Chaos in the world

I just opened this blog. My first time. I hope to use this to blog on a number of different issues, from my horse training experiences to thinking about headline news issues from a biblical perspective.
I wrote this aritcle a while back for our local township newsletter because we always ask questions of God and about God when bad things happen to people, especially to people we know or even ourselves.

You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to notice the chaos in the world today. The news headlines in every form of media tell us, in varying detail, of crime, war, and calamity such as the recent tornadoes in the central Midwest. However, this chaos comes closer to home than you might think. The fatalities in recent auto accidents due to the weather or just plain crazy driving, not to mention those that have occurred through crime remind us of the fragility of life. It makes one wonder whether God is awake to all of this and if He has anything to tell us about how to process these fateful events in our minds.
Jesus gives us a remarkable answer. He responded to a similar question from His disciples about the murders of several men by the Roman authorities, to which Jesus also added the 18 souls that perished when a tower under construction fell on them. How does Jesus respond to these deaths?
He simply states, "Except you repent you shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13)
You see it is not a question of "if" or "how" or "when" we will die. Rather it is a question of preparedness. The Bible tells us "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." We will all die. All of this chaos forewarns us and prompts us to be prepared. No one walks out of their house thinking, "this is my last day on earth." No one should walk out of their house thinking that it won’t be, either. This fact, then begs the question, "Are you prepared?" Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." I ask you, "have you repented of your sin and asked Jesus to save you?" According to Jesus own words, this is how you prepare to live life without fear despite the inevitability of your own demise.
Don’t let the chaos or calamities of this life scare you. I leave you with this common saying I have seen on church signs, "No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace." Which do you choose?