Matthew 24:15-31
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Reflection
As the end of the age draws near, there will be a final surge of evil in society before Jesus himself returns in a remarkable display of glory (Matt. 24:27, 30), gathers his people to himself, and ends the world’s rebellion against its Creator (vv. 29–31). Though God’s people will suffer prior to the return of Christ (v. 21), there is no need to fear. Jesus himself faced great persecution and even death, but the grave could not hold him. Because of the resurrection of Christ, we too will rise from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20–22) to receive an indestructible inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4). Our suffering cannot possibly compare to the glory that will soon be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18)!
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Reflection
Paul confronts those within the Corinthian church who are having sex with prostitutes. He explains that the redeeming death of Christ provides a powerful motive for resisting this sin. “You were bought with a price,” Paul says, “So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20). Additionally, believers receive spiritual power for all of life though our union with Christ. Believers in Christ are “joined to the Lord” (v. 17) so closely that even our bodies become “members of Christ” and temples of the Holy Spirit (vv. 15, 19). Because of this life-giving union (v. 14), we have both a responsibility to live all of life for Christ (“The body is . . . for the Lord”) and the promise that Christ, by his Spirit, is always with us and providing for us (“and the Lord for the body”; v. 13).
Psalm 18:6
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
God is your source of strength for living the Christian life. Where do you need help in the coming days? Don’t hesitate to request strength to endure what you are facing.