“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12.

You cannot find the rapture of the church in this prophetic chapter because Jesus is speaking to His disciples and by extension the people of Israel.

Only Matthew 24:4-7 has any direct connection to the church because these verses prophesy a world war, two to be exact since World War II is considered to be an extension of the great war, World War I.

Because of these things verse 12, “… the love of many will grow cold”, occurs well into the tribulation period.

However, this verse often comes into my mind as I look at the villainy which surrounds us. These things ought not to be my brethren. We must never give up on our faith in God.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

God puts a high value on faith. Consider this, now is the only time in history when we can follow God by faith. The moment we come into His presence we will never have that opportunity again, forever.

“Now faith is the substance [realization, a powerful belief] of things hoped for, the evidence [confidence] of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.

For this reason, it is necessary for every Christian to determine to cling to Jesus no matter what the circumstances are around them.

Let each of us fix our eyes on Jesus, set our feet firmly on the ground and lean into the wind which whips violently against us, and through all its buffeting let us cry out against it:

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” Habakkuk 3:17-19.

Alas, today many Christians are rejecting their faith, including pastors and a Christian musician who became an atheist. These reports led me to write about this matter.

Beginning in Matthew 13:3 Jesus began to speak to a great multitude, and He told a parable of a sower who went out to sow seed. Later His disciples came to Him to have Him explain the meaning of the parable. It is as follows.

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:18-23.

The seed on the wayside above represents someone who hears the gospel of Jesus Christ and pays little attention to it, giving Satan an opportunity to distract them with some shiny object.

This person does not necessarily go to hell right away because God will speak to them many times and in many ways, until they say no for the last time. In time though they might say yes to Jesus Christ, so never stop praying for them.

The second person who receives the seed in stony places is different, they joyfully accept Jesus as their Savior, yet they have no root in themself. Like a plant put in poor rocky soil, has a beauty which lasts only a little while and when dry harsh weather comes their beauty fades, and they wilt and die.

The person who receives the seed among thorns also receives Jesus as their Savior, but here the thorns are the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches causes them to become unfruitful and they cease to serve the Lord Jesus and become entangled in a lust for worldly things which pass away.

The fourth person is the one who believes the word and hits the ground running and serves Jesus with all their heart and produces bountifully.

The Israelites in the desert are a good example of those who received God’s promises with joy in stony places and having no root in themselves they followed Moses for a while when they left Egypt.

In time though, and because there was a mixed multitude among the Israelites, the mixed multitude being Egyptians and other foreigners among them began to complain, and these complaints caused the children of Israel to complain too.

“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!’” Numbers 11:4-6.

This is neither the first time nor the last that Israel cried out in self-pity and rebellion. Their loss of faith continued right up to the moment they were to enter the Promised Land.

Then spies who were sent into the land to check it out brought back a fearsome report about its inhabitants, so frightening that all the Israelites rebelled and determined to return to Egypt, see Numbers chapters 13 and 14.

As a result of their complaining and rebellion that entire generation was doomed to wander and die in the desert for 40 years, before their children could enter it.

The seed that falls on stony ground and is received by folks with no root in themselves does not mean that they go to hell when they die. It means that they will miss the abundant life that God had ordained for them, and they will miss many of the rewards which are given in heaven.

The seed that was received in thorny ground is someone who believes the word, but in time the thorns, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and they become unfruitful.

The fact that the word is choked out and the person becomes unfruitful indicates that they truly accepted Jesus as their Savior. It is impossible for an unbeliever to produce fruit for the kingdom.

Here is a good example of a person who became unfruitful.

Sam Kinison was born to a poor Pentecostal preacher and his wife on 12-8-53. His parents divorced when he was eleven years old. The children were given to the father except Sam who was angry because he wanted to stay with his father not his mother.

Sam became a Pentecostal preacher at the age of 17 and continued until the age of 24. Ironically his brother said that he had no stage presence, and the sermons were lackluster. This resulted in very little money coming in.

Sam decided to try comedy, where his stage presence suddenly consumed the stage and brought on quick riches and fame. With fame came questionable friends and associates and whatever Christian identity he had soon faded from view.

Sam’s lifestyle soon became sinful even to the point of mocking Christians on stage. This went on until he drove to Laughlin, Nevada for a show.

Sam, his new wife, and apparently a friend with them was driving there in his Firebird Pontiac when a drunk teenager driving a truck crossed the lane and collided with the Firebird.

Sam, who was not wearing his seatbelt crawled out of the car to the side of the road and though his head had hit the windshield the true damage was not immediately apparent.

As he sat there, he started to speak to someone: “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die.” He paused for a moment and said, “But why?” then he said, “Okay, okay, okay.” And Sam Kinison passed away on 4-10-92 at the age of 38.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:7-9.

In the last post, “On Abortion”, 5-16-24, I included a quote from Socrates which is pertinent both there and here:

“The unexamined life is a life not worth living.” Socrates (c. 470-399 B.C.)

I have a question for both the Christian and the unbeliever.

Where are you?

Christians will, in time grow in Christ, if so, crass speech, dirty jokes, hanging out in bars all night, anything that is contrary to holiness, peacefulness, and loving-kindness will eventually be discarded for a life of quiet godliness. Where are you? Have you examined your life in Christ?

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2.

For those who reject God, and by extension God the Son Jesus Christ, why? Have you examined your life at all?

Have you researched the theory of evolution, or do you just accept what someone told you that they heard from someone else who was taught it by someone who read books by people with all kinds of letters after their name who believed it because they wanted to?

God calls these “scientists” haters of God, which is why they knowingly degrade Him.

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” Psalm 14:1.

Dear unbeliever, have you examined your life, or are you just drifting along believing without reading, thinking that the Bible is just myths, while you believe things which were taught to you by unbelieving strangers without any concrete proof?

“If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner.” Proverbs 11:31.

Unfaithful taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 5-22-24 ck.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.