Jesus commanded his disciples to pray that when the End-time comes, their flight from Jerusalem will not happen during winter. Jerusalem's winters are normally mild but the past couple of days have seen snow storms so severe which cut off routes and flooded several places in or near the holy city. Is the end-time near? This Christmas, Christians will ask the question afresh with greater urgency, seeing that we have seen several portents and signs during 2013.
We have had a meteorite falling in north Russia in a fiery ball and injuring thousands. We have numerous volcanies in Indonesia erupting and earthquakes happen every week, we have severe typhoons in central Phillipines while nations are experiencing civil wars in Syria and central Africa and the soon to be 11-year old US led war in Iraq has not seen peace dividends but almost daily bombings and deaths in Baghdad. We have seen civil conflicts in Ukraine and Egypt continuing over 2 years. We have seen protests that took away human lives in Bangkok. And even a rare riot involving 400 people in Singapore! What is the Lord telling his people? Even as the reading for today in Matt 11.2-11 reminds us that we should live like John the Baptist, lived off the land with humility, without worldly attachments, without a care for we own nothing in this world and the soon to come kingdom of God is our eternal inheritance.
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