Christianity for Today

As we continue our dialogue about events that point us to the return of Jesus Christ, this morning I would have us look at the weather phenomenon that surrounds us. As I am writing this, Hurricane Laura is about to hit along the Gulf Coast with a Catagory 3 devastation. This hurricane follows on the heels of Hurricane Marco just a few days ago, although it was not as devastating. Laura could bring a storm surge of up to 13 feet and mega-rainfall, along with strong winds. So, to the south we have hurricanes. To the west we have intense heat and powerful wildfires. Phoenix just set a record for the number of days with temperatures over 115 degrees, and Death Valley recorded one of the highest temperatures ever recorded on planet earth - over 130 degrees. Dozens of wildfires are burning in our Western states, with two of those fires being the largest ever seen in the State of California. Over a million acres have been destroyed by these fires, and there does not seem to be a let-up

Things are happening so quickly in the world around us that it is difficult trying to keep up. There are many signs that we need to focus upon as we await the sounding of God's trumpet and the removal of the Church into glory. What I want to do over the next few weeks is to focus upon one sign each week. We ask ourselves: How does this sign relate to God's timetable and what is its impact upon the world right now? I want to begin that series with a discussion of the recent Israeli-UAE agreement that was negotiated this past week. Cal Thomas wrote an opinion piece that was posted at: www.patriotpost.us/opinions/72783. He begins by writing: "Anything that reduces tensions in the Middle East and contributes to Israel's security should be applauded. The agreement between the UAE (United Arab Emirites) and Israel to establish diplomatic relations in exchange for Israel's suspension of settlements and claims to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (as Israel refers

In His sermon on the end times, Jesus tells His disciples that "because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). We could insert the word "lawlessness" into that verse as well. Hardly a day goes by when we hear of riots and destruction within our nation's cities. Portland has experienced continued rioting for over 70 days. Just this past weekend, rioters invaded Michigan Avenue ("the Miracle Mile") in Chicago, breaking windows and looting upper-end stores. Homicides in our major cities has escalated exponentially these past few months. The number of children and teenagers whose lives have been snuffed out so violently should be alarming to each one of us. Yet, even as the violence and lawlessness escalate, many city councils and mayors continue the discussion of defunding or even disbanding local police departments. This kind of thinking almost defies one's logic. In fact, it is not based on logic at

A few weeks ago I was having breakfast with a friend. After a conversation concerning what is happening in our country, he recommended a book to me that he thought I would appreciate reading. The book is titled, "Free to Believe: The Battle over Relgious Liberty in America." The author is Luke Goodrich, one of the leading religious freedom attorneys for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Mr. Goodrich has argued cases before the United States Supreme Court, including those most recent ones involving Hobby Lobby and the Little Sisters of the Poor. I purchased the book and began to delve into its pages. I was not disappointed. He argues that "religious freedom isn't rooted in Roman law or the American Constitution. It goes much deeper than that. It's rooted in God's original design for humanity - in the way God created us (for relationship with Him) and in the way God relates to us (giving us freedom to embrace or reject Him)." He then goes