A Sign of the Times
READ: Matthew 24:15-28
The end of the world—is it coming? Although most people feel it is coming soon, we do not know for certain. The exact time of Christ’s second coming is one of the few things that He chooses to leave unknown to us. He has, however, given us a few “signs” to watch for. Many of these signs are given to us in our reading.
Matthew 24:15-28 deals with one sign in particular—people who claim to be the Son of God. Jesus reminds us that if anyone should claim to have seen Christ, we should not believe him. When He actually does come again, we all will know.
Such false prophets and teachers are prevalent in our society today. An excellent example of this is the famous cult following in Waco, Texas. David Koresh actually claimed to be the Son of God, and unfortunately, many believed him. We can see what kind of distress and destruction this sort of incident can create. By the time it was all over and done with, nearly 80 people were left dead, not to mention the mental state of an entire nation.
In today’s society it is especially important to keep a close relationship with our Lord and Savior. We have to remember that we do not know when Jesus is coming again, but when He does, we want to be ready.
But how can we be ready if we don’t even know when He’s coming? Believe in Jesus as your Savior, and you're already ready!
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: What other “signs of the times” do we have? How can we be sure that we will be ready when Jesus comes again?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Ask God for help in preparing for His second coming. Ask God for help and for courage to help others prepare as well.