We made it to May 22!

What were you doing May 21, 2011 – the supposed day of the rapture?

Isaiah 65 leaves us with the warm fuzzes ready to experience this reality of the New Jerusalem (The wolf and the lamb shall feed together). Then we read Luke 21 (Earthquakes, war, famines, plagues, persecution…). That doesn’t leave us with quite the warm fuzzes. As a matter of fact it leaves us with quite the opposite feeling. The people love their Temple – admire its beauty. They don’t want it to be rubble. Thrown down to pieces? This strikes fear into the people they need to know the outcome… they need to know when will this come to pass? As people long for the glory of their beautiful temple Jesus points out the reality of the broken world.

Earthquakes, war, famines, plagues, persecution, prison… all the things that as Christians we want to end - yet we can’t. These calamities happen every day and make us long for Isaiah chapter 65 to truly come to fruition.

I don’t believe that Jesus is trying to instill fear in the people, but I do believe that Jesus it trying to wake the people up to the reality of the world around. It’s not about the temple – it’s about God’s kingdom. Jesus sends the people with hope. Though the darkness of this world has not been overcome we can let our light shine through it – these calamities give us the opportunity to testify. Testify to the glory of God.

Out of the rubble comes new life. The same can be said of most disasters – in the wake of recovery, those who survive are often stronger and more appreciative than ever of the simple gifts of life.

Isaiah leaves us longing for the future the New Jerusalem – Luke leaves us fearful of the future. Isaiah say’s we’ll forget the past the pain – Luke says we’ll gain our souls.

Jesus came to declare the kingdom of God is at hand! Let’s stop setting dates for the “end” and start working for the kingdom today.