Fallout from Harold Camping's Doomsday Prediction

       When the clock struck 6:01 pm this past Saturday, May 21, 2011, many Christians and non-Christians alike breathed a sigh of relief. The church wasn’t raptured, and a massive earthquake didn’t occur.

       Most of the day Saturday I joked around about Harold Camping’s false prophecy with my mom, my hairstylist, and a fellow patron while getting our hair done at a neighborhood beauty salon.

       “I’m getting my hair done for Jesus,” I quipped.

       “I want to have all of my errands done before 6 pm,” a woman giggled, “so I’ll be ready.”

       Don Lemon, a CNN news anchor, even joked a bit. “Well, it’s 5:52 pm, 8 minutes before the world is supposed to come to an end. I’ll hang around for a couple of seconds after 6 to see if we’re still here.” When it was 6 pm, Lemon said, “Well, looks like we’re still here. Now let’s go to The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” My son and I chuckled as I turned off the television.

Not so Funny

       While some poked fun of the doomsday prediction, because they simply didn’t believe it, at least one of Camping’s followers didn’t think it was so funny. In a news segment on ABC World News Weekend Edition filmed in Times Square New York City, Good Morning America anchor Ron Claiborne interviewed Robert Fitzpatrick, a Camping follower and retiree who allegedly spent a sizeable chunk of his $140,000 life savings on poster advertisements in the New York City subways. Claiborne reported that Fitzpatrick was clearly shaken, shocked, and saddened when nothing happened at 6 pm.

Interrogation Time

       News reporters, cameramen, photographers, and irate New Yorkers surrounded Fitzpatrick in Times Square and peppered him with questions. “We’re still here! We’re still here!” exclaimed an onlooker. “Why didn’t the earthquake happen?” “Why are we still here?” demanded a man in the crowd. Fitzpatrick tried to explain from the bible how Camping arrived at his doomsday prediction. “That’s God Word,” shouted another man. “You shouldn’t play around with God’s Word.” “I want my money back,” demanded a woman. “Are those people who spent money on buses to travel around going to get their money back?” “Are they going to get their money back?”

       My burning question is: What does Camping have to say about all of this? One news report said Camping was in seclusion in Oakland, Calif., and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Can Anything Good Come From This?

       The travesty behind this false prophecy is that many of Camping’s followers spent their hard earned money, left their jobs, left their families, and wasted time traveling the country to spread the news that the world was going to end on May 21, 2011. The false prediction made people nervous at the very least and almost caused a panic. The good news is that this false prediction got people talking about the bible, the gospel, who Jesus is, the fact you must be saved to go to Heaven, and that there will come a time when God’s judgment will come upon the earth. So if it takes an event such as this, even a duplicitous one, to spread the gospel and encourage people to begin thinking about their salvation and spiritual lives, it can’t be all that bad (Philippians 1:18). 


** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Is Christ Coming Back May 21, 2011?

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." (Mark 13:32-33)
       By now, you've probably seen newscasts, YouTube videos, Tweets, Facebook chatter, and billboards, declaring the message that Christ is going to return tomorrow, Saturday, May 21, 2011. You've probably heard that there's going to be a tremendous earthquake that will kill millions of people, and that the church is going to be raptured, and escape God's wrath; and five months later on October 21, 2011, God is going to completely destroy the earth and the universe.
       Well according to the Bible, these proclamations are simply not true. No one knows the day or the hour when the Lord will come back to this earth to take those who believe in Him to Heaven. There are signs of His imminent return (i.e., war in the Middle East, false prophets, earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.), but we cannot know the actual day — no matter how clever our mathematical calculations.
       This false prophecy came from Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster and president of Family Radio, a California-based broadcasting network. Mr. Camping has been known to use so-called Bible-based numerology to predict dates for the end of the world. He miscalculated that Christ would return September 1994. When he realized he was wrong, he recalculated and came up with a new date: May 21, 2011.
       The mention of Christ returning May 21, 2011, has caused quite a stir.
       Many of Mr. Camping's followers have left their jobs and families to stand on street corners and travel from town to town and state to state to tell people the news. I know they mean well, because Jesus said we should share the gospel and warn people of the coming judgment of God, because unless a person is born again, he or she will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
       Just as earthquakes, wars, and rumors of wars are signs of the end times and of Christ's return, so are false prophets spreading false information. "... many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:11). So let us be informed — not deceived.
       Everything we need to know about the truth of Christ's return is in our bibles. All we have to do is open it up and read it. Yes, Christ will return, and God's judgment will take place, but only according to His timing, not ours. "Jesus said to them [his disciples]: It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority" (Acts 1:7).

