Random Acts. . .

Repent! Jesus is coming soon (Photo credit: Ben Sutherland)

Iniquity abounds in this world in which we reside. Iniquity is no longer a random act; it seems it is the norm. We must know we are merely strangers here. We must believe in our hearts that we are new creatures, reborn through Y’shuaJesus’s redemptive act of enduring kindness. While we walk, through various trials and tribulations, the Spirit of G-d is with us, beside us, within us.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 Thes 2:7-10

Iniquity is also referred to as “lawlessness.” While it means having no law, it refers to the spirit of these days in which we live. For it is in these days that there is a turning away from G-d and G-d’s Law. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that while there is this spirit of lawlessness in the world, it is contained until G-d chooses to let it completely go. I pointed out the move here in Georgia to encourage “Random Acts of Kindness” and the various community service projects that are undertaken. These, promoted by both Christians and non-Christians, are ways in which G-d keeps some light shining. Y’shuaJesus said to work while it is still day, for in the night, no work can be done.

This all makes me think about the search party going into Sodom to seek out any righteous that may be there, and if things are truly as bad as rumor had it.

And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Genesis 18:20-23

G-d didn’t find enough salt in Sodom, so took Lot and his family out, then destroyed the place. It serves as an example to us as iniquity continues to rise and the act of being considerate, just being nice, decline. We are salt the preserves even as things around us fall apart slowly. For there are still some that may hear the Spirit calling their names, and accept the promise of life, abundant live, today and forever.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Random Acts of Kindness

For the past several years a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, has encouraged “Random Acts of Kindness” throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area. This month, Georgia’s governor has taken up the cause, and established a day promoting “Random Acts of Kindness” throughout the entire state of Georgia.

A local high school has a community service requirement and each student must perform at least ten hours annually. While this is a formal policy of community service, for some time any student applying for universities and colleges, to be considered, must include on the application some form of community service activity.

There is root to these crys for “Random Acts of Kindness” and the promotion of activities that are of service within our communities. It is within the Law of G-d.

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

Luke 10:25-28

One word comes to my mind to sum up proper actions toward others, our “neighbors,” is considerate. Defined, it means: marked by or given to careful consideration, circumspect; and, thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others. To be considerate, we must put ourselves in the shoes of people around us. To do this, we must empathize with them. We must be sensitive to others’ needs.

But [There seems to always be a but. . . for thought stimulation] Is it possible to take this too far? Does being considerate entail being tolerant? If so, how far do we take it?

Let us consider. (Selah)

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Have you every heard a stone cry out?

The other day, an acquaintance said that his neighbor, who is also an amateur radio operator, told him the hobby is dying out as a result of cell phones and internet. I disagree. I told him that hams are very inventive people, and that experimentation with new electronic communications is ongoing. Radio communications became possible through the vibrations, or oscillations, of a tiny piece of crystal—a small rock—to which electricity is applied. The size of the crystal determined the rate of vibration, its frequency. Today, no longer bound to crystals, receivers and transmitters have a large spectrum of frequencies available to tune across with one radio.

I’ve enjoyed ham radio since the mid-1970s and am continually amazed how this “hobby” has evolved to include satellites and a worldwide email system. Despite the modern advances, the old methods still prevail: moving the tuning dial on a receiver, listening for someone calling “CQ,” which is a general invitation to talk, and then broadcasting an answering call. Yes, ham radio is really the first Social Media, predating Facebook by a hundred years.

One of my favorite activities is the Bible nets. Nets are gatherings of hams on a particular frequency (sort of like a channel) at a particular time and day. There is one called the Bible Fellowship Network that operates daily very early in the morning. There are other Bible nets that operate in the afternoons. Bible nets are usually a round table affair with hams commenting on a scripture, giving a report on something for which they wish to praise the Lord, or requesting prayer and being prayed for over the air waves.

Given radios humble beginnings with a crystal vibrating, is it too much of a stretch to say that rocks to cry out?

