Words from the Rock
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:12–14 NIV
Again Jesus is talking about what some people call the “last days.” Remember, no matter what era believers live in (whether it’s AD 12 or 2012), everyone experiences their own “last day.” Everyone’s earthly life will eventually end—it’s inevitable. Yet here Jesus is warning that during your lifetime there might come some really hard challenges (like the death of a loved one, a broken heart, or a major disappointment). There might be times when it feels like your love for Jesus cools off, but he promises that if you hold on—if your faith doesn’t crumble—you will be safe in the end.
Then Jesus gives us a clue as to when the end of the world actually will come. He says that after every single person on the planet has heard about him, including people from the most remote regions of upper Mongolia or sub-Saharan Africa or the Amazon rain forest—when they hear about Jesus’s love for them and that he offers them forgiveness and a relationship with him—that’s when the world as we know it will come to an end. That’s when a new world will begin.
How will you participate in this monumental plan? What can you do right there in your own part of the world to help others come to know Jesus? How can you show his love and mercy to someone in your life? When you do this—when you share the gospel message by living the kind of life God wants you to—you help to change history!
My Prayer
Dear God,
I want you to use me to show others your love and grace. Live through me so they can see you.
Amen.
Final Word
Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
1 John 2:8 NLT
Stone for the Journey
God can use me to send a message of love to others.