Category Archives: Eschatology

Expired!

Daily living, Eschatology,

USA_passport_1976It is Sunday morning, 7 a.m. In two hours I will be teaching a Bible class. In three hours I will be worshiping with the family at the Eastern Shore Church of Christ. In 24 hours I will flying to Guyana where I will spend the next 2 weeks teaching men who want to preach the gospel.

Then I saw it. My passport was expired.

Just that fast my plans evaporated. There would be no trip to Guyana. Plans involving many people across two continents crumbled. I looked at the words again and again and they would not change. Expired. Expired! Expired!

The most aggravating part of the whole thing was that this was my fault entirely. There was no one else to blame. I fouled up.

But like most preachers who are always in search of an illustration, I found one. Here it is.

I was not prepared for my Guyana trip. Will I be prepared for my eternal trip?

We Will Meet The Lord

For months, I knew I was going to Guyana. The date was set and all I had to do was be ready. I failed. There is another date that is coming for all of us. We will stand before the Lord in judgment. It is not a pleasant thought for many. It is a moment filled with fear and anxiety. But it is coming.  The writer of Hebrews is clear, “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Peter smacked the skeptics when he wrote, “the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise…” and “the Day of the Lord will come…” (2 Peter 3:9, 10). Some were denying the return of the Lord. They argued that nothing had changed since Jesus died and he wasn’t coming again. They were wrong then and they are wrong now. Jesus is coming.

Christians do not deny that the Lord will return. They just forget or become apathetic about his return. But if you know the Lord is coming, should we not all be ready always?

Late is Too Late

As soon as I realized my passport was expired, I went to the internet. I surfed to the National Passport Center. I was hoping there was a grace period or some way I could renew online, right then and there. I found that there was no grace period (in fact there is a kind of reverse grace period). There was no way to quickly renew an expired passport on line. I would have to wait until Monday morning, call for an appointment and physically travel to New Orleans. In other words, I was busted.

The Israelites  were busted too. They assumed everything was fine. In fact, they were looking forward to the Day of the Lord. But Amos knew better. Contrary to their own thoughts they were terribly unprepared. After listing the ways God tried to get their attention and their subsequent rejection of his efforts, God says through Amos:

“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12)

Jesus himself tells the parable of foolish virgins who came to the wedding unprepared. The bridegroom was late and when he arrived they realized they were without oil for their lamps. They scrambled to buy more but could not until it was already too late. The doors were closed and they were shutout (Matthew 25:1-13).

I think I can say that this will never happen to me again. I will never allow my passport to expire again. But I only missed a single, albeit important, trip to Guyana. What would it be like to be eternally too late?

The Unknown Date

My passport expired August 4, 2013. My trip was set firm for December 9, 2013. During the interim I could have renewed. In fact, I could have probably waited until November to send in the paperwork. Of course I did not, but I could have because I knew the date that it would be required. Not so with the coming judgment.

Jesus is clear, no one knows the date of his coming (Matthew 24:44). Believers are to be ready always. Men have tried to set the date of Jesus’ return and all of them have failed miserably. We know Jesus is coming but we do not know when. So the importance of preparation is clear. We must be prepared always for the return of the Lord.

A family I know was adopting a child from Russia. They were unsure when the adoption would finalize or when they would be called to Russia. Do you think they kept their passports up to date?

Be prepared. The Lord is coming.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Lessons from the Oldest Living Person

Daily living, Eschatology, News,

Bessie Cooper died yesterday in Georgia. She was officially the world’s oldest living person. Her son reported that she had her hair done earlier in  the day as if she was preparing to go. She had become something of a celebrity as she was the first Georgian to ever old a world record.

I don’t know Mrs. Cooper, but she reminds me of some lessons from the Good Book.

We All Have An Appointment to Keep

I suspect she wondered why she was still alive. A fine lady I know in her mid-90’s often asks the question, “Why am I still here?” I don’t know. She brings comfort to others, encourages others, shows love to others, etc. But despite all that she, like us has an appointment to keep. Mrs. Cooper’s appointment came after 116 years.

Hebrews 9:27 reminds, “it is appointed unto man to die once and after this comes the judgment.” It is good to remember that we all have a similar appointed which we cannot avoid. Although we may live to a great age, we still cross that river.

