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                            In Mark 3:18 Jesus gives us some tips about the end times.

 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

            It can easily be argued that all his prophecies are happening in our broken world to some degree.  There certainly has been no shortage of wars.       This week we once again observed remembrance day. A day when we pause for a couple of hours to once again reflect on the human cost of war and remember those who died.  Unfortunately, the mind boggling numbers of lives lost due to wars have failed to bring any significant reduction in the number of wars and the associated loss of lives.

            There are many aspects of wars that one could ponder on remembrance days but one that has stood out for me lately is the nature of who is involved.  Think for a moment about the war of 1812.  Then think about the Great War of 1914 to 1918. Add to that the second world war and the American civil war. And to top off our list the current Russia Ukraine war.

            What do each of these wars have in common? Answer: Those who claim to be Christians fighting other Christians.  The story of the 1914 Christmas truce is an interesting one. There was a spontaneous ceasefire along parts of the Western Front where British and German soldiers met in no man's land. Driven by the festive spirit, soldiers sang carols, exchanged gifts, and even played football, but also used the time to bury their dead comrades. And then presumably went back to killing each other.

            The total fatalities in the American Civil War is estimated to be 698,000. Both sides praying for victory while the killing went on. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the Hymn “I heard the bells on Christmas Day and the lyrics reflect his frustration over the killing.    And in despair I bowed my head: "There is no peace on earth," I said,"For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men." May I be so bold as to suggest that Christians killing other Christians also mocks our Lord’s command to love one another and be known for our love?

            Meanwhile Nations continue to build bigger and more deadly weapons. Our hope can only be in the prince of peace who will come shortly to establish his peaceful Kingdom.  Even so come Lord Jesus!     Pastor Dave