@Orchidaceae 5 February 2021

Do Not Be Surprised-Surprises are a part of everyday life.

***Surprises are everywhere.*** Araw-araw, we discover them. You suddenly see a former college classmate on the L.R.T. in Manila. "Hoy, kaibigan!" you yell.

You receive a telephone call from the U.S. informing you that your father has just died because of a heart attack. "Diyos ko!" you cry.

Your wife returns from the doctor's office at Makati Medical, and informs you she is pregnant. "Talaga? Daddy na ako?" you shout.

Your director informs you that your office is being abolished, and you are no longer employed. "Grabel Paano ako ngayon?" you whisper over and over.

*****Surprises are a part of everyday life.***** Although we have all probably experienced our share of surprises, they just keep happening over and over Surprises have always been a part of life-sadyang kaparte ng buhay. Just read what happened long ago on the south side of the island of Samar during the war between the Philippines and the United Stales: On that sultry Sunday morning, September 28, 1901, most of the 74 American officers and soldiers awoke before reveille to reread the mail received by boat two days earlier. When the bugler sounded the mess call at six o'clock in the municipality of Balangiga, the soldiers straggled across the plaza to the tents where the company cooks were serving breakfast for the men. Twenty minutes later, it happened. Throughout the week, strange women had entered the church with coffins bearing the bodies of children, dead from a cholera epidemic (kuno!). That Sunday morning, only three American sentries were on duty. The local police chief, stopping to chat with one of them, suddenly seized his rifle and fired a signal shot. The church bells then rang crazily, and the locals appeared from everywhere, brandishing bolos, picks and shovels. Rushing into the mess tent, they decapitated a sergeant-leaving him, as one of his buddies recollected, "leaning forward with a spoon clutched in his hand... his head lying on the table." They pitched another soldier into a barrel of boiling water as he washed his utensils. Screaming and slashing, they stormed the unarmed American troops. Adopted from In Our Image Only twenty of the company's original seventy-four members managed to escape by boat and survive the massacre. Imagine the surprise on the soldiers' faces when they realized all those mourning women who had entered the church during that week were actually Filipino men dressed as helpless women. Even more, imagine their surprise when they discovered the coffins were actually filled with bolos, not the corpses of children who had died because of a cholera epidemic. THINK ABOUT ITs

Surprises are everywhere. Surprises happen to everyone-sa lahat. Surprises can occur at any time. In fact, St. Paul warns us: For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief comes at night. When the people say, "Everything is quiet and safe," then suddenly destruction wil hit them! 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 No surprise is going to be bigger walang tatalo, walang hihigit-than the judgment of Jesus Christ upon the sins of this world. With the suddenness of a thief who appears in your home when you least expect him, Jesus Christ is going to return to the earth. While those of us living here in the Philippines and around the globe strive to achieve world peace and safety for mankind through our human efforts, suddenly and without warning the Lord Jesus Christ is going to appear. St. Paul warns us that Jesus is going to appear when we least expect Him to appear. He says that Jesus: will come as suddenly as the pains that come upon a woman in labor, and people will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Like a woman suddenly experiencing the pains of labor during childbirth, Jesus is unexpectedly going to bring judgment and destruction upon all evil. When People say, "Everything is quiet and safe-walang problema," Jesus is going to come to this world. He wil bring destruction upon everyone who has neglected to trust Him as their Savior and Lord. The Bible teaches that everyone deserves death and hell. As a payment for the sin in our ives, we deserve death. St. Paul warns each of us that: sin pays its wage-death. Romans 6:23 Life is filled with surprises. No surprise is going to be bigger-walang tatalo, walang hihigit-than the judgment of Jesus Christ upon the sins of this world. While the world seeks the path of lustful pleasure and self-fulfillment, Jesus is preparing to come and bring judgment. When the world least expects it, Jesus is going to return. "You are a sinner," the Bible proclaims. You cannot save yourself. No matter how much you try to escape the payment for sin in your life, you cannot do it alone. If you refuse to trust Jesus as your personal Savior through faith, you will not escape His judgment and Wrath upon your sins. Unfortunately, many people will suffer the wrath and punishment of God because they refuse to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus to forgive them. Jesus will certainly bring destruction upon everyone who refuses to accept His free gift of eternal life. There will be no escape. Wala kang ligtas. There will not be a second chance. Handa ka ba? Are you ready to face Jesus? *****Do not***** *****be surprised!***** @Orchidaceae