"But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand." ... Matthew 7:26
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Probably if you ask most Christians which book of the Bible they most enjoy reading all the way through, they'll say the book of John.
Me? Always the odd girl out, I'd say Revelation.
And because of that--and liking other scattered scriptures prophetically describing future disasters of our planet--these huge weather-related disasters never surprise me. Nor do the dreadful ways people act nowadays toward each other, nor their stubbornness in denying Truth.
Weirdly, I've been waiting to see all this since I was a little girl sitting in a church pew, with feet unable to touch the floor. I was warned back then that all this stuff would intensify in the future, appear more frequently, and well, it has.
And of course, I will donate some money through the Red Cross for the immediate help of those in need. Gladly I'll do that. But to help people rebuild structures on the sand? Right beside a churning, powerful ocean? That would feel just too weird for me, unbiblical, even.
Tom and I live two blocks from a river, inside a house which has safely stood since 1930. But should Hobbit Cottage ever be flooded? We'd be out of here. Somehow, some God-provided way (He who can make a way where there is none), to higher, drier land, probably in a whole other state.
As for us and our house, we will not rebuild upon sand, nor will we love one place upon this planet so dearly that it becomes our heaven on Earth.
We will save heaven for Heaven ... and settle-in there, for good and for all eternity.
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Disclaimer: Please don't have a cow. I'm just saying what Tom and I would do. Everybody has God-given freedoms to build upon sand beside an ocean (or anywhere else) if they wish, of course.
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2 Timothy 3:1-5
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Matthew 24: 4,6-13
"And Jesus answered them,“See that no one leads you astray.... And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
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I forgot to mention earlier that at an estate sale last weekend, a cashier looked almost exactly like Gladys Taber. I kept staring at her, I'm sure.
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Luke 21:25-28
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On earth, nations will be afraid and confused because of the roar and fury of the sea. 26 People will be so afraid they will faint, wondering what is happening to the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, look up and hold your heads high, because the time when God will free you is near!” NCV
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3 comments:
Debra, I really hope you will do some internet investigation before contributing to the Red Cross. Other places like Salvation Army, etc handle funds better. When we were in the Navy years ago they actually made life harder for us!! Then in 1987 when I had to have a complete hysterectomy plus exploratory surgery done, because THEY had control of the rules about blood transfusions (which were that you were not allowed to pick your donor, or even save up for yourself...some of which later was changed, though I have no idea what it is today) I had to go through that emergency surgery and sign off on any transfusions being given to me, even if I died. Being my youngest was only 3.5 and had health problems, you can imagine the agony that put me in at that time. I vowed we would NEVER again donate blood or money or any such thing to that outfit again. There are many good places to donate...even churches which would give 100% of your money to those in need. Many organizations today are so far from the way they were founded, sadly. We really need to do our homework before giving. Sadly. But it is the world we live in. And the internet does make it a tad easier to learn things. For which I am grateful!!
Elizabeth
PS...hubby and I agree with your feelings on rebuilding on sand. Yet all of us will get to pay for what has happened, no doubt. Without any say in the matter. I think our forefounders had other ideas on such things. We do not understand people wanting to live in the same place even. After loosing everything, seems reminders of that loss would be too painful. But we too are looking forward to Kingdom days...everything here is only temporary.
Elizabeth
Sadly my father told us about problems in the service and since with Red Cross too. Since we too read the back of the book years ago we too expect things to not get better. And that is Very Sad. Even if...expected. I don't believe we can blame global warming for all of this for sure. No matter how much Al Gore wants us too. :) I haven't heard any one in my blogland who was affected by all this weather but probably will. What get me is that such things are top news for a few days or a week then all so quickly hardly mentioned and on to the next problem. I am sure if Calif had the Big One hit and it was as bad as they feel it would be no one would blink any longer except when their food was late since we produce so much or some such thing. We are all so scattered that even though we think the world is so connected it seems each small community an island unto ourselves. This makes it easy to listen to the news of disasters but since it does not affect them some hardly think of it. They are at this moment here on tv reporting some of the problems people are going through. It is heart breaking. Sarah
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