A Better Covenant!

"But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.......When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear."

---Hebrews 8:6 & 13 NLT.

In the Garden of Eden, both man and woman fell.  They disobeyed the command of God and sinned.  In Genesis 3:16-19, the punishment for their sin is pronounced by God.  Their punishment is pronounced on an individual basis, and with individual elements involved within that pronouncement to both the man and the woman.  Let's take a look at those individual pronouncements of judgment from God to both of them:

Genesis 3:16-19 NLT.

 Then he said to the woman, (Emphasis mine)

“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,

    and in pain you will give birth.

And you will desire to control your husband,

    but he will rule over you.”

 And to the man he said, (Emphasis mine)

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree

    whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,

the ground is cursed because of you.

    All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

It will grow thorns and thistles for you,

    though you will eat of its grains.

 

By the sweat of your brow

    will you have food to eat

until you return to the ground

    from which you were made.

For you were made from dust,

    and to dust you will return.”

This is the pronouncement of their individual punishment for their sin, however included with that is the previous pronouncement that they would surely die!  This was a complete death; body, soul and spirit.  This is not only the point at which death entered humanities life, but the elements of death as well, such as sickness and disease.  

Fast forward to now!  Addressing Christian Believers, the members of the Lord's Body.  Here we are now faced with a very interesting theological issue before us.  That issue is the elements of the New Covenant.  A covenant that the writer of Hebrews refers to as a "better covenant.........based on better promises!"  It is an interesting theological conundrum for many within the Body of Christ, even the Pentecostal element of the Body of Christ, that they will say they believe in that "BETTER" covenant based on "BETTER" promises, but in a limited fashion.  For example:  Many Christian Believers will make the following statements of theological assertions pertaining to the pronouncement of judgment against humanities sin in Genesis.  First, they will say that they believe what the Apostle Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 5:17---"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"  They are a completely new person with a new life in Christ, with new and better promises than the old covenant!  Second, they will say that in relation to man having to work by the sweat of his brow, toiling against the earth and all of creation which is suffering from humanities fall, that now our provision is in and through Christ!  They will agree with the better covenants better promise of God's provision through Christ, shared by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:19---"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

Now, those Christian Believers who so readily agree with these assertions of "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant which is all in Christ, these same believers will then look at our Sister's who are called by God to Leadership positions in the Church and say.........."You MUST be in SUBMISSION to your husband so, therefore, you CANNOT be in a position of leadership over men!"  When asked to explain their stance, they will say that it is because of the pronouncement of judgment against the sin of Eve that we just read in Genesis 3:16.  These are the same Believers who will readily say and believe that the affects and consequences of sin have been paid for through the vicarious atonement of Christ!  AND that those affects of sin were taken upon Jesus, AND that person who is "IN" Christ is a brand new person, AND the judgement of our sin was placed upon Christ for ALL who believe! ........Well, at least if your a male, but if your a female, you must STILL, even after being in Christ and supposedly being a new creation, pay for and be subject to the penalties of the sins of your mother Eve!

It sounds like, by some believers theology, that the "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant, which is in Christ, ONLY works if you happen to be a male!  Now listen, I really, REALLY like being a male!!!  However, I like being theologically correct even better, which is what this article is appealing to!  For those who through their subjective beliefs have tried to superimpose upon the Word of God a presuppositionalism which predominately favors males, I ask you to reconcile the following passages of Scripture, making reference to the "BETTER" promises within a "BETTER" covenant and your current beliefs:  

First, In the writings of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, in chapter 5, we see the verses most often used to show that women must remain under the judgment of the original sin, even though they are NOW in Christ.  Verses 22-33 are the verses that have most often been used to show the wife's submission to the husband.  However, if we take the admonition of Paul in regards to submission correctly, we have to back up our passage selection by one verse!  Paul says in Galatians 5:21---

"And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  Then Paul goes on to show how that works within the "HOME!"  Paying vital attention to HOW God had uniquely made both male and female.  The Husband with the personal need of respect.  The Wife with the personal need of feeling loved.  However, there is mutuality within the submission, with demonstration given by Paul within the family!

Second, Paul writes to the church at Ephasus and shares the nature of that "BETTER" covenant and some of the "BETTER" promises within that covenant, which is in Christ!  Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT---"³All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault (emphasis mine) in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.^[a]7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom (emphasis mine) with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."

