Do Your Job

I was an avionics technician in the U.S. Navy during the 1980s, trained in the component-level troubleshooting and repair of two black boxes known as the Vertical Display Indicator (VDI) and the Radar Data Converter (RDC), both part of the avionics systems of the A6 Intruder attack aircraft.

Aircraft—that means an aircraft carrier: a combination ship, factory, and airport rolled into one haze gray behemoth. Even though I loved the work, one of the nicest things about my job was that, unlike many others on board the ship, I had the privilege of working in a nice, clean, air-conditioned avionics work center. Most guys on board an aircraft carrier—or any Navy ship for that matter—don't have that luxury. Many have to work in significantly less comfy surroundings. In fact, the guys up on the flight deck work in what is statistically one of the noisiest and most dangerous environments on the planet.

The most dangerous thing I had to deal with was an oscilloscope probe.

Hey, don't laugh...those suckers are sharp.

While at sea, we worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Two shifts: day check and night check, 7:00 to 7:00. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds, however, when you consider that there isn't much else to do when you're on a Navy ship somewhere in the middle of the ocean.

Of course, when I say "worked," I mean we were on duty in the shop. If we had gear, we worked on it. If we had some paperwork or some administrative duties to attend to, we might do that. If we wanted to leave the shop to go to chow or take a walk down to one of the ship's stores or something, we signed out on a board so the shift supervisor would know where we were.

Although things could get a little tense at times, such as when an aircraft was down during flight ops and a squadron CO was screaming at our Division Officer who was screaming at our shift supervisor who was screaming at us for a piece of gear they needed 30 minutes ago, most of the time it was surprisingly laid back. At various times of the day or night, if things were slow, it wasn't uncommon for us to be sitting around in the shop, drinking coffee and shooting the breeze—and in my case, keeping my fingers crossed that for the next few hours I wouldn't hear the words "VDI bench—you got gear!"

While I was stationed on board the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), there was a Senior Chief in our division who would occasionally pop in to our work center, and when he would see several of us sitting around drinking coffee, he would invariably crack a smile and quip:

"Get a job!"

It always made us laugh because in fact we were doing our jobs—we just didn't appear to be doing anything at the time. In the military, you've got a job 24/7/365. Our job was to be highly trained avionics technicians stationed on board an aircraft carrier.

And that's exactly what we were doing.

Prophetic brain freeze

This little snapshot of life on board a Navy ship was prompted by something the Lord dropped in my spirit recently.

Like a certain percentage of other Christians, I've long had a keen interest in Bible prophecy and end-time events leading up to the second coming of Christ. I am absolutely convinced that the seven-year period known as Daniel's 70th Week (aka the Tribulation) is rapidly approaching, and will be upon us within the next several years. The signs are everywhere, and the trajectories of various prophetic trends are converging on the general time frame that lies before us. With each passing day, the picture is coming into sharper focus.

However, there is a phenomenon occurring among some Christians who study Bible prophecy and take it seriously—that is, those who believe in the biblical doctrines of the rapture of the Church, the seven-year Tribulation, and the literal second coming of Christ to the earth at its climax. I don't know what to call it, but it reminds me a little bit of something known as normalcy bias.

Normalcy bias refers to people's tendency to underestimate the possibility of the actual occurrence of an impending disaster or cataclysmic event. It's as if they can't quite bring themselves to believe that it's really going to happen, or that it will be as bad as people are saying. As a result, they typically don't take warnings seriously and fail to prepare adequately. They basically go on with their normal routine as if everything would be OK, and consequently may end up suffering great loss.

In other words, they don't have a problem believing that the storm of the century will strike someday—they just have a hard time believing that it's going to strike today.

This attitude seems to be affecting some students of Bible prophecy these days, and I admit that it's not easy for me to completely avoid it myself.

Storm warning

For years, prophecy buffs have knocked themselves out trying to analyze and interpret the prophecies found in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation, and many others. They have spent countless hours speculating about end-time events and how they might fit together and play out, and how real-world events fit into and result in the fine-tuning of those scenarios.

