11.11.11 - Global Day of Prayer

False Prophets and True Prophecy

False prophet Harold Camping proves once again his falseness. This is about the 12th time during his "ministry" that his prophecies regarding the rapture and the end of the world have not come to pass. 



Camping has led many astray, but the greater evil that this man has done is in denigrating the truth of scripture that speaks of the Lord's return and the coming time called the Tribulation. Now anyone seeing the reality of these most precarious and perilous times we are living, and desiring to share with others, is most likely ridiculed and lumped with the likes of characters like Camping.



How many more earthquakes and volcanic rumblings do we need to believe that seismic activity has been greatly ramping up in "diverse places" and the increase of civil unrest, with "nation against nation" is on the rise, to convince us that are indeed in these last days as Jesus Himself told us about?

Jesus remains The Way, The Truth, and The Life... the only way to the Father and eternal life.

ARE YOU GROANING?

From Romans 8:

I believe that the present suffering is nothing compared to the coming glory that is going to be revealed to us. The whole creation waits breathless with anticipation for the revelation of God’s sons and daughters. Creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice—it was the choice of the one who subjected it—but in the hope that the creation itself will be set free from slavery to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

We know that the whole creation is groaning together and suffering labor pains up until now. And it’s not only the creation. We ourselves who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest also groan inside as we wait to be adopted and for our bodies to be set free. We were saved in hope. If we see what we hope for, that isn’t hope. Who hopes for what they already see? But if we hope for what we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

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Are you tired, weary, heavy laden, looking, seeking, desiring rest?

Christian, are you tired of this world and growing in hope and desiring for the Lord's return?

Are you groaning?!

I am.

To those who have been of the mindset, that the purpose of the believer in Jesus here on earth, is to fix the earth, sweep it of sin, elect the "right" officials to make a "pure" society for Jesus to usher in His kingdom, I say... How's that been working for you?

This world is dying quickly my friends. It too is groaning for the Lord. All of Creation groans for His return to finally make all things right. That's been His job from the get-go. And He promised that He would from the beginning, since Man's fall. It hasn't been our job to fix the earth or fix people by forcing society, using our wit and wisdom to make it "Christian."

Are we tired enough of this place yet?

I am by no means being a pessimist, or worse a fatalist. No, not at all. I am simply recognizing the fact that a greater reality awaits the believer in Christ. And while we spend so much time trying to fix this planet and it's unsaved inhabitants, we miss this reality.

So what then - do we just not care about others, about things? No, I mean we take time to assess ourselves and seek the Lord to readjust our focus. Are we so fixated on our present circumstances that we are missing His bigger picture? There is an immense picture being broadened right in front of us, but many are asleep to it. The signs of the times of prophecies past have been screaming at us to pay attention.

This is not a call to fret or worry, but simply a call to seek Him with all our hearts... to lay down our differences in the Body of Christ, between brother and brother, sister and sister. Get away from the noise of the daily grinding wheel, the rat race hamster wheel, and quiet yourselves before Him. It's time we ask Him for directions without our own agendas getting in the way.

Let's be quiet for Him and listen, really listen to what He is saying.

More to come. More to say. As He allows.

Peace

REALITY CHECK, PLEASE!

Our society, our culture, is full of enough "truth distractions" to numb us 'til the end of time. It is a pervasiveness by many whose desire is to keep us in slumberville.

In the words of the old classic rock band, Buffalo Springfield, "Something's happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear." Yet the noise grows, the earth rumbles and shakes. And in the midst of it all Someone would like our attention.

Now, more than ever, there is such a dire need to get quiet, away from the noise. Listen. Look up. Look around. Take a long, hard look. Ponder. Question. Challenge. Ask what you really believe and don't believe.

Stop allowing someone else' beliefs to be simply yours. Discover truth for yourself. There is a plethora of people following people and looking for the next "big thing" or the next celebrity to follow.

Look around. Listen. It's getting noisier day by day. What they're calling news is getting old.

