Closer Than Ever Before
In recent day’s my heart and spirit have been heavy as I watch and listen to what is happening all around us. We all look for and are wanting to have a safe life, good friends, and family. A safe community with the things we like at our disposal. Beautiful days and restful nights. Peace and security as we go about each day. I find it strange that there are so many who want to destroy such things in replacement of something that has never worked before. For ideologies that declare death and destruction. Finding it strange may well be an understatement. I find it insane at every level.
Having said this before I need to remind you again that this is Satan working in wild and terrifying ways. It is spiritual warfare and he is attacking all. Christian and non-Christian alike are being targeted in order to cause chaos and fear. To destroy the witness of the believer and to cloud the mind of the nonbeliever. This is not new; it has been going on since the Garden of Eden. Why is it seemingly more prevalent than any time in human history? Excellent question and I will share with you, my thoughts.The end times are on the doorstep. I do not profess to know anything more than what scripture tells us. At any time in history a case could be made for the end times to be at hand. The end times have always been at hand. We are just that much closer to the end now than we were then. This world coming to an end is not a possibility, it is a hard reality.
The reason for my thoughts is they are bound in what scripture tells us. How prophecy declared, how Jesus taught and how John was provided visions and clear directions of what to write. As you might expect, you will be able to see the prophecies which give us the eschatology we see and are living in today. There are many things that are occurring in the world today in which scripture aids in understanding.
As a young person growing up, in the 50’s and 60’s, there was a lot of teaching on the end times. Our youth group in high school spent hours upon hours studying Revelations and other books like Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. All led us to wonder for example the mark of the beast, 666 and how it might be able to be. Was it symbolic or literal? It is symbolic but more importantly it is literal. In scripture it is declared so that earlier believers in their environment might understand. As time went on, it became more unclear until the last 25 years of technology. I saw a report recently that indicates that the palm of your hand will soon be able to be used to provide information and ability to transact business. What may have confused us over the years is becoming more real by the day. There are many things that I find important to note as to what is happening today.
We are all familiar with events over the past that are indications leading to the end of time. However, more recently there are events occurring which give rise to the question as to how close we are to the end.
One that comes up is Jesus speaking in Matthew 24. I just read that chapter again. I would encourage you to take the time to read it right now.
Well, I really hope you read that chapter. When you read it, Jesus is giving clear a defining comment as to what the end looks like. As I read this today, and I hope you read it, I concluded the same things I did many years ago, Jesus could come back at any moment. Also, that once He does, this world as we know it today will never be the same. There is a lot of prophecy of what Jesus is speaking of in Matthew 24. Really, it’s not for the church but rather for Israel and the world at large.
Suffice it to say, the world will come to an end, as we know it. Believers will be with the Lord forever and the lost will be damned to hell for eternity. So, with that clearly in mind I ask you today, do you know for certain that when you die you are going to be with the Lord?
Scripture tells us as Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Am I aware of all the things I spoke of earlier, yes. Yet those things will happen regardless of how I feel or what I say. Can I make a difference in the meantime? Absolutely, and so can you. I already know Jesus as my Savior and if you don’t I want to encourage you today to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior as Paul wrote. To know for certain that when this life and world come to an end you will be with Him in eternity. Then tell others as I have done today. Making an eternal difference in the lives of people.
In God’s Grace,
Elbert Nasworthy
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