Daily Devotional

This is Jesus speaking about the end of days, the great Day of the Lord. This account also found in Matthew finds Jesus giving the disciples some signs of the end, but at the same time telling them that no one but the Father in Heaven knows the day or the hour.

I watched an interview with a pastor the other day in which he recalled how he used to avoid preaching on the end times, even though it felt like it was so very close, because it seemed to stir the wrong reaction in people. They would convince themselves that the end was so very near, they would shirk responsibilities, stop paying bills, and live as though the sun wouldn't rise the next day. But, he said he recently felt convicted to preach about it as his view on why we should be aware of the end had changed.

You see Jesus told us to watch, to be ready. Why do you think He said that? Knowing the end of all things could be tomorrow should give you a more heavenly perspective. It's easy to get caught up in the rat race of this world, and we thus prioritize everything material and carnal, while leaving God in the background. You see, knowing Jesus may not return for twenty, fifty, or five hundred years, should cause us to continue to be good stewards of our lives, families, and future. But, knowing that He also could return tomorrow, should cause us to be careful with our spiritual condition, and have a passion to share the saving work of Jesus with everyone we can.

This is the balance that the dichotomy of this passage should drive us to, it could be anytime, but no one knows when. The signs and events we see around us that we may recognize in these passages in Mark and Matthew, or similarities in Revelation, should give us pause, but should result in a deeper passion for the things of God. Not to shy away and hide and wait for a rapture or the end, but rather an indicator of the need to share the Gospel as never before!

Jesus is coming back, will you be ready? Will you be like the virgins who kept their oil ready and lamps trimmed? Or will you be found asleep when your master returns? Be on guard! Be alert! For you do not know when the time will come!

New International Version (NIV)
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