I Never Expected To See “the Snap” With My Own Eyes!

(Another entry not meant for my regular readers, but for those left behind after witnessing something extraordinary and terrifying…the sudden, inexplicable disappearance of a sizable percentage of Earth’s population.)

So it actually happened. Millions of people across the world just disappeared without a trace. What happened? What does it mean?

It means the Bible is true.

It means that over the next…probably 7 years or so, humanity will witness a level of destruction not seen since the days of Noah and the ark. I can’t put an exact timeframe on it because I don’t know for sure where the Rapture (the sudden disappearance of Christians) falls in relation to the seven years known as the Great Tribulation.

(One of the many confusing things about this era is going to be the fact that there are still people who thought they were Christians who are still left behind. The inconvenient truth they’ll have to face up to is the fact that even if they attend church regularly and do lots of “religious things,” they have not trusted Jesus Christ as their savior.)

I’ve written about this before, but it’s a pretty heavy duty topic, and I’d love to be able to help provide some direction for the people that are still here. If the Rapture actually happened, I’m not here anymore, so I can only help you through stuff I’ve already written or stuff I can point you to. Here’s the part that sounds crazy, but since you’re probably pretty desperate for answers, I’ll just come out and say it. When I say that you’ve been “left behind,” here’s what I mean. God created the world. Humanity sinned and sort of broke the deal that God had with us. For awhile we got by with presenting sacrifices to Him (the days of the Old Testament), but it wasn’t until Jesus Christ came to become a permanent sacrifice on our behalf that it changed our relationship with God. After He rose from the dead and ascended back to Heaven, He left the Church here to do His work until He comes back to take the rest of His followers away so they don’t have to endure the Great Tribulation, which is where God cleans house and lets loose on whoever’s left for thousands of years’ worth of stubborn disobedience.

Don’t worry, there’s still hope for you! The Great Tribulation will see unprecedented levels of both Christian revival and persecution of Christians. Keep an eye out for the Evangelists. There are going to be street preachers, people that hold meetings in big tents, in warehouses, in schools, in sports arenas, people that spread the news about Jesus. They’ll use whatever are the most popular tools of the day to spread the news. Go to them. As long as what they’re saying agrees with the Bible (and no other religious books), they’re steering you toward the truth. (But be careful, 2 Timothy 4 says that many people will be deceived by false teaching during this time.) In the meantime, track down a Bible and start reading it. Start with the New Testament…read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are four books that cover the same material, so don’t be confused when Jesus dies four times. Those four books are collectively called “the Gospels.”

To read a little more about what you’re living in (the End Times, the Great Tribulation, the Apocalypse, Armageddon), check out the last book in the Bible; it’s called Revelation. You’ll probably need to read it a few times, and you’ll learn a lot more if you have some kind of study Bible with notes or some kind of Bible commentary. A few other books in the Bible cover the End Times and provide more info…check out the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and First and Second Thessalonians (again, study Bibles, Bible commentaries, and online resources will be tremendously helpful). Here are a few of the things that are coming, but not necessarily in this order:

  • Mass death. Not only are the four horsemen of the apocalypse real, but one of them is given the power to kill a quarter of humanity (Revelation 6:7-8). Later, four imprisoned fallen angels (demons) are released to kill a third of humanity (Revelation 9:13-15). If we have 8 billion people on the planet right now and this happened, the horseman takes out 2 billion people, and then the fallen angels take out a third of the remaining six, cutting the population in half from 8 to 4 billion.
  • You think the idea of climate change is scary? Earth’s ecology gets absolutely demolished in Revelation chapter 8. The wind even stops in chapter 7.
  • God pours out so much wrath on the planet and its occupants that people abandon large portions of it and move somewhere else (picture Detroit as its population fell, but on a much larger scale). Of all places, Babylon, code for the famous city of Rome, becomes very important; I’m not sure if it actually becomes the global capital or if it sort of becomes symbolic of global debauchery and sin, sort of like how Vegas is for the U.S., and people consolidate there (Revelation chapters 16ish to 18).
  • At least one off-the-scale earthquake takes place (Revelation 16:18).
  • Slavery makes a comeback (Revelation 18:11-13).
  • There will be two missionaries that are invincible for a time, who speak truth to power so effectively that people can’t stand hearing their testimony and try unsuccessfully to kill them. They defend themselves like something you’d see in an X-Men movie, but watch out for the guy that eventually does kill them…he’s super bad news and will seem like he’s awesome, but believe me, he’s not somebody you should follow. Those two witnesses/missionaries also won’t let death keep them down. There will be some worldwide celebration for a few days after they’re killed, but the world will get a shock when the two of them get up again three and a half days after their death (Revelation 11:1-12).

Look, I don’t envy you. I’m writing this in August of 2022, and the past couple years have been pretty nuts from my perspective, but they pale in comparison to what you’re living through. Dig into the Bible, spread the word, and find other believers to encourage and be encouraged by. Dark days are ahead, and you’ll be hunted. If you turn to God, repent, and give your life to Him, He’ll give you what you need to make it to the end.

