The Harold Camping Dodge

OK. I am going to say it for the rest of us: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!  Let's be honest, most of you were thinking it, I am just having the guts to say it.  Today's Harold Camping interview was telling and predictable. He dodges pretty fast for an old guy.

1. Harold says he didn't fully understand what was going on May 21st.  He thought it was going to be a physical coming of the Lord but he misunderstood and it was actually a spiritual coming of the Lord.. Jesus is here folks we just didn't see of feel anything but the world is under Judgment Day.

2. New Date Now: October 21st.  Not that it really was new.  This has been predicted right along that the actual end of the world would happen on October 21st, 2011.  The problem now of course is ALL of us will be here when that happens including Harold and his followers.

3. Harold also says he is not responsible for what people did.  He is just a Bible teacher, what people do is their business.  The only one he has authority over is his wife.

All right.  Of course a 'spiritual coming' can't be proved or disproved but you would think that the 200,000 elect who are saved (got to love the doctrine of election) would have sensed something.

Now we all have another day to mark on our calenders - October 21st, 2011.  Ready for round two.  Here is Harold's chance to get even with me seeing I am up 1-0 so far.  I predict that once again nothing will happen on October 21st, 2011.  Hear that Harold, here is a chance to get your money back.  See you at the pearly gates to pay up if you win.

I guess Harold has never read James 3:1 - "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur stricter judgment."  Oh, do not get me wrong, the people that followed this and spent their money on it and wasted their time still are responsible, in my mind, for their foolishness, but Harold Camping is wrong about not being responsible.  When you teach the Bible you will be judged and judged harder for what you teach.  It is completely understandable because what is taught has the power to make or break a person's salvation.  Something every teacher and preacher should take to the pulpit is an element of fear and reverence for the effect God's word has on people.

And all of us thought this was over. See you in October Harold.   

Marriage and the Bible - Part 37 - The Marriage of the Lamb

The Book of Revelation on several occasions evokes a reinforcement of the Jesus/Groom and Church/Bride concept.  The wedding depicted is one under the ancient customs where the bride waited until the bridegroom came and took her to a wedding feast. 

Because revelation is written by John though it means that this concept was not exclusive to Paul as we have seen but John and Jesus use it as well. 

For marriage in this world the idea is of the wedding day.  The return of Christ is depicted as a joyful event where the bride is swept off her feet to be with her groom forever. It also means that perhaps Paul's concepts of behavior in marriage were not just his but were shared by others. 

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The Aftermath of the Failed Rapture

In know, I know I am getting a little tired of it too, but the sad part of this predictable story is now unfolding. Reports of people spending their life savings on advertising, disillusioned followers people maxing out the credit cards and going on vacations to see some things before they are ruptured to be with Jesus. It has become a deafening roar of disappointment, bewilderment and pain.

Harold Camping refused comment and said he needed a day to think about it. He almost said he was going to have to live with it, but then changed and said he needed to think it out. Interesting change. The sixty six radio station Family Radio has dumped all references to Judgment Day.

If someone were to ask me what I think of all these people and do I feel sorry for them I would say 'No'. To state it simply there are so many passages of scripture that remind the believer to beware of false prophets, to not be taken for a fool and using money wisely. Jesus' own words of how no one knows the day or the hour except the Father should be enough for everyone to say this was very foolish. Maybe the money spent will be enough of a life lesson. The only exception to this is the ones who are young and new to the faith.

What will happen now? Oddly enough, people will still believe in him and the whole thing will indeed rally in some way. Just watch, the failure will be explained away, followers will be reassured and ultimately some other direction will be taken.

Thankfully, though some people will not buy it.

Hopefully I will only have to do one more post based on what the man says in his interview and then end this. Unfortunately for the people that believed this false prophet, the pain will be there for a long time.

To the False Prophet Harold Camping - Let Me Help You, Sir.

Well it is May 22 and we are ALL still here. No rapture and I want to send a message to Harold Camping to lend him a hand in these trouble times and hopefully educate everyone else why date setting and date setters for the end of the world and judgement day continue to fail.

1. Lack of Understanding: You fail to understand that there are some things that we are not supposed to know and that is OK. The reason God does not want us to know the date is very simple - motivation. If we did know the date we then would live like we want until near the end and then we would make our life right. It is our ignorance that keeps us watchful, praying and looking to the need for holiness in our lives. That is why it is ultimately left to one being - The Father God - to decide these things. Jesus says he is the only one who knows and I take Jesus' word for it. There are some things WE CAN"T KNOW.

