Tag Archives: end times

Don’t stand on the wrong side of the door (Matthew 24:37-41) June 8, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 66-68

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:37-41
Jesus: As it was at the time of Noah, so it will be with the coming of the Son of Man. In the days before the flood, people were busy making lives for themselves: they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, making plans and having children and growing old, until the day Noah entered the ark. Those people had no idea what was coming; they knew nothing about the floods until the floods were upon them, sweeping them all away. That is how it will be with the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be plowing a field: one will be taken, and the other will be left in the field. Two women will be somewhere grinding at a mill: one will be taken, and the other will be left at the mill.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We probably all know the story of Noah. He built the ark and God saved him and his family from the flood that covered the earth. We often rush through the details of the early part of the story, though. We forget it took Noah a hundred years to build the ark. Can you picture what was going on during that time? Noah was building a boat in preparation for the rains and the flood that were going to cover the earth. It had never rained before. Until the flood, God had watered the earth by the dew of the morning, not with rain.

I can imagine what his neighbors thought. If his subdivision had an HOA, he’d probably be thrown out on his ear. A 450 foot boat being built in the back yard. Who does that? This guy must be crazy. God tells him water will fall from the sky and kill everyone unless they repent and change their ways and do what this invisible voice tells them to do. What an idiot, right? Who does Noah think he is?

Noah has his sons believing this drivel, too. They work right along side him, cutting trees, sawing logs, melting pitch to seal the cracks. They are loyal to their father and trust his words. They have to listen to the same ridicule his father takes every day, but they honor their father and stand beside him day by day as he works on this giant ship that will house them during something they’ve never seen and don’t understand.

Everyone else goes about their daily business. They hear Noah’s story. They hear him talking about this coming flood. They see him working every day for a hundred years on this insane project. They even see the animals starting to appear out of nowhere. They watch as animals start to climb aboard this giant boat. Normal preditors and prey side by side entering the door of the ark without fighting. They watch but still laugh at the insane man listening to God.

But then the water starts falling from the sky. Just like Noah said it would. They don’t think too much about it until it doesn’t stop. It just keeps falling until the river floods. This has never happened before. Now they start to get a little worried. A few people slosh over to Noah’s boat and knock on the door. “Hey, Noah, can we come in?”

Noah can’t open the door. God shut the door. The water keeps rising. More people bang on the door. “Noah, let us in!” But as much as Noah might want to save his neighbors, he can’t open the door because God shut the door.

That’s what it will be like when Jesus returns. Those like Noah who listen to God’s voice will see all the signs of the coming disaster and prepare. Noah listened and built the ark, put food for his family and the animals God would save into the structure and saved his family. He tried to convince others, but they wouldn’t listen. Others around him saw the signs. The animals started coming around. They watched Noah prepare. They saw strange things happening in the sky they had never seen before, but they wouldn’t listen. Then it was too late.

The same will happen with Jesus’ return. Those who truly follow Him will prepare. They will see the signs Jesus gave us concerning His return and recognize the time is short. Everyone else will see the signs and ignore them. They will go about their everyday lives and not see the signs for what they are. But then, one day, the signs will be obvious just like the rain falling for the first time was obvious and people will cry out for help. But like those in Noah’s day who ran to the ark for safety. It will be too late.

God shut the door on those who would not heed the message Noah had for them in that day. On the day of Jesus’ return, it will be too late. Jesus tells us in these verses His coming will be like the days of Noah. Those that are ready will be taken with Him. Those that are not, will be left to face the wrath of God. Don’t be caught standing on the wrong side of the door. 

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.

No one knows the hour or the day, not even the messengers in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. (Matthew 24:36) June 7, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Kings 5-9

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:36
No one knows the hour or the day, not even the messengers in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I’ve got to tell you, today’s verse confused me for a long time. Jesus is fully God and fully man. So how could Jesus, the Son of God, part of the triune Godhead, not know when He was coming back to retrieve His bride the church if there is only one God represented in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it. I still can’t to a great extent. But I’m human, not God.

Maybe some of my thought process could help someone else if you’ve ever spent more than a minute or two thinking about that question, though. So here we go. First, let’s think about the culture of the day and understand why the Father knows the information about the wedding between the groom, Jesus, and His bride, the church.

In Jesus day, families didn’t build separate houses. When a son became engaged, those were arranged marriages, by the way, his father had him start building a room or two on the family home for his new bride as a place to begin their new family. The family property was often bounded by a fence or wall to keep wild animals out and the families animals in, so the son would build within the confines of that structure. The extended family would share kitchens, common areas, storage space, usually only bedrooms were separate. And the son, his wife, and as many children as would fit in the bedroom slept together in that room.

