The love of many will grow cold

"Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold." Matthew 24:12 NLT

On Dec. 22, Marion Raycheba, 75, was running near her home in downtown Toronto when she encountered a cyclist riding on the sidewalk rather than in the bike lane. "I stopped and held my arm and asked him to please ride on the road," she said. And that’s when, she said, the cyclist hit her hard with the flat of his hand before striking her again with so much force that it caused her to fall to the ground. According to Toronto police spokesperson Const. David Hopkinson, the suspect then stomped on her face before fleeing, leaving Marion with serious head trauma. And her running career— which included 13 official marathons — is at least on indefinite hold. "Right now, I can’t imagine ever walking normally, let alone going for a run,” she said. Raycheba said that from what she could tell, her assailant is at the least very different from other cyclists she’s encountered. “That’s not normal behavior, even for someone who’s a sidewalk cyclist. Usually I just get (expletives) when I say please ride in the road. His manner was different, his body language was different, the rage was different. He must be mentally unbalanced, or so sore in heart and mind. That’s what’s scary. If he could do that to me, a total stranger, he could do that to another total stranger.”

And you now, as shocking as this story is, the Bible is clear that in the end days, "sin will be rampant, and the love of many will grow cold"; something that will, sadly, cause this type of erratic behavior to only escalate and become more and more common. You see, since sin separates us from God who is love, those people who delight in sin and refuse to repent of it will grow increasingly wicked to the point that they will be not only be unwilling to love others but unable to. They will love only themselves which will cause them to become easily offended and prone to fits of rage and other lawless conduct that can only be described as evil. 

So be warned dear friends. As Bob Dylan once sang, "The times, they are a changin..." and not for the better I’m afraid. Keep your eyes focused on Christ and stand firm until the end. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for warning us of what we can expect as we draw closer to Your return. Help us to study Your word that we might not be caught unaware or unprepared for the times ahead. Help us to stand tall and not cower under fear Lord knowing that the battle is already won and victory is Your’s. It's in Your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

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