Much more than a mere twinkling of an eye, a wink, or a satisfying acknowledgment ...a sudden encounter with a greater degree of surprise and delight. So much can be said, but first it may be a bit helpful to review what we feel we are all familiar with.

Whether you believe in Jesus, and believe in what is written about Him ...you've at least heard the story, or are about to hear it.

The Jewish people (and much of the world at that time) were under the cruel dictatorship of Roman rule.  

There had been many times in their past history where they'd looked to be rescued by their God, whether it was through Moses guiding them out of slavery or David facing Goliath.  

It had been a long time ...but those who knew their history, knew it had not been God abandoning them.  It had been them abandoning God.  They still believed in God, they had just so often followed the way of others, other than following the way that God provided them.

They still believed in their God, and they still had hope that God would provide again.  But, they had a different idea on how they thought God would provide.  Many of them didn't understand the concept of first things first.  

What do I mean by first things first?  It's like crawling through a tunnel that you can barely fit through, and then you get stuck. You can't just turn around.  And to continue on, you have to first go back the way you came.

This is not always the way it is.  Sometimes we can turn things around immediately ...but not often when you really get stuck. And sometimes getting stuck is the solution, not the problem. The problem is we are often crawling into something we should not be ...and we will continue doing so, unless perhaps we get stuck.

Like I said, at this time the Jewish people were stuck with a cruel Roman dictatorship.  And they wanted to be saved from it. They knew their history, and they believed ...and once again, they were looking for their God to send someone to save them.

But, many of them did not see the necessity of 'first things first'. God really was about to save them in a big way, but first He wanted to get our attention and lead us to undo the way of thinking that continues to get us stuck.  He was about to show us a new path, away from those difficult fits and fixes we get ourselves into.

Few saw the signs in the sky that the wise men saw.  Few believed that Mary had been chosen, and had not betrayed her betrothal to Joseph. They believed she was just covering her own sin, not carrying the One inside her who would cover all believers' sins. 

When Jesus became a man, He was baptized by John ...who many considered a prophet.  And they saw how John referred to Jesus.

Soon multitudes gathered to hear Jesus tell them how to put first things first.  Many of the people felt the pain of what their lives had become and just wanted to become unstuck. They didn't want to be told all this other stuff that they felt would not give them relief from the Roman rule.

But, there were also those who didn't respond out of fear.  They had adjusted to the new rules. They had become comfortable with the way things were.  They aligned themselves with the Roman rule ...and actually felt they benefited from it.  

They created their stronghold mostly in the cities where many people congregated for trade and commerce, or to visit their temple.  They did not often disperse to the hillsides or seashore ...though they had people everywhere to observe, listen, and report to them.

Those who listened to Jesus ...and actually heard what He said, began to believe.  They gave their own reports on how wonderful His words were.  Thousands and thousands began to gather on the hillsides and seashore to listen to Jesus.  And they began to understand the message, though they didn't yet understand what He was yet to do for them.

He was going to do more than just merely get them unstuck.

Today, we often don't even look at it like we are stuck. We feel we have the solutions to most everything. And if something gets in our way, or tries to prevent us from going where we want to go ...we can always get a stick of dynamite and blast our way through.

And if blasting our way out is not the wisest course of action, we often get our friends to help with trying something else.

Or we just try to accept reality and deal with it the best we can. Both ways of coping are commendable in their own right.  Yet, though lessons learned from the Hundred Acre Wood may help us in real life ...we do have to return to real life.

In real life, some people like go for all they can get.  You've likely heard the saying, "Shoot for the moon; don't spend all your time gazing at the stars."  But, the most we can get is not always what we think it is.  Sometimes looking up is also more than what it seems.

The wise men at the time prior to the birth of Jesus were not just excitedly following new things in the sky. They had actually read sacred writings, and were searching concisely for evidence of what they read.  They did not just plan a fun vacation ...they abandoned the comfort of their own lives, because they felt God was fulfilling some significant prophecy.  These Magi believed enough to commit to seeking what others had near forgotten, amid dwindling hopes. They believed it was not an empty promise, and that the One they had read about had not abandoned His people.

Again, there are signs in the sky.  I don't claim to know much about what they mean, but I try to look at sacred writings myself ---the Bible.  Others who study more, and feel God has given them more insight ...have given their opinions on what it may mean.  But, most of us don't know ...we only know that the further we get, the nearer we are.  And all times are important for teaching about the second birth ...not just 'end times'.

