Thursday, May 8, 2008

Cyclone Sign and Some Other Stuff

Don't you love that title? Really got your attention, huh? I have really got to work on my title teasers. I need to warn you that this post is definitely 'linkalicious'....so beware..........

Anyway, another week has come and gone and my life has been pretty ordinary. Nothing earth shattering has happened in my life this week. Yet in Asia up to 500,000 people lost their lives to a cyclone. I have to admit, I really don't really know what a cyclone is (although it is the mascot of the high school my kids will probably attend). I assume it is in the hurricane family-- not really sure what causes it, but I know Who causes it.....someday we will know why (maybe sooner than we think). Five hundred thousand people. Hard to imagine that many people gone from an area. Children were left motherless, some maimed, hopeless, homeless, wandering and wondering why. Only God knows why.


Matthew 24:4-8


Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains".


I personally think that a cyclone that kills almost half a million people lands in the category of 'increased intensity of birth pains', don't you? Maybe I am wrong, but 500,000 people dying in one day due to natural disaster seems like a definite sign of the end times. Natural disasters are becoming more and more prevalent. If you question that fact, please see here. Jesus said that in the last days there will be earthquakes in various places, wars and rumors of war, and famines. Jesus told the disciples that they shouldn't be alarmed when they see these things, because they MUST happen. He said these things are the beginning of birth pains. I think that is such a funny analogy to give a group of single men, don't you? (What do men know about birth pains anyway?) But what better analogy to explain that the intensity and frequency of these things must increase before He raptures His church. Why did He say 'don't be alarmed'? Because even though these terrible things are happening all around us, those of us who are saved, know that we will be miraculously saved from the worst of it all.

We all say we are ready to go, but I wonder if we really are ready. I am not questioning salvation, but readiness. I wonder if we are ready to meet Jesus and I wonder if our work is done and our hearts are set on our eternal home or on the world. I wonder if we will leave this world with our work accomplished or will we leave it half done (can you enter into rest when you haven't even begun to work?). I wonder if we love Jesus enough to let go of what we love on earth. Are we clinging to tradition instead of the Cross - are we going to church because our parents did or are we stepping out to find our own faith and our own ways to worship? Do we treasure our position and status more than we treasure our God? Do we live like hell on earth and still hope for a mansion in heaven? I wonder if we are fitting the mold made by man (or ourselves) instead of conforming to God's standard of living. I wonder if we are holding so tightly to the world that God can't pry our eyes off of it long enough to make heaven our vision.

I wonder.

15 comments:

Mommyluann said...

I love it....how the spirit works in hearts of people who haven't even discussed it. That is , in a gist, what I blogged about today. I so agree..I'm ready, but I asked the Lord today, am I "ready"????
I love reading the things in your blog that I didn't touch on in mine and vice versa. Someone said "They didn't like to think about it" but didn't Jesus sort of really tell us to think about it? He said to "watch"...hard to not think about it if you are to watch.

Fran said...

Oh, I'm ready. I'm more ready now than I've ever been....the fear is completely gone that I once had.

And...Disney for us would be around the 10th of August i think.
You go sweat and die and then maybe I will go sweat and die.

Have a great momma's day weekend!
Love,
Fran

Amanda said...

Wow! I have been in my own world this week and had no idea that the death toll had risen to that number. It gave me chills when I thought of it. It made me think that if I encounter 50 people today, they could all be wiped off earth tomorrow without having an opportunity to hear the news of Jesus Christ. I mean don't you wonder how many of those half a million are now in Hell? What a stirring thought.

Rochelle said...

I have been trying to follow the news of the cyclone. It breaks my heart. This was an excellent post... got me thinking!

Greg P. said...

Very thought provoking post. Even the saved sometimes live like they're not saved. The attacks from satan have stepped up for all of us in these last days. That tells me that what we're striving for must be indescribably wonderful or else satan wouldn't bother with believers because he can't change our destiny!

Link-a-licious is right! I'm still working on getting my links to link.

Earen said...

What a great post! I think at some point we all struggle with clinging on to this world..but as I've gotten older I do feel ready to leave this world behind! Praise the Lord! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

{patty} said...

Great post Beth! I often tell people I am 'ready' and yes I am to a degree. I know when I die where I am going to spend eternity but I feel that my work here is not done. There are so many people to reach even in my own family and I will be the first to admit that I fail in the witness to family and friends category.

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

I wonder about those 500,000 lives...

I can't get my mind around it. Too vast...to removed from my ordinary and current. I wonder about my capacity to quickly move on from this one, life-altering moment for half a million people to return to my normal.

I wonder if it should not be more alarming that it is.

I pray for a heart that is moved by such tragedy and that is moved to minister in the midst of such tragedy. To make sure that the half a hundred or so people that surround my life everyday don't move onto their "next" without the promise of my Jesus going with them.

Thank you for pausing my spirit and moving me to wonder a little further this morning.

peace~elaine

alliekat said...

Unfortunately we will probably never understand why things like this happen. I can't even fathom such a large number of people.

What about the fact that their own government is refusing to help their own people in this tragedy?

Very sad.

alliekat said...

Oh and by the way...I almost forgot....I seriously think you ARE still afraid of the "mean old man"...you are just trying to make yourself look good in front of your friends. I know it is difficult, but you really need to confront your fears Beth!

AnnaElizabeth said...

well, to quote Joseph Stalin... "one death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic."
I think it's easier to overlook a large number of deaths than to forget about the story of one or a few people being killed.

Kellie said...

Happy Mother's Day Beth. I hope you have a great one.

Sadie said...

You have me in tears b/c it's all so true. I'm ready and that's why I teared up b/c it's so close and I am not afraid! How amazing is our Lord!

"Why did He say 'don't be alarmed'? Because even though these terrible things are happening all around us, those of us who are saved, know that we will be miraculously saved from the worst of it all."

What beautiful words. So true and comforting!

Alana said...

Bethanne, this is a really great post. I'm praying for readiness.

Kellie said...

Ok, Beth {anne}, it is time for an an update!! Where are you at??