I've been reading some books by Joel Rosenberg (The Last Jihad, The Last Days, The Ezekiel Option, and The Copper Scroll) I'm on The Ezekiel Option. These books are about the end times with a setting of an international thriller: espionage and heroics, not your typical Christian fiction. I have to admit I was slow to warm up to the characters, but after 2 books they began to feel like old friends. I grieved when they were injured or betrayed, and celebrated their successes. That's what good writing is all about right?
At the start of the third book I almost stopped reading. One of my favorite characters went missing and I honestly thought, "I'm just not going to read this if McCoy is gone...I just can't take another one getting killed". This about a fictional character! (and yes I can still distinguish between real and imaginary). But it got me thinking ... about real friends, and real end times. I'm not ashamed to admit that the end times scare the bejeebers out of me. I don't want to be around for it. I don't want my family to be around for it. But I do want us all to be on God's side. Because while I won't claim prophet status, I can tell the future .... God wins.
And therein lies the hope. Regardless of what happens here, God wins. God will create a new heaven and a new earth. We will worship Him forever. The thought of that is enough to calm the fears. The light of that Biblical truth chases away the darkness that plague my thoughts. Because it really will be all right in the end, the very end that is. The beginning of the end and the middle of the end will stink more than we can even imagine, but the very end of the end ... I imagine it will be so much better than the best we can ever describe.
So when things seem bad here - whether its the current economic crisis, or wars and rumors of wars, I take hope in the promise of heaven.
Because after all, God wins!
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Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Introducing THRIVE
Being single is an awesome opportunity to serve the kingdom of God, to grow and flourish. To thrive. Often times however, we don't make the most of the opportunities.
THRIVE Singles Ministry was borne out of a desire to mobilize singles in the Midwest region of the Great Commission Churches. It started as a weekend retreat designed to build relationships and look for opportunities to serve in our own churches & communities and join together to do more than what we could do on our own.
THRIVE is about making the most of the opportunities God brings before us; about being together, so that even though we are single, we know we are part of a larger family. Sometimes we need that more than anything else, because sometimes it seems like we are "forgotten" - after all we're not a family with kids. We're not college students ripe for evangelism - full of passion and energy. We're older - 30s and 40s. Sometimes we're tired just from living life. We can be set in our ways - to our own detriment.
But we don't have to be. We can reach out to others in our same situation - those who are once again or have always been single. We can encourage others in our same life situation. After all we know what its like. And we know Jesus Christ. And we know its better when you have some one to lean on, to celebrate successes, to mourn losses, to live life with.
Together we can make a difference. Together we can spread the love of Christ. Together we can serve the Creator
Together we can thrive.
THRIVE Singles Ministry was borne out of a desire to mobilize singles in the Midwest region of the Great Commission Churches. It started as a weekend retreat designed to build relationships and look for opportunities to serve in our own churches & communities and join together to do more than what we could do on our own.
THRIVE is about making the most of the opportunities God brings before us; about being together, so that even though we are single, we know we are part of a larger family. Sometimes we need that more than anything else, because sometimes it seems like we are "forgotten" - after all we're not a family with kids. We're not college students ripe for evangelism - full of passion and energy. We're older - 30s and 40s. Sometimes we're tired just from living life. We can be set in our ways - to our own detriment.
But we don't have to be. We can reach out to others in our same situation - those who are once again or have always been single. We can encourage others in our same life situation. After all we know what its like. And we know Jesus Christ. And we know its better when you have some one to lean on, to celebrate successes, to mourn losses, to live life with.
Together we can make a difference. Together we can spread the love of Christ. Together we can serve the Creator
Together we can thrive.
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