Our very own superhero....

...Mike Valka to the rescue!

(What we learned on Good Friday)

Pressing On (5)

....As I was saying...

It appears that what trumps the fear of end time predictions of economic collapse, of betrayal (Matt 24:10), hatred (v. 9), apostasy (v. 10), and even death (v. 9), is the promise that amidst the coldness of the hearts of most, there will be an increase in love in the hearts of many.

In other words Matt 24 reflects the biblical understanding that endurance is not just a stoic, gladiator-like face-to-the-wind reaction to an indifferent world. Endurance is not indifference--at least not the way Jesus describes. You don't overcome the indifference of the world by indifference to the world.

Rather, the Bible speaks of endurance is a gift of God to causes a person to pursue God in the face of myriad temptations not to.

To think of it in this passage, Jesus seems to promise that there will be those who don't grow cold with the increase of temptation, but who press on and endure with a bold and courageous love that could only be credited as a supernatural work of God in the human heart.

Moreover, such is the quality of this love--love born of the Holy Spirit, that the gospel of the kingdom is "proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations (v. 16)." This is radical love in the face of radical coldness and opposition.

Let's commit all over again to "endure to the end" together. Don't let the coldness of the world toward God or any doomsdayers tempt you to think that God is not in control of events and moving hearts toward him through them. Let's be those who fix our eyes on Jesus, burn up any coldness, and run to him with endurance.

The Press Meeting - Good Friday

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