Matthew 24:7-14 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
We read this passage and often we focus our attention on the events that will be happening in the end times. We read of the wars, famines, earthquakes in the news daily. We see or perhaps experience persecution and tribulation constantly. We see people hate each other in some of the most violent and abhorrent ways. With the reality of all of those truths bombarding our eyes, our minds, our hearts every day, we read with hope and expectation the words of this passage and are encouraged by the conclusion that we must be living in “the end days”.
We are reminded to endure to the end; to persevere in our faith; to run the race so as to win. Amen and Amen to all of that. May we all be found enduring, running, battling, striving, abiding in the name of Christ and for His glory and honor.
But if we read all of that and miss the exhortation, no…the command of Christ found in verse 14 then we miss our living purpose. Christ declares “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
The evil and wickedness that pervades our world will not stop the truth of the gospel of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ from being proclaimed. It must be proclaimed! IT WILL BE PROCLAIMED! But it isn’t going to happen on its own. God expects us to be His mouthpiece to the nations of the world. Second Corinthians 5:20 says as ambassadors for Christ, God is “…making his appeal through us.”
The assurance and hope that is found in Christ’s return, that time when the end will come, is directly related to our proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world; proclaiming the truth about Jesus’ amazing grace. The truth of His loving sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of sins is the hope that this world needs.
Let’s get busy and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and tell others what He has done for us so that the world may hear, so that our testimony may go to ALL NATIONS, and then He will return!
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another..." 