I'm thanking You, God, out loud in the streets, singing Your praises in town and country. The deeper Your love the higher it goes. Every cloud is a flag to Your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with Your glory! The Message Bible, Verses 9-11
I have been studying the book of Daniel lately. The prophecies of the end times and the fulfilled prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah. It is breathtaking to see how the exact number of days prophesied in Daniel leading up to the triumphal entry of Christ on the Passover weekend before His death came to be. If Daniel's vision is as correct about what is to come, we are waiting for a very charismatic and powerful man to arise and bring about peace in the Middle East between Israel and their enemies. When that treaty is signed - the beginning of the end.
It gives me some perspective on what is happening in the world today. A design of God that spans the ages. From Isaac and Ishmael to Palestinians and Jews. The coming together of prophecies sometimes joked about but taken more seriously since 1948 when Israel came back to its land after two thousand years of wandering dispersed. Many said that would never happen. The miraculous six day war sealed their position. It is all set up for Daniel's words to come to life.
In light of this, I find myself listening to the news and quaking when I should be pondering the prescience of my God. If things begin to go horribly awry, I shouldn't be that surprised. At some point it is going to get very bad. How bad? Worse than anything ever seen on the earth. The great peacemaker will show himself to be heartless. The spawn of Satan whose goal is complete destruction. As we see these world events taking place, we are to know that our God is in control.
At some point in the holocaust that will be the Great Tribulation, it seems we who know Him will be taken up to meet Him in the clouds. The Rapture, taking up, of the church. Whew! Scholars differ on when. Usually not on that it will occur. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 5
We used to have Bible story time every night with our kids when they were little. Bought a flannel- graph board and Sunday school materials. Their favorite story was about Jesus coming again. Understanding that God wanted everyone to know about Him before He comes back, the girls would stop people everywhere asking them if they knew Jesus. Had Him in their hearts. 'Cause He can't come again until they know, and seeing Jesus was the highest possible experience!
"Mommy, when is Jesus coming again?" asked Heather as she tugged on my dress one morning.
"Really, Heather, He could come at any time. We are always supposed to be ready for Him." I replied theologically.
"Could He come today?" she pressed.
"Yes."
"What would we have for dinner?" Of course, He would eat with us. All our guests do.
"What would you like, Heather?"
"Corned beef." Her favorite.
So we went to the market and bought - you guessed it - corned beef.
Later in the afternoon I was vacuuming, the boiling beef making its presence known as the aroma wafted through the house. Again I felt the edge of my dress being tugged on by my daughter - the dress I commonly wore around the house in summer. An old dress.
"Mommy?" Heather looked a little worried.
"Yes, baby? What?"
"You're not gonna wear that when Jesus comes, are you?" Her nose scrunched up in disgust.
Hadn't thought about what I was wearing because I wasn't expecting Him, really. In fact, I was cleaning up the house wondering how we were going to handle her disappointment when Jesus wasn't sitting with us chewing corned beef slathered in mustard. "No. I guess not," I replied. "What do you think I should wear?"
She already had my clothing picked out in her mind. So, by dinner, we were all looking good waiting for our "guest" to arrive. Heather's favorite dinner smoothed over the fact that we missed the day of His return by a bit. But the preparation for it significantly changed my perspective. He will come. He promised and He keeps His promises. And I need to be ready and aware of what is going on in the world around me. Not fearful but assured that if things fall apart according to His age old plans, I can be comforted because He is nearer than He was yesterday. He will "soar high in the clouds and His glory will cover the whole earth."
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True...His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God.....On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19
"Surely I am coming soon!" Jesus
Come, Lord Jesus, Come....Maranantha!!!
Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with Your glory! The Message Bible, Verses 9-11
I have been studying the book of Daniel lately. The prophecies of the end times and the fulfilled prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah. It is breathtaking to see how the exact number of days prophesied in Daniel leading up to the triumphal entry of Christ on the Passover weekend before His death came to be. If Daniel's vision is as correct about what is to come, we are waiting for a very charismatic and powerful man to arise and bring about peace in the Middle East between Israel and their enemies. When that treaty is signed - the beginning of the end.
It gives me some perspective on what is happening in the world today. A design of God that spans the ages. From Isaac and Ishmael to Palestinians and Jews. The coming together of prophecies sometimes joked about but taken more seriously since 1948 when Israel came back to its land after two thousand years of wandering dispersed. Many said that would never happen. The miraculous six day war sealed their position. It is all set up for Daniel's words to come to life.
In light of this, I find myself listening to the news and quaking when I should be pondering the prescience of my God. If things begin to go horribly awry, I shouldn't be that surprised. At some point it is going to get very bad. How bad? Worse than anything ever seen on the earth. The great peacemaker will show himself to be heartless. The spawn of Satan whose goal is complete destruction. As we see these world events taking place, we are to know that our God is in control.
At some point in the holocaust that will be the Great Tribulation, it seems we who know Him will be taken up to meet Him in the clouds. The Rapture, taking up, of the church. Whew! Scholars differ on when. Usually not on that it will occur. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 5
We used to have Bible story time every night with our kids when they were little. Bought a flannel- graph board and Sunday school materials. Their favorite story was about Jesus coming again. Understanding that God wanted everyone to know about Him before He comes back, the girls would stop people everywhere asking them if they knew Jesus. Had Him in their hearts. 'Cause He can't come again until they know, and seeing Jesus was the highest possible experience!
"Mommy, when is Jesus coming again?" asked Heather as she tugged on my dress one morning.
"Really, Heather, He could come at any time. We are always supposed to be ready for Him." I replied theologically.
"Could He come today?" she pressed.
"Yes."
"What would we have for dinner?" Of course, He would eat with us. All our guests do.
"What would you like, Heather?"
"Corned beef." Her favorite.
So we went to the market and bought - you guessed it - corned beef.
Later in the afternoon I was vacuuming, the boiling beef making its presence known as the aroma wafted through the house. Again I felt the edge of my dress being tugged on by my daughter - the dress I commonly wore around the house in summer. An old dress.
"Mommy?" Heather looked a little worried.
"Yes, baby? What?"
"You're not gonna wear that when Jesus comes, are you?" Her nose scrunched up in disgust.
Hadn't thought about what I was wearing because I wasn't expecting Him, really. In fact, I was cleaning up the house wondering how we were going to handle her disappointment when Jesus wasn't sitting with us chewing corned beef slathered in mustard. "No. I guess not," I replied. "What do you think I should wear?"
She already had my clothing picked out in her mind. So, by dinner, we were all looking good waiting for our "guest" to arrive. Heather's favorite dinner smoothed over the fact that we missed the day of His return by a bit. But the preparation for it significantly changed my perspective. He will come. He promised and He keeps His promises. And I need to be ready and aware of what is going on in the world around me. Not fearful but assured that if things fall apart according to His age old plans, I can be comforted because He is nearer than He was yesterday. He will "soar high in the clouds and His glory will cover the whole earth."
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True...His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God.....On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19
"Surely I am coming soon!" Jesus
Come, Lord Jesus, Come....Maranantha!!!
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