Time is usually the realm of science fiction. Writers of this genre speculated for years about such topics as time travel. H. G. Wells did just this not long after the start of the twentieth century. His classic work, "The Time Machine" continues to serve as a source of inspiration for those who followed after him. What began as fiction took a huge leap forward with the discoveries of Albert Einstein. His ideas on space and time opened up the real possibility of time travel. Scientists today debate the whats and hows of this idea. My one constant television show "Lost" is dealing with time travel during the last year or so. It makes my brain hurt on occasion trying to keep up with the various theories in play. One of the potential box office smashes of this summer, "Star Trek" will delve into time and travel. But this post is not really about entertainment or science. But it is about time.

We are seeing events in our time that stagger my imagination. Change swirls about us like a Panhandle dust storm. Our society is in the midst of change like we haven't seen since the 1960s. It appears that all that once was right is becoming wrong. If you don't believe me then ask Miss California USA. Whether right or wrong, who ever thought the federal government would "own" private businesses? We are still engaged in the fanaticism of extremists of all sorts but especially those of the terrorist type. The ancient Babylon now known as Iraq remains a major player in the relationships of the Middle East. Now we are all worried about the swine flu and the potential pandemic in our world. It is enough to send a Baptist preacher scurrying to the book of Revelation! Maybe if my book is published first then we can all feel better about the times.

There will be no book coming from me. My problem is failing to be an alarmist about the times in which we live. Do not get me wrong. We are surely in very odd times. Yes, there are definite parallels between our times and some of the material about the end times in the New Testament. Just remember though that more than a few "prophecy" preachers declared the end of time more than once over the last 50 years. Does this mean we shouldn't take serious various events happening around us? We should absolutely take these events serious but that is not the message of the end times. There is much more to thinking about the end times than making meaning of the news.

You should know that my "theological" view of end times is different than probably what you hear on television. It is not the same as the popular books you may have lining your shelves. My view does not have the church being rescued from difficult times. It does not mean that we do not have God's favor but neither does it mean we escape. Think about this. How much suffering has God's people experienced in other countries or in other times yet there was no escape? Granted there is much more to the prevailing theory than that but perhaps you get my point. To me, our role is much more than calculating the events in the news. That is important but it is not the essential idea of the end times.

Why is it we tend to talk more about the what of the end times yet seem to neglect the who? Yes, no doubt the popular preachers do talk about the reason of the end times but how often is that after they elucidate their reading of the news? Jesus said the whole point of the end times would be about the One who is coming. Sometimes it seems to me a lot like studying your airplane ticket to the point you forget who is to meet you. Nothing is more depressing than to exit a plane knowing no one is there to welcome you. Yet, little is as exciting as being one of the people looking forward to a reunion on arrival. That is the point of the end times. We move each day closer to the reunion. It may not happen in our lifetime but rest assured that it will happen. Let's just travel light to be ready for it at a moment's notice.

Bro. Trey