It’s NOT the End of the World

We are expecting an eclipse next week. Is this an opportunity for panic, for the end of the world, or for great joy and jubilation?

When I was a little girl and something bad would happen to me, say, I lost my doll or skinned my knee, the grown-ups in my life would comfort me by giving me perspective. They would say, “It’s not the end of the world!” And then they might tell me a story about similar circumstances in their own lives and how they overcame, or “I’ve skinned my knees plenty of times!”

(I actually tell my own children that if they don’t have a few bumps or scrapes they haven’t been having any fun.)

So, currently, at least for the last 20 years (and especially the last four), our country, and the rest of the West, has been going through crisis and upheaval. It’s as though the slimy underside of a huge corrupt snake is being exposed for all of us to see. And, with this upheaval, people’s hearts are being stirred and filled with terror.

This is quite typical and expected. If we study history, we see this is actually a pattern which has been repeated over and over. In our more recent past, we could look at WWI, The Great Depression (and dustbowl), WWII, the Vietnam Era and find similar circumstances and reactions.

In each instance, the world was changing rapidly, and the unknown and uncertain future turned minds to the prophetic–to predictions of what could and would happen. In fact, you could say it was a preoccupation for followers of Christ.

Just like my elders who assured me things would be all right by sharing their past memories, I would like to assure you.

In the 1970’s, I remember well the reactions to the times. These were some of the negative factors we were facing:

• Sexual revolution
• War on poverty (resulting in the demise of the family among the poor, especially minority groups)
• Increase in drug use (with LSD use being funded by our own government)
• Generation gap
• Energy shortage
• “Population Explosion” (with predictions we were going to run out of room by 1980)
• Nuclear war threat
• Prayer, Bible, etc. being taken out of schools and the public forum
• Nixon resignation
• Crumbling infrastructure (everything was shabby and awful in the cities)
• The threat of communism

At this time the American church became fixated on a doom-and-gloom eschatology (the study of the end times). Songs like, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” became popular with lyrics such as,

Children died,

The days grew cold,

A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,

I wish we’d all been ready…

The book, The Late, Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey was published. In this book Christ’s second coming was predicted to happen in the 1980’s.

Of course, Jesus didn’t return in the ’80’s, just as He didn’t return during all the other times of upheaval in our history. It was embarrassing, really. The doom and gloom eschatology of that era did not come to pass, but that has not kept the church in the West from preaching:

• The Gospel will fail
• The world will go to hell in a hand-basket
• Jesus will come and scoop us up and rescue us before, during, or after all of the worst stuff.

Since I actually lived through the 60’s and 70’s, I have a little bit of perspective.

In many ways, things have improved. There was great revival and renewal all across the country. Here are some of the highlights:

• Billy Graham revivals–I cannot relate just how big these were. When they were televised they had the highest amount of viewers than any other show on the then three television networks, and it was a great thing to attend one in person.
• Campus Crusade for Christ–all those young people in college had been told they should search for truth, so they did, and they found THE Truth!
• Catholic Renewal–Maria Von Trapp herself became part of this in the ’70’s and wrote about it in one of her books.
• Christian Businessmen ministires–where businessmen would get together and hear testimonies, preaching and teaching, and see miracles in their midst. The gatherings were sometimes in the thousands.
• The Jesus Movement–thought to originate with Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA, it was simultaneously happening all over the nation, with young people turning to Jesus and dedicating their lives to Him in some unconventional ways (there is a great movie done last year on this subject, Jesus Revolution).
• The “I Found It” campaign. This was one of the largest evangelistic campaigns in American history.

Everyone was talking about Jesus–even the Doobie Brothers. Spontaneous Bible studies and prayer groups were cropping up everywhere.

As this movement of God matured, it turned into the “moral majority,” with Jerry Falwell, Eagle Forum, Focus on the Family, Promise Keepers, and the homeschooling movement. Rush Limbaugh helped us pull back the curtain to see who was operating the machine, and he helped us have the courage to stand up and make our voices heard.

But that season has passed, and now we are in a new season.

In America, there is great vexation, as we are witnessing what seems to be our own demise, as we see the entire Western world go up in smoke.

