What Is Your Focus? An End Times Question.

What is your focus during the day, at night, for your future? Certainly, you are focused on your family. Most people do have that in their minds and I will bet that was the first thing you thought of......or the second, if the job takes up most of your thoughts. In this case, my question has to do with your future. What then is your focus? Let's explore it a bit.

The first question about the future that now comes to mind is....do you believe that we are either in or about to enter the end times of the prophecies of the Bible? If not, have you heard any of the people who tell us that the times and seasons are right for the beginning of the end of times but you know better because there have always been nuts talking about the end of the world? It never happened before this. Have you heard it all before and, frankly, are not impressed because someone has come along and written a book telling us exactly when the Lord is coming back? When the date they set came and went, you decided that people are nuts and don't have a clue. Either they do not know God, there really is no God or God doesn't care enough about us to get involved, right? Or possibly you feel somewhere in between or are off in some area that I have not mentioned yet. If you will indulge me one more time, I have another question. What if you are wrong? It is possible? Have you ever been wrong before? Hmmm.

What if God does exist. What if He is in charge and has, through human beings, written a Bible that actually tells us not only how to live but also what the future holds. What if He can see the end from the beginning just as He says He can. If even a small bit of that is true, what if the predictions are also true? You know the ones...about the war to end all wars, the terrible earthquakes that are still to come, about all the people dying bringing the earth's population down to a fraction of what it was, of the false peace treaty that Israel and the muslims, palestinians, etc. sign for seven years that "changes the world", about the new and charismatic leader that will show on the scene, that the majority of the population of the planet will follow that person believing him to be the awaited Messiah. If you could be wrong, wouldn't it be a great time to check out about the Lord Jesus while there is still time to do so?

If your focus is on when Jesus is going to show up, which time frame do you have in mind? From what I have seen, a whole lot of Americans believe in a pre-tribulation rapture or carrying away. That means that those who belong to the Lord are going to be removed before any of the nasty stuff starts to happen. Okay, now I could be tarred and feathered for this comment but I think that view could be a tad selfserving. Americans love to think they do not have to go through bad things sometimes although that bubble certainly has been burst a few times of late. It would be fantastic if God chose to take us away before the bad guy shows up. But have you even seen Him do that before?

Or maybe you have a less popular view, the mid-tribulation theory. It means that you do not believe that the Lord Jesus will come back before the middle of the seven years of tribulation that is predicted in the Bible. Not too bad. You only go through some discomforts, like an earthquake or an allout world war, possibly still here when the bad dude expects to mark every living soul with his personal mark in worship to him. Those things show up about mid-trib.

How about those who are pre-wrath? God does tell us that, as believers, we would not go through the wrath of God but are saved from that. I like that one myself. I do not necessarily endorse it, I just like the idea of not being here when God starts dropping huge rocks on our heads and allowing the waters to be poisoned. Personally, I would love to be elsewhere about that time. However, does that mean that Jesus will come to take us out then or does that mean something else?

What about pre-this, mid-that, post-trib, post everything? What if we have to go through every single thing that is listed in the scriptures but we are supernaturally protected as long as we do not give ourselves over to sin? What if, what if, what if?

Actually, the reason I am asking all of this is to get you thinking about something. What if you believe in one of these but it does not take place the way you expect it to? Frankly, I have had that occur in my life often, at least as much as when the scripture happens exactly like I expect it to. Have you? Think about all of the scriptures you have stood on but they didn't exactly take place like you expected. Or how about WHEN you expected. Sometimes it was really great because you found that God gave you something better than you imagined. Sometimes, it simply did not occur, at least to your knowledge. More often than not, God did not show up quite when you wanted Him to do so but He did show up, always on time......for what He wants in your life. It was not necessarily before you lost your car to the finance company or your house to the bank though. Or whatever other thing you believed would not fall upon you if only you prayed hard enough.

Please understand, I believe with all my heart that God answers prayer. He is with us just as He promises to be in so many scriptures. I have felt Him in the midst of hard times. He never leaves us or forsakes us, just as He promises. However, does He promise that He will answer your prayers as YOU want Him to? Did you win that lottery for the millions and millions of dollars you prayed about? Perhaps one or two of you actually did. More than likely not. Did you get that car or house that you wanted even if you don't currently have the money to pay for it? Safe drop out of the sky into your front yard lately? I didn't think so. Sometimes we want things that God does not see as good for us. Sometimes I do believe He says either no or not now. When He says no, I also believe that He is telling us about something greater or better than we were actually asking for but we are so focused on what we want that we do not see what He is offering.

Bring that focus now to what you are believing about the rapture of the church. What happens if He "doesn't deliver" as you think He has promised? There is a scripture in 2 Thess. about a falling away just as the Anti-Christ comes into the temple to reveal himself as a god. I have been fascinated by the falling away or apostasy because it means that a multitude of believers will walk away from God and worship the Anti-Christ instead. What could make someone committed to the Lord do such a thing? Maybe it happens because people don't see what they think God has promised when they expect it to happen. So, what's the answer?

How about believing God, no matter what occurs? How about not deciding pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, or whatever? How about believing that God is Who He says He is and that He never lies, that He always keeps His promises? How about living by faith, not by sight? Let the storm rage on about when Jesus will come. Believe that He will. Trust in Him. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. (Job 13:15) Believer, do not be counted among those who decide that God is a liar.

If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior or if you are not living the life that God has for you, please come to Him now. Ask for forgiveness of your sins. He will grant you that forgiveness. Ask Him into your heart believing that He is Who He says He is. Jesus died on the cross at Calvary for you, yes YOU!! He rose from the dead for YOU!! He is ALIVE right now waiting for you to come to Him. After you do this, rejoice! Do a happy dance! You are a born again child of the living God. Get out that dusty Bible and begin to find out who you are in the Lord! Frankly, the more you know about the Lord, the more likely you will be to see the lies that the enemy tells. The closer you come to God, the closer He comes to you. What are you waiting for? It's getting late. See ya in heaven someday soon.

What Is Your Focus?

An End Times Question.

by Lura Langenback