Nougat 26

Back in the days in Jamaica, it was not uncommon to punctuate a seemingly unbelievable tale with the phrase, ‘Fact Truth’. I’m not sure if it’s an abbreviation of ‘in fact, here’s the truth’ or ‘these are the facts and it’s the truth’. My sisters may also recall, ‘if a lie mi a tell, God’s going (to) sin me’, which meant I stand by the truth of what I just shared. In today’s Holy Nougat, we are offered Jesus’ words as Fact Truth. What do you think?

“Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you. You will hear about wars and reports of wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭4‬, ‭6‬ ‭CEB‬‬

End Times – Fact Truth

So what are the facts before us? I’d argue that 1) others will try to deceive us 2) the news will be inundated with war stories and 3) the End is After those things. Let’s unpack those some more

1. Others will try to deceive us

You know, I initially thought of deceive from a literal spiritual perspective. So I spoke with us about the false prophets and Antichrists. That’s not my speciality area, but hopefully you got enough from me to get you on alert. But as I consider the signs, deceive took another, more literal meaning. In everyday affairs, we might not all/always see an Antichrist at work but we are all impacted by scams and scammers.

And the irony is, we have all been caught, almost fooled or know of someone who has been caught by a scammer. They come in all shapes and voices, some in person, others on the phone, social media and snail mail. Some sell us the latest wonder drug, miracle must have item, offer us riches untold, threaten our peace or all but offer us eternity in the here and now.

Many of us are alert, but new scams pop up daily. I marveled at the energy they invest in scamming us, but here it is –

Take Care that No One Deceives Us

So, in all our ways, we look to God, just like Proverbs 3:5-7 tells us: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight. Don’t consider yourself wise. Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” ‭‭Even when it seems straightforward, let’s ask ourselves what God’s Spirit says. The still small voice will be our guide.

2) News of War Abounding

Some may say this is self-explanatory, and it is. Nevertheless, it is a reminder that there’s perhaps more skirmishes on the horizon, some closer home than others, and some far easier squashed than others.

The Korean Peninsula has faced a 70+ year war; there’s war in the Holy Land, there’s war that’s turned most Middle Eastern nationals into refugees and diaspora communities, there’s war in Sudan, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Niger, and there is the Russia-Ukraine war.

No my siblings, this is not Armageddon, it is not even the End. More importantly, we are encouraged to be at peace. Rather to be IN Peace! For, the only way to not get alarmed is to keep focused on Christ since …

3) The End is Not Yet

All these are mere heats before the finals, the overture before the Grand Finale. So although Christ’s return will be sudden, we are given subtle signs. It’s like the Magi, they were not Jews, but they knew the signs of the First Coming of Jesus. And in tracking the signs, they could tell when it was imminent. They were not alarmed, rather they prepared to meet and worship their Maker and Savior In Person.

The Coming was imminent, and they followed the Star. We have the Bright Morning Star living within us. We ought to be following The Star. The signs are aligning. They are preparing us – This IS The Penultimate Lap before Christ’s return. Fact Truth

Are we preparing?

May we be found ready whenever we meet Him.

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May all we seek be found in Christ