Signs of the times

It’s said that the Titanic sank because of cheap rivets and poor planning. Faced with a shortage of quality bolts, the shipbuilders used substandard ones that popped when the ship hit the iceberg. So how sturdy are the bolts of your faith? Reinforce them daily with God’s Word, seasons of in-depth prayer, and fortifying fellowship. Describing signs of the end times, Jesus said, “All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:8 NIV), and birth pains signal the onset of the final push. The obstetrician says, “This will hurt for a while, but it’s going to get better,” and Jesus offers us the same assurance about end-time events. We’re in the final hours—just a few pushes away from delivery. John said, “I saw ‘a new heaven and…earth,’…the first heaven and…earth had passed away, and…the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven…prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying…‘God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be…their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” (Revelation 21:1-5 NIV). People everywhere are searching for answers. So don’t isolate, engage! Your goal isn’t to get out of this world in one piece; it’s to take as many people as you can to heaven along with you.