3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matthew 24)
Reading the headlines can be very discouraging, if we let ourselves. To make matters worse, it's gonna get worse. Jesus promised it. Before His return and the consummation of the ages, we will see wars famines and earthquakes increase. Christ did not tell us that to discourage us, but to encourage us. He wants us to be realists. The worsening of the world is not an excuse to give up and let the world crash and burn, or even a wierd excitement about seeing it become worse, but an exhortation for diligence and faithfulness, and a caution to not be misled by anyone promising to be our savior. If we trust in Christ and follow His commands, we will be ready to face anything that comes, and we will know it is time, just as His disciples (finally) recognized Him as the true Messiah. Fear not; it's gonna get worse, but with Jesus, it will be all right.
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