Good News in End Times

"End times? Last judgement? Ugh.", she grumbled, "what next?”, as she glanced at the bulletin. It had been a bummer of a year but this month with the cold and the dark setting in again, seemed to be the icing on the cake. All around people seemed tense, worried, tired and impatient. It was the months of stress, of unknowns taking their toll, and she fell into the same traps.

The pastor stepped up to the lectern and read the Gospel of the day, listing the signs of the End Times. “Isn’t the Gospel supposed to be good news? Seriously, what happed to good news?", she mused, pursing her lips.

"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?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 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. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 

Matthew 24:3-13

"All these things are already happening. They’ve all come true. The world is a mess,” She sighed. It seemed depressing. Well, she shrugged, sin is sad… “Good news,” the pastor was saying, and he had her attention back, “good news, fellow believers, these signs are among us now. We are living in the end times. God promised these times.” She let that sink in a bit, ‘God promised these [awful] times.’ Really? This is good news for us? These frustrating, divisive times? Yes, He promised life in a lost world would be rough. These groanings are proof of His faithfulness. He always keeps his promises. Still angry about sin?— Yes. Still loving?— Yes. Still with us?—Yep. Coming soon?—she smiled— yes. "God is good. All the time.”

He’s coming to rescue us from this place. From death and darkness. Sometimes we're exhausted by the weight of sin and brokenness. Let it move you to marvel all the more at the miracle of Grace! In a world looking all the wrong places for answers, praise God we have the only One we really need, and a ripe time to share Him.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

That afternoon as she watched, the 4:00pm sun dipped below the tree-line. “God is in the darkness too,” she thought.

His hand is in bitter Novembers just as much as sunny beach days. His plan is not foiled anywhere, not this month, not any month, but is carried out by good and evil alike. His hand is in this election like every other. His hand is with doctors and patients, politicians and scientists. Even those who remove Him from the equation are subject to His will. And we are too. In a season where End Times that seems heavier than other years, take heart, we are right where He willed us to be. Advent will be here soon, an even darker, slower time where we ache for warmth and light, while creation banishes both.

Long lay the world, in sin and error pining
Til he appeared and the soul felt it’s worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees…

Each labor pain of End Times, selfishness, suffering, deception, violence, even Godlessness, is productive. God has not abandoned His own to 2020 but the opposite: good 'ole 2020 is marching right down the crazy path He has plotted for it. Even these heavy days are signs that He is good. His mercies are new every morning and something wonderful is coming. “God, remind me to see it that way,” she prayed, as the last rays disappeared through bare branches. May all bad news, all sad news be accompanied by a little mental asterisk: *More signs of the End Times, as promised. God is faithful! Christ is coming soon.

All throughout my history
Your faithfulness has walked beside me.
The winter storms made way for spring
In every season, from where I'm standing,

I see the evidence of Your goodness
All over my life, all over my life.
I see Your promises in fulfillment
All over my life, all over my life.

Help me remember when I'm weak,
Fear may come, but fear will leave.
You lead my heart to victory.
You are my strength and You always will be.

I see the evidence of Your goodness
All over my life, all over my life.
I see Your promises in fulfillment
All over my life, all over my life.

See the cross, the empty grave,
The evidence is endless.
All my sin rolled away
Because of You, oh, Jesus.
See the cross, the empty grave,
The evidence is endless.
All my sin rolled away
Because of You, oh, Jesus.

I see the evidence of Your goodness
All over my life, all over my life
I see Your promises in fulfillment
All over my life, all over my life, yeah.

So why should I fear?
Oh the evidence is here.
So why should I fear?
Oh the evidence is here.

Evidence (song) - Josh Baldwin