Are We The Terminal Generation?

I love studying about Bible prophesy and the topic of End Times.  There is a wealth of information out there about it.  It fascinates me to hear the pros and cons.  Some people are absolutely certain in their belief that we will be the generation that witnesses the return of Jesus Christ.  Yet others hardly give it a second thought.  I am not sure which I believe; I am probably somewhere in the middle.  But no matter how convincing people may sound on either side of the argument, the truth is nobody really knows for certain.  But there is one truth about it that can not be ignored.  Whether we are the terminal generation or not, we might as well be.  Either we will see Jesus coming back for us, or we will see us returning back to Him.  The important thing is to be ready.

In a game of baseball, football, or basketball, a team always knows how much time it has left to come from behind.  But the subject of Jesus' return is not a game.  We don't know how much time we have left on the scoreboard.  Whether it is the first two minutes of the game or the final 2-minute warning, we must be winning at all times.  And the way we win is by accepting Christ now, not 10 minutes from now.  The Bible promises us that we can be saved in an instant, but does not guarantee us another second to decide.  We must be sure, positive, and certain now, just in case there is no later.  We truly may be in sudden-death overtime. 

Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the Good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

Father, thank-you for saving us through Your perfect Son Jesus Christ.  Give each of us the courage to accept Him.  In Jesus name, Amen.        

Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On

Earthquakes on the rise?  Are earthquakes getting more intense?  Depends on who you ask.  I can find just as many websites that state there has been a sharp increase in earthquakes as I can find that say otherwise.  If you check-out some Christian sites, the frequency and intensity of earthquakes are definitely on the rise, just as Jesus predicted there would be.  But if you check out some science sites, there is really no significant increase in activity over the past million decades, give or take.  Does it really matter, anyway?

I say no.  I totally believe the Bible, and I feel strongly enough about its reliability that I don't need any "proof" to justify my belief.  Being a Christian is completely and solely about just that... having a belief or faith in Jesus Christ.  I have found that it is so much easier to just simply believe some things than it is to try to prove them.  In mathematics, that is called a postulate; we accept some things to be true without proof.  I can no more prove God's existence than an atheist can disprove it.  So why fret over it?  Instead, let's just remain steady in our faith, and do the best we can to share that faith with others. 

Lord, please be with those who have been affected by the latest earthquake.  Help us to remember that You are in complete control, no matter how tragic situations may get in the future.

Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned

I love the story of the Prodigal Son in the Book of Luke.  As with all of Jesus' parables, many lessons can be drawn.  We all know the story, and I am sure we all see the parallel between the earthly father in the story and our real Father in Heaven.  But I don't think this story ever gets old, and most of us find ourselves in the same shoes of the foolish, young son over and over again.  In fact, if we think we don't, we are only deceiving ourselves.  The Bible teaches us that we all sin, all the time. Oh, how many times have we fallen away, just to come back begging for God's mercy?

I love what the father does in the story.  He stops his son's prepared speech in mid-sentence.  His father was so thrilled that his son had come back that he couldn't even wait for him to finish talking before he ordered a celebration.  It gives me tons of comfort to know God is the same way.  We just can not out-sin the forgiving blood of Jesus Christ...Amen!  So, no matter what we have done and no matter how many times we have done it, God still rushes to embrace us and forgive.  Is there really any Power greater than that?

 Luke 15:22 says, "But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate."

Father, How incredibly Great You are!  Forgive me of all my trespasses and teach me to also forgive others.  In Jesus name, Amen.

I Don't Belong To This World

Do you remember the singer Phil Collins?  I just read on the news that he has decided to "retire".  According to the article, though, it may not be permanent.  He said he just needs to take a little time off to be a full-time Dad.  He has sold millions of records over the years, so his success as a recording artist speaks for itself.  Now he wants to feel successful as a Dad.  Good for him!  But something he said in the article really caught my attention. He has another reason for retiring.  He said after watching this years' MTV awards, he realizes he doesn't belong to this new musical world.  Being a D.J. for 20-plus years, I agree 100%.  But you don't have to be a D.J. to see how much music has deteriorated.

Jesus taught that we should not feel like we belong to this world.  Instead, we should prepare ourselves for heaven.  That is so hard to do when this world is all that we know.  But as you get older, do you feel more alienated from this world?  When I was a kid, it seemed like everyone was a Christian and went to church.  But today, the media portrays Christians as some radical, not-with-it group.  I am not implying that if you watch MTV or listen to today's music, then you are not a Christian.  In fact, I am probably just venting here.  But there is a lesson to be learned from Collin's interview.  The saying goes "stand for something or you will fall for anything".  Pray that God will help us continue to stand for Him and to not cave-in to the pressures of this world.