Title: Standing Firm / Topic: End Times

Today's Reading: Matthew 23; Matthew 24; Matthew 25

Scripture: Matthew 24:9-14
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 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.

Observation: Jesus gives us warning ahead of time about what will happen before his return to earth. A litany of tests will face those who are believers. We will be persecuted, hated, and betrayed by those we trust, even those who have been a part of the church. We will be tested by false prophets who look and sound good but who are out to deceive us. We will live in a society polluted by moral wickedness that is increasing. Most of those who have believed on Jesus will grow cold in their love of God because they allow the wickedness around them to affect them and draw them away. But he who stands firm through all of this will be saved. While all this is going on, the true gospel will be preached around the world so that everyone can respond to the truth with no excuses before Jesus returns to take us to heaven.

Application: These are sobering words. The key is to be sure that I stand firm through all of these trials. How do I do that? First, I need to realize that Jesus gave this warning to his disciples so I would understand that no one is above falling away from God and so that I would not be taken by surprise when these things happen. I must stay in the Word and in prayer so that I will not be among those who are deceived by false Messiahs. I also need to be very careful not to succumb to the moral degeneration all around me. These are the keys to standing firm to the end. I also have a responsibility to preach the gospel (witness to the truth of Jesus) to others in order to speed the coming of the Lord.

Prayer: Father, the Church needs to understand the balance between the victory you promise us and the truth that we will also face persecution and even death for your sake. Make us strong so that we can withstand all that we will face. Keep us vigilant so that we are not lulled into a moral complacency that causes our love for you to grow cold. Make us bold in our witness for you and in our spiritual battle against the principalities and powers of darkness.
This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.