Posted on 11/29/2004 6:48:09 AM PST by Lindykim
HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT? John H. Stoll, Ph.D. Executive Director, ASK, Inc.
Dr. John H. Stoll is Executive Director of A.S.K., Inc., a professional counseling and Bible teaching organization. Over the past 45 years he has been a professor in five Christian Colleges/Seminaries, as both a Theologian and Marriage and Family Therapist. For the past 18 years he has been the Director of a Christian Psychological Clinic in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. A complete resume is available.
Regardless of whether a person is a Christian or not, it seems as if the question of how much time is left in the world is on the mind. To the Christian the question is, when will Christ return to take Christians home to heaven? To the person of the world, there is the question of the world blowing up, and the annihilation of mankind. Which view is right, and what does the future portend?
Recently, there were two views stated in print that gave a time period of about five years. Chuck Colson, in one of his columns, noted that it seemed to him that Christians every where sense the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ, because of all that is happening in the world. He was not setting any date for Christ's return, but felt that the church had about five years before our evangelizing may be over.
This could be because of Christ's coming, or it could be that the world will stop the church from carrying out its mandate from God. The other view came from the book, Megatrends, in which the author felt that the world had about five years left to straighten out its problems, or face a world wide catastrophe. He did not delineate what that might be, but warned people of an impending world wide cataclysm of sorts.
Though no one knows the future, for the Christian it is comforting to have the knowledge of what the Bible says concerning Christ's coming and the end of the world. Since the Old Testament stated over 330 prophecies concerning His first coming, all of which were perfectly fulfilled, we can with confidence trust what He had to say relative to His coming again. Christ has established His credibility with mankind.
In John 14:3, Christ stated that He would come again. Then in Mark 13:31,32 He noted that no one knows when God will send Christ back to earth. However, He did give indicators as to the times immediately preceding His return, to guide us in our anticipation, as well as a warning to get ready for His coming again.
Matthew 24 outlines to us God's program for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Disciples asked Him what the signs would be, He stated that there would be wars, earthquakes, famines, etc. immediately preceding His return. History has shown that mankind has experienced all these things, but Christ illustrated the immediacy by utilizing an analogy in saying that these would be the "birth pangs of sorrows". When a woman is about to give birth, she experiences birth pains, at various intervals, but when the pains are about a minute apart, she knows the birth is imminent. So, as we see the world reeling from one catastrophe to another constantly, it seems as if the pains of the world are about a minute apart. We live from disaster to disaster on a daily basis. In Luke 21:28 Christ pointed out that when these things begin to come to pass, the Christian should look for His coming again.
Another indicator of His return, has been the regathering of the people of Israel into a nation. It has been over forty years since that has become a reality, and Christ pointed out in Matt. 24:32-34 that the generation that witnesses all these indicators would not pass before God concludes all things in judgment and righteousness. Since a generation is approximately forty-fifty years, are we living at the end of time? Only God knows, but it behooves us to be ready and waiting His return. How much time is left, is according to God's program for His children and the world. He is in sovereign control.
© Copyright 1996-2004 by John H. Stoll.
ping
This is too interesting for you to miss it.
Ping for later read.
> Since the Old Testament stated over 330 prophecies concerning His first coming, all of which were perfectly fulfilled, we can with confidence trust what He had to say relative to His coming again. Christ has established His credibility with mankind.
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/proph/long.html
175 false Biblical prophesies.
You don't need to reply ... I'm not trying to start a heated dialogue here.
Calling oneself a skeptic does not connote an ability to reason logically, to analyze, or deduce rationally, most especially when said 'skeptic' is not motivated by an honest seeking of truth but instead by a need to destroy.
I venture to say that your 'skeptic' is a 'student' of Marcuse's "critical theory", which when stripped of its high-sounding facade, stands revealed as nothing more than advice to small-minded people on how to commit mindless, destructive criticism.
I see that you and I are of a mind concerning the so-called 'skeptic'. Imo, it was nothing but purile pablum produced for those who enjoy such stuff.
