Silver Linings and Ominous Clouds

Something’s up. We all feel it; we’re edgy and anxious, or we’re bent over with our hands over our ears and our heads in the sand, trying to sing “LA, LA, LA, LA…”. Either way, we’re all a little grouchy. “Something wicked this way comes” and we can feel it.

from jade95_2010

Let’s shake the sand out of our ears and stare this down. Everyone has always had his share of hideous things to deal with; those things always hit hard and are largely unexpected. Usually, though, the nasties are timed so that they don’t happen to everyone all at once. Someone’s always around whose house hasn’t been ripped out by a tornado, or whose mother isn’t dying.

Right now, however, the monsters appear to be gathering for a major assault. On all of us. At once.  I can hear them breathing:

·      Moral bearings are almost gone. See the Ten Commandments and do your own comparison.

·      Children, for several generations now, have been badly educated, but well-indoctrinated. Check the stats.

·      Churches spend very little time teaching the Bible.  Christianity is under attack.

·      Governments are almost indistinguishable from the special interests that pull their strings, and those governments are out to wrest all dignity and opportunity from their citizens. Watch the news.

·      Current economic theory is self-destructing. Keep your eye on Europe and China. It’s not just here. Keynes is failing everywhere, but Keynes is the basket carrying most of our chickens. Ditto.

·      Family structure is dissolving. Any teacher can fill you in on that one.

·      National sovereignty is under attack. See the latest UN ideas or talk to Jan Brewer.

·      Natural disasters are on the rise…. I could go on and on and so could you. So, what’s my point?

Well, I’d be out back right now, digging a deep head-hole, if it weren’t for one thing: I know it’s all under righteous control. God knew before he created the universe what the nature of man would do to this world. He knew how little attention we’d pay to His rules for living well here, and His plan takes it all into account, weaving our reality into His decision to demonstrate to the angels His infinite justice and mercy.

I do find it totally disconcerting to watch everything I’ve ever valued denigrated and destroyed in the public square – not just by societal renegades, but by the top echelons of government, by those who speak from the pulpit, by those who teach our children.

I’m stunned to hear the communism I grew up fearing (and rightfully so – communist regimes murdered over 100 million people in the last century) being touted in our schools as the world’s best hope. I’m appalled that sexual behaviors that used to be treated as scandalous are now not only commonplace, but demanded, taught in our schools, lauded and praised. My social security isn’t, and Obamacare makes me, at my age, very vulnerable. Every time I think I can’t be shocked any more, some new aberration raises its ugly head.

True, evil has existed since Satan handed God his “I wills,” and Satan has been the ruler of this world since Eve handed Adam the apple. But evil is now bubbling up out of the ground like tar oozing, hot and smelly, between our toes, and it’s coming at us from all angles – just as God’s Word said it would.

You see, we know from Scripture that this was coming, and we can tell from Scripture that we’re getting close.

·      Israel is back in its land, part of it -- a miracle in and of itself.

·      The nations that prophecy lists as attacking Israel are aligning against her.

·      The societal conditions predicted are developing quickly.

·      The one-world government central to the Tribulation is well on its way, taught in our schools, bally-hooed by those in the highest levels of government, finance, and academia.

·      The technologies necessary for prophecies to come true (the Mark of the Beast, for instance) are all in place. Revelation and Ezekiel actually make sense now.

·      All manner of natural disasters are happening with increasing frequency and intensity, just as the warnings tell us they will.  

And all this is as God planned it. I suppose it’s possible that the upheaval is just another in a long line of patterned civilizational shifts that occur about every 500 years. Could be. But I doubt it. Israel is the key.

If this is the real thing and not false labor then it’s time to get our spiritual houses in order. Those who belong to Christ will miss the worst of the coming horrors. God can’t finish His dealings with Israel as long as the preserving presence of God the Holy Spirit exists on Earth in the bodies and souls of those who believe in Christ as God and the man died for their salvation. The Church – all true Christians together – must be removed before the last chapter begins.

And gladly we’ll go, the sooner the better – for us. For those of you reading this who don’t count yourselves as His, please pay attention here:

            Our relationship with God is not just a parlor game, a hobby; you have yours and I have mine – it’s all just pretend anyway, so who cares? No, this is for real. There are only two choices – heaven or hell and for the near future, hell will be here. There’s not even any oblivion to count on. That’s the bad news.

            The good news is that a ticket out of here – and hell – is available with your name on it. The only requirement is that you believe, accept, agree that Jesus Christ was exactly who He said He was, and that while He was on the cross He paid the penalty for all your imperfections. You see, ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No one gets to heaven on his own steam. No one. There are no alternate routes.

So, what think ye of Christ? Sometimes an ego can be so huge, or is hardened by such a layer of scars, that it allows no room for the One Who offers a glorious eternity. I pray – literally – that isn’t true of any of you.

For those of us who already hold tickets – we must learn to watch the unfolding events with God in our hearts – all of Him saturating our thinking. We’ll need to remember His love, justice, righteousness, His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. We can’t forget His veracity, His faithfulness, His sovereignty, nor the fact that He is eternal life. He is capable of protecting us, rescuing us, and since we are in union with His Son, and our sins have been forgiven, He is more than willing to do so. We will need to remind each other that He delivers us everyday, we just don’t often see it happen. He will rescue again and again, even as our world collapses around us.

from srcrocks73

And then the trump will sound and we will be with Him in the clouds – the ones with the silver lining.