IN SEASON: maggio 2008

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21 maggio

Ready for His coming? (part one)

I'm sure many of us have been watching events worldwide, especially the disasters that happened in Myanmar and China. Someone asked me if these are birthpains of the Lord's coming, as underscored in the Bible. Yes, I believe so.

In Luke 21:10-12, Jesus said to His disciples: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake."

If you don't think persecution against Christians and Christian convictions is happening now, think again. Just this week, the ban on late-term abortion was lifted in Virginia. In California, gay marriage was given the go signal. These are issues that Christians have long stood against, and frankly, in the legislative courts of today, we are losing ground. That's persecution disguised as "law of the land", and Christians and moral standers are being brought to court for them. No surprise there. That's really the sound of His coming.

I once made up a story for Michael when he was a little boy, one of those top-of-my-head bedtime stories to encourage him to play with his imagination while tying it to a bible picture:

There were two camps of warriors fighting to rule the land.  One camp was very much the underdog in all battles, but occasionally they would have a victory so big that it would wipe out all the losses of the past. Even so, they were waiting for what had been promised through the ages: a victory so marked as final that they would rule forever more. That battle was to be fought only by an uncommon champion, someone who had walked with them long ago but had left the camp to get more ammunition and a bigger army. This was their highest general who would rally their sagging spirits.

One afternoon, while talking about the battle plan with other men of the camp, the lieutenant felt the wind blow. He straightened up with a smile on his face and said to his men, "Take heart, men, our champion is coming." One man asked, "How do you know that, sir?" And the lieutenant said, "His voice is in the wind, and so is his scent. But as to the hour of his arrival, I do not know."

That night, the lieutenant kept watch, and then the ground rumbled and broke open, and a trumpet sounded.  "He's here, he's here!" the lieutenant called . Again, one man asked, "But how do you know that's not the enemy?" The lieutenant looked at his soldier and said, "Only the foot trumps of his chariot has the cadence to break open the ground as it is happening now, and only his trumpet can shake the trees as how you see."

Michael and I remembered this story a few weeks ago (of course the words to the story are much nicer and grown-up now, haha), and we decided to make it a family parable. I think that's great. :) All these things that are happening in the world ... these definitely are the "Foot trumps of His chariot," with a cadence known only by those who have studied His ways and have seen His power. Have you?

Take time now to know Jesus. He has continued His love for you through all the ages, and He wants you with Him when He comes again.

(Next week, I will have here a "Part Two" of this study, as we look at two different kinds of people who say they are ready for His coming. That's in Matthew 25:1-10. I hope you read it ahead of time and decide which side you are on. I look forward to being with you again next week!)

08 maggio

Into my quiet space

Oh, you guys are so funny. I disappear a little while from any kind of social scene, and here many of you are, asking if I’m alright. Yes, friends, I’m doing fine, thank you very much. Life keeps on getting more hectic, I guess. My best friend told me the other day that I have been “weird” lately – it gets kind of scary when Michelle, the queen of weird in my book (fondly said), hoists upon me that description. Something must be up. J

I’ve been really busy. And I feel that I need space now for ME. In the movie War of the Worlds, the young girl played by Dakota Fanning would close her eyes, put her arms in a circle in front of her, and take deep breaths while everything around her was going crazy. That circle was her “personal space”, her quiet spot where no one could harm or faze her. I borrowed that idea for myself the other day, figuratively speaking, but I realized I had no arms to put in a circle in front of me because they were laden with stuff -- things to do, deadlines to meet, conferences to tackle, domestic issues to resolve, family and friendly visits to host, etc. It was a whirlwind. So I had to let go of a whole bunch of things, and be in my quiet world even for just a little while. That’s why I’m writing to friends; you are part of my quiet world. Michelle will have to take back her description of “weird.”

“Quiet”, though, really runs contrary to my personal instinct. I’m one of those who torpedo through most of life, and am pretty predisposed to this “perpetual motion” concept. That’s not so bad, really – except when I begin to think (and this is quite often, too) that the world as I know it would get sucked into a black hole if I’d quit working! I know this arrogance doesn’t paint a pretty picture of myself, but I had often thought that if I don’t do what I do or need to do, everything would tumble faster than I can say “fuzzy-wuzzy slippers” (that’s my quiet world companion).

Well, tough! I’m not that important. Neither are you. At least not in any way near of a savior status. Nobody is looking to you to save the world – and if anyone is, he’d just have to get over it. J There is just our small, small slice of life, and even in that area, we simply do what we can, the best way we can, and call it a day. “Rest” is a biblical mandate, and it does not mean just sleeping the hours away. It means being refreshed and restored in every aspect – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – because of intimate fellowship with the One who is equipped to save the world and myself: God.

Going back to that picture of “personal space” a la Dakota Fanning. That would be a picture of me, with arms stretched out in a circle before me. But this has more substance, because right in the center of my arms is Jesus, and He likes being there. Nobody can shake Him away. The best part is that while I bring my arms around Him, He wraps His around me too, and no one – absolutely no one – can rattle me while He has me in that loving and protective embrace. I am safe. Everything around me can go crazy, but I am quiet in the arms of my Savior. And I know that when it’s time, He will raise one arm against the storm, rebuke the wind, and say, “Peace! Be still.” (Mark 4:39) And everything will be quiet, as again He leads me to a sizzling, bright new day. With my fuzzy-wuzzy slippers.