Saturday, 21 May 2011

• Surviving the Rapture: Living in the Endtimes

  So I'm thinking I survived the rapture.
  
  It's 11.30pm on Saturday night--21st May. I am unsure if I should be glad of such things, or fearful that I am still on this earth for judgment. My last day was mostly unproductive for the most part, I wrote a weblog for school, and drew something for an underground theatre that I'm designing in one of my papers. In the afternoon, I watched "The Princess and the Frog" of which my next post will be the subject of. I also tuned into "Kenan and Kel" reruns on television, I hadn't seen this television show in ages--'twas one of the shows I watched avidly when I was growing up. 

  Of greater importance perhaps, in anticipation of my last day on earth--I logged onto the Jesusfreakhideout.com forums. It's more nostalgia than anything that brings me back onto there: The site was my first point of engagement with the internet, and for sure, it is still one of my favorite places to be. By first point, I mean, I must have been about 13 and now being 18 -- 5 years ago? I have a lot of good friends from there including the MusicPhotoLuvr, among a lot of other people of whom you would not really know. Anyway, the point of this is that I saw a prayer request from a user that I hadn't interacted in ages--when you're young you are immediately fascinated by whoever talks to you over the internet, and remember them like crazy. 

  Seeing as how today was obviously not the rapture date, I wrote the following to someone struggling with life in general:

  I hope that during this time of strife you would remember that God is sovereign and that he is in control of everything. I am continually reminded that today is actually the end of the world according to some, but God alone knows when the world is going to end. It says in Matthew 24:36: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Not even Jesus knows the day when the rapture is going to happen, let alone, any one man can know these things.

  Man is continually searching for answers, John Calvin said that man was a continual idol factory. The reality is that we love the feeling of being in control of their lives, and making things go our way. Whether it is the "End of the World", the special knowledge blessed onto such people, they speak with an air of superiority and pride over other people. If the knowledge brings only brings pride, and that is perhaps why it is hidden from man. 

  Therefore, surely then, God would know when the suffering is going to start, and the suffering is going to end. God alone has control over the future, he knows what is going to happen and has crafted a wonderful beauty that is to emerge from these suffering. I would encourage you then to hang in there, and don't stop reading the Scriptures because within these, there is nothing about earthly knowledge, but heavenly knowledge. A foundation of the Christian life is giving up everything that is within us, because we are broken and depraved, and giving it over to God who is insurmountably good and loving. This is even to the point of giving up our supposed surety of the future, and continually committing ourselves in his hands.

  Daily, I am praying for strength and the Holy Spirit because without these, we would not be able to continue living and breathing. God sustains us, and it is foolish for man to pretend to know when He would bring us onto Himself. For a start, no man alone can bring himself to God, what man can be so arrogant to know when God would bring back all of His elect? If today is not the end, then surely it is a good time, if never a better time to remember? How are you living with the end in mind? 

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