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Baptists/Does anyone else feel something Monumental is about to happen?

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Expert: - 12/18/2010


Question

I'm a real Person.
Does anyone else feel something Monumental is about to happen?  I hear a lot of talk about 2012, but the Bible says: "No man, not even the angels in heaven know the hour..." I also recall the bible saying Jesus shall return Quickly, like a thief in the night... and at a time when humanity feels safe, unthreatened and unaware. This is when we are warned to be most vigil and watchful for his return. This would indicate to me that a popular date such as dec 21, 2012 would therefore be unlikely to be the time of Christ return... HOWEVER, I personally can not help the feeling of urgency I have been feeling as of late, nor the social, political and hard scientific "anomalies" which are occurring all around us being signs of Biblical prophecy actually coming true.

Answer
       Jace thank you for your question. This is a good question. I have written on this before, so you are not only one who is confused and becomes anxious about Dec. 21, 2012, which means NOTHING, IS NOTHING, PEOPLE BECOME ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING,  AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER DATE SET BY MAN.
  I want you to do stop feeling anxious, threatened, and feeling uninformed as these things that I am concerned about on your behalf and not stupid date set by man. We tend to overreact about things we do not understand and that are unknown to us. But God has “given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Pe 1:3). So God has given us everything we need through the knowledge of Jesus and not Dec. 21, 2012.
  The Hebrew children did this very same overreacting during the Exodus. Remember, they saw Pharaoh coming with his men and chariots after the Hebrew children and they started overreacting, as you maybe doing concerning this date. They started blaming Moses for bringing them out of Egypt. Ex. 14:11 states “And they said unto Moses, Because [there were] no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?” They overreacted with fear and stated “that we should die in the wilderness” (Ex. 14:12). Their fear over-clouded their rational and logical thinking. They were blaming Moses for bringing them out of Egypt, but it was GOD who brought them out. It was GOD who brought the 8 plagues on Egypt, and it was GOD who killed all the first born of Egypt.
  The problem with the children of Israel as they were blaming Moses, God Himself was present in the form of the Pillar of Fire by night, Pillar of Cloud by day, and it was GOD who was leading them out of Egypt. Moses was GOD’S servant who He used to carry out HIS WILL.
  Moses told the children of Israel to be quiet, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD (Ex. 14:13) and “the LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Ex. 14:14). . And GOD parted the Red  
Sea killing all of Egypt.

  Jace, maybe your doing the same overreacting that the children of Israel as your anxiety shows when you stated “I personally can not help the feeling of urgency I have been feeling as of late, nor the social, political and hard scientific "anomalies" which are occurring all around us being signs of Biblical prophecy actually coming true.” And you do not have to feel anxious because God has  “given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness.” So there is no need to feel any urgency, anxiety, or being afraid. This is all self-induced. God is in control of the WORLD and man is in control of nothing unless God allows it.

  Who told you that on Dec. 21, 2010 that something monumental is about to happen. God’s Word does not say anything about this date. This a date set by man and not God. But Jesus did tell us about what to be looking for before HIS SECOND COMING, AND NOT THE RAPTURE. Jace you stated “No man, not even the angels in heaven know the hour..." which comes from Mark 13:32. Jesus is speaking about his SECOND COMING that no man, nor angels in Heaven will know the hour of HIS SECOND COMING, but the only the Father knows. Jesus was God Man but when he stated this he had surrendered to his humanity on earth and he voluntarily, in submission to the Father, restricted His knowledge of this event. But Jesus is in Heaven and  He now knows.
  Some people have the idea, 1). “We don’t know when Jesus is coming, so it doesn’t really matter.” Others have the idea, 2). “We don’t know when Jesus is coming, so we have to find out and set a date.” 3). the right response is, “I don’t know when Jesus is coming so I have to be alert, eager, and ready for His coming.” The Dec. 21, 2012 date would be  indicative of the second response.
  This concern of the Dec. 21, 2012 date is the same type hysteria started with the Dec. 31, 1999 date. People were saying the change of Dec. 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 would cause world banking system to fail, world computers systems would fail, there would be world confusion, and NOTHING HAPPENED. Same thing with the Dec. 21, 2012 date. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. God is in control and not some date setter.
  The Dec. 21, 2012 date has nothing to do with bible prophecy. It is just a date that is all. False prophets, false preachers, false Christians, false teachers, and leaders in cults have throughout history have predicted dates. This is not surprise either. Apostle Peter stated that there would be false prophets 2 Peter 2:1 states “But there were false prophets also among the people (speaking to the Jews), even as there shall be false teachers among you (speaking of Christians), who privily (bring in secretly)  shall bring in damnable heresies (e.g. teaching on Dec. 21, 2012 or any other date), even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Allowing oneself to influenced by a heresy like the Dec. 21, 2012 date being taught by false prophets, teachers, etc. and they are denying what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 24 about what to expect and watch before His Second Coming, and denying the Lord that bought them also.
  