Don’t give up. It’s going to be worth it.

Want to learn more about specific Biblical references on the End Times? See http://peoplegetready.org/end-times/150-chapters-bible-times/

That Was Just a Warning Shot, God Doesn’t Miss

How tolerant is God?

We all make mistakes, right? Sometimes they’re accidental and sometimes we do the wrong thing even though we know it’s wrong. So…what’s God’s level of patience with us?

Fortunately, God often gives warnings before He gives punishments. We just need to be sensitive to hearing those warnings and being humble enough to change the thing we’re being warned about.

In the Old Testament we see a lot more examples of God “letting ‘em have it” as a result of bad behavior. In one instance, the book of Numbers, chapter 11, tells of a recently liberated Israel growing restless with God’s miraculous provision. By this point it had been over a year since God first provided manna, and the Israelites were getting pretty sick of it.

I can certainly understand how eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for over a year would get old. When you’re not carrying any spices, there are only so many ways you can alter the taste of something that’s already bland to start with. The first part of Numbers 11:1 says “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused.” The notes in my study bible say that this wasn’t just a passing grumbling; their complaining was outward and loud. I can imagine God saying “Oh, I’m sorry, you’re not pleased with the fact that I spared you from the horrible plagues that beset your captors, then I set you free from bondage, and now I’m bringing you to a fruitful land you’ll call home? I’m feeding you what you need and your clothes and shoes aren’t wearing out, but I’m not moving fast enough for your liking? Did I miss anything, your highness?”

Moses wrote the book of Numbers, and sometimes it’s kind of funny to see how he was in a hurry or just didn’t feel like taking the time to elaborate as he wrote things down. Maybe writing materials were in short supply. Here’s verse 11:1 in its entirety. “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.”

It seems like God doesn’t take the same approach these days. Imagine if He unleashed His wrath every time we did something displeasing to Him? There’d be nobody left!

Let’s consider what He did, though. Yeah, He let some of His anger off the chain, but He didn’t go as far as He could have. Israelites became known for their complaining. The fact that He focused His wrath “on the outskirts of the camp” suggests that He intentionally limited the damage. God doesn’t miss. It’s not clear how the fire started; I don’t know if we’re talking about raining literal fire down from Heaven or if it was “just” divine fire that sprung up in certain portions of the camp, but the outcome was the same…God made an example out of a relatively small number in order to serve as a warning to everyone else. The text doesn’t tell us who bore the brunt of God’s wrath that day, but from what we know about Him, I’ve got to think that they weren’t totally innocent of wrongdoing.

God tends to give warnings before He metes out punishment. In our current era, having people fall over dead doesn’t seem to be quite as common as in Bible times, but He has other ways of warning us to get back on track. A conscience is crucial for doing that. You’re also more likely to heed small warnings if you have a humble spirit. I can’t be sure, but I’m thinking the folks in Numbers 11 probably weren’t all that humble. God turned to straight up death and destruction as a warning. In your case, if you’re doing something you know you shouldn’t be doing, hopefully you’ve got enough humility that reading a post like this is enough to get you to say “you know what? I need to make some changes.”

God will give only so many warnings before He gives you over to the path you’re choosing. Are you doing something you know you shouldn’t be doing? If so, let this post serve as one of those warnings to you. It’s time to face the fact that changes must be made, and that you’re the one to do it.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

They All Went Back for the One That was Left

I recently read an amazing account of a military situation that took place 10 years ago in Afghanistan.

I’m not totally clear on why this happened (I suspect it was ground fire from enemy forces), but a U.S. Army helicopter with two pilots crashed in the mountains, killing one of the two. The other pilot survived and started moving away from the crash site as enemy troops closed in.

Two Air Force rescue helicopters came and dropped off some highly trained combat medics called Pararescuemen (PJs) to try to help out. One helo dropped three PJs near the live pilot, who had by this time moved several hundred feet from the crash site. The other helo dropped two PJs near the crash site to see if they could still save the other pilot, and if nothing else, to bring him home.

Pararescuemen (PJs) training

Enemy fire started getting intense. As the rescue helicopters circled around to come back in and pick everyone up again, they took too much fire to get close. One of the crew on one of the choppers got hit bad enough that they had to return to base so that crew member could get medical attention. The two PJs at the crash site took cover from incoming enemy fire, but the hail of gunfire was so intense that it started setting off munitions in the wreckage itself, so they had to move out and find cover somewhere else.

By this point the call for assistance went out to other aircraft in the general area. Both fixed-wing and helicopters answered the call, with multiple aircraft using their weapons to try to push back the attackers to give the U.S. troops time and space to evacuate. On top of that, two groups of 16 soldiers landed in the area to provide assistance, engaging in tenacious firefights with the enemy that resulted in the death of at least one U.S. Army soldier.

Rescue helicopters, accompanied by attack helos and A-10s (aircraft that are great for attacking ground targets at low level) kept trying to fly in to get close enough to pick up the guys on the ground, but the enemy fire was so intense that they still had to back off. In order to take some of the heat off those rescue aircraft, one of the A-10 pilots intentionally flew his aircraft dangerously close to the enemy so they’d shoot at him instead of the rescue helos.

An Air Force A-10

Over time the group was able to evacuate all five PJs, the pilot that survived, and the body of the fallen pilot. For those that were involved, I’m sure it was an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. They could make a movie out of that day’s events.

Now pause for just a moment and imagine you’re that one pilot that survived the crash. Think about everything that occurred that day to enable you to survive. You’re on the ground and have three special operations forces fighters right there in danger with you, simultaneously patching your wounds and returning fire. You’ve got over 30 troops dropped on the ground on your behalf, and every time you look up in the sky there’s some kind of aircraft screaming toward you, firing over your head at the people closing in on you and trying to kill you. It’s truly an inspiring story of human bravery and determination.

As inspiring as the story is, though, if you think that this situation can hold a candle to how much your Heavenly Father loves you and would fight for you, you’re missing out on how much He cares for you.

THIS is what you should be thankful for this Thanksgiving: you’re cherished, you’re pursued, and you’re defended by the Creator of the universe and the Savior of humanity. Follow your calling, honor Him with your life, and He’ll support you in ways you can’t even predict. Trials will come and things will at times look bleak. Despite that, you will never be alone. Walk confidently in the knowledge of whose you are, and you’ll walk every day in thankfulness.

Lord Jesus, thank you SO much for how You love us relentlessly! Thank you for this example of selfless love and of how it highlights the sacrifice You’ve already given for us. I ask that You’d help us all live in light of the miracle of your salvation, and to help us share that miracle with those that don’t yet know about it. Please help this Thanksgiving to be full of joy, uplifting fellowship (and in some cases, reunions), and safe travels. These things I ask in your name, Amen.

Is Anyone Asking These Questions?

Antibacterial soap…is it good or bad?

On the one hand, it kills 99.9% of bacteria. On the other hand, it means that only the strongest…the bacterial equivalent of gold medalists…are left alive to reproduce.

It’s easy to see how this can be a double-edged sword. If you’re about to put in your contact lenses, sure, wash your hands with antibacterial soap. If you just came in from mowing the lawn or working on the car, regular soap will be just fine.

We’ve got sort of a similar case brewing with COVID. We currently have a couple of different shots geared to fight the virus. I don’t know that “vaccine” is the best term to use; a vaccine normally prevents you from contracting the disease it was made to combat. (Think Polio, Smallpox, etc.) Today’s shots are just supposed to make sure that if you catch Coronavirus, the symptoms aren’t as bad as they otherwise would be. It’s true that as the shots became widespread, the number of COVID hospitalizations declined, but they don’t do anything to prevent you from contracting the virus. Reduced hospitalizations aren’t proof that the virus stopped spreading, it could just mean that there were fewer severe cases (which is still a positive!).

These shots have limited efficacy. That is, the shots’ symptom-reduction effectiveness wears off over time. We’re still learning about exactly how long it’s effective, but for this discussion let’s say it lasts somewhere between 6 and 10 months. There’s a growing movement to get a booster shot available to the public. Once that’s available, I don’t know for sure, but I would think it would only provide relief for a similar timeframe, meaning that another booster shot is required every 6 to 10 months beyond that point.

So where are we right now? Well, here in the US, we have a growing percentage of adults that have been fully vaccinated. I imagine that means we have a shrinking percentage of adults that have either never received “the jab” or only got a partial dose. I’m a firm believer that we’ll always have some certain percentage of the population that opts not to get stuck. Realistically, I think 100% participation is very far out of reach, especially if you have to convince people to get on board with a solution that apparently only provides a limited-time reduction of symptoms.

Let’s get real here. The virus is going to continue mutating and evolving. It’s a living thing that will try to survive. We have these shots that are temporarily effective, but we will likely someday have a variant of Coronavirus that can overcome our current shots. If a shot is to be effective at stopping the spread of COVID, there are a couple of things we’ll need that we don’t yet have.

The first is a more effective shot. Protection that lasts for only 6-10 months is simply not sustainable. Some people will be very diligent for the rest of their lives in making sure they get a booster every time they hit their window. Others may get one or two, but will stop going after that. My guess is that most people will fall somewhere in the middle. If big numbers of people start skipping the boosters, the overall effort will be rendered less effective.

Second, there needs to be a massive campaign that synchronizes global dosing. Giving everyone the same shot at the same time means global “Coronahealth” is predictable and we could make more definite plans. The problem with that is that it’s a logistical nightmare of epic proportions. Let’s say that every 8 months or so, international organizations administer effective dosages for 7.5-8 billion people. That might someday be possible in countries with well-developed transportation infrastructure, but it would be a herculean lift in more remote areas of the globe where travel is much more difficult or is only possible at certain times of the year. It would certainly be an impressive feat, but even if we do it for a round or two, we’re eventually going to start asking “is this really worth all the effort?”

How about we skip ahead to that point right now? Is today’s madness really worth all the effort? Yes, COVID-19 can be deadly, but in most cases, it’s not. It’s unpleasant and inconvenient, certainly, with many people losing their sense of taste or smell for months, but it’s not as deadly as originally feared.

I’m certainly not an avid consumer of news programs, so I may not be completely accurate about this next part. It seems, though, that all you ever hear about is numbers of new infections. “There were X number of positive COVID tests last week, bringing the cumulative total to doom and gloom.” Well…sure, but then they never follow up after that; they make it seem like that’s the end of the story…all those people are the walking dead and it’s just a matter of time before the virus claims them. My question is: why don’t we hear more data on people that have overcome the virus? How long does their protection typically last? Do average people gain more protection from a low-efficacy shot or from their bodies actually overcoming the virus? To be honest, I don’t know the answer, but it seems like nobody’s asking the question. At a time where “breakthrough cases” are spiking, shouldn’t we be asking some basic questions? Considering all the regular news reports that show thousands of new cases…wouldn’t it be a fantastic development if we learned that only 60% of them had long-lasting immunity after that?

So let’s ask the question: “how do pandemics end?” In order for a disease to die out, it has to run out of new hosts to infect. That can happen in a couple of different ways. 1. Isolate people so that the virus cannot spread from host to host. In the process, every infected person that does not spread the virus becomes a dead end for it. This is why it’s so important to quarantine at the beginning of an outbreak, when it’s still possible to contain it, but it has obvious negative mental health effects that most of us have experienced at some point over the last 18 months. 2. Enough people possess immunity (either natural or synthetic) from the disease that the virus has a hard time finding new, vulnerable hosts to infect. Our current shots don’t provide immunity, so we should be looking down the line to the next generation of medical solutions to provide actual protection from COVID, rather than merely preventing potent symptoms.

I’m inclined to think that a population who received the existing shots is actually prolonging the pandemic. If we could develop a shot that were a true vaccine…something that permanently blocked the virus from infecting the person who received it…that would hasten the end of the pandemic. Biology is funny, though; by introducing a hybrid injection that makes symptoms much more bearable without actually preventing the infection, all we’ve done is give the virus a challenge…something interesting to tackle and overcome. Think Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park. “Life finds a way.” I suspect that this course of action will only extend the outbreak by creating a larger number of COVID variants than we otherwise would have had.

In short, you know best what your situation is. If you want to get the shot, I say go for it. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to, I don’t think anybody should be able to force you to get it, but you really do need to be respectful and responsible with your social behavior in all aspects of life. At all times, assume you’re carrying the virus and that not everyone around you has as hearty an immune system as you do.

Today’s shots are not going to end COVID. This pandemic is still going to be around until it runs out of new people to infect, and infection rates (including breakthrough cases) will probably rise as the cold months approach. Don’t be surprised if the numbers get worse before they get better, but don’t shut the door on the possibility that the rising number of infections may be what eventually causes the drop in new infections.

Keep your head up. It may take some time, but we’ll get through this!

You Matter

No matter what you’ve been through, or who you think others think you are, we need you.

Some people don’t know what it’s like to feel included.

It’s difficult for them to have a sense of belonging, seemingly anywhere they go.

I think just about everyone has experienced that at least once or twice in their lives, but for some people it goes far beyond that, to the point where they can’t recall ever really fitting in with the people around them. For those people, encountering a new social setting holds little promise of genuine relationships; it will probably result in another mask or more surface-level conversations that are meant to prevent letting anyone get past the walls they’ve constructed.

If you’re one of those people, you need to hear something that you probably don’t hear often enough: you matter. On top of that, although people may let you down, you are loved, you are valued, and you are cherished by the creator of everything that exists, Jesus Christ.

It’s my hope that you’re able to find real connection and belonging through Christ. I believe that He has a plan for everyone’s life, and that He uses the things that have happened in each person’s life to prepare them for the future roles they’ll play in the bigger picture of Christ’s kingdom. Contributing toward that kingdom may come in the form of reaching others and bringing them into the kingdom, or it could be as a way of helping current believers strengthen their faith so they’re willing to do things they previously couldn’t. In this way, we play a part, but it all serves to glorify Christ.

Even if you don’t see value in yourself, let me assure you that it’s there. Ephesians 2:10 says For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

“God’s masterpiece.” That means that of all the things He created, you are the pinnacle. There is inherent worth in you, even if you or someone else has tried to convince you otherwise. With Christ, you can feel at home, and you can finally feel as though you belong.

You might not struggle with feeling worthless, but you may very well know someone who does. I want to help embolden you to be an encouragement to them. For any number of reasons, these folks have been cast off, underestimated, undervalued, and generally ignored by others. It doesn’t take long to put up walls if you’re living or working in an environment like that. You may not have an earth-shattering conversation with them in a single sit-down, but you can breathe life into them one conversation at a time.

Now consider that any single one of these “underloved” people can have a life-changing impact on someone else. They know things you don’t, they know different people than you, and they’ve lived through things you haven’t. Each one of those variables equals something the Holy Spirit can use to create a new connection in someone else’s life.

