Live a life of readiness – Pastor George Frederick

By now persons would have moved past the apocalyptic prophecy of Harold Camping, a California based radio evangelist who foretold the world’s end on May 21 this year.{{more}}

When nothing happened, he revised his prophecy saying that he was off by five months and that the new date for the day of rapture is October 21, 2011.

This has been Camping’s third attempt following on his failed September, 1994 prediction.

Whether or not Vincentians took this as truth, it certainly created a talking point among individuals.

For sure, it has been reported in the American media that many people in the United States had given up their earthly possessions and consequently when the world did not end on May 21, have been left with nothing.

In an article that appeared on ‘CNN Money’ on June 1, it was reported that Eileen Heuwetter was shocked to find that her aunt had left the majority of her estate to Family Radio, the group which was responsible for the doomsday warnings.

After all there have been numerous previous predictions beginning in 1843, when William Miller predicted that Christ would return between March 1843 and March 1844.

Like Camping, Miller revised his prediction saying that his calculation was wrong and changed the date to October, 1844.

Some claim that Miller’s theology gave rise to the Adventist movement; however, Pastor Terence Haynes, Seventh Day Adventist Minister refutes this claim, saying that despite popular belief, the church came into existence in the 1860s.

“I know they say that Adventists preach the same thing,” he stated.

However, his opinion was no different than what is generally known by scholars of theology and lay people alike and is found in Matthew 24:36 that “… but about that day or hour no one knows” except God.

Haynes was one of a few of this country’s religious leaders whom SEARCHLIGHT interviewed to shed some light on the age-old false prediction.

Some refused to comment on the issue; however, Haynes was very vocal on the subject.

“No one can predict the future,” he said, adding that the Bible also says that people must not be deceived.

He added that the existing constitution does not prohibit anyone from expressing their religious belief, as long as it does not violate the laws of the land.

“But it is up to the people to be knowledgeable enough to realize a wrong interpretation,” Haynes contended.

“The antidote for deception is knowledge, but more specifically biblical knowledge,” he continued.

He was of the opinion that once people spend enough time to read what the Bible says, they will be in a better position to decide if a person is right or wrong.

Haynes addressed briefly the issue of the signs of the times saying that many were of the view that we are indeed in apocalyptic times, based on the events taking place around us.

But according to Haynes, there is nothing new about the signs, except the intensity of the storms or natural disasters.

He spoke of the concept of the movie ‘2012’, saying that one of the probable reasons why the movie was a blockbuster hit was because people are now sensitive to the idea that we are living in the signs of the times.

“Non-Christian entities are realizing that there is something in this,” he said.

If anything else, Haynes said that the predictions are a good opportunity for us to review our eternal state.

“It was a good opportunity for the world to stop and ask, am I ready?” he said.

While saying that scripture does indicate that no man knows the hour, we run the risk of becoming complacent.

Pastor George Frederick, Preacher and Bible Teacher of the Hilltop Tabernacle Church expressed the same view.

“This (prediction) thing may have mixed fortunes,” Frederick said.

He also said that there was the danger of people becoming desensitized to the importance of getting themselves ready for the next coming of Christ.

“Christ said He will come again, but now the whole thing is beginning to sound like a joke,” Frederick told SEARCHLIGHT.

He contended that this may be one of the ploys of the evil one, adding that at the hour when everyone least expects, the day of rapture can happen.

“My attitude is to live a life of readiness,” Frederick said.