The Earth's Birth Pains: Exciting and Dreadful Times

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places .  All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matt. 24:6-8

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in various places and famines.  These are the beginning of birth pains. Mark 13:7,8

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:10,11

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.  On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.  Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.  Luke 21: 25,26

...In fact a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God...I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you...John 16:2

I could go on and on, right?  We know about these warnings.  Do you see it clearly?  Do you see global communications?  Do you see nations in anguish? Do we hear of people killing others in the name of God?  In the past ten years alone, many nations have been in anguish.  World Trade Center; Katrina; Haiti; Chile; Israel; and recently Japan...well I could probably type a hundred more nations.  

I know you are watching. 

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  Matt 24:42

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matt 25:13

Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows or at dawn...What I say to you, I say to everyone: "Watch!" Mark 13:35-37

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:36

Are you ready?

Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.  For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth.  Luke 21:34,35

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Revelation 1:3

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  Revelation 22:12

We are definitely living in exciting and dreadful times.  I don't know the day and hour.  For me, it could be tomorrow in an automobile accident or a slip in my shower.  Or it could be when I have reached a good old, very old age.  What I do know is that He is coming.  And to me that is exciting!  Unfortunately, more dreadful events await us.  But there is good news:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have many troubles.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world. John 16: 33