Saddleback Article
This is a posting on a email from Saddleback Church's Purpose Driven Life campaign. I get emails from them each week, and a few are worth reading over and over. Read on and give me some feedback on what your thoughts are about this article.
Planet earth: Late but still great
by John Fischer
The Lord is coming back. Christ’s return is imminent. Every generation believes theirs will be the one to see it. I certainly did, having been a young adult during the Jesus movement in the early 1970s. We were sure the return of Christ was right around the corner. We wrote songs about it. Hal Lindsay wrote a book about it – Late Great Planet Earth. Larry Norman wrote a song to leave behind after we were gone – “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.”
And here we are, 30 years later, aging Jesus people, going to work and trying to provide a future for our children and grandchildren. Believe me, the Lord has heard from me a few times about this. There was something very glamorous about being part of a revival that would usher in the last days and the return of Christ, especially when you were 24 years old and single with nothing more than a backpack and a guitar. Besides, we were part of a generation that prided itself in being anti-establishment, anti-mortgage, anti-credit card, anti-insurance. We were going to just be one big love-in, living off the land and taking care of each other until Christ returned, which wasn’t supposed to be more than two or three years, max.
I reflect back on those years sometimes and see how selfish we were. Had we gotten our wish, many of you who are reading this right now would not have existed. You wouldn’t have even gotten to be the proverbial gleam in your parent’s eye, since they never would have met. I think in some ways, every generation wants to be the last, especially when we face the dark side of our existence and long for heaven where there will be no more pain or sorrow.
But it’s not about us. It’s about all those who haven’t joined the fold – haven’t yet come into the family. “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)
Shame on us for thinking only of ourselves. We’re so quick to scramble on the ark and then close the door and let the rains come. God is more concerned about those who might be left behind than we are, or else he would have returned years ago. We can get so wrapped up in this. We can spend an inordinate amount of time poring over Scripture trying to figure out exactly when this will happen, and then get into arguments with each other over exactly how we think it will happen, when the only reason it hasn’t happened yet is standing outside our door, waiting to be loved.
John Fischer resides in Southern California with his wife, Marti and son, Chandler. They also have two adult children, Christopher and Anne. John is a published author and popular speaker.
Planet earth: Late but still great
by John Fischer
The Lord is coming back. Christ’s return is imminent. Every generation believes theirs will be the one to see it. I certainly did, having been a young adult during the Jesus movement in the early 1970s. We were sure the return of Christ was right around the corner. We wrote songs about it. Hal Lindsay wrote a book about it – Late Great Planet Earth. Larry Norman wrote a song to leave behind after we were gone – “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.”
And here we are, 30 years later, aging Jesus people, going to work and trying to provide a future for our children and grandchildren. Believe me, the Lord has heard from me a few times about this. There was something very glamorous about being part of a revival that would usher in the last days and the return of Christ, especially when you were 24 years old and single with nothing more than a backpack and a guitar. Besides, we were part of a generation that prided itself in being anti-establishment, anti-mortgage, anti-credit card, anti-insurance. We were going to just be one big love-in, living off the land and taking care of each other until Christ returned, which wasn’t supposed to be more than two or three years, max.
I reflect back on those years sometimes and see how selfish we were. Had we gotten our wish, many of you who are reading this right now would not have existed. You wouldn’t have even gotten to be the proverbial gleam in your parent’s eye, since they never would have met. I think in some ways, every generation wants to be the last, especially when we face the dark side of our existence and long for heaven where there will be no more pain or sorrow.
But it’s not about us. It’s about all those who haven’t joined the fold – haven’t yet come into the family. “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)
Shame on us for thinking only of ourselves. We’re so quick to scramble on the ark and then close the door and let the rains come. God is more concerned about those who might be left behind than we are, or else he would have returned years ago. We can get so wrapped up in this. We can spend an inordinate amount of time poring over Scripture trying to figure out exactly when this will happen, and then get into arguments with each other over exactly how we think it will happen, when the only reason it hasn’t happened yet is standing outside our door, waiting to be loved.
John Fischer resides in Southern California with his wife, Marti and son, Chandler. They also have two adult children, Christopher and Anne. John is a published author and popular speaker.
posted by caryn at 7:05 PM
2 Comments:
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Caryn, I like that a lot! It is so true. I think this is why I try so hard to get my family to see the light. I have had nightmares that I was sitting on the front porch at my parents house and Jesus was coming in the clouds, so I ran to the door and started screaming that Jesus was coming. I was banging on the door and yelling for them to come see, but they just ignored me. They didn't want to hear any of it! I don't want anyone to miss out on His great return! I want to dedicate the rest of my life, getting people to know Him, and come to love Him and live for Him. I know it is really hard to do that with family because they think we are idiots, but I know with them if I just continue to live my life for Jesus, and show them love, they will one day know what I know. I think we are called to do this. Everyone deserves to know that they are loved by God!!!:-) And even if He doesn't return while we are living, we will have left a new generation of believers that will carry out what we are doing now.
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