Pastor’s Corner: “Sky Fall”
Matthew 24:29 (NLT) – 29 “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
Though meteor showers are common, no one predicted the explosion of shooting stars that illuminated the night sky on November 12, 1833. Just before dawn, people threw on clothes and gathered in roads and fields to watch the 150,000 meteors (about 30 per second) dance in plain view during the storm’s peak. One eyewitness told the Pantagraph newspaper in Illinois that, “the very heavens seemed to be ablaze.” Though many were spellbound, not all rejoiced in the starry celebration. At the time, some awoke terrified, fearing it was the End of Days, as predicted by a Bible verse: “and the stars of heaven shall fall.”
While the stars may not literally be falling out of the sky, the term “The Sky is Falling,” coined by chicken little certainly seems more appropriate today than any other point in our lifetime with the exception of maybe 9/11. If you have eyes and ears, you cannot help but see the chaos and uncertainty that is going on around us. We are living in unprecedented times and if we know the word of God and what Jesus foretold about the future, we would recognize the signs and birthing pains that we are experiencing. Even if the sky is falling, God is still sovereign. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, the question we need to be asking is: Lord how do you want us to respond?
When the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him, …what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? He told them things were going to get worse before they got better. Then He added these words: “see to it that you are not alarmed”’ (Matthew 24:6 NIV). The word ‘alarmed’ is one Jesus used only on this occasion; it means ‘to wail, to cry aloud’. In essence, what He was saying is this: Don’t fall apart when bad things happen.
These are the things that Jesus said do not be alarmed of in Matthew 24: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, “I am the Messiah,” and will deceive many.’ (vs. 4–5 NIV) – “false Messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (vs. 24 NIV) – “you will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (vs. 6 NIV) – “you will be put to death because of Me.” (vs. 9 NIV) “the love of many will grow cold.” (vs. 12 NLT). BUT…“because of this the Gospel will be preached in all the world!” Matthew 24:14 NKJV.
Jesus said when we see calamity and apostasy, don’t give in to fear because they’re signs of His imminent return. Every prophecy concerning Christ’s first coming was fulfilled in detail, and so will every prophecy concerning His second coming. Our mandate is to work, pray, give, and take the Gospel to the whole world — then Christ will return. Though the church is winnowed down like Gideon’s army, and the world is in a state of upheaval, don’t overreact. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.’ (Psalm 37:7 NLT). God’s hand is still on the wheel. “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17 NKJV).
Don’t give in to the extremes of blind denial or blatant panic. When the bombs of World War II levelled Warsaw, only one skeletal structure remained standing on the city’s main street. It was the British and Foreign Bible Society, and on its walls was clearly written: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35 KJV). We can fully trust in His words and His promises even if “The Sky is Falling!”
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton