Day 202 "It's how we finish that is remembered most."

Day 202 Matthew 24:15-22 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Now would be a good time for us to be reminded that Jesus’ message is being directed to the Jews (while He is speaking words we should all remember about events to watch for). You see, at the fulfillment of this passage, the Jewish people will have rebuilt the temple and reinstituted the offering of sacrifices for their sins. Up until now, the world will largely have left them alone and allowed them to continue their tradition, all the while planning a great deception. You see, it appears that a world leader will somehow befriend the Jewish people and allow them to make sacrifices to their God for a short time. Soon, however, he sets himself up as their god by placing an image of himself in their temple seeking that they would worship him (Daniel 9:27, 12:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:4, and Revelation 13:14-15). This is what is called the "abomination of desolation." The warning that follows is one that should be taken very seriously by all who believe, for when this happens (if we are here and able), a great conflict will break out. No longer will the people be deceived as to the sincerity of this world leader; we will know his plans. The urgency with which Jesus speaks cannot be mistaken no more than the severity of the times; this will be a very difficult time for the Jewish people for they will be forced to make a choice. Jesus describes this as a time more difficult than any other that has been seen upon the earth; a time where flesh would not be saved if God did not intervene and shorten the days. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to be alive at such a time. So what do we do, you ask? We pray. We pray for wisdom, understanding, patience, knowledge, and the peace of Jerusalem. We pray for the will of the Lord and for our brothers and sisters in Israel. Nothing can be done to prevent these events, nor would we desire to, no more than we would desire to delay them. Now is the time to build up our resolve, to become strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Now is the time to prepare. Remember, there are few people ever praised or remembered for how they ran the race; people are known simply by how they finish. Therefore, finish well by being prepared every day! Daily Prayer: Father, may You teach us daily how to prepare for the future we face. May You, Lord, draw us closer to You, for without You, we will never make it to the end. Help us to finish well. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "It's how we finish that is remembered most." Gene Burroughs, Pastor