and millions of in-your-face comments made by would-be rapturees who gave us the idea that the ushering in of the new millennium was the end of the world. Meanwhile, my power is still on and my computer hasn't taken over my home just yet. So, we certainly should take all of this with a grain of salt... and then refer to my "secondly" paragraph.
Our God is a just God, and because He is, we are promised a day of reckoning when we will stand before Him and answer two vital questions about the time we were given on this earth: 1) Do you know my Son? 2) What did you do with him? But when that day is, we surely cannot know.
Matthew 24:36 tells us "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." If you believe in the rapture, it stands to reason that you believe the Bible. And if you believe the Bible, specifically this verse, than you must believe that if heaven, the angels, and even Jesus himself are not made aware of what date the rapture will take place, surely Harold Camping doesn't know, either. And even if his Biblical study leads him to research dates stemming back to creation itself, surely God would not make it so that it could be figured out, right? I mean, can you picture God looking down on Mr. Camping circling a date on his May calendar, then calling out "foiled again!" No. God isn't going to be fooled, He isn't going to be "figured out", and He isn't going to be coerced. If He was, we wouldn't want Him for a God anyway, would we?
I contend that May 21, 2011 will be a day like any other. I believe that there will be some who will be saved on that day - perhaps out of fear, but saved nonetheless. I believe that some will pray harder the night before, and rejoice the day of. I believe that there will be more faces looking to heaven for answers. And I believe that Bible scholars and TV evangelists will enjoy rallying their troops in the meantime. But I also believe that Jesus told us, "Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you." (Revelation 3:3) We should prepare ourselves because the time is NOT made known to us, purposely, so that we can be ready at ANY time. May 21, May 20, or in another millenia.
Get ready, Jesus IS coming. But ONLY the Father knows when...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Motherhood
This past Sunday, we celebrated Mother's Day. I feel so blessed that God has entrusted me with 3 beautiful little personalities to nurture and grow. And today, my "baby" girl turns 6. This has become a time of reflection for me - looking back on the past 12 years of motherhood and witnessing the growth and progress of my "babies", the oldest of which now stands at eye level with me.
I love this quote by Mildred B. Vermont: "Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love." It speaks volumes about motherhood. You see, motherhood is nearly a thankless job. We change diapers, we feed, we bathe, we kiss boo-boos, we transport children to and from school, and we sit through countless of hours of homework that often exceeds our understanding. And often we do all these things without a "thank you". But it never stops getting done. We stay up late at night to nurse a fever, scare away a monster, or rock a bad dream away. And no one really stops to acknowledge the effort a mother puts into her duties. But we would surely notice if these things didn't get done! But at the end of each season in our child's lives, we are "thanked" when we realize that (a) our children have grown and matured, (b) our children have survived, and (c) our children love us a little bit more than they did in the previous season. That's where our payoff comes from.
As mothers, we wear so many different hats. I am a nanny, a nurse, a bus driver, a teacher, a cook, a counselor, a librarian, a butler, a cleaner, a launderer, a personal shopper, a coach, a mentor, a maid, a hair stylist, an alarm clock, a calendar, a tailor, a social planner, an accountant, an errand girl, a healer, a researcher, a bank teller, an editor, a seamstress, a nutritionist, a finder of lost things, a story-teller, and many, many more. As Cardinal Mermillod once wrote, "A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take." As mothers, we do it all. There is no broken object we can't try to super glue, nor no wod of gum we can't cut out, no boo-boo we can't kiss better, and no hug we will turn away.
Even scripture sings of how incredibly important our job as a mother is. In Proverbs 6:20, it says "do not forsake your mother's teaching." God has charged us with the responsibility to nurture, teach, and raise our children in His ways. He tells us that we must raise children to be responsible, to love and respect God, and to be kind to our fellow man. It's no small task, but He intended that mothers do this to bring Him glory. Not bring the moms glory, but bring the Father glory. We already know that being a mom is not a glorious job - all the spills, messes, diapers, vomit, snot, school glue, snacks, etc... there is nothing glorious in what we do for our children in the name of the Father. Nothing. We know, beyond all doubt, that the glory must be to our Father in Heaven, because we know we're not getting any! "What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among them and reared her cubs." (Ezekiel 19:2) We choose the difficult, unglorious, thankless path because we are women, we are mothers, and we have been designed to do things that other creatures could not - would not - do. It's who we are. It's what God has made us to be. And we can take great pride in knowing that what we do reaps great reward.
One day, all of us mothers look back on the accomplishments and milestones of our children's lives. We pray they have long, fruitful lives. We pray that we grow very old and get to experience these milestones with our children. We hope in our hearts to become grandparents, and great-grandparents and spend time watching our own children grow up to be these things. But often we do not get to fully see the fruits of our labors. But we can treasure in our hearts the foundation that we laid so lovingly during our lifetime. "Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see." Pope Paul VI.
As I look back on the last 12 years of motherhood, I do so through tear-filled eyes. Tears of joy, tears of pain, tears of struggle and grief, tears of happy memories. And none of it would I trade for one moment of anything else.
I love this quote by Mildred B. Vermont: "Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love." It speaks volumes about motherhood. You see, motherhood is nearly a thankless job. We change diapers, we feed, we bathe, we kiss boo-boos, we transport children to and from school, and we sit through countless of hours of homework that often exceeds our understanding. And often we do all these things without a "thank you". But it never stops getting done. We stay up late at night to nurse a fever, scare away a monster, or rock a bad dream away. And no one really stops to acknowledge the effort a mother puts into her duties. But we would surely notice if these things didn't get done! But at the end of each season in our child's lives, we are "thanked" when we realize that (a) our children have grown and matured, (b) our children have survived, and (c) our children love us a little bit more than they did in the previous season. That's where our payoff comes from.
As mothers, we wear so many different hats. I am a nanny, a nurse, a bus driver, a teacher, a cook, a counselor, a librarian, a butler, a cleaner, a launderer, a personal shopper, a coach, a mentor, a maid, a hair stylist, an alarm clock, a calendar, a tailor, a social planner, an accountant, an errand girl, a healer, a researcher, a bank teller, an editor, a seamstress, a nutritionist, a finder of lost things, a story-teller, and many, many more. As Cardinal Mermillod once wrote, "A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take." As mothers, we do it all. There is no broken object we can't try to super glue, nor no wod of gum we can't cut out, no boo-boo we can't kiss better, and no hug we will turn away.
Even scripture sings of how incredibly important our job as a mother is. In Proverbs 6:20, it says "do not forsake your mother's teaching." God has charged us with the responsibility to nurture, teach, and raise our children in His ways. He tells us that we must raise children to be responsible, to love and respect God, and to be kind to our fellow man. It's no small task, but He intended that mothers do this to bring Him glory. Not bring the moms glory, but bring the Father glory. We already know that being a mom is not a glorious job - all the spills, messes, diapers, vomit, snot, school glue, snacks, etc... there is nothing glorious in what we do for our children in the name of the Father. Nothing. We know, beyond all doubt, that the glory must be to our Father in Heaven, because we know we're not getting any! "What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among them and reared her cubs." (Ezekiel 19:2) We choose the difficult, unglorious, thankless path because we are women, we are mothers, and we have been designed to do things that other creatures could not - would not - do. It's who we are. It's what God has made us to be. And we can take great pride in knowing that what we do reaps great reward.
One day, all of us mothers look back on the accomplishments and milestones of our children's lives. We pray they have long, fruitful lives. We pray that we grow very old and get to experience these milestones with our children. We hope in our hearts to become grandparents, and great-grandparents and spend time watching our own children grow up to be these things. But often we do not get to fully see the fruits of our labors. But we can treasure in our hearts the foundation that we laid so lovingly during our lifetime. "Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see." Pope Paul VI.
As I look back on the last 12 years of motherhood, I do so through tear-filled eyes. Tears of joy, tears of pain, tears of struggle and grief, tears of happy memories. And none of it would I trade for one moment of anything else.
"I affirm my profound belief that God's greatest creation is womanhood. I also believe that there is no greater good in all the world than motherhood. The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation." - James E. Faust
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
And justice for all...
Given the recent world events, I feel compelled to discuss a topic that I think most people could agree, especially Americans, is one of the most important news-makers of the past decade.
President Obama announced late Sunday night that an enemy of the state, Osama bin Laden, had been killed in town not far from the capital of Pakistan. The news spread like wildfire, and before anyone had the opportunity to hear it delivered from the President's lips, word had leaked to every social media outlet known to man - including Twitter and Facebook, which is where I first got the news. The American reaction was nearly universal - JUBILEE. Without going too far into the background of this situation, bin Laden has been wanted by the United States for at least a decade for various terroristic acts, the most memorable of which is the orchestration of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Elusive as he was, U.S. Navy Seals were able to get to him and take him out without the loss of any more American lives. News reached American intelligence immediately, and once DNA confirmed that the deceased was, in fact, Osama bin Laden, the President and his team began preparing a speech to inform the American public that the key Al Qaeda operative had been removed.
