Love one another in these troubled times

(1 Thessalonians 5:14-15)

If ever there was a need to show love, it is now. The scriptures I am looking at today may have been written 2,000 years ago, but they tell us strongly today to love one another in these troubled times.

We are in the end days and the events taking place around the world are clear evidence of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. We are encouraged by Him to be prepared for His return but how we do that is important.

One of the key ways we can prepare is to love one another in these troubled times, because God’s love conquers all.

Paul’s exhortation to love one another in these troubled times

Before going any further, let’s look at the verses under review today.

14 And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15)

It is clear from these words that Paul wanted the people to show love to one another. He wanted them to encourage one another, lift each other up, help and support each other, and to do so with patience.

All of these things are expressions of showing God’s love.

Paul was exhorting the church in those days to show love in the church, but in difficult times it is even more important. That is why we must learn how to love one another in these troubled times.

These troubled times we live in

If there are still any doubters that we are in troubled times then they must be blind. I am well aware that there are those who are COVID-deniers, but to do so in the face of overwhelming evidence is simply foolish.

There will always be those who will deny such things, and it will get worse as time goes on. I mean, we still have people who will not accept that the earth is a globe, and who still claim it is flat.

And when I say that it will get worse, I am not making this up. The Bible tells us that in the last days, God will send a strong delusion on those who are not to be saved to believe what is false. Note His words here:

9 The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, 12 so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

Yes, they will be deluded, and are beginning to suffer under delusions already.

But to the people of God I say, open your eyes. Look at what is before you. The evidence of His imminent return can be clearly perceived in the events unfolding across the world.

In addition, God has sent prophecy in the Bible and we can see the events unfolding to validate words that were spoken thousands of years ago by Christ, by Daniel and by others.

We are in the last days and it is my firm belief that we will have to wait no more than four and a half years before we see His return. We may not know the hour and day of His return, but He did not say He would not reveal the year or month, and the prophecy of Daniel chapter 9 concerning the seventy weeks of years is pointing strongly to 2025 as being the year of His return.

Prepare yourselves now for His return

This is why even more so we need to love one another in these troubled times.

There is not much time left and the pressure of opposition against Christians and Christianity around the world is growing daily.

The outright hatred for the things of God and the love of this world for the things of evil have never been as bad as they are today. And they are worsening. We are hearing daily of stories where what God calls evil, the world is saying is good. And we are seeing good people cut down simply because they choose to believe in Jesus Christ and a living God who offers a better life.

So, prepare for His return by growing and strengthening your faith and your love for one another. Love is the only thing that is permanent and lasts into eternity, so find the pathways of God’s love.

And if you happen to suffer for the sake of the gospel, do not retaliate. Leave your vengeance to God who said, “I will repay!” As the scripture today says, “Repay no-one evil for evil.”

We have not been called to evil but to love. Jesus told us we are to love our enemies and pray for them.

So if you are caught by an enemy, show them the love of God. You don’t have to be “all hugs and kisses” with you enemy. That’s not what it means to show love. But you can pray for them that they might see the light of the truth and turn to Jesus Christ.

So, love one another in these troubled times. Not just those inside the church, but also those outside of it. And pray for each other that you may be strong in the faith and be able to endure the sufferings and tribulations that will and must come before Christ returns.

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