This is from "A Kingdom View of Economic Collapse" by Praying Medic on amazon.com for .99 cents on kindle.
I'm posting this because I believe he gives an honest assessment of all the end time belief's in these paragraphs! I found this interesting and wanted to share it. Feel free to comment but not argue, there is a difference!!
(Location 67 of 968), While I believe that some financial experts have given us an accurate assessment of the problems we face, what they lack is a divine perspective on the problem. And while religious leaders have good intentions, what they lack is an understanding of how financial systems work. What is most concerning is that neither camp has put forth a clear plan to help us survive such a crisis, much less rebuild in its aftermath.
The approach financial advisers generally take is to urge you to sign up for their investing programs. They warn that your retirement savings are about to be wiped out and that if you pay them a fee, they’ll tell you how to invest your money. Christian leaders have even less to offer”” typically an exhortation to pray and nothing more. Both camps tend to use some degree of fear and hype as the motivating force behind their arguments.
The main reason why many church leaders don’t offer a plan to survive or rebuild after a global crisis is that they don’t expect to be here. The popularity of the belief that the church will be taken into heaven in the rapture before a global crisis hits has prompted many theologians to abandon all thought of what the church’s responsibility might be in a post-crisis world. Their advice is to pray for sinners to repent and pray even harder for the return of Jesus. During the last century, hundreds of millions of believers have been certain they would see the return of Jesus during their lifetime. None of them have lived to see that day. At this moment, millions more are convinced that we’re living in the days just before His return, and indeed, we might be. But statistically speaking, the odds of that happening in anyone’s lifetime are extremely small.
I became a Christian while reading the Left Behind books. The thesis of this series is that the rapture of the church had happened and billions of non-Christians were left behind in a world gone berserk. After becoming a believer, I sat in a church pew and read my Bible. I learned all the reasons why the Great Tribulation was approaching, why the Antichrist was ready to be revealed, why the world was teetering on the brink of catastrophe, and most importantly, why we believers wouldn’t be around for all of that.
Although we were told that God’s wrath was about to be poured out upon the earth, we were also assured that our King was going to appear and rescue us from it. The church, never saw anyone healed or set free of a demon. I learned a lot about the institution we call the church, but virtually nothing about what Jesus called "the kingdom of God.” I went to church on Sunday, got to know my Bible and nearly every night went to bed wondering if the rapture would happen that night. I was certain it was going to happen very soon.
Then one night I had a dream. In the dream, I met God, and He had a few things He wanted to share with me. He said He wanted me to heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead and proclaim His kingdom.
The nerve of Him. (...)
Most Christians accept the view of the future that is taught to them by their pastor. I accepted the one I was taught and didn’t question it until God began showing me alternative views. I’ve studied most of the views of eschatology and the end-times. What I’ve noticed is that all of them have a basis in the scriptures, but they all lean heavily on a few key passages, while ignoring other passages, which contradict their main points.
There is no lack of debate between believers over views of the end-times. Most people have their favorite view. Some of us will defend our view to the hilt”” even to the point of destroying friendships. These debates tend to bear the fruit of division and discord so I try not to engage in them anymore. They seem to be more of a distraction than anything else. I’m not endorsing a particular view of the end times right now. Every view has its strengths and weaknesses, but I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT ANY OF THEM WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE (emphasis Lisa's).
One view of eschatology predicts a coming time of God’s wrath and judgment upon mankind, which comes in the form of severe natural and man-made disasters. This view teaches that the church will be removed from the earth just before things get really nasty. I think we need to ask a few questions of those who predict such events:
What if the coming events are not actually the result of God’s wrath, but instead, the natural outworking of our own poor choices, or those of our elected leaders?
What if a global crisis strikes and the church is not removed from the earth beforehand?
Is your pastor teaching you what to do if the church survives a global catastrophe, or are all your hopes pinned on Jesus rescuing you from it?
It’s certainly more pleasant to think that we won’t be here when things get ugly, but we have no guarantee of that. And if we are destined to remain here, wouldn’t we be wise to spend a little time preparing, at least mentally, if not physically?
There is a lot of fear in the world today, but I don’t see any reason for us to fear the future. Whatever is coming, God can make us aware of it, and if He can make us aware of it, He can prepare us for it. I would encourage you to rest in the knowledge that God has a plan that He is working out in these events. If you're positioned in Him, and prepared mentally for the challenges that lie ahead, you may find all of this to be a liberating experience, and not a terrifying one.
Medic, Praying. A Kingdom View of Economic Collapse (Location 67 to 122). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.