3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:3-8)
Thoughts: We need to explore the signs- the birth pains in a little more detail.
The basic thought is that terrible things happen before the great good of Christ's coming. Much like a woman in labor is in a great deal of pain and then the baby comes. What this means too is that the terrible things in life are not the end. There is hope found in Christ and His presence. As a woman's labor pains intensify- so these signs are in every generation but will just be more intense and more frequent before Christ comes.
Many come in Christ's name today- saying that they are the Messiah. Thirty years ago there were 350 denominations/religions in America. Today there are 2,000+. As many criticize and drift away from Christianity people pursue their own, made- up faiths.
Certainly there have been wars and rumors of wars and nation against nation. There are wars in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Niger, Somalia, Philippines, There are rumors of war with Iran and North Korea.
There will be famines- Many have predicted as the population grows there needs to be more food to feed them. There are major famines that are caused in part by war- with no time or peace in order to plant (Syria, South Sudan).
The basic thought is that terrible things happen before the great good of Christ's coming. Much like a woman in labor is in a great deal of pain and then the baby comes. What this means too is that the terrible things in life are not the end. There is hope found in Christ and His presence. As a woman's labor pains intensify- so these signs are in every generation but will just be more intense and more frequent before Christ comes.
Many come in Christ's name today- saying that they are the Messiah. Thirty years ago there were 350 denominations/religions in America. Today there are 2,000+. As many criticize and drift away from Christianity people pursue their own, made- up faiths.
Certainly there have been wars and rumors of wars and nation against nation. There are wars in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Niger, Somalia, Philippines, There are rumors of war with Iran and North Korea.
There will be famines- Many have predicted as the population grows there needs to be more food to feed them. There are major famines that are caused in part by war- with no time or peace in order to plant (Syria, South Sudan).
Earthquakes are becoming historically more and more frequent and severe. For example there were more than twice as many severe earthquakes (7.0 or greater) in 2014 than 1979.
Famines and earthquakes are the beginning of the birth pains. Signs do not mean things have to happen immediately. But signs may be like alarm clocks to remind us that His coming may be close.
Famines and earthquakes are the beginning of the birth pains. Signs do not mean things have to happen immediately. But signs may be like alarm clocks to remind us that His coming may be close.
Prayer: Lord, let me see and understand that you come at just the right time.
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