The World is Coming to an End …

Ok, I admit its a sensational headline but if you are reading this then it must have caught your attention. I have heard many comment about the billboards announcing the end of the world on May 21st 2011. If you have been watching the news lately you are aware of this prediction as it has gotten much press. The prediction and billboards have been featured on CNN, FOX and the Washington Post just to name a few. There are many scoffers and some believers who are very worried and some who could care less. With all the recent earth quake activity, severe weather, economic trouble and wars and unrest around the world many are worried. I would say there is nothing wrong with preparing for disasters because they are inevitable; the question is “will disaster or the apocalypse happen in my life time?” The fact is its all going to come to an end some time. I have heard some say that nothing will matter any way. That is assuming the end is the end and not a long drawn out process. Scripture seems to indicate some tribulation prior to Christ’s return. Considering this it might be prudent to prepare a little. Some extra food, water, tent, backpack might be a good idea to have on hand. But these are things you can always use for camping which is a good activity for the family. Jesus also says that no one knows the day or the hour, even Christ has excluded Himself and has not availed himself of this knowledge from the Father. With the Great Depression and the rise of Hitler many thought he was the Anti-Christ and the end was upon them and yet it did not come. There are many bad things going on right now but we cannot say what is up ahead and there is a reason God did not spell it all out and why He forbids fortune telling and mediums. Once you think you know what is up ahead you loose room for faith. We need to trust God even when we face trials because when we trust we can be assured that the trials are building within us an eternal weight of glory.

Mt 24:4-14, 36 ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.⁵For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.⁶And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.⁷For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.⁸All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

⁹“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.¹⁰And then many will fall away ^F103 and betray one another and hate one another.¹¹And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.¹²And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.¹³But the one who endures to the end will be saved.¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

³⁶ “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, ^F104 but the Father only.

I think just being prepared to be prepared might cause unnecessary fear, suspicion and worry, which Christ warned about and said “are you not worth more than these sparrows… your Heavenly Father knows what you need.” Why does Jesus give us prophetic signs in scripture? What is the purpose of these scenarios described in metaphoric language. Jesus gives us signs to look out for in the end times not so that we escape physically but so that we may “endure to the end” Mt 24:13. We are given signs to survive spiritually. This endurance is not physical survival but where he want us to endure is of spiritual and eternal value. The verses in Matthew 24 describe some risks which believers in Christ will face during the end times. These risks are of great significance because they proceed the call to endure. The signs of the times, the tribulations and disorder in the world will occur around us no matter what. But these warnings are something we can watch out for and take personal action to avoid and endure. Below is a break down of these personal warnings.

1. Mt 24:10 avoid betraying and hating
2. Mt 24:4-5,11 avoid being mislead by false teachers
3. Mt 24:12a avoid lawlessness
4. Mt 24:12b avoid growing cold and loosing love
5. Mt 24:14 love the gospel of the kingdom and bring it to the ends of the earth
   (have to be careful with this one because many think of kingdom in earthly terms and try to build heaven here on earth. The word for Kingdom in German is Reich and Hitler used this idea of building a Kingdom here to stir up Germany to create the Third-Reich).

The end of it all is not our physical protection but the value of the spiritual and eternal. In a recent sermon at my Church the director of ministries spoke and brought up an episode of Happy Days. In the Happy Days episode -Be the First on the Block Mr Cunningham wanted to be the first on the block to have a nuclear bomb shelter. As word got out everyone started coming over to stake out a place and there was no room for anyone to fit. In the end the family voted and decided not to survive if it meant they had to leave all their friends and loved ones out because they just couldn’t fit everyone in. The last scene really makes you think.
Keep these things in mind but also as Michael Medved puts it start the morning with the news paper in one hand and the bible in the other. In other words the Bible helps us makes sense of what we see in the news. So its good to keep an eye on things as long as they don’t take charge of our life or take you away from the Word.