Plan B

I listen to Christian radio and news talk radio most of the time in my car. And lately I've noticed a disturbing trend in the advertising I'm hearing on on both. Let me explain.

I listen to KLTY (94.9 FM) here in Dallas, Texas. It has lots of contemporary Christian music that makes for easy and uplifting listening. But when the commercials play there are two that sound like fingernails on the chalk board.

The first is Sona MedSpa and their laser hair removal. I swear, it sounds like they are the most prolific advertiser on this station. Between removing unsightly hair forever and blasting away cellulite, nobody could miss their aim. And it sounds like it's really grounded in worldly values. Ugh!

Then there is the Slim 4 Life weight loss program. Frank, the announcer on KLTY, lost 45 pounds with them --- a long time ago --- and he's "keeping it off!" (Let's face it folks, the only slim for life program that really works is when Jesus is in control of your eating!)

Now it might seem that Christian radio takes the brunt of my disgust with advertising. Oh, but not so fast there. Today, on talk radio (570 AM - KLIF) I heard two different sets of commercials that were really disturbing.

Now mind you, KLIF is always playing the commercials to get its listeners to invest in gold - because of the coming collapse of the global economy. Now they're taking it one step further.

The advertisement was for "food insurance." That's the term they used. It consists of freeze dried food and water purifier tablets that will last for 7-10 years. Apparently we buy this and keep it on hand in event of emergencies. And it's supposed to last a few weeks until "other food sources can be found." I don't know about you, but if say a nuclear holocaust occurs --- I don't expect to find any "other food sources" any time soon!

Then another ad started by talking about the people who are warehousing pure (non-hybrid) seeds in warehouses near the Arctic Circle. We were encouraged to become like them and order our own pure seed supplies. They're called "survival seeds." And the ad promised we would be shipped enough to be able to plant a one-acre "crisis garden" in the event of world chaos. I think I've read in the past that something like 80% of the world's people live in cities --- and don't have access to an acre where they could plant such a garden. So who is the target audience for these "survival seeds?"

Now here's the thing. The alleged value proposition that these clowns are pushing is that the world economy is going to melt down and we'll all be scrambling for survival. This may in fact be true. The book of Revelation (New Testament) promises us that things are going to get mighty ugly in the End Times. But nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to store up pure seeds in a warehouse in the Arctic Circle, buy food insurance, invest in gold (because currency will be worthless) or any of these other hare-brained schemes.

This stuff is surely not Biblical. Christ-followers are to put their trust in the Lord. If the world economy melts down, or the U.S. is pelted with atomic bombs it will be bad. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ... right to the very end. And if He allows these calamities to strike us, He will have prepared us to endure them --- or readied us to succumb to them. Either way, we win.

I believe it was the Apostle Paul who said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) Perhaps the doomsayers should consider what that really means.

And Christians who hear these stupid commercials should remember what it means! For it will only have value or meaning when we do.

End Times

We often hear people talk about the end times - referring to the prophecy in the Biblical book of Revelation where Christ returns to earth. It's a blurred image for most people, and we have difficulty delineating exactly what the end times means.

The Bible describes it as a long period, a thousand years (at least metaphorically speaking). It's pretty clear that it won't be accomplished in what we know as one day.

Why all the ambiguities? There are actually several reasons. For starters, God has only revealed a small portion of His understanding and His plans. While the book of Revelation gives us glimpses of God's plan for the future --- most theologians agree that it is quite unlikely to be a complete revelation of God's plans for the future.

Secondly, the end times is understood by mankind in the dimensions of both time and space. But neither of these are dimensions which God lives in or respects. We must remember that God created both time and space for the benefit of mankind. He doesn't need it Himself!

When God refers to time, what is He actually referring to? Is 1,000 years, for example, the same time we understand to be 1,000 years? Or is it something else? The Bible tells us that a day is like a thousand years to God (2 Peter 3:8). But that doesn't mean God's day is equal to mankind's understanding of a thousand years. It simply means that anything God would view as a day would be quite far from anything we could understand as a day.

