I’m sure that you’ve probably heard that Harold Camping has guaranteed that the Bible says the rapture will occur this Saturday, May 21st. I am hearing radio ads, and have seen some TV spots warning about Judgement day.
Now if you’re reading this on May 22nd or after, then you know what happened 🙂
If you ask me if this is true, then I would have to say that I can neither confirm, nor deny, that Jesus will return Saturday. What I can tell you is that during the day, I will be away from my family serving at a Sparks Camp-a-Rama. I can also tell you that I believe that Jesus is returning someday.
I do wonder about prophesying a specific day for Jesus’ return. Matthew 24 tells us that no one knows the day or the hour, only the Father; but I also can’t deny that God could tell someone.
No matter what happens, May 21, 2011 will be the end of the world as we know it. If it occurs, Harold Camping may not (or he may) be around to say “I told you so” and the world is changed forever. If it does not occur, then Harold Camping tries to explain it away as a mathematical error and it helps solidify that “Christians” are not mentally stable, kooks, believe in fairy tales, or whatever and cannot be trusted. Either the way, there is a major impact on the world.
Harold Camping and his followers are putting a great deal of effort into getting the world out about Jesus’ return on May 21st and the need for people to turn to Jesus. Do you have that same urgency to share Jesus with others? No one knows the day or the hour (except maybe Harold Camping) and it could happen as you finish this sentence. We need to be living out our faith daily. I can see the signs shared in Scripture, increased earthquakes, and other “acts of nature”, the worldwide economic downturn, the persecution of Christians worldwide (yes, even in the U.S.), the acceptance of perverse behavior, etc. I don’t see how anyone can deny that we may be in the “last days” (Note, I said “may”, not “are”) and we need to be diligent about sharing Jesus with others.
At this point I feel I need to add the disclaimer that I am NOT in the Harold Camping “camp” saying that the Bible guarantees judgement day as May 21, 2011
So as I conclude these thoughts, let me just say that if you believe in Jesus and that He died for you, then I will see you on May 22nd – wherever we may be 🙂
– and if you don’t know Jesus, I’d love to tell you about Him 🙂
