Luke 17:20-37 ~ days

Tsunami attacking in Minami-Sanriku

Luke 17:20-37

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you [within you, or within your grasp].”

22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse [Greek body] is, there the vultures [eagles] will gather.”

When Haiti had earthquakes people were upset about hearing it could be punishment from God. ( I doubt this highly that is was a generational curse - more a life event weaving good and evil together.) Then Japan and New Zealand - the Google world went Berserk trying to see if the animal and bird die-offs and earthquakes were the end of the world.

Now we have the most tornadoes spawned in USA history and the Google trends don't put a blip on the radar about why we have such strange weather. Or the death toll. Or even a thought to the discussion of the rapture stories sound like the tornado..... Okay, okay, okay - not.

Why not. Why is everyone according, to Google, uninterested in this devastation. The news is reporting it. People mention it to one another - but the interest is surface deep.

I'm from Texas, but fortunate never to have seen a tornado. I'm spent a few evenings in inner rooms with sirens wailing, but not the F-4s bearing down on me or the ones I love. I slept through the Hurricane Ike tornado that ripped through our backyard. Three of us slept through it, the hurricane had made noise for a night. But coming from this part of the world, I know F-4 survivors. No one looks away or is bored when someone tells you their personal story of F-4 tornadoes. Grown men and women cry when they tell it, if it was recent. Children start to shake.

I know a teen-age boy who was in Wichita Falls when they had multiple F-4s. He became so mesmerized by the multiple tornadoes bearing down on them, his mother had to cover his eyes to get him to come into the house. They survived by climbing into an inside bathroom and putting everyone flat into the tub with every mattress and spring set in the house on top of them. They all held on to the tub spout. Not a bad idea if you don't have a storm shelter.

I know a neighbor was in Wadena, Minnesota in July of last year where they had multiple tornadoes. (Tornadoes in Minnesota in July?) Some were F-4. After the tornadoes went by, the Churches were packed and overflowing. Why? Incredible devastation, but so many destroyed places had one thing still standing - the cross. Where a cross had been placed, the tornado left the place where the cross stood. So many places were utterly ruined, but no lives were lost.

My neighbor, in Wadena, said it was like the tornado had a mind - the way one place was destroyed and the next place wasn't.

Well, now you are saying to yourself Scripture for Today Blogspot believes this is the end of the world. Far be it from me to be the mouth piece for something Jesus said would be unknown except to God Almighty. The point to be made from these unusual circumstances is this - we cannot save ourselves.

We are foolish if we ignore or become blase about this suffering so close to us, living in the United States.

These events should not be taken lightly. The people living through them will spend time wondering what the meaning of these events signal. They will wonder what their lives are really made of. Wonder what the deeper meaning of life is. This is wise.

At the end of the tsunami video - you will see people risk their lives to go back and help others. In the news reels you will hear of the tornado survivors say how much is being done for them from friends, family, and how these catastrophes draw them together. We live in a time where too much is going on - it is difficult to pull together all that is needed in life to feel more and more comfortable.

It is time to stop trying so hard to make life comfortable and time to assess what gives life meaning. Is it the end of the world - probably not - but we are getting a taste of catastrophe after catastrophe - riot after riot. If signal, signal, signal happens isn't it wise to ask our Father in prayer, "What can I do for You, Father? How can I give peace and security in the middle of uncertainty? Father God, we all want peace. Help us to become instruments of peace for You. Help me to live my life, Father God, in ways that are pleasing to the Love You have for me. Help me to help others. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen."

What can you do - behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you [within you, or within your grasp]. Let your Light shine. Share God's Love with the ones you love. Be bold, use words. Then preach the Gospel and if you have to use words.



Mile Wide Tornado Tears Through Tuscaloosa - spawns rare side-ways tornadoes.

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