I took so many road trips when I was a kid. I asked my parents all the time: “ARE WE THERE YET?” 

So NOW we are asking this more and more to our HEAVENLY FATHER, to our BROTHER JESUS traveling with us,  and to the HOLY SPIRIT who buckled us in their car seat and told us to “hold on” for this tremendous road trip until the end of time. It’s “the ride of our lives” for sure. 

Are we there yet? Many people are asking if we are at the time when Jesus will return.  Perhaps if we look out the window and have pre-read our “Triptik” from John’s AAA’s Book of Revelation, we would be able to judge distance.   But unfortunately, I don’t think it’s like playing travel bingo with very obvious signs. The scholars are always looking, so we are also simply asking the Lord: “Are we there yet?” 

What would He say? He would want us to KEEP BUSY, to read a GOOD book, to play nice with our seatmates, and to look out the windows.  He would tell us to look at the license plates on the other cars and realize we are all family with everyone in the world, all traveling, even if we come from different states, different countries.  He would have us realize that we are all traveling at different speeds and not everyone knows where He is taking us. In all, we must be courteous to each other, firmly teaching AND following the rules of the road.

“Are we there yet?” God is surely saying: You will know it when We get there.”

When will we be at the end? Or the beginning of the end? Because the beautiful blue sky and peace of the moment is not fake. How will we know? The book of Revelation certainly was written down so that we can try to discern, surely to prepare and be aware of false prophets, of beasts, of creatures who may be deceivers… And keep on the path… Surely signs of the times are best interpreted by the spirit in us, not us. So buckle on your seatbelts and keep busy.

There is a TREMENDOUS scripture teaching from the local big evangelical church, a recent teaching posted online, speaking about where we are in the process of Jesus coming again.  

Pastor Joe speaks of us being in the time of the “Braxton Hicks” stage, like in a pregnancy, before all breaks loose. For we are awaiting real birth of the beginning of the end… we are in the pre-stages, and what we observe in our time, even with covid, is RESTRAINED compared to the real setting in motion of the Tribulation. I remember the teaching to discern for yourselves by reading this book of Revelation. Just know that we are to keep looking to Jesus. 

Even though I’ve read the book of Revelation and listened to it much, it’s tough to absorb, I still don’t have the whole time structure in my head either.  So this teaching REALLY helps me:

“The Beginning of the End” according to the book of Revelation (these are web links but I listen to these 20 minute bible study teachings from Pastor Joe each morning on the radio at 7am or on my “CC Philly Straight from the Heart” app.)  Part 1:  https://subspla.sh/n8kbh22  and Part 2: https://subspla.sh/9nngbr6

I appreciate that Jesus told John to write this all down, to warn us to NOT be surprised and to KEEP WORKING, sharing the Word. Keep moving forward. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Better yet, JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL!                    

Amen 

————

PS

I always remember my writing, early on, about us in the board game perfection – that we are to be working the board and not just sit in our peg seat and wait… we are to be out and WORKING the board and helping the Lord…

https://debbieupper.blog/2016/12/23/perfection-07sept-258/
Perfection, 07Sept 2016 – #258

Ok, so you’ve accepted Jesus, accepted you were loved enough by GOD to be saved thru the bloodshed of Jesus, and yes, you have even been treasured so much that you still have to question: “This was all for us? For me???”

Ok, now what??

Yeah, you aren’t on your death bed, YOU actually pray that you have energy to live out God’s plan picked for you….

Perhaps you feel that you need to accept God’s command to go make disciples?…
Yet perhaps you feel more work needs to be done to clean out every corner of your heart first?…
Perhaps God says DON’T wait….

Yes, God says sing your praises and share His Grace and HE will see you thru each storm as you arrive at it… But God ALSO asks you to work the soil in the lives of the people around you, as well as within your own life….at the same time…

God wants wholeness from society, not piecemeal pockets of salvation…. He wants perfection and HIS game is no game at all, He wants a time where we ALL accept our salvation at His appointed time.

Perfection, one of my favorite games growing up… Fit all the pieces in the spring-loaded puzzle board before that timer is up and POP!… The whole board pops out throwing all the pieces everywhere… Finish the board and the timer is stopped… Perfection for eternity…

Each piece must be fit individually into the unique spaces. Each piece is different from all the rest, some are tricky, they all must be studied (or shape memorized) for uniqueness… and they ALL must get into the board before time is up…

Each SOUL must fit individually into HIS plan. Each soul is different from all the rest, some are tricky, they all must be studied (or shape memorized) for uniqueness… and they ALL must get into the space marked by God’s plan before time is up…

And whenever that is, when time is up, are you going to have your skull and soul “safe” nestled into a space? Done and just pray the board will get finished before time is up? Or perhaps you might consider to be out ON the board, finding space for all the other pieces? Since you know your space is marked out, saved for you, and you know how to hop into it at the last minute… Well perhaps it would behoove you to work on the other pieces, to help God… Especially since time could be short or time could be long…  Be busy and help God work on their souls by sharing your unique tool set to support them. Help set as many of these pieces of God’s plan upright so it’s easier for all of us to prepare for eternity… It is God who will grab them to fit them all in before time is up… Before we all pray…

Shareholders, we are ALL shareholders in HIS plan, we all have a stake… We can work for the company or wait gathering dust while we slowly turn into dust. We can find use for our lives by being out there, working to increase the return on the investment of God’s capital… We can’t finish the job unless we are working in the job…

Who wants to help God?
I DO…   DO YOU?

It’s the plan for us ALL to be in God’s plan.
I want to work the plan…   DO YOU?