WHAT DID JESUS SAY about troubling times? JESUS SAID, 6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. . . . Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:6-7, 11-14 NKJV
1. THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TROUBLES – It began in the garden of Eden with the Fall of mankind. Satan—the deceiver—usurped the authority from Adam and Eve, thus becoming the god of this world. Satan, who was a murderer from the beginning, brought death upon all mankind. Jesus explained that Satan, the thief, came to steal, kill and destroy. One of the first indications of Satan’s destructive ways occurred when the sons of Adam and Eve clashed. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel and killed him in an outburst of anger (Genesis 4:3-12).
2. THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE – Today, we are living in very troubling times! That should be obvious from the world conditions both at home and abroad. However, just as God was the hope of the Nation of Israel, He will also be our Savior in times of trouble. Consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah. “O thou hope of Israel, the Savior thereof in the time of trouble” (Jeremiah 14:8 KJV). There is hope in the Lord!
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ stated, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” (Matthew 12:25). However, united we stand! In Amos 3:3 God posed the question, “How can two walk together, unless they are in agreement?” They can’t, and we can’t. Therefore, we must be in one accord in order to effectively live together on planet Earth.
3. WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER – Everyone on planet Earth is part of the human race; we all belong to the same great big family. Every single person is derived from Adam and Eve, the progenitors of the human race. Even though we have different nationalities, races or subcultures, we are all in this together. Therefore, it is important to remember that you and those around you are on the same side. This is true regardless of what you act like, look like or feel like. Down deep inside, you are still family even when you have opposing views or become enemies. At the end of the day, we must find a way to resolve our differences so we can live together peacefully.
4. PEACEMAKERS, NOT TROUBLE MAKERS – God instructs us in Ephesians 4:3 that we should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We must begin to function in unity and harmony with one another. But how? The fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22). As you allow God’s Spirit to control you, He will create an atmosphere of peace in all that you say and do.
God is not the author of confusion or conflict; He is the author of peace. Since Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, He alone is the real peacemaker. As Christ is allowed to work through you, He will bring peace.
5. LOVE COVERS IT ALL – It takes a strong motivator to resolve differences. Only God’s love is strong enough to endure. According to 1 Peter 4:8, love covers a multitude of sins (faults and failures). And Proverbs 10:12 says, “Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.” God’s love is always very forgiving and accepting. Consider the following Scripture passage which describes God’s Love.
“Love is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails. Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Phillips).
6. REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE – Jesus gave us a very simple solution. He said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). And in the same context, Jesus said that you should “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Love, God’s love, is the missing building block in most relationships. These words of Jesus have become known as THE GOLDEN RULE because they are such a valuable guide to living.
If God’s selfless love is not present, then people will act like wild animals, hurting and harming each other. This kind of violent behavior will continue until they completely destroy one another. “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. . . And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace . . . ” (Galatians 5:14-16, 22 NIV).
Only God’s Spirit can produce the kind of unconditional love that is needed for strong enduring relationships. Only God’s love can enable you to forgive and forget. Therefore, trust God to motivate you with His unconditional love. Ask the Holy Spirit to cause God’s love and peace to operate through you. Then you will be able to have the harmonious relationships that are so desperately needed in these troubling times. Stop trying to figure out when the end will come.
7. UNTIL THE END OF TIME – In conclusion, it is God’s decision when the end will come. But until then, we must do what Jesus said for us to do. And what was that? In Matthew 24:13 Jesus said we should “endure to the end.” So, how can we endure? Jesus told us numerous times in different ways that we should simply trust and obey Him. Follow His lead and then wait patiently upon Him to bring it to pass. In Matthew 24:14 Jesus said that we must “preach the gospel to all nations.” He reiterated this in His final command known as the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 when He said go and make disciples.
It’s high time we do just that. So, trust and obey; then go and tell! If you do, according to Jesus, you will be blessed. “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing” (Matthew 24:46 NKJV). THE END!
Dr Lewis Gregory © 2023
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