Get back up.

We lose our way, we get back up again…
— tobyMac (new single “Get Back Up”)

I had a bit of a revelation last night while going through my almost-nightly “OMG praise God for bringing an end to this day” detox session.

Actually, let me backpedal a bit. Hi! Been a while since I really posted anything of substance, hasn’t it? I think after I came to the decision that Jenn and I will start a new blog together after we get married, I lost a lot of interest in keeping this one updated. Is that going to change? Prob’ly not. But this really is something weighing heavy on my heart, so we’re gonna pretend for today.

Okay, fast forward to the past couplethree weeks. Long story short, a whole lot of crap has happened to me recently. Just within the past two weeks or so:

* My laptop was stolen out of my bag at work.

* My iPhone was completely erased while trying to sync it with the “loner” netbook that my mother has been gracious enough to share with me.

* I did something to my right shoulder back on Jan. 31st that has resulted in very annoying and persistent pain going from my shoulder blade down to my elbow ever since then.

* I dropped my iPhone and broke yet another case.

* Got a pretty yucky sinus infection last week that resulted in me missing half a day of work and two nights of school.

* The back door on the driver’s side of my car would not close securely yesterday, resulting in me having to find a ride to work and being thirty minutes late.

The grand prize of this whole mess is me being within a hairsbreadth of finding the nearest cave and hiding in it until the Rapture. Until last night. Like I said before, I had a bit of a revelation. This is prob’ly something that would’ve come to other folks I know in a more timely fashion, but heck, I’m just glad it finally dawned on me.

In this day and age, what do you think when someone says, “The devil is at work here?” For me, personally, that reminds me of when I had Dr. Allan Saxe for Texas Government a couple years back. He had a habit of mouthing off some hilarious-yet-terribly demeaning jokes that were guaranteed to offend every culture/gender/species in attendance at least once every evening. After he would blurt out such a joke, he would clap his hand over his mouth, then comically say, “I am so sorry. The DEVIL made me do it!”

I think this is a pretty dang good example of how people look at the devil’s influence these days. It’s hilarious. It’s not real. People have control over their own destinies, and there’s no sulfur-sucking freakshow doing this stuff to me, right?

Not necessarily.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
— 1 Peter 5:8

So, is the devil at work in my life right now? Could be. It’s possible he’s trying to distract me from the most important things right now: God, Jenn, and school. He’s using what I like to call R&D. Not research and development, not raspberries and donuts (though that would probably work just as well as everything else he’s been doing to distract me), but Ruses and Deceptions. Stuff keeps getting thrown at me to distract me from focusing on getting stuff done for school, plus it’s distracting me from continuing to nurture my relationship with Jenn as we prepare to get married. Not to mention the fact that my laptop got stolen from me shortly after I just started doing some serious graphics work for my church.

What if it’s the other way around, though? What if God is T&B‘ing me? Okay, sorry, too many letters&letters. Testing and Blessing me.

The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
— Deuteronomy 13:3b

We know God tests us. It’s part of the whole deal. So it’s totally possible that this is just another test of faith by Him.

But at the same time, I can also see some of this stuff as a real blessing. Well, two things mainly. I mean, breaking my iPhone case was somewhat of a blessing, because it resulted in me getting an even sweeter case for about half the price of the last one. But anyway, the two things I think of as a blessing in disguise were probably the two worst things on that list up there: My laptop getting stolen and my iPhone getting wiped.

A little over three years ago, when I first started dating Jenn, I was on the tail end of a serious addiction to World of Warcraft. I realized shortly into our relationship how much of a detriment that addiction was to our quality time together, so I closed my account and I haven’t been back since. I thank God every day for that, because it was His way of intervening before I became a hardcore gamer and wasted my life away in that crappy old apartment, eating Jack in the Box tacos every night and playing WoW.