You don’t need to be a therapist to talk to someone and make them feel welcome. Just be authentic. Odds are that if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you have faith in Jesus Christ. You can mention that belief as a part of your authenticity, but don’t force it on them. The golden rule we all learned as kids says to treat others the way you want to be treated. The platinum rule says to treat others the way they want to be treated. If you end up being someone who treats them in a way that makes them feel safe and welcome, believe me, they’ll take notice of your faith.

There’s a place for everyone that wants to follow Christ, but there are as many different stories about how that happens as there are Christ-followers. Maybe you can be part of someone’s story about how they became a Christian, and it can all start by paying attention to someone who feels they don’t deserve a second glance.

Lord, I overlook people every day. Sometimes it’s because I’m in a hurry, but sometimes it’s more intentional. Please help me remember that each and every person on (or above) this planet right now is someone You consider valuable, and to treat them that way. I go through life focused on what I’m doing, but help me to see where you want me to look around and focus on someone else. In Your name, Amen.

You Just Don’t Know the Third Option

Sometimes you think you have all the eventualities gamed out. Then something comes along and blows you away.

It’s hard to read the Bible and not get annoyed with how quickly the Israelites forgot about God’s provision for them. Israel is the nation God holds dear. After repeated bouts of stubbornness against Him, God finally had enough of the Israelites and had the people carried off as captives to foreign lands. At some future date, though, He’ll bring them back and use them to carry His message of salvation throughout the globe in the End Times.

It’s a lofty mission, and a tremendous honor for a nation that has repeatedly demonstrated their unworthiness. In that day the future Israelites will fulfill the mission God assigned to them long ago. Nobody knows what events will transpire in order to enable that remarkable eventuality to take place. Yet thousands of years ago this same group of people was perfectly willing to settle for a much lowlier lot in life, and we’d do well to learn from their story.

In Exodus chapter 14 we read about when Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt, and they were camped against the Red Sea when they learned Pharaoh and his army were pursuing them.

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” – Ex 14:10-12

You and I know, thousands of years later, how the story turned out, and we scoff at their unbelief. For just a moment, imagine being in that camp and shaking with fear at what you saw. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” I see why they thought that, but they could only imagine two scenarios…remain as slaves but having their needs met, and dying as a free people in the desert. They discounted the possibility of a third option. In this case God came through big time for His people, by using a way nobody saw coming.

What can we learn from this? How can we be encouraged by this story when we’re trying to muster the courage or the resolve to take the next step (or maybe the first step) on an endeavor to which we feel God has called us? When you find yourself thinking “Do I march out on this thing, probably into failure or ridicule, or do I stay in my comfort zone, where at least it’s not so bad?” remember that God doesn’t get boxed into situations where there are only two choices. The third option just might be Him saying “If you do this, I’m going to reward your faithfulness in a way you can’t even imagine.”

God has a life of adventure and reward waiting for you if you seek His will and follow His leading. I do, however, feel compelled to give a warning along with this post. If you choose to reject the calling God has for you…that is, if you’d rather live the life that takes no leaps of faith but at least you won’t have to do anything crazy, a life of Christian lukewarmth, do you know what will happen? In most cases, God will let you do exactly that.

God, I know You have two stories for my life…the one I’ll actually live, and the one I would live if I accept each of the invitations You’re going to offer me during this lifetime. It can be scary and uncertain, but help me to make the two as similar as possible. Amen

A Whole Bunch of People Straight up Vanished – What Just Happened?!

This week’s post isn’t geared so much toward my regular readers as it is the people that have just witnessed an astonishing event, and who are absolutely freaking out right now. If a sizable portion of the human race has just flat out disappeared without a trace, and you’re still here, this post is meant for you.

Right off the bat, I can offer you hope, but it’s going to come with a hard dose of reality. I’m breaking this into two sections: what happened, and what you need to do now. You’re going to think what I’m saying is crazy, but crazy just became your new norm, friend, and the things I touch on can help you start to understand this new reality.

So what happened? I can’t put a number on it, but a ton of people around the whole world just up and disappeared, right in the middle of everyday life. Cars driving down the road suddenly had no drivers, and airplanes lost their pilots, which caused additional chaos, I’m sure. Despite what’s being reported, it wasn’t aliens and it wasn’t some weird new disease. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the people that disappeared are Christians. That is, they believed and trusted in Jesus Christ. Sure, there are still some church-goers and religious people that didn’t disappear. Ask them why others are gone but they’re still here. If they can’t seem to articulate their thoughts, ask them about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Not their head knowledge, as in their knowledge of or about God, or the money they give or the things they do for the church; ask them about their relational/experiential knowledge…the relationship they have with God. Odds are that they didn’t have a meaningful one.

Here’s the quick and dirty: after Jesus left, the Church (capital “C”) started. Throughout the Bible’s New Testament, the Church is described as the thing preserving the world (the “salt and light”). The Church is what perpetuates society’s collective morality. Yeah, things progressively get less and less like the way God wanted humanity to act. Churches give in, get “woke,” and endorse things that God himself would not endorse. Morality becomes less black and white and becomes increasingly gray. There are some churches and some folks that stand up and try to point the way back to Biblical morality, but over time those voices get drowned out, silenced, or labeled “hateful.”

