Disclosure Day already had people talking before anyone saw it. Spielberg coming back to epic sci-fi, or as he called it in a stirring interview on CBS, “science speculation.” He has long been a believer in alien activity on Earth; as well as the claim that there is a hidden involvement between powerful humans and these aliens. No, he didn’t think it was government because politicians don’t keep secrets well. He thinks it is a mix of corporations and military. He admitted that in his new movie he wanted to look at the process of revealing that secret to the world while asking questions from many perspectives. The perspective of the ones keeping the secrets, the perspective of those revealing it, and the perspective of the Church. My concern today is not those questions. I started working on another piece about that months ago. It will be longer than I would normally post on this blog and I want to be sure that I handle this well so I’m not rushing it.
The movie shows a team of people taking highly kept corporate secrets and revealing them. Videos of aliens being interrogated, even tortured for information. Evidence of alien activity on Earth and human connection with them. The uproar and surprise that these would produce would be quite shattering.
Today we would do well to remember that a bigger disclosure day will be coming. Not involving aliens, which I would define as created beings hailing from another planet in the universe created by God. But Christ Himself. The Word of God become flesh, who dwelt physically on our planet about 2000 years ago. He has plans to return to us in a very physical way. Jesus described it as such:
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Matthew 24:30-31
Many scriptures give us multiple pieces or discussions of the Day of the Lord. There has been a lot of disagreement about all of this and that is okay. The point of prophecy was never to give us a clear timeline of the Day of the Lord, but simply to let us know it is coming. Jesus Himself said that only the Father knows the time and day it will come (Mark 13:32). He does tell us that it will have a huge impact; that hey nations will mourn. The Greek word is “kopsantai” which can also be translated as weeping or lamenting. Here Jesus describes Himself as coming on the clouds of Heaven and then says angels will gather his followers from “one end of the heavens to the other” which means anywhere, on or off Earth, we will be gathered to Him.
So how do we “hasten” the day of the Lord? We don’t do it by arguing about the if the rapture will occur or if it comes before or after the tribulation. We do it by sharing Jesus and meeting needs around us. How did Jesus describe those whom He welcomes at the judgement? In Matthew 24:45 he asks, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?” Notice he says the servant is feeding people, giving them sustenance. This is more than just physical sustenance. Humans are complex creatures who needs are physical, spiritual, emotional and mental. Later while discussing the Sheep and the Goats, he then says:
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
Matthew 25:34-36
How are you involved in such generosity? We prepare for Him by sharing in his generosity. For Nerd Chapel that has come in organized fundraisers for various needs including Hand 2 Hand (child food insecurity), Extra Life (Children’s hospitals) and most recently giving a dollar per book sold to Fresh Coast Alliance, an organization that works with individuals as they come out of incarceration and helps with job skills training, social skills training, housing, etc. Writings like this blog post and the books I write are tools for meeting spiritual needs and mental needs. The game days we host meet relational needs.
For any individual that might mean donating blood, going to visit a friend or family member who is in prison, volunteering at a food bank, or many other endeavors. Maybe you lead a Bible study group for your church or simply check on people regularly to see if they are struggling.
There is a sense of preparation for it in the movie Disclosure Day. At one point Daniel says he’s going to go do it now. Just tell everyone. But Hugo tells him no. It isn’t time yet and they are still preparing things so it can happen correctly. The way we prepare is in prayer and in sharing Jesus in generosity.
Finally, along with generosity we tell people about Jesus. We point them toward trusting in Him.
If you are reading this and seeking truth, I encourage you to find a local church and spend some time reading the Gospels. If you are a nerd/gamer and are nervous about finding a local church, then contact SavePoint Ministries. They specialize in finding churches that welcome nerds. If you are around Grand Haven or Muskegon MI, then try All Shores Wesleyan Church or Unity Reformed Church. Talk to Jesus in prayer about both your needs and your sins, then ask Him for help. Jesus will someday give us a big disclosure, but we must trust God the Father to plan it instead of arguing over prophecies we only partially understand.