And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
There is a war in Ukraine and also in Afghanistan, Yemen, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Mali, and Myanmar among other places. There have been earthquakes and famines. There has now been another school shooting. There is unprecedented social media hatred that is feeding a view of a world devoid of civility and tolerance. People are wondering what is going on in our world and blaming various segments of society, including religion. The Church has been singled out for specific vitriol. It can look like it cannot get any worse. These words from Jesus tell us that we have not seen anything yet.
That is hard to believe but we can believe it because Jesus said it. The wars we see now will be dwarfed by what is to come. Brother will turn against brother, father against child, and children against parents. This is far more painful than the birth pains we are feeling now. But the end is not yet.
What is a Christian to do? We are to rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. (Phil. 4:4) How is this to be done? By believing that God is in control and all things work together for good for those who are called. (Romans 8:28) How do we know this to be true? By reading the Bible and believing it as the inerrant word of God. Without it, refer to the first paragraph for your world view and despair for…
You have not seen anything yet.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church