Thursday, February 16, 2012

Where does God dwell?

I was sitting at home on my patio this morning and enjoyed my first cup of  java.  I love that first cup in the morning.  I looked up at the trees and there were a bunch of birds singing, which made me think about God. His beautiful creation which  is revealed through the animal kingdom, the universe, nature and man. I see how wonderfully and marvelously He created everything.  The birds were singing a song early in the morning and I wondered, are they praising God, thanking Him for life and the provisions He gives them daily? 
I live close to the Pacific Ocean and I can see wonderful sunsets and the waves with surfers riding them just about everyday. It's just so beautiful to look at the blue water and the dolphins showing up from time to time,  pelicans flying by and just enjoying in general what God has blessed me with. We live on this blue planet called earth and considering how big the universe is and how far away the other solar systems are, made me think of the awesomeness of God. He spoke everything into existence, mind blowing in itself. I don't think we even can ever really comprehend how big the universe is and how small we really are.
Contemplating on all of that makes one wonder, where does God dwell or tabernacle? The scriptures tell us that God created all things and that He is outside of His creation. Time as we know it does not exist for God. He is eternal and always was and will be. He can see the end from the beginning, another mind blower. Where does He dwell? He created the space to put the universe in and made this planet we call home for us to dwell on. So, I'm sitting there pondering all those things and do I have an answer? No, I don't. Is the heavenly realm another dimension another unseen parallel world, or maybe God has the whole universe in a glass bowl next to His throne?  What if the universe is so small that God holds it in the palm of His hand? Does the universe end somewhere and where did the space come from for the universe with all it's galaxies to fit in?
I can not buy in to the theory that all we see was by accident about 4.3 billion years ago. Something so organized and beautiful as the universe can not just come out of an explosion. That is like taking a stick of dynamite and throwing it into a printing factory and out of the explosion come the Declaration of Independence.  Everything is just perfect and right for us here on earth to live on. God placed the earth in our solar system in such a way that there are no obstructions to look out into space. I think He did that on purpose: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." Psalm 19:1.
As I said, I don't know where God dwells and how that might look but I can't wait to be there one day. That He promised us. "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2, 3.
Today so many scientist still trying to figure out the universe and come up with all kinds of explanations of how it came into being and how we evolved from some kind of fish. Nothing but theories and no concrete and absolute answers. We made it to the moon and now we are trying to reach Mars. What are we gonna do on Mars? Open up a Walmart? Even if we would have people reaching mars and live on mars, that is nothing compared to how big this universe is and places that we will never reach. Now the scientist at Cern are trying to find the "God particle" at the Hadron collider in Geneva Switzerland. 
Here is a small quote from their website: "The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a gigantic scientific instrument near Geneva, where it spans the border between Switzerland and France about 100m underground. It is a particle accelerator used by physicists to study the smallest known particles – the fundamental building blocks of all things. It will revolutionize our understanding, from the minuscule world deep within atoms to the vastness of the Universe."
It will revolutionize our understanding? I don't think that we will ever understand the awesomeness of God. "God said let there be light and it was." Finite man with finite minds trying to explain how the universe came into existence. I rather believe God's word, "Light be." 
Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?" Job 38:3-5.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8, 9.
Where do You dwell oh LORD?

Why does God?

