All Other Ground is Sinking Sand

Most of us have been around long enough to have witnessed seasons of relative peace and stability, as well as prolonged periods of upheaval that eventually diminish. What I’ve noticed over the past few years is that the distress and uncertainty that came upon the world with the arrival of COVID hasn’t abated; in fact, it’s only gotten worse.

What I want to share with you is my assessment of the current shaking going on in the world, not just geopolitically, but spiritually, because we know there’s a biblical connection. I also want to encourage one another in the firm, unshakable foundation we have in Jesus and to share this truth with desperate souls living on sinking sand. Matthew 7:24

I know all of us might have slightly differing views regarding eschatology, including the timing of events such as the rapture, etc., and of course we don’t believe date-setting is biblical, and Jesus said we wouldn’t know the exact day. He did say we should be able to discern the signs of the times. Matthew 16:2-3

One thing is becoming increasingly clear, and there seems to be a growing consensus among remnant believers that: We are certainly living in the very last days. My aim in this article isn’t a deep-dive into end-time Bible prophecy, which is a wonderful topic for most every believer. But to recognize that since the return of our Lord is near, we have an opportunity to reach unsaved people with the unshakable firm foundation of Jesus.

I marvel at the paradox between the uncertainty of the people in the world around us versus the Christian’s security in the Lord. It is really amazing to see how the bottom can fall out in the life of a believer, and we simply cling to Jesus and stand firm on the promises and providence of our Heavenly Father. Not so with unsaved people, because they have nowhere solid to plant their feet.

The unshakable Kingdom of God stands in stark contrast to everything that’s happening now. We can serve Him in all reverence and endeavor to make Him known to people who live in a world where everything will be shaken. Hebrews 12:25-29

I’ve never seen so much upheaval, and I think I’m not alone in this. Any discerning, Spirit-led Christian can see that things aren’t returning to the way they were before COVID. That’s not to say that times were placid before, but there was a certain level of continuity and regularity in most aspects of life. Whether it was geopolitically, economically, culturally, or even spiritually, things were fairly cyclical, and nearly predictable. Ecclesiastes 1:9

I’m not implying that COVID began some invisible clock ticking or that it marks an identifiable point prophetically. What I’m saying is that somewhere along the line, as the world navigated the pandemic, it became clear that this world isn’t returning to what we consider normal.

Dear friends, this world is being shaken, and it appears to only be the beginning. Looking briefly at the geopolitical situation, the world is certainly marked by instability. Just a decade or so ago, we used to identify friend and foe. Now, with rogue nations and unstable megalomaniac leaders clamoring for more power, along with alliances which seemed impossible a few years ago, wars and rumors of war are everywhere. A powerful Russia and China used to occupy headlines; now they share the front page with Iran, North Korea, and terrorist factions wanting to create instability.

I don’t mention this to give a prophetic or geopolitical update, but rather to remind us that as Christians, we see where all of this is headed biblically. But lost people in the world have no idea about what lies ahead and that everything will be, and is being shaken. The current global economy is strained, interconnected, and increasingly complex. The future of the US Dollar as the world’s fiat currency is in serious question. The once stable economies of the US, UK, and other Western nations are in serious debt crisis. Worse still is the fact that global finance, shipping, and distribution channels are being threatened and destabilized by numerous conflicts with seemingly no end in sight James 5:1-6

On an individual level, many millions of people are becoming increasingly medicated with mind-altering drugs, both prescribed and unprescribed, to help them cope with the instability of society around them. Have you noticed the absolute hopelessness of a seeming majority of our young people? Have you noticed many people from their early teens to those well into their thirties are confused, hurting, angry, worried, and almost in a zombie-like, lifeless existence? I see this everywhere, and I think you would agree that this isn’t normal and it’s worsening by the day. Luke 21:34-35

Some would blame this lifelessness on social media, iPhones, or the culture of the day, and I suppose there is some merit in that. But they mask what is really at work behind all of the hurt, despondency, and hopelessness. The enemy of their souls is on a rampage to steal, kill, and destroy our young people. Every broken person, overdose, and suicide has Satan’s fingerprints all over it, as Jesus makes clear in John 10:10.

Broken families are rampant, abuse, neglect, and violent crime are commonplace, and what we once called a polite society seems gone forever. People are growing a callousness unlike anything I’ve witnessed and on a scale unseen before. Jesus did tell us these conditions would be evident just before His return, in Matthew 24:12, as love continues to wax cold.

Moreover, the shaking is taking place among professing Christians and in local churches, and it’s becoming more evident. We all know there is a strong remnant Church that will endure until the end, walk by the Spirit, and love one another. Conversely, some claim to know Christ, but these individuals and churches have careened headlong into false teaching, ecumenism, outright apostasy, and love waxing cold. I know it’s always been a thing, but the level of those deceiving and being deceived seems unprecedented 2 Timothy 3:13.

I have to admit that I was planning on writing something much more encouraging and not dwell on the absolute abyss our society has become. But I trust the Holy Spirit’s leading and prayed about my article, so I’m laying before you what the Lord has put on my heart. So I humbly ask for Him to confirm this message if it glorifies Jesus and equips each of us for the days ahead.

In Hebrews 12:27, the writer tells us that God will once more shake the earth and the heavens. Why? So that the things that can’t be shaken may remain. I thank Him so much that the Kingdom we’re each a part of will remain unshaken!

Dear friends, given the heaviness and weighty things we covered so far, this is where the hope of the gospel and boasting in the cross are front and center. Everything will be shaken. Knowing this, that circumstances in every aspect of life we covered will only get much worse, people in the world will need the hope only Jesus can bring. Matthew 9:36

Here’s an example: Jesus tells us there will be earthquakes, pestilences, and wars at the close of the age. As these events begin to pile up, people will be frightened. We all remember the fear and uncertainty at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. There was absolute fear and panic on the faces of unsaved people. There’s a time coming when conditions will be so severe that Jesus said people’s hearts would fail them for fear at the expectation of those things which are coming upon the earth, Luke 21:26

We are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, so we have grace to serve God with reverence and fear. Dear friends, let’s make the most of the day and work while we still have time to make Him known. We cannot hide our light under a bushel, go with the flow, and do business as usual, church. People in the world are desperate and growing more desperate by the day, whether they know it or not. Many will be searching for peace, safety, and solid ground upon which to stand. Tragically, they will believe they have found it, only to discover that their sense of security rests upon a false foundation. All other ground besides Jesus is sinking sand. We have Christ in us, the hope of glory. With the Spirit’s leading, we can tell them the truth of the gospel and offer them hope and true peace and safety for eternity, that only Jesus can give. Luke 14:23. God bless you as you make Him known to precious lost souls.

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All for Him,

Howard