Patterns

We all have patterns of behavior in our lives. We wake up, shuffle off to the bathroom, then go into the kitchen to grab some coffee perhaps, or some breakfast. That pattern is pretty typical for most people, I think. But what does our "Jesus pattern" look like?

We probably go to church most Sundays. But what else? A Bible study? Prayer time? Anything?

When we get stuck in a rut, or we feel like God is not listening to our prayers, consider these words from the Book of Deuteronomy.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

How are we doing in our faith when we compare it to what God commands? Not very well, I think.

When I examine my own pattern, I probably read more than most, but I am retired and have the time. I am not in a Bible study, but I study the Bible. I write these stories. But if I look at that list of things that God gave Moses in Deuteronomy, I am not doing enough.

God wants us to be consumed with HIM.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

ALWAYS. WITHOUT CEASING. IN EVERYTHING.

Uh-oh.....

Yet, the Bible also says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2 32).

Lord, I thank you that you consider me worthy to be adopted into your family, because I KNOW that I am totally NOT worthy. Yet your grace extends to someone as flawed as me. There is nothing I could ever do to make myself worthy. Nothing. It's all You, Lord. 100% You. And for that I am eternally grateful. Amen.

Just As I Am - Michael Eldridge

Guard Your Hearts

Today I would like to share with you something that might be hard to understand. Like the following verse says, it "surpasses all understanding." And that it does.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

There are three key parts to that verse. The first, is what many people seek but never seem to find. The peace of God. It's an amazing peace which, like the verse says, is hard to understand.

I became a Christian 20 years ago. I didn't know it at the time but, as I grew in my faith, something else in me shrunk. Anxiety, worry, and fear, all faded from within me. They are no longer part of my life.

How did that happen? I have no idea. All I know is that, when I came to believe in Jesus, my everyday worries began to fade. And today? They are gone. I don't worry about anything. I don't know why, but the Holy Spirit somehow extinguishes them before they even start.

The second thing to the peace of God is that it surpasses all understanding. We already kind of talked about that. It's absolutely amazing. I hear people talking about being worried about this or that and I go, "Really? Why are you worried? You don't have to be." But they can't understand it.

The third thing in the verse above is the "How to" part. It is essential to obtaining that incredible peace that Paul was writing about to the church in Philippi. "In Christ."

This is one of those math things. If A = B, and B = C, then A = C. If you truly believe in Jesus, you will receive the Holy Spirit. If you receive the Holy Spirit, you will receive the peace that surpasses all understanding. It adds up! In a way, it's a math test.

Do you worry? If you do, then the next question becomes, "Are you sure you're in Christ?"

I once heard someone say, "If you're worried about something, you're really saying, "God can't handle this." I think that's true.

God's peace is an amazing thing to have. Do you have that peace in YOUR life? I hope you do.

"I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." - Galatians 2:20

"For in Him we live and move and have our being." - Acts 17:28

Religion of Convenience

"Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did." - 2 Kings 17:41

When I read that the other morning, I reflected on this current generation (including mine). We might even go to church on Sundays, but we can't leave the house without our "smart" phones. We're going to the beach right after and we've gotta post those pictures on social media of us in our swimsuits, hoisting a can of our favorite beverage, all adorned with our designer sunglasses and perfect teeth. Am I wrong?

Maybe I'm just a little disgruntled after watching the latest Packers game. But I think it's more than that. We are so accustomed to our "privilege" in this country. Think about it.

We like our food, of which we have plenty, but we just don't like having to wait for it. So, we invented the microwave oven. But that wasn't good enough. So, we came up with FAST food. We've liked that for several decades, but our schedules got too busy for even that. So, we paid people to pick up our food order and deliver it to our house. But sometimes we just can't wait even that long. So, we order our meals online and have them delivered to our house. We put them in the freezer and nuke 'em whenever we want. And we wonder why we're so obese. 🤔

Our religion can be like that too. We have the Bible. It contains everything that God wants us, and DOESN'T want us, to do. Yet that's too much to handle for many of us so we start eliminating the things we don't like. That's called "deconstruction." Kind of an ala carte Christianity.

The verse that always come back to is this one from Jesus.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

And here's another.

"You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings." - 1 Corinthians 7:23

Then, of course, we have on-line church services, drive through communion, polka worship music, trunk-or-treat, on and on it goes.

