FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS (Part1): Don’t Be Caught Napping

(7-minute read)

We are all aware of accelerating natural disasters and growing tensions in international relations around the world, and we think this is about physical danger and geopolitical instability. This lulls us into thinking that we are blessed to be living in relative safety and security. We retreat into spiritual napping and wait for the bad news to subside. In so doing, we miss what the bible warns us about such events – that they are actually signaling the approach of biblical end times.

The end of all things allude to a time when the Christian faith will come under severe threat and attack.

This was what Jesus said about the end times, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” (Matthew 24:6-7).

So how should we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, respond to news like this? Peter offered us another clue in 1 Peter 4:7, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” Notice that Peter did not emphasize personal safety as a response. No one is spared – Christian or not, happy or sad, successful or struggling, healthy or battling chronic illnesses. It is normal to think that it is the victims of wars and natural disasters in distant locations who need our immediate help, while we overlook the needs of the people who are accessible to us right now. So, what should our response be?

In the Scripture verses above, Peter touched on three ways to read the signs of end times correctly.

Times Of Recognizing Urgency

The end of all things is near.

Jesus warned His disciples that when the end comes, to not bother going home to retrieve anything. “Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.” (Luke 17:31, Matthew 24:17-18). No point grabbing your mobile phones to warn your loved ones. Our most important conversations should already have happened if we recognized urgency instead of copping out waiting for an elusive ‘good time’ because we prefer to avoid saying what needs to be said and not to displease anyone. Then consider what Jesus taught. “If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you’ll lose it, but if you let that life go, you’ll get life on God’s terms.” (Luke 17:33 The Message)

Believers should have a readiness to step out of their comfort zones and not stay stuck in the routine of activities or behaviors that are familiar and low-risk. If our primary identity comes from being children of God, we will not attach our significance to what we do that makes us feel important on our own terms. We will value the opportunities we still have to impact, improve and initiate the necessary changes because time is running out for playing it safe. 

We may also argue that the people in our lives are not suffering because of their faith in Jesus. So we downplay the difficulties that they are experiencing while more people are feeling depressed, more are disillusioned, and more are suffering silently while smiling outwardly because all we say to them is to trust God.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, the apostle Paul had this to say about blatant bad behaviour even among believers that should not surprise us. “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” Paul issued this warning not to bring down the church but so that we would not downplay the reality that we are all tempted to sin - no matter who we are and what we do. 

What then do we do to stay on top of the enemy’s schemes?  

Times Of Alertness To The Schemes

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind… 

Just like hurricanes and earthquakes have tremendous power to create havoc and overturn normalcy, the devil also works fulltime to wreck havoc in our lives. Therefore, Peter warned us to stay alert to the devil’s single-minded mission to ‘steal, kill and destroy’ our lives and relationships (John 10:10). The enemy’s schemes today are more varied and creative than ever before, penetrating across all aspects of life. 

This is so important that Peter repeatedly wrote to the followers of Jesus Christ to wise up to the schemes of the Enemy, especially within the community of faith.

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. (1 Peter 1:13).

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NASB).

Paul, too, echoed what Peter said. “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” (1 Thessalonian 5:4-8).

What are we to stay alert to and be on the lookout for? 

We need to be aware of the divisive schemes of the Enemy to bring down God’s servants through sinful desires, selfish ambitions, mismanagement and burnout. The Enemy’s goal is to disqualify, disunite and draw us away from God. When we downplay the devil’s nefarious moves to derail and disarm us, we will be caught unawares and fall right into his trap. This has led many to use their ministry platforms as a stage for self-glorification instead of shepherdship, and to place branding exercises above biblical practices. God-given careers begin to serve desired lifestyles instead of God. In fact, the Enemy’s moves are so subtle that without divine insights, we would not be able to discern his conniving schemes.

Times of Intentional Prayers

The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

When we pray, we are not asking God for our own desired outcomes, but we are restoring God’s resources and relationships to His original plan. When we pray, we pray prophetic prayers under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit who gives us divine insights for complex problems that just won’t go away. When we pray, we expose all veneers of oversimplified explanations that make wicked problems sound normal.

We have a compelling reason to pray, for the Bible has instructed us that, “The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray… And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (1 Peter 4:7, Ephesians 6:18). 

To be clear, we are not battling against flesh and blood that is visible, but our opponents are the unseen forces of evil against humanity. (Ephesians 6:10-18).

These are definitely not times for us to play it safe as Christians, and be caught napping with all that is happening around us. We have no excuse to stay uninvolved in the sidelines. We are called to intercede with power and watch how God will turn the tides and set captives free from the devil’s snares. 

Let’s not lose the sense of urgency, alertness and prayerfulness to live with a sense of our God-given mission every day – in big and small ways!

This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 5 October 2024.