Is this the end?

Appreciate your thoughts. It doesn’t bring me down at all to review, post and comment on the peril we are in. And, yes, thank God, I have opportunities frequently to be a friend to people who are hurting, lonely, and needy. That’s what I do best. (I’m not bad at public speaking, but don’t say nothin.)

It is important to be reminded that there’s a heaven waiting. This life doesn’t offer what would satisfy us, but we seek for fulfillment in the here and now anyway with reckless abandon. God is Himself the true and only source of joy and happiness and completeness—in abundance, too. It is so sad that people view that comment as a fundamentalist’s cliche. God is nothing like a fundamentalist in the way people think of fundamentalists. He is an endless supply of creative energy, kindness, fun, challenges, friendliness, understanding and companionship.

Without him, if I was still alive, I’d be sitting in a bar drinking beer, smoking cigarettes, killing time, friendless, living in a shack, bitter, nasty, filthy and in trouble.

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As of this moment in the entire state of Alabama there are no ICU beds available.

GET THIS it was already “the most exceptional drought that we’ve ever shown on the map in the Western US,” according to Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who creates maps for the US Drought Monitor. The drought has grown worse since then, and now affects a whopping 95 percent of the West.

The water level at Lake Mead reached a historic low in >hoover-dam-reservoir-lake-mead-record-low-drought), dropping to 1,071.57 feet above sea level.

Today, the US Bureau of Reclamation declared a water shortage at Hoover Dam’s Lake Mead, which 25 million people across the Western US and Mexico rely on for water. It’s the first time this kind of declaration had been made on the Colorado River, the main source of water for Lake Mead, CNN and E&E News report.

I want to add, if you are anything like me, when things are going well and you are cruisin along as if all is well and there ain’t nothin that’s gonna happen that could bring you down, God is a curse word.

When things begin to fall apart and the world is on fire and you are running out of water and electricity and Israel is asking neighboring nations for help to put out fires and Russia is burning 10,000,000 acres and Delta has emerged with the promise of a much deadlier variant comin this winter if Covid is not under control and we are 26 trillion in debt and terrorists are likely getting ready to use a hydrogen bomb, God becomes a refuge.–if we so choose.

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If a person has truly been born from above through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, all these things that are happening in the world should not cause fear. In Christ we have over come the world, and if we continue in faith, love and obedience to Jesus, we will be safe. Not necessarily not being affected by them in the sense, some of us may die or lose all we own. But we will overcome sin and love of self by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and not loving our lives to the death.

During all this we just keep on living our lives like we already should have been, loving God above all else and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

All these things and more will happen. Lift up your eyes, for our salvation draws near.
But the unbelieving and wicked will continue to increase in their evil ways, but the Lord has their reward ready for them. Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers or their condemnation will become yours.

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Wow. Without him, I don’t drink more than 6 oz of wine with dinner (want to lose my COVID chub), have never smoked, have friends here and RL, live in a bohemian old warehouse and am not in the least bit bitter or nasty (though COVID has led to less frequent showering and shaving). I think you over estimate how devastating life without God must be. However, to be fair, I do frequently feel in touch with something beyond my separateness. But we’re not on a first name basis so I can’t tell you if Jesus is involved or not. If so, I think He must be modest about taking a lot of credit. Good being whatever the name may be.

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2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4 for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7 and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 Then Jesus[b] asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12 and the unclean spirits[c] begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid.

I relate to this man more than anyone else. I know this is a true, historically accurate, real event. Please, if you possibly can, believe me.

I don’t think you are aware of the many testimonies of those who were in the gutter, literally and figuratively, whose lives were turned around by Jesus. (Maggie was pretty desperate, you might recall.) The author of Amazing Grace was one such. There is definitely irony in that so many are clueless about its meaning, since it is sung so frequently. Contentment is dangerous.
 

Then I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!’
 
Luke 12:19

Jesus said, “If you love the world and the things of the world, the love of God is not in you”. A so called peaceful and contented life is no sign of having a relationship with God or Jesus. We must lose our life here to keep it forever. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his life?

What about those who promote strife and division - who peddle fear or are quick to condemn their neighbor? What is that a sign of?

Jesus also said that a tree is known by its fruit. Apparently where humans are concerned, the outward labels on the packaging have not been known to be reliable with regard to the actual contents.

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Not sure what you mean by your statement. By separating my one statement from the whole post, it disassociates it from the context it was said in.
A person can feel peaceful and content with their life and still be an enemy of God, a child of wrath and under His judgment. Only by faith in, love for and obedience to the Father and Son is their true peace and contentment. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commands”. “You must be born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven”. As Jesus made clear, we must lose our life here to save it and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
As a Christian you know these things to be true, so if you would please, clarify what you ment by your statements as they appear to me not to have any association to what I said and ment.

I will be happy to clarify, but am getting ready for a long day with students, so my next opportunity to get back to this may be when I’m back home after 10pm (Kansas time) tonight - or more likely tomorrow. Just so you know I’m not ignoring you.

