Signs

Today was a rather awkward day as I went to classes and then spent most of the afternoon doing some homework and killing some time. I had planned to go to the guy's bible study tonight at the Chi Alpha house but ended up falling asleep from 7-10 and missed it. I was rather disappointed about that since I have been playing basketball every week on Monday nights and have missed it every week and now that the season is over, I was going to go. God used me in this past weekend to show me that people do respect you when you choose to stand by your beliefs and they will see that there really is something to who you are rather than you just being a part of the world. Even when we feel like we do not want to be somewhere, God is teaching us something as long as we keep our eyes open and look for the way in which he is trying to explain certain things to us. I learned over this past summer that things do not always go according to planned and God will teach you that there is more than just what you have planned, but what he has planned. Our experiences everyday shape who we are and at times can shake us to the core so that we realize what we are doing and what we need to do in order to stay on track. We cannot always expect things to go smoothly because life is not easy and neither is being a Christian. God did not design the world so that persecution of the church would prevail, he designed it to be his perfect creation (which it is) but as humans, we have defiled it and made it detestable in his sight. This is why God put into effect the plan of salvation and he made promises that will be sustained, the thing is that we do not know when these will come into play.

God warns us in the Bible that times will change and that advances will be made in the world. He also shows us that he has chosen people who will be the center of the end times and they will not be uprooted. The times we live in point to Amos chapter 9 verses 13-15 which state, " 'The days are coming.' declares the Lord, 'When the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,' says the Lord your God." If ever a warning to the middle east in the crisis they face, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, and anyone else who wants to come against Israel should read Amos because they might save themselves some trouble. God has already re-established Israel and if you look at verse 15 which talks about him planting them in their own land, never to be uprooted, these countries would see that rising up against a nation in which God has blessed and is watching over, is not a good strategy for them. Israel is nestled in probably the most dangerous place in the world, being a lone nation virtually surrounded by enemies, but God is watching over the nation and waiting for the right time in which to impose judgement across the land. I believe that looking at these verses and comparing them to other scripture, we are seeing that the end is imminent because God has seen enough. As world wide numbers begin to increase in many categories (sex, drugs, violence, and power/money), we are seeing that poverty is increasing, the church is being persecuted and Christ is being rejected as a valid basis for Christianity. This is an indication that our world is headed for troubling times and as Christians we need to heed the warnings and take action to make sure that we are ready and that many others are ready as well. Of course we can only speculate because the day or the hour is unknown but in a religion that is based on faith and the coming of a savior, we should be willing to bet that his return is imminent and that he will call us home soon.

I have gained an appreciation of what pastors do every week to prepare sermons and whatnot because it takes much time and thinking. I post everyday and sometimes what I post on is addressed in church weeks later or even days later and it is encouraging to hear what pastors have to say about topics that I have posted on because it shows me what I am missing and shows me exactly what God is trying to convey to me. I hope that you all had a great day and are looking forward to another day in which God provides and that you should live to the fullest. Continue to pray and seek his word as well as his calling for your life.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson