Nation Against Nation… Hello weekend readers. There is no doubt that people all over the globe are stunned by the violence between Israel and Hamas and Lebanon and…let’s face it, hatred reigns in every pocket of our universe. I have been “deep thinking” —musing about all of this and it reminds me of when Jesus and his disciples were leaving the temple and startled his disciples when he said all of this will be “toast” one day. Perhaps many of us are wondering “is this the end times?” and of course, that question has been asked since the days when Jesus walked on this earth right up to today.

Let’s go to Matthew 24:3-8 [VOICE] for clarity: Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately: “We don’t understand Your predictions. Tell us, when will these things happen: When will the temple be destroyed? What will be the sign that You are returning? How will we know that the end of the age is upon us?” (Jesus) Take care that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name claiming they are the Anointed One, and many poor souls will be taken in. You will hear of wars, and you will hear rumors of wars, but you should not panic. It is inevitable, this violent breaking apart of the sinful world, but remember, the wars are not the end. The end is still unfolding. Nations will do battle with nations, and kingdoms will fight neighboring kingdoms, and there will be famines and earthquakes. But these are not the end. These are the birth pangs, the beginning. The end is still unfolding.

In our time we all agree we are in war zones all over and looking back at history war zones were all over as well! The devil loves wars, he breeds on hatred and death, judgmentalism and carnage. And for the most part, we easily step into that when we don’t like another person’s religion, or color, or—fill in your own blanks. Perhaps we are not pulling the trigger or doing barbaric acts of terrorism, but sin has grasped us all in many ways. Who hasn’t muttered under their breath “I hope this idiot falls off a cliff” or some other damning words.

Yet, through all this sin, Jesus stands firm in being forever faithful! In Revelation 1:18 [VOICE] He reminds us of WHO He really is and what He controls: “I am the living One. I entered the realm of the dead; but see, I am alive now and for all the ages—even ages to come. Amen. I possess the keys to open the prison of death and hades.”

That is the promise we all must embrace. The will of God will prevail even if we think it is so bad nothing can get better. To me, it is that “time of birth pangs…the beginning of what will become the end” and we must be patient as well as diligent as we live in these times. The words of Jesus telling us to be careful of being deceived is not a suggestion, it is a mandate.

Right now, we are hearing false news all over the place. Be smart, “fact-check” everything. Be careful that your politics do not rot your mind and heart because that is what is happening and “buyer beware” of what you embrace. If you want to play the game of retribution, please remind yourself that “retribution is a deadly boomerang” and you will be wounded deeply when that boomerang comes slinging at you.

What should we do? Dust off that Bible on the shelf and read it. Embrace the promises of God, the power of the Christ who IS Revelation for us. We do not hold the keys of life; we live this life with the confidence of the One who holds it all. Get deep into prayer and do what Jesus told us to do: “pray for one another and pray for our enemies.”

We don’t have a crystal ball, but we have God’s Word which is never wrong. So, what’s the bottom line in all of this? GOD ALWAYS HAS THE LAST WORD. If that doesn’t give us comfort and hope, then we are not listening to God—instead, we are creating our own faith story and that will never work. Our God is forever faithful and you can take that to the bank. AMEN.