The father determined when the son’s room was sufficiently prepared to house his new bride and accommodate the making of his new family. The wedding date wasn’t up to the bride, the son, the in-laws, the father made the decision. People in the village knew it was getting close as the new room got closer to its finished construction, but the wedding didn’t happen until the father said, “Son, go get your bride.”

And on that day, a wedding happened. No six-week notice in the mail. No engraved invitations. No twitter or Facebook save the date. The father said, “Go get your bride.” And that was the day.

So now you know a little more about why the Father knows the day and not the Son as to when the wedding takes place, when the Son will come to retrieve His bride, the church, to bring her home with Him. But how could Jesus not know if He is God? That’s the dilemma that always confused me.

So here’s how I figured it out one day as I was sitting around thinking about who Jesus is and what He did for us. God’s word says He is fully God, yet He is also fully Man. As I continue to read scripture and study Jesus’ life I get more and more amazed at what I see when I watch His life when He lived along side us. There is no question in my mind He is God incarnate, God in the flesh, God presented in the form of Man. But as I look at what He did on earth, I see more and more of His human side while He lived among us and communed with His Father side in heaven.

As Jesus spoke to His disciples that day and shared with them only the Father knows the time and day of the Son’s return, I think it tells us Jesus will return again in His fully human, fully God form once more. His human side had the limitations we have because He was human. He could do miracles because He had the presence and power of the Father and Spirit with Him. So did Peter, James, and John with the help of God’s Spirit.

The human side of Jesus didn’t know when He will return, but He will return, fully human, fully God once again. But next time, I have a feeling His human side will take the backseat instead of His God-side taking the backseat. When He came to live among us before, He limited His power and lived with us and like us experiencing every emotion, every pain, every temptation we experience. He didn’t sin, but He experienced all the things we experience.

When He comes back, God the Father will tell the Man/God Son, “Go get your bride.” And the God/Man will come back in His glory to take us home. We will see Him in His glory, fully God, and fully man. Jesus, the Man, doesn’t know when that will be. Does Jesus, the Godhead, present at creation? That’s a question well beyond my feeble attempts to understand. I’m just waiting for the Father to nod His head with a smile and tell Jesus to go. That will be a great day for His church.

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.

Watch the seasons change (Matthew 24:32-35) June 6, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 37-40

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:32-35
Jesus: Now think of the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and greenish, as soon as it begins to sprout leaves, you know to expect summer. In the same way, when you see the wars and the suffering and the false liberators and the desolations, you will know the Son of Man is near—right at the door. I tell you this: this generation will see all these things take place before it passes away. My words are always true and always here with you. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus spends a lot of time and effort telling His followers about the signs of the end times. He also spends a lot of time and gives us a lot of metaphors warning us to watch for those signs indicating to us they will not be a surprise. No one will have an excuse and not realizing He was coming back. He told us in as many ways as He could that He would return one day and told us to watch for Him.

Living in San Antonio, Texas we don’t have the same kind of weather as the northern states, but I’ve lived far enough north that I can relate to His comments about spring. Even in San Antonio, we do have a couple of season. We have a green season from September through June and a brown season in July and August when it’s so hot everything burns up. Just kidding. Sort of.

But it is fairly simple, if you look around at nature to watch the signs of the different season of the year. Just a few days ago the signs of the coming summer came to my yard in the form of a fawn born by one of the does that camp out on my lawn three or four times a week. I’m not sure I care for the deer eating my shrubs, but sometimes it’s kind of cool to look out the back windows and see a small herd sleeping around the house. But the fawn was too young to keep up with the herd in the morning, so its mother left it by my garage until its wobbly legs strengthen and she could come back and get it.

Signs of late spring and early summer in Texas. I can watch the different birds that have come to nest and eat the birdseed in my mother-in-law’s bird feeder and know that spring is just about over and summer is here. As different birds migrate through different areas of the country, the species of the season tell us what time of year we’re in.

And as Jesus points out, we can tell the time of year by seeing the green shoots spring from the tree branches. New leaves open and it seems new life begins on those barren trees each year. New blades of grass spring from the earth. Plants sprout and grow as seeds take root and draw water and nourishment from the soil. We know the seasons of the year just by looking around.

Those of you in the north, know winter is almost here when those leaves turn colors and you begin to spend hours of your weekends raking them up. Then the snow falls and blankets the earth with its cold, white cover. We know the seasons by the signs we see all around us. It doesn’t take a calendar for us to know what time of year it is. Just look around and you can tell.

