Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

As I listened to the news this past week I couldn’t help but think so much of what I was hearing could have come right out of the book of Matthew…

^{Matthew 24:3-13 NIV 3} As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Today Christians are being persecuted and martyred all over the world.  Evil is increasing. What is wrong according to scripture seems right and what is right according to scripture seems wrong! Believers are being caught up in all kinds of false doctrine  and abandoning their faith. The picture looks a wee bit gloomy! However, there is another side to this picture. Things are happening just as our Savior said they would. He is not taken by surprise and neither should we be. As we see prophecy being fulfilled it should encourage each and every one of us to prepare for our King’s return! We should use our time wisely and share the love of Christ and the gospel freely! We who know Christ as Lord need not sit back and criticize unbelievers. They are unbelievers and therefore do not know Christ  nor have  the Spirit of truth in them. We can’t expect them to act or behave as those of us that do. They need to hear the truth! They need to see it demonstrated in the lives of every born again believer!  They need our prayers!

Instead of getting discouraged and disheartened, why not get busy doing the work we have been called to do. To live our lives as the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Let’s encourage one another as we journey through these dark days! Let’s remember that He is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle. Let’s be that church!  Let’s bring the light of Christ to a dark world that desperately needs Him!

“Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.” ~David Platt