Hello Members and Friends of The Second Mile,

Fall is upon us and it is a busy time as school begins again and we prepare for winter which is sure to come. The signs are here as we see the "termination dust" on the Chugach mountains behind us.
There was a time when Jesus spoke rather sharply to the Pharisees regarding their ability to read the "signs"

2 He answered them,[a] “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. Matthew 16:2,3

He elaborated on these signs as He spoke to His disciples in Matthew chapter 24. He included such "signs" as wars and rumors of wars, signs in natural disasters and the sun, moon and stars, false christs/prophets, an increase in crime and general moral decay to name a few. Anyone can see that today these things are happening. After listing these signs, however, He also said that "No man knows the day or the hour "not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[b] but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36). While Jesus gave the signs to look for to know the end is close, He stressed that more important than looking at the signs is being ready for His coming.

37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:37-44

It is so easy to get caught up in the cares of this world that will pass away and forget to take the time cultivating a saving relationship with Jesus. Work,family, entertainment, and relationships all have their place, but it is only in putting Jesus first that all other priorities will take their proper place. As you get into your fall and winter routines. Don't forget to "stay awake" and stay close to Jesus. The Devil would like nothing better than to destroy and distract you from knowing Jesus, and sharing this Good News of what life in Him means. He also will throw all kinds of roadblocks and "crisis" in your life that will prevent you from fellow shipping with those in the church including "those in the church". In the end, we are all sinners in need of a Savior and we need to continue to encourage one another as we prepare for the "day of His appearing".

Your TSM Family