“ Let not your heart be troubled ; you believe in God , believe also in Me . 2 In My Father ’ s house are many [ a ] mansions ; if it were not so , [ b ] I would have told you . I go to prepare a place for you . 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you , I will come again and receive you to Myself ; that where I am , there you may be also .

John 14 : 1- 3 , NKJV

As Jesus was talking with his disciples at the Mount of Olives , They asked him when will these things take place and what are the signs of his coming . In Matthew chapters 24 & 25 and Luke chapter 21 , Jesus was asked about the signs of his coming and the end of the world . Earthquakes are occurring with increasing frequency and are stronger than ever . of diseases like measles which was thought to be eradicated is sweeping in twentyone states in the and cases are being seen in Canada , violence , wars , and rumors of wars are no longer frontpage news , and Epidemics US man ’ s inhumanity to man is looked on as if it is normal . We hear about starvation especially in war torn African . The prophet Joel talked about people preparing for conflicts and says about the weak nations claiming to be strong .

Truly with these signs we know that Jesus is coming soon . When ? We don ’ t know the times and the seasons that God put in his hands , but He can come at evening midnight or morning , but he says to be ready because he will come at any time we do not expect .

Pastor Billy Graham , the great Baptist preacher has this to say about Christ ’ s second coming .

“ People ask me , “ Do you really believe that Jesus Christ is going to come back to this earth again ?” Yes , I do . The Bible teaches that Jesus is coming again . And I don ’ t see any other hope , because we ’ re heading toward a catastrophe in our world .

The Bible says , “ Scoffers will come in the last days , walking according to their own lusts , and saying , ‘ Where is the promise of His coming ? For since the

fathers fell asleep , all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation .’ For this they willfully forget : that by the word of God the heavens were of old , and the earth standing out of water and in the water , by which the world that then existed perished , being flooded with water . But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word , are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men ” ( 2 Peter 3:3- 7 ).

In other words , there ’ s going to come a judgment on this earth , and it will be a judgment of fire . The Word of God speaks of the certainties of the end of the world . Jesus said , “ As the days of Noah were , so also will the coming of the Son of Man be ” ( Matthew 24:37 ). What were the days of Noah like ? And is there a parallel now ? One word that is used to describe the days of Noah is wickedness . The people were wicked : “ Every imagination of their thoughts was evil ” ( Cf . Genesis 6:5 ). It seems as if they stayed awake at night thinking up new ways to do evil . It was a world in which marriage was abused . The people were corrupt and violent . It was a world in which violence prevailed : murders , wars , insurrections .”

Pastor Graham continues , “ Today the only bright spot on the horizon of this world is the promise of the coming again of Christ , the Messiah . We can ’ t go on much longer morally . We can ’ t go on much longer scientifically . The technology that was supposed to save us is ready to destroy us . New weapons are being made all the time , including chemical and biological weapons .

“ In Isaiah 66 we read that “ the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots , like a whirlwind , to render His anger with fury ” ( Isaiah 66:15 ). In the New Testament we read that Christ said , “ I go to prepare a place for you . And if I go and prepare a place for you , I will come again and receive you to Myself ; that where I am , there you may be also ” ( John 14:2-3 ).

“ Jesus promised that He is coming back , and we are to comfort one another

with these words . We ’ re not to wait in terror , because as believers we have the hope of the coming again of Christ .

“ When Jesus was getting ready to go back to the Father , some of the disciples and His friends from Galilee were watching and waiting . Two angels said , “ Why do you stand gazing up into heaven ? This same Jesus , who was taken up from you into heaven , will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven ” ( Acts 1:11 ). That is God ’ s promise to you and me .

“ It has been 2,000 years since then . Why hasn ’ t He come ? The disciples asked the same thing , and Jesus said , “ It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority ” ( Acts 1:7 ). He also said , “ of that day and hour no one knows , not even the angels of heaven , but My Father only ” ( Matthew 24:36 ).

“ Don ’ t guess or speculate . We don ’ t know . It may be a thousand years from now , or it may be tomorrow .“ Regardless , the end of the world is coming for you the moment you die , and that could be at any time for any of us . We never know . What have you done to prepare for that moment when your heart stops beating ?

“ How will Christ come ? “ The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of an archangel , and with the trumpet of God . And the dead in Christ will rise first ” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ).

“ If that happens today , are you ready ? God said , “ Prepare to meet your God ” ( Amos 4:12 ). The Bible says , “ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air . And thus we shall always be with the Lord ” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ). We ’ re going to go as believers and meet Him .

“ A man came forward at a meeting and gave his life to Christ . Then he said , “ Now I ’ m ready to meet God .”

