Jesus Christ did not hide the cost of following Him when He was preaching and teaching. He told those He called and those who offered to follow Him the cost of discipleship, not because He wanted to discourage them, but that they may have a true understanding before finalizing their decisions. Jesus Christ did not sugar-coat the Gospel. So also, we must not sugar-coat it. This is because the message of the Kingdom, when preached correctly, produces true disciples, not superficial followers who give up when trials arise.
Matthew 4:18-22 KJV 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
We know the period the Lord Jesus Christ will come the second time, it is “Immediately after the tribulation of those days” (Matthew 24:29) but we do not know when the Rapture will take place. Nevertheless, when we see the end time events playing out before our very eyes, we have no choice that to be more watchful and get ourselves ready for the Rapture Flight.
The end time is now! It can no longer be disputed. There are lots of signs that tell that the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is near. As we await His coming in the rapture, how are we expected to live? What does the Lord expect of us? This is what we are talking about today.
It is no longer strange when we are told that we are living in the end time because the signs are everywhere. Today I want to remind and also encourage us about the need to stand firm to the end. Many people are abandoning their faith and are giving up the truth they once professed.
