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A Study of Revelation

Exie Barber grew up in an Assemblies of God pastor's home. The Kansas District Council of the Assemblies of God Ordained him in 1978. Currently, he serves as senior pastor at the Assembly of God in Ellsworth, Kansas and writes for the adult Radiant Life curriculum. He served as an adjunct faculty member for Global University. He earned his B. A. in Christian Education from Southwestern Assemblies of God College in 1987 and his M.A. in Christian Education from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

The Unsinkable Titanic

It was April 12, 1912, and the elite were on board. The ship was new, state of the art, and thought to be unsinkable.

The Titanic was the paramount in design, and this was its maiden voyage. The wine was flowing freely and jubilation filled the air. No one knew, or would have believed it if someone had told them, that they were headed towards a collision with a disaster that would result in the drowning deaths of around 1500 of the 2200 people on board.

Matthew 24:37-42 (NIV) says, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. ‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.'” Our world today is on a collision course towards an encounter with its refusal to submit, or recognize, the just and loving requirements of an almighty and all-powerful God”.

Because of the loss of the Titanic and its passengers, new safety restrictions were established to govern ships and help prevent future catastrophes.

This alerts us that precautions could have been taken that would have prevented, or at least lessened, this disaster. Evidently there were not enough life boats for the number of passengers, possibly because of the prideful assumption that the Titanic was unsinkable and they did not want to waste room on unnecessary items. It is also believed that they were going too fast for the conditions.

Although, we cannot stop man’s oncoming collision with the eternal God, we have been warned of its certainty and provided with preparations that can assure us of an available life boat equipped to carry us to eternal safety. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved (Acts 16:31, NIV).”

The belief mentioned is more than a recognition of the existence of Jesus, it is an acceptance of His Lordship, a repentance of one’s sins, and a submission to Jesus’ right to govern and direct our lives. Everyone needs to belong to a good church (local fellowship of Christian believers) where they attend faithfully, grow together in their relationship with Jesus Christ, and unite their efforts in helping to accomplish the work of the Kingdom of God–that of sharing with people about the forgiveness and loving relationship that is possible in Jesus Christ.

Some would say, “Let’s not frighten people with scary pictures of the future.”

To sound the warning of impending danger is not an attempt to frighten, rather it is an attempt to help people avoid disaster. If I were to witness a loved one in the path of an oncoming truck, I would not be concerned about frightening them. I would yell at the top of my lungs for them to get out of the way, give them a push if possible, and worry about soothing their startled nerves after they were safely out of harm’s way.

Y2K has come and the world did not end as prophesied by many, but I do believe that it is a wake up call to prepare for the certainty of eternity. Man’s predictions and understanding of God’s prophetic timetable may be totally off, but that doesn’t change the credibility of God’s prophesied future. If the potential failure of computers, which are based upon silicon chips made from grains of sand, could create concern and worry for the whole world for over a year; then we need to realize the precariousness of our lives and to place our trust and hope in the capable hands of our loving God.

We will see that God has a prophetic plan that will take us (borrowing the words of Buzz Light Year from Toy Story), “To Infinity and Beyond.”

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