...too small a thing...

The Face of an Angel

She is really beautiful. I know, that as her "Pappy" I am prejudice, but she really is a pretty baby. She came to see me yesterday, and we had a good visit, but she did sleep a lot I guess she doesn't find her Pappy too amazing....YET. I am always amazed always at how Innocent a baby looks when they are sleeping. And so, as she is sleeping, I am thinking how beautiful, and how innocent, and how wonderful, it is to have a grandchild. I would recommend this job to everyone.

Will she stay that way? Maybe in Pappy's eyes, but we talked at lunch yesterday about how soon she will begin to respond to words, and the use of some words will bring laughs. Brian said the word Frappichino has already brought a response. But all too soon the word "NO" will be something she will have to learn. Sad times.  If I am going to be a good Grandfather, I will be required to also begin, at some point, discipline in little Vera's life. She will want too many pieces of candy and too many things that will not be good for her. I know her mommy and daddy are going to make good decisions about what she should do and not do. About what she can eat and what she cannot eat. It will be mine and "Nanna's job to enforce and see that the disciplines of life are followed.To not do so will mean failure as a grandparent.

But more even important than this (and this is extremely important) are the things of God that must be taught into everyones life. We know that the world is full of  things and people who are not following God. Yet we live around and with people everyday that are doing things contrary to the Word of God. Do we say anything? Will we be criticized for saying something about the behavior or practice of another? Too often fear of saying something to someone else for doing anything or even saying something that is contrary to the Word of God grips us, and so we just stand by and allow things to continue without even a word of opposition.

Now it is easy to see that the face of the little angel Vera is innocent and does not need correction. But there no one who doesn't realize that She will one day need that correction. So how can God's people who know what is right and good for people stand by and not say what needs to be said to others who are on a path to destruction. I am not sure but we do.

Have you taken a stand to say that sex outside of marriage is wrong? Have you stood against a way of life that neglects church? Are you wiling to turn off the movie that is full of foul language? Are you watching the sitcom with all kinds of sexual overtones and thinking no one is really the worse for this?

The innocence of Little Vera will give way to the beauty of a young woman one day that will I pray glorify God with her life. But it will be her choice. She will need guidance to realize this. It will be my responsibly. So many people need some of that guidence, but too many are not getting it because people are afraid to speak up for the Lord.

Acceptance of living together before marriage, homosexuality, pornography, off color jokes, movies and television that ridicule God and the things of God are all too common in the world. Christian people must stand firm on the Word of God. It starts today. It is your responsibility.

Salute to the Men and Women Who Served Us All

How can you say thank you to someone you never met? Someone who gave their life to give you freedom is who I am writing about. There are so many you see. Starting all the way back at the beginnig of this great nation. There were those who took up arms to fight for this nation and for our freedom. Then through the many years there have been many more wars that US Armed Forces have changed the course of world history.

There is no doubt about it, The United States of America is the most powerful and greatest nation in the history of mankind. To say thank you to the many who have died to make it this way is what today is about. Memorial Day 2011.

Thank You Lord for allowing me to live in this great Nation. May we as a country honor those who have served our Nation to establish us, and keep us, in the posotion of greatness. But, Help us O Lord to know that with this power and position of economic influnce comes a great and dreadful responsiblity. We have obtained the power and influnce by your Divine Hand. You have used nations for many things through the years both good and bad. And from reading your Word we know the history of many of these great nations. Many have failed and fallen when they turned away from You.

We honor our fallen today, but let us not stop praying and seeking you O Lord. May our leaders know your wisdom and grace. May we include you and your ways in our process of government. May our judges realize that you are the great examiner of all hearts and your ways are best. Compassion and mercy are shown by you so ofen and we must as a country do like wise. Help and aid for the weak and broken are taught by you and so must we. Being faithful and true to you means we should be responsible with our work. our words, and our way of life. Only by your sustaining hand will we continue. May your richest blessings be on the military of the United States of America today. But my you have mercy on us as a people today.

O God we ask you for wisdom for the coming years. This old world is yours and all that is in it exist as you will it to be so. May we as a nation remember you and honor you every day even on a day when we honor our dead. Thank you Lord for these men and women who have served us. In the name of Jesus I write this prayer, AMEN.