So it is with the end times, Jesus tells us. His word gives us all the signs. He tells us to watch and those who look around can see the seasons change and know that His coming is not far off. The signs are cascading all around us. Wars, rumors of wars, nations fighting against nations, earthquakes, natural disasters of all types, famine, diseases, out of control weather patterns – what else do we need to see to know that the signs are all pointing toward His coming back?

The seasons are changing in God’s plan for sending His Son to come back for His bride, the church. Jesus told us the signs. He told us to watch. He doesn’t want us to be surprised when He streaks across the sky to gather us together to take us home with Him. So, are you watching for Him?

We get ready for winter by protecting our pipes, covering sensitive plants or bringing them indoors, checking our heating systems, putting snow tires on the car and checking the antifreeze, all kinds of things to get ready for the season. We get ready for the summer by calling the air conditioning services to check our HVAC system, we check the car’s coolant levels, we fertilize the yard and clean up the tree limbs and flower beds that didn’t make it through the winter. We the seasons watch and get ready.

Jesus says He’s coming back. Watch for the signs and be ready. Only the Father knows when Jesus will return, but the signs are coming fast and furious. Don’t be caught unaware. Watch the seasons change.

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.

There is coming a day (Matthew 24:29-31) June 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Galatians 4-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:29-31
Jesus: And as the prophets have foretold it: after the distress of those days,

The sun will grow dark,
and the moon will be hidden.
The stars will fall from the sky,
and all the powers in the heavens will be dislodged and shaken from their places.

That is when the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming; they will see Him powerful and glorious, riding on chariots of clouds in the sky. With a loud trumpet call, He will send out battalions of heavenly messengers; and they will gather His beloved faithful elect from the four corners of creation, from one end of heaven to the other.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What an incredible day that will be. Song writers pen marvelous lyrics about that day. The music is always upbeat, uplifting, exciting. It makes your heart beat a little faster and puts a smile on your face. It reminds you that Jesus is coming back to retrieve His bride, the church, from this wicked world and take us to live with Him for eternity.

But it will be a sad day, too. Jesus will come and many will find themselves on the wrong side of His grace. His battalions of heavenly messengers will gather the faithful, but those who are not of that number will be left behind. Books and messages and songs have been written about those, too. Those songs are not so uplifting, so beautiful, so exciting and upbeat. Those are somber, dreadful, dreary songs and books and messages.

But the truth is that many will see God’s messengers sweep across the world to take His children home, but as much as they plead to be taken along, it will be too late. Time will have ended. The opportunity to receive His grace and forgiveness will have passed. The judgment of all mankind will have begun. The awful Day of the Lord will by on us.

At one time I hoped to live to see the day when Jesus returns. I don’t think I want to see that anymore. As I see all the evil and carnage that man can level against man, that is enough to shake me to the core. But as I read the descriptions of the end times and all the things that happen just leading up to the tribulation, the birth pangs that show it is coming, I really don’t want to go through those times.

Then if all those things, the wars, the famine, the earthquakes, the signs in the sky with the darkening of the moon, sun and stars. If all those things are just the beginning of the tribulation to fall on us, I kind of hope my years are over before those days come. I think now about my children and grandchildren and hope they do not have to go through those things either.

But the signs get closer every day. Like a woman getting closer to childbirth, those pains just get closer and closer together and they get more intense with each passing day until final full labor begins. Then those hours of labor are just miserable. That’s what the tribulation will be like. We’re just in the birth pangs now, but labor will begin soon and the labor will be absolutely miserable. The worst pain imaginable.

There is an end to it though. Jesus will take His faithful home. We will be with Him forever. His heavenly messengers will sweep across the earth to gather us together to join with Him for eternity. We will be spare the rest of the outpouring of God’s wrath, but those that are left will not. In the blink of an eye, we will be gone. The rest of humanity will face the worst God has to offer them. What is that? The absence of His presence. He will let them loose to face themselves without restraint of evil.

Can you imagine a world with no restraint on evil? Our world is a pretty wicked place right now, but there is still a strangle hold on evil for the sake of God’s faithful. God’s spirit is still in control of this place. He hold reign over Satan and his minions and will not let them loose to do as they please. But imagine if He opened the gates and let Satan do whatever he wished for a time.

We think about some of those seemingly soulless people we imprison for the rest of their lives – serial killers, serial rapists, those with no conscience that seem to thrive on the performance of evil and terror against others. Imagine a world full of those people running loose to do whatever they choose. That’s the world after the faithful are taken home with Christ.

There is coming a day when Jesus returns to take His faithful home. The question to ponder today, Will I be part of the crowd His heavenly messengers gather to be with Him, or part of the crowd left behind? It’s my choice as to which side I’m on. He’s ready to take Me with Him on that day fateful day, if I just repent and follow Him today.

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.

The consummation of all things is not far away (Matthew 24:13-14) June 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 1

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:13-14
Jesus: But those who do not waver from our path and do not follow those false prophets—those among you will be saved. And this good news of God’s kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, a testimony to all people and all nations. Then, beloved, the end, the consummation of all things, will come.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Growing up, I always wondered about that part Jesus’ prophecy to His disciples that the end would come after the good news of God’s kingdom is preached throughout the whole world. It always seemed that’s what He was saying in the words He gave to His followers. They must have thought that would be a long time coming since news traveled so slowly in His day.

It took months and years to get news from one end of the known world to another. Modes of transportation were as fast as a horse or a ship or a man’s feet. And the path from east Asia to Spain to Egypt and Africa was a long treacherous one. Surely it would be a long time before Jesus returned if this was one of the things that must happen before His return.

When I was a boy, missionaries would come to our church and speak about the things they saw and the places they had traveled. Some to previously unexplored parts of the Amazon and the darkest parts of Africa. But today, there are few parts of the world that have been unexplored. There are few pockets of people who have been untouched by civilization. Few populations can say they have no knowledge of the at least some events that happen outside their community.

But what of the sharing of the gospel? Has the good news of God’s salvation reached around the world, yet? That’s the question we might ask ourselves. How close are we to reaching the world with the message of God’s kingdom at hand?

I’m sure my grandparents use to wonder if Jesus’ coming was right around the corner with the advent of radio. That invention made possible the transmission of the message to every square inch of the globe as long as someone had a receiver to pick up the radio waves and hear the message transmitted. Of course, the question then would be whether they understood the language of the speaker. I never worried about that translation, though, because I knew of the miracle of translation when Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost. People from every nation were gathered to celebrate and heard him speak in their own language. They understood even though he spoke in Greek, they heard in their native tongue. Translation for God is not an issue. Transmission of the gospel is the issue for us.

So then our parents wondered if perhaps television was the answer to spreading the gospel. This new media that rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s now invades every home in almost every nation of the world. The flick of a switch (or the push of a button on the remote) puts ideas into the minds of those who sit in front of the screen. Unfortunately, more of the world’s ideas than God’s come through that media. But it still gave hope to some that God’s message might be spread around the world through television.

For our generation the Internet seems to be the vehicle that promises to reach the world. You just can’t get away from it. The Internet permeates our lives. It seems to control almost every aspect of life. Our banking, our entertainment, our medical systems, our jobs – whatever they might be. The Internet is everywhere. Perhaps it might be the vehicle by which the gospel moves across the globe to every nation to spread the news that Jesus died that we might live.

There’s a very interesting statistic I’ll share with you about this podcast that amazes me every time I see it. I don’t understand it, I don’t know why it happens, I don’t know how it started, but one day I was curious as to where the downloads for my podcast went. One of the categories I can use to parse information about the podcast is the geographic origin of downloads, so I clicked on it and was astonished at the results.

I expected San Antonio to be the city with the largest number of downloads and it was. That’s where I live, so no surprise there. But the next cities in order did surprise me. I’ve been around a bit and have friends in a lot of places, but here are the next for cities in order San Francisco, Washington DC, Beijing, and Seattle. San Francisco? Shock. Beijing? Super shock! Did I think my podcast would reach around the world and anyone would be interested in what I had to say on a consistent basis in Beijing, China? Never in a million years.

But God’s message goes where He wants it to go. One day, and it’s coming closer every day, it will spread around the world and then, as Jesus says, the end, the consummation of all things, will come. Be ready, it’s not far away. 

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.

Be careful in these days! (Matthew 24:11-12) June 1, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 63-65

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:11-12
Jesus: The love that they had for one another will grow cold because few will obey the law. False prophets will appear, many will be taken in by them, and the only thing that will grow is wickedness. There will be no end to the increase of wickedness.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

How much should we concern ourselves with Jesus’ prophecy to His disciples about these end time happenings? What do we need to look for ourselves and how can we know if we are part of that group Jesus talks about or are we okay with God as we listen to His predictions? Have we let our love grow cold? Have we let ourselves be taken in by false prophets? Are we slipping into wickedness instead of righteousness?

Those are serious questions we need to answer for ourselves as we think of Jesus’ words today. So lets take a look at ourselves over the next few minutes.

Jesus says others will know His followers by our love for one another. But do I really love others? Do I help in times of need? Do I share their burdens with them not just in prayer, but in tangible ways so they recognize that I care for them as I would my flesh and blood brothers and sisters? Or has my love for fellow Christians become reduced to acquaintances at worship services and maintaining some friendships with the same few in my socio-economic level?

