End times insanity | SermonIndex

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DEADn Mar 31, 2011

Seems the more I live the more I find people in the christian community and groups get paranoid about 'end times' stuff and seem to make things 'fit' doctrines. one example would be 'Mystery Babylon' where some say it is Rome, others say it is America and the list can go on.

Then I hear 'evidences' of the end times as a result of all of the trouble happening in the middle east and it always seems to me that people are using events to fit their thinking agenda of end times stuff.

I really want to say ENOUGH ALREADY! And people are supposed to take these agendas seriously?

I made up my mind a while back to turn it all of because it really get nowhere fast. It is a dead end street in my opinion. It also seems to get people off of their narrow path to God Himself.

Does anyone agree with me comments? Does anyone think I need to be corrected? What are your thoughts? THis is the first time I have really aired this out to anyone. Usually when I see anything in this area I roll my eyes and go the other way.

W

White_Stone Mar 31, 2011

Just recently someone posted a very clear explanation of Mystery Babylon. I will try to search out the thread but it was very illuminating to me and the most in line with the Scriptures I have seen. Not anything like what the World believes, either.

Ah, here it is https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=27995&forum=35&start=30&33 The poster is Earendel

Hope it helps,
white stone

sermonindex Mar 31, 2011

Would you mind me asking Deadn, what if what many are reporting on is true --- would you rather wake up tomorrow to find no internet, no phones [called "the kill switch" or the other possibility is EMP] and troops in the streets to your utter shock or be gradually hearing of things that line up with last days scenarios a little at a time to prepare your heart for any such event as that?

I personally don't like bad-surprises, so I stay apprised of current events, and also because I feel "called" to Watch.
Possibly, you don't feel that calling - but some do.

You can always ignore them. But they won't go away.
GOD Has appointed Watchmen and women and they can't be silenced - only ignored by those who choose to ignore all.
But again, they won't go away but I can' assure you, true watchmen are Not "paranoid". In fact they are calmer than the majority.

I think that's the way to judge the true from the Reactionaries. That Shalom in which they report.

Shalom to you & yours!

D

DEADn Mar 31, 2011

Jesus-is-God
If what many are reporting is true is one thing but the messages become so clouded that essentially the messages seem as if many try to fit the meanings to their own agenda.

There has always been uproars in the middle east and now we have more with the demonstrations. I was told by someone yesterday that as a result America is lining up to attack Israel. I looked at him and just shut him off.

I don't know that I should go into someof the other things I could cite in my post or not.

You are probably right that I am not a watchmen. Yet, I think the insanity of it all tends cause people to lose focus of their christian walk, unknowingly, and turn others off to the gospel.

I have told people that rather than get so caught up in end times events you need to focus your heart towards God and let the events take care of themselves. I see too many people who allow the scare of it all to cause them to run, even christians. A person can run into so many errors when interpreting very obscure passages of end times scripture as well.

P

poet Mar 31, 2011

In my humble opinion, most of the end time waves as I will call them are a distraction from the mission at hand that has not changed.
Preach the gospel to the lost.
Things that line up with the word that seem to be happening then just look up and be glad that redemption draweth neigh.
Focusing on any one topic too long and hard is not healthy, but we should always search the scriptures prayerfully and if God wishes to reveal something to us to prepare us for what is ahead that is fine.
I think that the end time waves are faddish in nature and never pan out and when it is out of ballance it actually dammages new converts belief and faith.
Christ is comming back, When? Scripture doesnt say.
Were only to be prepared for his comming.
This is done not by searching for some secret revelation as to his comming or knowledge, but by focusing on being transformed into the image of Christ. having oil in our lamps, and walking humbly among mankind.
A great example of this stuff happened in a small church I used to go to... too far away now.
back in 1988 remember that one...
It literally split the church, and when people who were spreading this stuff around in the church and causing all kinds of turmoil and strife, then 88 came and went and no one in leadership or in the congregration who were spreading this would repent. and when the pastor asked them to, they chose to leave the church instead of humbling themselves and apologizing. except one couple.
Interesting, the very people who thought that they were going to be taken up into heaven right away, still refused to admit when they were wrong and say they were sorry.
food for thought. Amazing how God reveals the hidden things in men's hearts.

Anyway, he comes when he comes, live day by day, live for Him day by day. let Him take care of the rest.

Also about the watchman, just for some thought.
biblically the watchman for example in ezekiel 3 has to do with sin. people need to repent of sin lest the judgment come. Im not sure what other type of biblical watchman we could be talking about?
God bless

D

DEADn Mar 31, 2011

POET

Your post is the view that I am coming from. How easy is it that pride develops in a person's heart over these things and when it is failed the heart fails to repent.

