God Speaks
Jesus Charges His Disciples to Be Faithful and to Get Ready for the End Times
Verse of the Day: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” (Mattheww 24:45-47 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 24:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God knows how everything will turn out, and He knew it before creation. From His perspective, everything is happening NOW.
2. People don’t know the future. Jesus said that neither He nor angels, nor any other person knows the day or hour of the end. Only the Father knows that.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 24?
Dear God and Lord, You know the end from the beginning. You, Father, know the exact time and manner each of these events will occur. We humans always seem to need to know when something special (particularly a disaster–like the destruction of the Temple) is going to happen. Many of us don’t like surprises. We feel the need to prepare–physically and/or emotionally; however, You want us to be constantly prepared by staying in close communication with You. Jesus did leave us some key warning signs and urged His followers to be alert and on guard. A few of the warning signs I see in this chapter include 1) Christ identity-thieves; 2) wars and rumors of wars; 3) famines and earthquakes (as well as diseases and disasters) in various places (Like birth pains, these will become increasingly intense and more frequent as the time draws near.); 4) persecution, hatred, and betrayal involving family members, communities, and nations–all because we revere Christ’s name; 5) the good news of the kingdom of God will be presented to every people group throughout the world; 6) the “abomination of desolation” mentioned in Daniel will be standing in the holy place; 7) isolated signs and wonders performed by fake messiahs meant to deceive even true believers; 9) the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars; 10) the appearance of the Son of Man and angels gathering the elect. We are to be anticipating Christ’s return just as we know summer is coming when we see the trees leafing out in spring. Only You, Father God, know the exact timing and who will be caught away as they go about their ordinary activities. I am to be a faithful and wise manager, constantly alert and prepared as I carry out the responsibilities assigned to me. Otherwise, I will suffer severe consequences and be sent where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Help me, Holy Spirit, to be alert and ready at all times. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 24? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will take a deep breath and tell myself, “Don’t be afraid. God is right here with me. He’s got this,” whenever I am afraid because of one of these warning signs.
- I will keep this list of warning signs handy as I watch or listen to the news. I will pray for Christ’s return, especially, as I see any of these signs coming to pass.
- I will ask the Lord which people group(s) He wants to use me to reach with the Good News, then do whatever He says.
- I will be Jesus’s hands, feet, mouth, or ears to my family member, neighbor, coworker, or a stranger, today.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.