We live in scary times. Christians who have read Revelations and Matthew 24, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel know that we are living in the last days. In His final sermon to his disciples on the Mount of Olives, Jesus said:
- And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
- For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
- All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24: 6-8, KJV)
Hundreds of years before that, the Prophet Isaiah said:
- Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: . . .
- Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
- Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
- Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
- Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! (Isaiah 5: 18, 20-23, KJV)
I don't know how any believer, reading these and other scriptures, could doubt that we are in these days. So how do we face a new year with optimism and hope? In these very scriptures lies the secret: God is in control! God, who knows the end from the beginning, knew these things would come to pass! He has prepared a way for us. He said: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place . . . (Matthew 24: 15, KJV)
Where are these holy places? In the apostles' day, it was in the tiny settlement of Perea. Today, holy places include:
- Christ-centered homes.
- Congregations of believers.
- Temples.
- Groups of Christ-focused people gathered together in fellowship.
Jesus taught: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20, KJV) When the Holy Spirit is present (the comforter whom Jesus sent), then that place is a holy place.
Knowing that Jesus Christ holds the future - and me - in His loving hands gives me the strength to face each day with faith, hope, love, and joy. I want to share the good news of the gospel so that others may have these assurances.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 18: 14, KJV)
May you face each day with joy and optimism and peace in your heart.
Text copyright Gebara Education January 2013
Poster downloaded from Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment