The end is near?

Isaiah, a prophet of the Judah in the fifth century B.C., spent a lot of time correctly pounding on the Southern Kingdom, telling how God was judging it or about to judge it for its misbehaving.

Some of the harsh words he used included the ninth chapter: "But the people paid no mind to him who hit them, didn't seek God-of-the-Angel-Armies. So God hacked off Israel's head and tail, palm branch and reed, both on the same day. The big-head elders were the head, the lying prophets were the tail. Those who were supposed to lead this people led them down blind alleys, and those who followed the leaders ended up lost and confused. That's why the Master lost interest in the young men, had no feeling for their orphans and widows. All of them were godless and evil, talking filth and folly. And even after that, he was still angry,
his fist still raised, ready to hit them again."

Tough words by God, huh? Judgment isn't for the weak, apparently. Or maybe in another way, it truly is.

I read this morning this story from the Associated Press:  If there had been time, Marie Exley would have liked to start a family. Instead, the 32-year-old Army veteran has less than six months left, which she'll spend spreading a stark warning: Judgment Day is almost here. Exley is part of a movement of Christians loosely organized by radio broadcasts and websites, independent of churches and convinced by their reading of the Bible that the end of the world will begin on May 21, 2011. To get the word out, they're using billboards and bus stop benches, traveling caravans of RVs and volunteers passing out pamphlets on street corners. Cities from Bridgeport, Conn., to Little Rock, Ark., now have billboards with the ominous message, and mission groups are traveling in countries from Latin America to Africa to spread the news outside the U.S. "A lot of people might think, 'The end's coming, let's go party,'" said Exley, a veteran of two deployments in Iraq. "But we're commanded by God to warn people. I wish I could just be like everybody else, but it's so much better to know that when the end comes, you'll be safe."

Two warnings from two prophets. What's the difference, besides billboards, bus stop benches and such?

God said this of prophets: If it comes true, it is of God. If not, it's not. I guess we'll know on May 22.

The people of Judah either hated Isaiah or thought him a fool. I personally think Exley is a couple fries short of a happy meal. But...

The point of all this is be as good as one can possibly be, turn to Christ as your savior when you understand correctly you can't be good enough, and the rest is gravy. At least my daughter Shanna, whose birthday is May 7, will have seen her 30th birthday before the end comes.