Good morning — it is a pleasure to serve you today. In this devotional, we’ll explore key themes from Matthew 24 and 25. Today, we will concentrate on a few key truths in these chapters, which offer rich prophecy, warning, and encouragement.

Culture That Celebrates Wickedness

October has become a month-long celebration of Halloween — often framed as harmless fun. But this normalization of darkness mirrors a broader cultural shift. As the Broadway musical Wicked says, “Some people are born wicked, and others have wickedness thrust upon them.” ¹

Jesus warns in Matthew 24:4 (NIV):
“Watch out that no one deceives you.”
In our time, people tolerate and celebrate wickedness, and deception is rampant. This is not new — but it is intensifying.

The Temple and Misplaced Worship
In Matthew 24:1, Jesus walks away from the Temple. His disciples admire its grandeur, but Jesus responds with a sobering prophecy:
“Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another…” (Matthew 24:2)
The temple had become an idol. People valued the building more than the God the building honored. Today, many are more committed to their church community than to obedience to Christ. We must remember: the church is not a building — it is the people, and its head is Jesus.

Urgency and Readiness
We often obsess over the end times. I include myself in this. The urgency is real — our last day could be today or decades from now. Matthew 25 teaches us to be prepared.

We must not use the fear of the end as a spiritual boogeyman. Instead, we should use our time to reach those embracing evil. Jesus warned us about the increasing darkness, which is part of the birth pains (Matthew 24:8).

The Gospel Must Go Forth
Jesus says in Matthew 24:14:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world… and then the end will come.”
There are still over 3.3 billion people who have never heard the Gospel.² In places like North Korea, owning a Bible can lead to execution.³ In Nigeria, an average of 32 Christians are killed daily, and 100 churches are destroyed each month.⁴

Even in the U.S., hostility toward religious groups is rising. Just last weekend, a disturbed individual burned a Mormon church building down in Michigan.⁵ While I may not agree with Mormon theology, no one should suffer violence or loss over their beliefs. This incident reminds us that persecution occurs in our own communities, not just far away.

Hope in the Global South
There is hope. Christianity is growing in Africa, where believers are expected to outnumber American Christians by 2050.⁶ This global revival highlights a sobering truth: while the Gospel spreads abroad, many in our own neighborhoods remain lost.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins
In Matthew 25:5–10, Jesus warns us not to fall asleep. We must not assume we’ll have time to “run to the store for oil.” The time will come suddenly, and many will be surprised.

My prayer is that none of us hear those heartbreaking words:
“I don’t know you.” (Matthew 25:12)

Faithfulness Over Fear
We must be diligent. In Matthew 25:18–21, Jesus commends the servant who worked to increase the Kingdom. The reward is not status — it is eternity with Jesus.
“Come and share your master’s happiness.” (Matthew 25:23)
Being in His presence is the victory.

Last Challenge
Support international missions — absolutely. But don’t neglect your own circle of influence. Your coworkers, neighbors, and friends need Jesus. Let’s live in such a way that we hear those golden words:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Tomorrow, we will read Matthew 26.
Footnotes

Wicked, Broadway Musical, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

Joshua Project, “Unreached People Groups,” joshuaproject.net.

Open Doors USA, “World Watch List: North Korea.”

International Christian Concern, “Persecution in Nigeria.”

Local news report, Michigan, September 2025.

Pew Research Center, “The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections.”