End-time prophecy has been a virtual cottage industry for decades, and for some of its devotees it has almost had a competitive edge to it—as if it were a simulation game in which one could score points with God for turning out to be righter than the other guys.

Prophecy buffs keep a close eye on what is going on in the Middle East: wars and rumors of war—and rumors of peace. How close is the treaty that will initiate the Tribulation? Is that treaty really this two-state solution? What world leader will be responsible for implementing it? Will the battle of Psalm 83 precede or follow it? Will the current unrest in Syria culminate in the destruction of Damascus (Isa. 17)? Is the battle of Ezekiel 38–39 the same as the battle of Armageddon, or does it occur earlier? How close is the technology that will make the mark of the beast a reality? Or is it already here? Is the 112th pope (Pope Francis) really going to turn out to be the False Prophet of Revelation 13? Will the United States suffer a major blow, and will the fall of America pave the way for the rise of the Antichrist? Will he be from Europe or the Middle East? Is Obama the Antichrist? Can we prove he isn't?

And on and on it goes. It never stops: This constantly shifting kaleidescope of prophetically significant events and trends continues to percolate as we careen toward their final fulfillment.

But that's just it. As the days and weeks fly by, the prophetic landscape is relentlessly taking shape and coming into view, and it's getting a little clearer all the time—at least it is to those who faithfully study God's Word with an open mind and a hunger for His truth.

The storm is coming. Warnings are being sounded.

And it's not a game.

The thought that we could literally be a couple of years—if not a matter of months—away from the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation is so overwhelming that it can actually be paralyzing.

That's what prompted me to write this article—I was feeling a bit paralyzed.

The end-time scenario is progressing so rapidly that it can seem surreal at times, and recently I found myself at a point where I was beginning to feel like a deer caught in headlights.

I don't know what to call it. Prophetic brain freeze. Apocalyptic vapor lock.

Like it can't really be happening...but it is happening.

Like it's easy to believe in the Rapture if down deep you think it won't happen for another five or ten years, but it's not so easy to believe it could literally occur in a few months.

I don't know if it was any one particular thing. Maybe it was the sudden sense of urgency emanating from the Obama administration in regard to negotiating a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians: the so-called two-state solution. By the way, only the most profoundly naive actually believe the Palestinians want a two-state solution. They do not. They want a one-state solution.

And no prizes for guessing which state that would be.

Make no mistake: It is the confirmation of a seven-year treaty between Israel and the surrounding nations that initiates the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27). Not the Rapture, not a war, not anything else. It is the confirmation or implementation of a seven-year treaty with Israel. And it appears that treaty is even now being fast-tracked by Obama and other world leaders. But will this two-state solution turn out to be The Treaty?

Frankly, I am beginning to suspect it's just another red herring.

As always, however, we shall see.

Get your mind right

At one point recently I felt so dazed by the unfolding of prophetic events that I went to bed one night and simply asked the Holy Spirit to help me get my head screwed on straight. I asked the Lord to help me snap out of the prophetic brain freeze I seemed to be suffering from, and to give me word of encouragement or whatever it was I needed to help me have the right mental attitude and perspective that He wanted me to have during these troubling and perilous times.

To be honest, I almost felt guilty for doing so, because down deep I knew that whatever answer I needed was to be found in His Word.

It always is.

So I went to sleep that night, and sure enough the Lord gave me a dream. Don't ask me how I know...I know. When you get a dream from the Lord, you just know. Not sure if it's all that terribly profound, but when I awoke I knew without a doubt that the Lord had answered. The dream was in two parts, and went something like this:

In the first part of the dream, I seemed to be preparing to go back to college, presumably to attend graduate school, but the details weren't clear. I remember being quite excited and totally preoccupied with my plan, and I recall sensing that it was something I had cooked up all on my own—I hadn't prayed about it, asked the Lord for any guidance, nothing. In other words, I had the distinct feeling that the whole idea was pure flesh, so to speak.

I was getting ready to take some sort of examination that was part of the application process, something like the GRE or whatever, although, again, the details were not clear and so I assume were not crucial. When I showed up to take this exam, however, I suddenly became aware of the fact that for some reason I wasn't even qualified to take it. I had overlooked some relatively minor detail or requirement, and as a result wouldn't even be allowed to take the exam. My plan was ruined! I recall the bitter disappointment and stinging self-recrimination I felt as my grandiose plan crumbled to dust before my eyes.

This quickly segued into the second part of the dream. The next thing I knew, I was a teacher in a school (I sensed that it was here in Taiwan). I had the vague sense that it was nearly time for me to teach a scheduled class, and I was puttering around in the school. I glanced in the classroom, but saw no students. For a few moments, I felt absentmindedly distracted from the fact that I was supposed to teach a class, as if I had nearly forgotten that I was scheduled to teach it. I glanced into the classroom again, only this time I saw several students sitting at desks, looking around expectantly.

Although I actually do teach English in Taiwan, this was like no school I have ever taught in. Everything and everybody was unfamiliar, but I still felt I belonged there. I knew I was there to teach English—to do what I do—and the sight of several students jarred my memory and reminded me that I did indeed have a class to teach.

I suddenly realized I had no textbook or material to use for the class. I was empty-handed, as were the students. In spite of that, I gathered myself and focused on what I might do with the class. With no textbook, I could still wing it, as I have had to do before on a few occasions. I could still introduce a topic of discussion, ask the students questions to get them talking in English, set up a role play for the students, and so on and so forth. In other words, there were still things I could do, book or no book.

So, even though the school and the classroom seemed unfamiliar, I felt confident and I asked the Lord to help me get through the class. I cleared my mind and mumbled to myself: Do your job...just do your job.

Now, this is where the dream got a little weird. Just as I was about to get started with the class, the manager of the school appeared at the door of my classroom. In the dream, the manager was actually a Taiwanese woman I had previously worked for in real life, and...well, let's just say I am very happy I no longer work for her. She was a control freak, and could be demanding and domineering to the point of being a real pest. She insisted on knowing what material I was planning to use for the class. I told her I hadn't decided yet, but would figure something out and let her know later. After all, it was too late to worry about that now, as it was time to start the class. And I didn't say it, but I remember thinking: Just leave me alone and let me do my job.

My response angered her, however, and she began to smolder with rage. She said nothing, and I watched as her face slowly began to twist and contort and I sensed a venomous hatred oozing from her that was so intense that it startled me. Her face began to morph into something so grotesquely inhuman that I knew it was the face of a demon. But still she said nothing, as if she were physically unable to speak. It seemed odd to me that she kept silent because it seemed out of character, but then I clearly sensed that something was restraining her. After a few moments, she just turned and walked away.

Relieved that she was gone, I turned back toward my classroom and resolved to get on with it and do my job. However, this frightening confrontation with the manager left me feeling deeply unsettled.

Then I woke up—end of dream.

I want to be careful not to go overboard and read too much into every little detail, but there are two ideas here that blend into one overriding message, and none of it should surprise anyone.

First, especially at this stage of the game, I believe the Lord wanted me to understand that He didn't want me to be consumed or overtaken by fleshly plans and desires, no matter how grand or noble they may seem. The world tells people to chase after this, that, and the other thing in order to achieve worldly success and happiness. But God's Word says:

But there's more to it than that. In my dream, I was planning to go to graduate school. Is that wrong? Is that sinful or of the flesh? Does that indicate that I love the world, or that the Father's love isn't in me?

No, of course not. There are multitudes of things that believers do or desire to do that are no more sinful or worldly than anything else. For example, there is nothing wrong or sinful about wanting to further one's education. There's nothing inherently evil or worldly about wanting to achieve a measure of success in life, and to believe so places you somewhere between tree slugs and the Taliban.

That is, somewhere below tree slugs and above the Taliban.

But here's the point: It wasn't the Father's will for my life.

In the first part of my dream, I was completely operating in the flesh. I was following my desire, my plan, my goal, my way. I had completely left the Lord out of the equation.

