The pictures I have attached today are from the beautiful church in Christchurch, New Zealand. I took these photos when we visited New Zealand in 2007. The tower of this church crumbled in the recent earthquake and the church sustained massive damage, as did many other structures.
I've had a huge problem choosing what to write about. Consequently I've avoided writing. I have so many memories of the trip to Israel - and I promised I would write about them, so I have to keep that promise. But there are so many other layers. In Sunday School Class we are studying the book of Revelation. In my personal devotions I am reading the book of Isaiah. Both propel my thoughts to the end of time - and I believe we are there. The events in the middle east, with governments crumpling at an alarming rate - and other events in the world, including the recent earthquake in New Zealand inform my thinking and my focus.
In the last days there will be wars and rumors of wars. Earthquakes in diverse places. Calamity. We're there! We have always had wars and earthquakes and famines - but not at the alarming rate they are occurring in our time. For example, I googled 'earthquakes' not too long ago, and the increase in the number and the severity is staggering. And that is just one aspect of the troubles prophesied for the end times.
Matthew 24:3-8 NIV
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Mark 13 and Luke 21 record the same message.
So - back to my problem. It is hard to know what to write about!
My dad sincerely believed that he would live to see Jesus' return. Now I find myself believing the same. My focus in life has been to live so that when He came for me I'd be ready. After all, death is a reality of life - and when I die I want to go be with the Lord - so rather than be concerned about the 'Second Coming' of the Messiah, my focus was on living life intentionally in response to God's love. My touchstone is 9/11. I thought then Jesus might be retuning imminently - and what God so clearly spoke to me then was, 'Occupy until I come. Keep on keeping on.' The message still fits - but I want to be even more intentional in my journey, which includes sharing truth with others as God calls me to do. One of those salient truths is that the One who is Truth is likely to be returning very, very soon.
I was taught a lot of wrong information about prophecy in my childhood and youth by good people who didn't have a clue what they were talking about and misinterpreted God's Word. I don't want to be guilty of that failure. What I do know is that in retrospect we do see clearly, and the proof of a prophecy is in its coming true. I do know that everything God says in the Bible will happen - in His way, in His time. I don't pretend to have an inside track on exactly what all of it means, but I do know God's promises are true, and that He is faithful, and all that He has determined will come to pass.
My responsibility is to be obedient. To follow Him. To love. To pray. To share His love with others.
The time is short. Now is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may be too late.
Right at this very moment there is a beautiful rainbow outside my window. The rainbow was a reminder of God's promise that He would never again destroy the earth with water as He did with the flood in Noah's time. His Word warns us of the signs of the times before Jesus' return. I was reading Isaiah as things went topsy-turvy in Egypt. Suddenly chapter 19 was like reading today's news.
My heart is heavy for the falling away that is prophesied for the end times. It is happening all around us.
The book of 2nd Timothy is very specific about the changes that will be prevalent at the end of time.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
The Bible tells us that when we see all of the signs that were prophesied occurring we are to 'look up for our redemption draws nigh.' I do know that my Redeemer lives, and that He is absolutely faithful - but the prospect of facing all that has to occur before He comes is still unnerving - and can be frightening to think about. The future is exciting and terrifying. The bottom line is that I trust Him.
Postscripts about my pictures for today:
There have been many devastating earthquakes over the past several years - but the earthquake in New Zealand is personal for me because I've been there. I have friends there. I saw what it was, and the photos of what occurred are graphic because of that.
Ultimately, as is evident with the ruins in Israel - or the ruins in Christchurch - it isn't about the structures but about the people. Then, and now. The real question for all of us is: What will we do with Jesus Christ? Isa al Masih? Yeshua ha Meshiach? Yesu? Jesu Christo? He makes himself known to each people in their own language. He is fully human - but also fully God. He came once and He will come again. I feel the brevity of time.
No comments:
Post a Comment