There will be wars, and rumors of wars, and then The End will come. That means, my fellow Christians, that The End will come to everything that is, and perhaps everything we know. The great teacher and minister of the Gospel, Dr. David Jeremiah, asks this poignant question:
IS THIS THE END?
It is, I wonder, for all the signs of THE END are there, are they not? War of one kind or another exists almost everywhere in this world. Rumors of war, real rumors, the threats of war, are everywhere, as well. Do you believe the end of this world, however our Lord defines it, is imminent, soon to occur?
What in this day and age is the definition of war? In olden times, Biblical times, war was hand-to-hand, sword and shield. But today, war is NUCLEAR. We saw the devastating effects of the use of a nuclear bomb in Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and tens of thousands of Japanese were killed or severely maimed. The nuclear bomb of this day in age is far more lethal and destructive. Entire cities can be wiped out with one explosion.
And more. War can be CHEMICAL. The effects of chemical warfare are simply disastrous. War can also be BIOLOGICAL and can kill thousands at one time. The sword of old killed one, and the wars of today can kill tens of thousands.
And, there is a new kind of war. The new kind is TERRORISM. One man or woman can kill many. A shooter can assassinate innocent children in a school. Another shooter can shoot thousands in churches and synagogues. An airliner can be hijacked and flown into a building, destroying not only the building, but thousands within. Witness the attacks of 9/11 by the vicious murderer and assassin Osama Bin Laden.
It is simply unbelievable the VIOLENCE which exists in this world today. Evil runs loose, and violence with it. Human love and concern decline daily. Weapons are the most sophisticated they have ever been. They are available illegally to so many, and those with murder in their hearts have access to weapons which can kill one or thousands. We The People and our beloved America have been spared so much mass violence, but we have seen evidence of the hate which rules in this world with killings and shootings in schools, churches, other public places, and assassination attempts, and in so many other ways. Security exists everywhere, and it is growing, even as the fear of death and violence seem to grow exponentially.
The Signs of the Times can provide a ready answer to the question:
IS THIS THE END?
But, try as we may, there really is no solution except one, and that is the Coming and the Rule of THE PRINCE OF PEACE.
I do hope and pray you know who that is. We can buy a gun, or we can believe, now more than ever, in the power of His love and His soon Second Coming.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I prefer the latter.
Do you believe that HE is the solution, the only real, permanent, eternal solution, do you? I, for one, believe that HE is the only one who can prevent a nuclear or biological war, THE ONLY ONE.
The nuclear bomb kills tens of thousands, perhaps even millions, but hear His words:
I AM COME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE.
Not death by chemical weaponry, but Life Eternal from belief in HIM. That is the abundant life He promised. For the Christ of Glory told us clearly and emphatically that He was The Way, The Truth, and THE LIFE, here and hereafter. Fear not, He says, and even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, trust with all your heart in Him, and FEAR NO EVIL!
In fact, even in the face of this unspeakable evil which exists today, never forget He came that your joy might be full. Rejoice in that fact no matter what else happens.
We live in times of bitter persecutions of Christians everywhere in the world, and even, to a lesser extent, in America. Be glad and be blessed in the face of persecutions, for blessed are those who endure those persecutions for HIS sake. We The American Christians experience the very minimal and low-level sense of persecution, even if it is only the beginning. It is HE who will prepare a table in the face of your enemies and make certain your cup at that table run-eth over. In the face of those persecutors, He says make peace and get along with your enemies, for:
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS.
So, be one.
And do remember that real belief in HIM requires you and I:
SHALL NOT KILL.
Rather, we should love our enemy, one of the hardest things for any human being to do. In the face of evil and harm, we should turn the other cheek, another extremely hard thing to do.
Most importantly, we should be willing to lay our ALL ON THE ALTER and to give all we have, including our very own life, if necessary, for HIM. For He says very clearly:
THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE THAN THAT OF A MAN OR WOMAN WHO LAYS DOWN HIS/HER LIFE FOR ANOTHER, EVEN AS JESUS HIMSELF DID LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR YOU AND ME.
There will be no permanent peace on this Earth until:
THE PRINCE OF PEACE COMES A SECOND TIME.
Then will come the peace which the world can not give, and with that hope and belief, we should never be afraid, NEVER.
When the Second Coming happens, it will be the end of the End Times and the beginning of the Times of Eternal Peace, the so-called thousand-year reign of peace. Weapons of war will be no more. Life will be brand new on this Earth, even as it is in heaven.
THE PRINCE OF PEACE will rule, and all nations, all men and women, will live under His loving authority. That day may be near, soon. Then there will be no more wars and evil, and the Evil One will be defeated. None will ever be afraid ever again, for all will be endowed with:
POWER, AND LOVE, AND SOUND MINDS.
Is this the end? Perhaps. But with that end comes:
THE NEW BEGINNING
AND THE
ETERNAL RULE OF THE PRINCE OF PEACE.