He is Coming.

It’s faint, in the distance, the group falls silent. How far, is hard to tell. Yet, it is distinct like the sound of one walking a trail in a thick forest. The sound brings with it a feeling, and it inspires the senses. A smell of pine in the air along with falls crisp morning. Even in the house one feels as if their very souls were as dew settling on the grass. It is both comforting and alarming. Sitting around the table a hush has fallen as they search each others eye’s and yet look past them. It’s hard to think about. It’s wonderful, yet it is also unknown. Silence is broken as one musters up the strength, in a quiet breath, just slightly above a whisper, “He’s coming.”

This is not a new scene. It has played out before. Once in a garden, once in a stable, and now. The feeling of what is to come has been here before and all along. He walked in the garden and we hid in our shame. Later, He was birthed in a stable covered in blood. Then a man He would hang on a tree, bloody, bearing no shame of His own but ours, willingly. He approaches again, to settle accounts, who has enough to pay the debt? No one. Yet, no one need pay anything. The debt has already been paid. Only receive it by faith through repentance. Time whispers, “He’s coming.”

As the foot steps grow louder, you can feel the earth shake with anticipation as it longs for restoration. Nature shifts, the waves roar, the storms rage, but man misses His approach, consumed by self, what must we do? Surely we must do something. Nature becomes humanities focus even while nature whispers, “He’s coming.”

The noise is deafening. It is hard to think clearly. Life consumes, the destroyer wages war on the soul of humanity, whom the destroyer hates, with distraction after distraction. The destroyer knows how, having studied the likeness of He who is coming, the destroyer lays out traps as only the destroyer can do. The destroyers time is running out, with every footstep heard, the noise doesn’t deaden the sound for the destroyer knows all too well his fate. The destroyer hesitant to acknowledge, whispers, “He’s coming.”

Most are unprepared. Many are without understanding. Lost in their perceived reality, devoid of the impending doom. Few have enough oil to get through the night. Night is coming. Do you have enough oil for your lamp? Go and buy oil without money. Put out the distractions from your mind. Sit in silence. Be still. Listen. Get ready. Every soul willingly or unwillingly, whispers, “He’s coming.”

He is coming.

You are loved,

cj

Labor Day Special

“. . . holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Messiah I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:16

There are a few head scratching things about a Labor Day Special. The very idea of it is to draw in business, increasing sales; “come in today for ‘Unbelievable Labor Day Specials!’” However, who is it that is going to help you? A Laborer. What is Labor Day anyway? According to the History Channel, and i take extreme liberty in paraphrasing, (read more about Labor Day here) it is a day to celebrate the laborer. Yet we have decided the best way to celebrate is to have sales that require laborers to labor on Labor Day. We have a lot of weird things in our culture like this, “Black Friday” the day after Thanksgiving just to name another. Mostly people buying things for the sake of a sale. We are a consumer driven society, we want things and we will go out of our way to buy them on sale.

Lately, i have been noticing a few more empty shelves. In some instances i am noticing lots of shelves filled with the same product, seemingly because there is an abundance of one and a lack of another. So to keep the appearance of looking stocked, they just put out what they have. Have you been hearing any rumblings of an impending food shortage? According to Business Insider, “Zoom out and it’s clear: A food crisis is unfolding around the world, with prices shooting up everywhere.”

One of the things i enjoy is watching prepper channels on YouTube. Most of them have cool, innovative, solutions for general crisis and natural disasters that would make life easier during a difficult time. However, if you are a student of history one thing you should know is that in times of war and in times of famine, food becomes incredibly valuable. In Germany in the lead up to extreme Jewish persecution the government came and confiscated food. During the occupation of Eastern Europe food rationing was a big part of how they controlled the citizenry. Of course one would say, that wouldn’t happen here, and to a degree one would be right. However, food is a powerful tool. When a population is hungry and they are told a certain group is hoarding food, it sorta creates a different dynamic. In a crisis certain things are enacted, water rationing, rolling blackouts, so if one hopes to be a survivalist, you will need to understand each facet with all the moving parts. Think you are safe because you own your own land or grow your own food . . . Just look at this article by The Western Journal.

Here is my point, i certainly do not want to discourage anyone from preparing for disaster or crisis, especially given the times in which we live. However, do so quietly. No fan-far. Fly under the radar the best you can. But now for this advice, and this advice is free, yet, it may just be the most valuable piece of advice i can give. It comes from Revelation 3:16-22.

SO, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘Rich I am, and I am made rich, and need none at all,’ and do not know that you are wretched, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so that you become rich; and white garments, so that you become dressed, so that the shame of your nakedness might not be shown; and anoint your eyes with ointment, so that you see. As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. So be ardent and repent. See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I shall give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

You are loved,

cj