The news rarely presents news in a cohesive manner. For instance, why the U.N. decided we would forge into Libya, and we 'followed'; when so many areas of the world are in riot and turmoil. The Economist Website has an interesting article that Libya - this oil rich, with significant oil reserves country, 17th largest in the world, very close in geographic area to Europe, with Italian (French and U.K.) history of being a well-placed 'port' in the Arabic world during WWII, ...... suddenly discovered - in the middle of the Sahara Desert - an aquifer with plenty of fresh water and a project to irrigate Libya. And... if we have a 'port' for ourselves in the Middle East region - will we need Israel, politically, militarily (forgetting spiritually)?What tide is this blog post riding?
It would seem, if we want to know something - we have to think about it and want to know something of it, to study the subject. For news, or to know what God says in the Scriptures.
Harold Camping, speaking in 2008 (3 years ago!) in this photo, was born in born July 19, 1921. He is almost at 90 years old. I don't know if you've noticed lately, but in the movies, in media, it is not cool to be a Christian. Lots of Harold Camping billboards. Well, okay..... Dallas, Texas suddenly has lots of huge expensive billboards up in Downtown Dallas. Very expensive. Matching. Very Large. And they say, we are sinners, that Jesus Christ is the answer and we need to find out who Jesus Christ is to us today. Where is the media blitz on these lovely Christian billboards asking us to look to Jesus Christ without asking about the rapture?
The media blitz is covering fear. Fear that 2010 Russian fire wiping out lots of crops for a lot of people happened last year. Fear of flooding in the USA. Fear of earthquakes. Fear of weather. Fear of famine and rising food prices. Fear about rice shortages. Fear of riots. Fear of war. Fear of massive animal die-offs. The Google world was kept busy in February with people, some of them looking for the first time, to see if this is the end of the world.
How to displace fear - laughing .... we have taken a 90 year old man and we have turned him into a pet rock. Or an Edsel. We are not a biblically illiterate nation. Not yet.
Matthew 24:36
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Duh.
No one was too worried. But Harold Camping wasn't shown too often (or at all) with an updated image of his actual visage. A younger photo, by decades, with his finger up in the air, looking rather smug was used, when he was shown at all. It is more difficult to be honest and portray this frail man as a fool when showing his gentle, frail, elderly face.
What is the larger picture here? If we are going to worry about the end of the world, let's find something to laugh at. What........ oh! look over there..... that 90 year old Christian is predicting the end of the world. Never mind there is a lot of unfulfilled prophesy still to happen at the end. And that he is frail and NINETY Years Old !!!!!
So, the water has heated up. Christians are portrayed as prissy and set apart - not always in a nice way.
Last night, my son and I really enjoyed Pirates of the Carribean, On Stranger Tides. It was interesting, it was the first Pirates movie where it was examined - what is evil. Does it affect a soul? Are even the evil open for salvation? These questions were asked. Out loud.
Christians are set apart.
Interestingly enough. There was one poor soul literally tied to Mr. Blackbeard's mast. Who? The man who was a Christian. Why? Well.... they never really said. He was tied up because he was a Christian. But he was not only the only Christian on board....
My husband always likes the bottom line. He was an accounting major at Texas A&M. The bottom line is this..... it has been an extremely eventful news year. People are worried. No. They are Worried. Laughing at the Rapture predicted by a frail 90 year old man doesn't help anyone.
The Way, the Truth, the Life. Is this the end? Probably Not. But we have had a taste of riots, wars, earthquakes and one man claiming the messiah is here.
Matthew 24:21
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.
The bottom line is this. How are you? If tomorrow, a bus changed lanes and your life ended... how are you? There is One who loves you. He gave His life for you. An unblemished Lamb of God came to this world to heal, to touch, to transform lives. Even to someone who has not looked to God, can see the Church has been here for 2,000 years, still at work - providing peace and hope to a busy, troubled world. The end has been predicted for the world, but no one has predicted a real end of the Church. The Churches growing, the millions accepting Jesus Christ see something important. Jesus Christ changes lives as we grow in Him. Not religion, relationship.
2 John 1:6
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
Even to Harold Camping and the circus of media around him. Surrounding a vital question. How are you?
<><
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment