Evil is rising. Hate is plentiful and contagious. Malice, greed, and immorality are all increasing — a lot for optimism.
What when you had known — upfront — what the longer term would bring? Think in regards to the current state of America and the world.
What would you’ve thought if someone several years ago predicted that in a 12-month period (calendar 12 months 2023) eight million illegals would flow into the U.S., and our government would do mainly nothing to stop it?
Could you’ve believed that? How about when you had been told that in California, those self same illegals could be given free health care and that in North Carolina, they’d be offered free college tuition?
Who would consider such outlandish predictions, and what nation could be silly enough to permit such things?
What if, five years ago, someone predicted that if terrorists declared war on our closest ally within the Middle East, U.S. leaders from quite a lot of fields would vocally support the attackers’ atrocities and passionately condemn Israel for defending her people? Who would consider such “upside-down” predictions?
And yet — here we’re — on and on I could go.
1. They Have Been Prophesied
Ponder this: What if there have been a 3000-year-old book that foresaw Israel would return to their land and grow to be a nation “in sooner or later,” just because it did on May 14, 1948? (Isaiah 66:8). What if that very same book predicted an explosion of data within the last days . . . sort of just like the Internet?
What if that book warned that Christians could be murdered only for following Christ as they were in Nigeria? What if it foresaw a phenomenon called “fake news?”
Could you trust such a book? Would you presume that the book’s track record previously makes it reliable for the longer term?
There is such a book. They are usually not predictions, AI-informed guesses, or fortune cookie anomalies; they’re trustworthy Bible prophecies.
Prophecies comprise almost one-third of the Bible. Over 300 distinct prophecies apply on to Jesus Christ, including the precise city where He could be born (Micah 5:2) and that folks would gamble for His clothing at His death (Compare Psalm 22:18 to John 19:24).
The mathematical odds of 1 man exactly fulfilling only 10 such prophecies are roughly one in a trillion. His fulfilling all 300 is a number and not using a name: One followed by 150 zeroes.
The Bible has a track record of 100% accuracy concerning its predictions in regards to the future. We do well to heed its words.
2. The Bible Is Living and Active
Where does that leave us in these difficult times? Someone famously said, “Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.” That’s where I find myself nowadays. I’m preparing for spiritual conflicts: political, religious, moral, and economic.
I’m also spreading the Truth more aggressively than ever in my profession. I’m praying that a desperate, needy world will see the Light and respond as some did at Jesus’ first appearance. I’m confident God has all of it under control.
This is why I’m ultimately positive and never pessimistic. Oftentimes, before people embrace God, they should experience the choice.
Our post-pandemic world knows that politics and pharmaceuticals fail. Global relative calm is subject to sudden jihads of apocalyptic terrorists. World economies are more fragile than ever as nations face runaway inflation, famine, and political chaos.
We complain about 10% real inflation while Turkey’s is over 60%. Argentina just surpassed 160%. By the last count, 52 nations, 25% of the world, are dictatorships.
Even secular analysts predict a bleak future — as does the Bible. Isabelle Arradon told CNBC she expects a slew of recent conflicts in 2024, “All the red flags are there, and on top of that, there may be a shortage of means to resolve conflict. There’s a variety of geopolitical competition and fewer appetite for resolving these deadly conflicts.”
The Bible says that within the last days, natural disasters will occur within the least likely places, doing greater damage (Luke 21:11).
Damascus, the longest repeatedly inhabited city on earth, can be destroyed and grow to be uninhabitable (Isaiah 17:1).
3. God Will Never Leave Us nor Forsake Us
And yet, I’m unafraid and hopeful. How is that possible? Or sensible?
God prophesied all the above and more! Ezekiel prophesied a serious international coalition would conspire against Israel after which listed the precise nations currently involved (Ezekiel 38).
God knew what was coming. Scripture is proof. Again, the Bible’s accuracy rate about future predictions is . . . 100%. No other religious or historical text can claim that.
Amid the pessimism, let’s keep in mind that the Lord Jesus Christ remains to be the Answer.
He got here for the primary time amid violence and political corruption. He brought love, light, joy, and peace to the hearts of those that welcomed Him then. He offers the identical today. His prophetic guarantees will come true.
Though I remain realistically pessimistic when the world offers “solutions,” at the identical time, I’m enthusiastically optimistic because I do know that nothing can thwart God’s plans.
This 12 months holds incivility, unpredictability, and turmoil — and that is only the elections! But God is on His throne and above the fray. His word will come to pass. His plan will prevail.
His prophecies are unopposable, and His salvation is unstoppable. I’m temporarily pessimistic yet permanently optimistic.
For further reading:
Do Christians Really Have Anything to Fear?
How Is God Not the Author of Fear?
Should We Fear the End Times?
What Are the Signs of the Times?
5 Things to Ask When You Think Something Is a Sign of the End Times
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/AaronAmat