Do I really love the way Christ loved those that followed Him? Then a further question, do I love my enemies and pray for their salvation, their blessing, their success? Or do I do everything I can to trip them up, defeat them in some way, repudiate their character at every turn? Has my love grown cold?

How about the question of false teachers? Do I even know how to recognize false teachers when they come? There are a lot of good people in the world that are still lost. There are more that will twist and turn the scriptures to say what they want them to say for their benefit and forget the rest. Do I know how to recognize them and make sure I stay away from their teaching?

Do I listen to what teachers and prophets say and test it against God’s word to see if it really matches with the whole word of God? Do I test the validity of the prophet’s priciples and his life to see if he lives what he preaches? Do I check his behavior against God’s word to test the validity of how he lives the gospel in front of others? Do I follow a prophet because he makes me feel good or because his message sometimes convicts me and challenges me in areas of my life that need to become more Christlike?

I hear a lot of false prophets today that tell us a lot of things that don’t agree with God’s word. Sure they take a verse or two from His word, but they take it out of context and use it inappropriately and twist the whole tenor of God’s command to us to live holy and righteous lives. They ignore the whole of God’s word to focus on the few verses that appeal to them and lead others astray with them. Those are the false prophets Jesus talks about.

Satan did the same in the Garden of Eden with Adam when he talked about the tree of knowledge. Satan did the same thing with Jesus when he used the Psalms to entice Jesus to abandon the Father’s plan. The false prophets will use pieces and parts of scripture to entice us toward evil. So how do we know we might be subject to the teachings of false prophets? Test their teaching against the whole of God’s word. Put their single verses back into the context of God’s word. Don’t let a single verse of two dictate the flavor of the message, but rather understand the whole of God’s message.

How do you do that? Read His word! It’s only 1500 pages. That’s really not that long if you think about it. Read about four pages a day and you’ve read it in a year. Read and know God’s word and you will discern the difference between the false prophets and those proclaim the whole word of God.

What happens when we listen to and follow the false prophets that Satan sends? We experience an ever increasing growth in wickedness. Just look around and see the evidence of the false prophets’ work around us. Clearly wickedness is growing every day. Our abuse of drugs, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, the explosion of all kinds of vices throughout our country and the world. Can anyone possibly deny the growth of wickedness generation after generation since Jesus’ words to His disciples so long ago? And as He said, there will be no end of wickedness until He returns to stop it.

Should we concern ourselves with His words? Absolutely. Many will fall away. Can I fall away? I could if I fail to listen to Him and read His words and follow Him closely. So can you. Be careful in these days. 

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.

So what’s a few days of discomfort? (Matthew 24:9-10) May 31, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Kings 1-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:9-10
Jesus: They will hand you over to your enemies, who will torture you and then kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. And many who have followed Me and claimed to love Me and sought God’s kingdom will turn away—they will abandon the faith and betray and hate one another.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The promise Jesus gives in these two verses doesn’t sound so good does it. You might wonder who “they” includes in Jesus’ comment. Go back to the previous description of the signs of the times and you find it’s the people that claim to come in His name as the Messiah. He says some who call themselves Christians will hand you over to your enemies. If you really follow Jesus, you will be tortured, killed, hated by all nations just because you obey what Jesus says.

We’re beginning to see that today around the world. Look at what’s happening. Read the papers. Listen to the news reports. We hear only a fraction of what is happening to Christians around the globe. We hear about ISIS beheading Christians probably because the goal of ISIS is to dismantle our country. Their aim isn’t just to oust us from the middle east. They want our whole way of life ended. And that means our tolerance of any religion but Islam. They want their Sharia Laws enforced across the globe even though they don’t follow them personally.

But that’s not the only place where our enemies torture and kill true believers in Christ. We’re just getting reports from Europe in the refugee camps from the middle east that Christians are beaten, robbed of their possessions and food and sometimes killed just because they are Christian. And what do those in charge of the refugee camps do about the injuries and wrongs done to Christians? Not much if anything. They don’t want to create riots within the mostly Muslim populations, so they ignore the problem.

Then there are the African countries whose populations are increasingly turning toward Islam. Systematic genocide of Christians takes place every day. Whether through execution, unfair distribution of vital supplies in famine plagued areas, refusal to provide medical care to sick and injured. Dozens of ways are created to just let Christians perish in developing and developed countries around the world.

