We live in a period of time when everything is going at top speed. The hustle and bustle in the cities is magnified a hundred times, if not a thousand times to the quiet of the country side. Yet, even in our small, quaint, one stoplight towns, busyness can be readily seen as the folks go about their daily activities.

This 21^st century has each person’s mind racing at top speed to get this done, and then go to the next thing to get that done. The body is in one location, but the mind is at home, on the job, at the school, and wherever else the siren call is heard. We rest our bodies at night, but before sleep takes over, the mind remains supercharged … thinking, thinking, thinking.

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4)

Yep, that verse is very descriptive of mankind in today’s world. As God told Daniel, knowledge is exponentially increasing so rapidly what is learned today is old news tomorrow.

Ours is the Information Age; Internet, television and mobile phones available 24 hours a day. From what I have read, a person today consumes six newspapers of information daily. Twenty-four years ago that number was 2 ½ pages a day.

Each of us has the equivalent of 600,000 books stored in computers, microchips and credit card strips.

From the journal of Science, 295 exabytes of data are floating around today. That would be 29,500,000,000,000,000,000,000. Apparently that is 315 times more than there are grains of sand on the earth. (I find that a bit hard to believe, but so say the bean counters.) Despite all these super big numbers, that is still less than 1% of the information stored in the DNA of one person.

Anyway, when the Lord gave Daniel this prophecy, He was referring to that time prior to His second coming. After the Church is removed to Heaven, the last week of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) will begin. Only a blind fool would refuse to see the fulfilment of this prophecy in our day.

Sounds to me like Daniel 12:4 is definitely upon us. How close we must be to our Lord’s return!

God tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10)

Regardless of our circumstances at home and on the job, most of us just won’t slow down and smell the roses (a most simplistic way of saying, “Be still”). God does want us to slow down, be still and think about Him. Don’t be in such a hurry. The world won’t end just because you finally decide to “Be still” and listen to God. “Oh but this won’t wait. I must take care of this now!” I doubt that. God knows that, or He would not have told us, “Whoa! Slow down and take a break. I am God, and you will never make it without Me.”

We adults often mimic children in this matter. Children quickly come to the point of thinking they can do things without their parents’ help, even though the parents know better. We adults lean toward that same independence, but what we really need is not independence, but dependence upon our Savior God.

Just as a two year old can only handle simple feats scaled down for a two year old, we cannot deal with matters that only God can control. We are not God. He is, and that is exactly what he wants us to remember. He will be exalted, not us. We have so many things in our lives backwards. The wise person will be still and see God as the one in charge of our life. He/she will exalt God by simply being still and allowing God to work in his/her life.

God wants each of us as Christians to have some quiet time. Look around at all He has created. See His power that is all around us. Tune out the hectic madness of the world and listen to Him.

Have we ever taken the time to look at a flower, I mean to REALLY look at it, or observe a busy ant? Do we really see what is around us and recognize that God created it? Children do this. They may not realize that God is the Creator, but they notice much more than we do. Take the time to actually see what is around you.

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8)

Yes, the 21^st century is a time of fast-paced living. We just can’t seem to slow down. Days rush into weeks, as the weeks overwhelm the months that are before them. Next thing we know, years run quickly behind us. All the while our knowledge is increasing, but are we really any smarter? With all this knowledge, where is wisdom? God says we are drawing to the close of our days. He is coming. Are we ready?

If any wisdom remains, maybe we should take the time, in a quiet place, to pray with our Bible in hand and hear His message; “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

While reading an article this morning by a local pastor, he mentioned some statistics that got my attention. He said that if we live to the age of 75 we will spend on average 11 years watching television. He went on to say that on average we would spend 2-17 minutes each day “on religious activities such as praying, reading the Bible, going to church, or telling others about Jesus.” If his source is correct, and it probably is, that really says a mouth-full about our spiritual health in this country.

In Deuteronomy chapter six God said to Israel through Moses the following:

Deut. 6:1-2

Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:

That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Deut. 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Deut. 6:12-15

Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

Deut. 6:17-18

Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.

And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers.

WOW! The Word of God must REALLY be IMPORTANT!

• Think about His Word every waking minute
• Wear His Word on your body (not tattoos)
• Write His Word on the post of your house and your gates

Notice in particular verse seven, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Yes I know this passage was written for the benefit of Israel, but what God said to Israel is just as appropriate to the Church today as it was and is to Israel then and now.

Christian parents today make certain their children know about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and Halloween witches and hobgoblins. They are taught the finer art of many sport activities, and we even teach them math and how to read and write.

How many Christian parents though teach their children what God says? How many Christian parents open the Bible and teach them God’s Word, and then kneel with them, teaching them to pray? How many of these Christian parents start when their children are young and continue until they leave the nest?

Most children are left to somehow pick it up on their own, perhaps by osmosis? The television, Internet and mobile phone are their babysitters. I know there are Christian parents who have tried to follow Deuteronomy 6:7, and have done a marvelous job. Most of us however have been so very weak in this area. By the way, the last place I would leave them unattended is in front of the television or on the Internet.

I am not trying to browbeat Christian parents, but perhaps it is an issue that needs attention. What better time to start than ‘now.’ Maybe we could do better with the grandchildren. Maybe we missed the boat altogether. If that is the case, then let us not forget our greatest resource … prayer. Put them in God’s hand and lift them up to Him daily.

The children of America, whether from Christian homes or secular homes, are being strongly influenced by any and everything Satan throws at them. They have hindrances and temptations today I never dreamed of when I was young. They really need our prayers. The world of today is much more dangerous; spiritually, emotionally and physically, for children, or anyone else for that matter.

If we, as Christian parents, would have followed Deuteronomy chapter six as God said, I really believe we would see a marked difference in today’s children and grandchildren. Sadly, we have actually followed the errant way of Israel and because they (Israel) disobeyed God, they suffered greatly back then and still do today.

God does not tell us to follow a certain path in life because He can’t think of anything better to do. He instructs us because He knows what is best for us.

This country is headed for judgment just as surely as a runaway train barreling toward a cliff is headed for destruction. Only the hand of God is delaying our demise. If we really believe this, and I do, you would think we would all be soaking up the Word of God like a starving wolf over a carcass.

There are so many things we pass on to our children, whether we realize it or not, but do we pass on to them what our Lord wants them to know? If we do not teach them, we can rest assured that Satan will be more than happy to take over. Most parents would do just about anything for their children, but are we doing for them what they really need? Are we teaching them the Good News of Jesus Christ and living it out in their presence? If not, now would be a good time to start.

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html