You may have heard this word used more frequently in 2020 than in any prior year of recent memory. It has been used, and I believe quite accurately, to describe many issues and situations that we have heard about or have experienced personally. My daughter suggested it should be designated the ‘word of the year’ for 2020. She observed, “You have used the word in your sermons, President Trump uses it in his speeches, and we read it frequently in the news.”
As the events of this year have unfolded before us, many of these events seem unprecedented, at least for us and for our generation. We are forced to make decisions about things that we have not faced before. There are perplexing questions that need answers. Sometimes relationships are stressed because our brother feels differently about the issue. When we wish to gather the facts for an informed decision, we have an unprecedented (there’s that word again) volume of information and opinions. But alas, is it fact or is it fiction?!
How have we done so far in the decisions we’ve made in these new realities? And how prepared are we in our hearts and minds to face the things that are yet to come? Do the things we choose to do, and say, honor the Lord?
When we talk about being prepared, a good illustration is the following story about preparing for a storm. On August 10 of this year, a derecho storm (a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm) began in South Dakota and then traveled east, covering 700 miles in 14 hours. It left a wide swath of damage through multiple states, damaging trees, towns, and millions of acres of corn and beans. (Did we say unprecedented?) Not far from where I live is the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This city suffered a lot of damage to buildings and trees from sustained wind speeds in excess of 120 mph. About two weeks after the storm, I was speaking with a homeowner in this city. We were standing in his back yard, which had been mostly cleared of storm debris. He was describing to me how his back yard was completely filled with downed trees, pointing to the damaged areas on his house that were struck by the falling trees. So I asked him, “And where were you during the storm?”
He said, “Oh, I was here at home. I work from home and was in my office just doing my normal routine of work. Then my wife came in and told me there was a warning about a storm approaching, possibly with hail and winds of 90 mph.” He continued, “So, I thought, well, I should probably do something, so I went out to the street where we had put the garbage cans and brought them back into the garage where they would be secure. After I had finished that, I thought ‘ok, I guess we’re ready now.” He paused his story to chuckle, and we both had a little laugh to consider how insignificant that ‘preparation’ would later turn out to be. The story continued… After his return from the garage, they continued to observe the storm’s increasing intensity. Finally, they sought shelter in the basement, listening to the periodic crashing and banging as flying debris struck the house. After about an hour, the storm subsided, and they came out unhurt to view a devastated neighborhood.
The point in this story is to illustrate how easily we take the minimalist approach to preparation when we expect only that which to us seems normal. But we have seen a rise in unprecedented events, and there seems to be a growing sense of unease in our nation that things may not return to what we have thought of as ‘normal’. Should we be giving more thought in preparing for things to come? I believe so. That is my motivation for this exhortation. I am reminded of the words Jesus had for the Pharisees; …O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? –Matthew 16:3. If we would discern the times we are living in, just like we discern the weather, I believe we could say (hypothetically) that the morning sky is red and lowering, and it will not be fair weather ahead. As the Scriptures have forewarned us, we should expect the following in the end times:
- …wars and rumours of wars … nation [Gk. ethnos; ‘ethnic people groups’] shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom … famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places –Matthew 24:6-7.
- …signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; –Luke 21:25.
- … peace [will be taken] from the earth … that they should kill one another… –Revelation 6:4.
- and for believers specifically, they shall be:
- hated of all men (Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17)
- betrayed by their own family (Matthew 10:34-37; Mark 13:12; Luke 21:16)
- accounted as sheep for the slaughter (Psalm 44:22; Jeremiah 12:3; Romans 8:36)
- brought before rulers (Matthew 10:19; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11)
These things are indeed being fulfilled in our day. Jesus called it, …the beginning of sorrows –Matthew 24:8. This was a term that described birth pangs—a woman in labor just prior to delivering a child. Therefore, we can expect that what we are seeing today, will only intensify as the end of the age draws near and the return of our Lord is at hand.
