What in the World is Going On?

As a little kid, I saw elderly men marching up and down a sidewalk. They held signs that said, “Repent, for the end is near.”  The next day, week, year, or decades, I thought of them and said to myself, “Yeah, right!” However, I now believe it could truly happen in the not so distant future.

Acts 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: KJV

Joel, chapter 2, says essentially the same thing

So many weird things are happening these days that we often say that the world is spinning out of control. We wonder what in the world is going on. 

Here are a few examples.

Mass deaths

The news reports come quite often.  A huge number of creatures die mysteriously. Sometimes it is fish, other times birds, occasionally bigger animals.

Bees worldwide disappear due to something called Collapsing Hive Syndrome. They fly away and never come back. No one knows where they go or what happens to the bodies. We need bees to pollinate food crops. Without bees, we would get less fruits and vegetables, setting us up for famine.

 Insect eating animals such as songbirds, frogs, and lizards are also vanishing in increasing numbers. Bats, which eat massive quantities of mosquitoes and other insects, suffer from White Nose Syndrome.   It is a fungus that has killed over six million bats.

Strange Sounds    

People around the globe hear strange rumblings, hums, roars, and groans of giant unseen beasts, and other noises. Some almost sound like singing and others totally scary. A lot of theories abound about this phenomenom, but no real explanations.

Yes, the earth grows stranger with each passing year.  What does it all mean in the scheme of things? Of course, we can’t know, but it is interesting to watch as weirdness descends on us and Bible predictions are fulfilled.

Image 

Halley's Comet- By The Yerkes Observatory [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Signs in the Sky

It may have started. In the past week, we have seen three or more signs in the sky.  It set the whole world wondering what is going on above them.  We waited while an asteroid approached earth. Astronomers told us about that one.  It purportedly passed between the earth and the moon 

Around the same time, another fireball crashed in Russia, injuring over a thousand people and spreading panic throughout the region.  The next day, people saw another unannounced fireball speed through the California sky and fall to the ground.

Some reports say that a meteorite also hit other areas, including Cuba. 

These incidents occur from time to time, with increasing frequency.  An object from space scars the earth or makes a hole in someone’s roof. The occurrence of several of these events in a dramatic way may signal the beginning of the end, the wonders in heaven above spoken of in Acts in the Bible.

Other signs we have seen over time include mysterious lights acting in weird ways. Unusual spirals sometimes decorate the sky as documented on news sources and seen on the Internet. We see photos of angels and hearts formed by clouds or a combination of sky features on the Internet.   One even featured a face with a smile and it was labeled "God's Smile. 

Who knows what wonders and mysteries we will behold in coming days and years? 

In Acts in the Bible, we read about these signs and watch the heavens with wonder and awe.

 19 "And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:"

21 And it shall come to pass; that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. This is the important

The important thing to remember is that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  It is the promise the Bible offers in these uncertain days. It is something each of us can do now, wherever we find ourselves today.

Image from Public.Domain.Images.com

How Israel and the US are Linked

If you start doing research into the links between the US and Israel, we find many surprising similarities.  These two nations share twin destinies.

Religious freedom.

From America’s earliest origins, its destiny has been intertwined with Israel’s. The Puritans looked for religious freedom and the founders of America provided it. Israel and the US had a covenant with God.

Hedge of Protection

God blessed both nations with a hedge of protection built around them. The hedge cannot be broken as long as the people acknowledge God in all things and put Him first. If the people repeatedly anger God and start worshipping idols of any kind, the blessing will be removed.

In Israel, many are throwing out ancient mores such as the Ten Commandments.  America is kicking God out of everywhere and everything. Some mock Him openly.  We see bare spots in the hedge.  How long before it disappears? 

Promised land

The Jews looked upon the land of Israel as the Promised Land of God.  He led them out of Egypt and after many years of scattered groups living all over the world guided them to the one nation of Israel.

 New Americans considered their adopted land as God’s Promised Land that He led them to, just as He had the Israelites.  

The United States of America, in Hebrew, means The Covenant Lands of America. The founding fathers thought that the national seal of America should show the Israelites crossing the Red Sea while Pharaoh’s Army drowned.  They even discussed making Hebrew the official language.

These are but a few of the many reasons that the US and Israel carry strong links to each other.

 Images:

Praying Hands from Wikimedia Commons

ROSSELLI, Cosimo -Crossing of the Red Sea from Wikimedia Commons

This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.  

Where is God?

Most people seek truth. They want to know about God and wonder where He is in today’s modern, confusing world. 

Many scoffers on the Internet say He does not exist and that He is nowhere to be found.  One friend even refers to Him as “your imaginary, invisible friends in the sky.”  The truth is that God is alive and if you look, you will find Him.

You can find him in the darkest night. He inhabits the cave you run to when trying to escape the cruelty and terror of this world. He lives in your house and your neighbor’s house.

He sees you when you are alone. He knows all the secret places in your heart and is waiting for you to ask Him for comfort, encourage, and intervention in your life.  He watches you become more desperate, ready to throw in the towel and decide to turn to Him.

You can hide your true nature and thoughts from everyone else. You can fool your family, friends, and the people where you work.  Never forget that God sees everything.

God marches with you in the army. He is there when shells explode and your buddy lays wounded beside you.  He is there through all of life’s tragedies, the unspeakable events you hear about on the news almost daily. He walks beside you as you bury your child. He wants to comfort and console but you need to ask Him.

As you journey through today’s events, ask God to help.  The answer you seek comes in many forms. Just ask and see what happens! What do you have to lose?

Images:

Hopetoun Falls "Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0" public domain

 Sombrero Galaxy created by NASA and is in the public domain.