I wasn't celebrating the return of Dad, as I felt consequences could be forthcoming ...

I did not consider myself a 'rotten' kid ...but this story involves something rotten ...rotten tomatoes.  

My older brother and I were supposed to be working in the garden ...and a very small part of that included picking tomatoes.  We were to pick the good ripe ones, but we were also to pick the rotten ones ...and feed them to the cows, which would always graze near, waiting for a treat.

But, we had an extra treat in store for them ...or you could say, we viewed it as a treat for us.  We began making sport of throwing the tomatoes at the cows, watching them splatter all over our eager company.

The comment was made, with full knowledge that Dad may not exactly approve of our method of disposing of the rotten ones, "If you see Dad, holler, so we can get back to work!"

We may be able to get away with a few stunts in our youth, but how absurd is it to think that our Heavenly Father doesn't see? We may hide things from our families, our friends, and our best friend ...our spouse, but God sees it all.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and they hid.

How could they possibly believe they could hide?  Well, it seems that part of the knowledge of good and evil ...involves the understanding of this.  The good, is knowing that we do wrong. But, the evil involves the deception of thinking we can hide, or convincingly rationalize it ...and maybe even blame others. And the more we entertain this deception, the more absurd it gets.

What sign??? ....

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” 

They ignored everything that was given them, even doubting Jesus, yet asked for a sign. They were swallowed up in their own sin, yet most of them would not understand His death and resurrection, nor how it paralleled the event of Jonah.

For a period of 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus ministered to the disciples ...before He departed, and returned to Heaven.  To return to earth again, when would that be?  It was something that the disciples were curious about.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus gave them much to think about, and told them, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

It didn't matter when Dad was going to get home, we knew what we were supposed to be doing, and had an idea what we were not supposed to be doing ...as in throwing tomatoes.  And we may not know when our Heavenly Father is going to take us home ...though we know what we are supposed to be doing in the meantime.  And we shouldn't only begin to take it seriously right before the moment when we feel He is going to show up ...again.

So, what did Jesus say ...besides kind of checking us on our attitude? Jesus said, " ... and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away."

So, they didn't have a clue.  If we read of the account of Noah, what do we see?

I think much confusion is brought about by reading that the sons of God saw the daughters of men ...that they were fair.  I don't see that to mean what many have imagined it to mean, but I certainly can't imagine the very thing many of you have imagined ...nor that it would again repeat itself during 'end times'.

The other thing that was mentioned ...was that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

This is the main point that I see ...that they were clueless too.  

Today, many people and highly esteemed institutions discount the validity of the Bible, and turn further away from God ...not just sinning as we all do, but not even admitting it as sin.

It creates an atmosphere for sin to abound, with little acknowledgment that sin even exists.

Therefore, as children of God, we should not strive towards popular things, nor aspire to the renown.  We may be separating ourselves from those things, so as not to succumb to the diversions which separate us from God.

Some people fear "End Times", viewing it as an 'end of the world', and not wanting any part or version of it in their lifetime. Other people view 'End Times' as something that they look forward to ...and they look for signs, and share their ideas as to how present happenings are to be defined in the scheme of things.

Since this is a common conversation, I am going to give my view also.  But, first I will reiterate what I've already said.  As Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations of the year, I hope we never forget its true meaning ...Christ's birth.

And when we celebrate His resurrection, I also hope we realize the meaning of His death on the cross ...so we can experience life eternal, with Him.

So, what of "End Times"?

To understand 'end times', we must properly understand 'beginning times'.  Many people call various interim events ...as dispensations, from the beginning.  But, I feel we cannot have a clear understanding of things without first looking at the rebellion of the angels.

I don't claim to know much, but I claim to know as much as any of you on the foundational stuff. This is not the cogito ergo sum presented by Descartes.   He claimed what he was experiencing was true, even if those perceptions did not relate to anything.  My foundation is the Bible, and I relate to that.

I believe that though we may puff ourselves up with all sorts of knowledge, the best we can do is believe what is given us ...not by ourselves, but by trusted firsthand witnesses.  I consider three to be reliable ...the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

We read of the Father, we have written record of the Son also ...the Holy Spirit is also verified, yet it is a confusing matter to some people to discern between their own willfulness and the high claim that it is not their own.

One third of the angels allowed themselves to puff up ...aspiring to be what they were not to be.  How often do we do that?  God created us as humble creatures, to help us avoid that entrapment.  But, today, I feel many of us live in a puffed up sense, or hope and strive to live that way.

There was the creation, and the fall.  Many judgments came, including the Flood.  Then the law, and much servitude and persecution.  The people continued to fall away, and many warnings were given by prophets. Being ruled by ungodly rulers, with the heavy hand, the loving hand of redemption came by way of Jesus.

Many judgments must come ...with a separation, for a true 'end' of all the trials and torment to come. And it all ties in with both God's love for us, and His righteousness in choosing the separation between a peaceful eternity and the evil that opposes that end.  And to be righteous and fair, giving everyone a chance ...means that there must be a continuous revelation of who He is, for us to choose.

That is what I see in Jesus saying it will be like in the time of Noah.  Judgment will come ...and those who live in constant fear of brutal violence, beg for it to end.  They cry continually for peace.  

What do we have to offer them?  We offer the Gospel of peace.  

Yes, we do have the Bible ...and anyone who can read this blog, lives in a literate society.  The truth is there for you to hear, to read, and to believe.  I do not judge you, and I am called to be compassionate towards all who are ignorant of it.  But, I also feel compelled to not ignore what the apostles were inspired to do ...and that is to tell you the truth, as we know it.