The Judgment Is Coming

At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here.

Author's Note:

Now, don't worry, old Michael the Lesser isn't turning into a Left Behind, the Sky is Falling, Over the Top, Let's Hunker Down, Rising Rapture Religious Hack.  No, I'm going to stay just the normal religious hack that you've grown to love.  But, the Gospel readings for today are about the end times so I had my choice I could pick something else or attack the subject head on.  I have obviously chosen the latter. I will keep it short. 

The End of The World is a subject that has been popular with Christians since the very beginning. There have been any number of predictions of the exact date and time when the return of Jesus was to occur only to have that day come and go with no visual or sonic signs of the Lord's return.  Some denominations exist today just because some pastor has taken a sentence here and a sentence there from the Bible and has woven both of them into a prediction that says, "This is It."  Well, pastor, take it from me, you are probably wrong. 

It is a great waste of time and energy to pine for and spend all of your spiritual resources on predicting and watching for the imminent return of Jesus.  Make no mistake, He is coming. But remember, Jesus Himself said that the day and hour of the end is known to the Father.  

God has given us today. It might be bright and sunny where you are or it might be gloomy and wet. No matter what the day is like, it is a gift from God.  Don't worry about the end of your life or the end of time.  Embrace today and do what you can to make the world just a little bit better.  All it takes to do this may be a smile or a kind word or just some thoughtful kindness bestowed without thought of repayment. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice! Do this and come what may, you will be ready for Day of the Lord.

With Great Sorrow but With Hope

The cowardly attacks that took place in Paris fill me with great sadness.  Innocent people were cut down in the prime of life, their contributions to the common welfare cut off from those that remain on this troubled world.  The perpetrators of this atrocity, those that were killed or those that killed themselves have already stood before God and have rendered an explanation for their actions. God has pronounced his sentence which I will not comment upon.  The innocent too have had their moment of judgement, each standing before the judgement seat of God.  I suspect that their interview may have went differently then that of their murderers. 

The world we are living in is sliding towards lawlessness. In America we have allowed the cancer of disobedience to God's law to creep into the fabric of our society.  We murder babies in the womb.  We approve of and have made legal "marriage" between people of the same sex, showcasing our disobedience with parades and presidential speeches.  We have allowed our egos to edge God out of our world. 

Is ISIS a punishment or plague sent by God as a chastisement? No, I don't believe so.  But I do believe that it is a result of the lowering of our morals so as to the lowest common denominator rather than trying to raise our brothers and sisters up. 

The people of Paris have endured the unendurable and have come together as a people united against ISIS and all that it believes. This fills me with hope for the future.  Someday we will realize what we have done.  We will turn back to God and we will once again, after wiping Isis from the face of the earth enjoy the peace that comes with the obedience to the Word of God. 

There will be trouble ahead, ISIS will attack again.  I believe that they are already planning a strike against us here in the United States.  To defeat these blasphemers we need to bring out our greatest weapons.  We must pray that God moves His mighty hand against them.  When we do this, when we turn back to God, He will step in and defeat ISIS.  It is good to remember that no matter what, the victory is already won and that any gains that the ISIS marauders achieve will be temporary. 

Be at peace Paris for the Lord God is on your side. 

Be at peace America for the Lord is waiting for your return. 

Be at peace our world for the victory is already ours.