As some examples of the kinds of events that should make us stop and think, there are three recent ones that come to mind, which have affected conservative Anabaptist individuals:
- Indiana –A husband and wife, age 40, were robbed at gunpoint by two men, and then shot. The wife was killed, and the husband seriously wounded.
- Oregon –Raging forest fires threatened properties, and church brethren fled their houses under evacuation orders along with hundreds of thousands throughout the state. The wind drove the fires toward populated areas, and there were reports that the spread of fires was enhanced by some persons intentionally starting more fires. Looting of the vacated homes was also known to be a potential threat.
- California –Included among the restrictions placed on churches due to the Covid-19 pandemic was a ban on singing in church.
None of these three examples have a connection with any of the others, however, they are examples that relate to three separate issues. The first one relates to violence that causes us bodily harm. The second one relates to damage brought upon our homes and possessions. And the third one relates to our faith, and governmental regulations that are contrary to the Scriptures. One thing that these three have in common is the human element—things that others do, or threaten to do, against us.
You may be thinking, “What do you mean about preparing for things like this?” Let me try to explain. I believe the first and most important preparation is in our hearts and minds. This is the preparation that will give us direction and stability in moments of crisis. We don’t know what specific things we personally may be faced with, so the focus should be on preparing for whatever might come our way, whether good or ill.
This brings us to what I think is one of the most important questions we need to ask ourselves in these unprecedented times. “When I am faced with a crisis situation, will my actions and responses glorify Christ and magnify Him?” This question embraces and assumes the truth that glorifying Christ is the most important thing for any person here on this earth!
The apostle Paul stated this clearly: According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain –Philippians 1:20-21. For Paul it was a matter of earnest expectation that Christ should be magnified! How does that impact how prepared I am for things to come? In answer, let’s consider how the world thinks, as compared to how the Christian thinks, concerning wars, distresses, perplexities, etc.
| Ye were sometimes darkness, (THE WORLD) |
Now are ye light in the Lord (THE CHRISTIAN) |
|---|---|
| › My life must be preserved at all cost | › My Lord must be honored at all cost |
| › Arm yourself with guns | › Arm yourselves with the mind of Christ |
| › Get self-defense training and learn to fight | › Be harmless as doves and learn to pray |
| › Secure precious metals, such as gold and silver. Protect from thieves. | › Lay up treasure in heaven. It will not tarnish and is safe from thieves. |
| › Hate those who oppose you. Revile them. | › Love your enemies. Pray for them. |
| › Support environmental issues and green energy. Save the planet—it’s all we have. | › Be a good steward of this earth and use it with thankfulness. Expect decay. It will be restored after purging by fire. |
| › Restore this country to its “Christian” origins | › Declare plainly that you seek another country that is not of this world—a heavenly one. |
| › Get involved politically. Help put a stop to this nation’s downward spiral. | › Preach the kingdom of God so that some may be saved from this world’s downward spiral. |
| › Prepare… to be safe in this world. | › Prepare… for the world to come. |
Now that we have contrasted two different ways of thinking, it should be obvious that there will also be very different actions and outcomes, depending on what we allow to guide our thinking. What I have listed here are just a few of the things that form a biblical foundation for making life choices. As you read this list, you probably thought of some current issues that these points touch on. These are topics that we should be talking about before a crisis, that way we will be prepared when we need to face them. Here’s a list of some more foundational truths for us to ponder as we prepare our hearts.
- Do not fear. Be of good courage because Jesus promised that He would be with us, even to the end of the world.
- Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior. We are ambassadors of Christ in this world.
- We have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
- We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against … the rulers of darkness of this world.
- We need our brethren. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, but so much the more as we see the day approaching.
Our Father is desiring for us to be lights in the world, lights in this crooked and perverse generation. We need the grace of God to endure to the end, and not only for ourselves, but also to be a light for this generation, to show them the path of holiness.
