Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Philippians 1-2
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Matthew 26:45-46
Jesus: Well, you are still sleeping; are you getting a good long rest? Now the time has come; the Son of Man is just about to be given over to the betrayers and the sinners. Get up; we have to be going. Look, here comes the one who’s going to betray Me.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
I look around at all the rhetoric from every circle about what’s happening in our society today and wonder if Jesus would say the same to us if He were to come to our time. The news is filled with violence and acts of terrorism. Every group cries out for its rights. Whether it’s people in the country without legal status, those demanding acceptance of gender rights, those whose skin pigments differ, those with varied religious beliefs, those screaming their political affiliation and defaming opposing views.
We have come to the point in our country where disagreement means hatred in too many circles. If I don’t agree with your position, I must hate you and therefore I should be marked as an instigator of hate and hate crimes. How did we get to the point in our society that only complete agreement with idiology meant love? I think the answer comes from the last fifty years in which we slipped from relishing the title “Christian Nation” and living those principles, to somehow feeling we were ostracizing some and so we allowed ourselves as Christians to be pushed into the background not just voluntarily, but sometimes eagerly so we would not have to share the message God gave us and hear the abuse of the world.
So now here we are. We live the promise Jesus made, “The world will hate you because of Me.” Yet within the church, those who should be following and looking for His coming, we seem to be asleep. At least in this country we are. You might disagree with me and that’s your privilege, but let me ask a few questions to make my point.
When is the last time you share the gospel with anyone outside the walls of your church? When is the last time you prayed with someone as they gave their life to God? When is the last time you confronted one of your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with wrongdoing to help them stay on the narrow path and keep the church the spotless bride Christ wants her to be at His coming? When is the last time you spent more than an hour in earnest prayer for something that didn’t involve you or your family? In fact, when is the last time you spent an hour in earnest prayer for anything?
I’m convinced the time is getting short for us to fulfill the mission He gave His disciples that is passed to each of us who call ourselves His followers. He told us to go and make disciples. We cannot do that by sitting within the four walls of our churches. We must share the good news of His sacrificial death for our sins and His resurrection power that demonstrates the truth of His ability to forgive us. We must bring others to Him so they might find forgiveness and enjoy the peace only Jesus can give in these days of evil and violence and terror.
Expect when we share and stand on the truth contained in God’s word that others will hate us. When you tell someone their lifestyle doesn’t stand up to the test of God’s sovereign command, they will hate you. When you share with the world that their end is eternal punishment unless they repent and turn from their evil ways, they will hate you.
And yet there is another problem the early church encountered and we will encounter as the end of time draws near. Did you hear it in Jesus’ words to His sleeping disciples? “…here comes the one who’s going to betray me.” I’m pretty convinced that as the end draws near, many who call themselves Christian will be happy to betray those who are Christian to save their skin. They will be happy to shed the label and reveal who they really belong to so they can live another day. Brother will turn against brother and fathers against sons. Jesus predicts it because we live in an evil world and labels really don’t mean anything. It’s what’s inside that counts.
So as the special interest groups continue to make their case that they are an exception to God’s call to holy living, expect to be hated. As wickedness grows more common and more accepted in society, expect to be hated. As you stand for right and justice according to God’s word, not man’s, expect to be hated.
Jesus told His disciples that night the words we can expect fulfilled now as well. “Now the time has come; the Son of Man (and His followers) are just about to be given over to the betrayers and the sinners.” It’s about time we wake up and get to work. The betrayers are at the door and we still have a lot of work to do before Jesus returns.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.