2012 has arrived and the countdown to the "Apocalypse" has
begun... You know, the infamous Mayan calendar? Seems some
folks believethat at the end-date of the calendar's 5,125-year
cycle is coming up December 21, 2012. Headlines proclaim,
"Cataclysmic Transformative Events Coming!" They point to
various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae. Some
folks suggest the Earth will collide with a black hole! Or maybe a
passing asteroid...or even the planet of Nibiru!!! (My feet are
shaking!!! Not!)
New Agers mark this date as the start of a positive or spiritual
transformation.
So there you have it! Either something REALLY bad or something
REALLY good is going to happen December 21! Puh-leeeeease!
What really bothers me is that the very same people -- who
would swear on their grandmother's grave that this Mayan stuff
is absolutely true -- are the ones who don't give Christianity a
moment's thought and regard the claims of Jesus Christ as being
"myth."
Yet, the evidence for Jesus Christ's life and resurrection is
found everywhere - both biblical and secular. And the influence
of Christ's influence on the lives of people has been shown
through 1000s of years and literally billions of people! What do
the Mayans have to show for their beliefs? A few archeological
ruins...
Don't get me wrong...there have been nut-jobs who have tried to
hijack Christianity too, giving specific dates for Jesus to return
or for the end of the Earth to occur. But the Bible is clear: No
man knows the hour or the day (Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:
36)...but we ARE told we will know the SEASON (or period of
time)...see Matthew 24:37-44...and that time is near.
But even if it wasn't near, our lives are but a blink in the eye of
eternity, so we ought to make the most of it! Pastor Dale has
said that in 2012, the emphasis is on running the race set before
us, and finishing strong... I like how the Message Bible says it
in Hebrews 12:1-3:
"We'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running — and
never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 2 Keep your
eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.
Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He
was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — He could
put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And
now He's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3
When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that
story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed
through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
Everyone is called to race. EVERYone. Let's get up off our
spiritual "buts" and start running!
begun... You know, the infamous Mayan calendar? Seems some
folks believethat at the end-date of the calendar's 5,125-year
cycle is coming up December 21, 2012. Headlines proclaim,
"Cataclysmic Transformative Events Coming!" They point to
various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae. Some
folks suggest the Earth will collide with a black hole! Or maybe a
passing asteroid...or even the planet of Nibiru!!! (My feet are
shaking!!! Not!)
New Agers mark this date as the start of a positive or spiritual
transformation.
So there you have it! Either something REALLY bad or something
REALLY good is going to happen December 21! Puh-leeeeease!
What really bothers me is that the very same people -- who
would swear on their grandmother's grave that this Mayan stuff
is absolutely true -- are the ones who don't give Christianity a
moment's thought and regard the claims of Jesus Christ as being
"myth."
Yet, the evidence for Jesus Christ's life and resurrection is
found everywhere - both biblical and secular. And the influence
of Christ's influence on the lives of people has been shown
through 1000s of years and literally billions of people! What do
the Mayans have to show for their beliefs? A few archeological
ruins...
Don't get me wrong...there have been nut-jobs who have tried to
hijack Christianity too, giving specific dates for Jesus to return
or for the end of the Earth to occur. But the Bible is clear: No
man knows the hour or the day (Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:
36)...but we ARE told we will know the SEASON (or period of
time)...see Matthew 24:37-44...and that time is near.
But even if it wasn't near, our lives are but a blink in the eye of
eternity, so we ought to make the most of it! Pastor Dale has
said that in 2012, the emphasis is on running the race set before
us, and finishing strong... I like how the Message Bible says it
in Hebrews 12:1-3:
"We'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running — and
never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 2 Keep your
eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.
Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He
was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — He could
put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And
now He's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3
When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that
story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed
through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
Everyone is called to race. EVERYone. Let's get up off our
spiritual "buts" and start running!
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