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A turning point – where to?
Since the war in Ukraine, the whole world has been in turmoil. Our Chancellor has called it a "turning point." The entire world is holding its breath. What will happen next? Will the armed conflicts eventually subside, or not?
The expression "turning point" already caught my attention in an informational video where the speaker used it in the context of when the Americans dropped the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, thus ending the war. God forbid that the turning point now being ushered in might not be the reverse of that.
The “other” reality
Since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, we have increasingly spoken of how the signs of the times herald the ultimate end. We have already written several reports on this and continue to see it as necessary to continually urge Christendom to watch and pray, for this time is very near. A bishop from Ukraine once expressed himself this way in a telephone conversation with our brothers: “Brothers, if the Christians in Ukraine had prayed before the war as they are now, then this war probably would not have happened.”
When we consider the chapter about the final events at the end of time in Matthew 24, we repeatedly read warnings meant to shake us up and keep us awake. For most of us, everyday life continues as normal, and we don't really perceive or take seriously the changes in this world.
From brothers who come to us from Ukraine, I often hear very different accounts of their lives. Just recently, one brother told me the following about a family in Donbas (it's the family of the pastor of the church he originally comes from): Three of his sons were drafted into the military. One of them has already been killed, the second is in prison because he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the army, and the third is missing.
His parents don't know where he is or even if he's still alive. The young brothers in the military are once again being forced – as in Soviet times – to swear an oath to the fatherland, and the military leadership is increasingly resorting to rigorous violence against all who refuse.
When the thief comes
The Holy Spirit speaks to us repeatedly in various places about profound changes that are coming. We are all in anticipation of the things that will happen throughout the world. For this reason, at the last editorial meeting, one of the bishops called for us to intensify our efforts in our parishes.
Christendom is still in a state of blissful slumber, even though Jesus repeatedly warned us against it. In the same chapter of Matthew's Gospel, we read the following exhortation: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour in the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-44).
Jesus uses a wonderful example to show us a situation in which we should all be truly vigilant: “If the homeowner had known on what day the thief was coming…” No one could sleep if they knew for certain that a thief would come and rob their house at 2:00 a.m. Everyone would take precautions to prevent their household from being robbed. Yet, eternal matters are about far more than our household possessions, without which we could certainly continue to live. For now, the battlefields are still far enough away from us, and we can sleep peacefully and soundly.
But I am convinced that the events we have repeatedly encountered in recent years are meant to be a clear warning and a wake-up call – much like labor pains that overcome a pregnant woman. We have experienced the global coronavirus pandemic, the flooding in the Ahr Valley, and we hear about many other environmental disasters that are causing alarm around the world. And now war is also a cause for concern, not least because it could very quickly escalate into a world war.
Christendom is still in a peaceful sleep, despite Jesus' repeated warnings.
Misguided carelessness
Perhaps someone is thinking, “What’s with all the fear-mongering? Why should people worry even more than they already do? The Bible keeps telling us to cast our cares on the Lord, because He cares for us.” That’s absolutely right, and we should confidently lift up our heads to heaven and wait for the return of our Lord. In Luke, we find the following words: “When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
What we absolutely must not allow, however, is a carelessness that envelops us and threatens to drag us into ruin. Jesus speaks of such a destructive carelessness: “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Just as it was in the days of Lot: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. This is how it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).
Just as it was then, so it will be at the Second Coming of Jesus—that is what Jesus wants to express. A deadly carelessness will grip humanity, and despite warnings and the visible signs of the times, they will not think about their salvation or take care to appear before God in a worthy state. This is the state against which Jesus already warned His disciples when He was with them on this earth and told them about the recent events on earth.
He says in Luke 21:36: “But be on your guard at all times and pray that you may be strong enough to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” The Elberfeld translation (1985) puts it this way: “that you may be considered worthy.” The Bible speaks of both states equally: no worry and joyful anticipation for those who walk before God with a pure heart and conscience and serve Him; but also repeatedly with warning admonition to those who deal lightly with sin in their lives and do not truly pay serious attention to their spiritual condition.
What we absolutely must not allow is a carelessness that envelops us and threatens to drag us down into ruin.
Such Christians are in great danger, despite their faith in God, of being lost and not being present when Jesus calls His church to Himself. Jesus illustrates this most clearly in the parable of the ten virgins. There, those waiting (=Christians) are even divided into two equally sized groups.
Half of the virgins were complacent in their way of life, which meant they were excluded from the wedding. These virgins are called the "foolish" ones in this parable. The other half of the virgins also became drowsy and fell asleep, but they had already made sure their lamps had enough oil so they could definitely attend the wedding.
This parable, too, is a very powerful warning against taking eternal matters lightly and against striving daily to be ready to meet the Lord. How many Christians live carelessly from day to day—very often knowing full well that sin is in their lives and that they desperately need reconciliation and purification of heart? They postpone it and refuse to acknowledge that every day of our lives could also be our last.
A man who used to be in the church and knew all about these things said to a Christian, "I still need to manage to convert." He was 50 years old and in the prime of his life. Only about two weeks later, he suffered a heart attack and died suddenly, without having converted!
Prayers are needed – now more than ever.
Dear reader, these warnings in God's Word are God's expressions of love for us. Jesus knew the danger of carelessness, which repeatedly afflicts us, especially when things are going very well for us, and that is why He repeatedly spoke these words of admonition. Let us take them seriously so that we do not drift away from our goal.
Jesus also concludes the parable of the ten virgins with the words: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). Someone once said: “If you want to know the spiritual condition of a church, look at the number of people who come to prayer meetings. If the church has vibrant prayer gatherings, then it is a vibrant church.”
The fact is that prayer meetings are very often the least attended gatherings. Let us move God's people to prayer, in spirit and in truth, for only then will we truly encounter God and His pleasure will be in our lives. How important it is that we allow ourselves to be awakened by the Spirit of God.
Ernst Fischer
Municipality of Cloppenburg
Unless otherwise stated, Bible quotations are taken from Luther 2017.