Longing for Jesus to Return

Alaska is a wild place to live, but my search for gold was not "panning out" too well. Days and weeks working in the cold rivers left me tired. One day, on a hunting trip, I met two men who told me to prepare for the return of Jesus, who could be arriving any day. They read to me from their Bible as we sat on a hilltop overlooking the Yukon River valley, waiting for a moose to pass by, our rifles in our hands.

I was struck by their words and wondered what I should do, and asked them what they thought. They were not so helpful, simply telling me that for me to be accepted by God, it would have to be a very powerful work of the Lord. I guess that the impression I gave them was not too favorable, in terms of my faith, appearance, and potential.

But after parting company, I harbored a deep desire to continue in the new embryonic faith I had found, by finding for myself the path that I should take. Deciding I should leave Alaska, I traveled to my home state of Oregon to see family and friends and share my thoughts with them. Arriving in Eugene in January, I was on a street when I bumped into two strangers who would become my best friends.

They told me we were entering a Messianic Age, that the Messiah was with us, and that I was welcome to study the scriptures with them. I agreed with their offer and the studies were like the windows of Heaven were opened. I understood things from the Bible so clearly, like never before, and armed with the power of understanding the providence and work of God, I wanted to tell everyone about this age that we are living in right now, the time of the return of the Lord.



I got a Revelation: The Messiah is on the Earth!



That was when my life changed, turned around, and began to bring me so much happiness. I always thank God for that time that was so precious so many years ago. Today, I continue my journey of faith and feel that we are now so much closer to that world of peace than ever before. We are approaching the year 2012, a transitional time, when we will no longer have to wait for change; it will be upon us.

See Also:
A Clear Explanation of How the 2nd Coming Will Occur

Death Camp Laborer

Author Michael Breen's book, Sun Myung Moon, The Early Years, 1920-53, describes what it was like living for nearly three years in a death camp, the crime being his speaking out for God in North Korea, an atheistic military state.

Rev. Moon was teaching his vision of the unfolding of the providence of the Second Coming of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. His work was very successful, and brought him to the attention of authorities who wanted him removed from the scene so that society could be more quickly controlled totally by a culture of communism. Ironically, it was faith leaders who complained to authorities that led to his trial and imprisonment.

The prisoners had extreme working conditions, very little food, and were not expected to live more than 6 months. The communist regime simple wanted them out of the way but did not want to turn public opinion against their regime by killing them outright. So the death camp was a solution preferred. It served to get rid of those branded as enemies of the state but squeezing all the work possible out of them before they died of exhaustion and hunger.

The fertilizer plant in Hungnam where Moon was a prison laborer from 1948 to 1950 is seen in the two photographs, taken in the 1930s when the factory was run by a Japanese company, the Nippon Nitrogen Fertilzer Co., Tokyo.

See Also
Michael Breen's account of Re. Moon's years in N Korean prison

2012 and Messianic Expectation

As we approach the year 2012, we are seeing an explosion of new books and articles about what we might encounter at that time. Some say it will be the end of the world as we know it, while others say we are entering a transformational period leading to a time of peace.

This expectation is largely due to the 5000 year old Mayan calendar coming to an abrupt end. It seems the winter solstice of 2012 is the last event recorded on their "long count" calendar. This calendar, carved in stone, is one of the few communication left from their culture, as most was destroyed during their colonization by Europeans.

There are many ideas about what may happen in 2012, and to some Christian groups there is a related idea that this may be the time of the Messiah's return--there are Biblical prophecies that this time will have calamities and disasters of very large scale, like the end of the world.

Predictions of Nostradamus about 2012


One explanation which I have found to be extremely helpful comes from Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who feels that this time is a time of transition to a new world. The Messiah does return and will be able to teach us how to live lives filled with love and blessings. Mankind will become one family under God and the earth will be filled with peace and joy. It may not be as simple as it sounds, however, because just to teach his message he has encountered so much opposition that prisons were his home on many occasions. His autobiography, as a Peace Loving Global Citizen, describes some of these hardships and was published in 2010.

See Also
The Meaning of the Last Days