Standing Firm to the End and Being Saved
Pastor CJ
Translated by Allan Liang
Mark 13:3-13
The disciples and the Lord Jesus were sitting on the Mount of Olives, opposite the solid temple of stone, and the disciples asked the Lord when it would be destroyed as well as concerning “the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled”; evidently the disciples could not understand how this seemly unassailable temple would be destroyed. (Yet today we know that this very temple made securely of stone would be later completely destroyed.) It was at this time the Lord Jesus taught his disciples the signs of the end times. Perhaps the disciples only were concerned about the condition of the Israel or Jewish people at the time of the destruction of the temple, but Jesus’ answer encompassed the signs that would appear when the end times were near, from his ascension to the day of his second coming. “False Christs” will deceive the hearts of many and we must be vigilant; wars, earthquakes, famines, disasters will all happen, we must not fear; what we must face all the more is, for the sake of the Lord’s name, persecutions, floggings and hatred. We must stand firm to the end and be saved, and the gospel will be preached to all nations. This is the teaching on the Mount of Olives, the warnings given to us by the Lord before his crucifixion, through which he prepared his disciples. Today we are precisely in such times, and we see country attacking country, nation against nation, the earth full of disasters, strife, and escalating oppression for believers. However, is this not precisely what Jesus mentioned in his warnings to us? How comforting is it that all things today are completely under the Lord’s control and warning, and how glorious is it that the Lord separated out the elect in these teachings on the Mount of Olives? The lives of the people of the world are lived in deception, fear and strife, while the believers belonging to the Lord will have great peace that comes from the Lord; we are cautious and vigilant, always spreading the gospel, knowing whom we belong to, standing firm to the end and waiting for the second coming of our Lord. While we ponder this passage of Scripture, it is fitting that our wechat has been blocked, resulting in many inconveniences for us. But, what can we trust? Is it atheistic governments? Or is it corporations under its coercive control? Who promised us that our wechats would always run smoothly without any problems? And what made us assume that it would not obstruct truth and oppress believers? It's probably the callousness and blindness of our hearts that made us forget that the present days are not days of peace. And the conclusion to the oppression is the day of the Lord’s second coming. May God lead us to think once again about the Lord’s teachings and his prophetic warnings, understanding that what we face today, is the path that the Lord has ordained for us to walk; our mouths must rely on the Holy Spirit to speak words according to his will, our hearts must be reformed by God, and he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Dear brothers and sisters, let us give thanks for all that we face today, praying for those in suffering and oppression, and not doubting, not fearing and not despairing, because in the present days, the days where the end time is near, our lives everyday are embroiled in the battles of the earth, and by trusting in the Lord we will be strengthened and receive victory, we must only stand firm to the end. Please pray and meditate: have we forgotten the warnings of the Lord, and have consequently lost the peace in our hearts? May God shine light on our hearts as we face the chaos on this world, and may the Lord send down peace in our hearts so that we may live everyday, lives set apart as holy.