I started the blog with how can you say thank you to someone you never met? I hope you realize I cannot say thanks to the men and women who have died.....But I can say thanks to God .....I met Him when I ask Jesus to save me, and thanked Him for dying for me first.

Have a great Memorial day.

1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13: 1-7 ESV

Lives Compared

Yesterday I was privileged to conduct the funeral services of Mr Ed Crider who was a very hard working family man, who had worked hard for many years in construction. I read letters written by his family about him, and they were very touching as they expressed the love bonds for this dear grandfather. He was a simple man satisfied with things he had, and not needing new gimmicks or fads to make him happy. Two family members wrote about how many clothes that had through the years been given to him as gifts, that still had the tags on them. Ask why he was not wearing them, he would respond I haven't worn out the ones I am wearing yet. Simple things were what he enjoyed, especially his family.

This morning I began reading the book of 2 Chronicles. The story of Solomon. The richest man who ever lived. He amassed more wealth than anyone else in the world. He had ask God for wisdom and knowledge to be able to rule God's people, and because he did not ask for riches, wealth and honor these very things were also given to him.

Now there is a great contrast between living a simple life and a life of great wealth. But there is a great similarity between these two men as they were both involved in construction. Soloman built the temple. And Mr Crider put plumbing in people's homes. Solomon got the name recognition as the builder when people entered the temple after it was complete. Mr Crider got the satisfaction of a job well done and his paycheck when his job was complete and people began using the water that flowed through the pipes that he installed. Both had made things possible. Solomon the Temple and Mr Crider the plumbing system in a home.

Now I know I have some strange thoughts sometimes but I thought to myself which of these task are valued most by people. Being enabled to worship God or plumbing? Now do not get me wrong, both are very good things that should be done. People value their comfort and plumbing is essential in modern homes and buildings. What a huge valuable thing Mr Crider has done for 45 years plus, all over the area. He may have installed the plumbing in your home. Few people would remember the name of the plumber that installed the toilet they use every day. For that matter few would know the farmer who raised the food you ate for breakfast. Few would know the designer who fashioned the lay out of the streets in your subdivision. Who ran the machine that made your shoes, your shampoo, your tile floor, or your sunglasses? Or just about anything else you have that you like a lot, and use everyday. Fame does not come with doing a great job at whatever it is you do. You can do good work and your name does not get household recognition. Some get big names in the world due to fads or one small thing they have accomplished. This is common with singers, or sports figures, or even politicians.

Not everyone has name recognition like Lady Gaga. (I saw her on Good Morning America Friday morning.) Forbes Magazine made a statement that she was the most influential woman in the world. I think they missed it. It depends on who you are as to how much influence she has. She is not influencing me. But Mr Crider is.

Mr Crider's grandson wrote "Why can't we all be more like Grandpa Ed and be happy with what we have?" We can. Mr Crider is a great example of this verse.

But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1 Timothy 6:8 ESV

Thanks Mr Crider and Crider family for teaching this to me in a new way.

But It Looked So Easy

Have you ever said this? "But it looked so easy." I have more than once. A new friend at the church, Sean H. on Facebook sort of said this as he confessed to getting whipped by a birthday cake yesterday he was trying to bake. I did not think his cake looked too bad in the photo.

He brought up an old memory from my days in seminary. It seems we decided when I was on staff at First Baptist Church of Lake Worth Texas to have a "Men's Cake Bake" and all the men of the church were to bake a cake and bring it in to an after church fellowship. HOW hard can that be, I thougth to myself. I have never baked a cake but there doesn't seem to be much too it. It was a big contest and we (as men do) were all boasting of how good "our" cake would be.

So Sunday afternoon I set about the task. I got a recipe somewhere, and with eggs, flour, baking powder, and a very cocky attitude I ventured into the kitchen alone telling my sweet wife to stay out this is "my cake." She had recently taught me to make biscuts and I had actually gotten very good at making them, and still to this day I can make good "cathead biscuts." So I had visions of a sideline career as a preacher / baker. People would come from miles around to eat my biscuts and cakes. So as I fixed the cake I embellished the recipe a little. If two eggs were called for then three is probablly better. A little extra baking powder would give it a little kick maybe.

