A staggering statistic:
“If you were to stare at pictures of people in the northeast of Brasil at the rate of five pictures every second of every minute of every day, without blinking, it would take almost two and a half years just to see all of the lost people of the northeast of Brasil. If you include the millions more that would have been born in that time, it would take even longer. If you slowed down the rate of looking at the pictures to one face per second, just long enough for you to say “Jesus” to each one, it would take more than 91 years to look at every picture.”
I often hear pastors and men of God speak of Jesus’ Second Coming with a sense of prideful enlightenment and knowing in their voices. They quote scriptures and speak of repentance and the coming Judgement as if Jesus Himself has consulted with them on this impending event. They even “know” the date, time and location and are more than happy to share this with us. After all, if it wasn’t for their insight we would be totally unprepared and in danger of missing the whole event.
I appreciate their concern and their compassion. I mean, I definitely don’t want to miss such a wonderful happening. What a great story it would make for my grandkids.
I can even see myself, 80 years old and rocking peacefully with my little granddaughter on my knee, telling her about that day:
“Little Janie, your old grandpa was there that day when Jesus Himself came back to this broken and crazy world. Man, it was something. He was riding a beautiful white horse, an Arabian I think, and his robe was justa glowing. He looked better than even the Bible said he would. He then started calling His people home and…”
Little granddaughter: “But grandpa, I thought you were saved and a child of God. Why are you still here?”
Old me: “Well, you see, I didn’t know he was coming back on that particular day and at that particular time. I missed the announcements and advertisements that some great men of God had sent out to everyone. I guess I was on vacation that week or maybe I had my head in the sand that day. Either way, I’m still kicking myself about it.”
I know that my Jesus is coming back one day to get me and all of his children. This is a certainity that the Bible promises us. I don’t know the date, time, year, location or anything else concerning His return. All I know is that “no one knows the hour of My (Jesus) return” and that He will come “as a thief in the night would come.” That’s good enough for me. Anyway, I have to run a video camera on Sunday and I’ve got choir practice too so I just don’t have the time to worry about that now.
I also know one minor detail that seems to get lost in all this Coming talk: He clearly states in the Bible that He will not come again until His name has been spoken to ALL people, and His gift of salvation has been shared with all those lost that have never heard.
So just based on that minor detail and that staggering statistic concerning just one location on this big earth, I think it’s realistic to say that “it’s gonna be a while.”
That unfortunately is the sad part of this but luckily we have some hope. All we have to do is get busy fulfilling The Great Commission, and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The faster we reach the world’s lost the quicker we can go home and spend eternity with our Lord and Savior.
Ready…set…go!!!!!!!!!!
P.
It’s so true that we as the body of Christ need to operate in union. I agree that Christians really need to take a proactive approach to that Christly commission. If we love him, we will do these things, there’s no arguement there.
However, its important to remember that, A. The Bible talks more about the end times than any other subject at all, B. Jesus himself (who’s personal ministry was for humans) spoke more on the end times than any other topic (at least of what we have recorded of him saying). The commission should most definetly be way up there, but if God talked so much about the end times, shouldn’t we be ready? Wouldn’t it make sense to give this topic some serious consideration instead of an “i’m to busy with church to get into that topic” approach? The way i see it, a deep, correct understanding of the end times is a necessary pre-requisite to our earthly ministries. I think the more understanding we have about the end times, the better equipped we’ll be to impact as many lives as we can.
By the way, the staggering statistic is surely true, but it’s a little misleading considering that only one person in the world (one christian) is looking at the pictures. If we all had a share in the load (not to mention, God doesn’t necessarily need us for every salvation) we could make an even more impressive statistic.
Another impressing statistic (I think the research is done by YWAM, i’d be more than glad to get the info) is that actually, within ten years (assuming technology within those ten years didn’t even further lessen the time) every unbeliever could be reached with the gospel. We do in fact have this technology. so i think it’s realistic to say that 10 years is a pretty relatively short time.
Christ does say Watch and pray, for you do not know the hour. So we are supposed to be mindful of these things. I think its interesting that jesus who came to earth for his ministry to humans took so much time to talk about that “Day”. By the way, He also says no one knows, it would be changing his words to say no one can or ever will know. Also, surely he will come as a thief in the night to those who are unprepared. It’s practically the shortened version of the parable of the ten virigns. If several times Jesus says watch and pray, would it really make sense that we wouldn’t have an idea of his return?
I think we definetly do need to pay attention (maybe a lot more of it) on what the bible says about the end times, not just what we’ve been taught (and i’m speaking to myself right there). In the meantime, we must continue to carry our crosses and run the race that requires perseverance. it is critical to do this and our readings in a manner which allows the bible to speak for itself, instead of reading with Eisegesis lenses on!
Blessings from you’re brother in Christ!
-Jordan Maffuccio
By: Jordan Maffuccio on March 24, 2009
at 1:11 pm
Jordan, thanks for the comment. I agree that the “End Times” is an important spiritual theme that every Christian needs to have knowledge and understanding about. I do believe we are living in the End Times and biblical prophecy is being fulfilled. However, my effectiveness in reaching lost souls isn’t dependent on my knowledge of the End Times. One has nothing to do with the other. When I minister to and witness to unbelievers, the focus is solely on the birth, life, sacrifice, death and resurrection of Christ and the principles of love, hope, faith, mercy and grace. Knowledge of the End Times shouldn’t even be in the conversation because that topic is more a “meat and potatoes” topic. You can’t witness to someone that isn’t a Christian and give them a lecture on the End Times. You’d blow them out of the water and probably hinder the planting of the seed. As a Christian, God does expect us to know His Word….all of it but that comes with spiritual maturity and seeking Him more and more.
Although Jesus and the Bible may speak a lot on the topic of the End Times, Jesus is clear what the most important Command/Commission is for a Christian. It’s the Great Commission and reaching lost souls. Think about what Jesus said are the two MOST IMPORTANT commands: to love God with all your heart, soul, body, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as you love God (and yourself.) The Great Commission is actually the sum of those two commands. How did God show His great love for us: by sending Christ to reach mankind’s lost souls. Christ was the first Missionary. Let’s take it even further – it was so important that Christ left us His Holy Spirit through which we have His authority and power to reach lost souls.
The “I’m too busy” comment was a tongue-in-cheek line. Basically, I was stating that we as Christians often spend too much time on matters that aren’t meant to be known or even understood, such as predicting the exact time of Jesus’ return. The date and time really isn’t important and the Bible is clear that no one knows or will know… not even Jesus in human form knew this and didn’t care to know. He knew it was in His Father’s timing. It’s more important for us to recognize where were are in God’s prophetic timeline than detailed dates.
Also, just with all statistics, you could pick them apart and stress over, well….if one person looked at them versus two versus three. The point is that there are a lot of lost souls that aren’t being reached by God’s Army and we need to step up. Technology is a good tool to utilize but has to be driven by the Christian who is willing to utilize it to reach lost souls. The sooner the better, right? Five years, ten years would be awesome.
Again, thanks Jordan and take care. Love in Christ, P.
By: patrickandchristy on March 26, 2009
at 1:02 pm