It's In the Book +

And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:11-14 NLT

I remember a few years back, several of my co-workers made it a point to ask me if I was going to be at work on the following Monday. After about the third one, I finally asked if they knew something I didn't know. It was then they told me about the nutcase who predicted the exact day and time the world would end - over the weekend. 

They razzed me pretty good about not knowing what was going on in the news. I told them I didn't bother to get my news from the world. I know about what’s going on in the world today by reading the Book. I told them I don’t know exactly when Jesus is coming, because even JESUS doesn't know when He’s coming back - but they could best believe it would NOT be on the day or the hour a man predicts – their Saturday night plans were safe…unless of course, God decided to send Jesus on Friday… which begged the question THEN where would they be?

Our text continues in verse 23, Jesus speaking…

²³ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. ²⁴For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. ²⁵ See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

 ²⁶ “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! ²⁷ For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. ²⁸ Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.

 ²⁹ “Immediately after the anguish of those days,

   the sun will be darkened,
      the moon will give no light,
   the stars will fall from the sky,
      and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

 ³⁰ And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

 ³² “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. ³³ In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. ³⁴ I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

 ³⁶ “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” (emphasis mine)

It’s in the Book. Read it. Believe it. Know what’s going on in the world around you.

Prayer:

Father,

            Guard our hearts and minds to know Your Truth. Let us not be deceived by worldly fears and predictions. Let the light of Your Truth shine brightly as the world grows darker. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen