This is the eighth blog in a nine-part series that’s looking at a future ahead of us like nothing we’ve experienced before in human history – it’s “Beyond Human Experience”. With huge emphasis placed on pensions, insurance, and planning for extended employment years. With rising costs and increasingly limited resources and the population continues to rise and ridiculous rates, even the most sceptical people are beginning to be concerned about the future of humanity in a jam-packed world. While some predict a global war or natural disasters that will reduce to pressure on the current (and clearly unsustainable) trends, others are stock piling food in preparation for a global melt-down. But if there really is a Creator god out there who is at all aware of what’s happening around us, what is He suggesting that we do?
In a Nut-shell, How Can I Prepare for What’s Coming?
Since the first century AD, the greatest minds on earth have been deliberating over all these things on this webpage — and to no avail. But it really doesn’t matter what happens and in what order. If we stick close to our Maker, Father God and His Word today, we’ll automatically be in the right group! Jesus said:
“Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”[i]
– A Change of Heart
The key words in Jesus’ promise above are likely to be ‘because’ and ‘perseverance’. “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance…” — regardless of how long or under what desperate circumstances. Jesus’ parables about being invited in, or being left out where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth[ii], are recorded in the Bible seven times. If He repeated Himself that many times, I wouldn’t recommend giving up on persevering, or being complacent. I suggest a change of heart towards everything you’ve heard so far.
– A Change of Mind
Because we’ve seen similar signs in almost every generation since Jesus said them (wars, natural disasters, plagues etc.), many people have become complacent and even cynical. Don’t allow the apparent 2,000-year delay to convince you that it won’t happen in your lifetime:
‘Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly.’[iii]
– A Change of Life
At the start of the New Testament (the second part to the Bible), one of the first people to show up on the stage was John the Baptist. When John called the Nation of Israel to change their ways, he said:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He used words from the ancient prophet Isaiah: “Make ready the way of the LORD, make His paths straight!”[iv]
What he was saying was that God is closer than what any of us realise. His Kingdom is at hand. It’s immanent, just as God is immanent — He is not far from any one of us.[v] So that means ‘the Day of the Lord’ is immanent too because it’s His day. Jesus taught His followers to pray for God’s Kingdom to come so that His Will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.[vi] His followers have sent up millions of prayers over the past 2,000 years asking for just that! But if worry over our pensions and retirement, and worry over the state of our country and the future of this planet for our children and grandchildren, is foremost on the minds of many people, are we meant to be worried now about everything that’s been written in these blogs? If you would like to read on to the final blog in this series, just click on 3.9 Should I be Worried About the Future?
[i] Revelation 3:10 [NASB]
[ii] Matthew chapters 8,13,22,24&25; Luke 13
[iii] 2 Peter 3:3-7 [NIV]
[iv] Matthew 3:2-3 [NASB]
[v] Acts 17:27
[vi] Matthew 6:10