Ready … Set … Go!

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

– Matthew 24:44

On July 29, 2025, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia — one of the largest temblors ever recorded by modern seismic instruments. The subsequent Pacific-wide tsunami was much weaker than expected. Still, there was one indirect fatality, 21 injuries, plus flooding in Russia and Hawaii. 

It was about 21 years earlier that a different earthquake and tsunami made headlines. December 26, 2004, began innocently enough, with families enjoying the morning across numerous Asian beaches. Suddenly, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake, as powerful as 23,000 Hiroshima-style atomic bombs, struck near the island of Sumatra. The resulting tsunami rose to the height of an 8-story building and struck 11 nations along the Indian Ocean. More than 200,000 people died.

Seismic equipment had detected and recorded the massive earthquake, but Indonesia had no working tidal gauges to spot a tsunami. However, the warning signs were still there. And most of the victims either didn’t recognize them, heed them, or have time to react. They were completely unprepared.

Disasters, whether natural or manmade, happen every day. They’re often unpredictable. And there’s no guarantee that we can save ourselves, our family, or our property — even if we do recognize the warning signs. There are, however, signals for a much greater world-changing event that could happen at any moment. What’s more, we can begin to prepare for it right NOW.

God promises that one day, a Savior (Jesus) will with a trumpet blast summon all Believers to be with him forever. Then after several years of turmoil that will follow on earth, Christ will set foot in Jerusalem to right all the wrongs of this world, save and reward those who believe in Him, and send all others to an eternity of torment. No one knows the exact time or day that Christ will appear. But many of the Second Coming’s related Bible prophesies have already been fulfilled, such as the unlikely re-birth of Israel in 1948.

Jesus’ return is imminent. That means he could appear within the next five seconds or 500 years. But either way, we must be prepared. That’s because we don’t know when our time on Earth will cease. Check the headlines and you’re bound to find stories about people killed through accident, crime, war, or sudden illness (like a stroke or heart attack). Like the 200,000 victims of the December 2004 tsunami, they had no idea that their time was up.

Here’s the obvious question: Are you prepared to meet your Maker? Your answer has eternal consequences. 

“So you also must be ready,” Jesus warns us, “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Our God is a God of justice. And since we’ve all failed to live up to his perfect standards, we all deserve the death penalty that Jesus endured in our place on the cross. So, if you’re not sure whether you’ll spend eternity with or without God, the apostle Paul has this word of advice:

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The signs are all around us … and disaster IS on the way. But don’t panic. Instead, be ready.

Practical Compassion

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more …

– 1 Thessalonians 4:9–10

As Christ-followers, we're often reminded about the importance of helping our neighbors and showing compassion to strangers. Jesus taught this principle through The Good Samaritan, one of the most familiar stories of the Bible.

It’s in Luke’s gospel that we read about a traveler who was attacked by robbers and left for dead. A priest discovered the wounded man, but elected to pass him by. Later, a Levite (a member of one of the tribes of Israel) also saw the man lying on the ground, and he too avoided him. But when a Samaritan — a member of a despised ethnic group — happened to come by, he bandaged up the injured stranger, checked him into a motel, and even prepaid the bill!

The story’s two supposedly "good" people had a chance to help the helpless, but they went out of their way to do nothing. Instead, it was the Samaritan who found God's approval because he showed practical compassion to his neighbor (a stranger).

This lesson raises some important questions: 

How well are we treating other Christ-followers — let alone perfect strangers? And is our relationship with fellow Believers both holy and loving?

The moment we put our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we join an enormous, worldwide family that spans race, nationality, gender, and generation. We may be very different, but it's our faith in Christ that bridges the gap. We also share a common, eternal destiny with a loving Father. And he’s at the core of our very words, thoughts, and deeds.

It’s this truth that separates Christ-followers from everyone else on earth. And since the world is watching us and questioning our motives, it’s crucial that we live out our faith and treat others accordingly.

