With everything going on between Israel and Iran, Greenland and Venezuela, it would be easy to believe that humanity is experiencing the “birth pangs” of the end, but Jesus promised his disciples in Matthew 24:
At the beginning of the New Testament chapter, the disciples asked Jesus what believers should endure before the Savior’s return. Jesus answered, “There will be war against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first birth pangs, and there will be more to come.” (Matthew 24:7-8, NIV).
Australian-American author, speaker and evangelist Nick Vujic appeared on the latest episode of CBN’s “Faith in Culture” and said he believes the end times are “definitely” underway.
“Are we living in the end times? Yes,” he said, noting that the state of Israel was founded in 1948 and is believed by many Christians to be a fulfillment of end-time prophecies. “But what we have to understand is that we have to live today and prepare as if Jesus were coming back right now. That’s the whole point.”
He warned believers against getting so caught up in debates about the end of the world that they begin to think of salvation as nothing more than “life insurance” against hell.
“Hell is so scary, and Jesus is so beautiful. That’s why I want to say yes to Jesus, trust Him with all my heart, and love Him with everything I am, without relying on my own understanding,” Vujicic said, quoting Proverbs 3:5-6.
Amid all the talk about the apocalypse, there are also discussions about recovery across the country, especially in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk late last summer.
However, Vujić is cautious about using the word ‘resurrection’, even joking that he is ‘allergic’ to the word as many people do not understand its true meaning.
“(Revival) is repentance. Someone stands up straight to the Lord and the Lord cleans their house and cleanses them of their iniquities,” he said, noting that he believes the entire United States needs to repent of its sins. “We’re approaching the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, and if we don’t repent, this country will become quite ugly. We need repentance, so that’s what I’m praying for.”
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Recent data from Barna Group shows weekly Bible reading rates will reach 42% in 2025, up 12 points from 2024, and engagement with the Bible is at a 15-year low.
Additionally, in 2025, just under 50% of Gen Z will say they read the Bible weekly, up from 30% the year before. And today, young men outnumber women in Bible reading, a historic reversal.
Referring to the divisions currently plaguing American culture, Vujicic said, “Many people are realizing…that we need to know where we stand with the Lord and be ready to explain why we believe the way we believe and whether that’s based on the Bible.”
“There’s so much going on,” he continued. “And I think there are hungry people who are looking for a source of truth who realize, ‘Oh, I need to read the Bible.’ I believe it started from there.”
Watch the full conversation with Vujic in the video embedded above.
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