Crossroads Youth

Tell me that you’re not just a tiny bit concerned with the string of recent natural disasters that keep popping up on Earth’s surface like pimples on a choc-o-holic?

To refresh your memory, we’ve had multiple monster earthquakes in Haiti, China, Chile, and other places, volcanoes spewing ash across the European sky, even sinkholes that are swallowing cars!

I wish I wouldn’t have watched the 2012 movie, because now every time Mother Earth reshuffles the deck in real life, I get big screen Blu-ray flashbacks of L.A. folding up and collapsing like a cheap taco.

So what does it all mean? Well that, of course, depends on your perspective. From one standpoint, you could argue that natural disasters have been happening all over the world since the beginning of time – therefore we all should stop freaking out and chill out about end of days stuff.

On the other hand, as Christians we believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and since every single prophecy in Scripture has been fulfilled to the letter except the “game over” ones that point to the future, I think there is valid cause for concern if there is a connection.

Is there a connection? I’ll lay out the evidence, then you can decide for yourself:

Later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his disciples approached and asked him, “Tell us, when are these things going to happen? What will be the sign of your coming, that the time’s up?”

Jesus said, “Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, ‘I am Christ, the Messiah.’ They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming (Matthew 24:3-8).

And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come (Mark 13:7-8).

When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven (Luke 21:9-11).

In my opinion, the level and frequency of natural disasters this past year sounds a lot like what Jesus is telling us in these passages. Couple that with scientific speculation about erratic plate tectonics, and we got ourselves a whole mess-o things to keep us up at night.

But remember that the point of these passages is not TO get our blood pressure up…quite the opposite actually. In the midst of Jesus’ words on wars and natural disasters, don’t miss His counsel:

don’t panic

keep your head and don’t panic

do not be frightened

The word for ‘frightened’ here is not the idea of being scared, rather it is a picture of deep terror and crying aloud out of panic. Sort of an “AAAAAAAAAGH!!! HEEEEEELP ME!!!”

Not only are we not to panic, but we also need to be ready for when the big stuff really does start to go down. Friends…being ready is not obsessing about what might or might not happen. Being ready is-

-making sure you are right with God by trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation

-living each day in the light of Jesus’ promised return, which means loving God and people with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength

-passing along the Bible’s warnings about the last days and sharing the message of the gospel as the only true “end times survival strategy” and living His Cause-THE Cause-of making disciples who make disciples.

I don’t know about you, but just keeping myself busy with those three things leaves zero time to hide my head under the covers and hope that happy days will come back to stay.

Or in the words of my friend Greg Stier…reach out, don’t freak out!

Thank you Lord Jesus, because if it really is the end of the world as we know it, I really do feel fine!

Flash Point
Ask your friends if they think all the natural disasters are signs of the end times, then transition the conversation into what the Bible teaches about the return of Christ and the accompanying warnings.

Accelerant

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:11-12).

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near (James 5:7-8).

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7).

Donate Now to help support Soul Fuel!

Leaders and concerned adults! Be sure to check out the ALT-ernative Discussion Questions for Earthquakes and Volcanoes and End Times…Oh My!
Interested in a Dare 2 Share Conference near you?
Visit www.dare2share.org to learn more.

© 2010 Dare 2 Share Ministries

If you’ve enjoyed this Soul Fuel, you can use this link to forward it to a friend.
If this email was forwarded to you by a friend, sign up for your own FREE subscription.

Soul Fuel emails are never sent unsolicited. To unsubscribe, please use this link.

Soul Fuel

I am an Alien

Do you believe in aliens? Surveys show that more and more folks are open to the idea that we are not alone in this ginormous universe…that lurking out there – or maybe even here – are beings that are definitely different in nature and not at home on this planet.

Like Teletubbies – right? I mean, if Tinky Winky and Dipsy who annoyingly repeat the phrase “Bibberly cheese!” aren’t aliens, I’m not sure what would qualify…

Then there’s the new Sci-Fi series that has a lot of people talking called V . The V stands for “visitor” – as in aliens who are “visiting” Earth, but it seems pretty clear that they are not here to chill out and try and figure out great mysteries like why so many humans get into arguments over Edward and Jacob.

The visitors are on a mission to conquer the planet, and this just might be…

The end of humanity! Nooooooooo!!! (Cue the epic music.)

Personally, I like being an alien. Not that its always easy, but having a “stranger in a strange land” mentality helps me get why life on planet Earth just seems so messed up at times.

Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my mind – not yet anyway. I call myself an alien because that’s what God calls Christians:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 1:10-12).

The day that I trusted in Jesus Christ as my only hope of salvation, something incredible happened. I ceased being just a person and became a child God. I was freed from the chains of humanity that would have you believe that joy and contentment can come from anything in this world. My true citizenship and home is in heaven, so my life is now an alien journey on planet Earth.

On the show V , the aliens are there to distract, deceive, and ultimately destroy the native folks, and that is obviously why the Christian kind of “visitor” is on a completely different mission. Our task is to:

Live an exemplary life among the natives so that our actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives (1 Peter 2:12, The Message).

Isn’t that incredible? As believers in Jesus Christ, we get to show our “alien-ness” by loving the unloved, forgiving our offenders, and passing along the greatest message in all the universe:

Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died (1 Corinthians 16:3-6).

This gospel message is also alien, because it wasn’t invented by any human mind. The gospel is from the mind of God and is the power of God. It is capable of transforming any guilt-ridden, hopeless life into unbelievable meaning, purpose, and value.

Are you feeling a bit alienated and alone at times? Unfortunately, that’s a part of following Christ. To feel not at home and rejected by a culture that cares only about selfish personal happiness and limitless pleasure is natural when you dare 2 share a Christ-like life and the gospel message. But remember that no matter how dark and lonely the path, there is an amazing end to the journey – then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

The end for us aliens is actually just the beginning! Jesus Christ is returning to gather all His followers, and there is going to be a homecoming party that is beyond your wildest imagination.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the common alien phrase: “Take me to your leader.”

Well, fellow alien…let’s turn that around and ask our friends and family this: “Would you like to meet my Leader?”

Flash Point
Talk to your friends about alien movies and why they like or don’t like them. Use that discussion as a springboard to talk about how Christians are called “aliens” in the Bible and what that means – especially in terms of the “alien” message of the gospel.

Accelerant

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth (Hebrews 11:13).

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty”
(2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).