Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

We travelled a lot when the children were younger...now I am watching my children and grandchildren doing the same .....we had no DVD players for the car, no computer games....just a box of books and as each child grew, they brought their own books to read either to themselves or share..

We sang songs, listened to audio tapes, read books aloud,,watched scenery....as the miles clicked away....

I still look for interesting things to see along the way...and find myself starting to say, "oh, look at....." When there is no one in the car to share with... A rather  lonely feeling...

One question that transcends all questions when traveling is, "are we there yet?"....It may be in a tired, whiny tone or an excited,  anticipatory tone...  "When will we be there?  How much longer?" .....questions following the first...in anticipation of the journey's end....

These are basically the questions the disciples are asking Jesus in Matthew 24...every generation must ask the same "end of the age" inquiries..."is this the generation that will see end". Or "surely world's events must mean we are getting close to the end..."

We don't know, but to watch and pray and "stand firm"...those are our admonitions....watch...spread the good news to all the world ...no one left out ...and....be ready....for the end as a good servant is ready for the master to return ...

Thank YOU for the mystery of your Word...the times yet unknown to us...help me to be ready for Your  return...to stand firm...to help in my small way to spread your Word to all of the nations...

Matthew 24:1-25 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 

“Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 

All these are the beginning of birth pains. 

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 

Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 

“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.