The End Is Near! Now What?
So you think that the apocalypse is upon us…how should you respond?
The  Apostle Peter answered that for us and I have highlighted his counsel.
Unfortunately, the responses are not very exciting and will lead to fewer “likes” on Facebook than rumors of political deceit or impending destruction.
It boils down to being loving, hospitable, prayerful, holy people who are at peace…growing in grace and knowledge of God.
It also seems to say that we are to concern ourselves with our own sanctification, not so much that of others.
Judgment starts with us?
Good luck getting a retweet with that…
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
(1 Peter 4:7–19 ESV)
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
(2 Peter 3:8–18 ESV)
So…are you ready or not?
Apocalypse upon us? Well,it depends what you mean by apocalypse. What does the word mean to you?
My apocalyptic warning came from a friend who wanted me to
1) Store water
2) Store food
3) Have hard currency; cash, silver or gold, for when the dollar is worthless
4) Have weapons to protect my stash
5) Have a refugee plan of evacuation
I loudly amen this post. In fact, just last Sunday I stated as much. The return of the Lord is to motivate us to holy living.
24:00 – 25:45 mark for anyone interested….from Psalm One
http://www.calvaryle.org/Psalm%201.Mp3
Michael,
More gold from you…
“It boils down to being loving, hospitable, prayerful, holy people who are at peace…growing in grace and knowledge of God.
It also seems to say that we are to concern ourselves with our own sanctification, not so much that of others.”
I believe The Presence of the Lord is what should motivate us to holy living, because His inescapable reality is abiding & empowering. It’s about the love of Abba God and family, not being busted while caught grafting or shacking up, or touching what shouldn’t be touched. Motivation out of fear only produces “eyeservice” as the KJV quaintly puts it, doing a good job and being in compliance only while “the boss is lookin'”. That is the worst and most shallow of motivations, and for what end, to keep behavior in check while the camera’s on only to be a jerk between scenes?
EVERYTHING else of these immense distractions and warnings springs from some whackadoodle latter rain wingnut loudly trying to discern “signs and wonders” of end times and a “just you wait ’til your father gets home” attitude instead of training up a child (of God) to be so in love with God that the outcome reflects the heart of Abba.
Amen. A year ago we found and read a library copy of a book called Hurtling Towards Oblivion. Don’t remember the author. It was logical and not hysterical…. and made a lot of sense from an ecological, population and resources view point. Essentially, life on earth was pretty much consistently the same until the Industrial Revolution….In the last 120 years very much has changed in terms of consumption of resources and human detachment from agriculture and earth sustaining lifestyles….. It was an interesting read…. and I think of it often….. Lord knows….
Am I ready? I hope so…. I think so….. my Hope is in the Lord, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
In 1998 I visited a church that had a meeting after the service in which we talked about what might happen when the Y2K bug hit. Because of the possibility that electricity might go down, trade would be inhibited, etc. I was surprised at this because in other circles few people expected Y2K to be a disaster.
It was suggested we should have adequate stocks of food & water etc. What struck me at that meeting is that no one was talking about (until I suggested it I think) how we could help OTHER people, which I thought would be the obvious Christian thing to do!
My NAR-influenced friends pretty much gloss over most of Peter’s advice here– but their ears sure perk up at 2 Peter 3:12 (“waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God”). “See that? We can actually speed up the Second Coming. Isn’t that exciting?” they say. And how do we accelerate the Second Coming? Yup: non-stop harp & bowl prayer, spiritual warfare to the max, reclaim those Seven Mountains, yadda yadda yadda…..
If we’re pre-trib, rapture, why do we need to stockpile anything?
David H.
Great point – all the pre trib guys are all thinking “what should we do?” and talk of stockpiling etc.
Us Amil guys, who think we actually go through it all just cruise along doing out daily “serve our neighbor”
I know the pre trib guys will com on and say “I don’t do that!” but hey, those books aren’t just sitting getting dusty on the bookstore shelf
Very good encouragement, Michael. I want to see others through the eyes of Jesus so I can continue to love all earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Holy and godly in our personal lives HASTENS (or speeds up) the day of The Lord.
I love that. And it’s the least loved by the end times crowd.
There’s SOMETHING we can each do today about THAT; there’s nothing (or next to nothing) we can do about some coming bestial kingdom.