Pam Padgett - teacher
This morning a man came to winterize my sprinkler system. He looked
out at the land behind my house, which was once a golf course but has
been closed and there are now lots of weeds on the land. One of the
things he had heard was that this land might be sold and houses built on
it. He said this would be terrible for people like me whose houses are
next to the land.
I told him I had prayed about this and been helped and able to live in peace, reminded that all of this is going to burn at the end of the world, and it really doesn't matter what happens with the golf course land now.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in
the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the
works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the
coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
This man then commented that it seems that everything is getting out
of control. I told him that it can sometimes seem like things are out
of control to us, but its not out of the control of God. He said no more that wasn't related to winterizing the sprinkler system.
After he left I was thinking about his comment that it seems that
everything is getting out of control. There have been times it has seemed to me that
"things were out of control", and God has shown me this is not the
case. God has all knowledge and power.
Like so many others on Sept. 11, 2001 I saw on television that a
plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center buildings, and then
suddenly a second plane hit the other building. Before long one of the
buildings collapsed, and a little later the second building collapsed.
At first there was such shock. How could this happen? It seemed that
things were terribly out of control that planes were hitting buildings
and the buildings completely collapsed.
But then I was reminded that God had given Joan a dream some years before which she had shared with us in which ... I (Joan) looked toward the skyline of New
York City and it was gone. The only thing I could see was dust rising
from the ground. It was like implosion dust when buildings fall in on
themselves.
(Comments by Joan Boney ... I was given a total of three dreams about destruction of World Trade Center. The first dream I was given ... I was in a tall, glass building ... something began to happen outside ... the building was shaking ... it was like it was going to fall on us ... This was not the first bombing but the second. Life would never be the same again... Another dream: I was sitting in cafe and vehicles with sirens began going past ... one after another ... each time I see TV show of World Trade Center attack, and hear siren, I think of that dream. These dreams were in approximately 1982-85)
What Joan described from this dream was what I was seeing. Being reminded by the Holy Spirit that God had shown before what would happen was such a comfort to me and calmed me.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
This morning I was also reminded of Jesus teaching about the end of the
world. People of the world think things are out of control when various
wars break out. But I've been comforted when the Holy Spirit has
reminded me that Jesus told us not to be troubled for
these things must come to pass before the end ..
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the
disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these
things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of
the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no
man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences,
and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of
sorrows.
Jesus told us other things that will happen before, and at, His return.
To the natural eye it may look like things are out of control.
But we have been told these things will happen, and the Holy Spirit is able to comfort us, including by reminding us that Jesus told us of these things, and instructed us, before.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall
kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall
hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall
be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all
the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee
into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to
take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the
field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are
with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither
on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh
be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there;
believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the
desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it
not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even
unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For
wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the
sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of
man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he
shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other.