I hear a lot of people make the remark; "What in the world is going on?" They are referring to the state the world seems to be in this day and age. It seems as though violence is everywhere, crimes are on the increase, religious wars on the up rise, larger storms than the world has ever seen before, governments are coming and going, freedoms are being taken away, trust is something of the past and morals are twisted to where most just don't know what the truth is anymore. Maybe you have found yourself stressing out over the state of the country or even the world and can't seem to find the right direction to go with your life or you've just given up on trying to find the truth. If you find yourself wondering what is going on, and are afraid of the future, let me encourage you to hang in there a little longer. There is hope for us in a world that is depraved and lost. Consider these simple truths God has given us which will keep us focused on those things that really matter.
You see, God has already told us before Christ returns to this earth these things are going to happen. Christ told His disciples this when they ask Him when the end would come, Matthew 24:3. The problem we have today is that we stopped listening to God. We have forgotten His words to us almost 2000 years ago. He also told us that it will be like the days of Noah where eating and drinking, getting married and giving in marriage would be happening again, Matthew 24:37-39. In the days of Noah people did not believe Noah's message, they did not believe that a flood was coming that would destroy them all. In essence, they did not believe God and the message He was conveying to them, they rejected the message. Noah had been preaching righteousness to them for a long time, even before he was told to build the Ark. People chose not to listen to Noah and the message he was proclaiming. They went about business as usual, they were eating like there was no food for tomorrow. The original text implies they were eating like beasts, being gluttonous in their ways. The people were getting married with not much regard to the marriage laws and many were getting married unlawfully, Genesis 6:1-2. People were becoming very wicked in those days and God was not pleased, Genesis 6:5. Noah being a righteous man found favor with God and God determined to use Noah to warn the people of the coming destruction facing the earth and mankind. This destruction was coming in Noah's time because mankind had lowered itself to the lowest level of depravity. The people of God, those coming from the line of Seth ignored His laws and became involved with the sons and daughter's of Cain, those who rebelled against God. The sons and daughter's of Cain were living as they pleased by fornicating, committing all sorts of perverted sexual acts, taking women as they pleased without any true commitment, committed adultery, lived a life of gluttony which comes in many forms. In other words they ignored God and His laws. The Son's and daughter's of Seth had been drawn into this evil lifestyle and were now just as perverted as those of Cain's descendants. The disciples of Christ wanted to know what the end would be like before Christ would return to the earth and set up His Kingdom. Two thousand years after Christ I believe we are seeing the prophecy that Christ Himself spoke are being fulfilled before our eyes..
Look at the headlines or listen to the news and you get a very dark picture of what the days are like. Know one can say this world is better off today when it comes to the depravity of mankind. In Matthew 24:3-8 Jesus is explaining what it is going to be like before the end comes. (The end does not refer to the end of the world like so many think, it is the end of the age, or the end of this particular era). Christ was referring to what it is going to be like before things actually get a whole lot worse. I believe that what Christ was talking about in these verses in chapter 24 is what the condition the world, (mankind/governments/nations) are going to be in before the time of tribulation starts. If you would make a list of things happening you would find things very similar to the days of Noah. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ describes that "the whole of creation has been groaning as if giving labor awaiting the day of restoration to the earth that God will bring and finally adopting all His children into His kingdom," Romans 8:22. There is one interesting fact about childbirth, when the due date approaches and labor pains begin they increase in frequency and severity. As the day gets closer for Christ to be sent back to earth to establish His kingdom on earth the labor pains are going to increase in frequency and severity. The pregnancy of the world took place right after Adam and Eve rebelled against God. God set into motion the salvation plan for mankind. In Judges 13:2-7 we see the story of a Danite woman who was childless. This woman was given specific instructions as to how she was to conduct herself before the child was born. The child would be a Nazarene who would later become the Israelites savior from the philistines. This story is a metaphor of Christ's birth. There are many stories that give us indication of God's plan to redeem mankind, there are many stories in the old testament that would be considered the time of pregnancy. At first, not much happening, after a period of time the belly begins to swell and things start getting a little more uncomfortable. After several months there is no mistaking the pregnancy, the woman is very uncomfortable and can't wait for the time of birth. When the time is near the pains begin, and they will increase with frequency and severity up until the birth takes place. Take a look at the progression of the birth pains of the world described in Matthew 24:3-35. First we see in verses 4-8 that the birth pains are beginning, the pregnant world is now going to experience it's first birth pains. These pains are only the beginning. In verses 9-12 the pains are increasing and getting closer together. In verses 11 and 12 I believe there is an overlapping for awhile because we can see these things happening now, but in the next stage of this pregnancy we could well start in verse 11 and and go through verse 13 to enter into the pains just before the birth happens. I believe that this would be considered the time when the Great Tribulation begins. The birth pains are extreme and the labor is exhausting. The birth is just about to take place in verses 15-29, the labor pains are so close together now, the labor cannot go on much longer or the mother and child would in danger of death if the birth does not happen soon. Now in verses 30-31 we get to experience the birth that the world has been waiting for since the fall of Adam and Eve. (Not the birth of Christ when He was born of man and entered this world as a savior although this was long awaited for, but the return of Christ the second time as King of Kings). This birth will change the world as we know it. This birth is the return of Christ back to earth and the establishing of God's kingdom. Matthew 24:32-36 Christ tells His disciples what to be looking for. The sign of the fig tree is the key and we need to understand this sign. The fig tree has been a symbol relating to Israel for a long time. The verses say when you see the sprouting of the new growth on the fig tree know that the summer is near, right at the door. When Israel became a nation in the year 1948, most biblical scholars believe this is the sprouting of the new leaf on the fig tree. In other words we can know the season or the signs of the season before He returns. (This does not relate literally to the seasons of the year, it figuratively refers to the nearness of the return of Christ). In verse 36 He tells us that "the day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." We must pay attention to verses 34 and 35. If this is as most believe then Matthew 24:36-51 becomes very important to everyone. We must be prepared as these scriptures indicate. Now that we have examined the times of Noah, and we have seen the instructions of Christ about the last days before He returns, we must now focus on this generation of the world.
