I don’t think anyone would argue with the examples I list here. Jesus describes our time like this, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars…nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes…then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24.6-12) The end is not here now. It’s been coming for the last 2000 years. We are closer to the end than we were yesterday and the signs are clearer. I’m no prophet and I have zero clue when Jesus will return, but I know this, our world is very spiritually dark right now.
I have two thoughts to share with you. One, if you are hated right now, make sure it is for Jesus’ sake and not your own. Jesus doesn’t care about your personal vendettas. If your political opinions aren’t advancing the Kingdom, they are not helpful. If your anger is motivated by a desire to protect your own interests, it isn’t righteous. If your relationships do not honor God, it’s time to make them right. Christians must begin to think about how our lifestyle choices are affecting our world situation. We must begin to turn from the dark parts and to the Light.
Two, if your love for Jesus and those that belong to Him has grown cold, it’s for a reason. It’s no accident that your love for the Word has dropped dramatically, your involvement with the church has slimmed, your godly relationships are shrinking and your prayer life amounts to your opinions. Simple things like waiting on the Lord, listening to the Lord (more than talking), tackling hard things and worshipping with your whole heart have gone by the wayside. This lax lifestyle leads to a divided heart. When the Church adopts a lifestyle like this, it leads to a divided nation. It’s time to turn around.
We think we are immune from attack because we have a strong military. We aren’t bombarded with missiles and bombs daily, suffocating from infighting, coups and military strikes like other nations. We think we are immune to severe poverty because we have a strong infrastructure. We think we have surpassed mass disease because we don’t wrestle with cholera and tuberculosis. Listen to me, we think wrongly and our wrong thoughts have lulled us into thinking that we are safe. We are not. Satan, our common enemy, and his dark warriors are pursuing us like a roaring pack of lions. The evidence of their pursuit is all around us. Carnage fills our neighborhoods, families, schools, businesses and government. Wars and rumors of wars are upon us. Christians must begin to rise up against him and his forces.
I do not believe it is too late for us, but I do believe the time to stand is NOW. I realize this cannot happen overnight. We are spiritually malnourished. In our impoverished state, it’s a miracle we can pray at all. But one bite of the Word of God provides enough strength to take another. One step with Jesus gives enough Light for the next step. When we do this together we gain enough encouragement to face the next battle. We know Jesus will win the war, but right now we are losing the battle.
It's time for righteous men to step up to the plate and lead. It’s time for holy women to leverage their God-given gifts and love like Christ. It’s time for the Church to lay its life (ambitions, assertions, grand initiatives) down and serve. Famines and earthquakes are here, but the end is not. I do not want to be found emaciated and shaken when Jesus does come. I want to be found standing. Do you? Do you feel the presence of the darkness? Do you want to shake free and can’t? Pick up your Bible. Pray for the courage to obey and the humility to submit. The only way out of the mess we are in is through Jesus. He is very literally the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus says, “The one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24.13-14) Lord Jesus, make us right with you.