In today’s world, there’s plenty of bad news – but there’s, also, Good News (Mark 13:10).

In Mark 13:7, we read about the end – “the end is not yet.” In Mark 13:8, we read about a beginning – “These are the beginning of sorrows.”

Beyond “the beginning of sorrows”, there is “the end.”

The end and the beginning – Let’s look at the bigger picture.

We read about “the end” comes, will there be anything beyond this?

Here, we must speak of the end of sin and the beginning of salvation.

We look forward to the full revelation of God’s great salvation, but, first, we must pass through “the great tribulation” (Mark 13:19).

Beyond the great tribulation, there will be the coming of our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 13:24-27).

Jesus speaks about our enduring to the end, and he, also, speaks about our being God’s “elect” (Mark 13:20,27).

He calls us to have faith. He calls us by his grace.

Where does our faith come from? Does it come from ourselves?No! It comes from the Lord. It is given to us by the Lord.

What are we to do with the faith that he gives to us?

We are to keep on believing. We are to keep on walking with the Lord in the way of faith. We don’t do this in our own strength. We are kept by the power of God.

Jesus says to us,”You must watch” (Mark 13:23).

This is the call to continue in the way of faith.

Jesus prepares us for what lies ahead of us. He says to us, “I have told you everything in advance” (Mark 13:23).

This is the Word of truth which keeps us walking with the Lord on the pathway to his heavenly and eternal glory.

This Word of truth is Good News (1 Timothy 1:15; Romans 5:8).

The Word of God calls us to look beyond the here-and-now.

It gives us a glimpse of “the last days” (Isaiah 2:2).

God knows the end as well as the beginning – and he shows it to us (Isaiah 2:2).

Responding to the Word of the Lord, we say, “Come,let us go up to the mountain of the Lord … He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths … Come, let us walk in the Lord’s light” (Isaiah 2:3,5).

Our would be a very different world, if more people were looking to the Lord – to learn from him and turning to him – to travel with him.

What about you? Are you looking to the Lord and learning from him? Are you turning to the Lord and travelling with him?

These are the questions that the Word of God puts to every one of us.

Will we give the answer of faith and obedience?

I cannot answer this question for you, and you cannot answer it for me. Each one of us must answer it for ourselves.

What will your answer be?

Charles Cameron, better known as Charlie to his friends, lives in Scotland and is a member of the Church of Scotland. He owns several Christian blogs found at the following links:

Old Testament; New Testament