Hello and welcome to this weekly devotional time in the Bible. The name of this time of devotions is “Unto the End of the World.” This phrase is taken from the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew 28:19-20, where it says:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
These verses have been the guiding light—they have been the marching orders of the people of God—through the centuries. Since the Lord Jesus first spoke them, the Lord’s people have been going into the world with the Gospel.
There have been large numbers of Christians, of believers, who have packed up their belongings and traveled into far lands and foreign lands in order to share the Word of God with the natives on a remote island or in Africa or in India or in China. God’s people have suffered and given up their lives in order to bring the Bible’s message of salvation to the people of the world.
Of course, they did not think that this was a great thing. They knew that they themselves had eternal life through the salvation that is presented by the Bible. Therefore, their life in this world was not counted great to them. They willingly, in a way of desiring to serve their Lord, gave up their life in order to share the Bible’s message with other people.
Now in our day, which is the time of the Great Tribulation, we are coming down to the wire—that is one expression—or we are coming to the end of the race, as God does look at the whole Christian life as a race. Just as the Apostle Paul says that he finished his course, so all the children of God will soon finish their course. This will take place on May 21st in 2011.
The Lord had sealed up a great deal of information in the Bible, and yet it was not to be sealed forever. It was sealed until the time of the end. Now that we are living at the time of the end, God is opening up the seals from the Bible and He is revealing to His people information concerning time and judgment, as well as purifying and opening up the eyes of the people of God to truths concerning salvation.
Here we are very close to this date of May 21, 2011. This day will be the end of the world, but the Lord Jesus is still with us. He is with His people. We no longer need to sell all that we have or to pack up our belongings and gather our family and take shipping to go to a distant land in order to bring the Gospel message.
No, the Lord, in His tremendous wisdom, has opened up the technology of the electronic medium over the last decade, or several decades, to such a degree that the Bible message is able to go out over the airwaves through radio and shortwave radio or through satellite broadcasting or through many, many other means. Even television is used somewhat in the sending forth of the Gospel to the world.
This was done by God. He is the One in charge of what men know or what they are held back from knowing. For most of history, the world did not have electronics like we do today. There were not airplanes or automobiles or all of this great machinery: the phone system, radio, television and Internet. These things did not exist for most of earth’s 13,000 plus years of history.
But the Lord, knowing that He would have to get His Word out to the world in order to save a great multitude of people during this time of the Great Tribulation that we are in, made provision for these technological advances of mankind in order to accomplish His purpose. Yes, man abuses it and uses it for wicked means and endeavors, but God will accomplish His purpose in sending forth His Word to the world.
This is what has been going on for the last several years during this period of the Latter Rain, and this is what will continue unto the end of the world on May 21st in 2011. And we are just greatly privileged as ambassadors for Christ, as representatives of the Lord Jesus, as servants to God, in that we can share His Word through this medium, the electronic medium, with multitudes of people.
Well, during the time of this weekly devotional, we will be taking a look at a verse or a passage of Scripture that will have a particular relationship to the day that we are living in. If you think about it, here we are just a short distance from the end. It is very close. Before we know it, time will fly by and the day will be upon us. We have Bibles in our houses or in stores that are available, and yet now time is becoming exceedingly precious and rare.
So what are we going to do with our time? When it comes to looking at the Bible, all Scripture is profitable and good and can be used of God. Yet there are certain Scriptures that naturally draw our attention since we are approaching the very end of the world.
So during this time of this weekly devotional, “Unto the End of the World,” we will be taking a look at certain Bible verses and passages that will be offered as an assist and a help for others to consider and to turn to in order to understand that the Lord has been pleading; He has been beseeching through His people. This is the way that He has set up the salvation program.
For instance, in 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, it says:
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
We can see how God has used individuals. He has used His people to bring the Gospel message to others on His behalf.
So the Lord has been bringing His Word to the people of the world, maybe even to you, for quite some time now. Again and again, you are hearing the Gospel message. Will you not be reconciled to God? The Lord Himself is beseeching you through His people.
This is why we read of those who bring the good news, the good tidings, and God says, “How beautiful are the feet of them that…bring glad tidings of good things!” Yet in another place, it is almost an exact quote; however, it is slightly changed, “How beautiful…are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” This is because, as we come with the Word of God, it is God who is being represented.
The Ninevites understood this. This is why when Jonah went into Nineveh and cried out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overturned!,” we read in Jonah 3:5 that the Ninevites “believed God,” not Jonah. Jonah was only a messenger, only a servant, but they believed the One who sent him.
Will you not at this time—not tomorrow, not next week, not some far-off distant time—but will you not right now at this time understand the Word of the Lord, understand what time it is and what day you are living in and understand that you are about to die?
God takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked” or you. He takes no pleasure in the death of those who have rebelled against Him. He “delighteth in mercy” and takes pleasure in saving His elect people.
We do not know who are the elect or who are not, and so it could be that you are one of God’s elect. Therefore, why will you not take up your Bible today? Take up your Word and begin reading and praying to the Lord that He might have mercy; because it could be that He will grant you His mercy.