Things Do Not Matter

According to the report, Mrs. Cooper died in a nursing home with her family present. I’m sure there were important items with great sentimental value around her room. Her financial status was not disclosed but she does not appear to have been impoverished. Nevertheless, all those mementos and even the presence of her family took second place and were not of much importance as she drew her last breath. Even the wealthiest among us find limited comfort in their possessions.

Some of God’s great people were wealthy. Job learned how quickly material items can perish (Job 1:13-22; Job 2:7-8). Abraham was a man of wealth as were kings David and Solomon. Nevertheless, they passed this life and took no possessions with them. Job said it best,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return” (Job 1:21).

While writing to Timothy, Paul said the same thing,

” But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” ( 1 Timothy 6-7).

Store up the good treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 10:21) and your blessings will be great.

Say the Important Things Now – Don’t Wait

Although Mrs. Cooper was very old, there was no expectation of her passing so suddenly. Her day had been typical until she suddenly began having breathing problems and then passed. If her family is like most, I am sure there were things they wished they could have said to her. Such a lesson is not unique to the Coopers. All of us have stood at the grave and thought of things we wished we had said. How sad that we repeat the same mistake over and over.

Set your goal today to speak a good word to someone who love. Don’t let another moment pass with unspoken thoughts, compliments and praise. Speak them now and avoid regrets tomorrow.

Our thoughts are with the Coopers in their difficult time but we are thankful for the lessons she reminds us of today.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Prepare

Church Bulletin, Eschatology, , ,

It did not freeze last night. Contrary to some weather forecasts, it only dropped to about 37 here in Daphne. But I did notice my neighbors covering their plants yesterday. And even though they will awake to realize their work was not needed, they will still take similar preparations next time. When living in the Tuscaloosa area many years ago it was almost comical to watch people strip the stores of every last loaf of bread and every last gallon of milk just because a forecaster uttered the frightful word, “snow.” The people there took weather preparations seriously, as they should.

It’s sad that people do not take seriously spiritual warnings and prepare for their spiritual future. So many will face the reality of judgment without preparation. Why? I think I have some ideas.

Preparation suggests belief

The only reason people prepare for  snow or for a freeze, is because they believe it is plausible that snow or freezing temperatures will come. People hear the warnings and they may not be certain, but they do not want to be caught unprepared. They believe the words of the forecaster and act appropriately.

Today, many do not prepare for the Lord’s return because they do not believe it will come, or, they believe they have more time. Jesus himself declares the inevitability of his return. He says, “the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Peter speaks the same, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief and then the heavens will pass away with a roar…” (2 Peter 3:10). Paul echoes the thought, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night…” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The warnings are given but belief is lacking.

Preparation suggests experience

The reason people prepare for bad weather is because they have seen what can happen when you are not prepared. When snow strikes the deep south it is always trouble. We are not prepared for snow drifts and impassable streets. We have been in that condition before and do not wish to repeat that mistake again.

Spiritually, we have historical events which ought press us to both believe and to prepare for the future coming of the Lord. While Jesus has not come to bring an end to the world before, he has come in judgment. Matthew 24:1-35 is a lengthy, detailed warning of the coming of Jesus in judgment against the nation of Israel. About 40 years after that warning, Israel was destroyed. The AD 70 assault by Rome leveled the city and destroyed the Temple. It was a defeat from which Israel never recovered.

Time and again in Scripture, God warned of his coming judgment. Not once did he fail in his promises. Let us read and learn so that we can believe the warnings of eternal judgment. Let not one of us fail to be prepared for his return. For the saved, the return of the Lord is a glorious moment of deliverance. But for the unbelieving, only dreadful unending punishment is in store.

I do not know if it will freeze tonight. But I do know the Lord will come. I will be ready, will you?

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter  @jbevans.

Ready for the Alarm?

Bible General, Church Bulletin, Eschatology, ,

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Alarm_Clock_3.jpg5:00 AM comes early at the Evans house. The alarm sounds and we soon rise to begin the day. Both of us head to work and  the children must be readied for school. Getting out of bed later than 5:00 always causes trouble.

