Our Own Eyes

(Image by Myriam Zilles from Pixabay)

Everyone tends to see life through their own eyes.

When a baby is born in America, many hospitals, usually though nonprofit organizations,
send the baby home with a “care package” of diapers, baby oil, wipes, and the like. Some even provide expensive items like car seats.

In Israel, all newborn babies are sent home with an infant gas mask. Because of the
threats from Israel’s enemies and the near-daily bombardment of projectiles coming across the border, the fear of a child dying in a chemical attack is a real and ever-present concern.

In the eyes of an Israeli parent, knowing how to place their infant in an apparatus to allow
them to survive a possible chemical attack is of the utmost importance. Meanwhile, in America, new parents cry out, “How do I strap this car seat in here? I don’t want to get a ticket!”

Everyone tends to see life through their own eyes.

In America, it does not take much for Christians to start talking about the rapture. A huge
earthquake, saber-rattling in the Middle East, and some other things are sure to activate “rapture talk” in Christian circles. While we talk about prophecy, those involved in the earthquake wonder how they will ever put their lives back together. And those in the Middle East are testing the family’s gas mask’s usability.

Everyone tends to see life through their own eyes.

Do not get me wrong – Christians should preach prophecy in every way and every form
possible. Doing everything we can to spread His message. Christ came the first time as Saviour; the second time, He is coming as King and judge. Proclamation of both is needed far and wide.

Revelation 19:10, “… the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Jesus gave us signs of His coming. One of which is “pestilence” – anyone ever hear about
this COVID thing?

Earlier in the year, there were small earthquakes in various parts of the country where we
rarely hear of the ground shaking – another sign.

We have experienced hurricanes in rapid succession.

There seems no end in sight to the wildfires out west. Communities burned entirely to the
ground.

Our forests are burning, and our cities are as well. Some of the riots have lasted months.
People are chanting, “Death to the police.” We watch assaults on innocent people for refusing to join protests. Homes of civil servants and private citizens have come under siege.

On top of all this turmoil and heartache is the polarizing political climate. Lincoln and
Douglas; Kennedy, and Nixion must be rolling in their graves after the Presidential Debate of last week.

Over recent decades our nation has gone from the ability to sit down and having a
conversation about our differences, to — if you disagree with me — you must hate me and be silenced. The “distress of nations, with perplexity” of Luke 21:25 (an end-times passage), is holding true.

Christians should watch for the signs and proclaim the gospel of Christ everywhere. In
speaking of the last days, Christ uses the word “watch” four times in five verses (Mark 13:33-37). When God repeats Himself, He is emphasizing something. Jesus Christ wants us, He emphasized it, to watch for the signs of His return.

What else should we be doing?

2 Peter 3:10-13 is a famous passage about the end of the world. Smack dab in the middle
of describing the end of everything as we know it; God asks the question, “… what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness…?”

Amid all this chaos, God wants us to live holy lives.

God emphasized this before in Peter’s first book. He talks of the grace He will bring to us
during the days leading to Christ’s return. 1 Peter 1:13-16, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Notice the link between the grace needed to get through these turbulent times and
holiness. The word “holy” is used four times within the last two verses of the passage. God is trying to emphasize something – you need to live holy lives, especially the closer we come to Jesus’ return.

Christians need to pray, study the Scripture, live holy lives, and proclaim the gospel of
Jesus Christ with end-time urgency. It is the only way we can get people to see the spiritual side and the workings of God in the events around them today.

People must start seeing that we are nearing the climax of history – the rapture, the rise of
the Antichrist, the seven-year tribulation, and the return of Jesus Christ. Because…

Everyone tends to see life through their own eyes.

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With houses of worship currently closed or restricted across much of the nation, the editors of the Baltimore Post-Examiner are inviting an array of spiritual teachers to share insights from the ages along with words of comfort and encouragement. These timely messages are not exclusive to any particular faith walk and will be included in our ongoing Spirituality series.