I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Luke 19:40
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

A Stone Retaining Wall

Some years ago, while living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I needed to do something about a rather steep hill alongside the driveway leading to the house. During rain storms, for about twenty feet or so along the drive, water flowed down the bank eroding the soil, which washed into the drive. My solution was to build a small retaining wall out of some small, flat stones that I removed from the back of the house. The irregularly shaped stones, carefully placed adjacent to one another in a row, made the first row. The second row I placed so that it was set back several inches as well as each stone overlapping the gap formed between the stones in the first row. The third row I set likewise. Finally, after ten or so rows, the wall was done.

The most important part of the job, I discovered, was in selecting the precise stone to fit particular place in the wall. In some cases, I would pick up a stone, try it, then set it aside. Occasionally, I did this several times before the “right” stone was found to fit. I tried, once, to break a stone and force fit it. It broke in the wrong place, and both pieces were set aside until their right place became apparent.

The Apostle Peter, in his first letter, wrote about Y’shuaJesus being a living stone.

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. . .

1 Peter 2:4

Peter compares Y’shuaJesus to a stone that is “disallowed” by men. While I built my wall, I set aside stones, but eventually found a place for them. In Peter’s letter, we see that Y’shuaJesus is not just shown as set aside, but disallowed. As far as humankind is concerned, Y’shuaJesus has no place in society; people have no need for Him. Yet, as Peter tells us, G-d selected Y’shuaJesus to be the perfect stone for our world.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

1 Peter 2:6

The picture Peter wants us to see is a building in which G-d sets Y’shuaJesus as the chief corner stone. According to the Heritage Dictionary, a cornerstone is a stone at the corner of a building uniting two intersecting walls. Such a stone, often inscribed, laid at a ceremony marking the origin of a building. It is also an indispensable and fundamental basis: the cornerstone of an argument.

Some years ago, I recall a sermon in which the pastor said it wasn’t cornerstone at all, but cap stone. He went on to describe the building of a stone arch, and how the masons picked up and tried many stones to get them to fit into place as they built the wall, discarding ones that didn’t fit. In the end, a discarded stone is used to form the cap, the last stone placed, that holds the arch together. While that illustration is interesting, and for some time thought it accurately described the scripture’s intent, it is wrong. As I’m thinking about it now, it really misses the mark, so to speak. It has the masons selecting and discarding, and finally picking up a discarded stone and finding that it fits. That’s a bit arrogant. But then isn’t that what so much preaching is about these days: making Y’shuaJesus fit into our lives?

In the scripture, G-d selects the stone the builders’ discarded. That means if the builders continued, they’d build something false, without a true foundation. Those builders are “confounded.” They are mistaken. The building must begin with the cornerstone and the cornerstone is selected by G-d.

When we come to know Y’shuaJesus as Lord, it is often described as being born again. If we take Peter’s illustration of Y’shuaJesus being the cornerstone selected by G-d, then our lives before Messiah need to be rebuilt with the Lord as our cornerstone. We must build our lives based upon Y’shuaJesus. We must build our lives based upon His Truth.

And from time to time it’s not a bad idea to re-examine the building of our lives to see if it’s coming along according to G-d’s architectural drawings, and not ours.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Micah and a Lasting Peace

Many promise peace. Probably most famous is British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, who promised “peace in our time.” He did this in defense of an appeasement agreement in Munich that allowed Germany to take part of Czechoslovakia. But this didn’t appease Germany. Poland was in its sights. When Poland fell to Germany, England entered what would become WWII. England suffered greatly during the war, with much destruction coming upon it.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

1 Thes 5:3

Y’shuaJesus didn’t promise peace on Earth.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:34

He promised peace, though, through HIM.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

In the Book of Micah, we find a prophet itemizing the failures of his country–its iniquities. He cries out to his people regarding G-d’s requirements: justice and mercy, walking humbly with G-d. To Micah, proper worship of G-d is the prime ingredient for a proper relationship. Consequences follow when a people loses its relationship with G-d. Destruction. But Micah also promises redemption, salvation. He foretold of the Messiah. He also foretold that the Last Days would usher in a lasting peace with the Earthly reign of Messiah, Y’shuaJesus.

