BUT THE END IS NOT YET

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” - Matthew 24:3-6

The disciples asked Jesus about His return and the end of the age. The answers and exhortation that Jesus gave them are helpful to us too. And today, almost 2000 years later, many of us believe we are on the threshold of the coming of the Lord.

• Luke 21:9-11 “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately." Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”

 
As Christians, living in the age we are in, we cannot do it being lackadaisical or half-hearted. This is a time in history like no other. This is a time where the enemy knows his days are numbered.

• Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

 
To be victorious over an “unseen enemy,” who uses demons and manipulates people under his direction, that has great wrath, requires diligence of us.

• Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

 
Those who will overcome and endure victoriously to the end, will do so by, 1) the blood of the Lamb 2) the word of their testimony and 3) not loving their lives unto death. Many overlook the third part of the verse. Jesus said that those who try to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for His sake and the Gospel’s, will gain it (Mark 8:35). We have to lay our lives down to the Lord to be saved and also when enduring through the worst of circumstances. Those who think only about physical preservation, will not save their souls (Galatians 6:8). Also, remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it (Luke 17:32-33).

Is it enough just to be saved by the blood of the Lamb? Is that what the first part means? The blood of the Lamb is all powerful. The devil cannot even handle one drop of Jesus’ blood. We must be cleansed by it and covered by it and live in the power of it. That blood has bought us kingdom authority. Many misunderstand what it means, but in studying God’s Word, we can see the authority Jesus has given us over the enemy. Does it mean that we never suffer because we have such authority? Look to Jesus, who had all authority. There were times He did not let the enemy do as desired and there were other times, when He did. We need the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us and show us about such things.

They will have been victorious through the word of their testimony, not their parents or grandparents testimony. It will have to have been their own personal testimony. This means that they were able to speak victoriously and not back down. There is a huge factor needed to make this possible, and that is to have the Word of God working in them, and spoken by them without fail. This is not done by shallow believers or Christians in name only. This is the result of strong faith by determined believers, knowing their God and knowing His Word, and having it applied and working in their hearts and lives. The testimony of the Word of God in us will save us. And there is nothing else that can. Our bodies can be killed, but the eternal us will never die. And those who stay true to His Word, do not have to fear.

And they did not love their lives unto death. As mentioned before, remember Lot’s wife. How deep is your commitment unto the Lord? Do you love Him even if it costs you your physical life? There are many in the world today, in the Middle East and China for example, that becoming a true believer can cost them their livelihood and even their life. And yet they come to the Lord wholeheartedly. History shows that people were fed by the Romans to hungry lions and other beasts, for not backing down and denying Jesus Christ. What gave them the strength? Why not just give them lip service and still claim the Lord in their hearts? Because that is not how it works.

• Matthew 10:32-33 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

 
It is only “wishful thinking” that a person would think they could deny the Lord and still make it to heaven. It says that he who endures to the end shall be saved. Never deny the Lord, not by works or speech. In our daily walk and entire life, Jesus must be our Lord.

• Mark 8:34-38 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

 
In conclusion, as we see and hear of wars and rumors of wars more often, and the other signs spoken of happening before Jesus comes to take His bride away, we must be determined believers, living the kind of life Jesus died for us to have. Let us not just be casually good people who randomly read the Bible as a duty, but the kind of diligent believers who study the Word of God and apply it, having the truth of it set us free and keep us free, sharing our faith with others by word and deed and not being entangled by the cares of this world, but rather being eternally and prayerfully minded, living life to the fullest under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In so doing, we will endure to the end, and we will make it!!
 
E Cockrell