I pretty much believe what Paul shares here, speaks for itself.  we are IN Christ and we are NOW experiencing "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant!  These "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant are for ALL who believe, BOTH men and women!  Thank God for those better covenant promises that unite us under the blood stained banner of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  It is theologically incongruent to say that we believe in the VICARIOUS atonement of Jesus, for the FULL pardon of our sins, and yet believe that we are still under the curse of sin's judgment!  Vicarious means:  1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment.  2. taking the place of another person or thing.  Theologically that means that Christ "positioned" Himself in the place of judgment from God the Father that was meant for us!  And NOW, through Christ, any and ALL who place their faith in Him are free from that judgment of sin!......... This is basic biblical Soteriology!  My Brothers and Sisters, we MUST be careful that our personal presuppositions do NOT get in the way of our hermeneutics!

Let's take a look at the broader context of 2 Corinthians 5:17 that we mentioned above and look at what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21(emphasis mine)............

"¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,^[c] so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

WOW!!!........ That's pretty straight forward!  Look again at those two phrases in verses 16 and 21---"So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view!"  ........ "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin!"  Jesus took upon Himself the judgment, curse and penalty of the sins of humanity!  NOT just for the MALE'S but for the FEMALE'S as well,........ for EVERYONE who places their faith in Jesus!  I repeat the Apostle Paul's statement of this "BETTER" convenant's "BETTER" promise............. "This means that ANYONE who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is GONE; a new life has BEGUN!!!"..................... Oh, by the way,.......... for women too!

Okay, Okay Steve, I get it!  The Bible is VERY plain and STRAIGHTFORWARD on this matter!  But, if God meant for women to be in leadership position's within the Church, how come He said that if "any MAN desires the office of a Bishop?"  That's a legitimate question, because now we're simply dealing with a matter of exegesis!  And for the answer to that question, I will refer the reader to an article I wrote in 2010 that deals with the exegesis of that text accurately.  That article can be found by clicking on the following link:  Reclamation!: Women in Ministry!

God bless each and everyone of you!
Pastor Steve Gardner

What Do You Say?

"But seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land."

--Genesis 41:30 NIV

There is a famine ravaging the land today!  America is in the middle of the deepest and hardest famine it has ever experienced.  Now while this verse is in reference to the dream given to Pharaoh from God and then interpreted by Joseph, this verse today fits the American landscape so appropriately.  The famine that America is facing is not a famine of a shortage of food or provisions, America's famine is a "spiritual famine!"   

We have had years of abundance!  In 1886 the rivalistic movement that would become known as the Church of God was formed, and began to branch out all through the Southeast.  At about the same time, in 1906 on the West Coast, the Azusa Street revival began under the direction of William Seymour.  These two revivals began to burn with the fire of the power of the Holy Spirit, with signs and wonders, miracles, Holy Spirit baptism, the outpouring of the Gifts of the Spirit as mentioned in 1 Corinthians and racial and class unity!  The book of Acts had come alive again in America as the fires of Pentecost burned across a nation!

Then in 1960, the Fire fell again with what became known as the "Charismatic Renewal." The beginning of the charismatic movement is usually dated to Easter 1960, when Dennis Bennett, rector of St Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, shared his Pentecostal experience to his parish. Unlike the previous revivals with the Church of God and Azusa, these who experienced the Pentecostal baptism did not form new congregations, but rather remained in their traditional churches.  Then the Fire fell again in 1980 with what has been termed the "Third Wave" of the Holy Spirit.  This powerful outpouring centered around the teachings and leadership of C. Peter Wagner and John Wimber, the founder of the Vinyard Movement.  3-Waves!  3-Different outpourings of the Power of the Holy Spirit upon the Church!  Years, no, decades of "PLENTY!"  And now, here we are, in the middle of the worst Spiritual Famine America has ever seen!  a spiritual famine so severe, that it has made many of us forget the years of abundance we were blessed with!

Is it time of a Fourth Wave?  Perhaps a Final Wave?  I believe with everything in me that we are in the beginning stages of another outpouring of the Holy Spirit!  I believe that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be a renewal of signs and wonders, miracles, healing's and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that will advance the Kingdom of God, through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus, and its verification through these manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit!  I believe we are on the verge of nothing less than...........REFORMATION!  Not the doctrinal reformation of Luther's day, but an Ecclesiological reformation that will raise up, purify, and empower the Bride of Christ.  We will once again know who we are, and what our mission is!  We will position ourselves to be used of the Holy Spirit for the glory of Christ!  We will cross the lines that have divided us; the denomination/sectarian lines that have been drawn and used by the devil to weaken the Body.  Genuine Men and Women will fill the office of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teachers!  These leadership offices within God's Economy will be more about service than titles.  

