God’s Plan for the Last Days
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
John 14:1-4
The completion of God’s divine plan is when Christ returns and takes us home. But during the last days, defined as the time between when Christ ascended into Heaven and the time when he returns, the fallen world has been filled with evil. Many people including Christians ask why God allows evil in the world. God determines if his people love him enough to endure this fallen world, fight sin, and be light for Christ. Do we love the Lord and eternal life more than we love this life? Christians love the Lord and eternal life and we show our love by ministering to lost souls in the midst of evil and persecution.
If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15) We show our love to the Lord by obeying his commands in a fallen, evil world, and true love overcomes evil and even death just as Christ died for our sins. How can we show our love for God unless our love is more powerful than fear?
If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26) This is an extremely powerful verse revealing our love for the Lord. In comparison to our love to God, love for family and for self is considered hate, even though scripture tells us to love our family. The only way we can show the magnitude of this love is letting love’s power in us overcome fear from Satan’s evils of the world. Loving God more than anybody or anything draws us closer to him, giving us his power and courage..
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) The Father and the Son proved their love for us when Christ endured the beating and death by crucifixion. We strive to prove our love for God just as Christ proved his love for us, by enduring this evil world, even to our physical death.
As we mature as Christians, we seek our Heavenly home more than this earthly life, and we live everyday serving the Lord in this evil, persecuting world to our last breath. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28) This verse helps us to place our physical body in correct relationship to our eternal body. The one who can destroy both body and soul is us, because the Lord protects us from the evil one up to our death. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Today, prove your love for God by overcoming evil and by serving the Lord. Live for eternity and know the Lord will return to take you to your perfect, eternal home. Overcome any temptation of fear from Satan and walk with victory in Christ.
Prayer: Lord, give me your strength to overcome trial and tribulations and live with love, peace, and joy, knowing this life is temporary and my permanent home is in Heaven. Help me to serve you in this evil world until my last breath. In Jesus’ name, Amen