September 23, 2010

2012?
Acts 1:6-7 (NLT)

"When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, 'Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?' He replied, 'The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.' " Acts 1:6-7 (NLT)

Pastor's Blog

Is Jesus coming back in 2012?

As your pastor, I can definitively say "I don't know". Actually Jesus said in a number of places, that He didn't know either. Actually. . . . . .he said asking this question is completely missing the point.

The disciples had in mind the centuries-old Jewish question, "when will God finally restore Israel to rightful place of power and leadership in the world?"

Back in vs 3 Luke tells us that Jesus had been teaching them about the Kingdom of God. It was very difficult for these devout Jewish followers of Jesus to understand that the "Kingdom" was something far bigger than they thought it was.

I think that we, too, need a much expanded view of the Kingdom of God as well. Do you recall how Jesus taught his followers to pray?

"This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV)

It will be a very glorious day when heaven will have come "down" to earth and merged with it and in the merging have created a new heaven and a new earth on which a renewed creation and humanity will live in a way than perhaps even exceeds Eden.

That is the sure hope and the promise of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 2012? Who knows? Someday? For sure.

(to post your thoughts, anonymously if you wish, simply click on "comments" below)