We all love our conveniences, but a time is coming when our "essentials" are going to become more and more scarce. You can see it beginning to happen already with oil, gas and meat. Inflation and war.

"And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver." - 2 Kings 6:25

Let's hope it doesn't get THAT bad, but it could. But let's get back to our once-great country. We have lost track of ourselves and ideals. We have forgotten to pass our knowledge down to our children. Instead, "children" are having their way in this country, and we are worse off for it. In my opinion.

"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." - Revelation 2:4

Ain't THAT the truth. We need to repent and run to Jesus. We don't want to go through what's coming without the Holy Spirit within us. Otherwise . . .

"Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" - Matthew 7:23

Where's My Brain?

On Tuesdays I always drive over to Neenah to visit a few of my workmates. It's routine. I love doing that and pouring into my earthly relationships with love and compassion. It's what I do.

Yesterday was no different, only I was going early so I could get a few things at Menards, do a little shopping at Walmart, and then have a nice, leisurely lunch at Subway. That sounds like a great day, doesn't it? Yeah!

Too bad I left my wallet at home. No lunch money. No credit cards. No lunch. No driver's license. It was a good thing I didn't need gas! So, what now?

The first thing I thought of was, "I bet this is how people will feel when they die and think they are going to heaven, only to discover they don't have Jesus."

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ - Matthew 7:21-23

The second thing I thought was this: What if God wanted me to arrive early at my former workplace for a reason. Was there someone He wanted me to talk with, besides the usual victims?

I did reconnect with another friend yesterday. That was good, but also kind of normal. Maybe it's just that I forgot my wallet and now I have to make a second trip on a different day. Stay tuned.

But let me say this: You had better be sure you know Jesus. And by that I mean, Jesus needs to know you are His. It's more than just knowing who He is. Everyone knows that. It's more than just "believing" He exists. Even the demons believe that. There has to be something else.

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." - James 2:19

And here is the key.

You have to repent of your sins. All of them. And then you must become changed. And what do I mean by 'changed'? You must receive the Holy Spirit. And THAT, my friends, will most definitely change you!

And how do you know if you have the Holy Spirit in you? How do you know that you have been changed?

Oh, there will be signs.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

And then it hit me. The real reason I arrived early at my old workplace. The love!

You see, my aunt died Monday night. I shared that fact with my friends at work and received multiple expressionsof compassion in return. And maybe THAT is the real reason I got there early. To verbally mourn for my aunt, and receive some hugs "from God."

God is SO good! Make sure Jesus is Lord of your life. You will never regret it.

Dream Skippin'

When I was a kid, and my family went to a lake, I would soon get bored with whatever we were doing, and go down to the beach by myself. Of course, I'd grab a stick or a rock and throw it out into the water. Why? Because I was a kid, and I was bored. Gotta do SOMETHING!

"Quit throwing rocks in the lake! You'll fill it up!"

"Yeah, right," I said to myself, and walked further down the beach. That's when I saw another kid skipping stones on the surface of the water. So, I tried it. It didn't go well. Lots of distance, one big splash.

Then I saw another kid doing the same thing, so I copied what he was doing. It wasn't long before I was stone skippin' for real. 21 splashes was my record.

Last night I could NOT sleep. I kept waking up, falling asleep, repeat, repeat, repeat. It was like I was skippin' stones again, only with my consciousness, not water.

This happens every once in a while. Kind of like a family trip to the lake. And I have discovered something. Dream skippin.' The place between asleep and awake is where dreams occur. At least for me.

Dreams get born from our overactive imagination, or pepperoni pizza. But also, dreams can be born of God.

“I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." - Joel 2:28

"And He said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream." - Numbers 12:6

"In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter." - Daniel 7:1

So, dreams can come from God, but they can also can come from spicy food. So, how do we discern truth from gas?

I once had a dream that was SO incredibly real, I still remember it to this day. Nothing ever came of that dream, to MY knowledge anyway. Weird.

And have you ever had a dream that was really enjoyable, but then you woke up, and then tried to fall back asleep again? How did THAT work?

When I have a dream that seems important, I actually get out of bed and write it down, in case I forget it before morning. That happens a lot. Many have even made appreances in these stories.

Sometimes dreams are just dreams, but then there are times when dreams are so incredibly vivid that they must mean something, right? Are they from God? Only God knows for sure.

