I enjoy complexity, but I also revel in simple matters.

And for me right now, I see things getting more and more complicated. More implicated.

The world will be craving a simple answer. But it’s going to be harder and harder to verbalize and find it in the midst of the torrent of voices being broadcasted out there.

“For many will come in My name, saying ‘I am the Christ’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” Matthew 24:7

I remember when I first read this more than twenty years ago, I imagined that the “I am the Christ” moments would look more like cult leaders appearing getting masses to drink Kool-Aid. However, now, sitting in 2020, I don’t think that’s how it’ll sound.

As the brokenness of the world and our nation becomes more glaringly apparent, many will propose their solutions. I believe the “I am the Christ” voices are going to sound more like “I have the answer to solve the world’s problems.” “Look at how we are going to fix fill-in-the-blank” Or “This is what Jesus looks like now, the remodeled version.” “Here’s this new way to look at Jesus or Scripture that you never saw before.” “The Church is so broken, stay mad at her.” All of these “I am the Messiah” statements, will be, those, leading people away from the fact that there is a real Jesus, who was and is the same from ancient times til now. He came and revealed himself. He is resilient to trends.

Here’s the thing, brothers and sisters in Christ, if our faith in God is based on anything apart from Christ, we’re not going to make it.

The days when our faith was sustained by music, great friends, meetings, busyness, our purposes being fulfilled, our minds getting filled with great existential ideas, emotional healing, our mission on earth, even. Those are ALL good things and a part of what He gives. However, what happens if all those things are gone?

It is important to do heart checks every once in a while. What will happen to our faith? Is our relationship with Him strong enough to withstand seeing those we love passionately disagreeing with us? With each other? What if to the point of hatred? Will our relationship with Him be able to withstand seeing all our comforts shaken? Our worlds as we know it crumble?

“And then many will fall away and betray oe another and hate one another. And many false propets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:10-14

There will come a day, and I don’t think that day is as far off as it used to seem it was, when all of us will truly have to know the face of the Jesus of the Bible. Not the one someone else told us about. Not the one that makes us most comfortable. We must take Him on HIS terms. Not our own. Jesus is a real person. He is indeed loving and fully accepting wanting us to live life to the full. However, there is no path to life without first “taking up our cross.” There is no resurrection power without first the grave. If we have embraced a Christianity that costs us nothing…that merely seeks to fulfill our most baseline comforts, that never requires us to repent, then, we do not know Him.

On the contrary, if the only thing that God wants to talk to you about is sin. If you never feel joy with Him, if all you want to do all day long is correct other people and live in a perpetual state of frustration with humanity…My question for you is, the fruit and evidence of the Spirit of God is love, where is your love? your joy? Your patience? There is something you are missing in who Jesus is too.

Jesus is both Lion AND Lamb. Jesus is both victory and grief. Jesus is one who sits on the throne but also lies with us in green pastures.

It is going to be imperative that we know not a “new” Jesus. But as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:4, people will be preaching “another Jesus other than the one we proclaimed,” with a “different spirit than the one you received” or “a different gospel from the one you accepted.” We will need to remember the most basic things of the gospel. Jesus himself.

The indictment in Matthew 7:21-23, is that of not being known by him and not doing his will. Those two things reflect, first, a strong relationship where life has been shared, hearts made intimate with one another. Second, that there was action, obedience and follow-through with that love relationship, an understanding of right order in that relationship. Sometimes people think it’s just intimacy and lose the sight of the fact that it is a privelege and honor to be that close with the God of the universe.

Jesus reveals Himself in the Word. He left His Holy Spirit here now to talk with us. He’s not someone unknowable. But it will take time.

I believe we are seeing the beginnings of nations rising against nation, kingdoms rising against kingdoms, brothers betraying brothers. Whether or not we actually see Jesus physically return, we are now seeing the birth pangs begin. When we see these things, we must know what they point to and remember that the word said, “See to it you are not alarmed, for this must take place.” Matthew 24:10

I don’t know when this will all take place, but what I do know, is our faith as believers, if any of it is anchored in something separate from the person and character of Christ Jesus, if any of our faith is based on Him following US and not the other way around, we may not make it.

It’s become very simple. Take the world but give me Jesus.