So what are the end times, and when will they occur? Perhaps the more important way to answer that question is to look inside our hearts and determine the perspective that God sees. Is my heart in the end times? If so, is that a good thing? How would God see it?

End's Hope

I'm still reading this week again in the Old Testament prophets about God's judgment, end times and all that. I have to tell you, I continue to find these pearl's of wisdom that excite me. Today, it is Zephaniah.

Zephaniah's is a story of rebuke, calling sinful Jerusalem to repentance. It was a sinful time - much like the times of today. People were self-centered, unbelieving in God, and were facing God's coming judgment - as are we. Zephaniah was the man through whom God spoke to bring them direction and truth.

Now there is much in Zephaniah. He had a lot to say. A good bit of it is about Jerusalem's sinful condition and God's wrath. It is exactly like our situation today, including the part about the coming of God's wrath against our sinful condition to destroy evil.

But in the midst of that judgment, there is also a great deal that gives me cause for hope. There are some wonderful promises of God ... exclusively for those who are His people, His remnant.

These promises are for those who have repentant hearts - who confess their sin - and turn from that sin toward righteousness. But if you're in that crowd, it gets pretty exciting. Oh sure, we're going to have to go through the judgment day just like everyone else.

The difference is we won't be destroyed in it. The difference is what happens for us afterward. Let's look at some highlights from Zephaniah 3. (This is God talking to us about the end times, when Christ returns to judge the world for its sin.)

"Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, … "I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them—all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger."

The judgment is coming. God's wrath against evil will be unleashed. The entire world will be consumed by His fire. We, the remnant of God, are to wait for Him. Got it?

"Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. … my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings."

Now He's gonna purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder. Do you get what this means? It means, for example, that everyone will speak one language. The confusion and challenges of language differences - which God put upon us at the Tower of Babel - will be done away with. No longer will we have to learn foreign languages. We'll all speak one language. Awesome!

"On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done … But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. "

Remember, it is a judgment day. But God doesn't intend to shame us. He'll review what we've done - right and wrong. But of course Jesus has already atoned for what's wrong. There will be no guilt or shame. The meek and humble, who trust in God ... will be you and me - the ones who confessed and repented.

"The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. Sing, … shout aloud, … Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, … The LORD has taken away your punishment, … The LORD … is with you; never again will you fear any harm."

After this judgment day, when the thorns are removed, we will do no wrong. In fact, we won't be capable of sin. Can you imagine - not being able to screw anything up? We won't be able to lie. It will be a time of celebration. (Could there be a better reason to celebrate?) The punishment for our sins will be gone, and God will be with us. We won't be afraid of anything ever again. This is way cool!

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Oh now here's my favorite part. He will take great delight in me. Oh my gosh! How could that be? I don't think anyone ever has taken great delight in me! I can't imagine what that might be like. (But I think it'll be very cool!) He will rejoice over me. God will sing for joy over me. Did you ever imagine that anyone would be so pleased with you that they'd burst into joyous song? Could you ever fathom that would be God doing the singing?

"The sorrows … I will remove from you; … At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame."

He's a just God. He's a merciful God. He will punish the wrong-doers who've victimized the rest of us. He will rescue the hurting and stop the suffering. Where they've been trampled on, oppressed, neglected - He will give them praise and honor. The scores will be settled once and for all.

"At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise … " says the LORD.

Finally, He brings us home to live with Him forever. We return to where we started, at the feet of the Creator. Living with Him, we will have honor and praise. I don't think I've ever had honor and praise like this before. My boss honored me and praised me yesterday - I suspect it'll be different when God does it.

By now, you're probably shaking your head, saying something like, "No way!" Well, yes - way! This is God speaking to us, His children, His people, His remnant. It is you and I. It was Jerusalem. It is us today. These are the promises of God - to you and I. They are real. They are our hope.

Who knew that judgment could include such wonderful cause for hope!'