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Micah 4:3

Bad times come. Bad times go. We ride the worldly roller coaster. Peace we have through all this that is brought into our hearts through our faith in Y’shuaJesus. He is the Only Way to Peace.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Micah’s Word and the Iniquity of the Times

The Book of Micah is prophesy of judgement for various wrongs. In Chapter Two, Micah says:

Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds!

Micah 2:1

In one of my Bibles (The Matthew Henry Study Bible, Henderson Publishers), the chapter heading is “Wicked Deeds of the Rich.” Hummmmmm. Reading the chapter through, I don’t necessarily see the iniquities spoken of as devised by the rich. Why has this been added as a chapter heading? This reminds me of Jaro, who told me to only read the King James Version Bible, and only one without chapter headings. Jaro is quite a character. I met him in Dallas, Texas, a few years ago during the time when I “went into the Highways,” working for a long-haul flatbed trucking company out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was “stuck” in Dallas awaiting a load. Jaro was living in his car and, at the moment, staying in a truck stop. He said his mission was to bring truth to various people in ministry. He knew to whom he was being sent, and was awaiting the time to approach the current “assignment.” We talked for quite a while on Saturday about various things. I wasn’t quite sure why I had been brought together with him, as it seemed he didn’t exactly have ears to ear, but rather only a mouth to speak. He confessed he didn’t know he was going to meet me, so didn’t exactly know what message I should receive from him. He did say that, at first, he thought perhaps I was a person like himself; as he was the only real Christian he’d encountered. Part of our conversation was him baiting me with questions, refuting my offerings, and telling me his interpretation of the Bible. In the course our talks, I listened and came to understand I’d not really be giving him anything, so the journalist in me simply interviewed him, allowing him to get into his staunch beliefs. Eventually we parted company, cordially, though he gave me some things that I must do in order to achieve salvation. Yeah, well, one does meet a lot of interesting people along the road.

It does seem, however, that Jaro was correct on one point: don’t read the chapter headings. It’s that the chapter headings are misleading. Chapter headings seem to be subjective interpretations of the editor/publisher of a particular Bible. It’s the same way with the various comments that are often included. While the comments in this Bible are based on Matthew Henry Commentary, they are still edited for space. And just because Matthew Henry is from an earlier age, doesn’t mean he had it all correct, either.

In another Bible, the Book of Micah is introduced with a paragraph on the themes found in Micah. It says that Micah had a strong sense of the need for justice in society, courts, in the marketplace, and in political leadership dealing responsibly with power and authority. The bad times that had befallen Israel were a result of iniquities such as forsaking of justice. This seems like a fair viewpoint, too. Later in the introduction the words “social justice” are mentioned. Social Justice. When I hear social justice I think of all the preaching done over the last several years on the “Social Gospel.” Bringing justice to our world, our lives, is the theme of many churches in America these days. It coalesces nicely with “redistribution of wealth” that is being pressed upon us from some in leadership today. When we combine this thought process with the chapter headings that tell us that the rich are wicked, it leads up to a “Robin Hood” mentality. The rich are evil. Let us take from the rich.

What Micah cried against was iniquity PERIOD. He didn’t necessarily have a problem with the rich, it was with those who devise wicked schemes to take property away from people. Yes, some rich do this. Some in government have done this. Russia under Stalin. Germany under Hitler. Some are still doing this today. Some under the banner of social justice and others under the banner of religion. It is not social justice for a poor man to take a rich man’s car; it is theft, iniquity. If we applied social justice to our educational system, we would reduce an “A” earned by one student to a “B” so that a failing student can receive a passing grade that he/she didn’t earn. Is this what we’d call “Just”? No, that is iniquity.

And that’s Micah’s point. Iniquity was so entrenched that G-d allowed judgement to befall Israel.

Lord have mercy upon America.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon y’all. . .

Micah and Bad Times

Since the beginning of our current “global recession,” many have compared it with the American Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s. I’m not sure it really matters which hard time, which bad time, was the worst. During the life of Micah’s preaching, he lived through three kings’ reigns. In all of them, there were some really bad times. Bible scholars have wondered about which king’s reign Micah described when he wrote:

Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

Micah 7:1-3

According to Matthew Henry, Micah described a time in the reign of King Ahaz and the earlier reign of King Hezekiah. There were reformations and a rekindling of desire toward G-d during the reign of King Hezekiah, though. Unfortunately, it didn’t last; after King Hezekiah died, under the reign of King Manasseh, the country fell once again into idolatry and pagan worship. I read that this was because the hearts of the people were not changed. Laws may change the outward behavior, but it takes a change of heart to make a lasting change.

Micah, like many of the prophets, looked ahead to the coming of The Messiah who would redeem us and change us. Like Micah, we live in bad times. But we do not have to look to a future time for our salvation. Salvation came to us, is now ours, in Y’shuaJesus. We only must choose to accept. If we accept that salvation comes from no one, from no where, other than through Y’shuaJesus’s life, death, and resurrection, we may look forward to His coming to collect us to Himself. In this knowledge alone we may rejoice. In Y’shuaJesus we rejoice. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. As He has told us, no one comes to the Father unless he or she comes to Him.

There is no other way!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Ready and Awake

On Monday, I used a scripture from Peter’s first letter (1Peter 1:13). I cited it while writing about the business of last week, how we are getting the most out of Summer, preparing for school to resume. It was my boy that mentioned cramming lots of stuff into the short remaining days. I told him that come next Monday he’d have to put on his thinking cap, get his pen fingers ready, and sharpen his eyes, for his primary mission resumes: his studies. He’ll need to put out of his head the activities of summer. I need him to get ready for school, so that he can concentrate on his school work.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1Peter 1:13

“Gird up your loins. . .” Funny statement in Western society, isn’t it? Some years ago, in Sri Lanka, I had one of those moments when I understood what it meant. A few men readied themselves as laborers on a road repair job. The wraps that surround their legs would be in the way, so they gather them beneath their loins, add a knot, and they are ready to move about the site without the long material obstructing their legs. They girded up their loins. They made themselves ready.

My son needs to gird up his loins, too. He’s already bought his books, and has a book bag ready to go. There will be a few more things to do, but he’s nearly ready. And we need to gird up our loins, too. Winter comes upon us quickly now. There’s the physical aspect that means we’ll prepare the garden to last the winter months. When I lived up in the mountains between Arizona and New Mexico, I would be gathering dead and down wood in the forest, getting ready to heat the house during the cold winters.

What about our spiritual loins? Ready our minds for action. Continually turn over the soil of our hearts so that we are fresh to receive from our Lord. We cultivate our relationship through our mindfulness of Him. In the morning when we arise, the cares of the day present themselves, and our task, our duty, isn’t necessarily to push those thoughts away, but to find Y’shuaJesus’s Word and Way, allowing Him to be in the forefront. It is our obligation as Children of the Most High G-d. It isn’t just about a life of prayer; it’s about a life in Messiah. We bring Messiah into all things. We involve Him in all things, even the mundane tasks that we dread. We include Messiah Y’shuaJesus. We abide in Him and He abides in us. Thank You, Lord!

And then there’s Distractions.

Yesterday, while driving up to the lake with my son to do some work on a sailboat, my son noticed several drivers using cell phones and appeared to not pay enough attention to the road ahead. Occasionally one would cross the line or slow down as he or she looked down, as if to be looking at some paperwork or something. My son said, simply, “Distracted Driver.”

Last night a news article on the television reported on people walking along city streets reading and sending text messages. The report showed a clip from YouTube with a woman holding a cell phone to her face tripping and falling into a fountain pond. The news anchor, said there has been a sharp increase in accidents related to cell phone usage over the past several years requiring medical attention. I inferred from things he said later that some cities may be considering laws about using cell phones in public. Already some States’ traffic ordinances prohibit such usage.

Wake Up!

