Another Kindness by God

I've long been told that God didn't tell us when Jesus would come back for one good reason.  People would do whatever they wanted until just before the day and then would "repent" or appear to so they would be ready when He showed up.  This is a good reason and probably true.

I seem to have found another one by accident.

In watching world events and matching them with Bible prophecy, late this summer I started focusing on the Feast of Trumpets this year.  At the time, there were about 5 weeks left until the feast.  Having picked the day, I went into something like a deer in the headlights period.  I froze because there wasn't enough time to accomplish anything with more than a very short fulfillment.  I had time to mow the lawn but not to send out any manuscripts to magazines.  And I certainly couldn't expect a story to get out of the slush pile, let alone see another book come out in print. 

It's a kindness that God did us by not letting us know the return date.  We would likely lose focus or over-focus (is that a word?) if we knew for sure.

So the best advise while we wait is what Jesus gave us in the parable of the talents:

"And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.' ( Luke 19:13  -New American Standard)

Jesus said, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."  Matt. 24:44  From that verse we know that He won't be coming back on December 21, 2012.  I guess it will be any other day.  lol

God be with us all.

Kathi

Birthday Present

Every year for Christmas and my birthday, I always ask for the same thing - a new body, size 12.  For some reason, no one ever gets that for me. 

This is one of the few birthdays I can remember that I'm not looking forward to.  I remember that I wasn't especially happy to turn 21. I couldn't claim childhood on any legal grounds anymore.  (I hadn't yet figured out that childhood is in the heart rather than the body.) And fifty was a pretty big wall to climb over.  I couldn't pretend that I still had half my life left to live.  I know Great-uncle August lived to be 105, but my odds of matching that are slim to none.  I don't have the Kuehn body type.

In March of this year, our friend Ed died.  He was one month past his birthday - the same birthday I'm staring square in the eye.  It made me compare numbers.  If I live to be as old as Ed, I have one month left.  If I live to be as old as my father, I have two years and three months.  I've already outlived a number of my classmates and several good friends.  One died at 56. Several classmates died within the first year out of college. 

Does this sound morbid?  I think everyone has to deal with their own mortality sooner or later.  "Teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12.  What do I want to accomplish in whatever is left of my life?  What is most important? 

What if I don't even have enough time left to die? I watch the Middle East countries going up in smoke and the European and US economies going down the drain.  What is the most likely scenario for the world to need a global leader (the antichrist) to show up and "take care of things"?  We would need economic chaos, massive unrest and a bazillion people who think that government should take care of everything and everyone.  Does that read like the daily news to you?  It does to me. 

What if Jesus were to show up any time now?  I watch with special diligence around the Feast of Trumpets every year, but I wouldn't mind if it were today or tomorrow.  Wow!  To be in heaven enjoying the wedding supper of the Lamb.  Now that would be a birthday present!  And I bet I would have my new body - size 12.

Happy birthday to me...

Kathi

Feast of Trumpets 2012

This year the Feast of Trumpets is on September 17th.  That may be important because God has fulfilled in the New Testament the foreshadowings He placed in the Old Testament holidays - except for one.

Jesus came and "tabernacled" with us putting on a dirt body and living here with us. Jesus died as the lamb at Passover.  The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost.  Jesus was the firstfuits from the dead.  One could even argue for Purim and Hanukkah, holidays not specifically given in the Torah.  Jesus' clothes were divided by the casting of lots (Purim) and Jesus is the Servant candle on the Hanukkah lamp which is used to light all the other candles.

The only unfulfilled holiday is the Feast of Trumpets.  I tie that to 1 Thess. 4:16-17, which states that the Lord will come with the trumpet call of God and believers living and dead will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 

If...if the Pretribulation rapture people are correct, pick the Feast of Trumpets, the Mayan calendar, whatever - but I can see where prophecy shows that the Christians will be out of here before next March.  We'll see. 

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

Feast of Trumpets

While I know that Jesus can come back any time, any day, any year, and it's not mine to say when, I also know that there is only one unfulfilled Jewish feast.

The Feast of Tabernacles was fulfilled when Jesus put on a dirt body and "tabernacled" with us.  Jesus fulfilled the Feasts of Passover and Atonement when He died, and the Feast of Firstfruits when He rose.  The Holy Spirit showed up on Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks.

What's left?  Only the Feast of Trumpets.  When Jesus comes back, He will appear with a trumpet call. 

"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words."  1 Thess. 4:16-18 NIV

Therefore, each year, while the news announces to me more loudly each day that the stage is being set, I watch for my Redemption to show up.  I especially pay attention during the Feast of Trumpets.  This year it will be on September 29th. 

I am NOT proclaiming a certain date for Christ's return!  I am saying that God is a God of order.  If He fulfilled each of the other feasts on the appropriate day, why would He change the pattern now?  But I am willing for Him to show up today if He wants to.  I'm in no hurry to wait another month and a half, or another year, if He has a different date in mind.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi