What Are You Looking For?

I found this yesterday, while skimming a few articles, and realized I could easily have written it myself. Paul

I grew up in a religious environment which was obsessed with the “end times.” By the time I was 10 years old, I had been exposed to so many sermons, movies and conversations about the mark of the beast, the Great Tribulation and the rise of The Antichrist that I'm surprised didn't eventuate in a panic disorder that persisted well into adulthood. I even had a friend who would come home from school and not be able to find his mom and panic because I thought I had been “left behind” in the rapture.

As I got older, thanks to some awesome mentors and logical inquiry, this narrative began to crumble. The one question that I apply to nearly everything that doesn’t add up is this: “who benefits?” That along with the words of Jesus, “you shall know it by its fruit” are what is needed to sharpen discernment.

Ask yourselves "Who benefits?" when believers are:

• Looking for the rise of the antichrist instead of the Return of the King
• Obsessed with the mark of the beast instead of being marked by Christ’s love and presence
• Focused on escaping the earth instead of redeeming it
• Immersed in fear rather than hope

Darkness benefits. Yes, there is darkness and it seems to be increasing (side note: the presence of darkness isn’t increasing; only the exposure of it) AND according to prophetic scripture, when darkness is at its thickest, that’s when the glory of the Lord rises upon us! Which side of the same coin do YOU want to focus on?

The end is indeed near, but it’s the end of the reign of terror that has kept God’s children enslaved to a matrix of lies and hopelessness.

Those of us who are alive, during these times, get the incredible privilege of seeing with our eyes what prophets of old only dreamed about.

Let us fix our eyes on the rising glory of the Son of Righteousness instead of the momentary darkness that quakes and trembles at the mention of His name.

Let’s find out where our position is - because if you are alive, you have a part to play! Let’s declare the solution instead of wringing our hands over the problem. The end is near, AND the future is bright! Remember who you are.

Rise up and reign!