A quick perusal of the news this morning offers little hope for the world we live in today. North Korea is threatening to ‘annihilate’ the U.S., California is bankrupt and the situation looks grim for economic recovery across the country, taxes are going to go up, and record high temperatures are rocking the South. Riots and protests are happening in Iran and are being violently cracked down upon. Swine flu may or may not make a deadly return in the fall. The jobless rate continues to rise.
A new Supreme Court justice is likely to be appointed that has had nine of her decisions she made as she served on a lower court overturned as ‘unconstitutional’. Nine! My guess is that she won’t have that problem once she makes the bench of the Supreme Court.
Up until a few weeks ago, I would listen to talk radio on the way home from work each day. As a result, I found myself becoming more and more despondent over the way things appear to be going in this once-great nation of ours. I’m back to my iPod now, or simply driving in silence. It’s easier that way. I arrive home in a much better mood.
I have to wonder if in fact we have entered the days of vengeance prophesied by Jesus in Luke chapter 21. He said those days would arrive in order “that all things which are written may be fulfilled”. It’s a scary thought when you ponder it for any amount of time, yet it is something that each Christian should be thinking about.
Jesus goes on to add: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” It sounds dramatically close to what I see on the news each and every night. My wife refuses to watch the news with me any longer. The general consensus seems to be that no one knows what is going to happen next. Will the economy recover? Will the war on terror ever end?
My personal quandary is to wonder if we are in fact no longer a Christian nation. Have we abandoned and blasphemed God so often and for so long that He is no longer going to bless the nation we live in? Have we replaced our worship of God with our worship of the Government, depending on our leaders to solve every problem from economic concerns to global warming?
That’s pessimistic, I know. It might also be construed as being just a tad bit on the cynical side as well. But it’s Wednesday and I can do that today.
Just about the time I find myself at the point where it looks as though there is no hope to be found, I’ll recall the rest of the chapter. Jesus said, “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
When I arrive at the traffic light on the north end of town, if as I am approaching it happens to turn from green to yellow - I have no doubt in my mind at all what is going to happen next. Because it is electro-mechanically designed to turn red after being yellow, it will do so. There is no way it can go back to being green again, without first turning red. The process signals, relays, and devices have been set in motion, and they will run their course. No amount of wishing, hoping, or pining either by me or by anyone else approaching that light can prevent it from happening.
In the world today, the signals are all apparently turning yellow. Jesus is coming back. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in Him. It will not matter if you aren’t ready for his return at that point. There is no way to stop it. Now is the accepted time, today is the perfect day, and tomorrow just may be simply too late.
I find myself looking up a lot these days…
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