But Someone desires your attention. Someone who knows your name, knows everything about you, the good and the bad, and loves you more than you could ever imagine. He has the answers and He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

But don't take my word for it. Get quiet and ask if Someone is listening. Someone is and Jesus would love to talk with you.

Life is shorter than we think. And it's too short to waste on noise.

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen!" —Revelation 22:20-21

Life Changes

Life is frustrating. It changes and often goes in different directions than you'd expect or than you'd like. And God is at the helm, busily frustrating and changing us, taking us into different directions, many which we'd just rather not go.

But we go.

On the other hand we do a pretty good job of taking ourselves places we should just avoid. We think we're on the right path because, well, there's so many others on that same path.

I was so focused for so long on all things "end times" and drawn into all the hoopla where those in the eschatological camps dwell.

I've had enough.

I've gone back to my Roots. His name is Jesus. And I want to live There.

I've grown tired (thank you so much, Lord) of living in the End Times. I believe we are in the end times, have been in them probably for since the Ascension. But I no longer desire to focus on all that. It did a number on me. A very bad one. It left me feeling helpless and, pessimistic. It left me feeling that all is futile. Jesus is coming back, the world is going to hell, so what's the use?

Lovely, eh?

And this is eternal life... that you may know Him.

That's where I want to live... to know Him, ever-increasingly so.

SO, if you happen to stumble upon this website and read a lot of nail-biting stuff regarding End Times stuff, please know that I am someone in transition. I am not the same person I was six months ago, six days ago, six hours ago.

To be continued, sometime, maybe here in this blog, maybe not. We'll see.

I can only imagine - PLACE UNDER THE CATEGORY OF: Real men love Jesus

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I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
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Thanks go, for those awesome lyrics and powerful song, to Bart Millard and Mercy Me. The song has been around for a while and I have enjoyed it before but now I take it very personal. Grown man Dave just cried tears for wanting Him.

Lately I've been feeling like a very old saint, you know, like a grandmother saying things like, "I can't wait for Heaven to finally be with my Jesus!" Well that's where I am now and I'm not embarrassed to admit it.

In this life, here on planet earth, we are blessed with being able to experience Eternity now. Jesus made this wonderful life with Him, Father and Spirit possible. Like most folks my own journey has been one of roller coaster ups and downs, joys and sorrows. And in recent years the rides seem to exponentially increase. One foot on this earth and the other looking to step "Up."

I love my relationships with friends and family here (blood ones as well as of the Spirit). I enjoy many things... my work, hobbies, house and yard and the few "toys" we all have. I love to talk about Jesus with anyone that wants to do likewise. And I don't mean debate Him and what He said but SHARE Him. And I will continue to do so and enjoy the things He's given me.

But as this life of mine continues I just find that the things of earth grow strangely dim... and my desire to finally be with my Jesus increases.

Even so... Lord Jesus... come!
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Dying to meet Him

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" - MARK 8:36

The Things We Hold Dear

No, I'm not on drugs and you're not hallucinating either. That is a photo of a Coke vending machine, a frog, and the Parthenon.

I watched some TV tonight. It's been so busy over the holidays here that I enjoyed just kicking back in front of the boob tube for a bit. Flipping through the channels I landed on PBS (Public Broadcast System here in the US) and watched a show called Wild Chronicles, a National Geographic program. I normally enjoy the nature shows and PBS for the most part. So much of television seems geared to numbing the brain. So I find it a bit more stimulating to watch a show where I actually learn something.

On this particular show they featured a frog on the endangered species list called the Mountain Chicken. It is delicacy on islands in the Caribbean for it tastes like, yes, chicken. Because it tastes so finger-lickin' good it is decreasing in population very quickly. There are biologist teams that are very busy on these islands trying to save the Mountain Chicken from extinction.

Later on I watched a program, again on PBS, about this team of archeologists in Greece that are painstakingly rebuilding the Parthenon - brick by brick, column by column. They have recreated ancient tools and building methods to put it all back together, the way it was 2500 years ago or so.