Eventually (this is the part you’ve witnessed), God says “That’s enough; the evil is too much. I don’t want it to corrupt my people any further, so I’m pulling them out of there.” I don’t know when He’s going to do it, but I know that none of the people who disappeared are perfect; they just chose to love Jesus and trust Him as their savior and are now with Him in Heaven.

So where does that leave you? Well, you’re heading for some very rough waters. As it turns out, the Church was the speed bump that slowed down the moral degeneration of the human race. Now that it’s gone, there’s nothing holding back society’s decay. It’s like defunding the police and trusting that everyone will just get along and live happily together without problems. Things are about to get more insane and deadly than you imagined could ever happen.

If it hasn’t already happened, there’s a guy about to come on the scene that’s the most articulate politician/leader you’ve ever seen. He’s going to seem like he’s got all the answers and people will thrust him to global leadership. It’s a meteoric rise. The Bible calls this man the Antichrist. Circumstances will be such that you are encouraged (and maybe in some cases forced) to worship him. He’s empowered by satanic forces and will be able to do amazing supernatural things, and will perform counterfeit versions of the actual miracles Jesus performed.

Very quickly, here are some other things that will happen: Crazy, unexplainable signs in the sky…sun, moon, sky, and stars will all act strangely (Revelation chapter 6, verses 12-14, along with Rev 8:12). Imagine peace in the Middle East. This guy will orchestrate a 7-year treaty with Israel that brings peace to the region. Halfway through, though, he’s going to break it for his own benefit, desecrating Jewish holy sites in the process (Daniel 9:27, although there’s a lot more reading to do in order to grasp this meaning). Also, you’ll be unable to buy or sell or otherwise conduct normal business without receiving a mark on your hand or forehead. I don’t know if it’s going to look like a bar code, a QR code, or something else, but odds are it will somehow have the number “666” associated with it. (Rev. 13:16-18) Additionally, even aside from the disappearances, there’s going to be widespread death on a massive scale (Rev 6:7-8). Interestingly, there are going to be two guys that show up in Jerusalem that, for three and a half years speak out against the way folks are living and the way the world is conducting itself, pointing the way to Jesus Christ. People are going to hate hearing the truths these two guys are spreading, and will even try to kill them in order to silence them. During this time, these two will be invincible, but at the end the Antichrist himself will kill them both and their bodies will be left in the street as people celebrate their death by giving gifts to one another. Three and a half days later, however, both men will come back to life in full view of everyone. God then calls them to Heaven, and the two men will leave after that. (Rev. 11:3-12)

Look there’s a whole lot that happens, and I just don’t have the space to go into it all. Here’s what you need to do:

  • Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. You’re not perfect, but you don’t have to be. I realize that “accepting Christ as your Savior” sounds kind of wonky for someone who’s not accustomed to “churchy” language, so I’ll say it differently. Talk to God; pray this prayer: “Dear God, I need you. I’m humbly calling out to you. I’m tired of doing things my way; help me to start doing things your way. I invite you into my life to be my Lord and Savior; fill the emptiness in me with your Holy Spirit and make me whole. Lord help me to trust you, help me to love you, help me to live for you. Help me to understand your grace, your mercy, and your peace. Help me have the strength for what lies ahead. Thank you Lord, Amen.”
  • If it hasn’t already, it’s probably about to become illegal to possess a Bible. You’re going to need one, though, along with a place to stash it. The Bible is a very complex book, with lots of stuff that you’re probably not going to care about (so many lineages!), and you’ll need help understanding it. There are lots of different translations of the Bible, but the most important thing for you is to get one that you can follow and that is an actual translation (not paraphrased). If it says that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, you’re probably on the right track. If you’ve never read the Bible before, start out in the New Testament. If you’re new to this, start with Matthew. (The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are in the same group of books, and they cover a lot of the same material. Don’t read all four and wonder why they killed Jesus four times!) Some of the books of the Bible that will pertain the most to you (Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel) are also some of the most difficult to understand, so it’s best to get either a study bible (with notes) or separate commentaries that can help provide explanations of what the text is saying. At this point you’re living in a time that’s past civility, so I’ll say this and you take it however you’d like: the homes and bookshelves of the people who disappeared are your best shot at obtaining the biblical resources that can help you the most, and those folks sure don’t need those resources anymore.
  • The Bible is your single best source for learning what you need to learn, but it can be very hard to understand. For a lot of people, sermons from pastors/priests or additional Bible study materials will help increase understanding of biblical scripture’s application. If you can obtain those resources, do it.
  • Find others like you. God empowers His followers with special talents called “spiritual gifts.” They could be things like teaching, faith, leadership, administration, or the gift of helps (this isn’t an exhaustive list). If you accept Christ, you’ll gain something that you can use to help other Christ-followers, and others will likewise be able to help you. The Bible says that wherever two or more are gathered in His name, He’s there (Matthew 18:20). Take comfort in that, help each other learn about Christ, and help each other survive. You would not believe what God can do when He wants to get something done, and you may very well see it up close.