“ Another man , who had been in jail , attended a Crusade , and he went forward to receive Christ as his Savior . Now the man has been given new life in Christ ,

and he said , “ I ’ m a totally different man .” And he is .

“ God is giving you the same opportunity that He gave to that man . The Bible says , “ You must be born again ” ( John 3:7 ). You need to make a commitment to Christ today . This is your moment with God .

“ I ’ m going to ask you to open your heart and say , “ Lord Jesus , come into my heart .” ““ You ask , “ What do I have to do ?” “ First , you have to be willing to repent of your sins . You may not have the strength to change your way of living . Repentance means that you say to God , “ I have sinned . I am sorry for my sin . I am willing to change my way of living . But You have to help me change : I can ’ t do it alone .”

“ You need to make a commitment to Jesus Christ , and let Him come into your heart . I ’ m going to ask you to do that .

“ Second , you come by faith . What does faith mean ? Faith means that you put your trust in Him and say , “ Lord , I give myself to You .””

When do we need to make that decision of accepting Christ as our Saviour ? Paul , in Hebrews 3 : 7-11 , quoted from Psalms the following ; “ 7 Therefore , as the Holy Spirit says :“ Today , if you will hear His voice , 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion , In the day of trial in the wilderness , 9 Where your fathers tested Me , tried Me , And saw My works forty years . Therefore I was angry with that generation , And said , ‘ They always go astray in their heart , And they have not known My ways .’ So I swore in My wrath , ‘ They shall not enter My rest .’ ”

For questions and Bible Studies , call , Ben at 604 581 1278 , Junjun at 778-927- 8040 , Stanley at 604-700-3053 and Pastor Leomar Macaraig at 604 928 3579 . The Abundant Life Seventh-day Adventist Church meets at the City Center Church on 13062 104th Avenue , Surrey on Saturdays . All are welcome to attend .

Fr . Jerry M . Orbos , SVD

No joke today . It is not a joke to experience the not-so-good side effects of my first chemotherapy these days . But guess what ? I have discovered a very uplifting experience which I call “ prayotherapy ”— i . e ., Pray you ! You pray , and a lot of things fall into place , and tremendous strength and courage come your way .

In today ’ s Gospel ( Jn . 6:60-69 ), Jesus tells His disciples : “ It is the Spirit that gives life , while the flesh is of no avail .” We must learn to transcend and go beyond our limits and our limitations . It is our faith that helps us to see more clearly , endure more bravely , and move on more surely — and that ’ s what Prayotherapy is all about .

Simon Peter said : “ Master , to whom shall we go ? You have the words of eternal life .” How true . There are so many loud and confusing voices around us . Let us choose to listen , and listen well to God , and not to the would-be gods in our midst

who are here now and gone soon .

No schedules , no appointments , no functions these days of rest and prayer . I just let the world go by , and allow the Lord to be at my side . It is a humbling experience . But more than that , it is a privilege to be given the time to recuperate , and offer prayers and sacrifices for others as well .

Prayotherapy has made me realize that my most important appointment today is my appointment with God . How often do we set aside , rush and belittle prayer because of “ more important ” matters at hand ? How many people end up empty and vain in the end , in pursuit of their worldly and selfish agenda ?

What if your appointment to meet your God were to happen today ? Would you be ready ?

Just when I was feeling weak and low , a butterfly came fluttering by and stayed with me by my side . My siblings

and I associate the butterfly with the presence of departed loved ones , especially our Mama . It was such a heartwarming and consoling moment to know that she is around , and to feel her comfort and assurance .

It happened about five in the afternoon the other day , and also yesterday , just before I prayed the Rosary and said Mass . Prayotherapy makes us feel and see what is invisible to the eye .

Prayotherapy makes us acknowledge and appreciate our blessings , and allows us to offer our pains and sufferings . Prayer gives meaning to our victories and travails . Yes , let ’ s pray much , pray more , and pray on !

Here are symptoms that Prayotherapy is working for you toward spiritual awakening : “ An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen ; frequent attacks of smiling ; the feeling of being connected with others

and nature ; frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation ; a tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience ; an unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment ; a loss of ability to worry ; a loss of interest in conflict , in interpreting the actions of others or judging others ; a loss of interest in judging oneself ; gaining the ability to love without expecting anything in return .”

If symptoms persist , smile at God and at the world around you !

Think about this : “ Pain has a purpose . It is not to leave you broken-hearted , discouraged or hopeless , but to bring you to your knees , help you to trust in God , and come out stronger and braver .” A moment with the Lord : Lord , help us to pray much , pray more , and pray on . Amen . ( jorbos @ inquirer . com . ph )