2. Lack of the Compassion of God: It not that you just don't have an understanding of God's compassion, you do not have it yourself. 2 Peter 3:9 shows this as it points out that God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. This verse points out God's patience toward people, a patience date setters do not have. Had Jesus actually come yesterday how many people that did not have an opportunity to accept Christ would have perished? To God these people deserve our love and a chance at repentance, not our "bye, tough luck for you."

3. Lack of Concern for New Christians: The real danger of doctrines like this the effect it has on the young and ignorant believer. The 'children' they cause to stumble. Before preaching anything pastors and church leaders should really ask the question of how what they are preaching is going to be perceived by new Christians. When it comes do date setting, this is particularly devastating when you set a date for Jesus' return and then it does not come to pass. Loss of faith in Christ and the Bible is an inevitable result.

Ultimately, the main reason you fail is your focus is on yourself and not others. You want to escape but you do not want to face your fears and live in this would with the same compassion as Christ. You draw attention to yourself at the expense of others.

You have my pity.

I hope and pray you develop enough humility to fall on your knees and beg forgiveness and come to a realization that you do not know everything you need to know. There are lessons to be learned from this event that you need to learn and they have nothing to do with looking at the Bible to find a date of Jesus' return.

Hope this helps.

Doomsday At Last!

So how come I feel disappointed so far? Well I understand as I write this there is 16 hours to go on May 21st, 2011, but you would think there would be some rumblings or something.

I do want to make some more predictions at this point:
1. When Harold Camping is proven false today and the We Can Know crowd are made to look like fools, he and they will back pedal and say that there must be some small miscalculation on Harold's part and they will get back to us.
2. His followers will be confused
3. The people who have made money off this will disappear.

Nothing to do but wait.

See you tomorrow.

Why I Am A Conservative Christian

I am starting a series of posts based on my profile and the list :"conservative,evangelical, pentecostal, creationist, open theist, God-loving Christian". It seems that some of these things should be very clearly defined so everyone understand where I am coming from..

Webster isn't really helpful in this as they define conservative in it's original form of --"traditional, following the established view". I am not sure conservative Christians define themselves this way anymore as in the USA --conservative Christianity is not the norm. If you were to say one that follows historical beliefs then maybe your getting closer. Traditional views are not really at stake but traditional morality. For me conservatism goes deeper than even this.

1. A conservative Christian believes the whole Bible is the revelation of God to man. It is complete, totally accurate and should not be subject to change simply because culture does not like what it says or its popularity drops.

2. The Bible describes God as a Trinity of three persons who are all God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A traditional view here but it's supported by Scripture.

3. Salvation is accomplished through the atonement of Jesus Christ's work on the cross and the empty tomb. This is acquired by faith. The elements of faith are repentance, believing the resurrection of Christ and submission Christ's Lordship.

4. Christ will return to judge the earth and his saints in how they have applied or rejected his word. Therefore we should fear God and obey him. Each person is personally responsible before God.

Let's contrast this with liberalism:

Liberals treat the Bible as flexible in part or not to be believed in other parts. Miracles are explained away. If a revelation of God in scripture does not agree with their idea of God they have in their heads, they explain it away.

Liberals also conceive of God as something they like and want and often it resembles themselves. As a conservative I fight very hard not to do this but let God stand as he reveals himself.

Liberals view salvation as universal in many cases with no conditions -- God is love after all and He wouldn't condemn anyone. Always nice to reassure oneself that your on the way to heaven when based on the Bible it may not be so.

Liberals are social activists -- believing through their efforts they can bring about a human utopia. In 6000 years of recorded history there is no evidence this has been achieved, but they go on believing it anyway. Personally, I think it is going to take God to clean up this mess ultimately and no amount of human striving is going to change that. There is often a cheap grace in liberalism so God is our buddy and not the One to fear or obey. Obedience becomes optional. The church becomes a vehicle for social activism rather than a place of discipleship and empowerment to reach the world with the gospel.

In the current political climate in the USA being a conservative Christian now means you are an enemy of the state because of its stand on personal responsibility -- no Big Brother government is needed to bail you out. It's stand on God being in authority over Government is also a no no as there is definitely a desire to be a law unto one's self in the current administration, God would just get in the way. There is also that sin thing -- saying abortion, homosexuality, adultery, etc. is sin is just hate speak to them. Sin should be defined by man not by God to liberals.

I remain a conservative Christian because I feel maintaining truth is more important than just bowing to government or culture. To me this is the definition of what it means to be a conservative Christian.

Next: Why I Am an Evangelical