It is a mystery to me how things that look so simple can be so hard. I had a similar experience with a clutch in an 85 Ford Pickup. I got it in, but I thought I would surely die before it went in. I made a vow never would I attempt that again.  But, back to the cake. I knew something was not going right when I looked into the oven and the pans were boiling. I did not know a lot, but I do know cake batter is not supposed to boil. So... I made a quick decision. Go get Kathy. When we returned, I had to get her from the other part of the house, we found flames inside the oven from the boiled over mess on the bottom of the oven. Talk about realizing I had been whipped. I was totally embarrassed. Now...(I thought).... I just have to go tell the whole church tonight. We stopped at the grocery store and bought a nice cake on the way to church and I gave up my career as a baker. I did not win with my "store bought subsitute" but everyone liked it, and then we all laughed till our sides hurt when I confessed to my fiasco.

Sometimes things that look easy are a bear and will bite you. God has given each of us talents and gifts. I praise Him for the ones He has blessed me with, and praise HIm for the other people in my life who have the ones I am lacking in.

Finding Myself

12 To these divisions of the gatekeepers, the chief men, were given duties like their relatives to minister in the house of the LORD.13 They cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to their fathers' households, for every gate.14 The lot to the east fell to Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a counselor with insight, and his lot came out to the north. 15 For Obed-edom it fell to the south, and to his sons went the storehouse. 16 For Shuppim and Hosah it was to the west, by the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending highway. Guard corresponded to guard. 17 On the east there were six Levites, on the north four daily, on the south four daily, and at the storehouse two by two.18 At the Parbar on the west there were four at the highway and two at the Parbar.19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and of the sons of Merari. 1 Chronicles 26:12-19 NASB

A rather obscure and often overlooked seven verses of Scripture don't you think. Most people reading their daily scripture would overlook and breeze through this section and the entire pericope with little thought of the whole of what was going on here.

I find myself among a similar group quite often, so this passage jumped out at me. These men were the Gatekeepers, the guards, or the protectors of the temple. In other words they were the law enforcement group. They were men who took very seriously the work of making sure what went on at the temple was what the priest had said should be going on. Nobody got in or out without their say so. Were they armed? I would think so. But at any rate they were not people to be messed with.

Serving as a chaplain for the police I often find myself in a squad meeting with police officers. A rather routine meeting if you have been there a few times. But I remember the first time I sat in this very important meeting. I felt very privileged and a part of something very important. I realized the similarity in this passage is talking about assignments of post and how many would be there at each gate for the protection of the gate. As I sit in a police squad meetings assignments to beats are given, and beat partners are decided. Trained officers who know each other and work together are given their place of service for their shift most making note of who is stationed where to know that if trouble come they will be helping each other.

There is was in verse 14 -- a decision was made about Zechariah "a counselor with insight." There was a certian discovery in the words. I do consider myself a  biblical counselor. But what is the insight? Insight first into the scripture. I do not claim to know it all but I do believe that it is all in there. (2 Peter 1:3-4) Second I have insight into the world of law enforcement. I have been in enough of these meetings and stood at the gates of houses and places with these who serve to gain insight into their world and life of keeping watch and dealing the the drunks, the thief's and the ne'er do wells. Here is what is humbling. They accept me as one of them.

As I read the passage I found myself as This cousnelor with insight among these charged with a task that the world would pay very little attention to as they come and go. But if you need one of them you will notice them. If they stop you from entering the temple because you are not dressed properly or doing whatever they were charged with watching for at the gate, believe me you would notice them then.

They assigned their places (we call them beats now days) and they went to work. They worked their shift and went home to rest and soon they came and worked it again. Many hours standing at the gate were boring, uneventful but they were ever vigilant. Did they deal with some trouble? I have never known a place of worship that did not have an occasional fuss or fight. The temple had great wealth in it. They had to watch all coming and going. Did they check the pockets of the shady looking guys? They probably should have. (Be careful no profiling.) So check everyone? NOT in that day and time. They checked the ones needing to be checked.

