At this time of the year, we often have predictions made about the possibility of winter storm weather conditions, specifically snow and ice.  Predictions of snow are music to the hears of school students, and have been for a long time.  A recent prediction turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment because it came over the weekend and into Monday, when schools were already scheduled to be closed for MLK Day.  Many churches were closed because of the expectation that snow would be on the ground during Sunday morning worship services.  As a pastor, I was disappointed that after closing services, the snow did not arrive until after services had ended. 

        “Words from Above” in the Bible tell us that the last thing we want to be is disappointed at the time when Jesus returns to gather His Church up out of the earth in a great event called the Rapture.  The disappointment will come when people are not ready for this great coming event. Weather fore-casters do their best to predict snow and other weather events, using the best computer models available to them, but they cannot guarantee that their forecast will be accurate.  The prediction in the Bible about the Rapture of the Church, however, is an absolute guarantee simply because God says so.

        There is another important situation mentioned in the Bible that also represents an extremely great disappointment.  This situation involves those promises made by the greatest deceiver of all times by the name of Satan.  He makes all kinds of promises to people that he neither intends or is able to keep, unlike God, the Lord of heaven and earth.  When God makes promises we can be absolutely sure that He will keep those promises and we will not be disappointed.  Unfortunately, when Satan makes promises, it is his goal to control and take possession of the souls of people, and to influence their eternal destiny. 

        Jesus calls Satan a liar and the father of lies, which suggests that he does his very best to make liars out of the people he seeks to control.  The worst lie of all that he promotes is for people to believe they do not need God and that he can provide all that we need instead.  Jesus also says that the goal of Satan is to steal, to kill, and to destroy the souls of the people of this earth.  The bad news is that he often succeeds in this goal, but the good news is that God can deliver us from his deception, if we will simply turn our lives over to God.  He promises we will definitely not be disappointed.

Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For informa-tion, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.