SHARING BREAD
15 “So when you see standing in
the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the
prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- 16 then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything
out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in
those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not
take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great
distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be
equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive,
but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”
Matt
24:15-22 (NIV)
Eventually, dear friends, all this
earthly “stuff” - everything that is now so all important and all consuming - will
one day be as nonsense. All the things in
our houses which we labor to buy and take care of and insure, all the clothes
on our backs – even the newest and highest of fashions - in a mere blinking of
an eye will not be necessary. You can
count on it. Indeed, Luke records Jesus
on His way to being crucified telling His followers not to weep for Him rather they
should weep for themselves and for their children because the day fast
approaches. If Christ was treated this
way while He walked this sin filled earth – constantly having His message rejected
when He was physically present - when the tree was green as He states below, how
much more would His message be refused in future years when the tree becomes barrenly
dry?
26 As
they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from
the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women
who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus
turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do
not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say,
‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that
never nursed!’ 30 Then
they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover
us!’ 31 For if men do these things when the tree is
green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Luke 23:26-31 (NIV)
It
is no wonder Peter seeks to “stimulate us to wholesome thinking” regarding end
time events - teaching us how we should live:
3 First of all, you must understand that in the last
days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?
Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning
of creation.” 5 But
they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and
the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was
deluged and destroyed. 7 By
the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept
for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With
the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance. 10 But
the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a
roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in
it will be laid bare. 11 Since
everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its
coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and
the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But
in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new
earth, the home of righteousness. 2
Peter 3:3-13 (NIV)
“Never
be afraid to live for Jesus. Never be ashamed
to live for Jesus. Never be apathetic in living for Jesus. Be committed.” Anne Graham Lotz
Many a kingdom has been made desolate by great distresses yet
God promises in our verses for today there will never be desolation like the
one promised during the great tribulation.
Indeed, its horror will be unequaled.
His heads up to us was given by the Prophet Daniel as well regarding ‘the abomination
that causes desolation’ set up in the holy place during the great
tribulation. It serves as the greatest
observable sign during that period. The
Antichrist will desecrate the temple of God by setting up an abominable image
of himself to be worshiped. Such an
event will be clearly recognized by everyone.
Paul sheds more light for us regarding this in 2 Thessalonians to keep
us from confusion:
1 Concerning
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you,
brothers, 2 not
to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed
to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day
will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is
revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything
that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple,
proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thess
2:1-4 (NIV)
Lastly,
Jesus is always concerned for His people and for the sake of His elect, He
states the days will be shortened. As
believers, Christ is our covenant partner – our big brother who has our back so
to speak. When someone messes with His children,
they mess with Him – and He is always victorious. Praise Him!
“He who stands today representing
the interests of His people is very God of very God, to whom every knee shall
bow. Happy are we who belong to such a
Shepherd, whose humanity communes with us, and whose divinity protects us. Let us worship and bow down before Him as the
people of His pasture.” Charles H. Spurgeon
What I glean from this:
· Eventually
all this earthly “stuff” will one day only be a puff of smoke. We can count on it.
· I am to continually
walk in wholesome thinking.
· Jesus tenderly
cares for me – He always has my back.