Law enforcement has been around a long time but here was the real revelation in this obscure passge Chaplaincy has been around a long time too. I am so privileged to serve the men and women who serve our community. They are often unnoticed until a time of trouble. But all of them are real people just like these men of old. They have a job. Not the most pleasant job I might add, but one that they work hard to complete. Do they need a counselor with insight. Yes.

Thank you Lord for the privilege and opportunity to serve the keepers of the peace. Thank you for the men and women who serve. They are ever faithful at their post. I thank you for the opportunity to sit in their meetings, walk with them, ride with them, see their work up close, and when needed show them a passage of scripture that will point them to You. Bless all who serve our community and bless all of my many friends who get to be like me and Zechariah, and serve as a chaplain. Thank you Lord Amen

So What Will YOU Do?

I had a great Bible Study this morning with a group of men at the Barn on Poplar Springs Road. We are just about to finish up Henry Blackaby's book God in the Marketplace and we were talking about missions this morning. As you might guess I had a few words to add to the discussions this morning about getting a strategy for missions.

Most christian people have little if any strategy about missions. Other than giving there is little advance planning or ongoing effort to be involved in missions. I teach four strategies. Giving,(financial and material gifts), Asking, (Prayer and prayer sharing), Going, (Short and Long term mission trips) and Education. The last is maybe the one we are lacking in the most. I have been a Southern Baptist all of my life. But yet I had to surrender to full time vocational service before I really understood what that meant. The SBC is by far the biggest and in most ways the best missions organization in the world, but we still have many short falls. We are as a people committed to missions, but there are still many of our 16 million plus that have no idea of what we do in missions. Are you one of them?

Even if you are not Southern Baptist do you know what your church or your denomination is doing in the world of missions? Can you name 3 missionaries and their families and talk about where they are working and more importantly who they are trying to reach? If you can, Praise the Lord you are more likely to have a strategy than others. But if you cannot maybe it is time to get serious about missions. It will cost you. It will cost you in time and money. You may get criticized for it. But it will matter for eternity.

I read an article this morning I found interesting about someone getting serious about missions and being second guessed and criticized for their efforts. It was about Mark Richt University of GA football coach. It seems Richt is selling his lake house and there is conjecture that his job is in jepordy. But according to Chip Towns Missions is the reason that he is selling. The money going to missions. I will guess he has read David Platt's book Radical also. Download Mark Richt

So there is a stir in the air about missions. But bottom line is this,  What are you doing?  Is there a need for education about missions? I have several seminars and I will come to your home or place of business or Sunday School or church and do what Mission Team Inc does---Challenge---Configure---Carry Out ---Missions.  Do you need a place to give a little more I have opportunities for you. You need a place to go? I have some places you can plan to go. You need some names of missionaries and their families to pray for I have several and would ask you put me and my family on your list.

Will you read this and say that will be a good thing to do one day, OR, will you say what Isaiah said, "Here am I send me." The time to get involved in having a mission strategy is today.

I Don't Get It

Every time I ride a shift with the Police I see things that can be fodder for the blog page and last night was no exception. I always must be careful not to reveal names or places etc but I can describe a situation last night as no charges were filed.  A fairly tame call last night was basically this: A woman called because a man she did not want to see was walking toward her neighborhood  and she figured he was coming to her house and she did not want him there. When we arrive in the police cruiser sure enough here is the man standing on the front porch knocking on the door.

Now the man says he just wants to see his baby. These folks are not married, not even seeing each other any more, having arguments with each other, but yet they have a toddler child together. This man has not been seeing the child in the last several months because he had been in jail. But he had already spent some time with the child this week.

But after spending a day with the child, He calls and wants to see the child again the mother hangs up on him so he walks 12 to 15 miles arriving at the home where the baby is staying. This is in a nice subdivision with it's mother at her parents home. This late night traveler beats on the door wanting to see the child in the middle of the night.  Now here is the strange thing, this man does not see any reason why the woman should not get the child out of bed to let him see the obviously sleepy baby.