What does that look like? It’s by celebrating each other's triumphs, mourning each other's losses, and sacrificing our own selfish interests that we can exhibit transformed lives and ongoing spiritual growth. And above all, we must follow Jesus' example — one where LOVE is an action-word rather than a feeling. As Christ reminds us through John’s gospel:

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Heard It on the Grapevine

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

– 1 Thessalonians 1:6

Recorded in an era when agriculture was the livelihood of most people, the Bible is full of references to the planting, harvesting, and storage of crops. It’s therefore no surprise that the crowds that followed Jesus from village to village were familiar with the imagery of fruitfulness in his parable called The Sower. They knew a thing or two about cultivation. And their ability to grow a thriving crop each year despite drought and pestilence could mean the difference between starvation and plenty.

A related biblical theme addresses mankind’s need for a thriving relationship with its Creator. That’s because without him, nothing — spiritual or physical — can grow to fruition.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener,” Jesus tells us through John’s gospel. “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Let’s now fast-forward to the 21st century — a dynamic era driven by technology and industry. But agriculture, from the largest factory-farm to the smallest backyard plot, is still vital. And professional and amateur farmers alike continue to seek the tools, fertilizers, and other supplies that will make their fields and gardens thrive. They know that with enough time and effort, the harvest will be both bountiful and satisfying.  

The same goes for cultivating our church into the thriving group of Believers our Creator would have us to be. That’s also a process that takes both time and effort. But unlike a vegetable garden that eventually withers and dies with the first frosts of autumn, a Spirit-filled church — despite the hardships it faces — produces good fruit marked by faith, love, and patient endurance.  

How about you? Are you cultivating a fruitful relationship with God, reading your Bible, and helping others do the same? Work awaits every Believer in the fields. So, as we gather our spiritual gardening tools for the task at hand, let’s embrace Jesus’ familiar words from Matthew’s gospel: 

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

Boom or Bust

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’”

– Exodus 32: 7-8

Steve Emptman. Brian Bosworth. Curtis Enis. Tony Mandarich.

If you’re not a football fan or a trivia buff, you’ve probably never heard of them. All four were college gridiron stars who demonstrated tremendous athletic potential and wowed the NFL scouts. All were drafted into the league with grand hopes of making it to the Super Bowl. All failed — and failed miserably, many would say — to live up to the hype. And they were all BUSTS because they couldn’t meet the unrealistic expectations of their teams and fans.

Oddly enough, the failures of Bosworth, Mandarich, and their underachieving peers made them IDOLS … at least in a biblical sense. That’s because an idol is anything that replaces God on the throne of our heart. An idol might be a car, house, money, career — or even food or a hobby. Even seemingly good things like college and pro sports can become idols if they’re abused. And it’s when a good thing becomes a god-like thing that we fall into the snare of idolatry.

Like sports stars, regular people — including spouses, friends, children, and significant others — can also become idols. And since they’re fault-filled human beings rather than our faultless God, they always turn out to be busts. After all, we build them up unrealistically and treat them as our reason for living.

The saying goes that we’re only human. Unfortunately, bad things happen when we forget God’s grace and replace our Creator with people as the source of our security, worth, and happiness. So rather than putting our family and friends on an idol’s pedestal, let’s put our relationships in order by making Jesus, who was God in the flesh, Priority #1. As Jeremiah 17:5 reminds us:

This is what the LORD says: Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 

Conversations with God

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

– 2 Corinthians 12:9

Christ-followers enjoy many special privileges, and one of the greatest is the ability to approach God in prayer about our blessings, troubles, concerns — and everything else that’s going on in our life. Prayer is a give-and-take conversation. And it’s all possible through our faith in his Son, Jesus. As Psalm 145:18 assures us:

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

But this raises an important question: If we have such a special relationship with our Creator, why is it that some of our prayers go unanswered? After all, there are times when even the most seasoned Christ-follower feels like their petitions go no higher than the bedroom ceiling.

Let’s keep in mind that prayer is like a phone call. Sometimes the message comes through loud and clear — as if the other person is standing right next to us. But sometimes there’s static … or the call gets disconnected or doesn’t go through at all. So, what's the problem? 

