Yes, I am one of those who do believes the end times may be in our lifetimes. Do I know that for sure? No. But things are unfolding rapidly.
Having said that, there’s kind of an avalanche of end times folks and end times warnings and collapse of everything. And I do 100% believe we are in the verse of collapse, although God is merciful and can change the story.
At the same time, it is wearying. It is wearying to hear all the gloom and doom. It is wearying to experience hyper inflation and the terrible things that happen throughout the world. And then I am reminded of these things:
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Mt 24:42-44).
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour (Mt 25:5-13).
The warning is over and over. Keep watch. Stay alert. Be ready. He is scoming.
For the Christian we know our security in Christ, but we also forget to keep watch. To be ready. To stay alert. When the wedding happens, we don’t want to be in crumpled clothes. Or worse, shut out because we aren’t ready.
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (M5 24:46-51).
When the master returns, he expects us to be working hard for the purposes he has entrusted us. Those servants who were weary of their master’s return became carefree and lazy and found themselves in the place of indulgence.
In a world where sin is normalized and good is evil and evil is good, even in the places of worship, there is a problem. There is no fear of God. There is no honoring of the master when he is absent.
But make no mistake, the master is returning. Our hearts need to prepare with a righteous fear of the Lord. He may be slow in coming, but he will come soon.