Matthew 24:1-14    Signs of Christ’s Return

 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. ² And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”³ As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. ⁶ You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. ⁸ But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.⁹ “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰ At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. ¹² Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. ¹⁴ This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

I said the other day when mentioning the judgment of the nations that I didn't want to get into an end times discussion. While that is certainly the context of the above passage, trying to interperate these verses for the purpose of figuring out the future is not something I care to do. I would note that while the warnings of wars, earthquakes and famines would certainly seem to indicate that we are currently somewhere in the timeline of the "last days", every generation since Christ resurrection has looked at the world circumstances and believed they were in the "last days". That is not to say that we should be unaware and unprepared. I simply believe we should prepare wisely. 

There are many in these times who are preparing by stockpiling supplies and even weapons. I'm not saying they are wrong, but for me, what I have experienced is that all that I try to build and store up can be gone in a day. Jesus says later in Matthew 24  in verse 36  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.  Jesus also says in Matthew 6: 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where your treasure is there your heart will be also. That is my desire, both in my own life and for this site, that it would be a priority to build and accumulate heavenly treasure. Jesus said in the Matthew 24 text that because of lawlessness most people's love will grow cold. This is the key to our preparing to live in these end times, to live our lives in a way that our love does not grow cold. Jesus gives us the foundation on which we build to live our life in a way that we not fall into "cold love".

Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. ³⁵ One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”  

Order is essential in God's kingdom. That's why the first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. We can not begin to love our neighbor until we love God. Loving God is the first commandment and it's the first thing we must do to prepare ourselves for the times we live in.

Take time today, and each day to love the Lord your God. It begins with prayer, worship and devotions, but it doesn't end there in that brief desinated time. If we love Him with all our heart, soul and mind, then we will walk with Him throughout the day.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, forgive me for allowing my love to grow cold, for giving you just a place in my life. Jesus you gave your life. How can I give you any less? I choose to give you my life, to love you with ALL my heart soul and mind. Holy Spirit, I ask that you quicken and remind me when I stray from this throughout my day. Thank you that you are the light for these dark times.