Senseless seeds are spread and eventually the gospel is lost or simply put on the shelf. And in the case of America, it is called the 'escape plan'

Thanks for that post!!

sermonindex Mar 31, 2011

Well, I also view another forum that is strictly current events and our ships are over there for a reason and the UN is looking to split the land of Israel and the whole of the Middle East is almost a powder keg and NATO is there for that very reason. Netanyahoo and company are on alert as well. There is great tension there right now and NATO and the UN are there to do what we never thought would be done there before.

I'd recommend a good look into some Christian News Sites that are covering the situation there, as it happens, and see that, Yup - we're teeter-toddering on the brink of a Biggie and not just with the Middle East - but Russia and China as well.

Ain't no false alarms here. We're seeing true "earth changes" as well that threaten even the US.

I'm not a reactionary, simply because of the Peace that passes all understanding from being forewarned of these things by our Faithful LORD in His Word.... Thank GOD.

It just gets me feeling honored to live in the generation that will see His Return. Very Happy too! Even if it will be a bit rough until then.
Yes, things are surely happening outside of our little comfortable worlds.
Better to be spiritually, emotionally and mentally forewarned and informed than to wake up one morning and find our worst nightmares catching us unawares.

GOD Bless you!!!

sermonindex Mar 31, 2011

I'd also like to add - nothing has increased my burden for the lost and the feeling of urgency to "get them in" then knowing the times that we're living in.

And also, as Peter said: Knowing these things are about to take place - how should we then live? - if we're to remain faithful and victorious and brave unto the end, as a witness to the world?

eta - I know for a fact, that because of my view of the events preceding His Coming - it's caused me to not waste one minute in this world. That's what gives me the zeal to have no part in this world and to press into Him with all that I have, every minute of the day - because I know we'll need it.

D

DEADn Mar 31, 2011

what christian news sites do you recommend?

sermonindex Mar 31, 2011

A reasonabe approach to end time insanity would be to watch and pray and read the signs of his return on the gospels.

sermonindex Mar 31, 2011

Amen as well Martyr.

I PMed what ever site I knew of to our Brother.

GOD Bless you All !!!

S

staff Mar 31, 2011

hi Deadn,
I can see why you say what you say about the end times but I would disagree.
We have to look at the importance God the father and Jesus Christ his son has put on the end times.

Then we have to look at how the devil loves to confuse everything.He can use any subject to get christians of the narrow path to God.Its not the subjects fault.If your logic was right we would have to abandon all doctrine.

Then we have to look at !ministries!that jump on the band wagon who arent called to preach on the subject in the first place but do so only for selfish worldly reasons.
When I see this I too roll my eyes!

Then we have to look at the issues you bring up about different end time doctrines.I do get fustrated myself with this but God continues to draw me back to look at the subject.
My reccomendation is to study the subject for a while with out outside influence and ask God to guide your study.
You dont have to look at other peoples agendas just try and figure it out yourself with the bible and the Holy Spirit.
Their is a huge blessing thier waiting for you.The more I find out about Gods plan the more I am in awe of him.
I feel the same as you in relation to another subject rivival but I must not throw the baby out with the bath water! Yours Staff

sermonindex Apr 1, 2011

Then I hear 'evidences' of the end times as a result of all of the trouble happening in the middle east and it always seems to me that people are using events to fit their thinking agenda of end times stuff.

I agree with you.

We have no idea how many times some catastrophic event happens or there is wars that believers get on some tangent and declares that the end is near.

When Hitler rose to power and was sweeping across Europe, Christians believed that Hitler was thee Anti Christ and the Jews received a tattoo in their forearm.

During the 80's there was gloom over the world whether or not America and Russia were going to be at war at any moment. People believed that Armageddon was going to take place in that decade.

When the war in the gulf during the 90's started, believers again were saying, "this is it".

Whenever there is an earthquake, or some terrible thing happen we automatically assume that this has meaning. Yet, I just see it as man and his wicked heart doing wicked things, or the earth going through her menstrual cycle.

When Vesuvius blew it's top in AD 79 and the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum two cities were buried with ash and magma, Christians would have thought that the end was near. If we are doing it today, they would have thought the same thing then.

When San Francisco had it's earthquake in 1906, called a wicked city in that day (still is), believers than would have thought that the end was near for a year later the Azusa street revival broke out which probably solidified their theory because of the misinterpreted verse that Peter said that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.

Earthquakes were in diverse places, as mentioned of the one in SF in 1906, just ten years before was the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan 1896 that killed 26,000 souls. Coupled with a revival and war and rumours of war were being uttered, believers believed that the end of was near.

I find it a sheer waste of energy telling people that the end is near. Our end is always near, we could die today. I could have a heart attack tonight (God forbid), my end came and I will not have a care about planet earth and what happens down here anymore.

Whether He comes again soon or never, it has no bearing on the fact that men and women still need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and be reconciled to God through His shed blood. People need to experience a resurrection of life within them through the power of the Holy Spirit which is given to them that repent and obey the gospel.

G

ginnyrose Apr 1, 2011

Check out this site for info concerning the frequency of earthquakes.

http://www.earth.webecs.co.uk/

R

rufnrust Apr 1, 2011

Birth pangs! The contractions are getting closer together! We all get excited at every contraction! Right! Creation is groaning!

Having said that, I agree that many try to plug events into their agenda to give themselves a sense of purpose or something.

Ruf

sermonindex Apr 1, 2011

I agree that many try to plug events into their agenda to give themselves a sense of purpose or something.

I believe you have hit on the real cause.

D

DEADn Apr 1, 2011

Thus the Insanity of it all.

A person can really go off the deep end with 'end times' stuff. The Camping camp is a currently result of this. I hope some of those people will wake up before May 21 comes otherwise they will have a great falling away. The power of delusion is so great!

G

ginnyrose Apr 1, 2011

Birth pangs!

Birth pangs at the onset are almost imperceptible. It is not until later that one can look back and say 'Yes, it started at ...' Most of the time these early pains can not be discerned from the normal pains that accompany discomfort common to a late pregnancy.

So it is, I think, with end times calamities. If we were to look only at one aspect of it, one could easily dismiss the rhetoric about us now living right at the end times - like it could be so soon as humans understand 'soon'. But there are other signs and how are they lining up? One must look at the entire picture...

To buy guns to protect oneself - I find disturbing. If you are ready to die, why fight that inevitability? Consider Revelation 13:10 NASB: "If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints." Perhaps those who declare one must arm themselves do have an agenda - like selling guns? Remember Y2K when people went all out and purchased guns and ammunitions?

My thoughts this morning....

M

MrBillPro Apr 1, 2011

Bottom line is, we cannot do anything but prepare, but what do we prepare for? I know were I am going when I leave here, so that gives me a peace within to just enjoy the now, rather that focusing on what may or may not come in my life time. In Psalm 56:11 the psalmist writes, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Trusting God is a refusal to give in to fear. It is a turning to God even in the darkest times and trusting Him to make things right. This trust comes from knowing God and knowing that He is good. As Job said when he was experiencing some of the most difficult trials recorded in the Bible, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”.

J

Joyful_Heart Apr 1, 2011

A reasonable approach to end time insanity would be to watch and pray and read the signs of his return on the gospels.

And I would add: This is the day the Lord has made let us be glad in it and rejoice. It is no mistake that we are here at this time in history. For such a time as this.

We do see the signs - we no not the time. With rejoicing in today for who He is and that we are in Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to break us as He sees fit, getting our hearts right with Him, seeking His face in private times, in the Word, in prayer & intercession, staying close as to hear His voice, preparing ourselves to be His bride, no matter if He were coming today or tomorrow or in 100 years.

by MrBillPro on 2011/4/1 7:22:55 Bottom line is, we cannot do anything but prepare, but what do we prepare for? I know were I am going when I leave here, so that gives me a peace within to just enjoy the now, rather that focusing on what may or may not come in my life time. In Psalm 56:11 the psalmist writes, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Trusting God is a refusal to give in to fear. It is a turning to God even in the darkest times and trusting Him to make things right. This trust comes from knowing God and knowing that He is good. As Job said when he was experiencing some of the most difficult trials recorded in the Bible, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”.

The fact is we are secure but what about the millions who are going to hell. That's where I feel the burden. To share the good news. Many may not hear and receive now but there comes a time when the Holy Spirit will remind them of the Scriptures and they will run to Him.

Actually the Lord has increased my love and boldness. (It came upon me the other day sis)

Repent . Be baptized & filled with the Holy Ghost! We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. God sent His Son - He paid the price. RSVP. Said and meant with the true love of Jesus.

I pray each one of us here that our burden for the lost will increase 100 fold and we will not have such "ingrown eyeballs". We have so much of Him, we need it to flow out to others. All glory to God. Help us to not be satisfied in knowing You Lord but break our hearts for those who don't. Amen and Amen!