As Close As I Wanna Get

You know, I’ve just about had it with the irrationality of human beings around the world these days.  What has happened to cogent reasoning?  With putting yourself in the other person’s shoes?  Where is the practice that espouses, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you?’   

Why do those who scream the loudest for ‘tolerance’ conduct themselves with grotesque IN-tolerance?  It’s laughable, really.  Watching the news or reading what’s happening around the world is akin to witnessing a macabre play, whose actors are all certifiably insane!   

The Bible really gives the best description of what these last days would be like.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t state, “The majority of people will be altogether devoid of sound reasoning or decision making skills involving any level of empathy whatsoever, so don’t think you’re the one who has lost your ever loving mind.”  I kind of wish it did.  Life would make more sense. 

God bless Paul.  He clearly warned us, but my word, I never thought I’d actually witness such a mass exodus of civil deportment and common courtesy during my lifetime!  2 Timothy 3: 1-5 spells it out. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away.”  Verse 7 says, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 

I remember reading this when I was, oh say, 10 years old or so, and being unable to imagine people acting like that.  And people were jerks even back then!  Whoohoo was I naïve!  Now, you must understand that I grew up in evangelistic type churches.  As a kid, I took my fair share of nice, slobbery naps on padded church pews during Sunday night services, and attended more revivals than I can count, and I’ve been told my whole life that Jesus is coming back.   

I remember attending a Wednesday night series on end time’s prophecy when I was a preteen.   Because that topic was rarely brought up in the pulpit, I tried to listen as best I could to the mishmash of information.  The visiting preacher had a colorful mural made of oilcloth, fastened to the baptistery, high enough so everyone could see, and spread out across the chairs in the choir loft. 

It contained painted scenes, starting with what was supposed to represent the rapture and progressing through the events spoken of in the book of Revelation.  Being a prolific reader from a very young age, I attempted several times to read Revelation but always put it down when my eyes began to cross. I got irritated with myself for not being able to understand what in the world it was talking about, and even more irritated that no one could explain it to me.  

It seemed the Christian adults in my life were embarrassed they didn’t get it either, so no one talked about it very much.  But they did seem to be pretty confident those events would happen, probably in our lifetime, so I was eager to learn as much as I could.  Unfortunately, the visiting preacher must not have been real clear on the material either, because all I remember being taught was a confusing potpourri of information.  At the end of the series, we took up the customary offering, the mural came down, he moved on to the next church and that was that.   

I was left more confused than ever about the rapture and what I could expect.  All I knew was that I had flat better be ready to go, because it would be a personal catastrophe if I was left behind. I must have gotten saved a hundred times growing up, just to make sure I was OK with God.  Whenever I couldn’t find my Mom or Dad around the house, my heart would pound with dread the rapture had occurred, and they were gone, and I was dead meat.  

As I grew and matured in the Lord, I stumbled across Hal Lindsey’s spectacular book, The Late Great Planet Earth, and devoured it within a day or so. As I started reading everything of his I could find, I knew I’d finally found a good, solid source of understanding I could sink my teeth into.  I thank God for that man to this day, and the work he continues to produce with his books and TV news show.  In my opinion, he is brilliant and I look forward to hugging his neck when we get to heaven. 

Well, life continued and like everyone else, along came the milestone steps of becoming self sufficient, moving away from home, marriage, etc., and I began to suffer the bumps and bruises and scars of hurts and disappointments, betrayals and loss that are an unfortunate reality of living life on this sin-sick world, in these decaying bodies.  

When I was very young, I remember hearing the elderly state how they were ready to go home to Jesus; that life on this ‘ol earth was just too hard and they were tired.  WHAT??  I couldn’t believe my ears!  They actually looked forward to death!  Were they nuts?  

Now I know they weren’t.  I came to the same conclusion when I was 29 years old.  A horrible life changing event occurred that triggered my personal reality check, and I came to the realization that this life is simply too hard, disappointing and painful to want to live to be 100, like some people say they desire.  WHAT?? Are they nuts?  My, have the tables turned! 

