To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
There has been talk of the end of the world since before any of you reading this entry were even thought of. People have been predicting the end of the world since before Moses parted the Red Sea, Christ came to Earth and walked among us or before Noah built the Ark.
Even in recent history we have had our share of doomsday prophecies. During the Great Depression there were those that surely thought that the hard times were definitely signs of the end of days. Y2K..... need I say more? Yet again there are predictions that the world will end in 2012.
You know what I say to that? Wonderful. My soul is ready. I am servant of the Most High God and because of that I am not given to a spirit of fear. Besides being afraid of something doesn't prevent it from occurring.
However, I think that the doomsayers got this one wrong (as obviously was the case with all of the aforementioned bootleg apocalyptic predictions). I don't think that 2012 is going to bring about the end of days. I do however think that 2012 is going to bring about the end of the world as we know it. The destruction of the Status Quo. I do believe that God's promise to his children that "the last shall be first" will be undeniably evident in the Earth realm. I mean just look around. Look at all that has happened to us in the last 8 years (The number 8 in some circles represents a New Beginning). It took us 12 years to get to this point (12 in some circles is the number for Divine Government). Our nation has been shaken to its very core.
People are losing everything. Their jobs, their homes, their families, their faith, even their lives. These are dark days that we are experiencing right now. Even as optimistic and faithful as I am, I still marvel at the events (some unprecedented)that we as a nation..... bump that..... we as a global community are experiencing right now.
Yet with that being said, I have great news for you. It is ALWAYS darkest before the dawn. And the dawn is coming. One of the wonderful things about God is that his will is perfect. If there is one thing that I have learned over the course of my 35 years on this planet is that you can't rush perfection. During some of the darkest times of my life was when I had some of the most awesome character revelations. It was those times that made me take inventory and forced me to evolve in every area and aspect of my life. I believe this is the position that the world finds itself in right now.
I actually believe that God is preparing America to once again take it's place at the forefront as one of the world's leading superpowers. I mean let's face it. The past few years have been rough. The Euro is worth more than the dollar. American's can't travel to certain areas of the world because.... hmm, let's see...... we're American. The world's opinion of us has been severely damaged by the last eight years of shotty leadership. But as negative as the opinion of some of the world's populace may be of us... it is not irreparable. It's basically like my father used to say.......you can't really fix anybody else's problems until you fix your own. I think that it is a well-known fact that America has its share of problems to fix right now. Which is why I think that things basically sometimes have to get worse before they get better.
To this author, what America (and the World for that matter) is experiencing right now is what I like to refer to as the Ultimate Reality Check.
What makes me say that?
Why, I'm glad you asked.
Look at the current economic crisis. It's global. Look at the issue surrounding the harmful rate consumption of the world's natural resources. It's global. Look at the push for alternative fuel sources. It's a global initiative. Look at the blurring of class, gender and racial barriers that have separated people for centuries. It's happening the world over. Hell, even the GOP elected its first Black Chairman (for what that's worth). Hmph.....When the Republican Party start shifting their mindset on certain things you KNOW things are changing!
Let's go a little deeper. In the Word of God whenever there was a shift in the consciousness of individuals and of the people of a particular period, there was always drastic change involved. The Flood, the Exodus, The creation of the Ten Commandments, the Tower of Babel, Saul on Damascus Road, The Sermon on the Mount, The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ and the list goes on and on. Based on His track record, I think it's safe to say that God makes sure He has your undivided attention before he blesses people and answers prayers.
Even throughout the course of history this same trend applies:
The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the discovery of America (Vespucci or Columbus take your pick), the Boston Tea Party, the American Revolution, The Declaration of Independence, the Middle Passage, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Great Depression, the Holocaust, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, the Election the 44th president of the United States and that just a few of the event over the years that signaled shifts in consciousness during particular periods of modern history (and that by the way was the extremely condensed version).
Even on a personal level I am all too familiar with the concept of God using drastic means in getting your attention before releasing you into your purpose and destiny. I was a knucklehead. Completely undisciplined with absolutely no direction. I am not afraid to admit that at all. But God got my attention. In ways that when I think about them makes me so grateful for God's Grace and Mercy. Were it not for that, ya boy would not be sitting here bringing you this Public Service Announcement.
But I digress.....
2012. All I can say to the predictors of gloom and doom is get your house in order. The Word says that no one knows when the world will end. So please don't start selling all your stuff and leaping off of buildings because some scientist or theologian says it's a wrap. As a matter of fact, just get your life right anyway. It can't hurt, it can only help.
Stay faithful, stay prayerful, stay hopeful, and by all means stay cheerful. I know right now for some individuals that may be easier said than done. But like my Grandfather used to say ……. There is ALWAYS somebody out there that’s got it worse than you. Be thankful for what you have and for what God has blessed you with. Don’t waste your time (or your life for that matter) concentrating on what you don’t have. All things come in time to those willing to remain faithful and patient. However, here are a couple of things we must remember. The Creator does not work according to OUR timetable and He’s never late. Just trust that when you truly need Him, He shows up and shows out. January 20th, 2009 was my most recent reminder of this undeniable fact.
Now don’t get it twisted. I am not by any means delusional. We are definitely experiencing some very serious challenges. Not just in the United States but the World over. Some challenges that won’t see a resolution for years to come. Nevertheless, I remain faithful and optimistic.
I leave you with some words of wisdom from famed author and humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens better known as Mark Twain….
“Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
