God's Plan for our Future

Destruction is Coming (Mark 13:1-4)

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Destruction is Coming

The coming end of the world–from the gospel of Mark 13:1-4

 

You do not have to wait long to hear of some horrible natural disaster that is occurring somewhere in the world.

Floods in China in 1931 killed almost 4 million people

An earthquake in 1976 killed about ½ million people in China

An earthquake killed 200,000 people in Haiti in 2010

A cyclone killed a ½ million people in Bangladesh in 1970

A heatwave killed 70,000 people in Europe in 2003

A volcano killed 25,000 people in Columbia in 1985

A lightning strike caused an explosion that killed 4,000 people in Greece in the 1800’s

A storm killed 15,000 people in Venezuela in 1999

A tsunami killed over a quarter million people in 2004

An earthquake and tsunamis injured or killed 15 million people in Japan in 2011

And the great influenza killed over 40 million people in 1918

This planet is a very dangerous place to live–and Jesus Christ says it’s going to get a lot worse. Welcome to FBC today. We are returning to our study of the gospel of Mark, and picking up where we left off now in chapter 13, where Jesus Himself begins to describe the end of the world.

How did we get to this place? Since many of you’ve not been with us for our entire study of Mark, three years so far, and today is our 93rd sermon on this great gospel, let me remind you of the amazing way Mark points to the glory of Christ. Mark is written primarily to Romans, written under the authority of the apostle Peter, Mark focuses on Christ as the Great Servant, the God-man who is described as a man of action.

In Mark Chapter 1, Christ is repeatedly described as one who does things immediately. Mark begins with John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah, who baptizes Christ, who immediately begins proclaiming the Gospel and wisely appointing some of His men who’ll continue His work. Mark highlights the miracles of Christ, showing His authority over everything–nothing is too great that Jesus Christ is not greater still in your life or mine.

By the time we get to chapter 4, Jesus is explaining that God’s good news is life transforming as evidenced by a new heart that seeks to follow Christ and always bears the fruit of service. This angers the legalistic, external religious leaders. But Christ’s miracles become non-debatable evidence He is God in the flesh, as He proves His deity over a legion of demons, disease, and death itself in chapter 5.

But there’re still many who don’t believe. The religious leaders become even more committed to kill Christ, as Herod has now killed John the Baptist in Mark 6. As a result, Christ spends more focused time training His men, and preparing them for the future. Christ responds with courage as He rips apart the false religion of His day, exposing legalism in chapter 7. By chapter 8, the Lord is calling His men to declare who He truly is, and reminds them of the true cost of following Him–even though salvation is free, you surrender your life to Christ. You die to self and follow Christ.

Mark proves all of Christ’s demands are just, in that Christ Himself is God in the flesh, proven with the transfiguration. So the Lord calls His men to be humble and focused on their mission to make Christ known in chapter 9. The implications of following Christ are explained, as Christ describes marriage, children, and what it means to be truly great in this life in Mark 10. By Mark 11, we’re now in Christ’s final week of ministry. Monday is the empty triumphal entry, followed by the Lord showing His hatred for false religion by cursing a tree and cleaning out the Temple on Tuesday.

In chapter 12, the religious leaders are livid, and challenge Christ’s authority. It’s Wednesday–Jesus will be crucified on Friday, but now every group making up the false religious leaders comes to attack Jesus in order to find some way to discredit Him in front of Passover crowds, so that they can then kill Him.

Now as Wednesday wraps up, Christ leaves the Temple and heads back toward Bethany where He’s staying, which means He will walk over the Mount of Olives. As He does, the disciples make some statements about the greatness of Herod’s Temple, and Christ shocks them with His reply.

Four of the disciples representing the rest then ask Him when will this future calamity occur, and as the Lord sits on the Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple area, He answers their questions with Mark chapter 13, the Olivet Discourse, describing the end of the world and our future. Read with me the first four verses describing coming destruction.

Mark 13:1 to 4, “As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ 2 And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.’ 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?’”

And our Lord is about to answer that question in the rest of chapter 13, giving us a picture of the end of the world. But why should we want to know about the future? Why do I need to know about end times, last things, the doctrine of eschatology? There’s so much controversy surrounding end times. There are so many differing views. It’s so bad, scholars whom I trust even disagree on this topic.

#1  Why should you LOVE Christ’s future plan?

Why should you fall in love with a study of the end times? Why must you want to know how to look at the future of the world? Why is it crucial to stop minimizing, mocking and belittling eschatology, and start studying it and embracing it?

First  Understanding end times produces PURITY in your life

Turn to 1 John 3:3, the Tests of Eternal Life–John says in 1 John 3:2 and 3, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

And as John continues in chapter 3, he makes it clear that this purifying oneself is the stopping of the practice of sin–stopping sinful habits, memorizing Scripture in order to deal with sinful bents, and considering yourself dead to sin. You want to walk in purity, just as Jesus is pure. Verse 7, “You practice righteousness, just as Jesus is righteous.” And the motivation John gives us in verse 3 is this–Jesus is coming, we will be like Him, we will see Him for who He really is, and that hope of the future will cause us to want to live in purity.

Next turn over to 2 Peter 3:9 through 14, as the apostle explains character and counterfeit Christianity. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, … 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless.”

Peter says our understanding of end times should produce holy conduct and godliness–a repentant change in our behavior, and a life lived as an offering of worship to our God. It should cause us to seek to be spotless and blameless–no accusations can be brought against us, since we aggressively seek to live in Christ, depending on Him, waiting for Him. We should study end times because it was designed by God to move us to cooperate with the Lord to sanctify us. Why else?

Second  Because one THIRD of the bible is focused on end times

If our God recorded that much of His written revelation for us through His prophets and apostles, and has preserved this Bible for us today, then we should not be caught mocking it, belittling it or ignoring it. We need to know what God says, and live by it.

Third  Because the end times reminds us our Lord is currently at WORK in the world

You might be tempted to say, “Wow, it sure has been a long time since Jesus walked the earth–what’s He waiting for?” Peter answers your question in 2 Peter 3:8 to 10, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

From the time of Abraham to Christ was 2,000 years. From the time of David to Christ was 1,000 years. From God’s perspective, a thousand years is like a day. God is not slow–in fact, you can say God was waiting for you. He is patient until all His chosen children are saved. Aren’t you glad Christ delayed His return until after you were saved? He is saving His children, and He is working everything according to His will.

Every national change, every Middle East crisis, every disaster is God moving the pieces of His perfect, wise, loving chessboard, setting up everything in order to accomplish the end. We’re not to panic. We don’t even have to store food or guns, but to live for Christ, because God is at work right now accomplishing His will for our good and His glory. And we should know the end times.

Fourth  Because our understanding of the end times is an indication of how we INTERPRET the Bible

You should be passionate about end times, because the underlying issue of why there are so many opinions on our understanding of the end of the world, and why so many good teachers differ in their understanding of end times is simple. If they interpreted the bible normally or literally, and didn’t change their hermeneutical rules as to how they interpret prophetic passages, then that would result in believing that Christ will physically, literally rule on this planet for a thousand years, or pre-millenial.

If you allow yourself to change the way you interpret prophetic passages, and you allow yourself to spiritualize the text or say prophetic passages are no longer embraced literally, because all those national promises are now fulfilled in Christ–then that can result in believing there will be no literal 1,000 year Kingdom, or amillenial.

Or it will result in you believing that mankind improves the world for a thousand years before Christ returns, or post-millenial. The basic issue is not theological, it is hermeneutical, or how you interpret the Bible. And you and I need to care about how you interpret the Bible, because correctly interpreting the Bible is being attacked on every front today.

Listen friends, you have to understand how to allow the Bible to speak for itself, or you will not know how to answer the person who thinks that homosexuality is not a sin, or who believes you can be saved and your life may not change at all, or the person who believes you can exercise your freedoms in front of everyone, or the person who thinks it’s okay to use swear words, since it is just a word and is merely a word defined by our culture.

How you interpret the Bible not only determines your understanding of the end times, but it determines how you live–confused? More on this next week. We should also study end times . . .

Fifth  Because the end times points to God’s CHARACTER–you see His attributes in His planning of future events

How can you not delight over the truth of . . .

1 His Sovereign CONTROL over every detail in the future

You can look back on hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming of Christ, many fulfilled in exact detail in His first coming–thirty coins, killed but no broken bones, born in Bethlehem. All exact, all literal, all impossible to predict in advance except if you are the God who knows everything, exists outside of time, and is in absolute total control.

Friends, He is in total, sovereign control of your today and your tomorrow. Nothing happens to you He didn’t allow or initiate. And if you’re His child, all of it happened for His glory and your good.

2  His justice, patience and wisdom in JUDGMENT

Study Romans one, and you’ll discover God is active in judgment. Right now, He punishes sin with more sin–by giving people over to their desires for sin. This is His active wrath being expressed now. But when you study end times, you will be blown away with just how patient God is in judgment.

