Living in these Last Days-Does anyone have a primer?

Christians have a tough time accepting that the now accepted norm of the society around them is to subsidize everything including sexual preference. Non Christians don't understand why the Christians refuse to subsidize sinful practices. They also don't understand understand why some Christians are balking at signing up for subsidized healthcare. They can't see what the end result will be. I have a very strong feeling that we are living in the Last Days mentioned in the book of Revelation. Too many signs of this are appearing everywhere you look. For instance, most of the developed countries (not all) have what they call government healthcare which in essence means that all of your information is gathered in one place, including your health information.

I don't want to scare anyone with the information that is now really plain for all to see. But....it appears to me that there's only a tiny little step to be taken for some entity to control every aspect of your life all over the world. The technology is here now. The countries are lining up for what is touted as free healthcare or what I call controlled healthcare. It should scare you to think that you can be shut out of basic services for standing up for your beliefs. Yet I fear this is happening now....in the very beginning stages.

I'm not alone in this feeling. I sense that this will be ten times worse than it was in the 1940's when at least a fortunate few had some refuge and resources to go to and escape. With this new technology (which has been around for awhile) there is no refuge for those who dare to stand up for their beliefs. It will be fairly easy once every human being is "cataloged" in the database to persecute those that refuse to take the "mark"...(biochip technology now available) to get the healthcare, food and shelter they need.

I need a primer. How do you deal with people now that call you unpatriotic in your refusal to bend to their will? I can't fathom right now what will happen in the future and what my role will be in bringing light in the darkness. All I can say is that we all need to be prepared to be persecuted if we continue to stand for the high moral standards set out in the Bible.

More and more as days go by, I eagerly wait for the Lord's return and pray that I'm worthy of his great love for me. I also pray for those non-Christians around me. They are in for a rude awakening.

Trying to stay afloat in an increasingly hostile world

There are little signs that things are starting to look up. Yet it is hard. The pressure I'm feeling now from all sides is enough for me to want to completely shut down. The world isn't what it was when I was young. Back then there wasn't as much stress. At least it didn't seem that way. I didn't worry about whether or not I'd be able to keep my house or have enough to eat. I didn't worry that my personal information would be assimilated all over the Internet for everyone to see and steal. I didn't worry about being alone with increasingly fragile people that need my support now.

I am trying to stay afloat. That isn't easy. Everyone wants to take you down to their level. They tell you that things will only get worse, and that you can't depend on anyone else. They don't know God. In their eyes, he doesn't exist. You can't tell them that he's there, because they can't see him. They are increasingly hostile to those who try to bring light into the darkness. They love the darkness, even when they are complaining about things that don't matter.

I do trust the Lord. I know that he is working through me. I know that he is leading me through some dark passages now. My eyes are open, but it is hard. My heart hurts when I see all the stuff that is happening to those around me. I feel helpless. Yet I do know he sees and hears everything.

He knows my daily struggle to lean on him, and not on my own understanding. I know that I must be strong and courageous, but I would love someone to come along side me...and tell me that I'm on the right path.

Does anyone care about history?

Low attendance at the last four meetings has me a bit concerned. It's nice when all you want to do is socialize. It's not so nice when you want to do more. I don't know what to do. I know my concerns are legitimate. Unfortunately I can't seem to get enough people interested. Some say that it's the steadily deteriorating enviromment that we now live in. My hometown now has a bad reputation. Some would even say that it has become part of the the big city 3 miles away....just as urban and as dangerous. Others point to the fact that the citizens that used to live here are now either dead or have "flown" to greener pastures.

What does history tell us about these small towns? History tells us that they were once viable and growing. It also tells us that people once took pride in their towns. There are those of us who heard the stories and want to see that growth again. How do we get past the indifference that most exhibit towards these small towns? I don't know that either.

Only the Lord knows whether or not we'll last the year or not. First years are often the hardest. You hit rough waters with people unwilling or unable to participate. There is only so much you can do on your own. If God isn't in it, you will definitely fail....and that's a fact.

Why can't people learn that lesson? Why does every generation end up making the same mistakes over and over? How is it possible that history is doomed to repeat itself?

I know people refuse to listen to God...They would rather listen to their fears.

Yes, I am a quitter.

You're probably thinking "Wow! what a statement to make!" Yet, admitting that sometimes the best thing for everyone is to quit is often the hardest thing to do. You want to justify yourself. Beat yourself up. Ask yourself why you did it. I've done all that this past week. The only explanation is that I couldn't continue with the sham. I felt like I was lying to the person on the other end of the line...and I was. I was also lying to myself, telling myself that I could do it...when I knew I couldn't.

Yes, I know that some drill in your head that you shouldn't quit. I believe that circumstances dictate this action. You need to weigh the good and the bad before leaping. You can't just quit on a whim. It may have seemed that way to my employer. I did give them that impression when I wrote that "I was not suited for the position." I wanted to say more, and maybe I should have said more. I was stuck. I didn't want to badmouth them for their strict work environment. Some people thrive in such an environment. I don't. I didn't want to complain about the barriers put in my way which irritated me.

I have been giving serious thought to contracting out my services....ie: putting myself out for both admin and document management services. It does seem that I'm not going to get the experience most employers are clamoring for if I continue on this road. Then there the sad fact that the government is in the same quandary that I'm in....trying to decide to go the easy, unmoral way or take a stand for morality.

Seeing past the clouds and trying to reach for the light

Two weeks and counting...no money coming in yet. I really hate this job. Yet I can now see from the people around me that they are making the best out of a bad situation. You really have to see past the clouds of adversity to know what's really happening. Sometimes though this is hard to do. You have to take a deep breath, hold it and let it out slowly...then and only then does the sky above clear.

I remember my brother's wedding day vividly. It was a beautiful clear fall day....a bit warm...but not hot...just like today. He just celebrated his 8th wedding anniversary today. They are facing some clouds in their horizon now. Money just got tighter for them. Being still relatively young, the light will shine quicker for them. Old eyes dim too quickly. Old hands struggle to reach the light.

I am feeling my age today. My eyes have been acting up, and I attribute that to the long hours I spend staring at the computer screen. It really can't be good for me...yet my job seems to require me to do so. Just like the government now seems to require you to literally "splash" your most intimate personal information all over the Internet! Gosh....what is the world coming to? I don't want the government to have my personal information and I especially don't want them nosing in and telling me what I can and can't do with my own body!

I am surprised that so many people are embracing this. I have to ask myself why...Why do you want the government to know everything about you? Isn't it enough that they know how much you make, where you work and the color of your hair and eyes? Do they really need to know about your body and what doctors and hospitals you use?

I am trying to see past these clouds of government dictatorship and control. It's very hard. Lord knows that it is in his plan. I don't understand it now....this soon coming together of the world's resources....and the eventual rise of what the Bible says is the Anti-Christ. He is, I suppose, my contemporary...and is even now prepping to take over the world. I feel his time is very soon. So, I must urge you to reach for the light now. Time is growing short.....