First, we must ensure that the line is clear by dealing with any unconfessed sin in our life. After all, the One who created us is already aware of our every thought and deed. Likewise, if we’re carrying a grudge against someone — like a spouse or co-worker — it needs to be ironed out before we can expect God to listen to us. And faith also plays a significant role. If we pray but don’t think God has the power or desire to deal with our issues, why even ask in the first place?

What about those times when we pray sincerely and with good intentions, but our prayers still go unanswered? The short answer is that God DOES answer every one of them. But sometimes his response is “no” or “not now.” As the Creator of all things past, present, and future, he knows the big picture — those people, places, and circumstances that make all the difference to our situation. And although it's not always apparent to us at the time, God's plans for us are always the best. He knows that it’s not always what we want that matters, but ultimately, it's all about what we NEED. So, with that in mind, let’s embrace the apostle Paul’s call to Believers like you and me through 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

 

Stress Test

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”

– Exodus 25:8

Are you feeling stressed these days? If so, you’re not alone.

According to a 2025 report from Modern Health, 75% of survey respondents reported experiencing some form of low mood — largely driven by politics and current events — and 74% said they want mental health resources specifically addressing global political turmoil. What’s more, almost half of them said that life was easier during the COVID-19 pandemic than it is today!

Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ earthly parents, also knew a thing or two about stress. After all, they experienced emotional stress from the scandalous rumors swirling around her pregnancy. They endured physical stress from the grueling trip to Bethlehem mandated by the Roman census. And with money in short supply, financial stress was always in the picture. Can you relate?

But God had a plan for them … as well as one for you and me. Psalm 139 reveals that our Creator knew us before we were ever formed in our mother’s womb. He also knew when and where we’d be born, what sort of life we’d lead, and when we’d die. And since we consistently break his laws and fall short of his standards of perfection, he also knew that we'd need someone to save us from the well-deserved consequences of our transgressions. We’re powerless to do that ourselves. That’s why God decided to do it by living out the human experience on Earth through his Son, Jesus. He was the long-prophesied Emmanuel: God with us.

It's because he endured unimaginable stress (and so much more) for our sakes 2,000 years ago that Jesus relates to us in the 21st century. What’s more, he dwells with us today — and he’ll be with us always. So, if politics, current events, and daily living are elevating your stress levels, you can rest assured through Christ’s proclamation in John’s gospel: 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The Good Shepherd

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

– Exodus 20:12-17

If you’re one of the millions of Americans these days who are seeking employment or considering a career change, how about becoming a shepherd?

The number of job openings for shepherds has dropped over the years, but good help is still hard to find. In fact, it’s common for ranchers, farmers, and landowners to import experienced shepherds from other nations where sheep-and-goat management is vital. If you think you’re up to the challenge, understand that shepherds are responsible for protecting their flock against vicious predators including coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, bears, and even domestic dogs. They must also monitor their sheep for illness. What’s more, an experienced shepherd is expected to shear up to 125 ewes a day without nicking or cutting the animal’s skin.

Ensuring the flock’s safety and welfare is the shepherd’s primary responsibility. And since so much can happen to the animals under their watch, shepherds must always expect the unexpected, be courageous, and do the right thing. 

Doing the right thing isn't just the right thing for shepherds to do, it's also a biblical principle for every Christ-follower. As the apostle Paul wrote in James 4:17, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." And it’s in Isaiah 1:17 that we read:

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

Doing the right thing also calls for bravery. While we may never face a powerful army on the battlefield, we might have to combat figurative opponents like injustice, crime, or discrimination. We have no hope of defeating them on our own. But let’s be encouraged that God specializes in empowering average Joes and Janes like you and me to do the extraordinary against overwhelming odds.

Ultimately, doing the right thing calls us to live in love and justice with one another, and all while honoring the image of God in others. We’re not expected to solve all the world’s problems. However, through our faith in Jesus — The Good Shepherd — we can still make a world of difference.