John and I were Jersey boys who met in Santa Monica while on vacation
through friends of friends who knew each other. So it only made sense that he
should ride back with me in my van, after a few stops along the way. Which
included Yosemite National Park, and a night spent there. We had no intention
of spending the night, but like the others who filled the overflow lot, when it
turned into a tail gate party, and it got too late to leave, a Park Ranger
stopped by to notify us to quiet down and look out for bears. It took a few
visits for the quiet part, and none of us suspected bears. To me at least,
bears were all about Smokey, or the contemporary Smokey Bear, the police handing
out speeding tickets. A far cry from the real Smokey, but following the
warnings to throw away all trash and secure our vehicles, we all went our
separate ways to bed. When sometime in the early hours of the morning, we were
all awakened by a horrible screeching, tearing noise of metal on metal. Soon
the parking lot was ablaze with flash lights and lanterns, and the shadow of a
bear running off into the woods. Not sure if the noise or lights scared him
away, but most of the side of a van parked down from me was gone, as the bear
had smelled food, and tried to get it by reaching in a window, and then pulling
back the sheet metal a good 18 inches. All the warnings became truth in that
moment, my first, last, and only night even spent in Yosemite. I would travel
through many times after, even see bears running across in front of me, but that
night when all the warnings came true, my respect for bears grew
immensely.....
The Bible tells us of a day when all of the true believers in Jesus Christ
will be called out of this world, referred to as the rapture. False prophets
try to figure the date, films are made about the apocalypse, and some try to
figure out who the anti-Christ is. All taking a bite of scripture, but all
falling short of the truth. For one thing Jesus doesn’t even know of the time
he calls for his bride, us, it will not be the end for Christians but really the
beginning, and it won’t matter to us who the anti-Christ is, we will be with the
real Christ, Jesus. But the Bible does talk of the seasons and signs that warn
of his return, and the ultimate Bible scholar Satan knows them. He sees the
signs, the warnings, and like never before, we are able to see them too. While
some scoff at us, making fun that he hasn’t returned yet, we get it from all
sides, but we should be getting it from God’s side. Earthquakes and
environmental warnings, wars and violence, pleasure seeking and financial woes,
disease and stress, drug problems, people seeking knowledge but not wisdom, and
settling for false teaching, and finally the search for who is the anti-Christ,
instead of seeking the real Christ. All things that have occurred since Jesus’
crucifixion, but now increasing in intensity, as we have hurricane and tornado
seasons, earthquakes places we have never seen them and in great intensity with
tidal waves, anti-Semitism once hidden, now everywhere including our government,
people worshipping climate based on weather, mass shootings, street warfare in
Chicago, Baltimore, and cities worldwide. An all about me society based on
feelings which will betray us, sensitivity training,a another word for all about
me, selfishness. Debt controlling us, new strains of disease everyday, old
diseases once destroyed now returning like leprosy. Legalizing of drugs,
controlling people by sedation, and the opiod crisis, self inflicted wounds.
The internet being worshipped as in controls our lives, a storehouse of
information, but lacking wisdom in how to apply it. False teachers denying
Jesus but appearing religious, leading others astray, and many seeking
anti-Christ, if only to know who he is. As a true believer, we will never know,
and so what if we do, we will all be in heaven and who will care? True the
warnings are there, with only one person noticing them, Satan.
He knows the times and seasons, and knows his time is growing short, so is
increasing his evil like never before. But where sin abounds grace does even
more, and God has everything under control, his control. A season where he
addresses the church, separating the sheep from the goats, the saved from the
faker. A time where many call out in their distress for Jesus to come now, but
forgetting he is patient that none should perish. How many of us pray for his
patience, that none should perish, forgetting if he came before we were saved we
would be left behind without him? Do we really love God and our neighbor as
ourself?
Today can be the day of salvation Jesus offers, or the tomorrow that you
weren’t promised yesterday. No one escapes hell, the gates keep them in, only
Jesus can keep you out. And no one wants to escape heaven! Like the warnings
of the bears, they were all foolishness until one surprised us all. And then it
was too late. Don’t get caught up in the false warnings or Hollywood rhetoric,
don’t put off Jesus today you may not have tomorrow. Remember scripture tells
us Jesus will call us out like a thief in the night. Maybe the old movie from
the seventies by the same name can be found and watched. It’s on Youtube. Many
false prophets will come and have, only Jesus is the truth. Where you wake up
is more important than where you fall asleep, proven one night in Yosemite. You
can have that assurance right now by calling out to Jesus, and being saved. You
don’t have to be left behind, you can look forward to what lies ahead. If you
thought being a Christian the first time around was tough, you don’t want to be
here for the second time without him. When you lay me down to sleep, are you
sure where you will wake up? Have you prayed for the Lord your soul to keep?
If a five year old can get it, what’s your problem?
The evidence is there and demands a verdict from you. Two Jersey boys fell
asleep that night, only one knew Jesus. But in his patience.....God so loved
me. Us. I’ll never know what it is like here after the rapture, and I don’t
care, will you? Where you watch it from will make all the difference. Of
course it could never happen to you...could it? Like the bears, the warnings
are there...
love with compassion,
Mike
mattehw25biker.blogspot.com