Being Thankful

When taking a trip with your family or friends there is no doubt you have heard the phrase “Are we there yet? A phrase that we have all heard a thousand times when traveling with young children. A phrase that does not need to be taught to children. We put the kids in the car, pull out of the driveway, and while taking our first turn we hear “Are we there yet?” Children do not have a concept of time and distance. This comes through experience and maturity. We respond to our children by giving them a general time frame and land mark to watch for. Perhaps we describe a local restaurant that is near grandma’s house that is easy to spot. We describe the big green dinosaur holding a hamburger at the front of the store. We tell them, “When you see the restaurant with the big green dinosaur holding a hamburger you will know we are getting close to grandma’s.”

We can identify with the children in the back seat. We have all been there and asked the very same question, “Are we there yet?” You see this with the disciples when they asked Jesus for the signs of His coming in Matt 24:3: “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of they coming, and of the end of the world?” The disciples are asking “Are we there yet?” Christ responds with a warning of deception telling them that “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

It seems that there are restaurants with dinosaurs popping up on every corner. There are restaurants with red dinosaurs, blue dinosaurs, and many colored dinosaurs. Some dinosaurs are holding a box of chicken, some are holding a pizza, and so on. All the restaurants have similar dinosaurs, but they are all not the same. Does it matter that the dinosaur is not exactly what was originally described to watch for? Does it matter that the dinosaur is a different color? As Jesus was warning His disciples that these imitations, false signs are causing people to take different paths. Jesus warns that some will get lost on the way. Some will get confused. Some will lose sight of their joy and hope of salvation.

The truth is getting blurred and the church and the world are beginning to look a lot alike. Jesus teaches us in the parable of the sower (Matt 13) that satan is looking to rob the seed of God’s Word from those who are not prepared to discern truth from deception. From knowing the difference between the Truth and a fable. Look how Christ reveals in the parable of the sower the tactics that satan is using in the world today to distract the Church. With the increasing availability to information it seems that are new doctrines are being created daily in an attempted to keep us from correctly understanding God’s Word. Christian persecution is increasing around the world to shake those who seed in on the rocky places. The cares of the world are growing with the engineered collapse of the world’s economy to choke the seed that fell among the thorns. Thorns is a representation of sin and walking in sin will make the believer unfruitful and unable to see the signs of Christ coming.

The Bible teaches us that we do not wrestle not against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle against the seducing doctrines of demons (1Tim 4) that are there to deceive, discourage, and to derail the Church from its calling. We are a people called unto the Righteousness of Christ and we should not apologize or be ashamed of it. God’s grace is not there as an excuse for sin, but God’s grace is there to help us overcome sin through Christ so that the light of the Gospel will shine brighter and brighter in a world that is getting darker.

You always heard the question asked, “What is the meaning of life?” I believe the answer is in the question. To be meaningful. And to live a meaningful life in Christ is to live according to God’s Word as we stand up for Truth and Righteousness in a world that is being prepared for the acceptance of the antichrist. Through this we will have tribulation, however, through Christ we will overcome!

We need to understand the times we are living in and to not be ignorant of satan’s devices (2 Cor 2:11). To discern the deceptions and distractions that are there to make our message unproductive and unfruitful. The deceptions and distractions that are there to keep us from seeing the signs of the times we are living in.

Shall we pray “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (Eph 1:17-18).