Friday, November 19, 2010
This week I'm preaching from 1 Peter 4: 7-11. In that text, verse 7 reads, "The end of all things is near." This is referring to the second coming of Jesus Christ. We can be sure that Jesus is coming again. This is a fact. What we can't be sure about is when. Jesus himself said, "No one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son but only the Father" (Matt. 24:36). Responding to a question about his return Jesus said,"It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority." Clearly, no one knows when Jesus will return. Not even Harold Camping.
Apparently, Harold Camping has decided to take up the mantle left behind by Edgar Whisenant. Whisenant was the NASA engineer who figured out that Jesus would return in 1988. He wrote a booklet, "88 reasons why Jesus will return in 1988" (catchy title, huh?). Many people bought it. Of course, when Jesus didn't return in 1988, he had to revise his booklet. Admitting that his math was askew, he recalculated and decided it was 1989 that Jesus would return. Being wrong twice, Mr. Whisenant faded from the scene.
Harold Camping picked up his mantle and decided to be a date setter. His first date for Christ's return was Sept. 6, 1994. Amazingly, he got a lot of people to believe him. And now, Camping is setting dates again, his newest date for the return of Christ is May 21, 2011. Should we believe him? Absolutely not!
Setting dates for the return of Christ is not a new thing. In the 19th century there was a farmer named William Miller. Miller began his own religion. One of the marks of his religion was an intense belief that he knew when Christ would return (sounds like Camping). Miller had quite a following of "believers" known as Millerites. William Miller announced the date of Christ's return to be between March 21, 1842 and March 21, 1843. During that year the Millerites were to ready themselves. The year passed and Christ did not return. Disappointment swept through the Millerite ranks, though Miller himself was undaunted. He had simply "miscalculated". So he sharpened his pencil and re figured and came up with a new date. This was the definite date of Jesus' return. The announcement was made that Jesus would return between Oct. 20 and 22, 1844. Included in the announcement was this warning, "Get ready for the end of the world." As time drew very near, a sign was displayed on a Philadelphia store window: This shop will be closed in honor of the King of Kings who will appear about the 20th of October. Get ready, friends, to crown him Lord of all.
About 200 Millerites sold or gave away their possessions. They gathered and waited in white robes for his coming. They waited and waited and waited. October 22 passed, and of course the 23rd and so on and so on. Five years later, William Miller died. The remaining Millerites put on his tombstone the following epitaph: "At the appointed time the end shall be".
Here's what we know: Jesus is coming again. Here's what we don't know: When. It could be today or tomorrow or next year or in 100 years. But at the appointed time the end shall be. No one knows the date but the Father in heaven. And people who set dates, like Camping, like Whisenant, like Miller are frankly and bluntly, out to lunch.
So don't be a date setter...Be ready! I am. Are you?
Pastor Tim
Apparently, Harold Camping has decided to take up the mantle left behind by Edgar Whisenant. Whisenant was the NASA engineer who figured out that Jesus would return in 1988. He wrote a booklet, "88 reasons why Jesus will return in 1988" (catchy title, huh?). Many people bought it. Of course, when Jesus didn't return in 1988, he had to revise his booklet. Admitting that his math was askew, he recalculated and decided it was 1989 that Jesus would return. Being wrong twice, Mr. Whisenant faded from the scene.
Harold Camping picked up his mantle and decided to be a date setter. His first date for Christ's return was Sept. 6, 1994. Amazingly, he got a lot of people to believe him. And now, Camping is setting dates again, his newest date for the return of Christ is May 21, 2011. Should we believe him? Absolutely not!
Setting dates for the return of Christ is not a new thing. In the 19th century there was a farmer named William Miller. Miller began his own religion. One of the marks of his religion was an intense belief that he knew when Christ would return (sounds like Camping). Miller had quite a following of "believers" known as Millerites. William Miller announced the date of Christ's return to be between March 21, 1842 and March 21, 1843. During that year the Millerites were to ready themselves. The year passed and Christ did not return. Disappointment swept through the Millerite ranks, though Miller himself was undaunted. He had simply "miscalculated". So he sharpened his pencil and re figured and came up with a new date. This was the definite date of Jesus' return. The announcement was made that Jesus would return between Oct. 20 and 22, 1844. Included in the announcement was this warning, "Get ready for the end of the world." As time drew very near, a sign was displayed on a Philadelphia store window: This shop will be closed in honor of the King of Kings who will appear about the 20th of October. Get ready, friends, to crown him Lord of all.
About 200 Millerites sold or gave away their possessions. They gathered and waited in white robes for his coming. They waited and waited and waited. October 22 passed, and of course the 23rd and so on and so on. Five years later, William Miller died. The remaining Millerites put on his tombstone the following epitaph: "At the appointed time the end shall be".
Here's what we know: Jesus is coming again. Here's what we don't know: When. It could be today or tomorrow or next year or in 100 years. But at the appointed time the end shall be. No one knows the date but the Father in heaven. And people who set dates, like Camping, like Whisenant, like Miller are frankly and bluntly, out to lunch.
So don't be a date setter...Be ready! I am. Are you?
Pastor Tim
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