Live with Urgency!

March 11, 2011

Live with Urgency!

So knowing that the end of times is near should definitely change our behavior. But how?

· Do not be alarmed

Mark 13:7 “when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

· Be on Your Guard

Mark 13:9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.”

· Stand Firm to the End!

Mark 13:13-“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

· Keep Watch.

Mark 13:33 “Be on guard, be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”

Mark 13:35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back…”

Mark 13:37 “What I say to you, I say to everyone; ‘Watch!’”

The Bible says plenty about the end of times and Christ’s second coming and we could go into that forever, but I want to focus on how we should be living with this knowledge in our minds. The sum of the above verses is not to worry, stand firm and keep alert. This is a lot like what God has already commanded of us. Philippians 4:6, and Matthew 6:25-34 teach us not to worry but to pray about everything and let God be God. Hebrews 3:14, Ephesians 6:14, Exodus 14:13, Luke 21:19, and Philippians 4:1 all tell us to stand firm in the faith! And the bible speaks of being alert in 1 Peter 5:8 and probably other places too!

So if all this is the same what do we need to change? Well, we can become more purposeful in our watchfulness and firmness. We can make positive we do not get mislead by false prophets; this means studying the Word inside and out till we know everything about it (which will be when we get to heaven.) We can stop being scared babies about sharing Christ with people. We aren’t promised tomorrow—witness now. And to be alert is to be living as if Christ were to come back 5 minutes from now. Take every step of obedience, live full out in freedom for the one who paid your debt and set you free. Love him with all your heart in front of the whole world!

So the end of times stuff was not written to scare people, but to convict them with love that the world is ending, and that as Christians with a cause, we need to step up our game.

For more about the end of times:

Mark 13:1-23

Matthew 24:1-28

Luke 21:5-24

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

News Updates:

Power Plant explodes in Japan: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_earthquake

FoxNews Tweet from this morning: Fears of a #nuclear meltdown rising as #Japan confirms #radiation leak following explosion at nuclear power plant crippled by #earthquake.

Pics:http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Huge-Japan-quake-spawns-tsunami/ss/events/wl/031111japanquake

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ (This link only good for today.)