> it was nothing but purile pablum produced for those who enjoy such stuff
What, the Biblical prohesies? I'd agree. "Tyre is gonna be wiped out Real Soon Now!" Then sometime later, a major character goes to Tyre, a city supposed to have been wiped out.
Eh...
It's a common trait of those who don't think for themselves to 'steal' the words of those who do think for themselves.
> It's a common trait of those who don't think for themselves to 'steal' the words of those who do think for themselves.
Non sequitur.
And I notice you didn't even come close to addressing the point...
My friend, if the comments make you hostile, then reply to me, not the lady, as I am the one who started this exchange.
> if the comments make you hostile
Another non sequitur. Why do you see disagreement as hostility?
Tart responses that don't respect a poster's words and are more aggressive than ordinary debate are hostile. Also, you are using non sequitur far too frequently and incorrectly. You are trying to label responders to your email as dumb enough to not make logical arguments. In cyberspace this is arrogance and the equivalent of talking so loudly as to drown them out.
If you want to prolong this discussion, perhaps you will look more deeply into the URL you cite and prove to both the lady and I why why we are wrong. And, use your thesaurus to seek out another word that will make your retorts sound more thoughtful.
> perhaps you will look more deeply into the URL you cite and prove to both the lady and I why why we are wrong.
Ahem: already done. Was Tyre destroyed as the Bible said it would be, or not?
Does Adam die? Yes, he does -- spiritually. The fact of spiritual death is documented throughout scripture. Adam's sin results in original sin for all mankind, and we are all "dead" spiritually until we accept Christ and achieve salvation. No Bible errancy here.
Was Cain a fugitive and vagabond, in spite of his having a family? Yes he was, from his family and from God. This one was easy.
Did God fail to give Abraham and his descendants the promised land? No -- there's lots of time left in history. One is awfully arrogant to say that national borders will always stay the same.
As for the destruction of Tyre -- well, a quick perusal of online resources shows that it was conquered and destroyed by both Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander:
"Tyre fell to the Neo-Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 572 BC. On this occasion the city withstood a 13 year siege before it fell; in 332 BC there was another remarkable siege by Alexander the Great who finally succeeded by building a causeway to the island from the mainland"
So now, my friend, you have shown that you don't know what you're talking about. The city of Tyre does not exist anymore. Sounds like it is desolate.
Ahem ...
Tell us orion, are you an evolutionist? If so {or even if not}, relate to us if you will, your 'creation story'.
Lindy, I answered Orion in post #15. I think he is one of those disgruntled techies who thinks logic rules the universe. I am about ready to cease the discussion with him and I advise you to do likewise.
God bless --
> Does Adam die? Yes, he does
Did Adam ever exist? Evidence, please.
> Was Cain a fugitive and vagabond
Did Cain ever exist? Evidence, please.
> As for the destruction of Tyre -- well, a quick perusal of online resources shows that it was conquered and destroyed by both Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander:
"Tyre fell to the Neo-Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 572 BC. On this occasion the city withstood a 13 year siege before it fell; in 332 BC there was another remarkable siege by Alexander the Great who finally succeeded by building a causeway to the island from the mainland"
I'll note for the record that your quote in way way says that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Tyre.
> The city of Tyre does not exist anymore. Sounds like it is desolate.
*REALLY*.
"About 83 km south of Beirut, Tyre is the fourth largest city of Lebanon." http://tyros.leb.net/tyre/
> Tell us orion, are you an evolutionist?
I can see the result of cause and effect, yes.
> relate to us if you will, your 'creation story'.
One night in the spring of 1969, my mom and dad... well, that's actually as much information as I have on that. I do admit to taking it on faith that I didn't Poof into existence as the Creationists woudl ahve it.
> I think he is one of those disgruntled techies who thinks logic rules the universe.
"Gosh, how horrid... someone who actually believes that the universe can be understood! GASP! Hide the children! They might *learn* something!!!!!!"
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