The End of Days

“But those who die in the Lord will live: their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!” (Isaiah 26:19)

 

I have a project I am working on. The kind of project I am working takes lots of patience and many hours to complete; two things that do not come in abundance to me some days. We are also fast approaching the beginning of my own school year, which I means my fun reading time is quickly coming to an end. I had decided a couple weeks ago that I wanted to read the Left Behind series again. I have read through it once but that was a while ago and, for some reason, I decided to pick it back up. Only, I can’t read and work on my project at the same time so I have gotten the entire series on CD. I am enjoying myself very much.

 

For those of you who might not know the Left Behind series is the fictional series based on the author’s interpretation of how they see Jesus’ rapture actually happening if it were to happen today. The authors used the Book of Revelations as their map for writing the series. I think it is a good read and it makes me think.

 

When I had first started to read the series 8 years ago I immersed myself the Book of Revelations; trying to figure it all out. I am not much further now than I was then, unfortunately.  However, this time I am not thinking about diving into that beautiful book. Instead, I have thought about writing loved ones who do not have a relationship with Jesus letters so that if we all disappear one day then they will know. I have also spent hours thanking God for the many blessings we have living where we do in the time that we live in. Living in the U.S. we have freedoms that we take for granted. We have brave soldiers that fight our enemies and protect us and we have a Constitution that frees us from oppression and persecution, or is supposed to. We are blessed but do we see that? Do we really see the world that God has placed us in?

 

My prayers right now are for God to show me the way. I ask Jesus to help me live my life in such a way that my loved ones will see Him and take steps to their own personal relationship with Him. If that doesn’t work, or is not in the plan, I pray that God gives me the words to free their hearts to love Jesus now. I thank God for the life He has entrusted to me and I will patiently wait for the day when He brings me Home.

 

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.”  (Luke 12:35-36)

A Time for Everything

“History merely repeats itself.  It has all been done before.  Nothing under the sun is truly new.  Sometimes people say, ‘Here is something new!’ But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new.  We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11)

 

One thing I love about the Bible is that I can read the same versus over and over again and still be struck by the beauty of God’s Word. I am sure I have read Ecclesiastes before but this morning everything struck me very hard. The first three chapters, at least, are dedicated the futility of living a life for ourselves…although Solomon doesn’t come right out and say it. If you read this section you find that Solomon has tried to live for pleasure, wisdom, and work and all of them are like chasing the wind. Life repeats itself over and over again. Do you feel alone in what you have done in your life, or what direction our country is going in, read Ecclesiastes and find that this has all happened before and it may happen again.

 

Solomon said he tried to find satisfaction in everything: money, sex, drinking, knowledge, and possessions and came up with everything being futile and meaningless. If Solomon, in all his God given wisdom, found that life is empty when you live for these things 3,000 years ago what do you think has changed in God’s plan for our lives that we will find any lasting pleasure or satisfaction from them now? If Solomon is right, and everything simply repeats itself, than nothing has changed and that is why we are left searching and seeking when we are turning to worldly things to find our fill.

 

However, when we turn to God and His promises we can never run empty. If we go to God He will constantly fill us with however much we need. Our relationship with God is not a cycle to do over and over again throughout time. Our relationship with God is solid and eternal. As money, knowledge, carnal pleasures, and possessions come and go God is right there the same yesterday as today and the same today as tomorrow. Where are you finding your pleasure? Where are you finding your purpose? Look to your Lord and feel satisfied; open your heart to Him and feel the blessings flow and the joy fill you better than any thing this world could ever offer.

 

“Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us.  And the Scriptures gives hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (Romans 15:4)

Storms in the Night

“Terror overwhelms them like a flood, and they are blown away in the storms of the night.” (Job 27:20)

 I am reading a fictional series right now that is pretty interesting. In this story one day everything stops working: anything run on electricity, planes, cars, watches, generators, you name it and it doesn’t work. Even the water system is completely shut down. It is the 21^st century and life as we know has gone away. No more computers, no more video games, no more stereos and CD players, no more running water or quick trips to McDonalds, and no more refrigerated food. The people in this book have to learn to cultivate the land and do without the nice technologies that we have grown so accustomed to in our everyday life.

 Interestingly enough I have really starting to think about what would happen if we really did loose all technology. Makes me want to learn how to do things now that would help us in our need but also allow us to be less dependent on society for our food and provisions. I should learn how to not kill every plant that crosses the threshold of my house so that one day I could have a thriving vegetable and fruit garden. I would actually reconsider my husband’s wants to have a house on some land someday because then maybe we could have a couple chickens or something and nice big gardens. I know I go a little our there with my thoughts but how nice would it be to provide for ourselves more????

 So, the storms last night that breezed through Iowa knocking out the electricity in roughly 170,000 homes, including mine, really REALLY got me thinking and loving the irony. How much in this life do we take for granted? Why is it that I just can’t bring myself to leave my windows open a bit more and suffer through some of the heat and humidity to save energy. Why don’t I really start a garden; I have been thinking about it for years but it takes so much work! And why don’t we walk just a little more or ride our bikes more often? I mean, I am frugal with my gas but how much more so could I be?

 Take a moment to thank God for all He has provided for us through the rise of technology and innovation. Thank God for placing such creative minds behind the electrons and fossil fuels that get us through our day. And then ask God what you can do to be a better steward of our world and throw in a little prayer that our power will come back on sometime today!  

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colassians 4:6)