The Stars of Heaven Fall

The stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Matthew 24:29.
In 1833, . . . the last of the signs appeared which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of His second advent. Said Jesus, “The stars shall fall from heaven.” And John in the Revelation declared, as he beheld in vision the scenes that should herald the day of God, “The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfilment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. That was the most extensive and wonderful display of falling stars which has ever been recorded; “the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion! No celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with such intense admiration by one class in the community, or with so much dread and alarm by another.” “Its sublimity and awful beauty still linger in many minds. . . . Never did rain fall much thicker than the meteors fell toward the earth; east, west, north, and south, it was the same. In a word, the whole heavens seemed in motion. . . . The display, as described in Professor Silliman’s Journal, was seen all over North America. . . . From two o’clock until broad daylight, . . . an incessant play of dazzlingly brilliant luminosities was kept up in the whole heavens.”–R. M. Devens, American Progress; or, The Great Events of the Greatest Century, ch. 28, pars. 1-5. . . .
Thus was displayed the last of those signs of His coming, concerning which Jesus bade His disciples, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” After these signs, John beheld, as the great event next impending, the heavens departing as a scroll, while the earth quaked, mountains and islands removed out of their places, and the wicked in terror sought to flee from the presence of the Son of man.
But the day and the hour of His coming Christ has not revealed. . . . The exact time of the second coming of the Son of man is God’s mystery.
Maranatha p. 151
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Prayer Requests
—–Need some prayers! A church is more than considering me for a position. Jerrod
—–Ever since I came down with that cold/respiratory virus on Christmas I have been having really bad asthma. Please pray that it clears up soon. Dannielle
——Please keep my daughter and niece in prayer as they travel from Oklahoma to North Dakota. Kim
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Dear Friends,
My mother often commented that the older she got the faster time passed.  When I was young, I used to laugh at that saying.  I don’t laugh any more.  Now I understand what she meant.  Time seems to pass so quickly.  The years seem to fly by. 
As we begin a new year, we reflect upon last year’s happenings.   How have we spent our leisure time this past year?  How have we reacted to the trials that have come our way?  Have we led family, friends, or acquaintances to the foot of the cross, or are they no closer to Jesus because of us?  Has the general trend of our life been upward or are we farther away from our Loving Saviour than we were at the beginning of this year?    
How important is each day of life!  How vital to our future, that we live each day as if it were our last.  What changes there would be!  We would not be dreaming along as we are now in a “do-nothing” state allowing opportunities to slip beyond our grasp.  No!  With what intensity we would gather family and friends about us making sure all was right between us, and more importantly, make sure all was right between them and God. 
As we stand on the threshold of 2015, we have no guarantee that each day to us will belong. Only our Great Creator knows what lies in our future.  Speaking of this, James exclaims, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”  James 4:13-15  In view of this, David advises, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the ! LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”  Ps 37:3-11
May we, in this new year of 2015, walk circumspectly, (not as fools, who allow the days and years to slip by without making a decision to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ) but as wise, redeeming the time we have wasted in the past, understanding what the will of the Lord is, being filled with the Spirit, praising with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that when He comes we and those we love may greet Him with joy. 
Rose