Dear people who keep bring up Biblical references.
We got it. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I trust in the Lord.
The thing is...He doesn’t tell you when, or what, or how, except in rather vague open-to-interpretation terms.
This does not allay the feeling of foreboding. If anything, the books of Daniel and Revelation are not particularly comforting. I mean, yeah, the story has a good ending, but there is a lot of nasty crap that happens BEFORE the end.
I would also point out that it seems to me that many Jews in Europe and elsewhere were pretty observant up to the 1940s. Then the holocaust came and 6 million died. And (to many) it seemed like God did nothing to rescue his chosen people. I feel that after the 1940s a great many Jews saw themselves as an ethnic group, with a family history of eating certain foods (matzoh balls, etc.) and perhaps a dialect of some yiddish. But religiously? I think a great many Jews stopped having anything to do with Judaism. Because they expected God to do something. And it seemed like He didn't. So, for many Jews, their new religion became just communism.
So now a lot of Americans feel like something is going to happen. Things are bad. Maybe this would be a good time for Christ to come again, right? And if He doesn't? And the bad times continue? How many will find that their faith has been damaged?
I don't know the hour. I'm not counting on anything. I try to be right with the Lord and we'll just see how it goes.
^this^
“Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior... This does not allay the feeling of foreboding. If anything, the books of Daniel and Revelation are not particularly comforting.”
Modern preaching of the Gospel has become a caricature of that which is contained in the scriptures. Many preachers leave the impression that if you simply repeat a prayer, like a magical incantation, you are guaranteed eternal life with no other conditions. Others add baptism or other requirements but only present Jesus as Savior and not as Lord.
And even if we hear the true Gospel message we are predisposed (myself included) to only hear the parts we want to hear. But there are many, many scriptures that show that true believers and followers of Christ MUST go through suffering, tribulation, adversity, persecution, and various trials and hardships. We MUST follow in Christ’s steps.
The encouragement and consolation of Christ is NOT that we will avoid all hardships or that they will be minimal, but that He will be with us. He will comfort us. He will strengthen us. He will give us the ability to persevere in all these hardships which would certainly destroy us if left to our own abilities.
John 16:33 NKJV
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
I Thessalonians 3:2-4 NKJV
[We] sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.
Revelation 12:11 NKJV
And they [followers of Christ] overcame him [the Devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.