My wife and I have started on a journey reading through the New Testament.

We passed Matthew 23 & 24 the other day and some of the verses jumped out at me to share in this week’s email.

Matthew 23 begins in Verse 1 addressing his remarks to “the multitudes and to His disciples.” That includes us!

These chapters deal with quite a wide variety of issues but I want to concentrate on the near return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Chapter 23 primarily talks about, and admonishes the Scribes and Pharisees for their behavior.

Jesus warned the Jews to watch out for the teaching and behavior they were seeing from these two groups.

What they taught was fine but their actions did not back up their words. In other words, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

In Mathew 23:3 the disciples became curious about Jesus’ words and wanted more details of the last days. Jesus begins by warning them to beware of false teachers during the waning years of time. The world is full of these types.

In Mathew 24:6 Jesus becomes very specific about what to watch for as the end times gather.

Our present world would seem to mirror that verse but we are not to put any times and dates to these things. Jesus ends His comment by saying “but the end is not yet” Even though it feels like the end is now. We should not make any decisions based on our perception of time.

Jesus continues to provide prophetic information.

Jesus goes on to say in Verses 9-12 that many things will occur. Things such as tribulation, killing, hatred, offence, false prophets, lawlessness and love will grow cold.

Sadly these events have continuously occurred throughout time. We remember things were so bad in Noah’s day God destroyed the world except for 8 faithful people and representative animals from every type. Birds, fish, crawling creatures and every animal that existed.

Finally in Verse 33 Christ makes this statement

In Verse 34 we see one more statement that causes us to pause and consider all that we read.

We must not try to create our own timelines or dates and places but wholly lean on Jesus for our strength for today and each day we’re given.

In 2 Peter 3:8 and Psalm 90:4 it is mentioned that “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years.”

We need not take this literally but realize specifically that our God is eternal and exists completely outside of human time.

There is a secular song that crosses over into church music that is very good advice for Christians. 

One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus
Chorus
One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from You
Just give me the strength to do everyday
What I have to do
Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Lord, help me today, show me the way
One day at a time
2) Do You remember when 
You walked among men?
Well, Jesus, You know, 
if You're looking below,
it's worse now than then
Cheating and stealing, 
violence and crime
So for my sake, 
teach me to take one day at a time

Now I know this song is not a hymn and probably won’t get sung in many churches but I think there is a truth that we all need to remember.

We only ever have the day we abide in to live for Jesus and display our Christian faith.

Can’t change what we did yesterday. We can surely do our best on the day we’re in. And pray for the strength to live for Jesus in the day and days to follow.

Time is of the essence, however we are not blessed with God’s knowledge. Therefore our responsibility is to take “One day at a time” and live our best Christian life each day.

What I’m trying to say is that the behavior of the world, since sin entered through Adam and Eve, continues in the same old way.

Today’s world is not new. Man’s sinful condition continues as before.