Daily Reading

OK - time to get back to our reading. The spring brings a renewed busyness to our lives that I am still trying to get use to . . . but we will continue to soldier on in our reading. Spending time reading the Word of God is vital to my day - life goes so much smoother when I spend time with my Heavenly Father. I pray that you find the benefits of prayer & Scripture reading for yourselves. So, on with the daily reading: Matthew 24:1-28; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 7:6-23. Jesus is talking to His disciples about the END TIMES. It's kind of a scary subject, thinking about the destruction of the world, especially when you read Jesus' words today, but let's break it down a bit: 1) First, Jesus speaks about the destruction of the temple. This prophecy was accurately fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed Jerusalem. 2) Jesus speaks of the end of the world.

1. In between the time of Jesus' ascension & the end of the world, the following things will happen:

• Wars, famines, earthquakes. Hmmmm . . . sounds like what we are experiencing today.


• Persecution of the Christians. Many of the disciples were killed for their faith and many Christians today are mistreated & even killed.


• Christianity will be preached in all areas of the world. We're getting close, but every people group has yet to be reached.

2. Then Jesus speaks of the sign of the coming of the end of the world:

• The "abomination of desolation" is prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 11:31. Basically, this abomination will be an idol that will be placed in the Temple. At this time, a temple does not exist in Jerusalem. Many believe a the temple will be rebuilt. Some time after this temple is built (a time frame is unknown, it could be a year, it could be 500 years) the anti-christ will desolate the temple by placing an idol in the Holy Place of the temple.


• This event will mark the beginning of the end times. Christians who are alive during this time in history should flee - going into hiding for a great tribulation is coming.


• Finally - Jesus will return to earth in a very plain & straightforward manner. Do not be deceived by others who will claim to be the Messiah, for Jesus' return will be obvious.

Tomorrow we will read more about Jesus' return. But I want to take a moment to remind you - don't be overly fearful about the tribulation and return of Jesus. Be aware of the signs, but don't obsess over it. Jesus says that those keeping the faith will be saved. So, focus on your relationship with Jesus. God will handle the rest.

Our psalm today is a wonderful praise of the Lord. It makes a great introduction to prayer. Just read it out loud & watch how it will quicken your heart!

Proverbs is still dealing with sexual sin - flee from it, for it only brings destruction!