I awoke one day this week four short minutes before the alarm went off. It occurred to me that an alarm clock offers several lessons about our spiritual life. Let me share some of them.

An alarm clock teaches there is an appointed time for all.

As the clock ticks slowly by it is moving toward a set time; a point when its alarm will sound. Nothing stops it. Even a power outage will not stop the constant movement toward the appointed time. The alarm is going to sound.

The Bible is clear. We all have an appointment to face. Hebrews 9:27 says it is “appointed for man to die once.” Jesus said that appointed time is set by the Father who alone knows the time (Matthew 24:36).  Just as my alarm clock testifies to a set time to alarm, so also has the creator set a time for me to die.

An alarm clock is not affected by my wants and desires.

Most mornings, I’d love to sleep in a few more minutes. Maybe I was late to bed the night before or perhaps a hard time left me in need of more sleep. Maybe I’m just feeling lazy. Regardless, that alarm will sound at 5 AM whether or not I am ready for it.

We all face death. The Lord is coming. Time is running out. Our preparedness, or lack of preparedness, is irrelevant. There’ll be no gentle reminder that minutes remain. Only a certain passage from this life into the next. Many will not be ready (Luke 23:30). Even though there’s ample opportunity to prepare, some will not be ready for His return (Matthew 25:1-13).

An alarm clock can be ignored.

It is possible to hit the snooze button so many times that the alarm will cease to sound. It is possible to turn off the alarm. But ignoring the alarm does not stop time nor does it change your responsibilities. You will still be late for work. You will miss that important meeting.

It is possible to ignore God’s plan warnings. Jesus is coming again (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Many of our friends are sleeping through the alarm right now. They are ignoring the most important alarm they will ever face.  The result? Eternal punishment (Revelation 20:15).

 An alarm clock can be changed and the snooze button can be used.

Finally, there is at least one important difference between an alarm clock and the coming of the Lord.  Not so with God. Some today teach the concept of the rapture. The idea that if you are not ready when the Lord comes you will still have another chance 7 years later. This celestial snooze button is false. The secretive rapture does not exist.

The Lord is coming. Are you ready?

 

Wake Up, Man Up – Romans 13:11-14

Daily living, Eschatology, Romans

While studying for another article I came across this paragraph in Romans. I think because I have been  reading David Platt’s Radical the passage grabbed my attention. Paul is essentially saying get ready, man-up, its time to get serious about our faith.

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:11-14)

The passage breaks down into a simple three part outline:

I. The Day of Salvation is Near

II. Cast Off Evil

III. Put On Christ

The Day of Salvation is Near

Paul’s  use of the world “salvation” (SOTARIA) is a little odd here. The sentence seems to imply that the apostles and his readers are not yet saved; they are still waiting on salvation. Jesus said in Luke 19:9 that salvation had come to the house of Zacchaeus. In Romans 11:11 Paul says salvation has come to the Gentiles. In Titus 2:11 salvation has come to all people. No, Paul’s use of the word here means something different from the salvation one finds in Christ and in this life.

Paul looks forward to the ultimate salvation, the ultimate delivery from wickedness which comes at the end of time. Paul’s use of the word “day” and salvation” seems to be near synonymous with “the day of the Lord” which is a day of judgement (1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10). The faithful are ultimately delivered at the judgement when they enter in to the joys of their Lord (Matthew 25:23). Paul uses the future idea of salvation in a similar way in 2 Timothy 2:10 when he looks forward to salvation coupled with “eternal glory.”

So Paul’s encouragement is to be prepared for coming judgement. Every day of our lives brings us closer to that day whether it be in our own physical death (Luke 16:19-31) or in the return of the Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Therefore, let us prepare now for that moment.

Cast off Evil

At least some in Rome needed to be reminded to separate themselves from evil. He uses the oft repeated contrast of light and dark, day and night, to make his point. Christians should be walking in the light of daytime (c.f. 1 John 1:5-10). The deeds of darkness (night) include orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality, sensuality, quarreling and jealousy (c.f. Galatians 5:19-21). Paul’s list is not exhaustive but comprehends much of the scope of wickedness in the first century and in our day. It’s time to put away such deeds and rise to walk worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Revelation 3:4).

The urgency to purify is found in  the first verse of this passage: “the day is at hand.” The apostle is horrified that any of his readers might be found soiled by worldliness when standing before the righteous judge. He wants them to cleanup their act and be ready for the Lord.

I learned a long time ago to be very careful when eating out on Sunday or when enjoying a fellowship. Sauces are deadly! With me, I will almost always drip something on my tie or dress shirt. Then I have to stand before the assembly wearing barbeque sauce. It’s ugly, sloppy and even distracting. How much more should we strive to present ourselves before the Lord in judgement?

Put on Christ

It’s just not enough to clean out the bad; we must bring in the good. In this case we put on Christ. Jesus tells a sad story of what happens when one cleans out the evil but fails to put righteousness in its place (Luke 11:24-26).

The Christian life is so much more than not sinning. Our life is to be like Christ in all ways. The idea of putting on Christ suggests that we cover our own lives with his life, our ways with his ways, our bodies with his body. We walk as  he walks (Romans 6:3-14).

The final verse connects putting on Christ with rejecting the flesh:

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

That verse kind of explodes on you. The first part is not unexpected but the second part really shook me up. Did he really say to make “no provision” for the flesh? Like our discussion of salvation above, the word flesh has different meanings. Here Paul uses it to speak to the sinful desires of men. It doesn’t mean to ignore the needs of the physical body but instead to avoid feeding our temptations. We must never surrender to Satan’s call. Don’t give him any room. Don’t let him in even for a second. It causes me to think of Ephesians 4:27, “give no opportunity to the devil.”

In the time it has taken you to read this little essay, you have moved closer to your final destination. Are you prepared?

Second Chance Salvation & The Dangers of Dispensationalism

Eschatology,

To some, the idea of the Rapture, Armageddon, the Antichrist and a 1,000 year earthly reign of Christ may seem harmless, although errant, variations on the end of time. But buried inside these teachings is a hideous  idea that will condemn souls to eternal punishment. It teaches a second chance salvation which is not taught in Scripture. A sort of reverse purgatory is taught where the unfaithful experience a period of terrible tribulation upon the earth for a period of time (no more than 7 years depending on the teaching). During that period they may come to Jesus and ultimately, eternally, be saved in Heaven. It is this idea of a second chance at salvation, that is so dangerous. The time of our preparation is now according to the Bible and there is no second chance. To declare otherwise is a devilish doctrine.

Christians agree that there is a coming judgment. Jesus told of his return (Matthew 16:27; John 14:1-4; John 21:22-23). The writer of Hebrews promised a judgment (Hebrews 9:27) and John told of it in the Revelation (Revelation 20:12-15). We all agree that a day of reckoning is coming and all teaching that we should live now in a way to glorify the Lord and serve his interests. Yet to teach people that if you miss the first judgment you can still make the second is profoundly different from clear Bible teaching.

Can you not imagine a man who reasons within himself that he will enjoy the pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25) in his youthful and adult years but become faithful as he ages? Does it take much more imagination to think that the man, is comforted in the idea that even if the Lord returns before he makes his life right with God he will endure but a brief, albeit terrible, period of persecution on the earth. What a surprise when, like the rich man of Luke 16:24, he opens his eyes in” torments.”

“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold now is the day of salvation” declared Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:2. The apostle was encouraging brethren to remain faithful and not hold the truth vainly. Salvation is present now for those who will obey. The present time benefits of salvation are many but beyond the scope of this short article. It is sufficient to say that one will enjoy many blessings today for his decision to follow Christ. While an ultimate, eternal reward is sought, hoped and dreamed of we know that even now we enjoy immeasurable comfort from our common faith.

We all prepare for undesirable events. We prepare for automobile accidents by wearing seat belts and carrying car insurance. We prepare for illness with health insurance policies. We even plan for our own death with life insurance policies. Those who fail to prepare are viewed with pity as being irresponsible. How much more should we prepare for the one time judgment that we know is coming to all? Let us reject the novel ideas those who teach falsely. Let us reject any idea that offers a second chance salvation unknown in Scripture. This idea of the Rapture was born in the late 1700’s in this country and so it is a new idea apparently unknown to the inspired writers of the Bible and to 1700 years of Christians. Let us stand safely in what we know and reject teachings that conflict with Scripture.


