MISSING!

“Now comes the mystery.” Henry Ward Beecher

At the time of this writing there is still no news, only more questions, surrounding the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It’s a seemingly unsolvable mystery how this Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard just completely disappeared on March 8^th while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Evidence continues to grow that the plane could have flown for hours after losing contact with air traffic control, the search area, too, has ballooned. Some 43 ships and 58 aircraft from 25 countries have been involved in the search. Experts from the United States, Britain and China are involved.

  To further frustrate and increase anxiety, some of the family members have been able to successfully place calls to missing passengers' cell phones. There are various explanations for how that could happen, but it gives them a sliver of hope that their loved ones are still alive.

  Have you ever noticed? Mysteries drive us crazy. We human beings want everything to fit into some neat, rational and understandable package. Some day, and I wonder that it might not be long, there’s going to be another major disappearance unlike anything this world has ever experienced. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s called the Rapture.

  Today we’re finishing our sermon series, R U BORN 2X? We’re concluding by talking about the blessings and benefit package for someone who’s been born twice. Someday every born-again person, dead or alive, could be singing that last line from a Shania Twain song, “I’m outta here” as we fly through the air to meet the Lord Jesus.

  I’ve always loved being spontaneous. When our children were younger, periodically, Jane and I would throw a wonderful, totally unexpected  surprise into the schedule. We did “pajama rides,” when after they were ready for bed, we all popped into the car and went through a local drive-through for ice cream. One of my favorites was on a warm Friday afternoon when on the spur of the moment, we decided to find out who had the best single dip ice cream cone in the area. We started out in Elkhorn and then did a loop throughout the area. By the fourth or fifth stop, we were ice creamed out.

  The Rapture is going to be a little like that. It’s going to come suddenly and surprise everyone. If we’re still on this side of eternity, we may be at work, having dinner or even sleeping. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

  Do you ever weary of life? Do you find yourself sometimes longing for Home? I know I do. Every believer who loves the Lord has that tension.

  This world is not our Home. Sometimes the sin, suffering, struggles…the hopelessness begins to overwhelm us and we long for Home. Yet, we know that our work isn’t finished here yet. Maybe you’re a parent and you know that your children need you. Maybe you sense that God has given you what is still an unfinished task. For me, I have so many friends and loved ones that don’t yet know Jesus. I don’t want to go Home until I know that I’ve done everything I can to share the Gospel with them. There truly is nothing here other than that which keeps me tied to this world. And I have great peace because Jane and my three children all know the Lord and love Him. We’ll never say, “Good-bye,” just “Good-night, I’ll see you in the morning…that great resurrection morning.” Yet, Heaven becomes more enticing to me each year. I have so many loved ones and friends already waiting for me there. 

  If instead of going Home via death, if we’re still alive when the Rapture takes place and removes us from this planet, can you even begin to imagine the confusion, shock, hurt, frustration and exasperation when millions of believers just disappear, just vanish into thin air? Where would they even begin to search? Cell phones will keep ringing.

  Don’t you wonder how the media and government will attempt to explain it? What will those who are left behind say to one another? How will they seek to console one another? Or, will there just develop a worldwide, morbid, depression or denial?

  Someday, if you’re a believer, you’ll be part of God’s prophesied mystery, the next event on His prophetic calendar. Hollywood ain’t got nothing on God. Yet, many of you are like me. You don’t want to leave anyone behind. (Now I’m not suggesting we put oGn white robes, become religious wackos and sit on a rooftop J.) Yet, I wonder how many opportunities I miss to share the Gospel? How much more could I pray? How much more could I focus on what really matters and has significance?

  We’re coming into the Easter Season. Many of our lost friends and family members will be talking about their plans and about Easter. Doors may crack that don’t crack at other times of year. Let’s not miss it. We’re possessors of the greatest mystery and the greatest good news of all time – that a holy God loves us and gave His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place, for our sins so that we could be forgiven, so that we didn’t have to face this life alone and so that we could live in His House for all eternity!

  The last recorded words of the co-pilot for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 were, “Good-night.” May we do all that we can to insure that for those we love and care about that it’s only “Good-night,” not “Good-bye.” And I think that we’d do well to be praying for the families and passengers on this missing plane, that this tragic mystery will soon be resolved.