4.6- Is the world coming to an end?

4.6-

Is the world coming to an end?  Is this the end of life as we have known it before?

The life of Jesus Christ and the life He offers to us is centered in the cross.  We are told by Him if we want to follow Him we must take up our cross and follow Him.  America during most of my life has been blessed with an abundance of material blessings.  I have seen films of hunger in America during the great depression.  I have also watched television news reports of Syrian refugee children and Venzualian children standing in lines hoping to get some rice or other food.  I would see this and be thankful that this was not so in America.

Just now on my television I was watching a man who had been a worker just a month ago, but now was in an hour long car line to get a weeks worth of food.  He got two dozen eggs.  Some canned food.  Some other groceries that didn’t look that much in amount or quality, but he was saying he was glad to have it because he had only $4.00 in his bank account.  Hard times have come to our country.  Suffering is now a part of our lives in America.  We are used to having abundance and convenience.  Now we have shortages and suffering.

One response for followers of Jesus is to decided to focus our minds and hearts on doing that which is good for us instead of not noticing what we are doing.  More thought.  More self control.

There is a tendency when things get hard to try to kill the pain with drugs, alcohol, and other wasteful addictions that dissipate our live and energy.

1 Peter 4.

4 Therefore, since Christ has ^[a]suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has ^[b]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. ³ For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, ^[c]having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and ^[d]abominable idolatries. ⁴ In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; ⁵ but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For the gospel has for this purpose been ^[e]preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

⁷ The end of all things ^[f]is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of ^[g]prayer. ⁸ Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaint. ¹⁰ As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹ Whoever speaks, is to do so ^[h]as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving ^[i]by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We need to realize as one kind of life ends that it is an opportunity for a new life to come forth for us.  We can be more sober in spirit.  We can become more fervent in our love for our family and friends knowing that they too are suffering.  As we love deeply we will focus in grace and mercy instead of judgment. 

We can be hospitable and comfort toward others without grumbling and complaining about it.  Each of us can focus on what we can do to be a blessing to others.  It might be a call.  It could be a card.  It could be a text or a post of some kind.

You may be saying I am weak and have not strength.  No, we aren’t called to operate our of our strength, but depend upon God’s strength.  God is our supplier.  He gets all the credit for the things we do to help others in hard times.