December 21, 2012 is the day that many are forecasting calamity for the Earth and all that is on it. The Mayan Calendar, Hopi Indians, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Merlin, Einstein, Shirley MacLaine, Mother Shipton, Jack Van Impe, the I Ching, planet Nibriu, Numerology, Book of Mormon, Book of Revelation, Bible Codes, Magnetic Polar Shifts, Solar Flairs, Alien Invasion, all are in the mix and each become a prediction of catastrophe for planet Earth on or near December 21, 2012.
The evidence is overwhelming right? Wrong! I’ve perused the information, listened to video clips, heard the science and all of it is unsubstantiated. Even the so-called Walking Bible, Jack Van Impe, has gotten onboard with the hype. None of the aforementioned has clearly indicated the time of the Earth’s end. The Mayan Calendar ends, or is it cyclical? Or, could it be that when the Mayans were decimated they were unable to complete any more calculations and add to their calendar?
There are too many questions. Prognosticators speak from ignorance, whether they are spiritual prophets or scientists making their guess-timations. I’ve heard or read nothing that seems to have any substantial evidence to predict the end of the world except from the Bible.
The Bible has given us an answer. God will send His Son to earth a second time to save those who have placed their faith in His sacrificial death, burial and resurrection (Hebrews 9:27-28). Those who haven’t faith will be judged guilty of their offense. The heavens and earth will be destroyed by God’s power and a New Heaven and a New Earth will be prepared for God’s saved people (Revelation 21:1). When will these things happen? No one knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36), but an indication is that the times will be like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39), or at least the surprise will be like when the rain began and the waters rose. No one knows except God. So we are told to be ready, because His coming will a surprise (1st Thessalonians 5:1-3).
How are we to be ready? Accept that God is Creator, and Sovereign over all things and even yourself (Revelation 4:11). Acknowledge that He is good and loving, but is also just (2nd Thessalonians 1:6). Realize you have offended God by not holding the moral standards He has and has intended mankind to live by (1 Peter 1:15-16; Romans 3:23). Understand God loves you and has supplied a way for you to be forgiven of all your offenses against His perfect standards. God sent the Co-Creator (John 1:1-4 and verse 14), Jesus Christ, to live as a man, live an example of Godly Ethic, and then be falsely charged with crimes He didn’t commit, and then executed by Roman crucifixion. God tells us that Jesus was sent for this purpose, to die by Roman hands, but die by God’s decree as a sacrifice of substitution (Galatians 4:4-7).
At the cross God placed the guilt of everyone’s sin (offense) upon Jesus (1st Peter 3:18). Jesus took not only the beatings and crucifixion, but also the judgment of our sin, which was laid upon Him. He died in our stead, so we could be judged as righteous as He truly was and is. Wow, that is an awesome expression of God’s love for you and I (Romans 5:6-11).
How can that righteousness (innocence) be applied to our lives? It begins with receiving the message (Romans 10:17). Then we are to believe the message about God’s love (John 3:16). That belief (faith) is to move us to repentance (change our direction to follow Jesus as Sovereign – Acts 3:19). Then we are to Call Upon Jesus to accept us (Acts 2:21). Finally, we are to imitate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and have our own death of sin, leaving the old life behind in burial, and being raised to new life in baptism (immersion in water – Acts 2:38 & Romans 6:1-8). At that time God promises to forgive us our sins based upon what Jesus has done and our acceptance of Jesus, and His righteousness is credited to us (Romans 4:23-25).
Then we live for Christ by following the teaching of the New Testament Scriptures. Of course, the more a Christian learns from the Bible the more they adore their God and understand the benefit of submitting to His Sovereignty (Philippians 3:7-14).
