36 “No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels
in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. 37 “When the Son of
Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah. 38 In the days
before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the
day that Noah went into the ship. 39 They were not aware of what was happening
until the flood came and swept all of them away. That is how it will be when
the Son of Man comes again. Matthew 24:36-39 (ESV)
Time to open our eyes and pay attention to what is happening
around us locally and globally. I do believe that we cannot and should not
attempt to predict the return of Jesus, but I also believe that we cannot ignore,
fain ignorance, to the signs and struggles happening around the world right
now. Jesus did not give us a date but He did tell us what to look for so open
your eyes and see.
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came
to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign
that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you.
5 Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they
will deceive many people.
6 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed!
These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. 7 Nation
will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines
and earthquakes in various places. 8 All of these are only the beginning pains
of the end.
9 “Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill
you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. 10 Then many
will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets
will appear and deceive many people. 12 And because there will be more and more
lawlessness, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the person who endures
to the end will be saved.
14 “This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the
world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.
15 “The prophet Daniel said that the disgusting thing that will
cause destruction will stand in the holy place. When you see this (let the
reader take note), 16 those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. 17
Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their
houses. 18 Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.
19 “How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who
are nursing babies in those days. 20 Pray that it will not be winter or a day
of rest—a holy day, when you flee. 21 There will be a lot of misery at that
time, a kind of misery that has not happened from the beginning of the world
until now and will certainly never happen again. 22 If God does not reduce the
number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced
because of those whom God has chosen.
23 “At that time don’t believe anyone who tells you, ‘Here is the
Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ 24 False messiahs and false prophets will appear.
They will work spectacular, miraculous signs and do wonderful things to
deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. 25 Listen! I’ve told you
this before it happens. 26 So if someone tells you, ‘He’s in the desert!’ don’t
go out looking for him. And don’t believe anyone who says, ‘He’s in a secret
place!’ 27 The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east
to west. 28 Vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.
29 “Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn
dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the
powers of the universe will be shaken.
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All
the people on earth will cry in agony when they see the Son of Man coming on
the clouds in the sky with power and great glory. 31 He will send out his
angels with a loud trumpet call, and from every direction under the sky, they
will gather those whom God has chosen.
32 “Learn from the story of the fig tree. When its branch becomes
tender and it sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way,
when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the door.
34 “I can guarantee this truth: This generation will not disappear
until all these things take place. 35 The earth and the heavens will disappear,
but my words will never disappear. ~ Matthew 24:3-35 (ESV)
Take heed my brothers and sisters, these are the very Words of our
Lord and Savior!
Loving Father of all created things, please
surround us with Your protection, Your peace and Your love. Give us Father your
wisdom in our daily ministries. Show us how to reach the lost for Your kingdom
before it becomes too late. Allow us Lord to be that mighty introduction to You
that changes hearts and lives for all eternity. We know that one of Satan’s
biggest lies to us is that we have no worth and no value and that You do not
truly love us. Use us Abba to be Your love to the world so they might see
through this lie. The second greatest lie Satan uses against us Father is that
we have plenty of time. Please give us a since of urgency that we are doing
Your work to save others lives, its not about me I know who I belong to, its
about those poor souls that have not found their way to You Father that we need
to be enthusiastic to reach. We ask these things in the name above all names,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen <><
