There is something you should know about me right off the bat. I am a recovering news junkie. There was a time that whenever I was home I was either scouring the headlines and tuning into network and cable TV news or, when I was driving, I was dialed into talk radio. I know — ugh! How depressing. How boring. You may be wondering why I would inflict myself with the mental and emotional torment stemming from a 24/7 stream of such negative information.

I didn’t grow up in a home that sat around the dinner table discussing politics or current events. I have vague recollections of seeing images of the Vietnam war on TV, along with President John F. Kennedy’s funeral and the subsequent assassination of Bobby Kennedy. I remember watching the first man walk on the moon, and I remember Watergate. I also remember sitting up at night with my mom to see who won the presidential elections — that was exciting to me, almost as exciting as watching the annual beauty contests to see which state’s contestant won!

When I was twenty, I remember being embarrassed when I couldn’t engage in a healthy debate with a good friend of mine about the upcoming 1980 presidential election between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. My friend was able to give specific reasons she was going to vote for Reagan. I didn’t know what to say other than I was going to vote for Carter because my parents and grandparents were Democrats. At least I knew which side I was on even if I had no clue why other than family tradition. Looking back, this is when the first seed was planted for me to start educating myself on politics and current events — I wanted to know what I believed and why.

The second seed seems a little funny to me in hindsight but it was this seed that sent me on a quest to learn more. By this time I was a mother of two little boys with a daughter on the way. I watched the news some but my life was so busy that I didn’t give current events much thought until something random caught my attention. In the news coverage of the runup to Mikhail Gorbachev’s election as President of the Soviet Union in 1990, I started wondering about that conspicuous birthmark on his forehead. Could it be the mark of the beast talked about in the Bible? Was Gorbachev the antichrist?

The answer to both of those questions is of course no. But my budding curiosity sent me on a quest to learn, first of all, about Bible prophecy, and then to watch and interpret what was happening in the world in light of that. I also became very interested in politics — I was hooked and became a sponge, wanting to learn all I could so I could process the information, begin to think for myself, and articulate my conclusions and convictions.

As an overview, some of the things I recall learning about what the Bible foretells about future events are: The Jewish nation would be gathered back and settled in its own land after almost 2,000 years of dispersion throughout the world — something that has never happened before in the history of any nation or people. (This happened in 1948 when Israel became a nation.) The Bible also speaks of a time when every nation will turn against Israel and Jerusalem will be surrounded by her enemies. The alliance of nations that will go up against her will specifically include Persia (modern-day Iran) and Magog (Russia), among others. A land with great military might will invade from the East. There will be a world-wide economic collapse which will lead to a one-world ruler who establishes a global currency, the “mark of the beast,” without which anyone can buy or sell.  There will be two “witnesses” or “prophets” sent from God who will be put to death and their bodies will be left on the streets for the whole world to see.  There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars … wars and rumors of wars … an increase in lawlessness and chaos … along with an increase in natural disasters.

When I view the world through the lens of Scripture it is as if there is an outline or overlay of future events and, as those events unfold, the sketch gets filled in with more and more detail. I have had this bird’s eye perspective on current events for over 30 years now and I am blown away at how fast things seem to be falling into place with each passing day. There was a time when I couldn’t imagine how a “mark” could be administered to everyone in order to buy or sell (a cashless society). There was a time when I wondered how the whole world would be able to see dead bodies of the two prophets lying in street. There was a time when I couldn’t imagine all countries turning against Israel, especially America. What about the current shaking up of Middle Eastern alliances over the past few years? The build-up and might of the Chinese military? As far as the natural disasters, how often have I heard “record breaking” regarding floods, earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis? I could go on and on — and I admittedly will in future blog posts since this is a passion of mine. To me, what is happening is undeniable. And at no other time have there been so many predicted signs converging together simultaneously, with increasing intensity.

I stated earlier that I am a recovering news junkie. I do still watch and read the news but I no longer consider myself a news addict. Instead, I have found a healthy alternative and rather than feeling hopeless and discouraged, I am filled with hope and anticipation. Jesus said when these things begin to take place they are the beginning of birth pangs (Matthew 24:8). Impending birth is both scary and painful as the labor pains intensify and occur closer and closer together. But as any mother who has given birth knows, the anticipation of holding her newborn child in her arms gives her the strength to her endure the pain as she looks forward to the joy she will ultimately experience. Jesus also said that “when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). The Bible has increasingly become the source of my “strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18). Rather than being bearers of bad news, I hope you will allow both Lori and me to share with you the reasons we have the hope we do.

Holding fast,

Lisa

 

_{Photography by Alex Wigan}