THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND

“But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch with prayer. And above all things have fervent charity* among your-selves: for charity* (love) shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:7-11.

People panic about “global warming,” about” the destruction of the rainforests of the world, about the accumulation of toxic gasses in the air, holes in the ozone layer, the demise of certain wild animals, whales, mercury in the ocean, on and an. These things may be true. Perhaps there is reason for concern, but aside from those who know the Word, there is little, in fact nearly no interest in that which is absolutely fact. “The end of all things is at hand.” God so led the writers of our Bible, that every generation from the time of the writing has been the warning that all things, as we know them, are going to come to an end. If Peter used the words, “at hand,” how much more so is that true today?

That fact is the background of Christ’s parable about the foolish and wise brides-maids, in the parable, the groom came, the wedding began, and some of the wedding party were prepared and ready, but some were not. Those who had to go buy oil for their lamps were denied entrance. That is the caution for this generation, as with all those which have gone before, be ready at any moment, for the groom is coming and the wedding is going to take place. It might be today. It might be tomorrow, or it might be a thousand years yet, but for us he says, always be ready. Many won’t be ready, and they are not concerned about it at all. They can cry “The world is going to the dogs,” but do nothing. Recently, as my wife and I were taking our early morning walk, we observed a woman taking her large breed dog for a walk on its leash. She deliberately took it to a neighbor’s yard, allowed it to relieve itself, and then walked away leaving everything behind. Too many people think of the rules as applyig only to others.

We pollute the garden and leave it all behind. God created a perfect world. The scriptures tell us repeatedly in Genesis, “God saw that it was good.” His creation was perfect. He placed man in the garden to care for it. Adam was the first caretaker gardener. He was placed in charge of everything. But what has he done? On the same walk, we noted a cool drink bottle that had been tossed into our garden, probably from a passing car, and we picked up a screw that was lying on the road, perhaps looking for a passing tire, and around the corner a small tree lay by the side of the road in a vacant lot. Another stroll revealed a small cupboard, a refrigerator and a box springs. One wonders if perhaps man is not hastening “the end” by his own actions. Must we live in a neighborhood dump?

If man had not turned to a life of sin, God would not have sent the flood. If today’s men go the same way of destruction, and they are, they have been warned. The end is coming and this destruction will not be a flood, it will be by fire. The way to escape it is through Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He also said “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” Heaven won’t have dog messes on a clean lawn, screws in the streets, dead trees and abandoned furniture by the curbs. Why not? Because, it will be occupied by people who care and why have “fervent charity.*” Its citizens will be people who have made ready in this life for that better life to come.