Endtimes - How to Live Till God Calls Us Home

   Did you ever have an “ah ha!” moment reading the Bible?

You might feel like we’re near the end of the Church Age. We can’t know when Jesus will return. If we did, even more would slack off and not share the Gospel. His imminent return means we must be about His business, in case it is years away.

Still, the Bible gives signs as we near His return. One came to me reading Revelation around 1990. Many job losses & mergers happened so the Antichrist can better control a few big companies, not a bunch of small ones.

It’s a rough, yet exciting time. When we truly follow the Lord, our light can shine much brighter in this dark world, drawing others to Jesus. We can’t create God’s perfect kingdom. Imperfect man can’t make perfect anything. It takes Jesus returning in the clouds to do it. Many imitate or even mock Him; the devil always has.

Some say this big climate thing, COP27, is a part. It’s worshipping the creature (Earth) over the Creator. On NOv. 13th on Mt. Sinai (in the Siani Penninsula but perhaps not the real one, which is possibly in Saudi Arabia) they’ll reveal “climate commandments, mocking what God did on the real Mt. Sinai. Remember, share how Jesus saves from all sin. If a person claims emissions are a sin,  take them to the cross, say we’ve all sinned & only Jesus offers salvation. Some say the Great Reset is part, we don’t know. Either way, those like Amir Tsarfati (follow as BeholdIsrael, some imitate him), Jan Markell (her “Understanding the Times” is great for news hogs), & their guests are usually good. They’re not KJV-only but you’ll use Godly discernment; their doctrine seems solid, and nobody’s perfect.

Don’t get too caught up worrying about the End Times, though. I only share that so you can get things media won’t share. Remember, too much news makes us more anxious, so limit it to Godly sources a bit at a time. Test it all by what the Bible says, not scaremongers. If there are shortages or not, the Bible says cast all your cares on Jesus(1 Pet. 5:7). Trust in God when afraid (Ps. 26:3) etc.. Rely on Jesus to help you through this world with faith and confidence in what He can do through you.

I talked lots about adulting since we could have years. Remember, Jesus wins in the end; we who know Him will rule and reign with Him. For now, Jesus says “Occupy till I come.”(Luke 19:13) He gives the strength to serve Him even as we look up.

If the Lord leads, you might start a group where kids play freely in a park, etc.. It’d make a great 501c3.  Free play helps kids learn to interact, discuss and solve disputes, etc. Much is overly structured – and now costs more, too. Kids are getting burned out on their favorite sports because they’re pressured to play the same one all the time, not varying. Repeat use injury is even a problem for kids – torn ACLs, for one.

God built us to have fun playing a variety of things. Wayne Gretzky, the best hockey player ever, loved baseball more as a kid, for instance. And, look up stickball for how kids without equipment used to play baseball.

A lot of this is about priorities. But control is involved, too, to get people used to it so when the Antichrist comes, they’ll give him full control. But if people won’t listen to that due to anxiety, discuss Godly priorities & how God cares for each of us personally.

 

There are 3 main ways people get the wrong priorities in these & other areas.

First, they want to be superior. They make it all about themselves. We all are tempted to do that at times We need to confess and forsake it & put God out front. God made us all equal with unique talents. We’ll always be better than someone at something and always worse than someone at something.

Take my cousin Kiersten. She did cheerleading one year, in 4th grade, then quit. The girls in it were too snobby and acted unpleasant, making it all about them. Kiersten didn’t like the cliques. She focused on her love for horses as a teen. She preferred to be kind to all and show God’s love. Maybe 1-2 girls, if they got out on their own as friends with her, away from cliques, could have been helped, but not every field is ripe unto harvest. She made a mature decision to leave a toxic group to follow God’s plan for her.

Some may have had to break generational bad habits, like we said happen if families pass them down. Perhaps some moms were like that, so they felt pressured to copy. That’s why I say 1-2 might have trusted in Jesus when they saw His real, unconditional love for them. Had there been just a few challenges, maybe He’d have led Kiersten to continue, I don’t know. But, it wasn’t her mission – horseback riding was her love and where God led her to thrive. Have you asked God to lead you to the right places?

Also, people keep wanting more. They want a bigger house, or more money, or their own room or clothes (my grandma & great aunt shared dresses during the Depression. Their mom grew up on a farm with 10 siblings; each kid slept in a room with 4-5 siblings.) Farm life like that helped some realize the need to “be content with such things as ye have, for He hath said ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”(Heb. 13:50

Of course, we must keep trying to improve. But, we shouldn’t put anything ahead of Godly priorities like love, family, serving others like Jesus would, etc.. The key is, don’t let anything draw you away from God.

A third reason is money and the ned to earn it. I’ve heard a few athletes say the first thing they bought with their first big check was a nicer home for their mom. That’s a good thing, for sure. (I get teary at happy endings like that, so it’s okay if you do, too.) But, the pressure can be too much unless we trust Jesus to keep us going.

These all have one thing in common – they ignore what God wants.

God can still use such desires. Hall of Famer Curtis Martin said he never liked football till he retired – then he could relax & enjoy talking about it. God used it to keep him off drugs, though; his dad left due to his own addictions. (They did reconcile before the dad’s death.) Did the pressure cause his dislike of football? Maybe.

Thankfulness is a key. It’s hard for someone like Maetin to say “Wow, thank you Lord, I get to do this.” If we focus on God’s gifts, & how He molds us into something special, it’s easier. We just don’t always see what the result is supposed to be. Martin had hopes. But, so few have the talent to be a pro, let alone a star.

Anyone can trust Jesus to get them through this world, knowing it’ll be worth it when we see Him. And kids who play lots of sports will be noticed as athletes if it’s God’s will, and build their skills. Framber Valdez won 2 World Series games for the Astros this year, & wasn’t noticed till 21, old for Latin players.. God’s purpose for Martin was almost surely to play football. Even if He uses sports to bring someone to Him - pitcher John Smoltz trusted Jesus as his Savior after a hard rehab from injury. Billy Sunday, a great evangelist, was one of the fastest baseball players of his time before he gave it up to preach.

The world’s elite have their own wrong, evil ideas of the future. They don’t buy electric cars, despite how much they say they worry about climate chaos. They have enough money for gas, food, etc.. They have mansions on Earth but build cities like Neom with surveillance all over and other problems. They ignore human rights. (Iran was allowed on a 45-nation UN womens rights committee.) Then they try to divide us so the poor of all races & nations are too busy to see the real problem is godless humanism. Psalm 2 is so true – heathen rage, people imagine vain (empty) things, but God will have them in derision. They think they’ll have no consequences. But God will prevail. Till then, we as the body of Christ must be united in sound doctrine and love for one another. (Pastor Frazier has a great Wednesday PM series on culture wars, if you don’t come call & find out how to hear it, 330-477-6267.)

God will fight our battles for us when we pray; praying through Psalms helps a lotthese days. God wants us to focus on Heavenly things while doing His will here. Being Godly, and focusing on Godly priorities, doesn’t take skill. It takes knowing Jesus as your Saviour and letting Him guide and help you.

Jesus says “the love of many will wax cold” at the end, with “perilous times” as 2 Tim. 3 says. That’s here now. So, stand out as followers of Jesus in an ungodly world. It’s why I suggest a club like I mentioned might be so helpful. The key is to make sure the Gospel is shared in that time, too. People need the peace, comfort, and encouragement a personal relationship with Jesus will give them, not like anything the world has.

I wish we could go back to peaceful times, without all the meanness that goes on. But, when we look at what we will have to look forward to in Heaven, we can be sure we’ll get through this. Remember Daniel 3, when Shadrach,, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they wouldn’t bow down to the idol the king had made. Jesus was in the midst of them there. He’ll be there for you, too.

 

I know, you wonder what we’re supposed to do now. Remember, whatever time we have left before God’s return, there will be spiritual oppression, but by proclaiming Jesus’ name, we can overcome it through prayer.

And, there are things you can do that I can’t as easily, like organize free times at the park and have a devotional as part. But we can comfort one another with the worlds of 1 Thess. 4:13-18, that Jesus will come back for us. We can do more, too.

1. Show who Jesus is. Things like your love for others, but also work ethic, will set you apart from the rest of the world.

2. Share what Jesus did. You don’t need a dramatic testimony. You just need to share your relationship with Him and why it’s so special. It’s so much better than what the world has to offer. Remember, to be saved from their sin a person just has to do the ABCs.

A=Admit you’re a sinner and fall short of God’s perfection; B=Believe Jesus died to take the p3enalty for your sins and then rose from the dead; &, C=Call on Jesus to save you, Confess you’re a sinner and need Jesus to same you and Choose to invite Him to come liv in you and make you new inside, to be your constant guide, comforter, helper, friend, etc.

3. Stand on Jesus’ promises. He will never leave you or forsake you once you know Him. His goodness, as the song says, will keep running after you, He will lovingly guide you back if you stray, and will be a constant help in time of trouble.

 

There are 2 good online forums I’ll share, as well as Godlife.com (it has online mentors.) Use online forums sparingly if at all, though. Reading a lot online can bring anxiety just like too much news. www.millenniumweekend.org is small with things that may or may not be from God like a few dreams & visions, but also more on the Nephilim then www.raptureforums.com which is bigger. It has a bunch of forums. Neither is KJV only but some members are & I know you use Godly discernment. Both are doctrinally sound in basics - salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone & security of salvation. Also, don’t share much personal oline , of course.