Each month we want to share a word of encouragement and offer some resources from like-minded believers for your profit. These articles are available in print upon request.
Beloved Congregation,
I am writing to you out of love for you and because I believe that we need a reminder on how to warn people of the coming days. We are told in scripture to redeem the time because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16) and as the end draws near it will become increasingly so. Evil will be seen as good and good as evil. There is, I believe, a right way and a wrong way to warn people of the judgment that is to come. There are many today that are calling attention to the end times by means of scare tactics of various sorts. There is a plethora of them on the internet, Facebook, books and other articles. There are many who claim to have some special revelation of what is portending the end.
There is no new revelation. Even in the time of Christ people were looking for signs and Jesus told them there would be no sign but the prophet Jonah (Matt. 12:38-39). Christ referred these individuals back to scripture. That is what we must do. I don’t believe scaring people into heaven to avoid hell and judgment is appropriate. It may appear to work, but I doubt that these kinds of “conversions” are real or lasting. The Bible calls on people everywhere to repent from their evil ways. In Mark 1:15, John the Baptist said “… the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The words of scripture are needed because the Holy Spirit enlivens the words of scripture to impact people’s hearts.
Heb. 4:12-13: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
All of us, unless enlivened by the Spirit and the Word are “hiders” from God. No one seeks after God. In Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 he used scripture from the Old Testament to call people to repentance so they might be saved. Paul, in the book of Romans does the same thing. We need to do the same. Use scripture to call people to repentance so they might be saved. It is only by the Word that we or anyone else may be made aware of our need for a savior. So by all means warn your friends and relatives of the coming judgment but do it in a way that honors God by use of His Holy inspired Word.
In Christ’s Love,
-Dale Kleinheksel, Pastor of Congregational Care
Resources on Viewing the End Times through Biblical Lenses:
- The end of the World?
- What is the Rapture?
- Blood Moons and Biblical Discernment
- Blood Moons: Predicting the Unpredictable
- Book Review of John Hagee’s Four Blood Moons
Other Helpful Resources:
- Being Offended and Being Persecuted– Russell Moore distinguishes between offence and persecution.
- Re-ignite Bible Reading That’s Become Boring– David Murray on ideas to help us in loving God’s Law!
- A Powerful Practice for Prayer– Respond to every impulse to pray from Challies.