Apples of Gold

Wacky Weather

Brrrr! Northern West Virginia is experiencing a cold snap and snow cycle that seems to hit us every few years. In fact the weather around the nation has been kind of wacky. As I view posts from friends on the Maine coast I read about flooding like I have never seen. It reminds me of a biblical description of the last days:

And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:25-27

Most students of Scripture would agree that we have entered what the Bible refers to as the last days. Here’s another passage detailing some of what we can expect:

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Tumultuous Times

Difficult is such an apt description of our times. Something changed during the covid crisis. Well, honestly I think it was changing before that, but a rapid metamorphosis was fueled by the chaos surrounding that whole debacle. I personally lost much of my trust in our current medical system as I watched high quality doctors and nurses lose their jobs because they wanted to treat patients in a manner that did not mirror the government protocol. I also watched people lose their jobs because they didn’t want an experimental vaccine. I watched friends and neighbors divide because they disagreed. Toilet paper and supplies disappeared from store shelves as some frantically hoarded enough to last for several years totally ambivalent to the current needs of others.

Although we have walked past the terror, the behavior patterns of people seem to have been changed for the long term – and not in a good way. The current church crisis is visible in the abandonment of clear biblical teachings when they conflict with current moral trends. High profile leaders are lining up to plunge off the cliff in an attempt to retain their audience. Truth has become irrelevant to many, while moral codes are formed by feelings and ignoring or re-writing the tough teachings: forcing the Bible to align with immorality has become common practice.

We shouldn’t be surprised by this. The disciples asked Jesus what the signal for his return would be. Interestingly, Jesus begins his response with “Don’t let anyone mislead you”. (Matthew 24:4)

If you have a few minutes, you might find a few surprises in Matthew 24 regarding just where we are on the end times time line. But for brevity’s sake I want to consider a short portion we must take very seriously.

Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:12-13

Defensive Dressing

Our dog Gus loves to take walks. In these frigid temperatures, if I do not take the time to put on the proper protective gear, I find myself growing very cold, very quickly when we venture out. Usually even Gus wears a sweater when it is really cold!

The spiritual environment surrounding us is extremely cold right now. The forecast is for more of the same, and worse. Are we taking the time to prepare so we can stay warm in these frigid times?

On our recent trip to Florida the weather turned ferocious. My phone began to blare a loud tornado warning. Thankfully, we were in a concrete block building right on the beach and the tornado was forming to our east. Ignoring a tornado warning can cost you your life. Jesus warns us to keep a close eye on our spiritual temperature. Ignoring that one can cost us our souls!

So how do we keep the fire of love for the Lord burning? Spending time in the Word and prayer are obvious, yet still we need constant reminders to not let this precious time slide. A dangerous cultural trend we are seeing is ignoring Hebrews 10:25.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need each other. Why especially now? Well, it used to be popular and respected to be a Christian. Now to many we are the enemy. The more the world rejects the Word of God, the more his true followers look like the bad guy.

The challenge today is this: take time to put on the armor of God before you head for the battlefield. Your temperature depends on it, and so do the souls of those around you. It should never be enough that you and yours are safe. When the trumpet sounds we will experience the greatest joy ever, but those who don’t know Him enter a very dangerous time. So as any good stewardess would tell you-put your oxygen mask on first, and then help those around you. It looks like the time is very short. Stay warm, friends!