Even here in America, the rights and privileges of Christians are eroding day by day. As you screen the legislation proposed by state and federal agencies, the language often points directly toward Christians. We have quietly allowed our government to quell freedom of religion for those that serve the risen Lord as we increase our tolerance for all other faiths. Soon we will find even the freedoms we have in this country taken away as the end draws nearer.

But is this a time to withdraw, hide in holes, fear those that might try to silence the faithful followers of Christ? Absolutely not. The signs of the end of time are increasing just as Jesus said they would. The time we have left to share the good news of His sacrifice for our sins is drawing to a close. We have a great task in front of us. We need to share with those who would see our harm to help them know that God still loves them, despite the sin they commit. His will is not their punishment, but they choose that if they continue on the path they are on.

Today we see many doing exactly what Jesus said they would do. They claim to be followers and some might have been at one time, but when it gets hard. When Jesus says we can’t go the way of the world. When we begin to stand out from the crowd because we refuse to participate in the debachery the world calls pleasure. Many fall away. He talked about those in His parable of the sower. Those seeds sown among thorns that grow up but are choked out by their desire for the things of the world instead of keeping their eyes on the important things of God’s kingdom.

It doesn’t take much to look around and see that Jesus’ prophecies are coming true. Our grandparents probably said the same thing as they were growing up and the world continues to get worse. I just know that as Jesus uses labor as the metaphor, those birth pangs are getting closer together and more intense. I’m not sure how much closer they need to get before the labor of the final days begin, but they just don’t seem like they can be far off when you read Jesus’ prophecies.

His words to us may not sound like the most pleasant prospect for us right now. But remember, these things usher in the best days. Jesus is coming soon. And when He does, those that remain faithful to Him will join Him in a party that never ends. We will worship around the banquet table of God rejoicing with Him forever. With that in mind, what are a few days of discomfort in exchange for an eternity with Him? 

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.

We’d better get to it! (Matthew 24:4-8) May 30, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 33-36

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:4-8
Jesus: Take care that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name claiming they are the Anointed One, and many poor souls will be taken in. You will hear of wars, and you will hear rumors of wars, but you should not panic. It is inevitable, this violent breaking apart of the sinful world, but remember, the wars are not the end. The end is still unfolding. Nations will do battle with nations, and kingdoms will fight neighboring kingdoms, and there will be famines and earthquakes. But these are not the end. These are the birth pangs, the beginning. The end is still unfolding.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

These verses from Matthew that give us the description of the events that happen before the end comes can be a little disconcerting. Wars, rumors of wars, nations fighting against nations, kingdoms fighting against neighboring kingdoms. These are standard headlines today. Famines and earthquakes. They are everywhere.

I did a quick Internet search just to see what is going on around the world in relation to Jesus’ predictions. Today there are 54 conflicts going around the world. Fourteen of them kill 1,000 or more people a year in the fighting. In the last seven days, the seismologists have recorded 90 earthquakes of 4.0 or greater on the Richter scale. You might be interested to know that four or five years ago, the agency posted earthquakes with an intensity of three or more, but there are now so many, they only post those with an intensity of four or greater.

Talking about famine is a little harder to wrap your head around. We know famine means there is not enough food for everyone so let’s look at hunger statistics. These, too, are hard to wrap your head around. Hunger can mean the pains in your stomach that some of us feel when we miss a meal. That’s not what Jesus was talking about, I don’t think. Most of us could stand to miss a meal or two without consequence. In fact, it would probably help most of us. But when we think about the undernourished or those that die of starvation, that number is staggering. Currently 795 million people on the planet do not have enough food to maintain their health. That’s one out of nine people on the planet. And among children under the age of five, it’s the hunger, undernourishment is the number one cause of death. Over 3 million children died of hunger in 2012 and 161 million were undernourished.

We hear about the melting of the polar caps and the rise of the oceans. The changes in weather that create weather patterns that reduce the growing season for crops or increase the temperatures to make it unfavorable for crops to withstand the scorching sun. We hear about El Nina` and other weather patterns that disrupt the normal flow of air and bring disasters to regions of the country and the world. Storms abound creating havoc for hundreds of thousands in this country and around in every country.

But Jesus tells us all these things are just birth pangs. These are not the end, but signs of its coming. These are the events that will tell us He is returning soon. So what should we do?

We could crawl into a hole and try to protect ourselves from the onslaught that is coming. We could arm ourselves and defend our tiny piece of ground from invaders and hold on to the possessions we hold in our hand. We could sit by and do nothing assuming God will come and wisk us away so we never face the troubles that will continue to grow until the tribulation begins and Christ returns.

I’m not sure any of those are what Jesus had in mind when He told His disciples the signs to look for that would herald His return. I think He gave us those signs to tell us time is short to finish the tasks He gave us to do. He gave us a command to go and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Remember? We are to share His message with others and bring them to the saving knowledge of Christ.

