All Things Work Together

It is no secret that this life is hard.  People die, business fail, relationships end... the list of human misery is exhaustive.  I have always prided myself on being an optimist, my Mother calls me "Pollyanna", but I must confess I find myself cynical these days.  At least when it comes to anything of this world being just, righteous, and fair.  I have become skeptical of any snake oil this world has to offer, even the great American Dream has died in my mind.

This comes as no surprise to God and it is that assurance that makes us look deeper.  We must become more comfortable not knowing and understanding the "why's" of life.  Our faith tells us that we will not always have the answers but to trust God and recognize that all things work for the good of those who are called by God and do according to His purpose.  All things... health, financial, relational, all things....

The Kingdom of Earth vs. the Kingdom of Heaven

As the love for this world fades, believers look to the Kingdom of Heaven, where we are told to store up our treasures, where thief can not steal and rust does not destroy.  Most of us will never have our rewards here on Earth, in this lifetime, so it is with eyes to eternity that we serve a King that knows and sees all.  We write blogs that no one reads, we start businesses that fail, we pray for others for years with no results, we evangelize to the deaf and the hardhearted, we toil in soil that produces only weeds and thistles and that deer trample and eat to the ground... we sever our ties with this place and recognize that all things work together for our good.

Maranantha.

30 Days of Birth Pangs - Day 15 1/2 Wars and Rumors vs. Nation against Nation

This bit is expository in nature.  We looked at Wars and Rumors of Wars, we've also looked at commotions, but I wanted to elaborate a bit more on how this differs from Nation against Nation.

To do this, I found this great article by Wilfred Hahn who writes:  "The timing and the roles of the two signs of “hearing of wars and rumors of wars” and “nations rising against nation” are very different. They do not refer to the same end time phenomena for at least two reasons.

First, they occur in different time periods. To illustrate this observation, we must note that Christ clearly partitions the Olivet prophecies into three separate time periods:

1. That which is before the “end” comes (“the end is not yet”);
2. the beginning of the end, which is also referred to as the “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:9); and
3. the time that comes thereafter (events described from Matthew 24:9 and Mark 13:9 onward). These periods correspond to the time leading up to the Tribulation Period, the first half of the Tribulation (42 months), and the next 42 months, often referred to as the Great Tribulation.

We must therefore notice that inter-country conflicts are mentioned in two different contexts: Firstly, the “hearing of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) occur before the end comes (this meaning the period before the Tribulation period starts). Secondly, we must then note that the occurrence of “nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” unfolds at a different and later time. This phenomenon is clearly part of the time that is called the “beginning of sorrows.” “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8)."

Prayers in a Foxhole

The original plan was for Day 16 (tomorrow as I sit here) to be about Kingdom rising against Kingdom but that does not feel right, so I'll keep myself open to the Lord's prompting tomorrow and let the Spirit lead.