The lovely falling leaves outdoors always seem to be syncronized with the falling fur inside my house. Leaf piles grow in the gullies while furry dust bunnies grow under the furniture.

What’s going on?

For an answer, let’s look at Day 4 of Creation:

Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.

Genesis 1:14-19 NLT

We notice the change in the air and start wearing sweaters as the temperatures get chillier. Trees and animals respond to the signals of lessening daylight and prepare for the winter cold, acting as additional warnings to us that change is coming.

God cares for us enough to give us signs of things to come, and cares about his creation enough to help it prepare as well.

I don’t believe those signs are given so that we’ll completely lose our marbles and become frozen in fear, but so we will get ready. How silly would it be if the first leaf we saw changing color filled us with terror and dread of the winter to come?

Signs of the Times

Current events in Israel have some folks starting to shake their heads, wring their hands, and whisper about end times. Is this new war the beginning of the end?

Perhaps. Or perhaps it’s just one war in a long line of wars marching us toward the last date on God’s timetable, when the sun won’t be needed to signal or keep time for us anymore.

Consider these verses:

And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many False Prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For False messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

So if someone tells you, “Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,” don’t bother to go and look. Or, “Look, he is hiding here,” don’t believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.

Immediately after the anguish of those days,the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

Matthew 24:6-14, 23-31

Here’s a quick progression recap:

1. Wars, famine, and earthquakes
2. Believers arrested, persecuted & killed; betrayal and hatred; false prophets deceive many; sin rampant everywhere; Gospel preached to every nation
3. False messiahs perform signs and wonders to deceive
4. Sun, moon, and stars fail
5. Jesus Christ returns on the clouds in power and glory, and gathers his followers from all over the world

Where would you say we are in the progression Jesus provided to his disciples?

Choosing Faith Over Fear

No matter where you see today’s world on the timeline above, you are not called to live quivering in dread.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27

Followers of Christ have an eternal fortress in God Almighty, no matter what happens!

I love you, LORD; you are my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Psalm 18:1-2

Our lives go beyond death into forever, where God himself will be our light. I have a feeling that our memories of the sun will pale in comparison to the light of its Creator!

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 21:22-27

Getting Ready

Just as changing leaves signal the approach of winter, world events serve to remind us that one day the end will come. When? We don’t know, but every day that passes brings us one day closer to the finish line!

How can we be prepared?

Know the Way

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). If you don’t yet know Jesus, ask him to reveal himself to you. He knows your heart language, and will never turn away anyone who truly seeks him.

Stay Grounded in God

“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart” (Colossians 4:2). Prayer is simply talking aloud or silently with God, and taking time to listen for his voice.

Live in Love

“And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us” (1 John 3:23-24).

Look Ahead

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

Which preparation step speaks most to you today?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find a sweater.