Imminent Doom

Something bad is on its way. That is the sound of imminent doom.

I was riding my bike today (the peddling kind) along a familiar route, but this was the first time this season I had been on it. For those first times, I usually take it easy, checking the roads for new potholes and other such changes. So, I was peddling along and suddenly I heard this crashing coming from the woods accompanied by barking. I immediately thought with all that crashing that a pack of dogs had spied me and they decided to do their doglike thing and go after me.

One or two dogs are usually manageable on a bike ride. I usually just keep my eye on them and sort of talk them down. If that doesn’t seem to work, then I grab one of my water bottles and a few squirts of that on them usually deters them, or at least slows them down so I can peddle off freely.

But a pack of dogs is another thing. A pack has this heightened level of bravado that single dogs just don’t have, and they are just not afraid to do things that you don’t want them to do, like bite, surround you, and worst of all, get in front of you.

As soon as I heard that crashing sound that created a mental image of a pack of dogs, my legs just automatically moved faster pushing and pulling those peddles faster, and my upper body tensed sensing imminent doom.

Now you probably already know I’m going to get all metaphoric here. The signs of imminent doom spoke to me; I heard barking and exceptionally loud crashing that indicated something bad was on its way. Crank this scene up from just me on an empty country road all the way up to a global perspective and observe the signs around us that are also barking and crashing imminent doom. I’m afraid that no matter how hard we peddle, we are not going to escape this imminent doom.

There is so much happening right now it’s hard to keep up with, and not only that, the changes are coming fast. Let’s start with Israel. The world is turning against Israel. This is a sign of imminent doom, a sign of the end times. Here’s what the Bible says, starting with Jesus:

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9

Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” Psalm 83:1-4

In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.  You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you. Ezekiel 38:8-9

Today we are seeing Turkey posturing itself squarely against Israel, which is a clear sign of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, because Togarmah listed in Ezekiel 38 as one of the nations that attacks Israel is modern day Turkey. Also listed in there is Persia, which is modern day Iran. Iran is very clear about how much it hates Israel.

When the crashing sound stopped, I knew the pack was on the pavement, but what alarmed me further was the fact that I could hear the critter pounding the pavement as it came up on me. I just peddled harder. I think the pavement sound in my metaphor is President Obama’s clear position against Israel. This is alarming, but it is a sign of imminent doom. The Bible tells us in Genesis 12:3 that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. If I could have an audience with President Obama, I would tell him with all due respect, “Sir, with a zillion gallons of oil spewing into the Gulf, with the increased number of earthquakes hitting not only the United States but all over the world, with the economic disaster we are facing, floods, tornados, and a scary hurricane season upon us next; please this is NOT the time to teach Israel a lesson.”

No one has any idea right now what the Gulf oil mess will become, except we know it’s already a huge disaster. California is still shaking with earthquakes and I can’t help but sense imminent doom about to happen there. Do you realize that Indonesia had three major earthquakes within minutes of each other on June 16 of this year? First a 6.4, then a 7, then a 6.3, and then Japan and Alaska had some within hours following that. The earth is heaving and the earthquakes are signs of imminent doom.

The rise of Islam, especially the radical flavor, is nothing but doom. I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that negotiations are even being allowed about placing a huge Islamic mosque at New York’s ground zero. But, someone must be buying up the US debt, so I guess whoever owns the country gets to do what they want. Do you realize that a room below the dome of the Capitol is reserved for Moslems to pray, and they do so every Friday?

With the Jurasic Park sounding pavement pounding behind me, I turned my head to see what was coming up on me, but I didn’t have to turn all the way back. It was right beside me, and I wasn’t looking down to where dogs usually are, but I was looking at the beast eye-to-eye. The surge that went through my body went directly to my legs for I knew if that thing took one bite of me, it would have half my bike and all four of my legs. By this time, my two legs looked like four for all the spinning I was doing. I was staring into the eyes of a Great Dane! And all he was doing was gingerly lumbering at my side emitting deep bass-resonating barks. For all the hard peddling to which I increased, he continued to appear to do nothing more than to lumber along beside me, eye-to-eye, but it was still imminent doom to me.  

I knew at this time, all I could do was do my best to keep peddling and pray. Finally I heard someone from a distance call the beast off, and with that, it was gone and I peddled along catching my breath. Maybe he didn’t have any intention of harming me, and maybe all he wanted to do was run along and have fun, but I knew for as big as he was, he could have caused me a lot of damage.

My peddling story ended well today. I did all I knew to do, and that was to peddle and pray, and I guess that plan is what we have to do on the global level as we face more and more signs of imminent doom—we have to keep peddling, which is doing the right thing we know to do, and remain consistent with it, and pray. We have to pray for the lost and pray that Jesus becomes revealed to them as their Savior.

There is no changing the signs pointing to imminent doom. Its part of the plan, and if we know that and internalize it, we can have peace even in the middle of chaos. We can have peace in the midst of imminent doom. Only Jesus can do that for us.  

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27