Daniel 12:1-3 and Mark 13:1-8

I write this on Veteran’s Day 2021. Most who served in the Armed Forces experienced the stress of being away from home, family, the regular workplace, and challenges of readiness to defend our nation and others. Some veterans endured combat and some did not return home. We remember and honor.

Our Bible passages for November 14th worship don’t directly address military service, but remind us of conflict in the world. Jesus instructs his disciples in both first century threats from tyrannical forces and the eventual final battle against evil in which God triumphs.

Mark 13 is often referred to as the Little Apocalypse. It describes the tumultuous spiritual and earthly battles in brief detail that the entire book of Revelation takes 21 chapters to unfold. Watch and wait! Always stand ready and be prepared!

Most who read this have lived through the most violent century in human history, the 20th Century. And yet……the Final Battle, God’s Conclusion has yet to appear. Even so, the “Kingdom of God is in our midst” says Jesus to disciples in every generation. We live in that tension between present struggles and the ultimate overcoming of those struggles through the Prince of Peace. The Church bears witness to this Truth.

Pray for each other and the contributions each can make in service to the Kingdom.

Pastor Barry †