This Revival that we are in the beginning stages of is being "felt" in several different denominations, even in churches that are not traditionally "open" to the Power and Gifting of the Holy Spirit!  Pentecostal type churches as well are beginning to experience a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and for those who are open to the ministry and move of the Holy Spirit, "FIRE" is once again beginning to fall!  YOU and YOUR Church, can be a part of this reformation of the Body of Christ!  YOU and YOUR church can experience the power of the Holy Spirit to advance the Kingdom of God through gifts, miracles, healing's, signs and wonders that validate the message of the Gospel of Christ you are preaching!  Seek deeper intimacy with Jesus!  Make yourself available to the filling and working of the Holy Spirit!  As Paul said, "keep in step with the Holy Spirit!"  I am eager to be a part of this perhaps Final Wave of the Holy Spirit before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ!  

What do you think?.......................

A New Season! Part 1.

I am aware of all the hype over 2012 (See our post here entitled: "The End of the World").  And while I place no value in the predictions of destruction for 12/21/12, I do recognize that many people, even those who are not active followers of Jesus, sense that there is something exciting and new about 2012.  That "newness" can best be described by the Followers of Jesus Himself!  It is not a description of destruction, but rather a description of a New Season in God's economy!  What I mean is this.  We have turned a page in the scheme of things as it relates to the Kingdom of God.  We are in a brand new season that God has determined for His people.  2009 and 2010 were very hard times for the Body of Christ!  Many Followers of Christ suffered severe economic issues.  Many Pastors who were tired, empty, and 'burnt-out" decided to call it quits!  Churches suffered reductions in giving due to the economic upheaval of our Country and there was a general feeling of despair that generated a feeling of depression for many Believers.  Yes, the enemy had a "field-day!"  And in the midst of all of these attacks against the Body of Christ, you could hear the Holy Spirit saying to the Body:  "Hold-on, occupy, be strong in His might, a New Season is almost upon us!" And THAT New Season arrived with the beginning of 2012!

My wife and I are not in the habit of making "New Years Resolutions."  I find it quite discouraging to make a commitment out of the fact that it is a new year, only to fail within the first three months (speaking from past experiences, LOL!!!)  However, many Christian Leaders and Laity alike sense that there is something very unique and special about the year 2012.  Dealing with what I believe makes 2012 so special in the Kingdom of God, I want to address two very important issues.

First, as Followers of Christ, life is best understood not from a linear mode of thinking, (i.e. Years, months, days, weeks, etc.), but rather from the understanding of 'SEASONS!"  Listen to the Word of God on this subject from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 

 A time to be born and a time to die.  A time to plant and a time to harvest. 

 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 

 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace."  NLT.

Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, under the direction of the Holy Spirit informs us about this truth here.  He gives a partial "list" of the types of activities that we as humans are engaged in all of our lives.  These are the types of things that make up our existence here upon this earth at this time, but he begins by identifying these things within the framework of "SEASONS."    The word 'season" here is the Hebrew word---zem-awn' which simply means:  "A set time or appointed time."  The dictionary of Bible Themes gives this definition:  "Appropriate or appointed periods of time which are part of the variety and development of human life and experience and which influence human affairs. The times and seasons for individuals and nations are set by God, who works all things together towards the final fulfillment of his purposes."  

With this understanding in mind, these "seasons" are God's appointed times among humanity for the purpose of His Kingdom and will.  Therefore, life is best understood within the content of "seasons" rather than our typical linear understanding of Years, months, days, etc.  That being said, 2012 is a brand new season for the People of God!  While 2010 and 2011 were seasons of hardship, difficulty, and violent attacks from the enemy; 2012 is a New Season of blessing for God's people!

Second, prophetically speaking, 2012 is a brand New Season!  As stated, many of God's Leadership and Laity alike, are saying that they believe the Holy Spirit has reveled to them that 2012 will be a VERY important year in the scheme of God's agenda.  I believe several things are going to begin to happen in 2012 among the people of God.  1)  Even though we will always be in battle with the forces of darkness, we are going to begin to see God begin to bless His People once more, moving into a brand new era of blessing for those who are obedient to God's will.  2)  God is going to begin the "winnowing" process of separating the "wheat from the tares" and the "sheep from the goats."  We will begin to see the beginning of the "Great Falling Away" mentioned in the Word of God.  This will not be a mass exodus from our churches, but will rather be a very recognizable separation between the merely religious and the devout Disciple of Christ. 3)  Of a necessity, churches will begin to have to consolidate and come together, even combining congregations and ministeries together under one roof. Pastor's and Minister's will have to begin to become creative in redefining job descriptions and titles.  Many churches will have to close, and either merge and consolidate with other congregations of Believers, or cease to exist.  WHY?  Because God DOES NOT BLESS DIVISION and if the Body of Christ will NOT voluntarily come together, God will FORCE the issue using the current economic crises! Denominational affiliations that have perpetuated many dividing lines, will cease to be as important to those who are being used by God.  4)  Boldness in preaching and evangelism will increase as more and more Followers of Christ begin to sense both the urgency of the time and new anointing of the Holy Spirit.  5)  Signs and wonders that point to the veracity and validity of Christ will increase and again accompany the preaching of the Gospel, becoming expected and anticipated.  This will NOT be for the "showmen" and the "charlatans" who rip-off and abuse the Body of Christ for personal gain and notoriety, but for the GENUINELY dedicated Followers of Jesus, EVEN the laity!


