March 22, 2011 Wars and Rumors of Wars!

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed, such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."

Good Tuesday, I am running late, morning to you my dear brothers and sisters. I was up early and off to a funeral this morning. The gentleman, Ed Pague, was a Navy Veteran from WW2, a Marine Veteran from Korea, and even more dangerous, he drove school bus for 32 years with his back to kids. Mr. Pague, one of his sons and three of his daughters drove school bus for me at Central Dauphin School District. Prayers for M.J. who is in the Holy Spirit Hospital, also ongoing prayers for Allison, for Ron, for Kathleen, and for Dolores. About a week ago Dolores was sitting at the piano and said to me, "I think my ribs just broke." Yesterday we had them X-rayed and sure enough, one was broken. Her pelvis is broken in two places, bones are breaking off her knee cap and now this, and she has not fallen, and no I did not punch her out. Tuesday is also the day we pray for cures for all these major illnesses like cancer and all of them, you know the list.

The Big Trip 15-2 Wars and Rumors of Wars! Matthew 24:6 - "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed, such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes n various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains." (NIV)

Yesterday when I was talking to you about Jesus calming the storms, and some of the storms were earthquakes, and some were tsunamis, and of course I talked about how Jesus could still calm the storms because He is still the same today as He was yesterday and He will be the same tomorrow and forever and ever. Today I want to just look at the Scripture where Jesus is quoted as saying "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed." Right now there are many wars going on around the world, more than I care to even try to count. We as a Nation are involved in many, and if I were to ask you how many some might say one, or two, maybe some might say three. Let us look at just some of them.

We, as a Nation, are involved in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, and that is making our military pretty thin. But we are also involved in a "war on drugs" in this country, and a "war against crime" and we have gang wars going on in a host of our cities and towns across this Nation. Dare I go on? I think you are getting the picture. Yes, there are, as Jesus said would happen, nations rising up against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms.

Jesus also said "There will be famines!" and are there not people starving all over the world, and many, many in our own neighborhoods? And you ask how in the world can we have people starving in this "Land of Plenty?" Kids are starving while parents smoke and drink, seniors are hungry because they have little money and are to proud to ask for help. And we have homeless people calling bus stop shelters their homes at night. And yes, we have people who themselves are hungry because they choose to drink and drug each dime they get their fingers on. Even in countries where America as a nation has sent food, not always does it reach those who are hungry... I am bringing this out now, not so much for a plea for help, but to point out the fact that years and years ago, about 2,000 years ago, Jesus told us this would happen.

Jesus also said "there would be earthquakes in various places." And there are earthquakes all over the world, from the big one in Japan, the 9.0, to small ones in Dillsburg, Pa.

Jesus also said this, "But see to it that you are not alarmed, such things must happen, but the end is still to come." Now it is hard not to be alarmed as we watch the news coming out of Japan and other countries where we have had earthquakes, and watch the news of our big bombers on their bomb runs again. Still the end is still to come... AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS WE HAVE WORK TO BE DONE. Yes, the end is still to come and we are commissioned to spread the GOOD NEWS! What, did you say, Pastor Dan? We are to spread the good news in the midst of all this bad news? Well, no, I am just telling you what Jesus said. Oh, how the newspapers and TV news people tell the bad news, and not one of them will stand up and tell you the good news of what is coming.

Folks, yesterday I talked about Jesus calming the storms, and let me tell you the storms that He calms most, if you really really love Him and ask Him into your lives, will be the storms of your life. Will you still have storms in your life? Of course, we all will, some more than others, and sometimes we wonder why. Take the family, the wonderful Christian family who lost seven children in a fire. How would one get through that if they did not love the Lord? Bad things do happen to good people and let me ask you this, how many times have you had something bad happen in your life and you said or thought, how does one get through this without Jesus? How would the family of the seven little ones ever get through it without holding on to Jesus and to family? Oh, I am sure they will never forget it, nor will the hurt go away completely, until the day they all get together again at the feet of Jesus. And that will happen if they keep believing.

So folks, as I wrap this up I just want to suggest this to you, as the storms rage, and the wind blows, and the papers and news is full of the bad news, SING OUT THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS AND HIS SAVING GRACE, HAND IT OVER TO HIM. And go to work for Jesus telling others what He has done in your life, tell of how you might have hit bottom and Jesus brought you back. (No, you did not do it on your own, nobody does.) Hey, all these things going on, to use a term I used a lot, "don't sweat the small stuff," keep on going on and telling others about the "good stuff", JESUS AND HIS LOVE, and it will only get better and better the nearer and nearer we get to Him... AMEN.

Dear Father in Heaven, with all that is going on, I give myself over to You this day, and just say to You, I love You, I trust You and I am going to work for You. And Lord, please look at our prayer requests and honor them according to your will... In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now go forth, walking in glory and not fearing a thing except God Himself, and make that a reverent fear, and share His blessings and work and live for Him. Love ya, Pastor Dan.