Now here I go again

I see the crystal visions

I keep my visions to myself

- Stevie Nicks

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

Lift Up Your Heads

Each year at this time my eyes turn skyward. Not my actual eyes really, but the eyes of my heart. Rosh Hashanah. The Feast of Trumpets. It began Friday night at sundown in Israel. It is being celebrated right now.

A lot of other things are happening right now as well. Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis, Russia, Ukraine, China, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, the anniversary of 9/11 and Charlie Kirk's assassination. Now, let's throw AI into the mix.

According to a recent article, there is a greater than 10% chance that AI will kill all of the humans by 2030.

What??!!

Yep. (link below)

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” - Luke 21:28

Jesus told us that "when you see these things begin to happen...." People, they are happening right now! Our redemption is near. JESUS is near!!

This story I am writing for you today could very well be the last one that I will ever write. At least here on earth. Lol!

Do you believe the words of Jesus? You're a Christian, right? Then try on these words:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8

We can see on the news what "the world" is doing. It is destroying itself. What are WE doing?

We doom scroll on our phones, we play video games, we watch our favorite TV shows. What are we doing for Jesus?

The Feast of Trumpets ends on Sunday at 6:50 pm in Jerusalem. That's 9:50 am here in Wisconsin. Someone will blow the final shofar on that day - Yom Teruah. The last trumpet. A bible verse comes to mind.

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Tomorrow at 9:50 am I will be in church, worshipping the Lord. That would be perfect, should He choose to call us home.

However, scripture says that "no one knows the day or hour" (Matthew 24:36), and that includes me. But there WILL be signs. Maranatha!

AI Could Kill All Humans By 2030 - Newsmax

Do You Hate Me?

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even their own life - such a person cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:26

That verse always makes me pause for a moment. Jesus wants us to hate everyone? No. Jesus simply wants us to love Him more. More than anyone. Even ourselves.

Who do you love most right now? A spouse? A parent? One of your kids? A super-best friend? Jesus wants us to love Him more than any of these. And that's where we often struggle.

How much do we love Jesus?

The key to understanding the meaning of this verse is to look at the Greek text. In the picture above we see that the Greek word for 'hate' is 'misei.' It actually means to "love less."

Perhaps a better way to understand this verse is to substitute those words for the word 'hate.'

“If anyone comes to me and does not love less their father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even their own life - such a person cannot be my disciple."

Going one step farther, the translators COULD have said, "you must love me more than these." But that's not what scripture says.

The point of all this, I think, is our priorities in life. Is Jesus really our #1 love? We need to remember another verse in order to help us in this.

"At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven." - Matthew 22:30

People tend to think that, when they die, they will be reunited with dead loved ones, or can finally marry the one they truly love. That's not what Jesus just told us. We will all be worshipping and serving God, together.

God gives us friends, children, and spouses as earthly objects of our love and affection. But do we love Jesus more? Remember, God created us all in His own image. He is the creator of ALL things; therefore, we are His. Whatever He says, goes.

Many will struggle with this, but I think that's the point. Jesus said what He said to make us stop and think. Do we really love Jesus more than these? Paul has something to say about this.

"An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs - how he can please the Lord. ³³But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world - how he can please his wife -  ³⁴and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world - how she can please her husband. ³⁵I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 7:32-35

One more verse to close with and I will leave it to you to wrestle with.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." - Mark 12:30

No Way

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me " - John 14:6

There is something hidden in that verse that many people simply do not see, let alone understand. All we have to do is go back one verse to see that even the disciples didn't get it.

"How can we know the way?" - John 14:5

The way? What 'way'?

Jesus wasn't talking about directions to a particular earthly place. He was talking about a way of life. He was talking about Himself. HE is the way!

There is a way of life, and a way of death. Jesus wants us to live a godly life - in Him.

When we come to faith in Jesus we become changed. As Paul told us, it happens "in the twinkling of the eye." (1 Corinthians 15:52). It's instantaneous. It's like the sudden inhalation of air after holding one's breath underwater. Jesus wants us to breathe, in Him.

"In Him we live and move and have our being." - Acts 17:28

We need to quit thinking in terms of "religion" and concentrate on living a "way of life" that is pleasing to God. God wants us to be "holy." Why? Because HE is holy (Leviticus 19:2). God wants us to live a holy life, just like Jesus did.

"Umm . . . that's impossible!"

That's right. We are all sinners and are totally incapable of living 'a holy life.' 

