End Times

         There's a question I've heard repeatedly over the last year and a half in different conversations, "Are we in the last days...?" With everything that's happening around us, it feels like a pretty good question. This is the first time we've had to deal with a worldwide pandemic quite like this. Our nation's political situation has never been quite like this. Events around the world are certainly in turmoil.

'Is this virus the pestilence talked about in the Book of Revelation?' 'Does a vaccine passport have anything to do with the mark of the Beast?' 'Is proposed digital currency the mark of the Beast?' 'Is this political leader or that one the Antichrist?' 'Does any of this have to do with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...?" - Those are some big questions.

The study of the last days is called 'eschatology' and it deals with examining the events that lead up to the end of the world. There have been many over the years who have claimed to know the date of the end - and every single one of them has been wrong so far. I don't claim to be an expert on the subject - but I do know where answers can be found. The Only One who knows exactly how and when all of 'this' will end is God and Him alone.

But it's not unusual or wrong to ask those types of questions - we just have to make sure we're directing them to the right person. So if we look to God's Word for answers...

I. Are we in the last days...?

There's information about the last days scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments. And the Apostle Paul shared this in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)...

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. (2) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, (4) treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - (5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Holding up society to this verse, you can certainly understand the connection to the last days. There are many things that sadly ring true, but much of that could also be said about many different societies throughout the ages. There's a lot of evil in our modern world, but history is filled with evil men and atrocities. But I certainly wonder if the end is near as I watch the news.

We live in a society that condemns and mocks what scripture holds up as Godly Christian values and it celebrates what God has clearly called sin. Good is called evil and evil good. We're in a time when 'flawed humans' define what is good, rather than a Holy, righteous God. In today's society, standing firm on the Biblical concept of marriage is condemned and called judgmental. Stating that God created us male and female has now become controversial in an 'enlightened time' when gender has become a choice.

Currently, as a country, we've taken extreme measures to protect one another from infection from a virus because human life is valuable - unless you stand for the life of an unborn child. - The first makes you society's hero, the second a controlling, mean spirited extremist.

The devil works to turn good things into bad and vice versa. He calls darkness light and light darkness. He calls freedom in Christ slavery, and slavery to sin freedom. It's not my intention to be mean to anyone hearing my words. I don't point out any of these things to judge, but to hopefully convict. True freedom doesn't come from 'following your heart' and rejecting all moral rules but in finding grace in Jesus when we find ourselves in opposition to God, and turning around.

Are we in the last days? Is Jesus' return imminent? I'll give you the very definitive answer of...

A. Maybe

How's that for a noncommittal answer? I don't know. No one knows. We know that we are closer than we were last year, last month, yesterday - but we don't know exactly when Jesus will return. But we can be certain that He will return.

Every generation has had this same question. The Apostle Peter addressed this when he wrote 2 Peter 3:3-12 (NIV)...

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. (4) They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (5) But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. (6) By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

(7) By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (8) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (9) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

(10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (11) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives (12) as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

Many of the choices and lifestyles that people pursue today that go against God's Word are justified by the idea that a person is 'being their authentic self'. They want to make these choices in pursuit of this 'noble idea' of rejecting traditional values and being 'true to themselves'. But if you reject your Creator - how will you ever know who you were created to be? How can you pursue your 'authentic self' without acknowledging the One who created you?

If you reject God - Who created you for a purpose - you're only pursuing a vision of who you think you should be. But you didn't make you - so in search of your 'authentic self', you're actually pursuing a lesser, false version of who you could be in Christ. You're settling for a human inspired version rather than a Divinely inspired one. And you will be disappointed in the end.

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?"

And understand, there will be pushback when we talk to people like this. For many, the reality of God is something they don't want to face. The reality of God forces them to admit that they need to think differently, that they have to reject the lies of fulfillment and happiness that sin promises. So in order to justify their choices, they have to reject God, to lash out at God, to mock Him in order to validate their life. And since they don't see God here, they turn on the only reminder of God they have nearby to hate - God's people.

Like a foreign terrorist who can't find an American to attack or curse to their face, they resort to burning our flag. If they can't reach one of our cities to bomb, they resort to attacking our embassy, a closer representative of our nation. And since we are called to be Christ's ambassadors, and they can't physically attack Jesus, we serve as the focus of their anger. But even if they are angry with us - they still need Jesus and the freedom found only in Him.

Are we in the last days? I said, 'maybe' - but in a very real sense, I'd also have to say...