But then my laptop was stolen, and being without it has made me realized that said addiction wasn’t quite out of my life. For a short while after the incident, I was suffering from (and I apologize, because I know this sounds a tad melodramatic) my own personal equivalent to phantom limb syndrome. Over the past four or five years, I had turned that laptop into another appendage. If I needed anything, I knew that my laptop could help me. And so when my laptop was stolen, well, you can guess how I reacted. Devastated, completely and utterly. I was seriously depressed, like I had no idea how I was going to do just about anything in life without that laptop.

Then my iPhone did it’s thing, and that just made me feel crappier. What the heck was going on with my stuff!? I was getting pissed. My usual methods of communicating and general “doing stuff” were rebelling on me. How am I going to function without a working iPhone and a laptop that’s been taken from me?

Then, after the 800th time that thought crossed my mind, I finally realized just how absurd it was.

How am I going to function without Facebook? Twitter? Photoshop? Office?

See where I’m going with this?

The devil may be taking advantage of the situation by trying to distract me by worrying about all this stuff. But GOD is waking me up from this technologically-induced state of dependency. Through the theft of my laptop, He’s giving me an NCIS-caliber smack on the backside of the head and going, “HEY. Quit it.”

I don’t NEED this stuff. It’s nice to have, yes. But if it’s gone, then it’s gone. There is absolutely no reason for me to get so sad about not being able to get online. My laptop was not another arm, it was just a tool. A tool that I had a bad habit of getting too absorbed in using. And I needed to learn my lesson about getting too far into it.

So, where do I go from here? Do I shun technology? Do I sell my iPhone?

Pff, no. 🙂 I need to remember that the key is to not let myself get absorbed. I’m not missing out on anything epic if I don’t login to Facebook whenever I have down time. I don’t need to tweet every other thought I think or action I… act.

Granted, losing my Photoshop sucks, because I was just getting started on doing some fun stuff for my church. But it’s okay, because I know I’ll still be able to help whenever I can.

As I look back on all this now that I’ve typed it out… man, it looks really silly. In the grand scheme of things, of all the terrible stuff going on in this world, my biggest problem right now is getting over losing a computer. But hey, the little victories in life at just as nice, right? A win is a win, and anything that helps me clear out the clutter, get closer to God, and focus on what’s REALLY important in my life (ie. marrying the girl of my dreams) is a tremendous victory, as far as I’m concerned.

All I have to remember is that it’s just stuff. This stuff, I can live without. This stuff, I can lose without breaking my heart. Being without this stuff will not keep my life from going on. Stuff, I don’t need.

What I do need is my Lord. What I do need is my beautiful fiancée. What I do need is to finish school so I can make a better future for my wife and me.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.

Oh, that Captain Kidd.

Ever heard about William Kidd? He was such a dingbat. Dude was contracted to go hunt pirates in the Indian Ocean, ended up doing some pirating himself, let himself get busted, and was hanged. They even left his body hanging out over the harbor as a reminder to other pirates. There’s a theory that he kinda got screwed by the system and was set up, but I’m not really sure about that. He shouldn’t have raided a Mughal ship (the Mughals were buddies with the East India Company) if he was really sailing for the glory of England. Dummy.

Okay, sorry about that. We watched a DVD about Kidd in Pirates of the Caribbean last night. It was entertaining, but Kidd’s stupidity just cracks me up. Also, the narrator pronounced things funny. Madagassker.

Also, last night was the second night of informative speeches in my Business Communications class. Since I got mine out of the way the first night, I now have to sit through three more nights of speeches. No big deal though, most of them are pretty cool. Though last night, even though the teacher told them not to, they were all bringing in their Powerpoints in .pptx format, not .ppt. For some reason, he won’t download the Microsoft Compatibility Pack to his laptop, so they couldn’t use his with the projector for their presentations. Well, guess who had the laptop that COULD do this?