There is much talk among believers ...communicated in ways that others may not understand.  I understand some, and let me just say that terms like born again, or second birth are described by Jesus in the sacred writings ...the Gospel according to John, the third chapter.

Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

To simplify more, Jesus said, "Marvel not that I said to you, You must be born again."

And Jesus linked the old sacred writings to the life He was living on earth, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up."

I kind of wondered why a serpent was used as a symbol ...and I don't know much, but I know any snake on a stick is dead.  And we must believe we can be victorious over the enemy to be able to live our own life clothed in victory.  

Yet, Jesus also had to die on a stick to fulfill the promise that the victory would certainly be in any fashion ...not temporary.

Jesus continued to say, "That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believes on Him is not condemned; but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God."

Jesus even sent His disciples out to reach those who also were to know the truth that even the dictatorship of the Roman rule could not hide.  The letter to the Romans: "For the death that He died, He died to sin ...once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.…"

To be alive in Jesus is to be born again ...a second birth.

What is that I said about not being able to hide?

If it seems to us that the signs are more evident that we are getting closer to the return of Jesus ...to rule for a thousand years on earth, our focus should not change. Our focus should always be to do what Jesus has called us to do. There are some references to what we feel may happen to them who believe, but it is more important what may happen to those who don't.

When I was young, we really liked to play games that involved some version of Hide & Seek ...especially when our cousins from Ohio would visit every summer.  We lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan ...and it is not all woods up there, but we did have a healthy chunk of it by our house.  And our favorite outdoor game was Kick the Can.

I don't think it's best to brag ...but would prefer to just state the facts.  I could say I was really good at the game, but suffice it to say, I usually hid good enough to win.  At least it was that way at first. It is difficult at times to deal with losing, and the attention span of youngsters varies ...so, eventually becoming bored with the game, I was often left hiding, not knowing they were no longer playing the game.

I never feel it gets me anywhere ...anywhere that I'm proud of, to attempt to hide from God ....and there's no sense playing that game.  But, I sometimes wonder what it will be like if God decides to hide us, or more accurately, take us to a place where we cannot be found.  It's exciting to think about for a time, but I always have to revert back to the saying which prompts me not to be so heavenly-minded that I'm no earthly good.

Nor should I be so earthly-minded that I am no effective witness to Whom God would have us testify to.  We must always bring glory to God, and put our highest standard of credibility in the Bible.

I don't know how you interpret these verses, but let's look at portions of a few of them:

• 1 Thessalonians 4:17 -- "Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds ..."

• II Thessalonians 2:1 -- "Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him ..."

• 1 Corinthians 15:52 -- "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

• II Thessalonians 2:10-11 -- " ...because they received not the love of the truth, that they may be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they shall believe a lie ..." 

It almost seems we are there one moment, and the next we are not. 

That is often called the rapture.  And those who aren't raptured ...it seems it is because they far removed themselves from believing the truth.  

So, how will they perceive it if many people suddenly are taken with God in a blink of the eye? Would they search within themselves about what could have gone wrong, or would they easily just believe another lie??

Habakkuk 2:3 ---"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Matthew 25: 1-5, reads, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep."

We are not to hide our lamps under a bushel ...we are the vessels. Oil very often signifies the Holy Spirit ...so we are to be born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, so when the delusion comes we are prepared.

The signs are abundant, but the one sign I believe in the most is that which calls for intervention.  God may use someone on the world scene or a group of people or He may take care of it Himself, as we know He eventually will ...but we can be certain that when things get so out of line that people are confused who God is, He will intervene in some way.  Our God is righteous, and we must make a choice from clear options.  God always reveals to us who He is.

I don't know how long Jesus will tarry before He will return ...as He tarries mostly out of compassion for those who will yet draw to Him, I believe. Whatever God's timing, we should be ready.  And we should pray others are ready too, as we all have a set time each of us will be here on earth ...it's another thing whether Jesus will return in the next couple years, or the next couple hundred years.  Our life is now ...and certainly affecting those who will be the next generation, but we can generate our own belief and only hope they can see Him in us.

As we wait, we should utilize that opportunity to look to strengthen our faith ...so the delusion that comes upon the world does not affect us in a major way.

If He returns in my lifetime, I will tarry also ...and I will tarry in my community, on Facebook, and whatever means are made available to me.

It is your choice if you tire of what believers say; and choose to ignore us, get agitated with us, or 'unfriend' us ...but try not to misunderstand us.  

It's not so important how you look at me ...but it is of utmost importance how you look at Jesus.

Perhaps if you pray, He will even ask you to pray for me too.