Words'nTone

I am hearing the pangs of end time panic again.  We have this greed-caused economic turndown, an administration that seems bent on turning the USA into a socialist-styled government, and of course hurricanes are a’coming.  These temptations are always in the news.  Like back in 2005 we heard from the false-prophet Pat Robertson:

“This weekend’s catastrophic earthquake in South Asia in the wake of recent U.S. hurricanes and December’s tsunami is catching the eye of televangelist Pat Robertson, who says we ‘might be’ in the End Times described in the Bible” (Joe Kovacs in “Robertson: Disasters point to 2nd Coming,” WorldNetDaily.com, Posted: October 9, 2005).

Why is it that celebrity TV evangelists continue to predict that we’re living on the cusp of Jesus’ second coming?  It is all marketing that gives opportunity for appeals for donations and “hey, look at me, I am a bible scholar and prophetic expert”—you know the Rahm Emanuel “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste” principle.  Why do we continue to allow and entertain such ‘signs of the times’ predicting?  Don’t we recall Jesus’ warnings that we are to be ware of those false prophets who falsify his “soon appearance.” Pat Robertson is a regular false prophet, along with his co-false prophet Hal Lindsey, who joined the televangelist by stating, “It seems clear that the prophetic times I have been expecting for decades have finally arrived. And even worse, it appears that the judgment of America has begun.” (a broadcast of the “International Intelligence Briefing” on the Trinity Broadcasting Network).

Is it for ratings?  For fundraising and building up their financial base?  Or worse, for setting themselves up as the “ones in the know,” the wise, insightful prophets worthy of admiration and acknowledgement of their abilities to understand Scripture (like no one else) and read the signs of the times (like no one else).  Robertson continued:

“If you read back in the Bible, the letter of the apostle Paul to the church of Thessalonia, he said that in the latter days before the end of the age that the Earth would be caught up in what he called the birth pangs of a new order. And for anybody who knows what it’s like to have a wife going into labor, you know how these labor pains begin to hit. I don’t have any special word that says this is that, but it could be suspiciously like that.”

Don’t think for a minute, they’d be as “insightful” without the structures of modern American and the media culture that props them up.  Despite his mis-use of the text, the Thessalonian text Robertson alludes to is acknowledging that the end will come unannounced, suddenly, and that our daily faith and trust in Christ prevents us from being taken by surprise.  Not surprised because we can read the tea-leaves of the times, but not surprised because we are trusting in Christ and are obedient to His Word.  In fact, trusting in these false-prophets will take our eyes off Christ and make us ill-prepared for the end.

“Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.  For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.  While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober” (I Thessalonians 5:1-6).

A thief does not announce his coming; but a smart thief knows to send distractions, ways to get his victims to be looking elsewhere, tricking them with misinformation whether it be comfort or smartly placed activity to distract them from the real activity of the thief.  Thieves pair up with those willing to bait and switch the victims, con them with false information.  Whose side are these guys on anyway?  Believing friends, don’t be fooled or distracted.  My non-believing friends, don’t believe them.  Please know these guys who are always predicting the future are either simply misguided Christianized media elites who believe in their own greatness or, worse, are working for the other side.  They and their kind have misguided us for 2000 years—full of predictions that “this is it” and “this is the end,” but have never been right, not once.  And as Jesus says about those who predicate the signs of the times,

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.  Behold, I have told you in advance.  So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them” (Matthew 24:23-26).

THANKS for your kind words...be well...peace

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