Luke 21:1-38

Eternity is a very long time, and Christ wants to make sure that we are ready for it. He gave His life that we might enjoy eternity with Him, but beyond that He challenges us to live in light of eternity now. Christ is going to return so it is vital that we be ready to meet Him and give an account of our lives to Him. Here are a few thoughts of how the return of Christ ought to affect the way we live live now.

THE WAY WE MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS: The widow who gave all she had, in reality, gave more than all of the others who gave. She did this because she was not in the least concerned with her earthly life and had her sights set on eternity. God does not need our money, but He does promise to reward us richly when we use it for His glory. The disciples were impressed with the physical beauty of the temple and how ornate everything was. Christ wanted them to realize that all that impressiveness was going to topple over and end in nothing. All that we own and all that we build in the physical world is destined for a great big fire. We must not be distracted by the glitz and glitter of this world for it is melting away in front of our eyes whether we can see it or not. Heaven and all of its glories are eternal.

THE WAY WE FACE PERSECUTIONS: Life on this planet for believers is not going to be an easy one. There will be difficulties that come from everywhere that we can imagine. Family, the world and Satan will turn against us for reasons that we may never be able to understand and in ways for which we will not be able to prepare. Christ has promised that He will be with us during those times, but most importantly, in eternity all of these wrongs will be made right. No matter what we might be called upon to face in this life, God will make it worth it all when we see Him.

THE WAY WE HAVE EXPECTATIONS: There will be severe problems in this world and things are going to continue to get worse. Christ is preparing those who follow Him for the coming disasters that He has determined for the end of this world. But no matter how desperate circumstances may become, we can have hope because when He does return He will bring an end to all of the disasters and difficulties that are a part of the history of this World. We must live with this constant expectation.

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