Prayer – Lord, open my eyes to see the truth—I don’t
want to be deceived. There are wars…and rumors of wars…yet again. Yes, famines
and earthquakes—as well as floods, fires and other natural disasters. The world
is in turmoil—is this travail? You said not to panic…so, I’m waiting patiently
for your return—about to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with joy!
Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His
disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this
happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?" Jesus
told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name,
claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars
and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but
the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of
the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to
come. Matthew 24:3-8
Looking at the city of Jerusalem from the
Mount of Olives.
Israel
Meditate. Consider God’s guidance in scripture. Read God’s
word and listen to what He is saying.
Are you hearing anyone claiming to be the Messiah? I
haven’t, but there are plenty of reports of war—especially in the Ukraine—even
involving countries like Germany. One YouTuber reported that World War III had
started. Such exaggeration to get attention and more video views! Jesus said, “Don’t
panic.” So chill. I think I need to focus on another of Jesus’ directives…
“Make disciples.”
Jesus came and told
his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to
obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you
always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
Note that Jesus had a promise in this mandate. That was
that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age. Are we at
that time now? The end of the age? Some people think so—but whether we are or
not, it’s not time to give up following Jesus’ teaching and orders. Make
disciples and teach them—disciple them. That includes encouraging believers—new
and old—to read God’s word—to know it and to know God—to really have a
relationship with Him. Love God and love others.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Don’t be
misled…and don’t mislead others.
Verse of Salvation ~ We are confident that you are meant
for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He
will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your
love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is
that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make
certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become
spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those
who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance. Hebrews
6:9b-12
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character
Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories
No comments:
Post a Comment