The Last Days
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:12-13
Due to the events happening in the world today, many people belief we are living close to the end. Today we see wars, war against Christians, natural disasters, famines, pollution of the air and water, birds and fish dying in huge numbers, and evil acts occurring almost daily.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4) Does this scripture describe the direction many people are moving toward today? Are we finding more people in this world becoming self-centered? The Lord says there will be terrible times in the last days, and relates these terrible times to the type of people in the last days.
From Matthew Jesus tells us of the terrible events in the last days. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:6-8) We are experiencing all of the above events more and more in the world today. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. (Matthew 24:9) Today more Christians are being killed because of their faith than any other time in history. Notice how government and society is turning away from Christ, banning God from schools and many government facilities. Statistics show that a great number of young Christians fall away during their college years.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14) I have heard that with satellite television, the internet, and the Bible being printed in every language, that the world will be reached in late 2020s. No one knows when end times will occur and as a Christian, a person of God, we will stand in victory. At the end times Christ will return and send his angels to collect his people and we will go home to be with the Lord forever. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31) For those who don’t know God, they will mourn in terrible fear, and they should because they will forever be away from God. If we don’t seek God in this life, then we want be with God in our eternal life? We are God’s special possession and heaven is our home so we have nothing to fear. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)
Today live knowing this life is temporary and heaven is your home. Don’t live in fear because of the evil in the world, but be a light for Christ in this world. Seek to bring lost souls to Christ before it is too late. Imagine the fear the lost will experience when Christ returns, and use this as your motivation to tell them about Christ. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'”
Prayer: Lord, open the hearts of the people around me to hear the truth. Let your Spirit work in others as you led me to introduce them to Christ. Lord, there are many lost people with stubborn deceived hearts that can only be reached by your love and compassion. Let your love and compassion be reflected through me with a caring heart, and open their hearts to your truth. In Jesus name, Amen