/me raises hand

So I volunteered my laptop for the majority of the class. It was certainly no big deal, I was happy to help. And everyone loved my wallpaper when it popped up on the screen:

Tonight’s Bible Study at Laura’s, and I’m trying to decide if I want to skip class and get there on time, or rush out after class and get there late. Not sure yet, prob’ly won’t decide until the last minute. Heh.

One of those nights…

Have you ever had something happen to you that was a complete and total accident, but you had someone just rip you to shreds for it? Happened to me last night. I spent the entire evening feeling horrible after the person confronted me about what happened, and it totally screwed up my brain just in time for my Renaissance midterm. Needless to say, the midterm didn’t go nearly as well as it should have. I think I did all right, though. There were a couple of questions that I just totally brain-farted on when I shouldn’t have, but there was nothing I could do about that.

What happened to mess me up so bad? Well, it’s not really something I want to talk about in a public forum. If I ever talk to you face to face, and you REALLY want to know, then I certainly don’t mind telling you. But it’s one of those things where, quite frankly, I’m completely and utterly humiliated for screwing up so bad.

Now don’t worry, I didn’t cheat or anything horrid like that. 🙂 I didn’t do anything that has ruined my life or anything else’s, and in the grand scheme of things, everything’s going to be all right. But it still happened, and my pride has been seriously bruised.

That being said, I’ll get over it. It sucks, but I’ll be all right. My conscience is clean, and I know that the Big Guy who really matters knows what’s up. So it’s all good.

So I’m trying to take it easy today. Not a whole lot going on, and I don’t have anything due for the rest of the week. We’re watching a video in Pirates of the Caribbean tonight, so that’ll be fun. And then I’ll get to enjoy a nice quiet dinner with Jenn, which always makes me feel better. She got really upset when I called her yesterday after the “incident” happened, and I don’t blame her for it at all. She was scared that the repercussions would result in something even worse happening, but she calmed down pretty quick after I explained everything. She’s been nothing but supportive ever since. We met Misty at Chick-Fil-A for dinner last night after school, and Jenn bought me dinner. So sweet. She really went the extra mile to help me feel better. She always does, and that’s one of the many reasons I love that gal so much.

Jon Acuff on Stuff Christians Like posted a rather timely entry today that rang very true for me. Is it true that I’m stupid for letting this happen?

“No, it’s not true. You are not that word, that thing, that label someone or even yourself is asking you to wear. Showing you compassion is the reason God gets up in the morning. That is what’s true.”

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.” — Isaiah 30:18

On a side note, next time you go to CFA, get provolone and bacon on your chikin sammich. OMG so good.

Gooooin’ to da chap-pel…

Welp, here we go…

In case you can’t tell by my faux-panicked facial expression, my suit for Troll’s wedding didn’t QUITE fit. It was kind weird, because while the shirt fit just fine, the vest was too tight. Bizarre, huh? Anyway, the lady said the vest would be ready by 5:00 today… which is exactly 25 hours before the wedding takes place. How’s that for cutting it close? Not really hip on that, personally. Jenn and I (and most people) agree, the attire for my groomsmen and myself will be ready LONG before our wedding. Neither one of us want to be stressing out about tuxes the day before we get married. Oh, and I wasn’t the only one who had a problem. The measurements for Troll’s tux? Yeah, they used Garrison’s (the previous BM) measurements. And in case you don’t know Troll or Garrison, Troll is about 5’8″ and Garrison is… oh, what, 6’4″? You can imagine how hilarious that looks, but still, not something they need to be stressing about the day before. I feel bad for Troll and his bride-to-be when I’m not laughing at the situation.

Anyway, tonight’s the rehearsal. The wedding’s taking place at All Occasion Party Place in southern Tarrant County. That’s right, “Occasion,” not “Occasions.” You thought that was a typo? Think again, friend! We just happen to have the most awesomely named party barn in the UNIVERSE!

