“What about the red tides?”
“What about the Euphrates River drying up?”
“What about Russia and China being Gog and Magog?”
Worries and fears about the end times are rampant, and social media doesn’t help. Many young people have asked me these questions after seeing apocalyptic posts on their social media feeds.
All of a sudden, they want to deep dive into the Book of Revelation and theorize about the complicated prophecy there. They want the secret key to understanding exactly when, what, where, why, and how things will go down. I have wondered the same thing, and so did Jesus’s disciples.
“Tell us,” they said to Him, “when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus didn’t make fun of His disciples or try to give them timelines, passwords, or codes. He gave them very specific instructions:
- See that no one leads you astray.
- See that you are not alarmed.
- Endure. Be on your guard. Keep awake.
- Bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Do not believe false prophets.
- Know that He is near. Stay awake.
The secret to being ready for apocalyptic times is knowing Jesus and following Him closer everyday.
Then, when frightening things happen, He is our anchor.
When sorrowful things overtake us, He is our joy.
When persecution arises even in our own close-knit circles, He is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Then, it doesn’t matter if the Euphrates dries up, if the red tides sweep the earth, if Russia and China attack, or if any of the scary things TikTok touts come to pass.
“No,” the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Are you getting your truth and your wisdom from unreliable sources? See that no one leads you astray! The only way to do that is to filter everything through the reliable source of God’s Word, the Bible.
Are you afraid of the end times events we see happening or the things still to come? See that you are not alarmed. They don’t change Who Jesus is.
Do you allow entertainment, substances, food, or drink to lull you into a lacksidaisical high? Be on your guard! Keep awake! Be sober-minded in the Lord.
Do you spend your time debunking myths or revelling in conspiracy theories? Bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is the only message that saves souls.
Do the false promises of prosperity preachers lead you to put your hope in something other than Jesus? Do not believe them. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on this earth.
Finally, if you are a believer, you can know that Jesus is near you, working through you, and speaking His truth into your heart, helping you to keep awake and ready for these changing times. He said, “And behold, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Sarah Dixon Young 
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