Relating back to the times of Noah and the scriptures that say in the last days before Christ returns, the world will be just like the days of Noah. Today we have the eating and drinking like in the days of Noah, people eating like there will not be any food for tomorrow which is called gluttony. Gluttony can come in many forms, it does not have to be just about food. We can have a gluttony for sex, a gluttony for money, a gluttony cars, etc. The divorce and remarriage rate are astounding, people choose to live in fornication over getting married legally. The sacrament of marriage has lost its importance. Wars and rumors of wars have always been taking place throughout time, but look at it now, violence through terrorism is world wide, nation rising up against other nations are more so today than in any other time. There are more earthquakes around the world now, famine is increasing throughout the world. Just think of the nations that supply most of the worlds food are now in economic distress, the soil is becoming depleted of nutrients and can't produce crops like they used to. The list goes on, and Jesus says this is the "beginning of birth pains."
What in the world is going on? The answer to that lies in God's word to us given by Jesus Christ. The world is getting ready to give birth to the return of Christ to this earth. As Christ told His disciples, "such things must happen, but the end is still to come." We live in a time of distress, in a time of violence. We live in a time when people do not have regard for the things of God, they go about their business as if nothing is going to happen. Imperfect people look to other imperfect people to solve the problems of the world when in all truthfulness man cannot solve man's problems. Only a perfect God can solve our problems. So like in the days of Noah we go about disregarding God, mocking Christ, and blaming other's for our problems. We don't see the signs before us, we won't listen to God telling us to wake up and believe in His Son Jesus Christ. We just go about our daily lives worrying about the political crises throughout the world, the unstable governments that are threatened daily to be overthrown. We scream and holler about injustice in our land and don't lift a finger to change things. We continue to deny the very one who can change our lives and bring "peace that passes all understanding," and we fail to recognize that Christ has been knocking at the door of every one's heart and asking if He can come in and dine with them, Revelation 3:20. What in the world is going on? We only need to look back in history and read the accounts on Noah and understand what was going on then is exactly what is going on now. At some point in time soon a great and horrible tribulation will come and during that time Christ told those who are living then "there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:25-28.
If you are troubled about what is going on today in the world and troubled about your own life, then why not turn to Christ now? He is standing at the door waiting to come in and dine with you. In other words He wants to have a personal relationship with you, He wants to get to know you and He wants you to get to know Him. By believing in Him as the only begotten Son of God and putting your faith in Him then you can experience His love, His peace, His Joy and His salvation from the sins that so easily destroy you. You can have freedom in Him, you can have a life that does not compare to anything else in this world. Will it be easy, not necessarily, but you can rest assured that Christ will not fail you, He will hot leave or forsake you. No matter what you may go through, Christ will be with you guiding you through it all. Yes, the world as we know it is in deep trouble and this world is going to experience some severe birth pains before Christ returns to this earth for the second time, but in Him we can have the confidence that He is who He says He is and that He will redeem your soul. You can enter back into a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ if you will just ask Him to be a part of your life. If you find yourself troubled by all that is going on and are really dissatisfied with how your life is going then why not right now turn to Him by asking Christ into your life.
Here is a prayer you can pray if you want a relationship with Christ right now. When you pray this prayer don't just read the words, you must mean them from your heart. Pray now, "Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. I believe in Him as your only Son and I invite Him to come into my heart and mind, I ask you to forgive me of all my rebellion against you. Father would you set me free from my sins and create in me a new heart fashioned after your Son Jesus Christ. I accept your Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Cover me with the blood of Christ to wash away my old life and give me new life according to your will. Thank you Father for saving me and cleansing me. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer and meant it you are now a son of the living God, adopted into His family through His Son, Jesus Christ. The world will bring you trouble and heartache, but Christ will bring you peace and understanding. God loves you very much so go out with confidence that He is with you. Seek out others that believe in Christ and find yourself a copy of His written Word called the scriptures or more commonly the Bible. Spend time talking to your Heavenly Father everyday. Read His word everyday also. May God bless you richly and may He provide for your every need.
Let me know if you either have accepted Christ as your savior or have rededicated your life to Him. Thank you!!