Anyway, for the last 20 years, I’ve longed to go home where I really belong.  Don’t get me wrong, God has poured—not sprinkled—poured blessings out on me, drowning me in His favor.  I scratch my head and wonder why, because it sure isn’t anything I’ve done!  I certainly don’t deserve the wonderful things and people He has provided, and I’m extremely grateful! 

I’m not wealthy but on the other hand, the days of having to pinch pennies until they scream are over.  And you know what?  You know what I’ve discovered?  ‘Stuff’ is completely overrated.  No kidding.  For instance, you want an up-to-date wardrobe?  Yippy, you go shopping, but then what happens?  Now you have more clothes to wash and iron.  

You want that car that makes you drool?  What happens when you get it?  The new car smell wears off the second time you eat French fries while you’re driving, and you quickly get used to the vehicle, so the magic quickly disappears.  Oh, it’s still a great ride but the thrill doesn’t last very long!  You know I’m right. 

You find your dream home and manage to finagle a way to afford it.  You move in, and oh…it’s so nice and big and pretty.  But then what happens?  The cat pees on the carpet and there goes that! Then you begin to notice all the little things that need maintenance on that dream home.  It’s always something sucking your wallet dry.  Constantly. After a few short years living with kids and animals, you notice it’s looking worn and not so impressive anymore, and you begin to see decay. The upkeep is never ending.  

Are you a jewelry fan like me?  You ogle the display cases in the mall with their perfect lighting, and linger over the catalogues that come in the mail, while you drop hints about that upcoming anniversary or birthday. After several years, you accumulate some of those beautiful, sparkly baubles you wanted so badly, but then you notice you really don’t wear them all that much.  I mean, how stupid is that?   

I do have a point, and it is this: I’ve known some mighty hard times which made me long to go home to heaven.  Although I’ve since been tremendously blessed, I still long to go home to heaven.  It’s my highest desire. There’s just nothing here worth striving for.  Honestly. Getting ‘stuff’ is great, but it doesn’t scratch that itch only God can reach. 

I was just made aware of an article stating that America is the most materialistic nation to ever exist in the history of mankind.  One of the examples it gave was a website named, Rich Kids of Instagram.  It’s a blog of photos and captions from teens and young adults, boasting about how they spend their parent’s wealth.  Here is how the Washington Post describes this site: 

The controversial new Tumblr is a collection of snapshots from the photo-sharing site that depicts the children of wealth and privilege---summering in the Hamptons, lounging on yachts and posing by their luxury cars.  One does a back flip out of a helicopter near St. Tropez.  Others snap pictures of their restaurant bills---allegedly paying thousands of dollars for lobster, champagne and high-end liquor.  In the warm patina of the Instagram, the youngsters appear to be living over-the-top lifestyles---and enjoying every moment.  One boasts, “Our everyday is better than your best day,” reads one caption, a bit tauntingly. “Do you have a horse in your backyard?  Didn’t think so.” 

No, sport, I don’t. However, nothing but the rear end of a horse would display such an arrogant attitude in posing a question which reflected so poorly on his parent’s child rearing skills. Mummy and Daddy must be SO proud, unless your participation on this morally bankrupt site is just one more betrayal you hide from them. 

Interestingly enough, this article also featured a chart showing that in the last 50 years, the national debt has grown from less than a trillion dollars to nearly 55 trillion.  Actually, it’s much more than that, but it depends on how you figure it.  The chart started measuring in 1962, the year before we banned God from our schools. Again, our eternal gratitude goes out to that self important, loudmouthed, pushy, Godless broad, Madeline Murray O’Hare.  (Hey, it’s not slander if it’s true and she’s dead!) 

In my relatively short lifetime of 49 years, the outright assault on Almighty God has degenerated into a new flavor of psychotic, obsessive-compulsive disorder.  It’s insane actually, the degree of vitriol and contempt an ever growing segment of the public seems to harbor against the One who founded and blessed this country.  

Evidence of the hateful, demonic spirit fueling this assault is barely disguised anymore. You can clearly see disproportionate overreactions to the things of God in our culture.  Speak God’s name publically, or put up a nativity scene in a public place at Christmas time, and watch all hell convulse in fury.  It’s sadly amusing, really.  And these days, all too predictable. 

