Get Ready!

This morning I read a story on the Facebook page of the ABC-affiliate TV station in Asheville.  This is what I read:

"Google's Motorola Mobility filed a patent for an electronic skin tattoo that would work as a microphone for your cellphone.  It cancels noise to make calls clearer.  The tattoo would also work as a lie detector because it picks up on skin responses." 

You can read the full story at www.wlos.com.

The station then asked what people thought about that.  Is it "cool"  or "creepy".  The overwhelming number of responses I read went for "creepy."

Some commenters went, as I did when I read the story, to the Book of Revelation and to the mark of the beast  (Revelation 12:16-17).  In fact, when I read the story, my first thought was "people get ready, Jesus is coming."

You may recognize that as a line from a song.  You can hear the full song on YouTube at this link:  http://youtu.be/5sc1z9arhe0

I can remember back, not so very many years ago, when we would read some of the prophecies in Revelation, like the one concerning the mark of the beast, and it would be hard to comprehend how anything like that could really happen.  But in recent years, we have less and less difficulty understanding it.  Back in my childhood (way back in the "stone age"!), credit cards and debit cards were unheard of.  But now they're the most common way to pay for merchandise.  Back then when we read in Scripture that "every eye would see Him", that was beyond the realm of our understanding.  But now, with satellites and internet and modern technology that allows us to see what's happening on the other side of the world almost as it happens, it's no longer quite so difficult to imagine.

I don't know exactly how all the events of Revelation will unfold.  I don't know exactly what the mark of the beast will be.

But I do know that when I read news accounts like this one, I realize that we are not so far removed from these prophecies being fulfilled.

And the line from that song becomes more important than ever.  "People, get ready.  Jesus is coming."

Are you ready?

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness, and to purify for himself a people for his own possession."  (Titus 2:11-14 ESV)