August 29, 2022
An Action Plan for the End of History
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
We must ask ourselves, “How should I respond to this message from Jesus, the Lord of history?” I would urge you to take these two actions:
First, be alert to the “birth pains” of history. Talk to your friends and family about this message of Jesus from Matthew 24. When events in the news align with the events Jesus predicts as the beginning of labor pains that foreshadow His return, point them out to the people around you. Urge your family and friends to be constantly, spiritually ready for the Lord’s return.
Second, pray for revival. The late Christian leader Stephen Olford, whom Billy Graham called “the man who most influenced my ministry,” has called revival “an invasion from heaven that brings a conscious awareness of God.” Do you and I really want to experience that holy invasion of our lives by God’s Spirit? Do we want that holy invasion more than we want wealth, success, status, or our secret sins? When we truly desire God more than any other treasure in our lives, and we pray earnestly for revival, then God can bring about a radical transformation in our lives—and the lives of people around us.
You and I live in the here and now, the time God has allotted to us in which we can serve Him faithfully every waking moment. Yet we also have one foot in the world to come, in eternity. As we live and serve in the “here and now,” we need to keep our hearts focused on the “yet to come.” We need to live each moment as if Jesus were returning in mere seconds.
His coming will be sudden and unexpected—but those who are prepared for His return will not be caught by surprise. They will not be dismayed. They will be full of joy when, like a flash of lightning, Jesus returns to take us home.
Prayer: Jesus, may I live in joyful anticipation of Your return. Give me eyes to see my circumstances in light of Your eternity so that I can live with hope and peace to the praise of Your glory and goodness. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13).
This devotional is adapted from Dr. Michael Youssef’s timely book Is the End Near?: What Jesus Told Us About the Last Days. This eye-opening work will answer your questions about end-times issues by examining statements that Jesus Himself made about what was to come. You will be encouraged as you anticipate Christ’s return. Secure your copy today at IsTheEndNearBook.com!
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