Pet Care in a Post-Rapture World?!?

Ok, I just noticed this website posted on someone's fb page, and it piqued my curiosity. It's called Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, and I want to point out that this is NOT a joke! In fact, they'll tell you that in the FAQ's section which I highly recommend reading. It's marketed toward Christians whose faith includes the idea of a Rapture in which we'd be taken up to heaven to meet Jesus and leave behind those we love who don't proclaim faith in Jesus as well as our precious pets. Yes, pets. After all, when we are raptured, who will take care of our pets? And unless we believe our pets to have souls and the ability to have a saving faith, then they also will be left behind in the chaos of this post-rapture world, will they not?

The idea behind this program may be laughable, scary, bizarre or just plain practical to some, but it tends to bring one up short and analyze how it makes one feel. Is it simply a scam? Is it a service that demands "the rubber meets the road" in our faith? What are your thoughts on post-rapture life? Do you even care what happens after the rapture? Should we do anything to prepare for it in any way? For instance, for those who have read Left Behind, there is a situation where one of the raptured pastors had prepared a video for those left behind explaining what happened and what they can still do to be saved. Or do we not think about the rapture at all?

PLEASE, please, please leave your thoughts and comments here as I would LOVE to know what's going through your mind right now. :)

Pondering Christmas

Only a couple more days until we celebrate the most cherished holiday of the year! I've just come back from a trip down South, and I have to say how pleased I was to notice how many businesses did not take the "PC" way and shirk from offending by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. As we passed a big Pepsi-Cola plant, emblazoned on the front of the building was a huge Merry Christmas!. Along with the warmer temps and the sun, it was such a breath of fresh air. Christmas is typically a holiday of merriment and, when we think about it, of holy awe. As we prepare for the birth of our Savior, let us ponder on the significance of God's gift to us.

Migdal Edar*

When you picture the birth of Jesus Christ, what comes to mind? A cave converted into a stable? A manger, with Mary and Joseph looking at Jesus? Or maybe you imagine barnyard animals looking at the newborn baby? The Bible gives us some details concerning the birth of Jesus, but there are many things that we do not know, such as the location of the birth of Jesus. In this newsletter we would like to explore a possible location for the birth of Christ that we think you will find very interesting.

In our recent research we have identified Migdal Edar as a possible location for the place of Jesus' birth. Migdal Edar is located about two miles south of Jerusalem on the road to Bethlehem. The Bible clearly states that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but Bethlehem at the time of Jesus was larger and more spread out than modern day Bethlehem. Today Jerusalem and Bethlehem are separated by only six miles.

Migdal Edar means "tower of the flock".

You might ask, "What flock?" The answer would be the flock that produced the lambs for sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem. In light of Jewish Law, under which Jesus was born (Galatians 4:4-5), this place would have been considered a "clean" location in which to give birth to the Messiah.

It is also interesting to note that the shepherds were told to go to Bethlehem and there they would find the Messiah. The shepherds did not need to ask where in Bethlehem they would find the Child, for they knew about Migdal Edar (Luke 2:11). The "sign" given by the angels was that He would be lying in a manger and dressed in swaddling cloths (Luke 2:12).

During this time of year, we often ponder the events surrounding the coming of our Savior. Migdal Edar was dedicated to producing perfect lambs for the temple sacrifices. It is our reminder that Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, came to be the final sacrifice for our sins.

Wow. Even Jesus' birth heralded his death. As we celebrate Jesus' birthday this week, let us remember why He came. Our children are born because we love, and they are the result of that love. Jesus was born because we hate, and His death was the result of that hate. May His abundant love cover you in this year and the next. Merry Christmas!


*Taken from the most recent Grapevine Studies e-newsletter.