Jesus said one of the signs of the end times is the love of many growing cold. We are rapidly approaching a time when many brothers and sisters in the Lord will offend, betray, and hate one another. This is a call for true unity and genuine love among believers when love grows cold, Matthew 24:10-12.

We witness love and human kindness growing cold everywhere in our time, from business to education and family relationships. The internet and social media have brought many benefits to society. Yet, they have also unmasked the malice formerly hidden in our hearts. Collectively, we say and type hateful things about one another we’d never dreamed of just a few decades ago. The fact that love in the world is growing cold isn’t a surprise. What is surprising is the same level of coldness is invading Christians and churches. This diminishing love for one another contradicts our claim to be disciples of Jesus, John 13:35.

There is authentic biblical unity among true believers. It is rooted in the centrality of Jesus, sound doctrine, and mutual love. Before we continue, I want to mention the idea of unity at all costs. There’s also false unity that masquerades as true Christian fellowship. Oftentimes, it is cloaked in ecumenism, common goals, and shared values under the banner of love or Jesus’ name. But it’s not authentic love or unity if not rooted in the truth, Philippians 1:9.

This isn’t a blanket statement, but many fellowships and Christians are proof of love growing cold in these last days. Individually, our callous indifference toward other Christians shows our lack of love. We hear about a fellow Christian in material need. We can meet it but decide to be generous with our words, not our money. Love growing cold is spreading or feasting on the gossip instead of rebuking and extinguishing it at the source. Envy and strife cause divisions among believers. We proudly exclaim we love God on social media. We assert this love in church services and among our cliques. Yet, we secretly hate other Christians, and the religious act makes us liars, 1 John 4:20-21. Instead of making peace and pursuing love, we nourish a root of bitterness.

We have become great wordsmiths in Christian circles. Much is written and spoken about our love, unity, and fellowship in Jesus. We wax eloquent about being the hands and feet of Jesus and loving in word and deed. Yet, there are people we promised to pray for and haven’t. There are those we are being led to witness to but don’t. There are people in our local fellowships we haven’t forgiven but should, 1 Peter 1:22.

We have become puffed-up fans of our favorite preachers instead of maintaining true Christ-like love and unity. We live in a day of celebrity pastors, mega-movements, coalitions, and networks, 1 Corinthians 3:3-4. I’m not asserting that all well-known organizations are inherently wrong because some advance the Kingdom. But we must use discernment about who we listen to and join with. We shouldn’t stop being Bereans because of well-crafted mission statements, spiritual-sounding platitudes, and good feelings, Acts 17:11.

As we consider those in spiritual leadership, we must look at a disturbing trend among shepherds. There’s a marked increase in pride, self-promotion, and sectarianism. It’s often the outcome when the emphasis is placed on movements, methods, money, and men, not Jesus. We’ve seen what happens when we elevate and idolize men, even those who began with good intentions. Consider how many scandals, broken churches, and hurting souls directly result from love growing cold.

Leaders can become jaded and minister to attendees, members, and convention goers, not to individual living souls. Our ranking among peers and the numbers we bring in have become the gold standard by which success in ministry is measured, even if we won’t admit it’s rooted in selfish ambition. It produces envy, strife, confusion, and evil deeds, Philippians 1:15-16 and James 3:16. When did ministry become a competition? If you are a shepherd, we’re on the same team. I’ve witnessed fellow ministers not give other shepherds the time of day because there’s nothing to gain. I have also seen well-known and extremely busy preachers do everything they can to show love and appreciation to other brothers.

I know millions of Christians and thousands of local churches must have a growing love for other believers and strive for unity in the true Church. Despite love growing colder and some professing believers losing their fire, countless remnant Christians still pursue a deeper love for one another and unity in the true Church.

How can we regain love and true unity among Christians?

God’s word is replete with encouragement to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Here’s what the Bible says about love and unity in daily life: 1 Thessalonians 4:9. When everyone seems to be firing back, getting in the last word, and pounding the send key, we should respond like Jesus, Colossians 3:12-14. If we open our eyes, there will be needs right in front of us that other Christians use help with we didn’t notice before, Galatians 6:10. When someone wants to bend your ear with gossip, or you are tempted to spread some yourself, remember how this vile sin spreads like gangrene. Think about what it does to the person on the receiving end of slander, even if they are unaware. Choose to pray for them instead. Proverbs 17:9.

“If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love.” “The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love.” “Love is the beginning and the middle and the end—the first sign, stamp, and seal—of the saint.”—  Oswald Chambers

Dear Christian friends, I haven’t arrived and have fallen short in many ways. But I want to re-commit to yield to the Lord’s command to a genuine love for fellow believers that only His Spirit can give. Let’s remember the love Jesus lavished upon us and have that same heart toward other believers. If you are a fellow minister, imagine what would happen if we esteem others better than ourselves. What would happen if we looked out for other people’s interests and ministries? It would produce a loving, like-minded humility that can only come from the Holy Spirit, Philippians 2:2-4. As love grows cold before Jesus’ return, let’s have true unity and love one another deeply from a pure heart, Psalm 133:1.