I’ve been humbled by God’s patience–have you? When I look at evil on the increase, I think, “How long, oh Lord?” Yet I also have to admit how thankful I am that Jesus waited for me, for Jean, and for my children–and that He waited for you. I should be a recipient of His wrath, but because the Lord was patient, what I received was grace and mercy.

Look closely at Genesis 15:16, “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” I love this verse, because God is speaking to Abraham about 2,000 BC, and He is telling Abraham his family will leave the land of Israel (it will be Egypt). Then after four generations they will return to the land of Israel. And the reason God gives Abraham is this–the sins of the Amorite people are not yet filled up. They have not yet stored up enough wrath–their sinful choices have not angered Him enough. But 600 years from now, Abraham–then it will be complete, and I will call upon your family through Joshua to wipe them out. I’m giving the Amorites 600 years, but then my wrath will be poured out on them through my chosen people.

God is very patient, but He is also just. There’ll come a time when He will pour out His direct wrath on the people of this planet for rejecting Him and snubbing His costly sacrificial provision. When you study end times, you see God’s amazing character on display. Also, we need to know end times . . .

Sixth  Because the return of Christ means Christ WINS

Christ is proven as God, established as Lord, the King of all kings. Righteousness wins, the rebellion stops, the earth is restored, glorified saints live with redeemed saints on a perfect planet. We are finally free from sin, free from pain, death, and sorrow. It is the study of end times that frees us from constantly struggling over the injustice, evil and unrighteousness of this world, and gets us really excited about what is coming–even so come Lord Jesus.

#2  What is Christ’s future PLAN in Mark 13?

What will Christ tell us through the gospel writer, Mark? Let’s fly above chapter 13 for a moment to see the big picture. Let me give you an overview of the Olivet Discourse.

First  Christ predicts the Temple’s coming destruction in vs. 1 to 2

Second  Christ is questioned privately by His disciples in vs. 3 to 4

Third  Christ gives His prophetic answer to what is coming in vs. 5 to 37

Jesus describes what the Temple’s destruction only hints at–the Lord moves beyond the Temple’s destruction to the end of the world. And this prophetic end is explained in two major sections.

PART ONE:  The Beginning of the BIRTH PANGS  Verses 5 to 13

Which includes religious deception, international dissension, natural devastation, Christian tribulation and Gospel proclamation. Though these events occur in our day, Jesus is telling us when these events accelerate like the contractions of childbirth, increasing with intensity (eh, ladies–do I speak the truth, moms?) When they increase with intensity, that will indicate we are about to experience, or are already in the coming 7-year Tribulation. And get this–that coming 7-year, literal Tribulation is detailed here in Mark 13.

The first half of the Tribulation is described in verses 5 to 13

The middle of the Tribulation is discussed in verses 14 to 18

The last half of the Tribulation which leads up to the Lord’s return is detailed in verses 19 to 27

Then the best part, what we are all waiting for, is . . . hurry up . . .

PART TWO:  The Second Coming of Jesus Christ  Verses 14 to 37

In these verses, the Lord’s Second Coming is revealed through six clues that admonish us to be on the alert and get ready. There is the Abomination, Calamity and Deception before His Coming. Then there is the Sign of His Coming, The Time of His Coming and The Readiness for His Coming concluding in verse 37. So how excited are you about the physical return of Christ? I talked to a couple of friends last week, and with all that’s going on the world today, they said, “I think He’s coming soon!”

It wasn’t that they just said it–it was the excitement in their voice. Not dread, not horror, not storing up beans and water, but absolute ecstatic excitement about the return of Christ. Not just on test days, salary cut days, didn’t make the team days, but on your best day–are you excited about Christ’s return? Are you saying each and every day, “Even so, come Lord Jesus”? So then . . .

#3  What are the CIRCUMSTANCES that move Christ to describe His future plan?  Verses 1 to 4

Two events occur in the first four verses of chapter 13–what are they?

First  Christ PREDICTS the Temple’s future destruction  Verses 1 to 2

As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ 2 And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.’” Look at verse 1, “As He was going out of the temple.” Jesus had “entered the temple” in Chapter 11, verse 27–now in Chapter 13, verse 1, the Lord is leaving the Temple for the last time. He will never return.

It’s Wednesday, early evening of the Passion Week. Tomorrow night, Thursday, Jesus will be arrested, tried six times, repeatedly tortured, then crucified Friday at 9 am. Christ just finished indicting the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, “Woe to you Pharisees, hypocrites; you white washed tombs, full of dead man’s bones–empty shells.” Which is just like the Temple–beautiful on the outside, but heartless, false and hypocritical on the inside.

