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Wars and Rumors of Wars
Pastor Jim Kilby • November 6, 2023
"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." (Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 24:6, NIV)
Friends,
Once again, our newsfeeds are inundated with horrific accounts of terrorist attacks against the sovereign state of Israel. Thousands upon thousands of rockets have rained down on the ancient Holy Land, killing innocents by the hundreds. Two hundred mostly young people were gunned down as they attended a music festival. Small towns had their inhabitants murdered in the most heinous of ways, causing even the most hardened warfighters who went house-to-house to weep. More than a thousand people were killed when a terrorist’s rocket misfired and hit a hospital in Gaza. Another 200 people were snatched from streets and homes and are now being held captive to be used as nothing more than bargaining chips. Rightly, non-combatants on all sides of this insanity are living in fear; afraid to go outside. Afraid to let their loved ones go outside. All the while this “war” is only one of seven similar outbreaks between Palestinian terrorists and Israel since Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Is there no end to it? What are Christians to think? What are we to do?
I suppose the bottom line is that there WILL BE an end to this type of thing, but not until the Lord Jesus returns for His Bride. The Scriptures are filled with descriptions of wars and rumors of wars exactly like this and especially right before His return. In many ways, the hatred shared on all sides is proof of pretty much everything the Lord said about humans in our sinful, our fallen state. What are we to do? Just a few thoughts that come to mind are pray. Pray for peace. Pray for those who are suffering. Pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to shine a Light in the darkness and that souls are saved. And as we enter the holiday season, BE GRATEFUL that we continue to live in a nation where we are relatively safe to live our lives, worship our Lord, and speak freely in His name. Thank you for the part you play in this ministry!
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jim Kilby
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Harvest Youth Ministries (HYM) is an outreach aimed at young people; not a youth group. HYM is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) not-for-profit ministry. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
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