And then I got to thinking. I don't think the things that man holds dear are the same things that God holds dear.

For instance, in the United States alone there are 1,200,000 induced abortions per year. That's 3,288 per day, 137 per hour, 9 per minute. One abortion every 26 seconds. I think God holds a bit more dearly the extinction of unborn children over that of chicken-tasting reptiles, don't you? I think He holds more dearly the importance of saving human life, whether unborn, elder, or in between, over saving some pile of stones for historical posterity sake.

Can I get a witness here?

Then I got to thinking even more.

Let's say Earth and it's inhabitants are around for another thousand or so years. It's the year 3008 and a team of archeologists are most puzzled over a recent find - a small structure from the 21st century.

They decipher the ancient English language written on it and discover that its name was, "Ice Cold Coca Cola." Years of investigating go into studying this wonder of the ancient world. Parts of the structure were destroyed or missing over the past centuries so they painstakingly attempt to recreate them to restore the "Ice Cold Coca Cola" structure to its original beauty. But for all the intelligence that this future human race holds they are clueless as to this structure's meaning and purpose. But I suppose that's of little consequence when your agenda is about saving history or saving frogs.

Do you think God holds dearly things of a bit more importance?

I'm going to bed now. I'm tired and my brain hurts from all this pondering. Blame it on PBS.

But, damn it, I'm glad I saw the truth in all this tonight. It's so easy to go with the flow and not question anything... to just allow our brains to numb over and accept what others tell us.

More pondering to come as the pondering comes.

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While You Were Sleeping

Here's another wonderful song by Casting Crowns from their "Peace on Earth" album. I love how they take the over-known and make it fresh and so poignant. This song just makes me so hungry for the Lord!

I wish you all (if anyone is out there reading this) a wonder-filled Christmas. May He increase in your heart a longing for Him.

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HE WHO TESTIFIES to these things says,

“Surely I am coming quickly.”

Amen! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

be with you all. Amen!

Revelation 22:20-21

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While You Were Sleeping
by Mark Hall

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Mary shivers in the cold
Trying to keep the Savior warm
Born among the animals wrapped in dirty rags
Because there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

© Mark Hall Publishing Designee

One Thing

Is He Enough?

I wish I could get that 12 string guitar I've always wanted then I'd be satisfied.

When I get away for some much needed vacation time then I'll be satisfied.

If that teaching position happened for me back in January then I'd be satisfied.

If only I could express my thoughts like so and so on his/her blog then I'd be satisfied.

If only I made more money then I'd be satisfied.

When I get that new MacBook that I've had my eyes on then I'll be satisfied.

Now when I get that much needed Apple LCD monitor I'll really be satisfied.

When my freelance design business grows then I'll be satisfied.

If only I could drop 40 pounds and get into shape then I'd be satisfied.

I wish I were not so fat, stupid, lazy, old, then I'd be satisfied.

I wish I were not so self-loathing then I'd be satisfied.


There's more for sure that I could add. And you, for sure, have your own "If onlys."

I came to the hard realzation (again) that my mind and heart had drifted towards "the things of Earth that grow strangely dim" and away from Him.

Oh why can't He be my Sugar Daddy and grant me all that I believe I need?

Why is it that when we get what we think we need we're often so dissatisfied and found wanting for more? But more of the Earth's treasures always come up void of real Life.

So thanks to Wayne and Brad, over at the GodJourney.com, and a few others, I've regained consciousness, awareness, of what and Who is my only true satisfaction. Thanks to Him.

I've had to ask myself (again), "Is He enough?"

Lord, I believe that You are enough. You are my satisfaction, my completeness, my only real Life. Help me with my unbelief. Help me to live by your grace and not by my desires. Thank you for showing me, for showing us the reality of ourselves and the hopelessness of us without You.

Listen here for the podcast that helped inspire this writing... "He Is Enough"