The End Is Near?

Friday’s terror attacks in France, the sixth this year, were well planned and executed with precision. Orchestrated attacks spread out over parts of Paris took everyone by surprise and made clear the intention to harm and kill those who are outside of the Caliphate. The number of dead and wounded is uncertain.

Many people conclude from the increase in criminal and terrorist activity that the end is near. Looking at the disintegration of families and the declining interest in Christianity makes it seem that all is lost. Does that mean the end is near?

Jihadists have battled to advance the Caliphate since the inception of Islam in the seventh century. While not all Muslims seek to usher in Islamic rule of government through force, the heartbeat of its adherents is for the world to be under the rule of the Caliph.

It is true that in the last days evil people will become more and more decadent. Absence of moral restraints with shifting cultural values provides an environment for this depravity to go unchecked. Does this mean the end is near?

What can be known about the end times gets spun and hammered out of shape by well-intentioned people. The one constant that needs to be retained is that there is an end of the current world system coming and with it the introduction of the kingdom of God under the authority of Jesus.

What we are looking for and talking about when people say the “end is near” has to do with the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “… Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…” The end in view is the return of Christ in power and glory; which is not an end but a new beginning. We ought to live every day looking for and loving His return.

Does the rise of militant Islamic terrorists mean that the end time is near? Does the breakdown of families, causing single parents to struggle and children to learn a new normal, mean that Jesus will be here soon? Does the disinterest in religion in a post-Christian era mean that the end is near?

Maybe all of these can be answered affirmatively. A fomenting anti-Israel fervor could sure lead to Armageddon. The absence of natural affection, as manifested in selfish lifestyle choices, as people become self-lovers, is an indicator of the last days. Apostasy, a falling away from truth and its pillar, the church, is part of the description for end times.

Suppose the end is near. What can we do? Fear is never the right response. Preparation is. Be ready and listen to the voice of the Great Shepherd who will lead His people home to glory. Comfort one another with these words. Please remember to pray for the people of France.

Pastor Ken teaches at Cornerstone Church every Sunday at 10:00AM. Cornerstone is located at 1775 Stanton Ave. Franklinville, NJ.