As history hurtles toward the Last Days, we find ourselves trying to navigate through an increasingly hostile world. Politics are dividing our country and even our churches. People are becoming more cold-hearted, selfish, and angry. We are experiencing a breakdown that feels irreversible. Our problems do not have simple solutions, but we can find guidance in Scripture.
How Can I Know the Difference Between Turning the Other Cheek and Taking a Stand for What Is Right?
America was originally founded on Christian principles, but this foundational premise began to erode after World War II. Today, momentum for the downward trend is building. The government, the educational system, the entertainment industry, and the media no longer share our values, which means faithful Christians are becoming alienated from the dominant forces in society.
Persecution is not too strong a word to describe what is happening to Christians in America today. To be persecuted for righteousnessโ sake means that we are hated or opposed or suffer solely for following Christ and living for God. In our nation, we are experiencing five stages of religious suppression: stereotyping, marginalizing, threatening, intimidating, and litigating. I think America is a long way from the kind of persecution that involves torture and death, as Christians endured in the New Testament and now endure in other countries. But one never knows what may lurk around the corner. In my younger days, I never in my wildest nightmares dreamed that Christianity would be under fire as it now is in the United States.
How should Christians in the United States react to persecution? The first response might naturally be anger. But the New Testament gives us a more constructive response. The early Christians suffered much more severe persecution than anything we presently face, and we never find them responding in anger. In fact, they found positive benefits in suffering. They discovered suffering promotes character (Romans 5:3-5), provokes courage (Acts 4:19-20; Philippians 1:20-21), proves godliness (2 Timothy 3:12; Hebrews 12:6; 1 Peter 5:10), produces joy (Acts 16:25; 5:41), and provides rewards (Hebrews 11:24-26).
There are three decisions we can make: determine to stand for truth, draw support from one another, and derive your security from the Lord.
When we view the current political climate in light of Godโs eternal plan, there are decisions we can make and steps we can take in advance to steel ourselves for that moment when persecution comes. Letโs look at three things we can do to prepare for that moment.
Determine to stand for truth. It is imperative that fear of rejection, criticism, or loss does not cower us into hiding our light. To live worthy of the Gospel is to stand for Godโs truth without bending. As Paul urged the Corinthians, we are to โwatch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with loveโ (1 Corinthians 16:13โ14).
Draw support from one another. We cannot be Christians alone. We need the company of others like ourselves with whom we can share encouragement, struggles, and victories. It is easy for us to feel alone and discouraged, but in the company of fellow believers, we draw strength, discipline, knowledge, encouragement, support, and love from one another. A courageous example can spur any one of us to say, โIf he or she can do it, by Godโs grace so can I.โ
Derive your security from the Lord. The key to standing firm in the face of persecution is to remember whom we belong to and where we are going. We belong to Christ, and He secures us in His hand. Thus, we need not fear danger to our reputations, our jobs, our finances, or even our physical lives. As He said, โFor whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find itโ (Matthew 16:25).
How Does the Current Political Divide Fit Into Godโs Timeline and the Revelation of Christโs Return?
In Matthew 24, our Lord predicted the future of world history and the end of the age. Now, I believe the signs in Matthew 24:4-14 represent a description of the first half of the tribulation period. But these trends and events are not going to suddenly appear when the Rapture comes. Theyโre going to increasingly characterize these Last Days leading up to the Rapture of the Church, as they reverberate backward through time.
The Rapture is the next event on Godโs prophetic calendar, and it will occur without warning. It could happen at any time! We can almost hear the countdown. Weโre living in prophetic times and seeing prophecy fulfilled right before our eyes. When we consider world events, we can see that the signs of Matthew 24 are intensifying. Itโs time to look up, for our redemption draws near! During these troubled times, we can find personal peace by considering Godโs message to two Old Testament figures. When King Ahaz and the nation of Judah were facing invasion by two enemies, the Lord gave this message through the prophet Isaiah: โBe careful, keep calm and donโt be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewoodโ (Isaiah 7:4). Even earlier, Moses had told the Israelites by the Red Sea: โDonโt be afraid. Just stand stillโฆ. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calmโ (Exodus 14:13-14).
This is a message for us: โBe carefulโฆ keep calmโฆ donโt lose heartโฆ stand stillโฆ the Lord will fight for you.โ Do those words reverberate in your heart right now? The devil may try to invade your orbit and disrupt your day. The truth is we may have battles on multiple fronts because of the turbulent times we live in, but as we fix our thoughts on Jesus, we will be able to claim His perfect peace and persevere. Practice putting these three steps into action to find peace in your heart: trust the Lord and do your duty, keep calm and donโt be afraid, and carry on and rely on God to fight for you.
How Can I Avoid Feeling Discouraged When World Affairs Seem So Bleak?
As world conditions worsen, Jesus said we shouldnโt hang our heads in hopelessness or shake our heads in confusion. Instead, we should lift our heads in expectation, for our redemption draws near (Luke 21:28). After Paul told the Thessalonians about the sudden return of Christ in the air for His people, he said, โComfort one another with these wordsโ (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Our world is in a state of depression. Proverbs 12:25 states: โAnxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.โ Obviously, there are times when medication is absolutely called for, but meditation is often better. When we visualize our Lordโs return, weโre treating our souls to a โgood word.โ
Jesus told His worried disciples on His last night with them, โLet not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fatherโs house are many mansions.โฆ I will come again and receive you to Myselfโ (John 14:1-3).
Try this experiment. One evening, sit down and watch television for an hour, focusing on a roundup of the world news. Itโll be an hour filled with riots, war, politics, problems, budget deficits, serial killers, and natural disasters. Reflect on how you feel afterward.
The next night, turn off the television and study First and Second Thessalonians, two little books in the New Testament with much to say about the Lordโs return. Read Paulโs promise that God will give His anxious children rest โwhen the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angelsโ (2 Thessalonians 1:7). After an hour of pondering the eight short chapters of the Thessalonian epistles, my guess is youโll have joy in your heart as you anticipate His return.
The study of the signs of the times isnโt just for โSecond Coming scholars.โ Itโs for every single Christian who loves His appearing. Itโs comprehensible, and itโs compelling, and it will change your life. It is a practical subject with tangible benefits, and those who study it are happier, holier, healthier people. We can rightly consider it the greatest self-improvement course we can take, and the benefits are eternal.
During these challenging days, find out what the Bible has to say about the prophetic times, and learn to pray: Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
