How Does the Movie End?

My wife and I are like a lot of people in many ways. I am sure that there are people who have had some experiences like us. One thing we seem to experience is we see a movie in parts. In parts? We will see a movie but we miss the start of it so we need to watch it again to catch the beginning. Some we have seen we see the start and most of it but miss the end. Then there are others that we have seen the beginning and the end but miss everything in bewtween. It drives us nuts especially when its a movie we really would like to see. This past weekend was no different. We got to see the middle but totally missed the rest. I was thinking about the movie and how I would like to see how it ended. On the way to an appointment, I realized God was speaking to my heart about people and their lives. People know how their lives started and what is happening to them now. The problem is they don't know how it will end.

Our lives are a journey that we take as we go along during the years we are here on earth. As with most journeys, we don't always know what lies around the bend of the road we travel. We can only see what we see now. We cannot see what the future holds. We have to wait to see what the next day brings our way. If we all could know what the next day will bring us, we would all make different choices to prevent certains things from happening while embracing other decisions because we like the results we would see. That is the rub for all of us. We cannot see what lies ahead. If however we have a relationship with God, we can put our trust in the one who knows the beginning from the end and everything that occurs in between. He knows the plans he has for us and the things we will face on our journey we call life. He has promised that we will not face more than we can handle. He will be there every step of the way to see us home. He has seen the movie of our lives and knows how it ends. We can trust him to make sure it ends "they lived happily ever after". Of course the difference between a fairy tale and going to Heaven is that Heaven is real and we will spend our eternity "happy ever after" in his presence. So if we want to see the ending of our movie, keep looking at God and his plan and we will finally see how it ends!

Some day we hope to see how the movie we were watching ends but if we don't it's okay. The most important movie for us is our own that will end one day. Besides, the movie we were watching has some really bad theology! Our filmmaker's theology is right on!

Warm Fuzzies and Foo Foos

Growing up I always heard people talk about the need for warm fuzzies and not wanting cold fuzzies. Pastor Tim in his sermon this past Sunday morning talked about people who look for foo foos. As he talked about their need, I realized he was talking about the warm fuzzies I was familiar with. Not sure what "warm" or "cold" fuzzies are? A warm fuzzy is a word that someone shares with you that makes you feel good about yourself. A cold fuzzy is something that has the opposite effect. It makes you feel bad and tears you down. Most people get both in their lives and also give both to others. One problem is we do not like cold fuzzies but do not seem to have a problem giving them. The real issue is that we really shouldn't be dependent on "warm" fuzzies to give us personal value. Our worth should be founded solely in our relationship with Christ.

So what's wrong with "warm" fuzzies or foo foos? In themselves, nothing is wrong with getting them as long as we do not become addicted to needing them. The real problem comes when we cannot get by without them. We need them like a drug addict needs his fix. He cannot make it unless he gets his drugs. A person that needs the "warm" fuzzies will never be able to handle adversity when it comes their way. If the only thing that keeps them going are the "warm" fuzzies, they will not last. When the "warm" fuzzies are our strength, we will never make it through the tough times. The only way we can make it is to put our trust in God's strength. We are not called to get "warm" fuzzies but we are called to do good and not become weary in doing good. We should not allow ourselves to be overly concerned what people may think. We should be more concerned about what God thinks of us. After all, he sent his Son to die for us and showed us we are valuable to him. What better way for God to say that he loves us and cares about us than that? Talk about you "warm" fuzzies!And those fuzzies are coming from someone who is the same yesterday, today and forever!

When it comes to fuzzies, let's at least give "warm" fuzzies and build people up and not give people all "cold" fuzzies and tear them down. But make sure you don't make them what you live for here on earth! Live by faith and not by sight!

Could This Be The Day?

Today I checked my email and saw an article on CenturyLink webpage that got my attention. It was talking about a subject that I beleive will happen but exactly when I do not know. Evidently, there ae some people that seemed to have gained some knowledge about the event which noone else knows. Some folks are claiming to know when the Rapture will occur and the end times will begin. It sounds like they gained inside information not available to everyone else. They claim that the Rapture will happen on May 21st of this year. They base it on calculations and impose them on certain Scriptures. I firmly belive that we are living in the endtimes and that God will send Jesus to come and take all the true beleivers out of this world.I have an issue when someone claims to know exactly when it will happen.

The article refers to one individual that also claimed to know when Jesus was coming again back in 1844. He was wrong because the Rapture didn't occur like he claimed. It caused an embrassment for him as well as those who listened to him. The problem really lies with the fact that noone knows the date when it will occur because only God knows when it will happen. I remember in junior high school how one day it was announced that the world was going to end at a certain time. When it got close, everyone started to watch the clock and some even panicked. The time passed and the world went on. I had to laugh because I all these people beleived the news. That happened because a baby was born with a birthmark that looked like an eagle. These folks have predicted the Rapture on faulty logic. Do I belive in the Rapture? Yes I do! Do I beleive it is going to come soon? Without a doubt! Do I believe that we need to get the message of God's love for the world out to the lost? Absolutely! That is our mission or calling in this life. The Great Commission says to go out to all the world and make disciples of all nations! We need to tell the lost that God loves them and sent Jesus to die for their sins so they can have eternal life in Him. We are commanded by God to do that. But we should not presume to know when God is coming back for His people. If the time passes and the date comes and goes and the Rapture does not occur, many will be embarassed and some folks will disbelieve anything others may share with them about God as a result. Lets do what God commands us but lets not be concerned about His timing. Lets choose to remember that God is faithful and does evrything in His time!

I look forward so much to when we can leave this place and go to spend eternity with our Savior but while I am here I need to be occupying doing His work. What could be greater than Christ finds us sharing His love with others when He comes for us? COme quickly Lord Jesus!