Within minutes, news media had their hands on one of the juiciest stories in recent history. Man-on-the-spot interviews ranged from local firefighters, to college students, to widows of the September 11 attacks, to the former mayor of New York City. Americans watched with bated breath to learn the fate of one of the most hated men on the planet. And with swift confidence, President Obama delivered the news: "justice has been done."
Part of me was very happy at this. We have searched high and low for this man. And to know that his reign of terror was no more, well, it was a relief. But then the wheels in my head got to spinning. The word "justice" stuck out in my mind like flashing neon lights. Something wasn't quite making sense. So I began to investigate and pray.
First, I felt it was important to define what justice really is. According to dictionary.com, justice is defined as follows:
jus-tice
[juhs-tis]
1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.
2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.
3. the moral principle determining just conduct.
4. conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.
5. the administering of deserved punishment or reward.
Most Americans would probably agree, based on these definitions, that justice was indeed served. Bin Laden took many, many lives in a brutal and disgusting (and unnecessary) way, and the only way that justice could be done would be to take his life from him. However, this idea disturbs me a little bit. Admittedly, I believe that his life was required of him as punishment for the sins committed against fellow man, either by him or at his command. We live in a society governed by laws and rules and consequences for rules and laws that are unabided. My issue with this "swift justice" is a moral one... What does God say justice is?
Our God is a just God. He is fair. Scripture shows us that no one who has ever sinned (which is all of us!) has ever been allowed to skate by without paying for sin. Adam and Eve paid for their sin by the pains of childbirth and working the field (see Genesis). Look through Exodus and see the Israelites travel aimlessly through the desert for years as part of the penalty given by God for a lack of faith. And did God not make it clear that NO ONE will be allowed to enter His kingdom but through Jesus Christ - the final atonement for all of sin? God's way is clear: justice will prevail.
I believe that the problem comes when we, His children, decide what the punishments for those sins should be. We live in a society of order. Rules and laws are established to protect the members of that society. In order to promote order and peace, punishments (and deterrents) are sometimes necessary. Without getting into the death penalty debate, I feel it is important to understand the difference between "correction" and "punishment". A correction shows the offender the err of his ways, and quite literally rights, or rectifies, the situation. Maybe someone who has been caught littering is "corrected" by having to pick up litter himself. Of course, the line between correction and punishment can be a fuzzy one. Sometimes a correction and a punishment are one and the same. The main difference is that a punishment is meant to be nothing but unpleasant. It may serve as a deterrent for future violations. It's real purpose is to make you hate and regret ever having violated the rules of the society.
When delivering "justice", I believe it is important to examine what you are doing - correcting or punishing? With the case of Osama bin Laden, the government came to the conclusion that he could not be corrected, and that it may result in greater loss of life to innocent citizens should they attempt a correction. In his case, punishment was the only way (according to the U.S. government). The punishment was severe - loss of life. Many debate this action. I choose not to.
So what about us? Does God punish or correct? Or both? Perhaps it's not so important to understand the heavy hand of the Father as it is to understand the difference between justice and mercy. We can look through thousands of verses in the Bible and see God's justice. He is always fair. Always. But we can see in so many of those verses His amazing mercy. He gives us chance after chance to make a better, wiser choice. He gives us the chance to choose to be better. It is not God who chooses to curse us for our mistakes, but it is we who choose the consequences for wrong actions. And still, God provided us a way to make it right... Jesus Christ.
Justice is getting exactly what you deserve. Thankfully, God knows that while He is perfectly just, we are a sinful people. Mercy is getting so much better than you deserve. And the day that Jesus gave up his life on the cross, we received the fullness of God's mercy... a chance to live with our Heavenly Father for eternity, despite the sins we commit here on Earth.
It matters little what side you fall on with regards to the "justice" done for Osama bin Laden. But your eternal condition weighs on what you decide to think of the undeniable justice and incredible mercy afforded by your Creator.
