Why Now
Jesus warned us about the end times in Matthew Chapter 24.
He gave us signs to watch for to make sure we are not deceived or distracted and ultimately lost. The return to God in repentance with a commitment to live the life he has set before us has never been more important than now.
Here are some signs, according to Jesus’ teaching, that we are living in the last days:
Jesus warned us about the end times in Matthew Chapter 24.
He gave us signs to watch for to make sure we are not deceived or
distracted and ultimately lost. The return to God in repentance with a
commitment to live the life he has set before us has never been more
important than now.
Here are some signs, according to Jesus’ teaching, that we are living
in the last days:
Deception
Many churches in America have embraced the “woke” culture and support or accept abortion, homosexuality, materialism, greed, abusing children, fatherlessness, and feminism; and many churches portray Jesus as a rubber stamp of approval for all sorts of sin and rebellion against God’s order. Churches increasingly teach a “wealth and prosperity” gospel deceiving Christians into thinking that following Jesus is easy and rewarding with success measured not in spiritual growth but in the accumulation of wealth. This type of deception will make it more difficult to remain true to Jesus during times of trial and persecution.
War and Violence
Today war rages in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa. If drug wars, human trafficking and terrorism are included, then Mexico, large parts of Central and South America, India and several pacific island nations are also included. Western nations may not be at war, but local riots and demonstrations have resulted in death and injury. The drug war leveled against western nations has left tens of thousands dead. Over 110,000 are dead in the US alone from overdoses in 2022 according to a NY Times report. This is almost twice the number of US deaths from the entire Vietnam Conflict. According to a US State Department report (2017-2021), Chinese authorities practice routine violence against their people from persecution of Uyghurs, to forced abortions and sterilization to state sponsored forced labor. The regime is brutal, repressive, and engaged in exporting its tactics around the world. Human rights violations are a Chinese norm and as their influence grows, people everywhere suffer.
Famine
According to CRF, Christian Relief Fund, 25,000 people, including more than 10,000 children, die from hunger and related causes every day. The problem is worsened by inflation, which makes it more expensive to purchase food, water shortages and lack of clean water, and war which disrupts the ability to deliver and secure food supplies. In August of 2022, CRF reported that 854 million people worldwide were estimated to be undernourished and that inflation could drive another 100 million into poverty and hunger by the end of the year.
As economic, political, and environmental conditions worsen, food insecurity and hunger are the result. Today, the world is experiencing a global food crisis-the largest one in modern history as reported by the UN World Food Program.
Western nations have often felt insulated from food insecurity due to large scale farming and an efficient supply chain. However, the COVID-19 pandemic along with drought and climbing inflation have disrupted and at times, jeopardized their food supplies. These threats are on-going and impact world-wide food security.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are a part of life on the blue planet. The National Earthquake Information Center locates about 20,000 quakes around the globe each year and according to experts, there is not a startling trend in increased frequency over the past few decades. However, scientists who study the relationship between climate change and earthquake frequency believe that this link is a growing problem.
Their models predict that the degradation of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets will lead to an increase in the frequency of earthquakes in those regions (World Crunch, March 2023 Article by Pual Molga). Undersea earthquakes lead to tsunamis which are devastating tidal wave events. Increasing earthquakes may be part of a vicious cycle where climate changes cause earthquakes and then earthquakes unleash higher temperatures, in the form of methane gas, which would exacerbate climate change.
In considering damage from earthquakes, densely populated living conditions, substandard building codes, damaged factories and loss of inventory, infrastructure and transportation loss, and water supply disruption mean that the death toll and cost of earthquakes is increasing every year. Climate change, armed conflict, inflation, and food insecurity make recovery more difficult.
Persecution
The Vatican News, reporting from the Open Doors Annual World Watch List, stated that in 2023 one in every seven Christians in the world suffered from high levels of persecution. North Korea, Afghanistan, Nigeria, India, and Myanmar are places of intensive persecution. Churches are attacked, bombed, and closed; and Christians are abducted and killed. Open harassment, discrimination and workplace abuse are common. Many Christian women are raped to shame their families or forced into marriages aimed at forced conversion and in Nigeria, a priest was burned to death.