I believe the Lord wanted me to understand how important it is for us to stay close to Him; to seek His will, and to strive to stay in it. And the message seemed to be that this is especially true now, as the curtain is beginning to come up on the final act. There may be so little time—don't become consumed with big, grand things that might not be wrong in and of themselves, but may not be profitable, at least not at this point. And most important of all, they may not be what the Lord wants for you.

Seek the Father's will for your life—and seek to remain in it. And for many of us, what the Father wants us to do is not "out there" somewhere—in all likelihood it's staring us right in the face. In my dream, as soon as I realized the futility of my grand plan, the next thing I knew I was immediately doing exactly what I am doing now. And I knew I belonged there and that that's what I was supposed to be doing.

Is that in my job description?

The second thing, which is really the overriding theme, is that the Lord just wants us to do our job. And we do have one, you know. Just as in the military, Christians have a job 24/7/365. And just like me and my shipmates on the aircraft carrier, there are times when we don't seem to be doing anything related to our jobs.

But unlike the military, where in a sense you are doing your job just by being there, there are times when we really aren't doing our jobs as Christians. Our job is not simply to be born again.

Now, when I say "job," don't get the idea I'm preaching salvation by works, or that by failing to obey the Lord as we should we might get "fired" ("dishonorably discharged"?) and lose our salvation.

No, no, no. A thousand times no. If you've ever read any other article that I have ever written, then you know better than to think I am suggesting that.

We are saved forever by grace through faith. Done deal. There are very few things in Scripture that could be any clearer, in spite of the fact that there are still self-righteous individuals who manage to find ways to muck this up.

However, although we may be saved, there are times when we really aren't doing what we should be doing in relation to our walk with the Lord. We can temporarily stray outside the Father's will and disrupt our fellowship with Him through disobedience or by carelessly continuing in known sin. We can also become preoccupied with other things that aren't necessarily bad, but if we let them they can distract us from things we should be doing.

And what should we be doing? Our job. Which is...what, exactly? Well, here's a quick Top 10 list of things that could legitimately be considered part of our job as born-again believers:

1. Pray and seek God's will on a regular basis.

2. Read and study the Word.

3. Share the gospel as the Holy Spirit leads us.

4. Use our spiritual gifts to strengthen and encourage other believers.

5. Support people and ministries that are actively involved in preaching the gospel and edifying the body of Christ.

6. Observe the signs of the times, recognize the nearness of His coming, and long for His appearing.

7. Eliminate some of the things in our lives that may be distracting us from our primary purpose, as well as things that prevent us from living lives characterized by holiness and purity.

8. Seek to truly learn what it means to fear God.

9. Seek to truly learn what it means to call Jesus "Lord."

10. Take up our cross daily, and seek to crucify our flesh and walk in the Spirit.

I don't even feel the need to comment on the items I put on this list. They stand on their own, and I pray that they will speak to the heart of everyone who reads this article.

And remember one thing: God isn't the only one getting geared up for the grand finale.

So is Satan.

In my dream, the Lord made me realize how intensely Satan and his demons hate us and that they will do anything in their power to derail or sidetrack us. Fortunately, however...

In my dream, the manager/demon was restrained from preventing me from doing my job, and it doesn't take a Greek scholar to figure out who was doing the restraining.

We have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and He is all the help we need to do what the Lord calls us to do.

So, what the Lord showed me to get me back on track can pretty well be summed up in one simple sentence:

Do your job.

It looks as though things are only going to get more and more turbulent in the next few years. I believe things are just getting warmed up, and that they could get rather scary in the near future. First and foremost, we need to cultivate and maintain an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Do your job.

In the avalanche of apostasy that is engulfing the world today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to take a stand for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the truth of God's Word. We need to contend earnestly for the faith, and also share that faith whenever the Holy Spirit prompts us to do so.

Do your job.

Nobody knows when the Rapture will take place. Nobody knows when the Tribulation will begin. Nobody knows when war will erupt in the Middle East. Nobody knows who the Antichrist will be. Nobody knows when these major prophetic events will happen (and it's a good idea to ignore people who say they do). But know this:

The storm is coming. Warnings are being sounded.

Consider this mine.

Greg Lauer — APR '13

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