“My prayer is not for them alone (the Apostles). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message (that's us), ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." - John 17:20-21

This is not to imply that "works" are needed. Rather, our works are a result of our being saved.

The world lives a certain way. That way is not the way that Jesus wants us to live.

"Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." - Romans 12:2

And how do we do that? We must become a new creation, in Him.

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Are you a new creation? Have you become changed? "Is there evidence that I've been changed?" Hmm, that's from a sing (link at bottom).

Jesus changes us when we meet Him. Need an example?

"Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John - but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

Boom! Simon was changed. If there has been no change, have we really met Jesus?

Finally, to answer the question in verse 5, "How can we know the way?"

We already KNOW the way. We have trouble committing to beginning the journey. In a nutshell, "Admit that you're a sinner, Believe that Jesus died for your sins, and Forever Receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

That's the way. The question is are we going to walk "in Him," a testimony to who HE us, who WE are, and WHOSE we are.

Live Like That - Sidewalk Prophets

Are You Washed In The Blood? / I'll Fly Away - Alan Jackson

Taqiyya

Taqiyya is a concept in Islam that allows Muslims, particularly Shia, to conceal their faith or religious identity when facing threats of persecution or danger to their lives. It serves as a means of self-protection and is derived from the Arabic word meaning "to shield oneself." - Duck Duck Go Search Assistant

Well, that's interesting. So, regarding the current situation in Iran, can the Islamic regime be trusted in their negotiations? They have been threatened by the U.S. They are in danger. Therefore, according to the definition above, they are allowed to lie.

Here's another thing about lying in the Islamic faith.

"Taqiyya has also been politically legitimised in Twelver Shi'ism, to maintain unity among Muslims and fraternity among Shia clerics." - Wikipedia

The current Iranian leaders adhere to Twelver Shi'ism, where lying is allowed in political situations to "maintain unity among Shia clerics."

What is Twekver Shi'ism?

Twelver Shi'ism is the largest branch of Shia Islam, which believes in a line of twelve Imams as the rightful spiritual and political successors to the Prophet Muhammad. This sect emphasizes the authority of these Imams, starting with Ali ibn Abi Talib and ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed to be in occultation and will return at the end of times. - Duck Duck Go Search Assistant

Interesting. So, will it be Muhammad al-Mahdi against Jesus during "the end of times?" Hmm.🤔

Lying is one of the main differences between Islamic and Christian/Jewish faiths. The God of the Bible has a much different view about lying.

"Thou shalt not bear false witness." - Leviticus 19:11

"God is not a man, that he should lie." - Numbers 23:19

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." - John 14:6

Who would you trust? A god who says lying is not a sin? Or a God who says He IS the truth? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

No one has seen "The Cardboard Ayatollah" since the day his father was killed. Most say he is horribly disfigured. Others say he is dead. Either way, he is a liar, IMO.

The U.S. and Iran have been "negotiating" for months. There us no "war" going on. Just a couple of "children" pushing and shoving each other in the "playground." But a REAL war is brewing in the Middle East. You can read all about it in Ezekiel 38. We are not there yet, but things sure are taking shape.

Ezekiel 38

Next Thing You Know

My wife and I were watching one of "our" TV shows when they cut to a commercial. As is their habit on this show, they usually play some "bumper music," which they did. But instead of muting the song, which my wife usually does, she held the remote and just listened. We both really liked the song. But then it was gone. What was it?

That's where modern technology comes in handy. Most people our age can be incredibly clueless when it comes to technological advances, but, using Google, we did figure out who the artist was and quickly found the song on YouTube (link at bottom).

It was a country song. And although "country" isn't really our thing, we both really enjoyed listening to it. Here's a few of the lyrics:

'Cause next thing you know

You got a yard full of your kid's kids

And ya take 'em to church, teach 'em to fish

And ya tell 'em stories every chance you get

About how fast this life down here can go

That's the stage my wife and I are at. Our kids have kids. And we love it when they're in our yard.

As I listened to the song, the first thing I noticed was how my mind went back in time to our OWN marriage and how I have loved my wife through all of the changes along the way. 

The second thing that crossed my mind was the amazing grace that God has extended to us. We've had our ups and downs, just like most couples. But our love has always endured. We've put up with each other for over 49 years.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever." - Psalm 139:1

I guess from this point on, the next thing you know, we'll both be in heaven, worshipping our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As the song says, "our life down here" sure goes fast.

But God has been with us since before we were born. As it says in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."