Things we face today:

• All-out attack on the Bible and Biblical, traditional values
• Socialist communism openly vying for control of our government and economy
• Normalizing perversion
• Dramatic rise of crime
• WEF globalists poised to remove all of our personal freedoms and even attempting to take away our volition
• Corruption in every level of government
• “Wars and rumors of wars”

So, we’re back to the old “doom and gloom” eschatology model, with people pointing fingers at the next evidence of Christ’s return.

“Things are only going to go from bad to worse, to worse, to worse, and then worse and worse…”

This is what we seem to hear repeated everywhere! It makes you want to dig a huge hole, climb into it, pull the dirt back over your head and post a sign saying, “I’m not emerging until Jesus comes to take me away!”

But this is NOT what Jesus told us to do!

Christianity has never been about retreat and defeat. It has always been about triumph and victory. In fact, this gloomy eschatology has only been around for a little over a hundred years!

Little know to most of us, there are some entirely different ways to view the subject, and they are quite positive. It may take a bit of research, but if you look for them you will find them.

It just may be that God has a bright, promising future for us all–bigger and more wonderful than any of us could imagine.

In fact, there is so much to be hopeful about already!

• Africa is experiencing the greatest harvest of souls in the history of mankind
• Revival in Asia
• Return of Russia to Christianity (something I have been hoping for since the 70’s)
• Evil and corruption that were operating freely in the dark have been exposed, and God is raising up people who can bring in a reign of honesty and integrity
• Young people are returning to traditional values
• People are actually reading and studying their Bibles
• EVERYONE is seeing the consequences of a world without God, and they don’t like it–they are hungry for real food and their hearts are tender towards God

This could be the time of the completion of all things, but it probably isn’t. Why do I say this? Because everyone is expecting it.

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. [emphasis mine]

Matthew 24:44

The very fact we are expecting His return makes it less likely.

This is not a new pattern, with Christians getting so caught up in eschatology they lose sight of their purpose in Christ. In fact, It was happening in Thessalonica during the apostle Paul’s time.

In 2 Thessalonians we read that Paul spoke against brothers who were “idle” and had become busy-bodies. Not only this, but they were leeching off of others. Why did he write this?

The back story is that the Thessalonians were so sure Jesus had already returned or was returning soon that they quite their jobs and sold their belongings so they could be “ready.” Since He didn’t return as they supposed, these people became impoverished vagabonds and a burden to others. Finally, Paul told them that “those who do not work will not eat.” (You can read about this in first and second Thessalonians.)

So, with all that is going on, we can’t lose our focus. Jesus said to watch and be ready, but He didn’t tell us to fret. We’re instructed to know Him and to allow Him to know us, to love His appearing, and to walk with Him.

The saying more mature Christians were telling us in the ’70’s was this:

LIVE as though Jesus is coming today,

PLAN as though He isn’t coming back for a thousand years.

It’s alright to do a little prepping. We can gather some extra groceries and home goods, even learn to be more self-sufficient. This is not a bad thing at all, as long as we do it all in faith and trust.

Here’s a truth: We may have a basement packed with food and goods to last years, and yet just one quake, or flood, or fire could wipe it all out in a day.

Jesus’ parable of the rich fool instructs us here. This rich man had barns and barns filled–he was definitely ready for a famine. But he died, and he wasn’t prepared for heaven.

So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Luke 12:21

So, there’s an eclipse, or a blood moon, or a meteor shower. Enjoy the marvels of God’s creation and keep looking up, but live like you are bringing His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. If you do this, when things actually do come to pass, you will be ready.

Listen to His voice and let His peace, the Shalom of God, to rule your life, because peace destroys the works of the enemy.

Did you know that one way despots subdue people is to cause them to be in constant trauma? Keeping people in fear of natural disasters, wars, economic collapse, etc. creates a consensus and keeps them dependent on the government?

So, let’s thwart their plans by ignoring the latest “threat” and rely on the true King–the Maker of heaven and earth–and dwell in the secret place of the Most High.

Two scripture passages I suggest your read and meditate on this week are:

Psalm 91

and Psalm 37

If you would like to listen (or watch) my podcast on this subject, click below:

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