Shouting Time?

Have you been following the world news? I hear several responses to that question that make me, well, uncertain. One response I frequently hear is that “The news is too depressing.” True. Another response I hear is, “I’m not really into what’s going on in…” (town, state, nation, world), “I’m more interested in sports.” (Or switch the word sports with TV shows, movies, video games, music, etc.). Okay, more fun, more entertaining, and less troublesome.

One of my personal favorite responses (and my own temptation), “I can’t do anything about it, so I don’t want the pictures haunting my mind.” If the truth be known, I am guilty of the “ostrich syndrome”—hiding my head in the sand, or what’s called the out-of-sight, out-of-mind theory.

In my own defense (and we do throw up defenses to change the subject or to make us look more perfect), I must admit to being a worrier by nature. I’m not proud of it; rather, I’m very ashamed. You see, I know what the bible says about it: Matthew 6:25 “Do not worry...” and Mark 13:11 “Do not worry...” and Luke 12:22 “Do not worry...“

Knowing it and not doing it shows me I’m ‘foolish’ when I worry. Matthew 7:26 “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man...” And then there is that direct command from Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything...” And the hardest of all in James 4:17 “If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” Aaaauuuggghhhhh.

I humbly step up beside the unnamed man in the crowd in Mark 9 and say with him, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Well, back to the world news—things are happening around the globe. Here are some headlines from the Drudge Report:
• Egypt’s protests flare despite military warning...
• Anti-government protests spread to Libya...
• Thousands of police confront protesters in Yemen...
• US military HQ in Mideast watching Gulf unrest...
• Bahrain protesters urge more pressure on rulers...
• The Muslim Brotherhood leader advocates establishing a “United Muslim Nations”. . .
• Hezbollah Threatens Israelis ‘anytime, anywhere’...
• ‘Glee’ surpasses Elvis for Most Hot 100 singles...
(Okay, that last one is not a big deal unless you are an old Elvis fan, but who would admit to that?)

I have said all that to say, much of the civilized world appears to be in deep trouble. Terrorism produces fear in nations once thought to be safe (the whole point of terrorism, right?) while political correctness refuses to acknowledge there is a problem. Economic troubles threaten to bankrupt nations, ours as well as many others. Moral standards have been plummeting while violent crimes have skyrocketed. Part of the world is calling for disarmament while the other part is developing nuclear weapons.

So, are you depressed? I didn’t bring those things up to do that, but rather to remind me and you that this is an exciting time to be watching “His-story”, and that these may well be an indication of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:33-34, “when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” and Luke 21:28, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Now, that‘s exciting! 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

So, SHOUT "GLORY" and sing along with Sandi Patty.

♫ “The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance;
the stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise.
The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting, and we shall behold Him, face to face.

We shall behold Him.
Yes, we shall behold Him,
face to face in all of His glory.
We shall behold Him,.
Yes, we shall behold Him,
face to face, our Savior and Lord.

The angels shall sound the shout of His coming,
the sleeping shall rise from their slumbering place.
And those who remain shall be changed in a moment,
and we shall behold Him then face to face.” ♫
Dottie Rambo

As I posted in my last blog entry,
“Stop looking at the signs; start listening for the shout!”