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Experience God's Resurrection Power

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

Three weeks have whizzed by since we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And while some of us may have moved on with our lives and placed the significance of that day behind us, it’s important to reflect on the impact and the difference the resurrection should make in our daily lives.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can have intimate fellowship with our Heavenly Father and get to know Him better. And we need the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation to accomplish this.

God wants us to get to know Him better and experience His resurrection power in every aspect of our lives — His incomparably great power for us who believe. Just the idea of being able to experience God’s power in every facet of my life gives me goose bumps. Hope. And great joy.

My Pastor said we can miss God’s power if we’re not in tune with Him, which is why we must have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to discern when His power is at work.

However, my Pastor did say that even though we believe in God’s power, that doesn’t mean that everything is always going work out exactly the way we want it to. That grabbed my attention, especially since I’ve been praying and praying and praying for a successful career move for more than a year and not much, if any, fruit has resulted. “Why isn’t God answering my prayers?” I complain. “Is He not listening? Am I doing something wrong? Is God mad at me? How long, O Lord?” 

My Pastor reassured that God’s power is at work in our lives even though we don’t see it. “Whew! That’s a relief,” I thought. For a while, I’ve been wrestling with the horrible, unwarranted thought that God has abandoned me. I know He promises to never leave me nor forsake me, but lately I’ve just been feeling distant from God — as though I’ve entered a dry spell. My faith had been wavering back and forth.

“God’s incomparably great power is available today, right now for those who believe,” my Pastor asserted. I do believe. I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and I want to experience His great power in my life every day. I’ve experienced it plenty of times before, so why not now?

Shameful question.

I know God has blessed me immensely and continues to do so. I have a great husband, son, and family, wonderful friends, and all of my needs are met — and then some. So yes, God’s mighty power is at work in my life indeed. Because Jesus is alive, I have great hope; you have great hope; and our world has great hope.

May we ask the Lord to give us His Spirit of wisdom and revelation to get to know Him better. May we come to know the hope to which He has called us, and experience His incomparably great power as we daily believe and put our trust in Him.

* This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Celebrating Our Risen Lord!

“I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18)

       Whenever the Easter holiday draws near, I often reflect on this passage of scripture more than any other that speaks of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross and His miraculous resurrection. Certainly there are other wonderful, riveting passages such as in the gospels that chronicle his death, burial, and resurrection, and in the Old Testament prophecies.

       These poignant words of Christ in Revelation 1:18, however, give me special comfort, because He emphatically declares that He is the Living One. He is alive today and forevermore through His spirit living inside of me, in other believers, and in the world at large. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, and He is coming back a second time to take all who know and love him to the promised heavenly home.

       Because of Jesus’ shed blood and death on the cross, my sins are forgiven. And because He rose from the dead, I have everlasting life. I love the fact He is alive, working in my life, working in the lives of other believers, and working powerfully in the world.

       After a busy week, with much on my mind, I pray that I will be able to focus on my Lord and Savior, on what He’s done for me, on how much He loves me, and on the promises I have in Him because He is alive. Amen!

Prayer: Lord, may I set aside all of my worries to focus only on you, to focus on the blood you shed for the forgiveness of my sins, to focus on your sacrificial death, and your resurrection that ensures my life eternal. In Your Name I pray, amen.

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here. 

God’s Unexpected Surprises!

“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16)

       “You listen to Joyce Meyer?” my coworker asked me after opening my glove compartment to hand me my sunglasses, which was filled with Michael Jackson and gospel CDs and cassettes. We were headed to the Baltimore Inner Harbor to attend a continuing medical education seminar.

       “My sister listens to Joyce Meyer all the time,” she continued. “Yeah I really like her,” I replied. “Do you listen to Charles Stanley?” I asked. “Yeah I listen to him,” she said. “I love Charles Stanley.”

       Now, I was curious.

       “If she was familiar with Joyce Meyer and listened to Charles Stanley, she must be a Christian,” I thought.

       “I didn’t know you were a Christian Gwen*,” I said. “Oh yeah, I’ve been saved for years.”

       “Really?” I replied.

       Gwen had always been so private about her faith, but not in this moment. She told me how she met the Lord, and how He changed her life. We spent most of the drive to Baltimore talking about how God has worked in each of our lives. It was incredible. “What a blessing,” I thought. God was definitely with us, and He answered my prayers in ways I didn’t expect.