God does His best to let us know His grace is about to run out. Jesus told those around Him the signs like birth pangs that would precede the final judgments God would send upon the earth for their failure to follow Him and live in our selfish unrepentant state. I’m not sure how the signs could get much clearer. And if the birth pangs we see in the 54 conflicts, 90 earthquakes a week, 795 million people dying of malnutrition around the world, and all the other warning signs can be compared to the birth pangs preceding labor, just think what the end will be like. Women tell me the pain of the birth pangs and false labor are nothing compared to the labor itself. Can you imagine what the world will be like when these birth pangs of the end are over?

We have a lot of people to warn and help them understand there is but one way to escape the coming wrath God will pour out on this earth and those who fail to recognize Him as God. We don’t have much time left to do our job. We’d better get to it!

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.

Ever think things are going crazy? (1 Peter 4:1-11), July 25, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Peter 4:1-11

Set – Isaiah 43; 1 Peter 4

Go! – Isaiah 43-45; 1 Peter 4

1 Peter 4:1-11
1Since the Anointed suffered in the flesh, prepare yourselves to do the same—anyone who has suffered in the flesh for the Lord is no longer in the grip of sin— 2 so that you may live the rest of your life on earth controlled not by earthly desires but by the will of God.
3 You have already wasted enough time living like those outsiders in the society around you: losing yourselves in sex, in addictions and desires, in drinking and lawless idolatry, in giving your time and allegiance to things that are not godly. 4 When you don’t play the same games they do, they notice that you are living by different rules. That’s why they say such terrible things about you. 5 Someday they, too, will have to give an account of themselves to the One who judges the living and the dead. 6 (This is why the good news had to be brought to those who are dead so that although they are judged in the flesh, they might live in the spirit in the way that pleases God.)
7 We are coming to the end of all things, so be serious and keep your wits about you in order to pray more forcefully. 8 Most of all, love each other steadily and unselfishly, because love makes up for many faults. 9 Show hospitality to each other without complaint. 10 Use whatever gift you’ve received for the good of one another so that you can show yourselves to be good stewards of God’s grace in all its varieties. 11 If you’re called upon to talk, speak as though God put the words in your mouth; if you’re called upon to serve others, serve as though you had the strength of God behind you. In these ways, God may be glorified in all you do through Jesus the Anointed, to whom belongs glory and power, now and forever. Amen.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Does it seem to you that the world around you is going crazy? It’s because it is. We’re coming to the end of all things. It’s one of the signs of the end times. People don’t just blur right and wrong, they don’t just think selfishly and want to gain only for themselves, but they begin to act in ways that in past times people would say they were insane.

People used to laugh at the “People of Walmart” website but those funny fashions are everyday occurances now. It’s as if people lost their minds and anything is acceptable for wear wherever you go. It shouldn’t be if you have respect for yourself and others, but those folks will tell you “it’s what’s inside that counts, anyway so what does it matter what you wear?” In some respects that’s true, but I’m still a God of order and discipline and some of the outfits point to the opposite end of the spectrum. They obviously come from the point of chaos.

Sometimes the justice systems around the world indicate the world has become crazy. A person who takes a life will get a 7–14 year sentence while another who embezzles money from a company gets 20 years. One carries temporary consequences but a lighter sentence the other has permanent consequences but a longer sentence. It is crazy.

You discard the wisdom of your elderly and often let your youngest most inexperienced decide the fate of the masses. Usually causing problems for generations to come that the young do not yet see or understand. Does it make sense? No, wisdom calls it crazy.

So what does all this mean? The end is near. I’m coming back and it isn’t that far away. So keep your wits about you as Peter tells you. Don’t let the foolishness of the world infect you. Stand upon My word and its wisdom and you will be alright. Ask Me for advice and I will point you in the right direction. I won’t let you face the end times alone.

Love each other steadily and unselfishly. This is a tall order in today’s world when everything and everyone else around you is telling you to do the opposite. Everyone else tells you to take care of yourself first and don’t worry about anyone else. I’m telling you to love each other, look out for each other, care for each other. Help each other with their burdens. Lend a hand. Share the load. Make the work lighter by being there. Show others Christ by your love for them.

Use the gifts I’ve given you to help others. You’ll feel good in helping, and those you help will see Me in your efforts. That’s why I gave you those gifts in the first place, to help others. I didn’t give them to you for you to keep them to yourself for just your use. I want you to spead them around. And as you use those gifts, use them as if working for Me, not for someone else.

