September 2

Ezekiel 38

End of the World

Everyday we hear another scenario that is going to bring the end of the world. Here are a few:

1. Global warming
2. The arctic tundra warming up and releasing gasses ... saw this yesterday in the paper
3. The polar caps melting and flooding Stamford .. I could have an eventual beach front view
4. Swine flu
5. Terrorism
6. Iran and North Korea joining the nuclear arms race
7. 2012 and the Mayan prophecies
8. Meteorites hitting us..... and the list grows daily.

Someone has calculated that there have been 220 predictions of the end of the world so far.

All of this constant attention to the end of the world has had an impact on us. I believe most people today live in fear and believe time is running out for us. What we don’t hear on CNN (continuous negative news) is that God will have anything to do with the end of the world. Ezekiel says just the opposite. He says the world will not end because of what man is doing but because of what God is going to do. Just as God judged the unbelief and wickedness of Israel in Ezekiel’s day, in a future day God will judge the unbelief and wickedness of the world. There is a limit to the patience of God, and one day God will say “Enough.” In Ezekiel 38 we have this day described in frightening apocalyptic language. There are several indicators in this text that clearly show us this has not been fulfilled in the past ... “a great earthquake that causes all people on the face of the earth to tremble at God’s presence” is one of them.

This event is about God’s name and his reputation. When people take God’s name in vain they don’t realize how dangerous that is. When we live our lives ignoring God’s advice, his guidance and rejecting his love we fail to realize that we are rushing closer to this final event.

A few other signs of this event from this chapter:
1. Israel will be in the land ..... 1948 is the modern birth date of Israel
2. Israel will live in a land of unwalled villages
3. The nations of the earth will gather together against Israel ... “like a cloud covering the land.”
4. God will be their champion

So how does this impact how I live on September 2nd? I see three applications.
1. Don’t live in fear. God is in control of this universe. God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. Turn CNN off and read your Bible tonight. As our VBS kids shouted every night “Fear Not!!”

2. Beware of “end of the world” predictions. They come along every two or three years. We need to live each day as if it could be our last day on earth. Live in light of the Lord’s imminent return.

3. There is no better day to proclaim the good news of God’s love and his amazing grace than today. Who could you share the gospel with today? Ask God to open the door to a spiritual conversation.