Signs in the Heavens

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. Joel 2:31.
In the Saviour’s conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the church–the 1260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened–He thus mentioned certain events to precede His coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed: “In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.” The 1260 days, or years, terminated in 1798. A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased. Following this persecution, according to the words of Christ, the sun was to be darkened. On the 19th of May, 1780, this prophecy was fulfilled. }
“Almost if not altogether alone, as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind, . . . stands the dark day of May 19, 1780–a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England.”– R. M. Devens, Our First Century, p. 89. . . .
The intense darkness of the day was succeeded, an hour or two before evening, by a partially clear sky, and the sun appeared, though it was still obscured by the black, heavy mist. “After sundown, the clouds came again overhead, and it grew dark very fast.” “Nor was the darkness of the night less uncommon and terrifying than that of the day; notwithstanding there was almost a full moon, no object was discernible but by the help of some artificial light. . . .”–Isaiah Thomas, Massachusetts Spy: or, American Oracle of Liberty, vol. 10, No. 472 (May 25, 1780). . . .
The description of this event, as given by eyewitnesses, is but an echo of the words of the Lord, recorded by the prophet Joel, twenty-five hundred years previous to their fulfilment: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.”
Christ had bidden His people watch for the signs of His advent, and rejoice as they should behold the tokens of their coming King.
Maranatha p. 150
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Prayer Requests
—–keep my great niece Bailey 1 month old in prayer….she has already had major surgery on her esophagus now is in hospital again with pneumonia in right lung. And a man name Paul that was hit by a car and has been in the hospital in critical condition. They removed his life support. M
—–my Aunt Ilea and Bob were in a bad car accident and they have both died. I’m really gonna miss them. Please keep our family in your prayers. Lisa
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Dear Friends,
About ten years ago, we lived within five miles of Ron’s work, so I would often take him to work on my way to work and then pick him up in the afternoon. One day when I picked Ron up from work, he was acting a little strangely.  He wanted to go right home.  I convinced him, however, that we really needed to pick up my prescription sunglasses at the optometrist and get my glasses adjusted before they closed.  When he heard that they were making a sore spot on the side of my nose, he relented.  On the way there, we decided that we’d stop at the health food store as well, since it was only a mile from the eye doctor’s. 
On the way back home, Ron told me that wasn’t especially hungry, so we might as well make a few other stops before going home.  When I drove past our exit, he acted shocked and upset and asked me why.  I looked at him with surprise and irritation all over my face.  I was only doing what he had told me to do.  I got off at the next exit and drove home.
When we got home, Ron ate his supper so quickly that Eileen and I didn’t have time to take more than a bite or two.  Immediately, he wanted to go to the store and do a few other errands.  He insisted that Eileen come along but didn’t want to let us have time to eat.  Now it was Eileen’s turn to wonder why her dad was acting this way.  She determined that she was going to finish her supper before leaving the house.  So we ate.  Ron seemed quite distressed and nervous because of our decision.
Eileen suggested that he check his email while he was waiting, but he was just too restless.  Finally, he sat down and called Ronnie Jay.  After a short conversation, he hung up.  Again he was restless and insisted that we hurry up as he didn’t want to waste his whole evening going here and there.  I went into the bedroom to get my purse and coat while Eileen headed in the opposite direction.  Just before leaving, the dog needed to go outside to take care of his “errands.” 
When she took time to put on her Chihuahua’s coat, Ron seemed really restless and upset.  Eileen opened the door and in surprise exclaimed, “Ronnie Jay’s here!”  I jumped up and hurried to the door.  There was my son coming up the steps!  With joy, I threw my arms around him.  I had not expected him until the next afternoon.  Then Ron told us why he had been so upset and restless.  They had planned this little surprise, but Eileen and I were just not cooperating with their plans which was that we were supposed to be gone when he got home.  Then when we got back from the store, Ron would “accidentally” honk the horn and Ronnie Jay would hide in his bedroom until we all had settled down in the living room.  Then he would come walking out of his bedroom and surprise us.
Just as Ronnie Jay’s coming home a day early surprised Eileen and me, so many will be surprised when Jesus comes to gather His followers home.   Our Blessed Lord gave many illustrations pointing to His coming again.  “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also! : for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”  Luke 12:35-40  He tells us that just like a thief comes unexpectedly, so the vast majority will be completely surprised when He will come.  How many in that day will cry “to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”  Rev 6:16,17
Just as there were signs that Ronnie Jay was on his way had Eileen and I been alert to them, so there are signs all around that Jesus’ coming is very soon, “even at the doors.”  Paul gives us a sign that Jesus’ coming is near, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”  I Thes 5:1-6  He tells us that when we are lulled into a “do nothing” religion, an “it’s ok to keep sinning till Jesus comes” religion, that we will be surprised and overtaken by that grand and glorious day just as a man who has a false feeling of security and leaves his doors unlocked and his windows open at night is shocked when a thief enters his house and steals his valuables.  
Peter adds more details about this Coming, “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. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 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?”  2 Peter 3:10-12  Just as a thief ransacks the house he has entered, so this earth is desolated by the coming of the Son of Man. !
“The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” that we may we be alert to the signs of the coming of Jesus. 1 Peter 4:7  May we be faithful servants who are ready for our Master to come.  (Matt 24:45-51)  May we so live that when our Loving Saviour returns we will with joy look up and say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”  Isa 25:9
Rose