The Jesus Index
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
There is an index in the financial markets that looks at seven different factors in the financial markets to determine how good the stock market is and to try and predict the future of the market.
It is called the VIX.
The more common term however is the Fear Index. Other places call it the Fear and Greed index. Certain readings of this particular index indicate that people are afraid and other readings of the index indicate greed. Today that reading is in the Fear category.
Luke 21:26 speaks of the fear index when it says:
Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
The context of that text is when Jesus was talking about the signs of the end of time when Jesus will come again.
We are Adventists. That simply means that we are believers in Jesus and the second coming.
We are people that have been telling others about Jesus for a very long time. We continue to see things that happen all around us and in our world that cause people fear.
Yet love conquers fear. Love looks forward to a final resolution and restoration of a world that Jesus remakes into a perfect place once again. Love also spreads love.
Love of God leads to a love of people and a desire that they can put aside fear and instead look with you towards the second coming.
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift your heads, because your redemption draws near.
The fear index of the world may be high. It doesn’t need to be in your life as you look for Jesus to be in your life today and with the assurance that you will see Him in the clouds.
The fear index of the world may be high, but you can point people to Jesus as a real and loving God to deal with the fears of this world.
Let us all be involved in sharing Jesus in a world full of fear.