Now, we have the aggressive, brazen, ever encroaching Islamic culture metastasizing like a deadly cancer in our country, its adherents breeding like rabbits to gain a nice, solid foothold in our communities and governments.  And those mullah’s in the Middle East have the unmitigated gall to demand the world capitulate in groveling agreement, to refrain from doing or saying anything they might interpret as an insult to Islam or their thieving, lying, girly-man, pedophile, make-up-the-rules-as-he-goes, false ‘prophet’ Muhammad.  (It’s not slander if it’s true and he’s dead!) 

They claim the right to dictate to Western civilization, indeed the entire planet, what words should be considered a crime to utter. Wow. Just wow.  We have to sit and watch our morally corrupt, spineless government officials kowtow and lick the sandals of the rioting, barbaric mobs, while apologizing for some lame film trailer that 99% of them haven’t even seen, as they continue to pillage, destroy and murder our citizens who are there to offer assistance and bridge cultural understanding.   

Here’s a news flash, Nation of Islam…non-Islamic societies REALLY DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE OFFENDED!   Contrary to your wildest fantasies, the world doesn’t revolve around your sham religion’s worship of some ancient moon god, which is leading you straight to the hell you wish upon Christians and Jews.  And it never will. 

These people wake up every morning in a cold sweat, just aching for a reason to riot and pitch violent, temper tantrums. It’s literally in their DNA as descendants of Ishmael; ‘a wild man whose hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.’   If some ‘infidel’ happens to pass gas in the public square on the third Tuesday of the month, while facing north and wearing black pants, well heck!  That’s as good an excuse as any to lose their collective minds, throw rocks and Molotov cocktails and tear up their own infrastructure.  Real productive behavior there, folks.  

They are miserable human beings who are kept dirt poor and ignorant by their satanic religion, and they’re constantly told the rest of the world are their oppressors, when it’s their own religious leaders who are holding them back from freedom, prosperity and happiness. The grand lie of Islam will be the damnation of millions upon millions of people who genuinely, but ignorantly think they are serving the true God. The vast majority don’t want to hear the gospel of Jesus. And that really is very sad! 

Oh, by the way, good move, Washington, for sending an openly homosexual man to an Islamic country to be our ambassador!  Why didn’t you just dip him in chicken blood and throw him to the alligators?  And where are the roving bands of enraged sodomites, marching around our nation’s capital, protesting this guy’s death?  Better yet, why don’t they go to Libya and protest, since they’re so fond of being obnoxious and confrontational?  

Good grief, I really am weary of this life.  Duplicitous, corrupt governments, all vying to rule the New World Order, which will result in the annihilation of billions of people. Natural disasters increasing in intensity and occurrence.  Religious and cultural differences which will NEVER be bridged by mankind, making world peace impossible.  Disease and starvation spreading like never before.  Globalist engineered economic collapse is poised to crash at the moment of their choosing, while spiritual darkness grows more malevolent by the hour. Yeah.  I want to live to be 100 years old.  Right.  

As these dangers grow exponentially worse every week, let me stress this again.  There is NOTHING on this earth worth clinging to.  No amount of money or fame or ‘stuff’ will satisfy you.  Your only hope of surviving the impending chaos is to escape it before it hits. Time is very short.  Are you listening?  Please wake up, snap to attention, grasp the reality of what will soon hit, and make things right with God.  

Those of us who are watching and listening for His voice, longing to leave this earth despite all the goodies it could possibly offer, we will disappear in a split second of time.  And when you realize we weren’t abducted by aliens, or whatever other lame explanation the government offers, your heart will surely pound with the dreaded knowledge you were left behind to face the most horrific era in the history of mankind.   

Ignore me or laugh off what I’m telling you, or whatever you want to do, but you know down deep in your bones that disaster is coming to the United States. Now, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but times are still relatively peaceful and livable.  Even so, what we are experiencing right now in America is as close as I EVER want to get to hell. 

Will your temporary life on this earth be the closest you ever get to heaven??