If you are anything like me, you may call yourself a news junky.
My average day usually starts off with me reading my reading plan (www.youversion.com). If you are a believer I strongly recommend that you join if you haven’t yet.
Afterwards I’ll browse the web for news, Fox News, CNN, Sky News, News 24, Beeld (Afrikaans publication), Citizen (South Africa), etc.
Scrolling through these sites it is evident that we live in a very dangerous world. I read articles of wars, unrest, murder, rape, child abuse, corruption, earth quakes, tsunamis, etc. Once in while, and may I add, if I’m lucky, I may stumble on a feel good article, but they are few and far between..
I’m not writing this to vent or complain about the world we live in, no not at all. On the contrary, Jesus told us that all of these things will happen before He returns.
In Matthew 24:3 Jesus disciples asked Him for the signs of His return. ” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
In Matthew 24:6-14 Jesus answers them: “6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
As Jesus had told His disciples, many who believed previously now openly deny God, questioning how people can believe in a loving God if we look at what’s happening in the world today. All I can answer to this charge is that more than 2000 years ago, Jesus warned us that these things would happen, even saying that people would desert Him.
Today many people openly attack christianity, and many even blame christianity for the state of affairs in the world. In many countries religious teaching has been banned from schools. Those who break these laws are charged and in some countries even sent to prison. As you read this numerous christians are being persecuted and even killed simply because they are christians and refuse to deny God, just as Jesus said.
Now looking at the news on TV and reading the papers, I cannot but conclude that we are seeing Jesus’ prophesy being fulfilled.
We were warned, what we do about it is up to us,do we accept or reject Christ?
For God 