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What you said about the outward label may not show the actual content is true. A person in this life can appear content but still be an enemy of God. A person can call themselves a Christian but still be an enemy of God. It is only true faith in Jesus and His cross and resurrection that produces the works of God in a persons life that brings salvation from sin. All who truly repent and call on the name of the Lord will be saved. The whole world is under the power of the wicked one. All must repent, trust, love and obey Jesus to be made safe.

When I look at what this guy allegedly said, it is so obvious He wasn’t from this planet. It wasn’t just a few words He says that give it away. His whole life is about another universe, another place far removed from this dump. He was not just some weirdo peddling far out junk. Look at him. Look at everything He says and does. He is the most abnormal other-earthly cat spewing his stuff and responding to life and earthlings consistently like he is Klaatu or somebody who in no way resembles just a good old fashioned human being. He is nothing like us. He is exactly like us.

That He was going to die may have been a surprise to Him towards the end of His ministry for all I know. vinnie

He knew all about it for a long time.

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

What guy, Ralphie? Who is this a response about? Give us context with a quote from the post or something. And sorry if this is just me being dense - but I don’t have a clue what this post is responding to.

Agreed. And it sounds like we’re agreed that outward appearances generally are not always reliable. My point is just that we don’t ignore the signs (fruits) we can see of a person’s life either. That does mean something. And I am less hasty than you to pronounce God’s wrath on somebody who on the surface may seem (and even claim to be) an outsider to “God’s church”, but who nonetheless is driven by prophetic passions for justice in this or that Godly pursuit on behalf of his/her neighbor.

It brings to my mind Jesus’ story about the two sons, one of whom outwardly disrespects his father by refusing him to his face and yet following his Father’s wishes anyway, and the other “says the right words” but then doesn’t actually do what he says. It’s the first son that gets the commendation. The lesson I see there is that the actual fruit (obedience) is probably a more reliable indicator of a person’s present relationship with their maker than whatever impressive slate of doctrines they’ve signed their name to.

[quote=“Mervin_Bitikofer, post:275, topic:46517, full:true”]

What guy, Ralphie? Who is this a response about? Give us context with a quote from the post or something. And sorry if this is just me being dense - but I don’t have a clue what this post is responding to.

Sorry about that. Had no idea it wouldn’t be clear. It is a statement of my incredulity, not a response to anyone, per se.

Jesus is so completely “other” than anyone else I know of, it is mind boggling at times to see the fight we put up not to recognize him. Everything we know about him, practically, portrays him as a stranger in a strange land. He didn’t talk like we do. He didn’t do the things we do. He didn’t live for the things we associate with anyone. People treated him differently. Some worshiped him and when big shots protested, He told them to knock it off. Essentially saying, “I’m worth it.” He wasn’t bragging. He was stating fact it seems to me. Who accepts adoration like that? Who never sinned? Who never hated or was jealous or resentful? Who suffered the agony of crucifixion voluntarily for the very people who pounded the nails through him and sent him there? Who rises from the dead and cautions his girlfriend not to hug him for He hadn’t yet returned to heaven? Who stimulates such passion in others that 2,000 years later mankind is still fascinated by him, either loving him or hating him with intense passion? No one else from history commands our attention or curiosity, our devotion. Who healed the sick and the lame, the blind, the bleeding like He did? Who else ever created something like the beatitudes? Who else claimed to be God and backed it up with the stream of miracles like He did? Who said 12 legions of angels were ready at a moment’s notice to defend him?

Sometimes when I step back and take a fresh look at this Guy, it becomes so impossible not to see him as God. He has to be God, you know? He is completely unique. It was in that vein I wrote what I did.

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Nationally, 96 large fires have burned 2,427,574 acres. Large fires and complexes in California and Minnesota burned actively, some gaining thousands of acres.

Two and one half million acres burnt, and here come the hurricanes. Remember Andrew? Katrina? Haiti just had a massive earthquake.

And you tell me, over and over again, my friend
Ah you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction

And yet before his public ministry his sinlessness attracted no attention because he seemed so ordinary. In fact, after he started preaching, his fellow townspeople wondered if he could really be so special since he was seemed ordinary growing up, never voted “most likely to succeed.”

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If you would like, you can buy a Soviet MiG 21 super sonic jet fighter. According to the FAA, there are about 44 available for sale in the U.S. to private citizens for $150,000 each. There are many other military aircraft for sale to the public as well.
I mention this here because weaponry like these machines which can be purchased by you and me makes me aware how dangerous our world really is.

This is enough for me to make me aware how dangerous our world really is.

Gen 4:7 If you do what is appropriate, you’ll be accepted, won’t you? But if you don’t do what is appropriate, sin is crouching near your doorway, turning toward you. Now as for you, will you take dominion over it?” 8 Instead, Cain told his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the wilderness.” When they were outside in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Do you have any idea what it would take to actually arm a fighter and use it? I can go to any hardware store and buy a hammer that I could use to kill someone. Does that make hammers dangerous?