I digress. I’m just ready to get this done. There’s been entirely too much drama surrounding this wedding, and it’s beyond old. I’m at the point now where if they really are happy to be getting married to each other and spending the rest of their lives together, then I wish nothing but the best for them and pray that it all works out for both of them.

We had our first Refuge Bible Study of the semester last night at Laura’s house. It was GREAT. Kilo did a great job starting us out in 1 Kings, aka the Book of Awesome Names. We’re looking at the life of King Solomon… or rather, THEY’LL be looking at the life of King Solomon. I was able to skip classes last night, but I definitely can’t do it every week. 😦 But maybe I’ll get lucky a few more times this semester, so we’ll see what happens. At any rate, we had a blast reading God’s word, eating baked potatoes, and catching up with some friends we haven’t talked with in a while. I wish we didn’t have to come back to to work today, otherwise we could have stayed longer and made a Whataburger taquito run like we enjoy doing with our friends occasionally. 🙂

Don’t you love making that late-night run to your favorite fast food joint? For me, Whataburger taquitos are at the top of the list. Getting a bag of sausage, egg, and cheese taquitos at 1 in the morning is just nothing but a blastie blast. And make sure you have the picante sauce, too. They just aren’t the same without the picante sauce.

But really, my absolute favorite (and most of you know this already) is Jack in the Box tacos. I mean, holy mackerel, those are the BEST. Something about about the greasycrispychewiness of it all just makes me ever so happy, especially when it’s late at night. I used to get them all the time when I was living on my own at my apartment. Even now, sometimes when Jenn and I are out late, we’ll swing by Jack in the Box for a bag of tacos. And I have to have Sprite with them when it’s late at night. Don’t ask me, because I have no idea. But for some reason, I don’t like drinking Dr. Pepper with my tacos when I’m getting them late, or even for dinner. Now, lunch time? Anytime before dinner? Perfectly okay. But once the sun goes down, I have to have Sprite with my tacos, and I have no idea why.

So what’s your favorite late-night goodness? Do you like to go out and get something like tacos, or is there something you keep stashed away in the cabinet/fridge for such an occasion?

iPSotD:

"Bless you, my child."

Rain, rain on my face…

Seen the pictures from the Atlanta area? The flooding there’s pretty awful. I’ve got some friends out in that neck of the woods, so I’m praying that they (and everyone else) keep safe through this.

It’s certainly been a wet end to the summer, hasn’t it? Not just Atlanta, but definitely around here, too. All the craziness last week, and then that crazy squall line that moved through last night. I had the blessed fortune of walking to my car from UTA just as the storm hit there last night. Aaaand I forgot my umbrella in the car. So let me tell you, friend, that was one awesome walk. Especially since my two friends that I have class with every day BOTH remembered their umbrellas. I didn’t let them share with me, though, cuz they had silly little tiny umbrellas. My big ‘un could’ve easily protected all three of us, because I’m awesome like that.

Anyway, I made it to Jenn’s in one piece. Though it got kinda creepy on Pioneer Parkway for a bit, because the power was out between 161 and Carrier. And I mean OUT. The stoplights weren’t even flashing. It was eerie as heck. But still, made it just fine. We had a mighty good dinner, too. Jenn’s dad made some chili with deer meat, and it was nothing short of PHENOMENAL. He put molasses, cinnamon, honey, and who knows what else in it, so it had this robust sweet flavor to it. Not a normal chili taste, but it was still a life-changing event. It was so rich that Jenn couldn’t finish her bowl, so I ended up having a bowl and a half. No complaints here, though I wish I had some more today. 🙂

Well, Saturday is Troll’s wedding. Should be an interesting day. The rehearsal is Friday night, and I have to go pick up my tux on Thursday afternoon, which means I’ll need to skip class. I’m okay with that, though, because that means after I pick up my tux, I’ll be free to go to the first Refuge Bible Study of the semester. Woo-Hoo! See you Thursday night, Kilo.