  Jace you stated “the social, political and hard scientific "anomalies” are just an example of what would happen after His ascension til His Second Coming. There will be many false Christ coming in Jesus’ name to deceive many (Matt. 24:5), wars and rumors of wars must come to pass before the end (24:6), nation will rise against nation, pestilence, famines, and earthquakes (24:7).
  All Christians are afflicted, killed, and hated because of he name of Christ (24:9). We know that we are going to persecuted for the name of Christ but this is not the beginning of the Jesus Second Coming. There will be false prophets (24:11; 2 Peter 2:1).
  And because iniquity (wickedness) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold (24:12). This means that we as disciples  of Christ should expect to see society become worse and worse. But this is not the specific sign of His return. The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (24:14). But Jesus also promised that before the end, the gospel will go out to the whole world. The persecution, false prophets, and general downgrade of society will not prevent the spread of the gospel.

  During the Tribulation period (begins after the Rapture of the Church), the first 3.5 years is when the AntiChrist appears and signs a false sense of peace with the Jews. After the first 3.5 years, the Antichrist will go into the Temple and proclaim himself as god, which is called the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (24:15) and is referred in Daniel 11:31. And who reads this let him understand (24:15).
  In Matt. 24:21, Jesus says there will be a shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” This Great Tribulation will take place in second half of the 3.5 years. And Jesus said that this will be the most awful time in all of human history. When we think of the terrible wars, plagues, famines, and genocide history has seen, this is a terribly sobering statement. When God pours out His wrath on a God rejecting world, it will be truly great tribulation.
  So this has nothing to with Dec. 21, 2012 as being the end of the tribulation and beginning of Jesus Second Coming, so stop having these  feeling of urgency as they will help. But I want you to see there will always be false christs, pestilence, famines, wars and rumor of wars, fighting among men, from Christ’s ascension to His Second Coming. But False prophets like to set dates. Paul warns us in Col. 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Jace, believing and feeling a sense of urgency about the Dec. 21, 2012 is showing that you are being fooled by a false philosophy and vain deceit. Read your Bible and believe.

  Make sure that you are saved by the blood of the Lamb, have asked him to be your Lord and Savior, have a relationship with him, and serve him in a local congregation.

  Merry Christmas.

Blessings,

Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD  

Dr Don Howe

Expertise

I welcome questions that deal with theological issues, relationship issues, church history, world religions, current events from a Christian worldview, "gray areas" that are present today, church growth movements, false prophets, spiritual abuse issues, end time events, prophecy, medical ethical issues, hermeneutical questions, and how Israel fits into God's economy today. I will answer all questions in a grammatical/historical normative interpretation of God's Word. If I can not answer a question, I will do the research and find the answer if available. If you are looking for a liberal theological answer or agrument, do not ask. I am not an expert on church planting or evangelism.

Experience

I have over 27 years of experience doing ministry as a bivocational minster/professional nurse. I do ministry as a volunteer with ministries that are nonprofit and not able to pay for ministers. I have experience working with youth, children, elderly in different placement settings, mentally ill and mentally challenged in different settings, felons in state prison and county jails, hospital chaplancy, choir ministry, and deacon ministry. I am an ordained SBC minister. I am a Professional Chaplain. I am currently doing hospital minstry, ministry to shut-ins, and a chaplain with Victim Relief Ministry working with victims of diasters and domestic violence. I work as psychiatric nurse in large county jail system.

Organizations
American Association of Christian Counselors, Baptist Nursing Fellowship, Nurses Christian Fellowship, Therpon Institute, Victim Chaplain & Counselor Association of America, International Board of Christian Counselors, American Society of Christian Therapists.

Publications
N/A

Education/Credentials
PhD, Therapon University, USVI, 12/07 in Biblical Counseling, DCC, Southwest Bible College & Seminary, Jenning, LA 04/05 in Christian Psychology and Counseling. ThD, Slidell Baptist Seminary, Slidell, LA 02/04 D.D., Slidell Baptist Seminary, Slidell, LA 07/03 Tyndale Seminary, Fort Worth, TX 2001-2003 BSN, Univ. of Texas in Arlington, Tx 05/93 ADN, Midwestern State Univ., Wichitia Falls, TX 5/77 Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Externship 08/04-12/05, 4 units of CPE earned.

Awards and Honors
Board Certified Christian Counselor by International Board of Christian Counselors. Issued 01/24/06.

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