But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:7-8, KJV)

But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer. Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. (1 Peter 4:7-8, Amplified)

Look at the first part of that scripture. Peter, the apostle, is speaking to these churches of the approach of the end of all things. In the Amplified it says “the end and culmination of all things”. This is not a light matter that he is writing to the church about. It is a matter that is very important to all. So he instructs them to be alert in prayer. How much more as the time draws even nearer, should we be watching and praying?

We have many prayer groups at our church that are watching and praying. I hear of the many prayer groups meeting in churches across the nation, even throughout the entire world. I myself have attended special times of prayer with intercessors from around the world who have gathered to pray. And pray we must. The time demands it!

Yet this scripture goes on to say, “above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another.” Above all things. I’m no Greek scholar, but I did look up the Greek words used for above all things and guess what I found. It means above all things. Yes pray, but it better be from a place of love and it most definitely can not be in place of walking in love. It’s time to pray and love!

So here, Peter is speaking to the church at a very critical time and he says, above everything else, above all other things love one another.

When is the time for the end of all things? No one knows for sure. Here, Peter told them it was at hand. We’ll it has been almost 2000 years since the time period when Peter may have written this. If the time was at hand then, it is much more at hand now. We are at least 1900 years closer. So if they had to watch and pray then. We ought to watch and pray now. And if they had to love one another above all else, how much more should we be doing that right now?

In many of my previous post I have said that now is the time to love as He loved. We all mean to. We are all working on it. But now is truly the time for the Body of Christ to take this seriously. As it says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 in The Message translation, “Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it…” It goes on to say, “because it does”.

It is time to love!