“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” – Luke 21:25-28
We live in a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams. “What in the world is going on?” some people are asking. Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes in various places, famines, pestilences, fearful events. Nation is rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom. But isn’t this exactly what Jesus said would be happening, when the end of time as we know it approaches?
Have you ever seen so many problems that don’t seem to have solutions? The nations of the world seemed to be perplexed. There seems to be no solution to so many problems. The politicians can’t seem to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict! There seems to be no solution to Iran’s nuclear build-up and threats to wipe Israel off of the map! America’s debt continues to rise! Radical Islam is terrorizing the world! The list of problems that seem to be unsolvable just goes on and on. The nations are confused! No one seems to have any answers!
Jan Markell writes in Jewish Voice Today, “The world is being bombarded with what the Bible calls “birth pains.” God is trying to get our attention. The world does not understand end-time scenarios so God is trying to wake up the Church.” Are you awake yet?
I believe that the Lord reveals to his children the signs of the times, not so that we just sit around and wait for the Lord’s return, but so that we become more vigilant. God created the human race for two reasons: to enjoy His grace and to extend His glory. Our all-consuming passion should be to see God glorified. This happens when you tell others about Him.
One of the most important signs of the approaching end is the advance of the gospel. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Do you ever wonder why technology has advanced so much during the last 10–15 years? Could it be that the gospel is riding the wave of technological advancement? Just think about this: about a hundred years ago mail was being delivered by men riding horses. Now we are sending messages around the world over the internet at the speed of light. The gospel is being beamed into the Middle East via satellite. In fact, Joel Rosenberg shares in his book, Inside the Revolution, that many Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus as they watch The Jesus Film by way of their satellite dishes. Even Muslim clerics are trusting in Christ. The gospel is advancing! Technology is providing the highway.
And so, what are you doing? Are you glorifying God by telling others about Him? That should be our all-consuming passion as we see the birth pains increase both in frequency and intensity.
Jesus said that “when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” We should stand up! We should lift up our heads! And we should proclaim the gospel to as many people as we can while there is still time. And so, what are you doing? When the Lord returns, what do you want him to find you busy doing? Think about it!