There are very hard times ahead. You will personally understand desperation in a way I can only vaguely imagine in April of 2021. My hope is that this post will float around online long enough to reach the people that need it, starting to orient you in a time of unprecedented chaos.

I’m not out to con you. I can guarantee that I have nothing to gain by passing this information along. In fact, if I’m right about all this, I’m already gone. You, on the other hand, have everything to gain!

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

It’s All Part of the Process

Last week I talked about reconciling the apparent scientific evidence we have of an earth that appears to be billions of years old with the 6,000-10,000-year estimate we derive from the Bible’s account.

This week, let’s talk a little about the process of creation itself.

For now, let’s assume the biblical account of creation is accurate. That is, God made the entire universe, including the earth and everything in it, in seven days. (As an aside, note that even though the work was completed in six days, God considered resting and recharging so important that He set the example of including it as part of the timeline. That’s not my main point, but it’s important, too!)

Why would God take seven whole days? If He’s infinitely powerful, why didn’t He just make it all instantly? He had the option of waving His arms across the emptiness and bringing everything into existence, yet He deliberately chose to break up the stages of Earth’s creation into distinct phases. Why?

I believe He did it as a way of illustrating to us, His followers, that His way of doing things usually occurs through using processes. Everything God does is a process. God could snap His fingers and affect major change instantaneously, but doing so foregoes the opportunity to make the journey.

In addition to a seven-day-long creation, here are some other examples of God taking longer than we might expect:

  • Leading the Israelites along the scenic route through the wilderness to get to the promised land (even before He announced they’d wander until the older generation perished)
  • Prophesying about the coming Messiah for hundreds of years before He showed up
  • Saying that He’s coming back for us “soon.” Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. Revelation 22:12

What are we to learn from this?

Well it seems to me that God’s telling us: “don’t be in a hurry to get to the next thing; live in the moment, because that’s where I’ve placed you. You may have noble intentions of things you want to do in the future, but don’t forget about living for me in the present. I’m giving you opportunities to be faithful in small things over time, and if you do well, I’ll give you opportunities to be faithful in bigger things.”

Living life at God’s pace instead of our own builds and hones our character. Remember that He knows exactly what choices we’ll make and what kind of person we’ll be in the future. Part of the sometimes glacial movement of God’s work in our lives is for our benefit, not God’s. As you accomplish tasks God sets before you, it grows your faith and deepens your trust in Him. As that trust grows, you become more willing to take bigger leaps of faith on His behalf…leaps that you would not have been willing to take if God had simply snapped His fingers and brought you to the level He wanted you to be after the long, hard journey. Skipping the journey means missing part of the experience that makes you…you.

If you’re going through an especially difficult time right now, just remember: God knows where He wants you to end up, but the route you would’ve chosen wasn’t going to get you there in the manner He wanted. It’s easy to think of surprises and unforeseen pivots as “detours.” The reality is that this was always the charted course, but sometime in the past we tried going in a different direction than God chose.  

There aren’t too many people that would plan their lives according to the way God does. That feared diagnosis, that pink slip, that broken relationship. Though it’s painful, please remember that all the difficult struggles in your life are part of the process God is using to shape you who He wants you to become.

Lord, sometimes there are no words to describe the feelings we have when life doesn’t go the way we expected. Please help us to have patience, to live in the here and now, and to see how to align our wills more closely with yours. Amen.

When Your Tank is Empty but There are Still Miles To Go

During my Junior year in college, our men’s dorm held its own version of the Olympics.

The games consisted of a variety of events. There were some conventional events, some less-conventional events, and some downright nutty events (I was thankful to be one of the referees, rather than one of the participants, in the event where you had to reach into a bag and eat whatever you pulled out). The games were memorable and went late into the night.

For some events the scoring system was straightforward. There were four floors represented, so in an event where all four floors participated simultaneously (a relay race, for example), the first-place finisher got 400 points, the second-place finisher got 300, then 200 for third place, and the last-place finisher got 100 points.

For bracket-style events, the scoring system was a little more controversial. We had two very good chess players in the dorm, and chess was one of the events. Events like this were split into two matches for round one, and then the winners from both matches would meet in the finals, and both losers from round one would also go head-to-head. The winners’ bracket would place first and second overall, and thus be awarded either 400 or 300 points. When these two talented competitors faced off in the first round, one of them had to lose. That guy was then forced into the loser’s bracket, where he could earn no higher than third place overall.

Well somehow I found myself representing my floor in the arm wrestling event. I was no slouch, but in this event I was definitely outgunned. It would be an understatement to say that I was not favored to win the event.

Due to the scoring system, the strategy I settled on was to use up everything I had in the tank to try to win the first match. That way if I could pull off a win, I’d avoid the loser’s bracket and be guaranteed a minimum of 300 points for our team even if I lost round two in an embarrassing fashion.

For the first match I got paired up with a guy named Tyrone. Tyrone was a buddy of mine, and we regularly lifted weights together a few times a week. We each had our strengths when it came to different exercises in the weight room, but trust me when I tell you that he had the advantage when it came to the explosive power and brute force required for arm wrestling.

