Let’s continue with Jesus’ words…
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 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. Matthew 24:9-13
We who are living in America may not be facing intense persecution now, but Christians in other parts of the world are. Since I’ve been blogging, my eyes have really been opened to how some of our Christian brothers and sisters are suffering for their faith… like being jailed, tortured, and executed! Many blogger friends of mine have written about and reported on this very thing. We have to be diligent in praying for them. Pray for them to be courageous and strong in the midst of this persecution. Pray for them to have a bold witness for Christ.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”
1 Corinthians 12:27, 26
“And many false prophets will appear”…we talked about false prophets… they claim to receive messages from God. They say what people want to hear, regardless if it lines up with God’s Word or not. I’m sure you can think of some popular leaders who tell masses of people what they want to hear, things such as, “God wants you to be rich,” or “Do whatever your desires tell you.” Again, we are warned not to listen to their dangerous words.
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Check your life against this list… It actually describes our society, unfortunately the behavior of many Christians. We cannot give into society’s pressure. We can’t settle for comfort without commitment. We are to stand up against evil by living as God would have His people live.
This is so good; I’m taking it word for word out of my commentary… Why is it so tempting to “love pleasure rather than God?” Pleasure is something we can control; God cannot be controlled. Most pleasures can be obtained easily; love for God requires effort and sometimes sacrifice. Pleasure benefits us now; the benefits of loving God are often in the future. Pleasure has a narcotic effect; it takes our minds off ourselves and our problems. Love for God reminds us of our needs and responsibilities. Pleasure cooperates with pride. It makes us feel good when we look good in the eyes of others. To love God we must lay aside our pride and our accomplishments. Have you chosen to love pleasure, or to love God? How do you know?