69.3 Faithful To The End

(Matthew 24:1-14)

Jesus left and was going away from the Temple when his disciples came to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Yes," he said, "you may well look at all these. I tell you this: not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down."

As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. "Tell us when all this will be," they asked, "and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age."

Jesus answered, "Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. Many men, claiming to speak for me will come and say, 'I am the Messiah!' and they will fool many people. You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. All these things are like the first pains of childbirth.

"Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death.  All mankind will hate you because of me. Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. Such will be spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold.  But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all mankind; and then the end will come.

69.2 Continue Preaching Despite Suffering

(Acts 14:19-23)

Some Jews came from Antioch in Pisidia and from Iconium; they won the crowds over to their side, stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead.  But when the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News in Derbe and won many disciples.  Then they went back to Lystra, to Iconium, and on to Antioch in Pisidia.  They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith.  "We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God," they taught.  In each church they appointed elders, and with prayers and fasting they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

69. 1 Parable Of The Seed

(Mark 4:1-9)

Again Jesus began to teach beside Lake Galilee.  The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was out in the water, and the crowd stood on the shore at the water's edge.  He used parables to teach them many things, saying to them:

"Listen! Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some of it fell on the rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep. Then, when the sum came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and chocked the plants, and they didn't bear grain. But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants sprouted, grew, and bore grain; some had thirty grains, others sixty, and others one hundred."

And Jesus concluded,"Listen, then, if you have ears!"

68.4 Praise of God's Perfect Law

(Psalm 119:1-8)

Happy are those whose lives are faultless,
who live according to the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who follow his commands,
who obey Him with all their heart.
They never do wrong;
they walk in the Lord's ways.

Lord you have given us your laws
and told us to obey them faithfully.
How I hope that I shall be faithful
in keeping your instructions!
If I pay attention to all your commands,
then I will not be put to shame.
As I learn your righteous judgments,
I will praise you with a pure heart.
I will obey your laws; never abandon me!

68.3 Perfection Through Love

(1 Corinthian 13:1-13)

I maybe able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains-- but if I have no love, I am nothing.  I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned-- but if I have no love, this does me no good.

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep the record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.

Love is eternal.  There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear.

When I was a child, my speech, feelings and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am a man, I have no more use for childish ways.  What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete-- as complete as God's knowledge of me.

Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greater of these is love.