When you serve others as if you serve Me you’ll begin to enjoy doing things I’ve gifted you to do. You’ll see others in need that you can help. Others will begin to come to you as they understand what you offer because of what I do through you. You will live your life through Me. I’m still your best bet. I’ll give you the strength you’ll need.

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.

Fulfilled, but not yet! (Joel 2:12-32), June 25, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joel 2:12–32
Set – Joel 2; 2 Timothy 1
Go! – Joel 1–3; 2 Timothy 1

Joel 2:12-32
12 Eternal One: Even now, turn back your heart and rededicate yourselves to Me;
Show Me your repentance by fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Rip the wickedness out of your hearts; don’t just tear your clothing.
Now return to the Eternal, your True God.
You already know He is gracious and compassionate.
He does not anger easily and maintains faithful love.
He is willing to relent and not harm you.
14 Who knows? Perhaps He will turn and relieve you of this threat,
and leave behind some blessing as He goes—
Maybe enough grain and wine to offer
to the Eternal, your True God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; set apart a time for fasting;
tell everyone to be still and stop working.
16 Assemble the people. Consecrate the congregation.
Gather the elders and other leaders,
The young children, and even the nursing babies.
Let the bride and groom leave their chambers on their wedding night.
17 Let the priests, the Eternal’s servants, stand between the porch and the altar
and weep as they intercede. Let them say,
Priests: Have pity on Your people, O Eternal One!
And do not let Your legacy—Your covenant people—
Be taunted and mocked by the nations,
who ask, “Where is their God?”
18 But wait—the Eternal One has become possessive of His land;
He will restore us in compassion, His people!
19 In response to our prayers, the Eternal will answer:
Eternal One: Listen! I am sending you a great harvest of grain, wine, and oil.
You will be completely satisfied and no longer
Will I make you a people held in contempt by the nations.
20 I will remove My armies who attack from the north far from your borders,
driving them into a parched and lonely desert.
Then I will separate them: the front line to the Dead Sea,
the rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea
with the vile stench of their rotting corpses rising up.
Surely the Eternal One has done great things!
21 Do not fear, O land. You have been revived.
Celebrate and rejoice, for the Eternal One has done great things!
22 Do not fear, you wild beasts: You will eat again,
for the desert pastures are green again!
And so will we: the trees bear their fruit;
the fig trees and the vines produce their bounty once again.
23 People of Zion, shout with joy
and happiness in the Eternal, your God;
The drought is over; He has sent the early autumn rain as a sign of His faithfulness.
He has poured down heavy rain, autumn and spring, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be covered in grain;
the vats will spill over with new wine and fresh oil.
25 Eternal One: I will compensate you for the years
that the locusts have eaten—the swarming locusts,
The creeping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts—
My great army that I unleashed against you.
26 In that day, you will eat plenty of food and always have enough,
so you will praise My name,
The Eternal One, your God who is merciful to you.
Never again will My people be shamed among the nations.
27 Return to Me and you will know that I live among My people Israel
and that I, the Eternal One, am your God and there is no other.
Never again will My people be shamed among the nations.
28 Then in those days I will pour My Spirit to all humanity;
your children will boldly and prophetically speak the word of God.
Your elders will dream dreams;
your young warriors will see visions.
29 No one will be left out. In those days I will offer My spirit
to all servants, both male and female.
30 In the heaven above and on the earth below,
I will give signs of My intervention: blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31 The sun will become a void of darkness, and the moon will become blood
just before the great and dreadful day of the Eternal One arrives.
32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Eternal One will be liberated.
Mount Zion and Jerusalem will shelter those who survive exile,
Just as the Eternal says, “Among those who survived, He will call them.”

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Many have tried to assign the words of Joel to different times in history. For Joel, much of the prophecy would take place in the distant future. He saw the destruction of the locust, but didn’t see Me pour out My Spirit on the men and women assembled together at Pentecost.

Like many of the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, the passage in Joel has both short-term fulfillment and end-time fulfillment. Many work hard today to figure out when I will come. What the end-times will look like. How I will return. What to look for and so many other signs to make last minute preparations.

What I want you to know is that I will come when I decide to come. I’ve told you time after time that no one knows when I will return. Just be ready. I might decide today is the day or I might wait another 2,000 years. Your responsibility isn’t to figure out when I’ll come to get you, but to be ready when I get there. If I decide to come today are you ready? That’s the question for every person on the earth.

Enough of the prophecies have already been fulfilled that I can make the dominoes fall in no time at all. Or like many generations have experienced, I can withhold My coming for a few more years. I’ll decide. You stay prepared. I am coming back. I promised and I never break My promises.

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.