“Be sober. . .” What’s being sober mean to you? Is it really about not drinking too many alcoholic beverages? I think not. I think it is about more than just one thing, but includes the idea of being awake. There was a cartoon floating around not long ago that said the zombie apocalypse has already happened. It had a row of city folks walking with heads down looking at their cell phones. (Zombies again! Moan. . .) Being awake is being aware of what we are doing, being focused with a single vision while also mindful of what’s in our peripheral vision. Nothing will sneak up on us if we are aware of our surroundings!

Being awake or sober is being alert. We are called by Y’shuaJesus to watch out.

Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

Luke 21:36

The woman on the YouTube video that fell into the fountain pond while texting from her phone didn’t escape getting wet.

Y’shuaJesus spoke about seeing what’s ahead of us, what’s coming.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.

Matthew 24:32

Yes, He was speaking of the “End Times.” He was speaking of reading the signs. Americans are largely city folk these days. Not too many cities have fig trees. The illustration, modernized, might use traffic signs on a freeway, e.g., Lane Closed Ahead. From readiness to alertness. Driving at freeway speeds, readiness means knowing if there are cars near you, in the lanes to the left and right, behind and ahead. If you know that a car is to your left, nearby, you can avoid an obstacle in the highway by moving to the right. If you don’t know, you may move left into the path of the other vehicle.

Peter spoke of being reading, girding up your loins. It is preparedness. He said to be sober. We are called to be awake, alert. But it’s not all just about us, either. It isn’t just about not falling into a fountain pool. We are ready and alert so that we “hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Matthew Henry put it this way, “address ourselves vigorously to the work we have to do, encouraging ourselves from the grace of Jesus Christ.” This work is a benefit to us, and to those to whom we’ve been called. It is a work that builds our character and utilizes our gifts.

As we get ready for winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, we face longer, colder nights. Perhaps it is a time to dust off unused talents. I think of the parable of the talents. I could be the guy that buried my talent because I was afraid to use it and perhaps lose it. My message to me, today, is to figure out what I buried, to unearth it, and make it ready. Then be alert to how it may be used to the Glory of G-d, in the Name of The Lord Y’shuaJesus, Messiah, King.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Several days last week I spent on Lake Lanier with my daughter and two of her friends. They tubed, knee boarded, and wake boarded behind our boat. We anchored near a rock to which they swam, climbed, and jumped the fifteen or so feet back into the lake. At night the girls hung out at our house watching movies until the early hours of the morning. My son “chilled” with his friends, though he was invited to go with us to the lake. This week he’ll go on a trip with one of his friends to a mountain cabin in Tennessee. Kids around here are all feeling anxious, wanting to get the most out of the remaining days of summer left to them: school starts next Monday for the two I have at home.

Over the weekend, my wife and I put many hours into the garden, continuing to plant despite the heat. We’ve had some rain here, but continue to irrigate. It’s not only the lack of substantial rains, it’s the dry heat. While damp hot air is uncomfortable, the ground doesn’t dry out like it does with hot and dry days. And then there is the unrelenting sun. While a number of our perennial medicinal plants are “full sun,” in Georgia that means sun from two o’clock until five o’clock; they start to wilt after a few days of constant sun, especially if they are newly planted.

We began a “water garden” that we said we would do in the Fall. Perhaps it will be filled and operating before then. It’s not too big, but should hold about seven thousand gallons of fresh water. Not as good as a deep cistern, but better than what has become an occasional creek behind us, which no longer can be considered a water source. We’ll plant around the edges of the pond, on a shelf about a foot deep. The inner part will me much deeper. My daughter wants to be able to swim in it. I told her if she was willing to dig it deep. She may try digging, but I think Georgia’s red clay will win the battle, and remain at the four foot level that I’ll dig it.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13

As summer wanes, we push hard at finishing the things we want to get done, we want to accomplish. The lists my family members each have in our minds are endless. The scripture in First Peter is a reminder that we must also prepare our minds for action and remain with calmness in our spirit, shedding anxiety, worry. We are to fix our hope completely on the grace to be brought us at the revelation of Y’shuaJesus. We must juggle that feeling we just need to accomplish certain things today, to do things now, with the promise of the Lord’s grace. I hope it means that whatever we don’t get done is covered by G-d’s grace, and that He has mercy upon us during the long winter that may come.

I pray we are not so focused on the physical things that we miss the spiritual revelations the Lord offers. Let us abide it the Lord always. Let us rejoice in the Lord always. Amen and Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Last Days (4)

Again, let me say that there’s more to the Book of Revelation than death and destruction, the end of the world that is depicted in the doomsday media, which seems only to lead us to think of G-d’s plan for humankind as being annihilation. Yet parts, taken out of context, say just people will die out there. Take a look at these verses:

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Revelation 6:12-17

Fear. Intense fear. Fear that is getting out of control. Fear that makes people want to dig a hole and bury themselves alive. I awoke one night thinking about the use of fear in the media today. Especially in the financial adviser realm, where we become fearful of losing whatever savings we have and think perhaps they may have the answers to save us.

But there’s something within humans that seem driven to want to experience fear. A lot of people like horror movies and “amusement parks.” I don’t. I don’t like roller coasters. But roller coasters are tame compared to some of the new rides. And then there are various other “sports” that people engage in. I admit, I’ve been on one of those long, peak-to-peak mountain zip lines myself. And maybe it has some value beyond the harnessing of one’s fear. And then there’s bungee jumping. Jump off a bridge with a stretch cord wrapped around your ankles designed to stop you just before you crash headlong into the rocks below. Fun!

But what are we doing to ourselves by allowing our senses to be dulled by all these fearful experiences? I wonder. We feed into what the media is all to willing to give us.

I’ve heard it said that the Viet Nam Conflict (Undeclared War) came to an end as a result of journalists graphic reports on the evening news including video of our soldiers dying in combat. Americans watched it during their dinner, and were sickened by what was going on. Sure, we’d had great journalistic reports in the newspapers, especially during WWII. But a picture “is worth a thousand words.” And these pictures were the same day and of bloody kids, American kids. It was a lot more powerful. And Americans were aghast. But we’re desensitized now. We are no longer shocked at combat, death. Or, perhaps we are still shocked, but feel powerless to do anything about it.

Okay. Moving right along. Fear can direct us into a different course of action. Like the movie Contagion, fear of a deadly virus leads us to accept the word of our government that a vaccine is safe, and to take it. Fear can be used to manipulate us into doing things we would not otherwise do. That can be a good thing, too. I suppose. In some circumstances. But in Revelation, at the point of the Sixth Seal, whatever happens certainly will be big, really big. It will be big enough to really get our attention. And it will be the fear of the LORD. Being really afraid, terrified. Horrified. Not the King James Version of fear the Lord in the psalms. That kind means to look with awe upon Him. No, these people have already apparently made their choices against the Lord our G-d. They are fearful of Him. They are terrified of what is going to happen next.

Now, there is a point, before that Sixth Seal experience, in which people during trials and various other calamities come to look for G-d. At this point, many come to repent. They turn from their current ways—ways of the flesh; ways called sinful—and accept Y’shuaJesus as Lord and Savior.

So. I began with the word apocalypse being used as “The End of the World” or doomsday. And for many the Book of Revelation, the Apocalypse, is just that. It’s in the media portrayed as that, too. I mentioned that the definition of apocalypse is from a Greek word that means uncovering. The Book of Revelation uncovers more fully the Gospel of Lord Y’shuaJesus. There’s Good News! Yet, there’s also some really bad news. Bad news for some, at least. The media focus is on those people. It’s on the Apocalypse as death and destruction. In the Book of Revelation there are two seals that we are shown that people can receive. (See Matthew 24 for Y’shuaJesus telling about one seal a person can receive.) One is a seal given in a world with no use for Messiah Y’shuaJesus. The other seal is one given to those who are willing to give themselves to Messiah Y’shuaJesus. Two groups of people. For those sealed with a demonic mark, the Revelation of Y’shuaJesus as Messiah comes too late, and it means enduring the wrath of G-d, suffering destruction, and death.

For those sealed by the Lord’s angels, sealed with the Holy Spirit, there may come persecution, tribulation, but there is Life in Y’shuaJesus.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .