IQ #253 Purchase of a Lifetime

There will be signs bright as the sun, blazing morning, noon, and night. The nation will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring sounds of stampeding shoppers coming in wave after wave after wave, like a turbulent sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming in their little world, for the malls and stores alike will be shaken. At that time they will see the man with the key, the key that unlocks the door. When these things begin to happen stand tall and lift up your head, because all that you have hoped for, all that you have prepared for is going to take place. With the personal sacrifice you made, your life and others will be changed by this one day purchase time.

Black Friday, the day so many people take their hard earned money to fight the onslaught of thousands of other crazed shoppers to purchase what is on their ‘need to get’ list, at a ‘hugely reduced’ price. This is where we might all want to throw our heads back and laugh… The day after we supposedly pause to be grateful for what we have, we revert to alternate personalities by camping out in the Wal-Mart parking lot and every other store willing to open up at some ungodly hour in order to take your cash or credit, and to add to the lunacy, possibly throwing punches over the latest fad in toys, video games, clothes and other stuff, if you and someone else have simultaneously grabbed the last item of its kind. This just reeks of vain thankfulness.

As a follower of Jesus Christ we are called to be people who are different than the world around us.

1 John 2:15 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

The opening paragraph was adapted from the scripture below to show how easy it is to become separated from God if you let your worldly desires become more important.

Luke 21:25-28

²⁵ “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. ²⁶ People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. ²⁷ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Jesus is telling about His return. The thought of the coming persecutions and natural disasters is gloomy, but ultimately it is a cause not for worry but for great joy. When we, the believers see these events (signs) happening, we will know that the return of the Messiah is near and we should confidently await Christ’s return, not be terrified by what is happening in our world. Christ’s return will bring justice and restoration to his people.

While many people look forward to ‘Black Friday’ for their yearly purchases of greatly discounted perishable items, I can only think of one purchase, made on a different dark Friday, the day Jesus Christ paid full price for the most loving and everlasting gift that only God could give. It was and will forever be the purchase of a lifetime.

With the Love of Jesus Christ,

Papa John 11:26:15