As we have already begun this "New Season," a sense of anticipation and expectancy seems to permeate the hearts of the People of God who are praying and seeking God to move once again among in His Church!  In the appointed time of God, in this New Season, God is INDEED moving and His People feel it!  SEEK HIM WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, and get ready for God to move in your life, your church, and your country!  WELCOME TO THIS NEW SEASON! 


God Bless You!

The Abuse of Grace!

Recently my Daughter shared a story with me from her 8th. grade Bible class.  She attends a Christian school to which we are so very blessed for her to be a part of.  The discussion she shared with me centered around the topic of suicide but eventually wandered into that "ever-present" topic of the Unconditional Eternal Security of the Believer.  This is a topic I have logged many hours in studying and debating.  Having spent my four High School years in a Christian School, that topic was the fodder of many discussions and debates among the students in our Bible class.  It struck me as ironic that here, some 35 years later, my daughter is debating that same topic in her class as well.  I must say I was very proud of my Daughter and the position she took and defended in her class, not caring that she was a minority in that class or not.  She defended, what I believe to be a very sound exegetical position on the subject.  To her I say...... WELL DONE!

The topic of Unconditional Eternal Security is one that is many faceted.  It is one that I believe is not in keeping with sound Biblical interpretation.  Now while I do believe in the security of the Believer, it is nevertheless not unconditional.  The "condition" for remaining in a secure position with the Lord, is to remain in an obedient faithful relationship with God.  The "KEY" terms here are:  Obedient, faithful, and relationship.  I have chosen to focus on the term relationship for this blog posting.


This "remaining" in relationship with Christ is not a flippant off-the-cuff remark by just another blogger, it is a very Biblical teaching of our Lord in the New Testament.  Let's take a look at this in the Gospel of John chapter 15, verses 1-8:

¹ “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³ You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

 ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.  NLT.

Notice that the emphasis of what the Lord is saying here is upon that of our relationship to Him.  He uses the analogy of a grapevine and us, when we become believers, being "grafted" into that grapevine.  The important aspect is that we are in "RELATIONSHIP" with Christ through a type of "GRAFTING" effect that occurs by the Father at the time of our conversion.  Then Jesus goes on to say that we are to "REMAIN" in Him.  Interesting isn't it?  Christ goes into this grafted relationship we have with Him through our faith and belief in Him, and then instructs us to..................... REMAIN IN HIM!  In other words, "Don't leave this relationship that you have been "GRAFTED" into!  Understand, the possibility for relationship in the first place, is based upon the vicarious atonement of Christ!  The One who does the grafting, is the Father!  But the one whose responsibility to remain in that "grafted relationship" with Christ is ........... THE BELIEVERS!  Those who do not "REMAIN" in that "grafted relationship" with Christ are "pruned" away and thrown into the fire for burning!.................. WOW!  Pretty exegetically plain!  

Now the idea that a Believer can "LOOSE" their salvation is a misnomer.   It implies that without the knowledge of the Christian Believer, one can "misplace" their salvation, and hence there is no security. I never get up of a morning and wonder:  "Am I still a Christian Believer today?"  The better terminology is to say that a Believer is secure in their relationship with Christ, so long as they remain in the relationship with Him, to which the Father had grafted them into.  It is a situation of volition!  It is a volitional choice which is manifested in the process of obeying Christ's Words. We then begin to bear fruit as evidence of our relationship of being grafted into Christ.  And, when we do not remain in Him,we cut off the supply of the life-giving relationship that only comes from being "in" Christ!

