Sometimes ....

I really don't put too much stock in dreams. By that in general I think dreams are just that ,dreams. I usually don't recall most of my dreams,which is probably a good thing.  However the one theme that I recall occurring the most is the end of the world . Even when I was a kid , especially as I hit my teen years , I would sometimes wonder about the world ending. I would think about a asteroid hitting the earth , nuclear war, biological . You name it , I covered them all .

Even the first book I read in my Gideons grade 5 New Testament was Revelation. Long before I believed in the truth of the gospel . So it is no surprise that even as an adult they still haunt my dreams.

The biggest difference as a Christian is you know there will be an ending . It will happen , it will occur . Even  those who doubt God's existence , live  in a delusion and suppress the reality that the world will have an ending even in their  belief system . The sun will basically go dead and all life on earth with it. All of mans accomplishments ultimately will mean nothing.

The ending for those who believe is the epic of all epics .

1 Thessalonians 4:16

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

The trumpet blast was often used to announce the coming of the king . So when God's trumpet sounds that signals the end and then begins with the return of the King of kings.Those who have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of sin will be gathered up , the dead will be raised and those who are still alive will be changed as well . Our bodies will be uncorrupted , we will be like Jesus . 

However the other news is not so good . Those who have rejected Christ and have lived open rebellion will be condemned to hell . Sobering thought. 

[14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 

(Revelation 20:14-15 ESV)

Who can read these words and not be moved . The end of all history will happen . The question is for each of us , how do we then live and on what basis do we think we will be in a "better place"? 

Jesus in the Alpha and Omega , are we ready for that day ? Sometimes my dreams tell me I'm not . But I know my standing before a holy God is not based on my good works (which are scarred with sin) or the fact I'm  "good" person(sinner through and through) but on the perfect righteousness of Christ who died and rose again that I might be declared righteous .  That gives me peace .

So even though I still have those dreams , they have a different twist. So I say with John ,

[20] He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 

[21] The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. 

(Revelation 22:20-21 ESV)