When our Easter evening services ended, there was a surprise when everyone saw an inch of snow was on the ground. By morning there were four. Many people wish for a white Christmas, but few, if any, want a white Easter. The fresh layer of snow should melt by afternoon, the highs are predicted into the 50s today, but I had to think about how cold this winter was as compared to the standard.

This week’s column is not about the unpredictable Indiana weather, but it does have a little to do with how I think.

The Easter snow made me think of the global warming argument. On one side, people say there is no such thing as global warming; climate goes through cycles and in a decade or two the pendulum will swing back the other way. The other side claims that with all the pollutants man is putting in the environment the earth is warming, and we will all be cooked sometime in the future.

Has anyone read the end of the book to see what happens?

The Bible tells us of a seven-year tribulation period that is coming. One of the plagues of the seven years is immense heat. Revelation 16:8-9 describes temperatures so hot that “men were scorched with great heat.”

Is that plague the result of global warming? My answer will begin with a question – Does it matter? God has already proclaimed this scorching heat will take place; therefore there is nothing the human race can do to stop it.

The point I am trying to make is that the Bible tells us of many things that will happen in the future. There is nothing we can do to stop these events from happening, but we can prepare for them.

Real life example – we know when a hurricane is coming. People living in the area, will put plywood on the windows, store extra food, water, candles, and other necessities; some may even evacuate, but no one can stop the storm from arriving.

A few of the Biblical prophecies yet to come to pass are the rapture of the church, two separate invasions of Israel (three if you count the battle of Armageddon), the rise of the Antichrist to world power, a one world currency, the seven-year tribulation period, the return of Jesus Christ, His 1,000 year reign, and the various judgment days.

When these events occur is unknown, but with few exceptions, we know the sequence of events. The rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54) will be the key that sets most everything else into motion. Shortly after the rapture, the Antichrist will sign the treaty that starts the Tribulation period (Daniel 9:27), his rise to prominence and power is probably triggered by the first of those invasions of Israel (Psalm 83; Amos 1-2). The second invasion of Israel appears to correspond with the sixth seal of the Tribulation Period (compare Ezekiel 38:20-23 with Revelation 6:12-17). The mark of the beast controls buying and selling leading to the belief of a one-world currency (Revelation 13:16-18). The Tribulation Period ends with the battle of Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:11-21).

If a hurricane were coming, you would take the time to board up the windows. At some point, a choice needs to be made – either store up on the essentials or evacuate to a safer location. You would prepare for the storm.

Are you prepared for the coming Biblical storm? I am not trying to be doom and gloom here. These events may not happen till after our lifetimes, but judgment day is a day we will all face whether we live to see the Rapture or not.

Here is the thing about judgment day – we are all guilty. For some reason, many people think if

they do not commit specific sins God will not judge them. If someone arrested for excessive parking tickets defends himself with the fact that he has never committed murder; well, that is all well and good, but he is still guilty of the crime accused.

Jesus Christ took the punishment for all our sins (Isaiah 53:4-9) and with this, the Judge, God the Father, is satisfied with the payment of our sin debt (Isaiah 53:10-11; 1 Peter 1:18-19). It is then through faith the righteousness of Christ is applied to us, and we appear before the Judge with a pardon for all the sins we have committed (Philippians 3:9). With this pardon, if you are alive when the rapture happens, you will be rescued from all the doom and gloom that follows.

Come judgment day will you stand before God guilty or with a pardon signed with the blood of Jesus Christ?