Are We Ready?

One cannot watch the news, read a paper or internet news feed, and not wonder, “Is this the end times Jesus is talking about?” I know, people have been predicting the end of the world almost since the beginning of the world. In fact, let me share a quote with you, “Our earth is degenerate in these latter days; there are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents; every man wants to write a book and the end of the world is evidently approaching.” This is an inscription that was found on an Assyrian stone tablet in 2800 BC. Seven hundred and seventy-seven years later, though, we are still waiting.

Now, I have never really been a “doomsday,” “end of times,” kind of preacher, but I have begun to wonder. Jesus talks about the end in Luke saying, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution” (Luke 21:10-12).

Nation against nation. Well, there is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. North Korea keeps firing rockets. Iran is just months away from a nuclear weapon, and China continues to make aggressive moves in the South China sea as they eye the island of Taiwan. Earthquakes? Like the recent earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. It registered a 7.8 on the Richter Scale and killed 56,000 people. Okay, but plagues. That’s mediaeval. You mean, like Covid-19?  

What about miraculous signs from heaven? God told the prophet Joel, that at the end of time, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants – men and women alike” (Joel 2:28-29). Sure, this happened at Pentecost, but today? How about the revival that broke out at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky last month? I don’t know if you followed it in the news, but for sixteen straight days, around the clock, students and those who came to join them, prayed, gave testimonies, and worshiped God. The revival spread to several other universities, and eventually between 50,000-70,000 people participated.

I don’t know. Perhaps the end is closer than we think. Should we be worried? The Bible says, “…anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36).

Is the end imminent or not? Either way, the simple truth is we cannot do anything about it. When Jesus decides to return, He will return. The bigger question is, whenever He does come back, “Are we ready?” Romans 10:9 reminds us, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

-----------------------------------------------------  

Remember you can email praises and petitions to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. I lift them up every Wednesday at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.