Hope in Troubled Times

 The world is shaking. Everything is uncertain. First Covid, then Ukraine, now war in the Middle East.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. Hag 2:6–7 NIV

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Is 60:1–2 NRSV

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the age of faith, it was the age of scepticism,
a season of light, a season of darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us”

Dickens, Charles. Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities

The world of yesterday is never coming back. The world of today is a mess.
We wait, but we do not know what to expect.

The future will be different from the past, but we do not know what will come and when it will come. But wait with patience. In the deep darkness, God is not a passive bystander.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had to look death in the face. He confronted the power of darkness with open eyes. He was executed by the enemy, that is, hanged by the SS, but he entered God's loving presence at that very moment.

He wrote the following words:

Wonderfully sheltered by good powers
Let us confidently await what may come
God is with us in the evening and in the morning
And certainly every new day. (Translated from German)

But these terrible last years before peace were like labour pains. Two new babies appeared. A new Germany, a civilised democratic country, and a new Israel, the restored homeland of the Jews.

This convulsion will continue. Covid did not come from God. We are experiencing cruel demonic attacks, but God still remains God. God is good and He is controlling this shaking to accomplish His will.

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Is 60:1–2 NRSV

I believe that the worst time will be the best time.

But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Hab 2:14 NRSV

Countless millions will bow before Jesus. The long-awaited reformation will finally come to light.

End Time Chaos and God's Plan

 Everywhere around us, we see intensified conflict. In the USA, we see aggressive white supremacy pitted against raging cancel culture and Black Lives Matter.

In the UK, we see aggressive English nationalism in England and angry Scottish nationalism in Scotland. We see friendships and families broken on political lines.

The immigrant community in Germany is divided between those who want to become patriotic Germans and those who want to conquer Europe in the name of their religion.

In the Middle East, there are some Muslims who hate Christians and Jews and want to destroy Israel.
There are others who want to live in peace and friendship with their neighbours and respect diversity.

In historically Christian countries, we have seen the long smouldering problem of sexual child abuse explode into public scandals. The Roman Catholic Church has been devastated and has lost its firm grip on power in the Irish Republic.

In the last two decades, we have seen a dramatic acceleration and hotting up of all of these conflicts.

Now we are in the middle of a terrible pandemic. Some are terrified of the Covid virus, are eager to be vaccinated, and want to cooperate with government control policies. Others are full of fear and rage against governments and vaccination programs.

The instability around us makes us afraid. People react with panic and anger.

If we read bible prophecies of the last days, it all fits in.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Mt 24:3 NIV84

You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Matthew 24:6 NIV84

The wars since 1900 have been terrible. Jesus warns us not to be alarmed. The violent shaking of everything around us must not lead to panic if we trust God.

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, Hebrews 12:26–28 NIV84

What is the purpose of this shaking? God loves the world. It is like mining for gold. Extracting gold from sand or rocks involves shaking, crushing and often exposure to violent chemical reactions.
God is searching for loving human souls who will come to Him and trust him.

Jesus likened God’s violent love to a woman in labour before childbirth.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:7–8 NIV84

Does this mean God is inciting people to hate, abuse and kill each other? Of course not.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 NKJV

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. James 1:17–18 NLT

The violent conflict all around us is a sure sign that Jesus is coming again soon. The trouble is accelerating like a woman in labour. Her contractions become stronger and more frequent until the baby is born.

At the same time, as the pain and trouble increases, the baby begins to be pushed out into a new life.

If you are a believer, expect God Himself to dramatically accelerate his intervention as he delivers you from evil and sickness and answers your prayers with wonderful miracles.