Eclipse or Apocalypse?

This past Monday there was a total eclipse that crossed over the United States. People gathered from all parts of the country to be in the path of this phenomenon. There were photographers, astronomy enthusiasts, conspiracy theorists, and just regular old people too. But perhaps the loudest of the people to talk about this Eclipse were those shouting about the end of the world. Every time something major like this happens there are people who speak up telling everyone the end of time is coming! It happened in 1910 with Haleys Comet. It happened in the year 2000 with Y2K. We saw it in 2012 when everyone thought the Mayan calendar predicted the end of time. Some thought the world would end in 2020 when COVID came. Some thought the ushering in of a vaccine for COVID in 2021 was the mark of the beast, and we were approaching the end of time. Some thought the wars in Israel were marking the end of time. And it has been no secret that there were hundreds if not thousands of theories that the world was ending with this eclipse on Monday. All of these theories, yet here we are... People have strung together random Bible verses for years to predict the end of time, yanking these verses right out of their context to scare the world into repentance. The problem with this is that it ignores a core teaching of Jesus: NOBODY KNOWS WHEN THE END IS COMING.

Notice a few teachings on the end of time from the Bible:

  • “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”(Matthew 24:36)

  • “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know the day which your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42)

  • “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”(1 Thessalonians 5:2)

Jesus and the apostles taught people to always be ready for the end of time because we don’t know when it’s coming. We can’t string together Bible verses, and predict it. Not even Jesus or the angles know the day, but only the Father in heaven. The question is, Are you ready for that day to come?

-Kolton Ballance

The Gospel in One Verse

A preacher was once asked to summarize the gospel message in one verse. The verse he chose was 2 Corinthians 5:21. That verse says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” This verse captures the beauty of the gospel message so clearly. Notice a few things about this verse:

1.“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.”

This part of the verse can be a little wordy, but if you pay attention to what it says it is so powerful. This verse says “He” (God) made “Him who knew no sin” (Jesus) to be as if he sinned “on our behalf” (you and me). In simple terms this piece of the verse says that God treated a sinless Jesus as if he lived my sinful life. This is what happened on the cross. He took on the punishment you and I deserved for our sins. What a sacrifice!

2. ”So that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”

This part of the verse is just as powerful as the first. It captures the result of that great sacrifice. The reason the sacrifice took place was so that you and I could “become the righteousness of God.” That means you and I are treated as if we lived a righteous life. This is the beautiful result of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. What a reward!

When you put these verses together you get one of the most profound truths taught in the Bible. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus gave Himself on the cross to be treated as if He lived my sinful life so that I could be treated as if I lived His sinless life..... let that sink in. Jesus gave Himself on the cross to be treated as if He lived my sinful life so that I could be treated as if I lived His sinless life....

This is the beauty of the Gospel message. This is the core of the “good news” that Jesus christ came to bring. He stepped into our place and took on our punishment that we deserved so that we could receive the reward that He deserved.

As I reflect on this message, I am reminded of Peter’s words in 1 Peter 1:3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

-Kolton Ballance