Mid-Week Thoughts: END OF DAYS

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Then Jesus said to them: “Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other. There will be great earthquakes and wide-scale food shortages and epidemics. There will also be terrifying sights and great signs in the sky. -- Luke 21:10-11 (CEB)

Have you checked the news lately? There's a pandemic happening around the globe. Oh...my bad! You probably have heard about it. 

I don't mean to make light of it. This is a serious situation. The COVID-19 outbreak appears to be very contagious, causing over 88,000 deaths worldwide -- more than 14,000 in the United States. However, it seems when something really bad occurs within our borders or around the globe, select groups of people will use it to their advantage to create more fear and panic.

Super pink moon seen in the heavens this week! Is it a sign of the end of days? Worldwide plague! Didn't Jesus say something about that? Earthquakes shaking the globe! Could this be it? Empty shelves at the grocery! What is going on??

I don't mean to make light of it. This is a serious situation. Exodus, Luke, Revelation, and many other books in the Bible talk about plagues and devastation and frightening things during the End Times. 

Should you believe Jesus' words from the passage above? Absolutely...he IS Jesus, of course. But do you understand Jesus' words from the passage above? That is the better question.

I don't pretend to have the answers. There are many different interpretations of the End Times, all with solid biblical scholarship to support each. One little blog post wouldn't cover all of the topic, nor do it justice. But there are a couple of things you can know with this topic.

First, you should always be prepared spiritually. Sure, it's not something you want or should dwell on, but you do not know when the end may come. It could be a few minutes from now...or several decades from now. Knowing and following Jesus is something you can do right now. And not as a fire insurance policy...but because of the great sacrifice that Jesus made because God loves you that much. Yes, God loved you that much that Jesus died on a cross...for you!

Second, you should always be prepared with necessities. People always think those that buy and store extra canned fruits and vegetables, soups, pasta or toilet paper(!) are crazy...until it hits the fan. Ready.gov is a website on preparedness for natural disasters that suggests having at least three days worth of food and water. It's good advice.

Finally, you can rest in the assurance that God is in control. No matter how scary the images in the Bible may be about the End Times (and they are scary), or misunderstood or not understood, God wins! That's great news. And the Good News is that God, through Jesus Christ, allows us to win also.

So be prepared...and be at peace.   



 

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