Download liturgy

When Moses and Aaron started to preach and announce the Kingdom of God – while Pharaoh was king in Egypt, this caused a clash of kingdoms. Whom will you believe? Trust and obey? Doing as Moses and Aaron said (prepare for Exodus, for living as property of Israel’s God) was clashing with what Pharaoh required. Many things would happen, while still in Egypt and when they would travel to the desert to the promised land. Plagues. Enemies. Hunger. Rebellion among Gods own people (people who said: we don’t need to listen to Moses and Aaron any longer). Mighty countries and powers, wanting to destroy the covenant people. The same will all be true for you, says Jesus, as you are my new covenant people. Like David, Gods truly anointed king, who was persecuted for a long time before his kingdom would be established, the followers of the Messiah must face a lot of hardships before the Messiah appears in His glory and before His Kingdom will definitely be established and before all enemies will lie crushed before His feet. Jesus prepares His followers for things to come. However, He also helps them to grasp that God is in complete control and that the worldwide Kingdom will certainly come. Yes, they will face suffering. But their Messiah is with them (Immanuel) in their sufferings. In and through Him we will be able to face hardships and to come through all temptations and crises – like the crises we are facing now. (NB: in Matthew 24:7 the King James Version (an old translation) mentions `pestilences’)

Scripture: Matthew 24:1-14
24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.