President Obama announced late Sunday night that an enemy of the state, Osama bin Laden, had been killed in town not far from the capital of Pakistan. The news spread like wildfire, and before anyone had the opportunity to hear it delivered from the President's lips, word had leaked to every social media outlet known to man - including Twitter and Facebook, which is where I first got the news. The American reaction was nearly universal - JUBILEE. Without going too far into the background of this situation, bin Laden has been wanted by the United States for at least a decade for various terroristic acts, the most memorable of which is the orchestration of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Elusive as he was, U.S. Navy Seals were able to get to him and take him out without the loss of any more American lives. News reached American intelligence immediately, and once DNA confirmed that the deceased was, in fact, Osama bin Laden, the President and his team began preparing a speech to inform the American public that the key Al Qaeda operative had been removed.
Within minutes, news media had their hands on one of the juiciest stories in recent history. Man-on-the-spot interviews ranged from local firefighters, to college students, to widows of the September 11 attacks, to the former mayor of New York City. Americans watched with bated breath to learn the fate of one of the most hated men on the planet. And with swift confidence, President Obama delivered the news: "justice has been done."
Part of me was very happy at this. We have searched high and low for this man. And to know that his reign of terror was no more, well, it was a relief. But then the wheels in my head got to spinning. The word "justice" stuck out in my mind like flashing neon lights. Something wasn't quite making sense. So I began to investigate and pray.
First, I felt it was important to define what justice really is. According to dictionary.com, justice is defined as follows:
jus-tice
[juhs-tis]
1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.
2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.
3. the moral principle determining just conduct.
4. conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.
5. the administering of deserved punishment or reward.
Most Americans would probably agree, based on these definitions, that justice was indeed served. Bin Laden took many, many lives in a brutal and disgusting (and unnecessary) way, and the only way that justice could be done would be to take his life from him. However, this idea disturbs me a little bit. Admittedly, I believe that his life was required of him as punishment for the sins committed against fellow man, either by him or at his command. We live in a society governed by laws and rules and consequences for rules and laws that are unabided. My issue with this "swift justice" is a moral one... What does God say justice is?
Our God is a just God. He is fair. Scripture shows us that no one who has ever sinned (which is all of us!) has ever been allowed to skate by without paying for sin. Adam and Eve paid for their sin by the pains of childbirth and working the field (see Genesis). Look through Exodus and see the Israelites travel aimlessly through the desert for years as part of the penalty given by God for a lack of faith. And did God not make it clear that NO ONE will be allowed to enter His kingdom but through Jesus Christ - the final atonement for all of sin? God's way is clear: justice will prevail.
I believe that the problem comes when we, His children, decide what the punishments for those sins should be. We live in a society of order. Rules and laws are established to protect the members of that society. In order to promote order and peace, punishments (and deterrents) are sometimes necessary. Without getting into the death penalty debate, I feel it is important to understand the difference between "correction" and "punishment". A correction shows the offender the err of his ways, and quite literally rights, or rectifies, the situation. Maybe someone who has been caught littering is "corrected" by having to pick up litter himself. Of course, the line between correction and punishment can be a fuzzy one. Sometimes a correction and a punishment are one and the same. The main difference is that a punishment is meant to be nothing but unpleasant. It may serve as a deterrent for future violations. It's real purpose is to make you hate and regret ever having violated the rules of the society.
When delivering "justice", I believe it is important to examine what you are doing - correcting or punishing? With the case of Osama bin Laden, the government came to the conclusion that he could not be corrected, and that it may result in greater loss of life to innocent citizens should they attempt a correction. In his case, punishment was the only way (according to the U.S. government). The punishment was severe - loss of life. Many debate this action. I choose not to.
So what about us? Does God punish or correct? Or both? Perhaps it's not so important to understand the heavy hand of the Father as it is to understand the difference between justice and mercy. We can look through thousands of verses in the Bible and see God's justice. He is always fair. Always. But we can see in so many of those verses His amazing mercy. He gives us chance after chance to make a better, wiser choice. He gives us the chance to choose to be better. It is not God who chooses to curse us for our mistakes, but it is we who choose the consequences for wrong actions. And still, God provided us a way to make it right... Jesus Christ.
Justice is getting exactly what you deserve. Thankfully, God knows that while He is perfectly just, we are a sinful people. Mercy is getting so much better than you deserve. And the day that Jesus gave up his life on the cross, we received the fullness of God's mercy... a chance to live with our Heavenly Father for eternity, despite the sins we commit here on Earth.
It matters little what side you fall on with regards to the "justice" done for Osama bin Laden. But your eternal condition weighs on what you decide to think of the undeniable justice and incredible mercy afforded by your Creator.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)