Enduring Tribulations With Christ

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 24-25 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-283.html
Message Title: Enduring Tribulations With Christ

Hello My Friend,

Tribulation, severe affliction, it literally means to thrash or beat. The last time I checked no one wants to face tribulation, but there are many ways a person can be beaten without physical violence, such as mentally or spiritually. Believe it or not, our own spirit weighs heavily on the things that we go through, it can drag us down and beat us up if we have nothing positive to look forward to. Let me tell you, everyone faces tribulation, and it's going to get worse, we cannot endure these things alone, they can only be handled through the power of God's Spirit. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.

That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, interestingly enough, the things that we have gotten through are used to comfort those who are presently going through the same thing. In this me, myself, and I world, even as Christians we tend to focus more on what we are suffering with rather than what others are going through. If we take our focus off us for a second and turn to others needs we may learn that our troubles may just even resolve themselves. As Jesus was sitting up on Mt. Olives His disciples came up to Him and asked Him when the end times would be. Jesus begins explaining what will happen before and during the tribulation, a time of great affliction throughout the entire world.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” - Matthew 24:12-18,21,22.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. The wicked and immoral things of this world are taking over and people are turning to it and forsaking Jesus. If you think things are bad in the world now, we don't want to know what it's going to be like through the tribulation and after that. Jesus explain what will happen immediately after the tribulation.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” - Matthew 24:29-31,34-36,43.

He would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. It's very important that we reach all of our family with the Gospel, severe suffering is coming as well as judgment upon anyone not saved. Only those who have accepted Christ will be saved from this, this is known as the rapture. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.

Many people will be introduced to Christ, but it's not enough to just know of Him, we must receive Him personally as our Saviour if we want to be saved. Jesus explains this further through a parable of talents. “He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” - Matthew 25:22-30.

But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. The talents are the Gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Those who accept the simplicity of the Gospel, take it, and receive Christ as their Saviour are saved from being cast into outer darkness (eternal death), and they are blessed as they teach it to others. It's not about forcing someone to believe in Christ, only He can save them, we are merely the ones who plant the seed of the Gospel. Many, like the man who buried his talent, put it aside and do nothing with it, not even receiving Him themselves, but we must personally receive Him to be saved. So many people hear the Gospel, many religions even talk about Christ and that we need Him for our salvation, but they do not teach that He alone is needed. Those who lead these religions have to answer to Jesus, those who are ignorant to the truth or will not believe will be right there with them.

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter 3:8-10.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for giving us a way to not only endure our personal tribulations, but endure the tribulation. When we put our faith and trust in Your Son's finished work, and receive Him as our Saviour we are saved from being cast into outer darkness. Tribulation has a way of weakening our spirits and bringing us down, but You are our strength and through the power of Your Spirit we not only can endure our own tribulations, we can be of comfort to others who are going through theirs. In Jesus' name, amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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