The argument that was given to my Daughter was that of "preemptive forgiveness."  Let me explain.  It was said to her by another student:  "We are already forgiven for any and all things we could ever do!"  In other words, "preemptive forgiveness."  However, there are two errors with this theory:  First, this theory ignores the Scriptural truth that when we are "in" Christ and Christ is "in" us, indicating to us that of relationship.  Relationship implies a mutuality, not a one-sided "now that I got you, your never leaving this relationship position!"  A relationship is a mutual agreement to enter into intimacy between two-consenting persons.  Any intimate relationship that is NOT mutual and consensual, we refer to as....... RAPE!  We sing and celebrate the fact that as Believers we have a "PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP" with God through Christ.  Yet ANY intimate relationship that says from one person to another:  "Now that you are in an intimate relationship with me, you can NEVER, NEVER, leave!  And, I will make you continue to be intimate with me, whether you like it or not, That type of relationship, we would prosecute the perpetrator who forced their will upon the other person, to the fullest extent of the law!  The second error, is that of viewing our relationship with God through Christ from a Greek way of thinking rather than a Hebraic way of thinking.  The Church of Jesus Christ, here in the West, is often guilty of processing our salvation and faith in Christ through a Greek way of thinking.  A Greek way of thinking is one of reason, a linear-results oriented-thinking.  It is intellectual rather than relational.  A Hebraic way of thinking about our Faith and Salvation is one which focuses upon RELATIONSHIP rather than INTELLECTUAL!  We are NOT in a "linear higher-thinking" relationship with Christ that is centered upon what we know, and once we know that information and enter that relationship, can never leave.  We ARE in a relationship that is just that, a RELATIONSHIP!  A mutual consensual relationship of intimacy based upon the efficacious sacrifice of Christ, and upon our choice to remain IN that relationship!  It's like this:  "The Bridegroom saw His Bride from afar, pursued her, wooed her, and when she agreed to RECEIVE Him as her Bridegroom, entered into an INTIMATE union, based solely upon RELATIONSHIP!  However, as with ANY Bride, that Bride can CHOOSE to DIVORCE the Bridegroom, leave the relationship she has with Him, and be OUT of Relationship, and hence no longer a Bride of the Bridegroom!

I was so proud of my Daughter and the truth she expounded without any fear for being alone in her position!  God has blessed her with a knowledge of His Word and His will, far beyond her years!  To her and to the reader, I say....... Enjoy the RELATIONSHIP you have with Christ, and always REMAIN in Him!

God Bless You!

It's the End of the World!!!

Just think! It's 2012!!!!!! I can hardly believe it! Okay, maybe I'm reminiscing like a man in his late 40's sometimes does, but it seems like just a couple of years ago, many people, including many in the Church, were freaking out about the year 2000! Y2K became synonymous with the apocalypse and many believed that the "end of the world" was upon us. Well, the world didn't end and now were faced with yet ANOTHER prediction. This one comes from the ever credible Mayan pridiction that the world will end December 21, 2012. And the sad thing is, many in the Christian community are swarming to this like some did to the Y2K prediction. Would somebody please answer a question for me? When will the community of the Followers of Jesus learn their lesson concerning the End Times and their predictions? Why do we look to other sources, including pagan sources, at the expensene of ignoring Scripture? Okay, just for the sake of continuity, let me give the reader some Scriptures that should lay this and ALL future predictions to rest (Although I doubt for some it will). Read on... MATTHEW 24:36, & 42-44 NLT. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." For those who don't know yet, these are not just words. These are the very words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He knew that humanity has a propensity to know the future and the times and seasons of God's calendar. However, when the Lord Himself was giving directives to His Disciples to "stay in Jerusalem until they be clothed with power from on high," His Diciples gathered around Him and asked Him the following question, found in Acts 1:6--- “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” And the Lord's response was this in verses 7-8: He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” In other words, the Lord was telling them: "You focus your attention on being filled with the Holy Spirit and His power, and proclaim the gospel to the whole world. Let me worry about when I'm coming back, and the end of the world!" Now Brothers and Sisters, I don't know about you, but that seems pretty straight forward to me as to "where" the focus of our lives as Christian's should be. Our focus and our efforts are to be upon propogating the gospel of Jesus to the ends of the earth, not on the predictions of destruction, apocalypse, and the end of the world from would be prophets! So, the question then might be asked: "When will the Lord return and when will the end come?" The Lord simply tells us to be "READY" at "ALL" times for ONLY God knows when these things will be? When it is time, the Lord Himself will come and get us and further us along the road to the consumation of all things, ........ NOT UNTIL! And He certainly will NOT announce it to humanity AHEAD of time, hence the importance of being "READY" at "ALL" times! Now while these 'end time" predictions are not true. I can give you a prediction that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt WILL come true! ...................................... Many "CHRISTIAN" books, studies,CD's, and DVD's will be made off of this one pagan prediction, and I predict, MANY other wise good Christian people will make these authors a whole LOT of money! Stop worrying! Just be ready at ALL times!........................ Jesus will come and get us,...................... When and ONLY when, the Father is ready and says "It's TIME!"