I developed a new strategy…just try to last longer than 10 seconds!

We both sat down and established our grips, and the judge started the match. For about a second and a half, our hands went nowhere, a perfect balance of strength. Then Tyrone’s muscle simply overpowered mine. My fist steadily descended toward the table. A few seconds into it, this one was already just about over. My knuckles were so close to the table, but he couldn’t seem to close the deal. He didn’t quite have the leverage to bring his power to bear on my barely alive wrist.

I think at that point Tyrone changed strategies. It seemed like he took his foot off the gas and just waited for me to get tired. Since his advantage lay with his power though, he should have gone for the kill.

Surprised that I was still in it and that I wasn’t yet headed for the lower bracket, I resolved to give it everything I had. The problem was that the force I could generate using “everything I had” became less and less as time went on.

The seconds ticked by. A match that should have been over in 5 or 10 seconds was still going at 30 seconds. Then it passed 60 seconds. Those watching started out enjoying the match with shouts and yelling. Some of those spectators got bored and walked away, only mildly curious about the outcome.

Anybody watching could see that I was in pain, wincing and just barely hanging on. The whole time, Tyrone sat there, cool as a cucumber, just waiting for my strength to give out. He tried a few more times to go for the kill, but it didn’t work. Nobody was more surprised than me when he just gave up and stopped trying. He let me push his hand to the table surface. I can’t say I beat him, but I advanced to the winner’s bracket!

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been talking about finding and pursuing the thing that God put you here on Earth to do. It’s your “I have to;” it’s your God-given purpose. For those of you trying to ignore it or push it to the back of your mind, consider this: everyone that’s ever existed either already has, or someday will, experience two “rounds:” this one on Earth that we’re living right now, and the one that comes after this one. You may not think of it in these terms, but this current round is the one that determines where we experience the second round.

If you’re a Christian, please don’t misunderstand me, it’s fantastic that you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior…but for almost everyone other than those who experience deathbed conversions, your Christian walk is probably meant to go deeper. The Holy Spirit has a way of prompting you to move in directions you don’t want to go, of pushing you to do things you don’t want to do. And you know the crazy part? Many times it’s for the sake of making an eternal impact on someone else, but it’s not something you could have (or would have) planned on your own.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. –James 1:12

So even if you’re wincing in pain while barely holding on, surprised that you’re even still hanging in there, let me encourage you to give everything you’ve got despite the pain so that this round has a bigger impact for those on your team (and those that will join your team in the future)! The opposition may look like they’re fresh and powerful, but you never know what’s going on behind the scenes. Do not give up! Save nothing for round two; put everything you’ve got into round one, and let round two figure itself out.

For those seeking closure, even if I were fresh and didn’t have an exhausted arm, I wouldn’t have been able to beat Dave, the guy I met in round two. I think that round ended with my hand on the table less than 3 seconds after the match started.

Tyrone, if you’re reading this…I still can’t claim victory, because I didn’t actually beat you; you just let me win. I have no doubt you should’ve won! You were an animal in the weight room. As a testament to how strongly I believe this, I’ll admit that I’m kind of afraid you’re going to read this and come find me and demand a rematch!

PS – The answer’s no, unless you’re really weak now.

When the Simple Gets Complicated, Make it Simple Once More

This past summer I wrote a few posts about a little girl named Molly, who was born with a condition that caused some of her organs to form on the outside of her body. This brave little 7-year-old put up a big fight that left us holding our breath, but ultimately God took her home on the 5th of July.

After a long delay, this past weekend was Molly’s memorial service.

There were beautiful (and sometimes funny) pictures scrolling on the screen as we waited for the service to begin, and we saw evidence of a big life crammed into seven years. It was hard, for sure. Parents shouldn’t have to say goodbye to their children this way.

I didn’t envy the pastor that spoke at the service. What do you say at a service for someone that was taken at such an early age? He started speaking about the story in the Bible where the disciples didn’t want the local kids bugging Jesus, but Christ more or less told them to get out of the kids’ way, because “the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

What does that mean?

Think about young kids when they’re excited to greet someone…a favorite aunt or uncle, for example. They don’t prepare themselves; they just come. They don’t say “I’ll be there when I finish doing this,” they just come. Do we have things in our lives that we mis-prioritize, when in reality, we should just drop them and come to Christ? “The Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Let’s learn from the kids: don’t lose that eagerness and clarity of mind.

Back in March, I wrote a post about what a life verse is. In it I shared that mine was Joshua 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Imagine my surprise when I turned over one of the inserts in the memorial service’s program to find this verse written in Molly’s handwriting. Molly had many surgeries during her life, and I hope this verse brought her comfort during times of anxiety. Seeing the verse in her writing was just one more way that this little girl made an impact, even after her soul left this world behind.

In closing…don’t let things get cloudy…just come. God doesn’t care about your appearance; He already knows you’re a mess. Don’t wait until you have “enough” money, because it will never be enough. Don’t wait until you get your life in order, because you don’t know how much time you have left. Be like those kids. Drop what you’re doing, and just come. The Kingdom of God belongs to people like this.