Apocalyptic Literature

Church Bulletin, Eschatology,

The Bible can be understood. God would never tease mankind by giving him a message only to make it incomprehensible. We can know the truth (John 8:32). But some sections of Scripture are more challenging than others. For example, “the abomination of desolation” from Mark 13:14 can be studied and comprehended but against “Thou shalt not steal” from Exodus 20:15 it appears a greater challenge. Many such passages in Scripture, like Mark 13:14, are in the category of apocalyptic literature. It is important to have a grasp of the nature of such writing in order to better understand it. Other forms of Bible literature include the narrative (stories), parables, letters (epistles), prayers and so forth. But our purpose here is to give some understanding to apocalyptic literature.

“Apocalyptic” comes from “apocalupis” (ah-pock-ah-LOOP-es) from the Greek.  It is the very first word of the book of Revelation and it is from  the word that the book gets its name. It most commonly means a revelation, unveiling or disclosure of something unknown. In the study of types of Bible literature it has come to mean passages that may offer some glimpse into the future by using fantastic, vivid imagery. The future is often in view but not always (c.f. Acts 2:17-21 from Joel 2:28-32 which is fulfillment of apocryphal language).

Continue reading Apocalyptic Literature →

The Rapture Package

Church Bulletin, Eschatology, ,

There is much talk about the “Rapture” and the events associated with the return of Jesus in judgment. People like to talk about the “signs of the times” and speculate that the return of Jesus must be very soon because of unfolding world events. At the moment of this writing tensions are high on the Korean Peninsula because of the shelling of a South Korean island. Within the next day or two some rapture based group will cite the conflict as a sign of the end of time. While the Rapture is an interesting and provocative subject it is not Biblical. The concept is not found in Scripture. In fact,  the very opposite is true.

The “Rapture Package” is made up of several curious doctrines all built upon figurative passages from throughout the Bible. The books of Daniel and Ezekiel are most commonly cited from the Old Testament while Matthew and Revelation are cited from the New. The doctrines invoked in this system of dispensational theology include, but are not limited to, the Rapture, Armageddon, the Beast, the Antichrist, a period of tribulation following (or followed by) a 1,000 year physical reign of Jesus in Jerusalem. Only after this 1,000 year reign do the saved go to Heaven and live forever in glory.

Continue reading The Rapture Package →

Is That A Ghoul in my Front Yard?

Daily living, Eschatology, ,

We do not like to think about death – except at Halloween. This once a year fright night brings around all sorts of “undead” to haunt the neighborhood in search of goodies. As expected there is also the usual crowd of scary movies released just in time for the spookie holiday. I thought I would use this time to think about death in a more serious way.

Death has not always been inevitable. In Genesis 2:9 the text mentions the “tree of life.” This particular tree produced fruit that would allow man to live forever  (Genesis 3:22-24). Unlike the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17) man could eat of the tree of life always (Genesis 2:16). So death was not a necessary part of life in the beginning.

Tragically, that changed. Man sinned (Genesis 3:6). God removed man’s access to the tree of life as a penalty for his sin (Genesis 3: 24). Man immediately died spiritually on the day he sinned and began to die physically. There was no anecdote for physical death in this life. Since we no longer have access to the tree of life we also die, just like the first family.

Hebrews 9:27:

“…it is appointed unto man to die once, and after that comes judgment…”

James 4:14

“For what is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

1 Peter 1:24

“All flesh is like grass…the grass withers”

These are just a few of the passages that remind us of the brevity of life. We are here for a few years and then we pass. We hope that we leave a strong legacy behind (Revelation 14:15). No matter how important we are, we will die. Usually our death comes much sooner than we expect. Our concern must be eternity.

We do not cease to exist at death. There is consciousness beyond the grave. Lazarus found comfort beyond the grave while the unnamed rich man found himself in severe pain ((This is the meaning of the word “torment” in Luke 16:23. It translates the Greek word, BASANOS.)) (Luke 16:19-31). The words of comfort in Revelation 21:3-4 describes conscious relief from the trials of life while Revelation 20:15 details the eternal home of the unrighteous.

So while we ooh and ah at the “spirits” of the weekend, let’s think of the reality of our brief life and of our eternal resting place.