February 04, 2014
Making Preparations
I have a knack for cutting
hair, so I’m the resident barber for my family and a few friends. One friend,
Mary, is in her 90’s and every couple of months for the last 20 years we get
caught up on our visiting while I cut her hair. Mary called me yesterday to
tell me her health has been failing rapidly, so her daughter would be moving in
with her. Mary has always been fastidious about her hair and I had to laugh at
God’s provision … her daughter just happens to be a retired beautician. “So, I
won’t be coming to you anymore to get my hair cut, but I’m really going to miss
our visits.” There was a catch in Mary’s weary voice and I wondered if she was
not only tidying up the loose ends of lost independence, but if she was also telling
me goodbye. I can imagine the disciples having a similar feeling during the Last
Supper as Jesus began putting His earthly house in order.
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Gail;
-----Where are we? I think it is one of the biggest questions preparation should address. Mary addressed it quite well. If her daughter hadn’t been a beautician, then she probably would have made slightly different preparations with you. “Where am I?” is a big question, too. But preparations for where I am must be embedded in preparations for where we are, because “I” am embedded in that larger context. That so many of the “we” have not a clue about what needs preparation gives me the willies. It’s like standing in the middle of a cattle herd knowing the next noise could set off a stampede.
-----Every generation of attentive Christians has kept at least part of an eye trimmed upon the possibility of Jesus’ return. And they’ve lived slightly prepared for it. But, as humanists, snoozie Christians, and other types of scoffers have made clear, they watched and nobody came. Somehow, that is supposed to mean that if we watch, nobody will come. So, really then, where are we? Should I even prepare?
-----It’s trite to point out that to every Christian of those past generations Jesus came. We’ve all heard many stories about dying folks sitting up and proclaiming their sight of Jesus. I’ve heard it a few times too many from more than credible sources. I believe Jesus comes to each of His at their death. I believe the new life we’ve been given is to its very core a one-on-one personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, and as such, this coming at death indeed is His second coming in that person’s moment of end to this world’s affairs. But this calls forth preparations for “Where am I,” while “we” proceed as usual. They got out of the herd before the stampede.
-----If there ever will be a time “we” needs to “get it”, how will they know? Then again, I just introduced the kick-aside question. They won’t know. They don’t have eyes to see. But what about the attentive Christians? I don’t think Jesus entreated them to watch for what they could not know. Jesus never was and is yet no fool. He entreated us to watch because seeing would be possible. So, regardless of the moaning and groaning of the snoozie Christians, how will the attentive ones know?
-----I thank God for embedding us in a physical universe. It’s kind of a matrix holding us together, and it’s kind of a substance upon which man’s movements have left tracks. Some tracks are more interesting than others; but others are more relevant. Yet all are found by only the hard work attentive desire drives.
-----The most relevant track-way imprinted upon history is God’s Word. The interrelationships of it’s stories, inspirations, commandments, warnings, and prophecies paint a picture of many track-ways, both laid down and to be laid down, converging upon the point of a catastrophic end to this era, to look at it from one angle, or upon the point of a glorious beginning of another era.
-----Look at the track-ways of man’s history by what they mean in Biblical terms. Look at the track-ways of his current events the same way. Note the succession of amazing astronomical coincidences like knowledge spreading forth from the heavens (Ps 19:1-4.) Decades and centuries past, at those arousals of attention for His return, the track-ways of history were not completely like the Bible implies it will be. Today, the track-ways of history and current events are amazingly like it. And the heavens are chanting. Something wonderful is about to happen.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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