As I write this, hurricane Irma is bearing down on the Florida coast.
As I write this many vicious fires burn all across the Northwest part
of America.
As I write this, thousands grieve over the many lost to a great
earthquake in Mexico yesterday.
So too, a great many are trying to pick up the pieces of their
devastated lives in the aftermath of hurricane Harvey.
And, as I ponder the burdens for those hurting souls across our globe,
personal burdens included, I hear echoing in my head the words of several
people over the last few days… “I think that we must be in the “end times”.”
For those of you are not familiar with Biblical prophecy, etc., this
may only make some sense.
Anything I write here on this subject is either somewhat hypothetical
or at very least an amateur attempt to discuss end times philosophies or
beliefs. And, really, in the end I have no desire to win you over if you’re
skeptical, atheist, or any form of unbeliever.
Faith is not something that I can give you after all.
Only God can light that spark in your soul.
And, only you can exercise faith. It belongs exclusively to you and
nobody can gift it to you.
Let me throw just the tiniest bit of context at you so that you can
process what I’m leading you towards.
I firmly believe the Bible. I firmly believe in God (the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), you know, the God of the Jews. I believe in God’s
one and only son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
I believe that Jesus, though He was/ and is fully God, came to Earth as
a man, lived among us, experienced all that we experience, told us of God’s
great love for His lost creation (humankind), and ultimately bore the burden of
all our sins (mine included) on a Roman cross 2,000 years ago, died on that
cross, more importantly: rose again from the dead on the third day, and
ascended to heaven to rule at God’s right hand.
And, I know that one day, Jesus is coming back down to Earth, riding on
the clouds, scooping up His bride, the Church taken up to be with Him in
heaven.
He is also going to bring judgement to all humankind, both those alive
at the time of His return and all of those who have died before, all of the way
back to the beginning of our race.
That said. Are we living in the end of days? Maybe… probably.
But.
What is so very important now, is that we do not lose our perspective.
We are only responsible. Ultimately. For our own actions and reactions
to what circumstances surround us.
Are the hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, floods, etc. God’s judgement on
us? Maybe… but let’s think this out. Even if this is God’s judgement, what is
the most important thing in the midst of this?
How we react, how we act, how we respond to these crisis’s is all
important.
Praying is certainly a good start. But, then we must act.
We live in a world that is brutally affected by the sins of us all. The
world at large is impacted by the burden of ages old sins that cause even
nature to groan under its burden.
What I’m getting at is this: React how you will, but understand that
God may be allowing the natural order of things to take their course so that we
can be refined by the fires of great trials and come out as pure gold on the
other side.
Many of us are praying for a great spiritual awakening, a healing of
all of that divides us in this country, for forgiveness and reconciliation in
powerful and long-lasting ways that binds our hearts with those that we
currently don’t see eye to eye with.
Has any of us thought that these disasters might in and of themselves,
be answers to our prayers?!
Maybe these trials have come now, so that we can be drawn together,
fight for survival together, bind each other’s wounds together, pray for each
other together, and live once again as brothers and sisters with vast
differences, but a common Savior.
Let’s continue to do all we can to be a part of what is good and of Godly
character in these troubled times. Let’s be the solution, not the stumbling block.
Let’s love others as Christ first loved us. Let’s be Jesus hands and feet as we
live out each day in these troubled times.
Praying in all sincerity for the millions of lives in Irma’s path
tonight.
May God protect and keep you through the night and into a new day, full
of hope and promise for the future. May we be unified by God’s love and grace.
Sincerely,
Mike Meehan <><
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Hello. Please take the time to leave me your comments or just to say hello. I would love to hear from you! Thanks for spending some of your time with me. Kind regards, Mike Meehan