All for Him,

Howard

Podcast link:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-love-grows-cold-a-call-for-true-unity-among-believers/id1565453348?i=1000685438653

The progression of all events today leading to all true believers leaving this earth is becoming more rapid by the minute. When one takes a realistic look at the signs given by Jesus, Paul, John, Peter, James, and others throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments, it would be as if we were watching today’s news broadcasts while reading these passages. The end of this era is not very far off by any stretch of the imagination. (ESV – all emphasis is mine)

Jesus tells us in Luke 21:25-28, “And then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves; people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

When Jesus referred to, “and they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud,” this refers to His actual return to Earth after the seven-year Tribulation to set up His millennial reign here. The “taking up” “harpazo,” or what’s commonly referred to as the “Rapture,” is given further enlightenment by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, he states, “For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the Trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

For anyone who does not have Jesus as their Savior to believe they will be able to call out and be saved before the Rapture is completed, 1 Corinthians 15:52 tells us that would be impossible. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”

Scientists and mathematicians who are much more knowledgeable than I have calculated “Twinkling of an eye” as considerably less than 1/100th of a second. That’s the speed that the Father will use to remove all of the Savior’s flock from this earth. And, yes, our God is fully capable of doing just that. We must remember that time was made for humans, and the Father is not bound by our limitations.

Genesis 1:3-5; “And God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

After being taken up and given new, forever immortal bodies and a mindset such as our Jesus has, and after being able to stand and even speak after our first in-person meeting with our Savior, we look forward to seeing all our loved ones there.

One thing we have to remember is that all who were in the will of the Father prior to Calvary and all who had received and accepted Jesus from Calvary will be the ones there. Those out of the will of God and those who did not have the Savior when they took their last breath here will not be there. Their reservation is given in Revelation 20:11-15 which tells us of the Great White Throne Judgment.

Before that judgment takes place, the false prophet and ultimate antichrist will be the first two occupants of the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20). They will be followed by Satan (Revelation 20:10). No one at the Great White Throne will escape the fires of hell. The purpose of that judgment is to determine the degree of each person’s individual forever punishment.

We hope that all of our loved ones will not be in that judgment. I firmly believe that our Father will give us peace of mind to keep us from being overcome with sorrow. For all who are taken up in the Rapture, we look forward to a most wonderful meeting.

In 1905, Isaiah G. Martin (1862-1957) wrote a beautiful hymn called “Eastern Gate.” Please consider the words of this hymn.

1) I will meet you in the morning, just inside the Eastern Gate. Then be ready, faithful pilgrim, lest with you it will be too late.

Ref) I will meet you; I will meet you; just inside the Eastern Gate over there. I will meet you; I will meet you; I will meet you in the morning over there.

2) If you hasten off to Glory, linger near the Eastern Gate. For I’m coming in the morning, so you’ll not have long to wait. (ref)

3) Keep the lamps all trimmed and burning; for the Bridegroom, watch and wait. He’ll be with us at the meeting, just inside the Eastern Gate. (ref)

4) Oh, the joys of that glad meeting with the saints who, for us, wait. What a Blessed, happy meeting just inside the Eastern Gate. (ref)

There are many people today that believe God is not real, and the Bible is just a work of fiction. Our Savior told of the eternal outcomes for people, with more being on a wide road leading to eternal destruction and less on a narrow pathway that leads to Him. (Matthew 7:13-14)

No matter what anyone may believe, these are the only two outcomes after a life on Earth.

Please understand that our Heavenly Father does not want anyone to end up in the Lake of Fire (2 Peter 3:9). He is willing to forgive the sins of all who truly call out to be saved (Romans 10:13). The only unforgivable sin right now is to not have Jesus as your Savior when you take your last breath on this earth. There will be a second unforgivable sin, which will be to take the mark of the beast during the Tribulation, which signifies worship of the antichrist and, by extension, worship of Satan.

No one makes it to eternal life with Jesus by any deeds we can do, as given in Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus paid the full sin debt for all who will truly receive and accept His wonderful gift – that He shed His life blood as the only absolute perfect sacrifice the Father could ever accept.

Our Father will force no one to call out for forgiveness and receive Jesus as their Savior, but as stated above, will forgive all who do. The choice is left up to us.

No man-made religion can save anyone. Jesus said in John 14:6, “And Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” There are no exceptions, and yes, it’s just that simple. Don’t complicate what the Savior has freely given to all of us.

Hope to see all of you at the wonderful reunion at the Eastern Gate!

huebshman46@gmail.com