Why does God allow so much suffering in the world, is a question I hear many times from believers and unbelievers alike. Unbelievers argue, if God is all knowing and all all powerful, why does He just sit by and does nothing to prevent suffering? People are getting murdered and God does nothing to prevent it. Women get raped and killed, God does nothing. Many people are brutalized around the world and God does nothing to stop it. There are government's that oppresses the people, that kill and jail them or torture people that are in opposition e.g Syria.
We hear and see of these atrocities and suffering everyday in the media. Suicide bombers that kill innocent people for their cause. Heinous crimes committed against humanity and individuals, yet God chooses to do nothing to stop any of it. These are legitimate arguments, if God sees all things, knows all things, why doesn't he do anything about it?
Believe me, I have asked myself that question many times. Why does God? Whenever the question arises why does God, we don't have the answers and we just don't know. In that case we need to go back to what we do know, God is all powerful, all knowing and He is in control. His ways are higher than our ways.
Although it seems for us to be incomprehensible the things that are going on around the world and in our own neighborhood, there is a purpose for everything. First of all I would have to say that it is not God that causes all the sufferings in the world, it is us. It is mankind that has disobeyed God almost from the beginning and we see the consequences thereof. We are living in a fallen world and in this fallen world we will have to suffer these consequences. It is not that God likes to see or enjoys these sufferings, but He does allow them for His divine and ultimate purposes. He has given man a free will and freedom to choose.
Unfortunately, we as mankind have made the wrong choices and exercised our free will. We have followed man's wisdom rather than God's wisdom.  Has God ever intervened in man's affairs? I am certain that He has. The Bible teaches very clearly that He is in control. "The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, "if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. "And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, "if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it." Jer 18:7-10. God is the one that establishes kingdoms and rulers for His purpose and He is in absolute control over them.
I am a firm believer that God has established the United States and has blessed the United States. People in the US are truly blessed compared to so many other places in the world. But I also see a dangerous trend of abandoning God in this country which will result in God withdrawing more and more of His blessings. That is a choice that we as a county have to make. There are some that want to remove God from everyday life and I believe that we will reap the consequences as a nation. I think a lot of people are not grateful to God and don't even realize how blessed they are. We have conveniences that many others can only dream about. I do see a moral decline in this country as well as in other countries around the world and I think that it will get worse in the future.
Evil does exist and evil is caused by man. God did not invent evil, neither does He condone it. Lucifer in his rebellion and by deceiving Adam and Eve brought evil into the world. There are evil people, they are dictators such as Hitler, Stalin, Mao and many others in the past to this present day. There are evil people in general, causing murder, rapes etc. Society is not getting any better as some who claim that we can be "good without God."
If morality declines evilness and wickedness will be on the increase. There are many godless countries and I don't see a "perfect society" anywhere. The people that blame God for all the suffering in the world are in my humble opinion wrong. Many state that God does not exist, yet they blame Him.  It is man that causes all the suffering by their choice and free will. They are controlled by the prince of this word i.e Satan. Although we may not see God or the wicked one physically, there is a spiritual battle raging in the heavenly realm.
There will come a day, which I believe is in the very near future that Jesus Christ will return to the earth and defeat the armies of Satan and establishes His millennial reign here upon the earth. Many of those who think that they can do evil things without consequences are gravely mistaken.
The day will come when God will judge all man that have not worshiped or honored Him as the true and living God and they will pay for the suffering they have caused. God is longsuffering and He wants everyone to come to repentance and turn from their wicked ways. We don't know the day or they hour, but be assure that day will come and God will judge people through Jesus Christ who have done evil in His eyes. Until then, we will see sufferings, atrocities and evil rulers and dictators that think that they can get away with murder. Their day in court will come.
"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev 20: 12-15.
If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, you are written in the book of life, no white throne judgment will face you.  If you an unbeliever and reject God and His ways, your day of judgment will come. Don't get me wrong, I do not delight in anyone facing the white throne judgment. God wants everybody to come to the knowledge of the truth which is in Jesus Christ. He gave Hid only begotten Son, so that those who believe will be saved and have eternal life, not eternal separation from God. It is never too lat to turn to God and ask for forgiveness, no matter what you may have done. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven, except one and that is the rejection of Christ Jesus.
Until the return of Christ, there will be sufferings and pain in the world. Don't blame God for these things, blame us, mankind.

Can we really know God?

There are many religions in the world and all all of them have some kind of a god. Muslims worship Allah for example and Hindus have  330 million different gods. Can anybody really know 330 million gods?
Muslims say that they know Allah and that he is the true god, yet they have no personal relationship with Allah. A Muslim can never be sure if Allah is pleased with them. Muslims have no assurance of Allah's love for  them. They weigh out their good and bad deeds and hope that the goods deeds will outweigh their bad deeds.  They hope that Allah will be merciful to them. They also have no assurance to make it to heaven i.e paradise. All religions are either based on a works based or man centered relationship with their god(s). That is what religion is,  man trying in vain to reach God on their own merit.
How about Christianity?  Can a Christian truly know God?  When I talk about God, I am referring to the God of the Bible,  the Creator of all things.  The only true and living God.  In all reality, there is only one true God, all others are man made and do not exist. I know that will offend many religions and religious people, but it is the simple truth. There is only One true and living God and it doesn't matter how many different gods people worship. Ultimately they will all face the true God, at the day of judgment.
Many people believe that it is impossible to know God. They say that God is incomprehensible, which He is. How can one know Almighty God that spoke the universe  into existence, simply by His Word?  It is way beyond our finite minds. When God spoke, His word traveled in the speed of light which is about 186.000 miles per second.  Awesome, incredible and incomprehensible.  God in the OT was know by Abraham as YHWH and to Moses God revealed Himself as the "I AM that I AM" in the burning bush.  God revealed Himself and His awesome powers through various ways to the OT Saints. Adam and Eve before the fall,  walked with God in the cool of the evening.  How can somebody walk with God Who is Spirit?  Moses wanted to see God and ask Him to show His Glory. "And Moses said, "Please, show me Your glory." But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." Ex33:18, 20.
God did show Moses some of His Glory, by passing by,  covering the eyes of Moses and Moses saw the back or afterglow of God.  The result of that was that the face of Moses was glowing when he came down from the mountain. The children of Israel saw the presence of God as a flame of fire at night and a cloud during the day after the Exodus from Egypt.  God is so Holy that we as fallen human beings could not stand in His presence and live.
How than can Christians claim to know God personally and have a loving relationship with Him?  A Christian knows God because of Jesus Christ. He has revealed God to them.  Jesus, the second person of the triune Godhead became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14).  Jesus is the exact image of God, His character, nature and all attributes. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Col 1:15-17.
In the OT times God  appeared to man as the Angel of the LORD. He appeared and spoke to Abraham in Genesis 18. Whenever God appeared to men in human form, it was through the person of Jesus i.e.the  pre-incarnate Christ.
He was the Angel of the LORD that spoke to Haggar after leaving Abraham with Ishmael. The Angel of the LORD  appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3:2). The Angel of the LORD appeared before Balaam riding his donkey in Numbers 22. He appeared to Gideon (Jdg 6). Manoah, Elijah and many others throughout the OT.
Whenever God communicated with men in human form, it was the person of Jesus. In the gospel of John in chapter 8 the Pharisees once again attack Jesus accusing Him of having a demon.  Jesus is making one of the most profound statements to them: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Jhn 8: 56-58.   Jesus took the very name that the Angel of the Lord revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush. "I AM."   The Jews understood perfectly well that He said that He is God. That's the reason they picked up stones to kill Him. Jesus is the great  "I AM"  or the becoming One.
Christians can know God the Father because Jesus declared Him and we know God because we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus left heaven to dwell with man, He humbled Himself and became one of us. He willfully came to the earth dwelled among us and gave His life on the cross. He came to die for  those that would believe  in Him through faith.  Believers in Christ Jesus are forgiven of their sins. The scriptures are very clear, only God can forgive sins. "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  Mark 2:7. They were right, only God can forgive sins and Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. They called Jesus a blasphemer.  What they failed to see is that Jesus is God. The Apostle John makes it very clear who Jesus is:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." John 1:1-3.
Christians believe in the the trinity or the triune nature of  God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Co-equal, Co-existent, Co-eternal. One God in three distinct Persons but of One Essence.  (please see my article on the trinity).
Jesus showed us God. If we know and learn from Jesus we can know God and have a meaningful and personal relationship with Him by abiding in Christ.   "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Mat 11:27-30.
As true biblical Christians we can boldly claim to know God, because we know and believe in Jesus who is like the Father and He has shown us the Father. One of His own disciples was asking Jesus: "Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Philip wanted to see God, not realizing that God was in their midst. Jesus said: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." John 14: 9,10.
As Christians we can have assurance of forgiveness and eternal life because of our Lord and Savior. We can also come boldly before the throne of God because Jesus opened the way to the Father, He opened the veil to the Holy of Holiest.
The answer to the question in the beginning is a big YES. True believers in Jesus can know God, His Character, attributes, His kindness, His love, mercy and grace towards those who receive the Son. There is only one way to know God and there is only one way to God.
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6.

Seven Churches

In the book of Revelation Jesus had the Apostle John write a letter to each of the seven churches in Asia minor. These seven churches were literal churches that existed at the time when John wrote these letters from the island of Patmos. Asia minor is modern day Turkey and some of the remnants of these churches can still be seen to this day.
The seven churches were: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.  Five of the churches were rebuked by Jesus for tolerating sin in their midst.  Ephesus was the loveless church, they had left their first love.  Smyrna was the persecuted church, they endured and kept their faith during fierce persecutions.  Pergarmos was the compromising church.  Thyatira,  was the corrupted church.  Sardis was called the dead church by the Lord.  Philadelphia was not rebuked, because they kept His word and faith.  Laodicea is known as the lukewarm church.  This church I believe got the worse rebuke from the Lord. They were neither hot nor cold. A terrible condition to be in.
There are various viewpoints on the seven churches.  Some believe it was the seven churches at the time of John and Jesus was addressing them regarding their short comings and called them to repent.
Another viewpoint is that these churches represent the church age,  beginning with Ephesus the first century church,  Laodicea the church of toady in the last days of the church age.  I believe that both viewpoints have some truth to them. The seven churches as mentioned before were literal churches at the time of John's writing and these seven churches also represent church history for the last 2 millenniums.  Many books have been  written about the seven churches, who they were in the past and throughout the church age.  I don't want to go into a big study on the churches, which time they represented and possible denominations etc. There are many good commentaries available.
I would like to look at the churches from a different view.  I do believe the above, that the seven churches were literal and that they represent the entire the church age.
I  also believe that each of these seven churches represent individual believers throughout history and  for the last 2000 years.

The true church is not a building or denominations, the true church, the bride of Christ is every true believer that is an individual stone making up the temple of God.
"Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1Pe 2:4, 5.
That is what we as believers are, living stones with Jesus as our head cornerstone.  Our foundation is Jesus on which we must built on. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1Cr 3:11.
Jesus is the head cornerstone that was rejected. Bob Marley even cited that verse in one of his songs. "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone." Ps118:22.
With this in mind, Jesus being the cornerstone on which I as a believer  built on, which church am I?  Paul the Apostle exhorted the believers to examen their faith.
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified." 2Cr 13:5.
I examen myself from time to time and ask the question, which church am I?  Have I left my first love which is Jesus? Am I enduring persecutions and mocking because of my faith in Jesus? ( not a bad thing considering many were persecuted before us).  Have I compromised with the world, sitting on the fence?  Or have I become corrupted and polluted by the things of the world?   Maybe I'm as dead as the church of Sardis was? Have I become lukewarm the worse condition to be in?  Am I on fire for the Lord or just ride the wave as it comes?  What is being lukewarm?  No real commitment to the Lord or passion for others.  Not being on the alert just as the 5 foolish virgins were and just being a Christian by name only with no fruit to show for.  I'm afraid that many of today's churches have become lukewarm.  There are many so called followers of Christ that have no discernment at all about the signs of the time or know the word, they have become sleepy and are not watching.
I pray to the Lord that I will not be lukewarm or compromise with the world.  No physical church or denomination can save anyone. No certain Priest or Pastor can save anyone.  I can talk a lot of Christianise, play Churchanity or appear to be highly spiritual. All of those are just outward things and the Lord does not look on the outside as people do, He looks at the heart.  God knows our heart.  I think it is very wise and important to examen ourselves from time to time, to see if we are truly in the faith or if we have left our first love.  There is one thing Jesus said that should concern all of us who are confessing believers in Christ:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Mat 7:21.
The letters to the seven churches can be found in the book of Revelation, chapter 2 and 3. 

Love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,  but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away." 1Cr 13: 1-8.
I was meditating on these verses today and thinking about what Paul wrote. Love, the more excellent way. What is a Christian without love? Nothing. We can talk all the "Christianise" play "Churchianity" and go to church all we want, but if we fail to love our neighbor,  we do not have love. Have you ever tried to replace the word love in the above verses and replaced them with your name? Try it and see how it fits. Replace the word love with Jesus and it just flows.
There are many people in the church and outside that are hurting for various reasons. If we fail to see them and encourage them we have no love. Sometimes I ask people, "how are you doing?" Many times the response is "I'm fine thank you." Then I ask, "how do you really feel?" The answer is quite different sometimes. In reality, many are suffering or go through trial in their life's.  They are either afraid to say something or are ashamed about the things that they are facing and going through. They need someone that reaches out to them and the church would be a good place to start.
Unfortunately, some people come to church and just wanna blend in and enjoy some of the worship and the message and go home almost unseen. Church is suppose to be a fellowship of believers that come together, love each other and encourage one another. All of us have gone through trials in our walk with the Lord at one point or another. Those that have gone through similar trials, should encourage and pray with those currently enduring them. You see, it is very easy to put on a mask and play the Christian in church, everything is fine, I am blessed, thank you. It's easy to live in a Christian bubble.
We can either play church or be the church and do what Jesus ask us to do. Love one another. We need to be honest with one another and if we see someone that is hurting inside (they are not that easy to overlook) we need to engage with that person, rather than just walking by. Maybe that person is just looking for one person to stop and talk to them and encourage them. We have all been there, we had our ups and downs in our walk with the Lord. I think that the people in need look at other believers as more spiritual. They think the Pastors have everything figured out. On the contrary, Pastors just as other believers go through trial in their life's. We are all just finite human beings with hurts and pains, with good times and bad times.
So, the next time you're at church, look around and see if someone maybe just needs some encouragement. Talk to some people you think you know from church and  ask them if there is anything you can pray for. Iron sharpens iron. We do outreaches to save the lost, we feed the hungry, but I believe  we fail to reach out to those in our own church that need our encouragement and spiritual support. Without love, we the church are nothing.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34, 35.

As in the days of Noah

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 21:17-30.
Jesus is talking about the judgment that will come upon the whole earth. Biblical evangelical Christians believe that this day is very near. The signs of the time and the many prophecies that have come to pass confirm this. There are many prophecies yet to be fulfilled concerning the end of days, but every day we watch the news and see the  stage set for the final act. One of the "super signs" was fulfilled when Israel became a nation in 1948. For almost 2000 years there was no nation of Israel. The Romans under Titus destroyed the temple and the city of Jerusalem in AD 70.  Many Jews were brutally slaughtered and others were dispersed all over the known earth.
This was a judgment of God on the nation of Israel because they had forsaken Him. Jesus said this to His disciples when the were admiring the beauty of the temple in Jerusalem. "These things which you see, the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down." Luke 21:6.
This prophecy came true about 40 years later, when the Romans literally destroyed the temple and threw every stone of the temple mount and they are still lying there to this day. Not one stone was left upon another. They were scattered all over the earth and the nation was no more, until 1948. Many believe that this date is very significant because Jesus on the Olivet discourse said among many other prophecies concerning the end times, something about a fig tree.  Please read Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13.  "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: "When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near, at the doors! Mark 13:28, 29.
The fig tree as many scholars believe is a symbol for Israel. You may remember that Jesus cursed the fig tree because it bore no fruit and the next day it was withered.  Jesus was showing that Israel had failed the Lord and did not bear any fruit as He had desired. Because of it God threw them out of the land. When Israel became a nation again in 1948, the fig tree back in the land, the summer is near and the return of Jesus is very near. Jesus goes on to say: "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." Mark 13:30.
This generation, what generation did Jesus refer to? It could not have referred to the generation of the disciples, because Jesus obviously did not return in their life time. It is also possible that the word generation can be understood as a race or people. This may be a promise that the Jewish race will not perish before history ends. Of course many people mock Christians concerning prophecies and the coming judgment of God. They are mocking and scoffing because it's been almost 2000 years and Jesus has not returned to judge the world. 
The Apostle Peter wrote: "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,  not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." 2Peter 3:1-10.
The judgment will come upon the whole earth, that's why it should be on every Christians heart to warn the world. I'm not talking about standing on the street corners and preach fire and brimstone messages like for example the Westboro Baptist church does. That kind of approach turns people away from God, rather than drawing them near. Messages like God hates you, or you are going to Hell will accomplish just the opposite. The unbelievers will think that Christians are nuts. We are living in a world that changes by the minute. We are seeing the worldwide economy in decline, geopolitical events and problems are in the news every day and much of the focus is on the Middle East.  Israel, a small country about the size of New Jersey is in the news almost every day, they are surrounded by enemies just as foretold in the Bible.
The last days or the end times revolve around Israel and her neighbors. Israel is the center of the world,  Jerusalem is the center of Israel and the temple mount is the Epicenter.  The Bible says that in the last days the armies of the surrounding nations will come against Israel, the economy of the world will collapse and people are struck with perplexity. We see all of these things come to pass. Iran wants to wipe Israel of the map, the EU, US , UN and Russia want to divide the land which is spoken off in Joel chapter 2. I believe sincerely that we are living in the very last minutes of the last days which began by the way at Pentecost. Now more than ever do we need to talk to our neighbors, friends and family members that do not know the Lord. I know, many will call us crazy, just as the people did when Noah build the Ark. The scoffed and mocked him, laughing while he was building the ark.
It took Noah about 120 years to finish the ark. God gave people plenty of time to repent, Noah preached about the judgment of God to come, but they would not listen and instead kept an going, business as usual. We see the same things today, the handwriting is on the wall, but people can't read it or understand it. With everything that is happening around them, it business as usual. Noah warned the people, God gave them time, but one day, God closed the ark. The judgment came and it was too late for those who mocked and laughed. Same thing today, we warn people, God is giving them time and they continue to laugh, reject and mock us. One day the door will close and it will be too late. It's no longer business as usual for them.
"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." 2Ti 3:1-4. 

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."  Romans 1:28-32.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16.