       After we arrived at the hotel where we were staying, we decided to walk along the harbor with our cameras in tow to take in the sites and snap some pictures. (See more photos of the harbor here.) It was sunny, windy, and hot.

       After our hour-long walk and photo session, we freshened up and attended the seminar. While the seminar wasn’t as successful as we’d hoped, I still felt God’s presence.

       The next morning, I ate a delicious buffet breakfast that included hot tea, eggs, grits, bacon, and a bagel with butter and strawberry jam. Yum!

       On the drive back home, Gwen and I continued to talk about the Lord. God’s presence and blessing were still with us. It almost felt euphoric, like I was on a spiritual high.

       When I got home and turned on my computer to check my email and do some work, I received an email from another coworker about how she had received Christ, met with her Pastor to talk about what was going on in her heart, and how excited she was to begin a bible study for the first time. She said she knew I was a Christian, so she felt comfortable sharing her experience with me. I was shocked. “This must be the week God wants me to know who my Christian coworkers are,” I thought.

       Just a few weeks ago, the Lord gave me the opportunity to pray with a coworker who I knew was a Christian about an extremely difficult project we were working on. And when we prayed, God’s presence enveloped us.

       Work has not been pleasant lately, but God surely has brightened things up when I least expected it?  He has a way of doing that, doesn’t he?

May we praise His holy name!

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your mesmerizing presence, the blessing of your people, and your strengthening power. In Jesus’ name, amen.

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Cross in the Sky

“Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?” (Job 37:16)
     I wiped away my tears following a misunderstanding with my husband. I called my best friend for prayer and encouragement. She asked the Lord to give me strength, fill my home with peace, soften my husband’s heart as well as my own, and protect my marriage. Then my friend asked the Lord to please give me a sign to let me know He was there. The next morning, I hopped in my car and ... 
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7 Steps to Fitting Prayer Into Your Busy Life

     Think you're too busy to pray? Think again. Here's how to grab a few moments of quiet time with the Lord and develop a more fruitful prayer life.

     1. Pray in the shower. People often sing in the shower, but why not talk to God while you lather up. It's the perfect time to tell the Lord what's on your mind, thank Him for your blessings — and yes, sing His praises.
     2. Pray while you dress. Don't stop talking to God once you exit the shower — or get out of the bathtub. Continue your dialogue. ...
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Are You Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired?

     “The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.” (Psalm 28:7)

     “I’m so tired. I don’t think I’m going to go to church tomorrow,” I whispered to the Lord last Saturday. “I have to go grocery shopping. Wash, blow dry, and curl my hair. And cook dinner,” I reasoned. “If I go to church, I’ll have no energy to do everything I need to do, so I’ll just stay home.”

     Ever feel so tired and weary that you just want to drive your car out of the fast lane, pull over, and put it in park indefinitely? That’s the way I’ve been feeling lately. Worn out from the heavy workload on my job that zaps all of my strength during the week coupled with the tiresome errands I run on the weekends. I got up Sunday morning and decided not to go to church.

      I cooked bacon, eggs, and toast, and made hot tea for my husband and son. We all sat down and ate together and enjoyed each other’s company. All the while, I felt God nudging me to go to church — to the later service. After wrestling with the idea for an hour or so, I changed my mind and got ready to go.

     “Lord, please prepare my heart for your Word this morning,” I prayed. “Minister to me through the worship songs and through your Word, and give me the strength I need to do all that I need to do today, amen.”

     Within minutes after arriving in the sanctuary, God started answering my prayers. He began speaking to me through the worship songs, and when my Pastor preached the Word. He brought additional scripture to mind for me to meditate on all week to renew my strength, and He gave me a great sense of peace. 

      If I hadn’t gone to church, I would have missed these blessings that God had stored up for me. The blessings of His presence, power, comfort, renewed strength, and the peace I so desperately needed to begin a very busy, challenging week. I probably would have gotten everything done that I wanted to get done, but I would have felt empty and even more depleted. Turns out, I didn’t get everything done, but I was able to complete it all by the middle of the week. A small sacrifice, considering the blessings I received from the Lord.

     What I’ve learned is that life will continue to tire you out. But the Lord promises to renew your strength if you trust in, rely on and wait on Him. You can wait on Him anywhere and anyplace, and He’ll be there for you with open arms. Of course, the key to receiving what He has for you is to seek Him with all your heart. In doing so, He will be found.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, when we find ourselves tired and weary from our busy lives, put a desire in our hearts to seek your face, so you can renew our strength, give us your presence, and fill us with peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays. 