As the story unfolds He tells the officer and myself how the world is doing him wrong. How he has been falsely accused of crimes and misconduct of which he is innocent, and how all of this injustice has relulted in loss of his job. It seems that the whole world was against him. Then he begins to tell me how that this estranged mother of his baby says that, "I Don't GET IT." "What does she mean I don't get it?"  I am talking with the man while the officer I am with is talking with the family in the house.

I ask him "Do you not think that knocking on someones door in the the middle of the night asking to see a child that should be in bed is not unusual?" His answer "Look man I just want to see my baby."

I had to agree this man did not get it. The world is not about him. Sadly he was totally focused on himself. But then sometimes so am I. Here was the real issue. I can be self centered too. I can sometimes do unreasonable things and wonder why things are like they are. Sometimes I don't get it, too. I felt very sorry for a family with a man waking them up in the night, but I also felt sorry for a man so self centered he did not see anything wrong (or so he said) with waking them up just so he could see his baby. Obviously he did not get it.

But do you get it? Do you realize every day that life is not about you. It is about a holy and loving God who has given you life. Our task is to serve and glorify Him. How many times have we come to Him with petty demands and asking at the most inopportune time for something that is hurtful and would be bad for us or others only because we are selfish. We must seek always God's will and be content with His plans for us.

Sadly I don't get it sometimes. But as I saw this story unfold last night and thought about all that was going on, my compassion kicked in and I think for a moment, I Got it. I thought I would share this with you and maybe you will "Get it" too.

Too Many to Count

26 "Now, O LORD, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant.

27 "And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever." 1 Chronicles 17:26-27 NASB

David was a great King in Israel. He had come from the pasture tending sheep and now in these verses finds himself as the undisputed King of a great nation. Moreover he knows that God is responsible. He has his head on straight and gives God the glory for it all. Yet, he wants to build a house for God. Now this is what I want to make a point about this morning.

David wanted to build the house of God, but God said NO. Instead God established a covenat with David for his son to sit on the throne of Israel and his son would build a house for him. So, two things I want to note about this. First when God said no, David praised and worshiped God anyway. He did not get mad, nor did he take matters into his own hands and try to force the issue, but he listened and praised God.

Second he began to name off all the other blessings God had given him in his life. Here is the real lesson to be learned today. God has so richly blessed me that I could not possibly name all of the blessings that are mine. And I know it is God who has done this.

When God blesses something it is truly blessed. What is sad is when people do not realize what God has done. David could have gotten mad and pouted and built a house for God anyway. He had the ability and the wealth, but not the blessing of God to do this. So he realized and enjoyed the true blessings of God, and did not go after that thing which he had a desire for (building the temple), but was not what God's plan was for him.

My life is full of God's blessings. Do I want to do things in my heart to glorify God like David. Yes. Can I do all of them? No. So how do I know what it is God will let me do or what do I have to wait on? There are lots of Nathan's around that help us see the path.Surrounding ourselves with people who walk with God is essential to keeping on a right path and knowing God's will. Do you make it a point to meet with and pray with people who will help you? Twice a week I go to a 6 am prayer group. Every night I pray with my family. I seek out wise counselors when I am thinking about a project or a plan. There are lots of Nathan's in my life.

One thing that is not always clear in the scripture is how long events take to unfold, and how many years go by as things like this are happening. David wanted to build the house of God, but Nathan said no. I wonder how many times David and Nathan had this conversation? David often coming up with a new angle and a new idea about doing this building project. Nathan saying .... "Well I will pray about it but I think you already know the answer."  But all the while this was happening David was ruling and doing what he was supposed to be doing. Not getting side tracked in his main responsibility to do the work of a King with a desire that preoccupied his thoughts. The next chapter has a verse to say this:

14 So David reigned over all Israel ; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people. 1 Chronicles 18: 14 NASB

A simple verse which would be easy to read and dismiss quickly, but for years this is a way of life. Notice the word all. It is in the verse two times. And notice two more words justice and righteousness. These words with the word all make this a big, big, verse. Why? Because all the while David is doing his job. This is obedience. This has resulted in blessings for David and his kingdom. They come from God because of ....the obedience.