B. Yes

When we say 'last days' meaning His coming is imminent - we don't know 'when'. But if you look at the period of time before Jesus' birth as awaiting the Messiah, the period of time when Jesus walked on the earth as the life of the Messiah - and these days after His death, burial and resurrection as the age of the Messiah - these days are the last days. This is the last chapter of human history on this earth until His return - however long this chapter may last.

That was the perspective of the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)...

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, (2) but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (3) The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

This present time is 'the last days'. Jesus is currently sitting at the right hand of God awaiting His return. Are you ready?

As recorded in Matthew chap. 25, Jesus told three separate stories about the end of this life and His imminent return. We have what's called 'the parable of the ten virgins', 'the parable of the talents' and 'the parable of the sheep and the goats' - all one right after the other, three stories right in a row. And each one had the very same takeaway, the same point - and it was this: Jesus is coming back, so be ready!

We've talked a bit about this time in history being 'the last days' - but I'd like to shift the focus now to...

II. Your last days

Harvard researchers analyzed data from over 1,100 healthy firefighters, the average age of 40. Each man performed as many push-ups as possible in one minute. After 10 years, the researchers found that the men who had originally performed the most push-ups were least likely to get heart disease. Specifically, those who could do 40 or more push-ups had a 96% lower risk than those who could only do 10 or fewer push-ups.

One researcher wrote, "Our findings provide evidence that push-up capacity could be an easy, no-cost method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk in almost any setting..." "Surprisingly, push-up capacity was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk than the results of treadmill tests."

Now, I understand, unless you're in High school, guys don't really talk about how many pushups you can do. As an adult, it kinda comes across as 'braggadocious' - but I want to make a point. The day before my first of two heart attacks 2 years ago - I did three sets of well over 100 pushups... My point isn't to brag - but to point out, based on that scientific research, I should've had a very low risk. My point is - you just never know... So you should always be prepared.

I don't mean to be morbid, but statistics don't lie - 1 out of 1 people will die, unless Jesus returns first. Which means...

A. You will die

I don't think that's really a surprise to anyone, but we don't like to think much about it. After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden - that's just the nature of things, we know that. In the Old Testament in the earliest recorded book of Job, it says this in Job 14:5 (NIV)...

Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

We know that we will all one day die, but is anyone really ever prepared? Were we prepared for the events of the last 18 months...? I don't think so. I don't think any of us were personally, or even as a Church, prepared. And we've been waiting for this rebound, this return to normal - and just when we started getting a taste, there's this new 'variant' and everyone is sent back into a panic.

But here's a reminder to help us through - Yes, we are at risk once again. - But we always were. If some virus doesn't get us, maybe it'll be heart disease, or hopefully 'natural causes' in old age - or maybe a random bus, we don't know. But since we know that all of us will someday die - how are we living now? You see, even if these are your last days - for the believer, that's...

B. Not necessarily a bad thing

'So, preacher, you're telling me that my death isn't a bad thing...? Well aren't you just a little ray of sunshine..?'

What I mean is - sure, there will perhaps be some bad circumstances related to each of us passing and it will of course be sad for the loved ones you leave behind, but for the believer - your end here is also your 'homecoming'. Even if these are indeed your last days on earth - you have something to look forward to! If these are the last days for all of us - if the earth is coming to an end, if the apocalypse is just around the corner - as scary as that may be - it isn't the end of hope!

In the book of Acts, Peter reminded a crowd as he was pointing them to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection Acts 2:16-21 (NIV)...

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: (17) 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. (18) Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

(19) I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. (20) The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. (21) And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

'Blood and fire and billows of smoke'. The 'sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood'. None of that sounds overly pleasant to me. But never forget the last part - 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!'

So What?

Are these the last days? - Shouldn't we be living everyday with purpose whether it's the last nor not? And if these are your last days - would you be happy with the legacy you've left?

C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, 'Mere Christianity' - "Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature needing improvement, he is a rebel who must lay down his arms."

We are that 'fallen man'. Some of us have laid down our arms - some are still just trying to fix things around the edges. All of us need Jesus to change us completely. And one day - those in the faith will be made perfect. And those who reject Jesus will be separated from God forever.

Jesus is coming back! Are you ready? And are those you love ready? And if they're not, I'm guessing you don't feel very ready for 'the last days'. Since none of us know when we'll be called home or when Jesus will return - please, take some time today to evaluate changes you might need to make - today. Jesus is the only way to the Father!