"Beyond Scared Straight' Where is Jesus in our prisons? Part 2

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:6)

       Last week, I was reminded of the horrors of prison life from a spectator’s perspective as I watched Beyond Scared Straight, the critically acclaimed hour-long documentary series on A&E that follows inmate-run intervention programs that expose at-risk teens to the realities of life behind bars.

       The prison environment is hostile, violent and chaotic at best. Fear, anxiety, anger, wrath, and rage are the predominant emotions. Inmates scream and yell obscenities within their cells. You can be killed, beaten, stabbed, raped, and assaulted any minute of the day.

       My question was why? Why? I just didn’t understand it.

       Why is there so much hate and violence among the prisoners? Where is Jesus in the midst of this hell? I know prison ministries exist, but from the looks of things the kingdom of darkness seemed to be winning the war against the Kingdom of Light.

       Not so at Louisiana State Penitentiary, better known as Angola State Prison — a maximum-security facility that won a reputation for being one of the most bloodiest, violent jails in the country. Reason: Jesus stepped into the picture through the Awana^® Lifeline™ prison ministry. Many inmates have received Christ, and as a result, the entire prison environment has changed. The Lord walked in, and the violence walked out. The prisoners were set free from the rage, violence, and other besetting sins that plagued them.

      Lifeline is touching the hearts of these inmates through its ground-breaking prison program Returning Hearts Celebration™ and Malachi Dads™. Returning Hearts Celebration is a carnival-style event that allows day-long interaction between inmate fathers and children. Inmates have the opportunity to reconcile with children they may not have seen for years. The program debuted at Angola and has expanded to 17 other prisons and jails across the country.

       Malachi Dads is a yearlong program that trains and equips inmates to become better fathers and spiritual leaders to their children. Last year, 119 men graduated from the program at Angola (Source: Christian NewsWire).

       This is great news that should bring us infinite hope as Christians. That there is power in the gospel to change lives, even the lives of those who seem to be eternally lost. Take a few moments to watch this powerfully inspiring video. As one of my friends warned: It will bring tears to your eyes. Enjoy!


** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays where you can visit Charlotte and Ginger's incredible blog that gives glory to God. Enjoy! **

'Beyond Scared Straight' Where is Jesus in our Prisons? Part 1

“I, the Lord have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:6-7)

“Line up right here!” Get in a straight line!” “Do what I tell you to do!” “When you hear the code 2 alarm, crouch down on the ground, and don’t move!” screamed a prison guard to about 10 teenage boys who were visiting San Quentin State Prison in California, a historic prison known for housing the most violent criminals in the country.

       In horror, I watched Beyond Scared Straight, the hour-long documentary series on A&E that follows inmate-run intervention programs that exposes at-risk teens to the realities of life behind bars. 

       These particular teens were participating in the Squires program, a juvenile delinquency deterrence program that brings delinquent youth to San Quentin Prison to speak to inmates and witness firsthand the horrors of life in jail.

       The teens were there because they’ve disrespected authority at home and in school, sold drugs, robbed and assaulted innocent people, stole cars, and used drugs.

       My heart went out to them because many came from broken homes, were simply misguided, and were seemingly without hope. But what was even more shocking were the conditions at San Quentin State Prison.

       The prison environment at San Quentin is hostile, violent and chaotic at best. Fear, anxiety, anger, wrath, and rage are the predominant emotions. Inmates scream and yell obscenities for sport within their cells. You can be killed, beaten, and maimed any minute of the day. Rape, murder, and assault are commonplace.

       My question is why? Why? A naive question I know. But I just don’t understand it.

       I know prison ministries exist, but from the looks of things they don’t seem to have as big of an impact as the Kingdom of God should have on the kingdom of darkness. I’ve heard that people get saved in prison and turn their lives around, but it seems as though Satan and his kingdom rule and reign. So I ask, “Where is Jesus in the prison system? Where is He? The prisoners, guards, and the administrators need the Lord of Glory badly.

Prayer: Lord, please have mercy on those young teens who are witnessing firsthand the harsh realities of prison life, and help them turn their lives around before it’s too late. And may your powerful Holy Spirit permeate the hearts, minds, and souls of all the prison inmates, guards and administrators in America and abroad, in your Name we pray, amen!