Survey: Only 11% of Americans believe world will end in their lifetime
February 18, 2009
Baptist Press (HT: Civitate)
‘Twas the Night before Jesus Came’
December 5, 2008
I first heard this from my in-laws. Whether it jives with your end-times framework perfectly or not, I hope you can still appreciate it:
‘Twas The Night Before Jesus Came
Audrey Patricia Woolverton
‘Twas the night before Jesus came, and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!
The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said “it’s not here” my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There’s only one life and when comes the last call
We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!
Audio: recent lectures on dispensationalism
October 24, 2008
Delivered at the recent Darby Day Conference. Posted at the blog of the Trinity Millennialism Project:
- Dr Thomas Ice - “J. N. Darby and the Irvingites.”
- Dr Paul Wilkinson - “Can these bones live? - J. N. Darby and the Return of Israel’s King.”
- Dr Mark Sweetnam - “Two Peoples, Two Destinies, Two Bibles? - J. N. Darby’s Differential Hermeneutic.”
(HT: Allen Mickle)
FYI (from the TMP site):
John Nelson Darby, a Trinity graduate and Gold Medallist (1819), is arguably one of the most important but least well known of Irish thinkers. Darby was a principal architect of ‘dispensational premillennialism,’ an evangelical end-of-the-world-view to which an estimated 100 million Americans subscribe and which underpins Left Behind, the best-selling series of novels in American literary history, and, arguably, a series of presidential administrations. The Trinity Millennialism Project aims to emphasise the importance of Darby’s Irish context in a series of key events and publications, including a significant digitization project and the first intellectual biography of Darby.
Columbus didn’t want to be Left Behind
October 15, 2008
Steven Waldman, editor-in-chief at beliefnet, discusses the explorer’s peculiar end-times beliefs:
“Christopher Columbus believed the world would soon end. In the year 1652, to be exact, Christ would return and usher in a glorious new Kingdom — if certain prophecies were fulfilled before then.”
Interview with Pocket Guides author Jason Boyett
October 13, 2008
… at the Ooze:
“Why do believers need a Pocket Guide to the Bible?
BOYETT: Despite going to church three times a week and listening to Focus on the Family every day and purpose-driving our lives all over the place, we’re still pretty clueless about the Bible. I’ve been attending church from infancy, and there were stories I found in the Bible, while doing my research, that I’d never read before.”
