3 Later, Jesus was sitting at a place on the Mount of Olives.
The followers came to be alone with him. They said, “Tell us when these things
will happen. And what will happen to prepare us for your coming and the end of
time?” 4 Jesus answered, “Be careful! Don’t let anyone fool
you. 5 Many people will come and use my name. They will say, ‘I
am the Messiah.’ And they will fool many people. 6 You will
hear about wars that are being fought. And you will hear stories about other
wars beginning. But don’t be afraid. These things must happen before the end
comes.
7 Nations will fight against
other nations. Kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times
when there is no food for people to eat. And there will be earthquakes in
different places. 8 These things are only the beginning of
troubles, like the first pains of a woman giving birth. 9 “Then
you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and killed. People all over
the world will hate you because you believe in me. 10 During
that time many believers will lose their faith. They will turn against each
other and hate each other.
11 Many false prophets will
come and cause many people to believe things that are wrong. 12 There
will be so much more evil in the world that the love of most believers will
grow cold. 13 But the one who remains faithful to the end will
be saved. 14 And the Good News I have shared about God’s
kingdom will be told throughout the world. It will be spread to every nation.
Then the end will come. (Matthew
24:3-14, ERV)
Could COVID 19 be a sign of Jesus’ impending second coming to Earth?
Remember this…
1.
We don’t have to live in fear because we live in grace-“Sin will not be your master, because you
are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.” (Romans
6:14,
ERV)
2.
Jesus encourages us to be prepared for whenever His return happens-“You know very well that the day when the
Lord comes again will be a surprise like a thief who comes at night.” (1
Thessalonians 5:2,
ERV)
3.
Disasters and wars aren’t necessarily a sign of end times-“I have told you these things so that you
will be whole and at peace. In
this world, you will be plagued with times of trouble, but you need not fear; I
have triumphed over this corrupt world order.” (John
16:33,
VOICE)
4. Don’t be fooled into
thinking God doesn’t love you-“Christ
died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.” (Romans
5:8, GW)
5. Be
patient, and persist for what God has for you-“So we
are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to
fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his
lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.” (Romans
8:28, TPT)
6.
The gospel should be our focus-“And He said to them, “As you go into the [entire] world, preach openly the wonderful news of
the gospel to the entire human race.” (Mark
16:15, TPT)
“While I can’t control the events of my life, I can rest assured in
God’s amazing love for me and my loved ones. So even when I face times I don’t
understand His hand, I can always trust His heart. “(Lysa TerKeurst) [i]
[i] Inspired by the sermon “Facing Your Global Fears:
Facing Your Fears” (installment two) Sunday April 19, 2020, Interim Pastor Josh
Boyer, CenterPoint Church Lewis Center (All CenterPoint churches are closed due
to the Coronavirus, and are meeting online.) Join us every Sunday morning at
10am at the CenterPoint Church Main Page on Facebook.
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