OUR DAILY BREAD : ONCE UPON A TIME

[cimi]

May 20
Tuesday


ONCE UPON
A TIME

READ:
Matthew 24:32-44
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The LORD had prepared
a great fish to swallow
Jonah. And Jonah was
in the belly of the fish
three days and three
nights. __ Jonah 1:17
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Some people say that the Bible is just a collection of fairy tales. A boy slaying a giant. A man swallowed by a big fish. Noah's boat-building experience. Even some religious people think that these events are just nice stories with a good moral.

Jesus Himself, however, spoke of Jonah and the giant fish, and Noah and the flood, as actual events: "As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matt. 24:37_39). His return will happen when we're not expecting it.

Jesus compared Jonah's 3 days inside the big fish to the 3 days he would experience in the grave before His resurrection (Matt. 12:40). And Peter talked about Noah and the flood when he equated it to a future day when Jesus comes back (2 Peter 2:4-9).

God gave us His Word; it's a book that is filled with truth__not fairy tales. And one day, we will live happily ever after with Him when Jesus comes again and receives His children to Himself. __Cindy Hess Kasper

```````````````````````We're waiting for You, Lord, to come````````````````````````
````````````````````````And take us home to be with You;``````````````````````````
``````````````````````````Your promise to return for us````````````````````````````
``````````````````Gives hope because we know it's true. __Sper`````````````````````
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We have reason for optimism if we're looking for
Christ's return.

*******************************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 24:32-44*********************************

32 Now learn this parable
from the fig tree: When its
branch has already become
tender and puts forth leaves,
you know that summer is
near. 33 So you also, when
you see all these things,
know that it is near__at the
doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to
you, this generation will by
no means pass away till all
these things take place.

35 Heaven and earth will pass
away, but My words will by
no means pass away.

36 But of that day and hour
no one knows, not even the
angels of heaven, but My
Father only. 37 But as the
days of Noah were, so also
will the coming of the Son
of Man be. 38 For as in the
days before the flood, they
were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that
Noah entered the ark, 39 and
did not know until the flood
came and took them all
away, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man
be. 40 Then two men will be
in the field: one will be taken
and the other left. 41 Two
women will be grinding at
the mill: one will be taken
an the other left.

42 Watch therefore, for you
do not know what hour your
Lord is coming. 43 But know
this, that if the master of the
house had known what hour
the thief would come, he
would have watched and not
allowed his house to be
broken into. 44 Therefore you
also be ready, for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour
you do not expect.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
In His teaching, Christ often used examples from nature, as He did
here with the fig tree (Matt. 24:32). He communicated to His listeners
with word-pictures that would be familiar to them. They were part of
an agricultural society that mostly lived outdoors, so nature became
the perfect vehicle for His presentation of spiritual truth.