When the Left Behind series of books came out, I bought each one as soon as it was released; I'm fascinated with the subject in a way that scares me yet excites me at the same time. It's like as kid knowing that Christmas would come, but not having any concept of time, of how long I would have to wait for my presents. Unlike Christmas though, the end times deal with eternity; it's life or death, heaven or hell, and the bible teaches that it will be a terrible time here on earth. Mark 13:19 says, "...those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now - and never to be equaled again."
Many people choose to ignore this part of the bible; it's "scary" to think about. I'm slightly scared of it too, but not because I fear "days of distress"; I'm scared for those who have rejected Jesus, or for those who never even considered Jesus before. There are people I love dearly who don't know Him, and if the end were to come tomorrow they would be left behind. I know there are debates about when the rapture will take place in relation to the tribulation, etc; I'm not going to pretend to have a voice in any of that...however it happens, I have always felt the desire to tell my unbelieving friends that if they wake up one day and part of the population is gone, don't believe the lies the world will tell you, Jesus Christ has called God's children home. I would also want them to know that it's not too late for them; my understanding is that many will come to know and accept Jesus during the time of tribulation. Life will not be easy for those that do, but Eternal Life in heaven will be waiting for those who, "stand firm to the end" (Mark 13:12).
The part of me that's not scared for my unbelieving friends is excited because I know that the End means the beginning of Eternity for me with My Father and My Savior. I long for the day when there's no more tears, no more worry, or fear creeping into my life. I long to worship Him forever, and I long to be forever in His Presence, free from the binds of sin and selfishness.
It seems like each generation wonders if they are living in the "end times"; the bible says in Mark 13:32, "No one knows about that day, or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." The bible does give indications though of the "beginning of birth pains" for us to look for, and I can see how as time progresses and the condition of our world deteriorates, each generation can relate to the warning signs.
What are the warning signs? Mark 13 lays out some of them; here are just a few:
Many will come in Jesus' name claiming "I am he", and many will be deceived
Wars, and rumors of wars
Nation will rise against nation
Earthquakes in various places
Famines
Do you think these apply to our generation? Certainly in some ways, yes...though no one knows how long the labor will be, and I am not claiming to know anything other than this: over and over Jesus warns us to "be on our guard".
"Watch out that no one deceives you." Mark 13:3
"You must be on your guard." Mark 13:9
"So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time." Mark 13:23
"Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door." Mark 13:29
"Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." Mark 13:33
"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back..."Mark 13:35
"If he comes back suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'" Mark 13:36
Are you "on guard", or have you been "sleeping"? Many people don't want to talk much about the End Times; it is an unknown in many ways, but we can be sure of this... Jesus clearly tells us to keep our eyes open, and to be ready at all times. If it came tomorrow would you be ready? What if tomorrow everything you thought you knew changed? Are you living a life pleasing to Your Father?
Romans 13:11 says, "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
My mom always used to tell me, "nothing good happens after midnight..."; it was her justification for why my curfew was 11:00pm while living under her roof. Did you see what those verses say? Maybe she wasn't far off... It tells us to "put aside the deeds of darkness...", and what it lists accurately describes what happens in certain places during the night. "Night is nearly over" though, and Jesus tells us to "Watch!", to "be on our guard"; it's time to "clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ" because we don't know the day or the hour, but we can recognize the birth pains, and there's no denying that they are here.
Don't let Him catch you sleeping; wake up and get back on track...it's not too late. If you've been living in the darkness, come into the light; forgiveness and love are abundant in the family of God, and He is waiting with open arms to draw you back in. Don't wait, don't gratify the sinful nature, but rather "Watch!", and be ready for Him who is coming to call us home.
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