In western nations, where religious freedom once existed, Christians are feeling isolated and attacked. According to a letter published by LancasterOnline, since May of 2022, more than 120 US Christian pregnancy centers, organizations and churches have been vandalized, desecrated, or fire-bombed. The hateful bumper sticker “So many Christians, so few lions,” is just one example of anti-Christian sentiment. According to the UN, Christianophobia has increased worldwide and is now the world’s most persecuted religion. With more than 500 documented cases of hate crimes against Christians in Europe, the UN reported that incidents included arson, vandalism, physical assault and at least four murders (JoAnn L Fuir, Lancaster Online, Jan 31, 2023). In Dec of 2022, The Christian Post reported that there have been at least 420 acts of hostility against churches in the US since 2018, and 57 of those acts have been related to abortion. In May 2021, Catholic News Agency reported that France was losing one religious building every two weeks to arson. In 2018, France central criminal intelligence unit recorded 877 attacks on Catholic places of worship (France is largely a Catholic country). At the same time, The Atlantic (March 2020) reported that witchcraft is on the rise as people lose faith in traditional institutions during times of instability. Much of western culture is rejecting Christianity with hateful attacks and many turn to the occult for “magical” solutions.
Loveless and Lawless
From broken homes to abortion as birth control to an astounding lack of civility, our society is breaking under the weight of selfishness. The divorce rate in America stands at about fifty percent with the most common reason cited as “lack of commitment.” However, this number does not include those who break up from non-married relationships. In 1970 the marriage rate was 76.5% and today it stands at just over 31% (Spectrum News 1, by Kristin Mazur, Cleveland, Mar 2023). This is an enormous decline in the bedrock institution of society. The decline in marriage, along with the push for unfettered abortion under the banner of reproductive equity and maternal sacrament, spells trouble for children and the future of humanity and speaks clearly to the depth of the spiritual warfare leveled against Americans.
According to Sean Collins of Spiked Online in an Oct 2022 article, there is a new lawlessness gripping America. From ransacking shops, restaurants, and movie theatres to throwing drinks and food at workers to open fighting in parking lots and punching little old ladies on trains, all sorts of crimes are on the rise. Riots, assaults, theft, weapons violence, and violent crime in cities point to a kind of “nihilistic desire to destroy” according to the article. On top of that, the perpetrators enjoy capturing it all on their phones to share with others. Mass shoplifting and carjacking along with the homeless using stores and streets as public restrooms are pointing to social breakdown.
Lack of law enforcement from “defund the police” proponents, activist judges and prosecutors who do not enforce the law, and movements aimed at celebrating destruction in the name of anti-racism have all contributed to the anarchy and lawlessness. Attempts to hold office holders accountable have largely failed.
The European Commission published an article in 2021 about social media and rage. The article cited a Yale University study published in the journal Science Advances. The Yale study determined that online networks expressing outrage get more likes than other responses. This produces a kind of reward for responding with anger first before thinking about the post or situation. These “incentives” can change the tone of our debates, conversations and thoughts over time, the study tells us. If anger and rage become our first responses to situations where information, data and evidence are missing or unclear, then healthy debate, learning and empathy are shut down. It’s a short jump from constantly stoked anger to hatred. (Further reading)
False Prophets
Jesus warned us that false prophets would deceive many people in the Last Days. America is saturated with religious personalities offering all sorts of Christian advice, Biblical interpretation, and prophecy. Some make predictions that do not come true like offering followers the exact time of Jesus’ second coming. Some false teachers engage in fake healings and staged miracles and claim to channel angels. A few imposters have even claimed to be Christ. More subtle false teachers twist Jesus’ words and message to fit the desires of their congregations and to bring in more followers. Some false prophets have an unbiblical lifestyle. They brag, deceive people for money, dress extravagantly, swear from the pulpit, flatter others, create divisions, commit sexual immorality, and indulge their own desires instead of living like a disciple of Christ. Many false prophets ask their followers to give sacrificially while they live in mansions, fly in private jets and vacation on yachts. More than a few false prophets deny Jesus’ identity as the Son of God and the only way of salvation. Some false prophets teach their followers to participate in unprincipled activities like “grave soaking” or marry up occult activities and beliefs with Christianity. With the proliferation of media and cell phones, false prophets can influence, confuse, and deceive more people than ever.
Gospel Preached
Jesus told us that the gospel would be preached to all the nations before his return. According to Lifeway research, Christianity is continuing to grow globally even if it seems to be losing ground in the West. Christianity is growing fastest in Africa and Asia. In the year 2022, 838 million Christians live in the northern part of the globe while 1.1 billion live in Africa and Asia alone. Christianity continues to spread out into non-Christian nations. Increasingly non-Christians who say they know a Christian is up from 5.4% in 1900 to 18.3% today. In 1900, more than half of the world’s population was unevangelized. In 2022, the number of those who have not heard the gospel is down to 28%. In 2022, 93 million Bibles will be printed up from 54 million in 2000. The gospel is reaching more and more people of every language and every nation. The work will continue until the end.
Read Jesus’ warnings in Matthew 24. He describes these signs as “birth pangs” meaning that they start with less intensity and frequency, like the labor of childbirth, and increase until the result is inevitable and irrevocable. Learn how you can Return to God now and intercede for your family, friends, community, church—and ultimately your nation family.