by Mike James

One of the most talked about subjects, when Church of God folks gather, pertains to the question, When is the end coming? I've heard this topic discussed perhaps more than any other single topic during fellowship time. During my early years in the Church this topic was of extreme interest to me also, so much so that I kept scrapbooks with significant news stories. For a number of years in my early twenties, I would clip articles from newspapers that seemed to have some connection to the end times.

I would clip articles about wars, crime, starvation—you name it—and tape these news items into scrapbooks each month. I remember once one of the guys I lived with was concerned about my hobby. He was not the greatest example of how to live, but I learned something in that discussion. Was that hobby the best use of the limited time we all have available to us?

Looking back on this, I can now see that all these article-worthy news items have continued to occur in the world, sometimes to a greater or lesser degree. Sure, there are new ones and aberrations like 9/11 or the Tsunami, but when you look back in history, you can find major events like those too.

I have also been around long enough to see where concern about government leaders has also not panned out. There were people getting apoplectic about presidents over 30 years ago as much as they got bent out of shape for our more recent leaders. Somehow, life has gone on.

Did you ever hear of Edgar C. Whisenant? He was a former NASA rocket engineer and Bible teacher. He wrote a book called 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. The book sold millions of copies and he even mailed out hundreds of thousands of copies to ministers. Needless to say, he was not right in his predictions. But that didn't stop him from recalibrating things and altering what he first believed.

How about Harold Camping? He was another Christian Bible teacher who made predictions about the end that did not come to pass. He also changed his mind when a prediction did not pan out and recalibrated for a new prediction… that did not come to pass.

Even Church of God leaders have made some wrong predictions in the past and more recently.

The secular world is not immune to this fascination either. Remember the millennium bug that was going to cause a catastrophe when the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2000? Some speculated disaster would strike due to computer malfunctions. Not too long after that, several books were popular warnings about the Mayan calendar, which predicted that the world would end on December 21, 2012.

Of course, we should have interest in the return of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). The reason there is so much speculation around this subject is because the Bible devotes some time to it. Matthew 24:36-51 makes it clear we can't pinpoint the time of Christ's return, but we should, most importantly, be living the right way of life our Master would expect of us.

What's more important, figuring out prophetic scenarios or living a life mirroring the life of Christ? Don't major in the minors. Sure, you can spend some time reading and studying various prophetic possibilities. But are you spending more time feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick? Are you spending more time getting sin out of your life or complaining about the news? Are you spending more time arguing with your brother or sister on a point of theology or asking them if they need a ride to services or the grocery store? Are you spending more time reading the news or booklets and less time calling someone to forgive and make amends?

Don't forget the parable of the talents either (Matthew 25:14-30). Remember that talent is an ability or gift that we need to develop and enhance, such as generosity, encouragement, hospitality, charity, kindness, patience, and many more. In order to develop more, you have to get out there and do things. And that can include doing things from your home if you are older. You can send an email, make a call, support a work or foundation, and write a letter.

I remember several years ago, during fellowship time, after a holy day, I listened to a person complaining about how bad things were in the world and how they hoped and wished so much for the end to occur. I get that sentiment, but rather than devoting energy to complaining, worrying, and being angry we should take advantage of the time we do have to develop our talents and express them in the world. I think we may be missing something when we focus on the negative in life. Get busy and do good, and you will have less time to see what is wrong. Live the example of Christ.

As we approach another holy day season (next month), now is the time to evaluate where you are in your Christian walk. Are you growing, living, and developing those talents or are you complaining, procrastinating, and upset? You know what you need to do, just do it! Time is not only running out on this world, it is also running out on your ability to grow and develop.

Sources: "Doomsday Predictions," by Ron J. Bigalke, Midnight Call, March 2024.

"Edgar C. Whisenant," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_C._Whisenant

"Unfulfilled Christian religious predictions," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfulfilled_Christian_religious_predictions