- Lorie Hedgepeth
Good Times or End Times?

Food shortages, empty shelves, long lines, schools closed, businesses closed, empty sanctuaries, social distancing, a spiraling economy-- and the list could go on. All of us are anxious for our lives to get back to “normal”. We like the “Good Times”….Let The Good Times Roll! The question that no one wants to talk about is, what if there was no return to the “Good Times”….and this was the “new normal”? What if we were entering into the End Times rather than returning to the Good Times?
First of all, the End Times or Last Days is fact not fiction. Jesus Himself talked about the last days in:
Mark 13:5-8:
5 “And Jesus, answering them, began to say: take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in my name, saying, I am he, and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”
2 Timothy 3:1:
“1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power”
These prophetic statements made by Jesus and Paul may be discussed, debated and denied but, they won’t be delayed. Personally, I don’t think we are in the last days. Regardless of how soon we return to “normal” and The Good Times, it doesn’t negate prophecy…I believe we are in the last of the last days.
Secondly, it is possible to be so mesmerized and caught up in The Good Times that we live as if there were to be no End Times.
Cozy and comfortable in our lives of convenience, we can be lulled into a subtle slumber. In Matthew 25, Jesus shared a story of five foolish virgins that as a result of their slumber, they missed the coming of the bridegroom. In Romans 13:11, Paul exhorts us that knowing the time we must awaken out of our sleep. Jesus also taught in Matthew 13:22, that it was possible for the “cares of this world” and the deceitfulness of riches to cause God’s Word in to become unfruitful/unproductive in our lives.
Thirdly, for Christians….for God’s blood-bought Church, the highlight of the End Times is the Rapture of the Church.
At the Rapture of the church, Christians from all over the world will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). Multiplied millions will disappear. The craziness we have seen in the last couple of weeks doesn’t even compare to the chaos and confusion that will take place immediately following the rapture. There will be no declaration, decree, order or act of Congress that will be able to fix it. My question to you today, regardless of where you go to church or how you have church, is: ARE YOU READY FOR THE RAPTURE? Jesus said, “Therefore BE YE also ready, for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh.” (Matthew 24:44).
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