Count your blessings and praise God today. Be satisfied with who you are and what you are doing for God...That is, if you are serving HIM. If you are obedient.  If not turn from the thing you know is not His will and follow him.

So how many times did David think about building the temple? Probably too many to count. But how many times did he realize that God is the one who gives every blessing and doing the will of God is first? Most of the time and as a result he stayed on course being obedient.  How many blessings did he recieve? Too many to count.

My Usual Breakfast

  I am a creature of habit. My routine in the morning is simple: Stagger out of bed. Put on clothes. Bathroom. Clean out the dishwasher from last night while making a cup of tea. Tea and Bible reading. Email. Write the daily blog. Eat some cereal. Take the dogs out. Make up the bed. Cook Kathy an egg. Talk with Kathy a few minutes. And go to work. (I usually walk up stairs to write or study more or head out to appointments.) The process usually starts by around  4:30 or 5:00 am and Kathy heads off to work at 8:00am.

Now a particular part of the ritual above is the proper cutting of the banana. I have over the years perfected banana cutting to a fine art. How many pieces can you get out of a banana? I eat several different brands of cereal but the bananas are always the same kind. (the yellow ones) So here is how I do it.

I peel the fruit completely and while gingerly holding it in my left hand make an incision in the meat dividing the full length of the banana, but stopping short of the end by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. Then I turn the sliced fruit a 1/4 turn and make a second incision again stopping short of the end to hold the now somewhat floppy strands of banana that is in 4 pieces.So now I have the banana quartered length wise and I start to slice is crosswise making four pieces falling in the bowl with each cut. I have gotten as many as 25 slices which mean over a hundred pieces of banana fall into my cereal bowl.  When the bananas are the best (getting pretty dark on the peel) it is much more difficutl as the banana has gotten much softer.

I do not know if you care any about my professional skills as a banana slicer, but here is a thought. We tend to do things the same way day after day. We sometimes take pride in things we do that others never know about. We make our bed, arrange our rooms, stock our shelves, hang our clothes, arrange our desk, and many other things just the way we want them and really never share why or talk about the reasons.

Today why don't you notice something about someone else. Why do they do what they do? Why do thy always park a certian way? Why does your friend always do something that certain way? There might be a good reason and your might learn something in the process. There is a a lot of living of life that is hidden in the details.

I would love to hear from you if you try my technique on your next bowl of ceral with a banana.

 

We are Still Here

At about 6:30 pm yesterday a police officer friend and member of my life group sent me at text. Asking me "Are you still here?" Kathy (I was driving) sent back, "Yes but I have been sinning all day."

As most of you heard the Day that Harold Camping predicted as the Rapture of the Church would happen yesterday at 6 PM eastern time. It did not happen. I am saddened by people who think they are smarter than Jesus and every other human being that has ever lived. The Bible is very plain that no one knows when or even exactly how the Lord will return. There will be a trumpet the Bible Says and there will be a meeting in the air we know because Scripture tells us this. But I will not be guilty of getting into the arguments that say this must happen then that, for the the Lord to return. But I will tell you plainly...He is Coming one day.

I read some of the material by Harold Camping and found that his exegesis is flawed from the very beginning. Taking 2 Peter 3:8 as a literal interpretation to make one thousand years exactly equal one day is forcing a literal interpretation on a  simile which is an expression designed to make a comparison not establish a time line. Camping makes many assumptions and bad exegetical decisions in the process to get him to predict the date he did. One thing I will give him is this, he believed it. We as Christians should take note. The Scripture is plain...

  36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Matthew 24:36 NASB   And then near the end of the chapter in verse 44 the Lord added this thought:  44“For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

So how is it so many spend so much time developing theories of when God is going ot send the Son back to earth? NO Man Knows and HE IS COMING WHEN YOU DO NOT THINK HE WILL.  How much plainer does that have to be.

OK So are there signs? Yes Lots of them. Earthquakes, wars, rumors of war... I have been watching them for years.

The teaching of the Lord is plain .....BE READY...you do not know when He is coming.