马太福音24:9-14 末日的预兆
9那时，人要把你们陷在患难里，也要杀害你们；你们又要为我的名被万民恨恶。10那时，必有许多人跌倒，也要彼此陷害，彼此恨恶，11且有好些假先知起来，迷惑多人。12只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心才渐渐冷淡了。13惟有忍耐到底的必然得救。14这天国的福音要传遍天下，对万民作见证，然后末期才来到。”
有些预兆从性质上来说比较普遍，比如战争或者战争的谣言或者地震；有些预兆向我们表明，审判日离我们不远了。而有些预兆会恰好在大事来临之前发生。今天经文里的这些预兆，就向我们表明审判日已经不远了。当我们距离审判日越来越近的时候，会有很多患难逼迫；你知道吗，在20世纪因为信仰而死的人，比其他任何有记载的历史时代都多；对于基督徒的公开反对言论越来越多，即使在美国，宣告你的信仰现在也变得越来越让人不可接受。
“许多人的爱心渐渐冷淡了”，我们生活的这个时代，人们想的全是自己，心里根本没有空间再去爱别人。我们不太认识我们的邻居，也不怎么关心他们；政治对话充满了很多仇恨和愤怒，不堪入耳；即使在我们的教会中，教会成员也会在一些根本不重要的事情上，彼此分离互相对立；我们忽视了我们中间贫穷的、需要帮助的人，看一看你教会的预算，有为慈善活动而准备的预算吗？
那告诉我们末日即将到来的预兆是什么呢？“这天国的福音要传遍天下……然后末期才来到”，世界上哪个国家还没有机会听到福音呢？随着互联网和英语的普及，福音在哪里还没有传遍呢？我认为和其他预兆比起来，这个预兆更让我们相信末日就要来了。
我们再看一看这个世界，已经变得一团糟了；我们祈求，“主耶稣啊，愿你快来！”
祷告：主耶稣啊，当我看到这些世界末日的预兆，我不得不相信那一天马上就要来了。求你激励这个时代你的子民，在那天来临之前把福音带给尽可能多的人。亲爱的耶稣，求你保守我在你里面的信心，使我不会在这末后的日子离弃你。阿们。
Matthew 24:9-14: 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.
Some signs are very general in nature, like wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes. Some signs show us that Judgment Day is not far away. And then there are signs that will happen right before the big event. The signs in these verses show us that Judgment Day is not far away. As we get closer to that day, there will be a lot of persecution. Did you know that more people have died for their faith in the 1900’s than in all the rest of recorded history? There is an open season on Christians. Even in our country, speaking your faith is becoming more and more unacceptable.
“The love of most will grow cold.” We live in a time when people are so filled with themselves that there is no room left in their hearts to love others. We don’t really know our neighbors or care about them. The political conversations are so filled with hate and anger that it hurts our ears. Even within our churches, members become divided against each other over issues that really aren’t that important. We neglect the poor and the needy among us. Look at your church budget. Is there anything at all that is budgeted for charity?
And the sign that tells us that the end is coming soon? “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world… and then the end will come.” What nation on earth hasn’t had a chance to hear the gospel. And with the internet and the commonality of the English language, where has the gospel not been preached? I think this sign more than any other leads us to believe that the last day is coming soon.
And when we look at this world and what a mess it has become, we pray, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I read these signs of the end, I cannot help but believe that the last day is coming soon. Spur your people on in this age to bring the gospel to as many as we can before that day comes. And preserve, dear Jesus, the faith that we have in you so that we do not forsake you in these last days. Amen.