As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3 - NIV)

One question often asked these days besides, “Is there a God?” is the one asking if we are nearing the end of the world.

Even people who do not believe in God, in a supreme being, or do not put their trust in some other entity understand that we live in perilous times. Sure, these same folks aren’t always using the word “perilous” to describe present day conditions, but that doesn’t matter — some have a strong inkling that things today are just not quite right. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires, famine, excessive heat, sandstorms, volcanic activity, and more are impacting the earth today.

Certainly, it seems that some of that concern centers on one area chiefly — global climate change a/k/a global warming.  Scan the internet, pick up your daily newspaper, or read almost any magazine and you’ll be under the distinct impression that the world is going through some very trying times. And, if you were to heed the warnings from environmental advocates such as Al Gore, you’d understand that we don’t have much time to do something about it.

I have nothing against those who want to be good stewards of this earth, but I believe another agenda can be found just below the surface. Namely, some of the leaders of the environmental movement seem to want to exert their control over mankind. Specifically, by measuring a person’s “carbon footprint” or judging how they use earth’s resources seems to be some of the ways that they are going about doing this.

Others have expressed alarm that the Mayan calendar, written many centuries ago, only goes through 2012. I’ve read that a Mayan prophet was said to have predicted that the earth will end on winter solstice of that year which is December 21, 2012. In other words, don’t bother to do your Christmas shopping that year!

I find it useless to engage in conversations that have little or no merit or distract people from what they really need to hear: God loves them, their sins separate them from Him, sinners (every person on earth) must realize that Jesus already paid the price for their sins, and that by asking for His forgiveness and restoration, communion with God will be restored.

Will the world end in 2012? Well it could.  But, we aren’t to concern ourselves with a date. Instead, in Matthew 25:13, Jesus said: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”  The only way we can truly watch is by having eyes that see and only those eyes opened up by God can truly comprehend the events of our day.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

This singular verse in Ephesians, which is repeated elsewhere in the Bible (Acts 15:40, Galatians 1:3, Philemon 1:3, etc.), sums up how God wants to touch mankind — he offers his grace (unmerited favor) and peace to all who put their trust in Him.

When comparing religions, it is soon evident that the God whom Christians follow is not like other gods. In Hinduism, there are some 330 million gods for worshipers to call on, many of whom are vindictive, spiteful, and just plain mean. Hundreds of millions of people in India are enslaved to these gods whom many Christians consider to be demons in disguise.

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, with more than one billion followers, most of whom live in what is called the 10-40 window. If possible, adherents are expected to make pilgrimage at least once to Mecca and keep a code of rules and regulations to appease Allah. One of the pillars of this religion is praying five times daily, facing Mecca. Clearly, how well you perform your faith in this life determines where you will spend eternity. To fully understand Islam, followers are expected to learn Arabic.

Followers of Buddhism have varying beliefs depending on the sect. Some consider Buddhism a religion, while others call it a way of life. Your speech, action, and livelihood play an important part in your life, but as far as life after death, the teachings of Buddha are silent.

For the follower of Jesus Christ, we know that our God isn’t fickle, mean, or vengeful. True, vengeance does belong to our God, but it isn’t something that is held over our heads 24/7/365, particularly when we have entrusted our lives to Him. Our God wants to fellowship with us and His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection were space-time events which connected sinful man to a holy God. God always takes the initiative — we are to respond and to consent to Him. Christians have translated the Bible into thousand of tongues — demonstrating how our God comes to people where they are at.

God wants everyone to taste His peace and to live with Him forever. We can’t follow an impossible set of rules and there is nothing on earth that we can do to win His favor. Out of love we serve Him, knowing moment-by-moment that Jesus broke the power of death and we shall live forevermore.

Photo courtesy of Manu M.