Question:  What should Christians make of the mounting wars, catastrophic storms, killer viruses, etc., headlining recent news stories?

Answer:  Things certainly do seem to be in turmoil.  Just days ago, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told American marines in San Diego, California:  “The world is exploding all over.”              But Christians shouldn’t be surprised if they’ve been reading their Bibles!  Jesus warned of such things in Matthew 24: 6-9,  “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.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these things are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” Jesus goes on to say in verses 13-14, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  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.” (NKJV)

Christians in many countries around the world are suffering persecution.  Many are being forced to convert from Christianity or face death.  Others have already been put to death for their beliefs.  Just listen to this news story by CBN reporter, Erick Stakelbeck:  http://blogs.cbn/stakelbeckonterror/archive/2014/08/12/the-watchman-show-iraqi-christians-face-isis-genocide.aspx .   Even in the United States where we have the constitutional right to freedom of religion, Bible-believing Christians increasingly face ridicule and punishment for our beliefs.  We’re called intolerant, hateful, and even face lawsuits for standing up for God’s teachings on morality.

Even as we learn of the various wars taking place in other parts of the world,  Christians recognize that we face many domestic battles as well.  Drive-by shootings have taken the lives of thousands of our inner city youth in recent years, yet the majority of the public seems to have come to accept these murders as almost normal.  So many people are hooked on drugs, yet some states have made the marijuana drug legal.  This country has killed millions of babies through abortion, and it’s simply called “the right to choose.”  Even the definition of marriage, which God created to be between one man and one woman [See what Jesus said about it in Matthew 19:4-6], is being legally redefined in the courts to whatever a group of unelected judges says it should be.  Pornography is a billion dollar business while many women and children are being forced into sex trafficking.  The list goes on and on.

These things bring to mind the words from Isaiah 5:20:  “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…”   Believers may also recall 2Timothy 3:12-13, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived.”  Christians understand that we can take comfort in knowing that whatever happens, God is in control!

God has given us in His Holy Word, the Bible, what we need to know.  The Apostle Paul writes in 2Timothy3;16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”  So, the next time we find ourselves wondering what in the world is going on, we need to remember God already warned us in His Word what was going to happen.  As Believers hear of these events, we should be ever more diligent in following the Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20.  Jesus told them to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Helpful Links:

Focus on the family   http://www.focusonthefamily.com

Crown Financial Ministries   http://www.crown.org

The Christian Broadcasting Network    www.cbn.com

World Magazine   http://www.worldmag.com