With the empty religion of the leaders and their corrupted Temple hotly coursing through the Lord’s veins, one of the disciples–probably Mr. Mouth himself, Peter, says in verse 1, “one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’” Behold means “look”. The disciples were astonished at the magnificence of this gorgeous structure. The Temple was truly awe-inspiring. Without exaggeration, the Temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world, if not the greatest building of its time.

They marveled at the stones–verse 1, “what wonderful stones.” They were so massive, everyone was in awe at their size and beauty. One archeologist remarks, “A few years back, a large stone on the second tier of the western foundation wall was discovered, whose dimensions are approximately 42 feet long x 14 feet wide x 11 feet tall. Its weight is estimated to be about 600 tons.”

The first century Jewish Roman historian, Josephus states that from the top of the Mount of Olives, the whiteness of the stones, its gold trim, and gold-covered roof of the temple sanctuary made the Temple Mount look like a snow-capped mountain, and at certain times during the day, to look at it was literally blinding. Another commentator states, “Herod built the temple to win Jewish favor and to leave a lasting monument. He began building the temple in 20 BC, and it was still under construction when it was destroyed in 70 AD.”

The Rabbis said of this temple, “He who has not seen Jerusalem in her splendor has never seen a desirable city in his life. He who has not seen the temple in its full construction has never seen a glorious building in his life.” The Temple was breathtaking. Then verse 1, this disciple adds, “what wonderful buildings!” The plural of “buildings” tells us the Temple proper, as well as the various courts with their chambers and magnificent colonnades–all rested on a platform Herod the Great had constructed for the enlarged Temple area.

The entire Temple area covered approximately one-sixth of the entire area of the city of Jerusalem. It was huge. Even today that entire flat massive expansion that Herod built for those awesome buildings to rest upon still exists, but now with the dome of the Rock and its accompanying buildings. So this Temple was recognized as one of the architectural wonders of the world. The Temple represented for the Jewish people a place of security, because it was the place where God dwelled, and where God met with His people.

But in spite of its splendor, it was not pleasing to Christ because like the Jewish faith, the Temple had become an empty shell. It was a flea market to make money for the religious elite, and a place housing a false religion of self-righteousness. It was no longer a place where broken sinners could find forgiveness and salvation.

So look at how Jesus responds to his disciples and their marveling over the Temple in verse 2. “And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings?’” Jesus acknowledges the Temple’s beauty. “But not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” Whoa–that is incomprehensible. That’s a shocking declaration. The disciples’ jaws must have dropped. The present majesty and grandeur of the Temple hid its future destruction. Jesus says this great building will be reduced to a pile of rubble in a short time.

This should not be a surprise. In chapter 11, Jesus went into the Temple, looked around in disgust and left. Representing Judaism and its Temple, Christ cursed a fig tree which only had leaves but no fruit, while He was on His way to clean out the Temple. He was attacked by every religious group in Israel while in the Temple. Then in chapter 12, Christ warned the crowds about the hypocrisy of those who led in Temple worship. The Temple was empty and hypocritical–so Christ’s decisive judgment of the Temple should come as no surprise.

And you probably know that this verse 2 statement of prophecy was specifically fulfilled in 70 AD. The Jews had rebelled again and the Romans had finally had it. They brought in the legions to once and for all quell the rebellion. During the assault of the city of Jerusalem, Titus, the Roman general, built large wooden scaffolds around the walls of the Temple buildings, piled them high with flammable items, and set them ablaze.

The heat from the fires was so intense, the stone’s crumbled. The rubble was then sifted through in order to retrieve the melted gold, while the remaining ruins were thrown over the edge of the Temple mount down into the Kidron Valley. Jesus said, “Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

Originally, when Titus first conquered Jerusalem, he ordered the Temple to be preserved, but it was internally gutted by a fire set by one of his soldiers. As a result, Titus “ordered the whole city and “Temple to be razed to the ground. This order was carried out with zeal by the Roman soldiers, who tore the stones apart in order to get to the melted gold. Plus, it was also carried out with revenge against the Jews, whom many soldiers hated for their constant resentment and rebellion to Roman authority.”

The order translated into a full-scale slaughter, because the city of Jerusalem had resisted the Romans. Josephus said, “While the sanctuary was burning, neither pity for age, nor respect for rank was shown; on the contrary, children and old people, laity and priests alike, were massacred. Over one million people were exterminated in this slaughter.”

Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” The only stones left undisturbed were huge foundation stones that were not actually a part of the Temple edifice, but formed footings for the retaining wall under the Temple mount. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 23:38, “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate.” Luke adds in 19:43 to 44, “Days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Josephus said of the destruction in 70 AD, “The temple and the city walls, except for a few towers, were so thoroughly dug up to the foundation, that there was nothing left, to make those who came to it believe it had ever been inhabited.” Total devastation! So Jesus gives this stunning prophecy of the Temple’s destruction. The disciples must have gasped to hear it–and because they wait to ask Christ about it, there actually must have been some passion in Jesus’ voice when He said it. But about 15 to 20 minutes later, as they make their way back to Bethany over the Mount of Olives . . .

Second  Christ is questioned PRIVATELY by His disciples Verses 3 to 4

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?’” In verse 1, Jesus is walking out of the Temple, but now, here our Lord is, in verse 3, sitting on the Mount of Olives. There has been a small break in the narrative–there is a shift in location, and potentially a change in audience. They walked from the Temple, down into the Kidron Valley, then back up on to the Mount of Olives.

There, with the best and most breathtaking view of the Temple Mount and all of its buildings, verse 3 says they are all “opposite the temple.” The Mount of Olives is approximately 150 feet higher than the Temple itself. From the top of the Mount of Olives they could clearly see the Kidron Valley below and the entire Temple platform. Here on the Mount they pause to catch their breath, or pray, or talk, or buy food—but it’s at this moment, verse 3, “Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately.”

These are the first four disciples who were called by Christ—and they ask two burning questions. And it is these two questions that provide the key for interpreting the rest of Mark chapter 13:5 to 37, and the Lord’s description of the end of the world. Look carefully at verse 4, “When will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”

One  The Question of CHRONOLOGY:  “when will these things be?”

They wanted to know “the when”—“When will the Temple destruction take place? And we want to know when You will return? Is the chessboard set now? How many more moves until everything is ready?”

Two  The Question of INDICATORS:  “what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”

What sign shall we look for? When will all these future things happen? What will clearly tell us the end has arrived?” So how do we know they’re asking about the end of the age? I’m glad you asked. Matthew’s gospel tells us this in his description of the Olivet Discourse. Notice when the men asked in Matthew 24:3, “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”

“The end” means fulfilled, accomplished, referring to the final consummation, full completion, the end of the present age. This Greek word “the end”, full completion, is used five times to refer to the concrete end, the final end–the end of the age. Jesus is about to tell us about the end of the world–His future plans for this planet.

Maybe you are asking, “Chris, I just don’t understand the timing of all of this. Nor do I get how to interpret passages like this. Why does Jesus talk about the Temple, then jump into a description of the end of the world? How do we know which viewpoint is the right one? How do we know which interpretation is correct? For the answer to that, you have to come back next week. But today . . .

1  Are you ready to FACE Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is coming again, but this time as unveiled God. Read Philippians 2:9 to 11, “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Have you bowed before Jesus Christ? That doesn’t mean you prayed a prayer once, or made a decision at camp, or like Him more than Buddha or Mohamed. It means He’s the one calling the shots, He’s your Master, and you are His slave. You have surrendered all that you are for all that He is. If you bow before Him now, you will be blessed with Him forever. If you don’t bow before Him now, you will still bow before Him later, but you will be punished forever in Hell for your rebellion. Are you ready to face Jesus Christ?

2  Are you living life in light of His RETURN?

First John 2:28, “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” All true believers abide in Christ, allowing Christ to work through them in their lifestyle, giving them confidence. Pretend make-believers will lack confidence, and be ashamed at Christ’s coming, because they were not living with a desire to be obedient to Christ. Right now, as you examine your lifestyle, would you be ashamed at Christ’s coming, or would you have confidence? First John 3:3, “Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

3  Are you investing into ETERNITY?

If you truly believe Jesus Christ is the only true God, that He is returning soon to reign as the only King, that He is the only way of salvation and the only true reality, then that means this life here is a blip on the radar of eternity. Then our bodies are temporary, this planet will be redone, and everything we acquire in this life is going to be left here when we die and ultimately burn up. And the only thing that will last forever is what we say, what we do, what we give, how we serve, how we spend our time for Christ. Only one life soon past, only what’s done for Christ will last.

Does your usage of TIME reflect a commitment to eternity?

Do your HEART affections demonstrate a passion for eternity?

Does your BUDGET reflect a strong commitment to eternity?

Do your CONVERSATIONS demonstrate a certainty of eternity?

Does your service to HIS BRIDE prove you long for eternity?

Ask the Lord right now to change your heart. Then transform your choices and lifestyle so that you will reflect a genuine belief in the soon return of Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.

 

About Chris Mueller

Chris is the teaching pastor at Faith Bible Church - Murrieta.

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