It’s been a little over a year now that we started this blog, and the first post I wrote was Recovered News Junkie. Now I’m wondering if that was the best title, because I still have an interest in current events and scan the news daily. Maybe a better way to frame it would be to say that I’m on a restricted diet these days, because I do think it’s important to keep current on what’s going on in this world we live in. So my aim is to take in enough news to stay current while at the same time deriving my true nourishment from the Word, and I try to maintain a healthy balance on a daily basis to stay grounded and keep things in perspective.

My musings of late tend to be ones of perplexity at the apathy or lack of interest, particularly by believers, of everything going on in our world against the backdrop of prophecy.  Seems to me that 30 years ago, when biblical prophecy was a hot topic, there was more interest then than now among conservative, Bible-believing Christians. Back then it was possible to imagine how certain prophesied scenarios could come to pass in the future, in “our lifetimes” — but now? I am puzzled that so many seem to be blind to the dots right in front of our eyes! And I wonder, why is that?

I mean, is it really that much of a stretch to connect any dots here from what was predicted thousands of years ago compared to what’s happening today? Here are just a few that come to mind:

• Israel became a nation in 1948, after being dispersed for 2,000 years. No literal prophesies concerning Israel could be fulfilled unless she was an established nation again. That happened 68 years ago, a miracle that has taken place in this generation!

• The Bible also says that all nations will turn their back on Israel and she will be surrounded by her enemies, and that Jerusalem will be a “burdensome stone for all people” and that “all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zechariah 12:3).

• The Bible says that during the Tribulation period there will be a world leader who will require anyone desiring to buy or sell to receive a mark on their forehead or forearm.

• Did you know that the Last Days are described as being a time when “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4)?

• The will be wars and rumors of wars, and the description of some of those wars appear to be nuclear and what happens in a nuclear blast.

• One of the future wars the Bible foretells is the Gog-Magog war, which will be an alliance primarily between Iran (Persia) and Russia, against Israel.

• There will be a peace treaty between Israel and her neighbors.

• There will be an increase in natural disasters.

• There will be an increase in civil unrest.

• There will be a one-world government led by one-world ruler, who will come to power with all of the solutions, likely following some global financial meltdown.

• There will be a one-world religion, meaning all faiths will have to compromise their beliefs in order to join peacefully with other faiths. Anyone not on board will be persecuted.

• The above ties in with the apostacy or falling away from the truth of God’s Word.

• And then there’s this sign — apathy – I think this is the source of my bewilderment.

In just one year the pace of troubling news events has been breathtaking. Last year news of ISIS was just starting to be reported regularly, and since then we’ve had the attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, and Orlando. Our own country does not have the manpower, nor the will, it seems, to combat and track down those who want to do us harm. Russia has grown bold and aggressive, as has China with its territorial military buildup in the South Sea. The U.S. and Russia are basically on opposing sides of the ongoing conflict in Syria, and it’s not a stretch to imagine a full blown conflict between our countries being set off by a misguided spark. What about the ever-increasing news articles about microchip technology, and the move to do away with credit and debit cards to a safer alternative to combat identity theft and to simplify monetary transactions? Then there is the rise of Big Brother, it’s tentacles being the likes of the technology giants we’ve all come to use and depend on — Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon. I can’t keep up with the pace and it is dizzying to think of the changes that have taken place within the last five to ten years alone. And it sure seems to me that there’s a significant increase in record-breaking droughts, floods, fires, and earthquake activity around the globe. Christians are being persecuted and put to death overseas, and we’re beginning to see the persecution of Christians in our own country as those who refuse to compromise their beliefs in the Bible are being marginalized. There are continuing efforts and calls for peace in the Middle East. Will Israel be forced to accept a peace plan, or will she cave due to the weariness of the fight and embrace peace willingly? America doesn’t appear to be a major player mentioned anywhere in prophecy, except for possibly a minor role. As much as it grieves me to see everything changing in this country I love, ultimately is our decline just another sign of End Time scenarios lining up?

I’m sure this reads like a broken record. The above bullet points could each be expounded upon, but my purpose in writing about these things is really just to ask the question to anyone paying attention — does any of this even matter? I am honestly puzzled that a basic observation of national and world events shows not one, not two, but many predicted signs all emerging at the same time – a convergence as never before seen in history. Should this be significant? If not, why not?

Christians are quiet, pastors are quiet – it’s almost like since we can almost reach out and touch what’s right in front of our faces, we can’t believe we’re here. As long as Christians profess their faith in the return of Jesus some day, we can mentally get our heads around that – some day meaning not in my lifetime! Not in my kids’ lifetimes!

Can you really imagine life going on as it always has, when the Bible predicted what the end days would be like? I mean seriously, someday will one day be now. That’s just plain common sense.

I think we’re facing now. I know this is scary, and I know others think it’s just what a few “looney-tune” fringe groups think. I get that. It’s why I was afraid to start writing – that perception that I didn’t want to be associated with. But, it is what I believe, and I cannot deny what I see. I have woken up, as the Bible urges us to do, and now I can’t go back to sleep and pretend. Granted we don’t know how much time we have left, and no one knows exactly how predicted events will ultimately unfold. This Brexit vote was jolting and unexpected and will have ramifications, for better or worse — that will fit into the End Time scenario. I was certainly shocked and energized by the news, as it shows the will of the people exercising their freedom to take their country back. Above and beyond what this could mean for our own upcoming elections, being the news watcher that I am, I am more interested in seeing how this will ultimately unfold in the End Time scenario (I’m convinced it will, somehow). There is a lot of speculation and only time will tell!

Back to my musings. Why did Jesus tell us to be watching for His return? Why did He warn us to stay alert? Why did he take the time to tell His followers what to expect? Why did He reassure us He would be with us to the end of the age? Do you think He wanted us to be complacent, apathetic, willfully ignorant of the times? And do you think Paul was speaking the truth when he said that all who love Jesus’s appearing will receive a crown — a reward — for watching for His return (see 2 Timothy 4:8)?

I know this end time talk is scary, but really He doesn’t want us to be scared. The only thing that makes me afraid is fear for my loved ones. Fear for those who don’t know Christ at all, and fear for those who do but who are still asleep or lazy regarding their faith, because I want them to be secure and solid, able to withstand the coming storms. He has given us everything we need for this life, available to all who place their trust in Christ. Whether we are facing storms, or living the mundane day-to-day, we have the promised Holy Spirit, we have access to the Father through prayer, we have the Word of God to encourage and guide us and train us up, and we have the fellowship of other believers.

It’s all pretty simple to me. The signs are pointing to Jesus’s soon return, and we as believers are privileged to be living at this time in history. We have been commissioned with the power of God that changes lives and draws the lost into relationship with Him — and that is the message of the gospel. I get as side-tracked as anyone. I’m not always plugged in or tuned in. But my personal aim at this point in my life is to keep it simple. To nurture my own faith, to stay in the Word, so I’m prepared and ready and confident to share with others the Good News, even more as I see the day approaching.

I’m convinced we’re heading for some troubled times. I wish believers would spend less time criticizing other believers and more time living out the gospel, in all humble sincerity, ready to share with others the reason for their hope when asked. I’m saying this to myself first and foremost. None of us are going to get our doctrine or theology one hundred percent right and we can argue about the non-essentials until Jesus returns. I wonder what He thinks about that, the infighting among believers? Maybe it’s just me, but I think since He desires that none should perish, and for all to come to repentance, that His priority should be mine.

And I certainly don’t want to put any stumbling block in the path of anyone, or add any burden or weight to the good news of His free gift of salvation for anyone who believes He died in their place. As I wrote in Don’t Trip, salvation is a free gift of God’s amazing grace. I think as humans we can’t believe it’s that simple, because we don’t deserve it, or we think the next guy doesn’t deserve it – but that’s what makes it amazing! We don’t deserve it. None of us deserves it. Jesus accomplished it on the cross and nothing can be added to His all-sufficient grace. To try to add to what our Lord did for us is an attempt to cheapen the precious blood of Christ.

I know this post is getting long, but I want to add two more cents. I think the gospel message has been over-simplified so as to lose it’s power, or made too burdensome. I’ve been in services where there was a call to come to Christ but really with no mention of why we need Him. It’s like Jesus loves you (He does) and He can help you with the problems in your life (He does). But our biggest problem is the sin problem, in that we are by nature born sinners, and sin separates us from God. That is why we need Jesus, because He paid the penalty for our sins. Repentance is part of salvation, but repentance means to change one’s mind. To be saved when you come to faith in Christ happens when you change your mind — you realize you are a sinner before a Holy God, you realize you can do nothing on your own to save yourself, you realize (believe, trust) that Christ the Son of God died in your place and rose again, so you can have eternal life. Your whole way of looking at life changes when you hear and believe the gospel message. On the other hand, when people hear you must believe and “repent from your sins” it saddens me to think of those who may fear the Lord would never accept them because they are caught up in a powerful addiction or lifestyle and they don’t think they can change, even if they wanted to. So they don’t think they can turn to Christ to save them. How sad is that. No, Jesus saves all who believe, who place their trust in Him. It is after that that He begins to empower and transform and change lives through the power of His word and the Holy Spirit. We are too quick to judge, but God sees the heart. Let’s do our part, and trust God to do His. Amen?

So brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s have grace for one another. We all won’t get it right all the time. We all stumble in many ways. Let’s not let our enemy detract us from our mission. Time is short and we have work to do. Watching for His return and discerning the times only underscores the call by Jesus to spread the gospel and disciple believers.

Holding fast,
Lisa

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27)

^{Photography by Ivan Karasev}