Speaking of church, I did some digging regarding our possible new music minister. Found his current church’s website and took a look at the stuff he’s done for them. If what I found there is any indication, this guy could potentially be a huge benefit for our church. He definitely knows what he’s doing, and I can’t wait to work with him!

Big C’s iPhone Special:

My new wallpaper.

iPSotD:

My world is a flood...

8 years.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

iPSotD:

Ugh. Make it stop.

Okay, honestly, I’m tired of the Health Care Reform debate. The current plan they’re trying to push right now is total crap, but I’m at the point where I’m just like, “Hey, you know what? Pass it. Go ahead, see what happens. You thought it was bad now? Go ahead. I’ll just sit here and watch.”

Long story short, I don’t care anymore.

Truth of the matter is, there’s a lot out there that I don’t care about anymore. My current Twitter status sums it up pretty well:

Is it just me, or is America getting more and more wrapped up in the wrong things? I’m not really sure. I mean, I’m sure there have been other times in the past where people have thought that. But the argument could be made that it really is worse this time, simply because of the age we live in. I use the term “YouTube Generation” a lot. Don’t remember where I heard that initially, but basically it means that we truly live in an age of instant gratification. We are so desperate to get the latest info (and ALL OF IT, at that), that we resort to reading news that isn’t really worth reading. It’s just crap. But we don’t care, because it’s being broadcast as “breaking news,” and OMG WE HAVE TO KNOW. We get so absorbed in all this nonsense, it affects our daily lives. We can’t go 30 minutes without thinking about Jon & Kate, Michael Jackson, Obamacare, Sarah Palin, Iraq, the energy crisis, global warming, and who knows what else. We obsess, we judge, we move ourselves up higher and higher on the proverbial ladder, and our holier-than-thou complexes just eat it up like Thanksgiving dinner, because oh, we know better than those fools on TV.

Meanwhile, we lie, we cheat, we steal, we hate, we fight, we hurt, all the while passing judgment on those whom society dictates is our betters, ie. celebrities, politicians, as if the crap we pull in our own lives doesn’t mean a damn thing.

Honestly, people, enough is enough. It makes me tired, and it needs to stop.

But here’s another thought… And I’m going to get a little wacky here, so my apologies in advance. Does it need to stop? Do we really need to put an end to this obsession? Or should we just let it go, because it’s part of the whole package when it comes to the events leading up to the Rapture? Are we on the precipice here? It’s certainly something I’ve mulled over for the past couple of years, and I know a lot of you have, too.

Chew on that one for a while, friend. But don’t chew too hard. I mean, if you’re like me, you know there’s not really anything to worry about. 🙂

“He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.” — Psalm 46: 9-11 (NIV)

Even in the midst of all the noise, there are still moments of relief. Sometimes it’s as simple as glancing in your rear-view mirror while sitting at a stoplight.

iPSotD:

Be still...

Scary… but is it for real? (pt. 2)

I wanted to bring this up again because of a comment I got on my previous entry from “redeemedhippiesplace.”

There’s nothing wrong with having a 30 day supply of food or even a few months worth is it? If nothing happens, then look at it as the mercy of God. If something does happen (and it most certainly will at some point, God will not let America keep going the way she is) then perhaps you will have enough to help another in need that did not heed the warning. Catastrophies happen all around the world. Why should America think we are any better?

See link below for something you may not have known about David Wilkerson concerning Sept. 11. Be blessed.

LINK

I replied back to her saying that she is absolutely correct. It does not hurt at all to take such precautions in this day and age.

Maybe I didn’t make myself clear in my initial entry here, but my point is, quite simply, that I don’t know if he’s right or not. I did know about the September 11th thing. Does that mean he’s making another prediction that will bring doom to our fair country? Sure, it’s quite possible. But it’s also possible that it may not happen. Granted, that doesn’t mean we should be complacent and just blow it off completely. For me, personally, I’m going to pray about it. I’m going to pray for myself, for my fiancé, for all whom I love, and for our fair country. I’m going to pray that if and when the next big disaster hits us, God will bring us through it, one way or another.

Of course, stockpiling doesn’t hurt at all. Lots of people do that already, and there’s nothing wrong with that. After Jenn and I get married and settle down, I do plan on starting an emergency kit of sorts for us and our future family. I wish I could right now, but the money’s gotta go elsewhere for the moment. 🙂

In other news, YAY! It’s finally raining! We’ve been stuck in one ugly drought for quite a while now, but we’re finally getting blessed with some good soaking rain. The weatherfolks aren’t expecting it to let up until after Friday, either, which is excellent news. We need the rain big time, so it’s definitely welcome in my book. The only downside is that I have a tech support meeting across town that I gotta leave for here in a few minutes, so I’m not totally excited about driving the slick streets again.

Oh, and the Trig midterm sucked. But I’m positive that I did better than the last test, at least. I have my Reformation and History of US Law midterms tonight. Pray for me, gonna need it. But hey, after this, I’m free for Spring Break! Woo-Hoo!

Photo Booth Shot of the Day:

Munkee!

Scary… but is it for real?

From pastor David Wilkerson’s blog:

I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE – EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires—such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.

There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting—including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).

God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.

The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11-12).

In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment—just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.

WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?

First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.

As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven—his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).

I will say to my soul: No need to run…no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take—trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.

Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.

God bless and keep you,

In Christ,

DAVID WILKERSON

Normally I’d be all like, “Yeah, whatever.” But this guy is pretty well-known in the Christian world, so I’m more like, “Dang, what if?”

In this day and age, doomsday scenarios really are more possible than they used to be. This world’s going to crap, plain and simple, and it probably won’t be long before something big happens. But is Wilkerson’s prophecy the real deal? Here’s a dissenting opinion from John Piper:

The Bible says, “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).

David Wilkerson will cause a good many hearts to pound faster with his pronouncement that “AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.” New Yorkers especially will swallow hard: “It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut.”

What shall we make of this? The part that depends on the Bible we should take with absolute seriousness. You don’t need to have special revelation to know that the rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord is the norm in America. Therefore, we stand under the judgment of God and it is only a matter of time till the present judgments (Romans 1:18-32) give way to spiritual awakening or punitive calamities (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8).

But the part of the prophecy that goes beyond what the Bible says, we measure by biblical standards. Two things give me pause in Wilkerson’s extra-biblical specifics.

First, it does not resonate with my spirit when he claims that God told him to “lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials” because when disaster comes “grocery stores are emptied in an hour.” God might have said this. But it doesn’t smell authentic to me. Too prudential. Too reminiscent of the embarrassing Y2K excesses.

Second, my confidence level drops when the Scriptures are not handled carefully. Wilkerson says, one way we can respond is: “As David says, ‘He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven—his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men’” (Psalm 11:4).

This does not have the feel of authority to me because what Psalm 11:4 really says is: “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.”

So my take on this prophetic word is that the scare will probably do good for a lot of people. The Bible is a scary book. And the future that is coming on unbelievers is scary beyond anything any preacher could conjure up.

But my own effort to be discerning says: Stick with the Bible, David. It is scary enough. And it is absolutely true. And your credibility will never fall.

(Thanks to Matt Henslee for pointing me to that article!)

Make sense. So what should we make of it? Heck if I know. But what I do know is that it CAN happen very easily, as things just get more and more volatile as time goes on. Iran, N. Korea, Russia, the economy… what’s going to be the breaking point that sets it all off? Will God cast judgment on the USA using one of our currently developing problems? I guess only time will tell. One thing’s for sure, though. God has already secured victory over whatever evil breaks out, and I know my soul is safe thanks to Him, regardless of what may happen in this world.

And now, on a considerably lighter note…

Photo Booth Shot of the Day:

Sweet Nectar.