Today is May 21, 2011. It is a very important day, at least for a few people. 1/365th of the planet will be celebrating birthdays today – dependent of traditions – but for one person in particular, this is the day of all fulfillment, of all justice, and God’s wrath. Harold Camping has put all his “shares of stock” in the assertion that God will return, rapture up believers by 6pm in each time zone, and destroy the earth and non-believers with a world-wide earthquake. Sure his claim is pretty outlandish, but if that did happen today, boy would that put a damper on my day. But that’s when tingles went through my body. Did I just laugh off someone’s strong belief of a specific time of Christ’s return?
Weeks leading up to this day, I did a little research on why they propose today is the day of Christ’s second coming. Most of it seemed to be the sum, literally, of numbers from the Bible used to extrapolate the conclusion. As I read this, flashes of the movie The Knowing appeared before me. Nicholas Cage mysteriously comes across a number sequence which reveals coming tragedies and then finally the end of the world. Of course, the movie seemed to point us nowhere and the conclusion left you wanting, but the notion that someone could know the end of times brought those images to mind.
But the tingles? Harold Camping and his followers equate the day to the days of Noah where Noah prepared for the day of God’s global flood and the people just laughed off Noah’s family as crazy. That’s when for a second I felt like those people. Am I really those people? It would be a horrible day if indeed that ever did happen, to be left behind, to not be called one of His, to be told, “Depart from me. I never knew you.” When I falter in my faith, it is then that I know the enemy is doing his best to convince me that I’m not worthy to be called one of His.
Who knows the time when God will return? I have no idea and I’m sure neither do you. What I do know is we should continue to prepare, as the wise women who filled their lamps with oil (Matthew 25:1-5). They filled not just one jar with oil but many jars. They never knew when the bridegroom (i.e. Christ) was coming, but they prepared for a long wait. We will never know the hour but what I do know is He is just and will complete His work, “for in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[j] who[k] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:22-30
28 days!
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