Would it make any difference in how we live our lives if we are about to go through the end of the world? Some people would call the end of the world the Great Tribulation. In truth, the Tribulation is not really the “end of the world”, but it is the end of this particular time period. The Bible explains that the world continues after that, but with Yeshua ruling it directly from Jerusalem. (If you would like to know a little more about that, check out the post, “Give Me A Place Where I May Dwell”.)
Whether we are about to enter the Great Tribulation or not, believers in Yeshua should be doing certain things that set us apart from nonbelievers. Think of it this way: how do we act around someone we love? If there is someone in our life we respect and admire a lot, we want to please them. We want them to like us, and therefore we want to do things they like. We do those things because we are seeking their admiration and respect and approval. Whether it’s a spouse, a parent, an employer, a favorite teacher, a brother or sister, or someone with whom we have a special relationship, we do what we can to make that person proud of us.
That is how we should be with Yeshua. As we get to know Him He becomes that special friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Our love for Yeshua grows as we spend time with Him by reading His Word (the Bible), by praying to Him, and by hanging around other people who love Him. We don’t do these things to be saved from the consequences of our rebellion against God; salvation comes only by faith in Yeshua (Ephesians 2:8-10). But once we are saved and in a relationship with our God, we do these things as acts of love and obedience to the One Who saved us.
This is important. Many people have no interest in church or synagogue or the Bible because they think it means they have to keep a lot of rules and give up anything fun. If that were all that this life in Yeshua meant then I would not want to have any part of it either. But the truth is, once we discover that Yeshua gives meaning to our lives, we want to get close to Him so He can make us all we are supposed to be. That is more than fun; it is REAL LIVING.
We can expect some things about ourselves to change as we grow closer to Yeshua. The changes happen as we gradually step out of our rebellious, sinful habits and step into the good, righteous things God created us to do. It’s actually a process of moving from death to life. Remember that there were two trees in the Garden of Eden. One brought life, and one brought death. Those results did not come from the bark or the root or the leaves, but from the fruit. That’s why Yeshua said this about trees and their fruit:
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matthew 7:17-20 NKJV)
What kind of tree are you?
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