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The Middle Eastern Dominoes

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Ever play with Dominoes as a child?  I know there’s an “official” way to line up the dots and score points, but I preferred  arranging them  into letters or shapes, then finding great joy after I tipped the first one into the second, and like a flash what I had spent hours lining up collapsed into a pile of fallen pieces.

The Domino effect - right?  This effect is not, contrary to popular opinion, the gradual increase of body mass proportional to how much greasy pizza one consumes.

That’s called the Domino’s effect.

No this chain reaction is set in motion by independent action and successive destabilization by cooperative neighbors.  In other words, one small and seemingly isolated event occurs, but soon after the whole line collapses.

Of course you can YouTube any number of fascinating Domino effect demonstrations, but I would highly recommend tuning in to news of events happening in the Middle Eastern part of our planet.  It started in a little place called Tunisia, but it appears that a whole line of nations is collapsing. This of course has caused another chain reaction of gloom and doom “experts” who make it sound like we might not even make it to next Christmas.

But guess what?  You shouldn’t be surprised and you shouldn’t be worried. Rather, you should be prepared and ready.

You shouldn’t be surprised because this Domino effect was predicted in the Bible a few thousand years before our rectangles with dots were ever invented.  Two prophets of God named Ezekiel and Daniel received visions and revelations around 600 B.C. that portray what’s happening in 2011 A.D. better than CNN and Fox news combined. God gave them the special privilege of laying out how the end times are going down here on Planet Earth, which is why the events that are unfolding shouldn’t be a major shocker.

Does this mean that the end has begun?  That’s something only God can answer, but from my vantage point, the chessboard is dusted off and the pieces are being assembled for the final match between God and Satan.

And how in the world is that not cause for worry?  Because God didn’t reveal the end times sequence to His followers so they would lay awake at night and freak out about the identity of the anti-Christ or when exactly Jesus is coming back.  No…the purpose of prophecy is not prediction, but preparation:

The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up (Matthew 24:36-39; 42-44).

The Return of Jesus is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible, but nowhere are we encouraged to make guesses and predictions about the when and where of the last days.  Instead, it seems to me that the Middle Eastern Domino effect should remind us that because Jesus could return at any time, we need to take this command very seriously:

Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace (2 Peter 3:11,14).

A “holy life” simply means one that stands out from the crowd.  Your actions and attitudes honor Jesus Christ and His will for your life.  “Pure and peaceful” are how people should describe you, and if that’s true in your case, I’d say you are ready for whatever lies ahead.

And don’t forget that a huge part of living a holy life is to live out THE Cause of Christ by sharing the gospel and introducing your friends to Jesus before He returns!  Life changes dramatically when the Biblical prophecies for the future leap off the pages of Scripture into the daily news feed, so if you truly love and care for your friends who don’t know Jesus, you won’t let anything get in the way of sharing your faith.

This stack of Dominoes is no game…so are you prepared and ready?  

 

The events in the Mideast should wake us up to the fact that each and every day is an opportunity to live out our faith in tangible ways, and it is also a sobering reminder that we are not guaranteed time when it comes to sharing the gospel with our friends.  This week, ask them what they think all the unrest means in terms of the future of the world, and pray for an opportunity to share the gospel and make disciples who will make disciples.

 

Father, only you know the time when you will gather your church together and send Jesus back to earth for His rule and reign.  Empower me to be ready and prepared each day for your return by living a holy life and sharing the gospel with everyone I can. 

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).

To learn more about what the Bible has to say about the end times, check out these free resources at to gotquestions.org.