I wonder . . . what would happen if we thought about God as we listened to that song? What if we thought about how He has watched over us and directed our steps all along the way. Would our relationship with Him, and our love for Him, grow stronger?

There's one way to find out . . .

Next Thing You Know - Jordan Davis

4th and 3

Judging by the title of today's story, one would guess it's all about football. Nope. But it IS a little unsettling, kind of like going for it on 4th down. No, today's post is about an upcoming event you do NOT want to miss.

Let's start off by talking about the number '7' in the Bible. Seven is the number of completeness or perfection. The Seven Golden Lampstands (Revelation 1:10-12), the Seven Spirits of God (Isaiah 11:2), the Seven Days of Creation (Genesis 1). There are over 700 mentions of the number 7 in the Bible.

In Leviticus 23 God tells Moses that He wants to establish feast days for His people. There are to be seven feast days. Here's a list:

1. Passover
2. Unleavened Bread
3. First Fruits
4. Feast of Weeks
5. Feast of Trumpets
6. Day of Atonement
7. Feast of Tabernacles

"Why are these Jewish feast days important? We're not Jewish. We follow Jesus."

Well . . .

1. Passover - Jesus was crucified during Passover
2. Unleavened Bread - Jesus was in the grave
3. First Fruits - Jesus was resurrected on this very day
4. Feast of Weeks (aka Pentecost) - the Church began on this day. The Holy Spirit poured out on 3,000
5. Feast of Trumpets - not yet fulfilled
6. Day of Atonement - not yet fulfilled
7. Feast of Tabernacles - not yet fulfilled

The next feast day to be fulfilled is the Feast of Trumpets, which begins this year at sundown on September 11th and ends at sundown on September 13th.

I'm going to drop a couple of verses here to get us thinking. This is Jesus talking.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ²My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:1-6

And this one . . .

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Just a little something for us to think about "as we see the day approaching."

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:23-25

Why is the letter 'D' capitalized in the word Day? The day of His return? The day he is coming back to take us to be where He is?Yes it is. It is the Day of The Lord!

This is from GotQuestions.org:

"The ultimate or final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the Day of the Lord will come at the end of history when God, with wondrous power, will punish evil and fulfill all His promises."

The last three feast days are all fall days. A time of harvest and of reconning debt. As the amount of daylight we receive each day is diminishing, it's a good time to reflect on just where our relationship with Jesus stands. Is He our Lord and Savior? Or just some name in an old book.

He is "the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:9).

Don't wait until the last two minutes of the game to try getting into the end zone. Repent of your sins, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. It will be the best call you ever made.

Various Places

"There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." - Luke 21:11

That was Jesus telling His disciples what some of the signs would be before His return, and before the "end of the age."

Have we seen enough? Or do we need even MORE convincing proofs that the time of the end is right now? We're "Right at the door" as Jesus says in Matthew 24:33

I think what makes the video of this flash flood so heart wrenching is seeing people running for their lives. And knowing that most of them are now dead.

But maybe it's good to watch it. I'm sure things looked similar in Noah's day. All the people clamoring to get onto the ark after the door had already been shut. But it was too late.

The signs Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24 are everywhere in the news. Earthquakes, floods, diseases, fires, wars and rumors of wars.

My friends, if Jesus is not Lord of your life right now, get down in your knees and make it happen. Today. None of us is promised tomorrow.

Look, we are ALL sinners. No one is worthy of getting into heaven on his or her own merit. "There is no one good. No not one."

And God is just. He WILL hand out the penalty that our sin deserves, and that penalty is death. Eternal death.

"The wages of sin is death,  but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

How desperate those people must have been. They had no idea that the force of that flood would be upon them so quickly. And that is exactly how it will be. "In the twinkling of an eye." - 1 Corinthians 15:52

Yet, people are going on about their day as if everything's normal. It's not. This is not normal!

Are YOU saved? Have you been set apart by the Holy Spirit? I hope you have. Are you born again? Jesus says that you MUST be!

"Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” - John 3:3

The good news is that there is hope to be found, in Jesus. Anyone who died during that horrible flood who knew Jesus, who was born again, is with the Lord.

Don't go through life without Jesus. Having that hope, especially in these days, is an essential life-saving decision.

Please pray for those effected by the Nepal flood. And also pray for those who witnessed the event, whether live or on video. Such a sad thing to behold.

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world." - Luke 21:25-26

Nepal Flood - CCTV