Sometimes I don’t find a person to write about. But then there will be a subject weighing heavy on this old Bible-Belt Christian’s heart. I could just refer you to a bunch of scriptures; however, the latest statistics indicate that only 20%--only two out of ten people, including people who claim to be Christians—believe the Bible is the literal Word of God. Therefore, I just hope to help someone’s eyes and heart become open to the realization that God is real, He loves us, He sent His Word and His Son because of that love, to save each of us from a devil’s hell and to enable us, His creations, to be with Him for eternity in Heaven.
First of all, I would challenge each reader to assume there is really a chance the Christian and His Bible may truly be right, that there is coming an end to this world for each person, either through death or through the “end of the world.” Please do not reject Christ without researching the history and even secular documentation of His life, death, and resurrection. There have been many others who have researched and found they could not refute His claims. There is even much scientific evidence as to the veracity of the scriptures, as opposed to the “theory of evolution,” which has caused many people to lose their faith in God. After all, as I heard on the radio the other day, “If there is no God, then in whom do atheists not believe?” Please “believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:39, NIV)
Actually, fulfilled prophecy is a major way one can really prove God is real and the Bible is truly the Word of God. Christianity is the only religion that records hundreds of fulfilled prophecies, some from even thousands of years before! The Bible contains many events that were foretold then later were shown to have taken place in real time. For example, more than one Old Testament prophet said Cyrus would be the king who would let the Hebrew captives return to Israel to rebuild their temple and city. That Cyrus was born over 150 years after the prophecies were written. And those prophecies were even written many years before the Hebrews were taken captive by the Babylonians.
God declared in Isaiah 46:10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please,’” and as Christ Jesus told His disciples in John 14:29, “I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” (NIV) The Christian’s God tells us that He has done something supernatural and spectacular in order to make us realize He is real and His Word is true.
Jesus told the disciples many times that He would be killed, buried, then resurrected, but also that He would later return to receive His Bride, the Church, to Himself. The present-day nation of Israel is also a fulfilled prophecy from the Old Testament that reveals the fact that we are so very close to the time of the “day of the Lord,” a terrible time of the judgment of God upon a sinful world of people who have rejected His supreme Sacrifice for their salvation. This period of the outpouring of the wrath of God will come soon and will be right before the Second Coming of Jesus.
We Christians are told in many places to exhort “one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching,” (Hebrews 10:25, and in verse 37,) “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Speaking of “that day,” Jesus warned His disciples, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Continuing, He advised, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:35-36, KJV) [At the Judgment Seat of Christ] In this passage in Luke and the parallel gospel passages, Jesus warns us to not be deceived, but to pray to escape.
We see deception all over our own country from groups recognized by Christian scholars as cults, to demonic entertainment, such as the new Disney cartoon called Little Demon, about a little girl, daughter of Satan, destined to become the Antichrist. In addition, political groups push, even from kindergarten, morally wrong ideas and practices, resulting in sacrifice of babies and destruction of traditional families to gender confusion and mutilation.
Another passage that uses the word escape is Psalm 124:7, “Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers, the snare is broken, and we are escaped.” That chapter begins with the wonderful words, subject of hymns, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side…” verse 1, and includes verse 6, “Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.” Oh! How I pray that some will be drawn to the wonderful words of life, to the Giver of Life, to the One who is the Bread of Life, to prepare to escape from the snare of Satan, the enemy of our souls, and to enter into the beautiful Kingdom of God.
There are also warnings throughout the New Testament concerning attitudes, habits, and sins that can cause a Christian to fail to gain all that has been promised. “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God: lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled…”(Hebrews 12:14-15 KJV) Beware having a “root of bitterness.” Instead, praise and thank God for everything (Ephesians 5:20), and forgive all people.
Even some who are not Christians are aware that we have entered a very uncertain and scary time in our world. For unbelievers, if any may be reading through this out of curiosity or for whatever reason, please just know that it might be wise to investigate the reasons why so many really do believe we are living in the very last days of human history and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is actually coming back in the flesh. He is not returning as a helpless baby but as a conquering King of kings and Lord of lords, coming to wield the sword of the wrath of God, and to gather His Bride which consists of the believing faithful ones who have been looking for and “loving His appearing.” Paul says in that passage, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 ESV)
