Signs of the Times
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· 19 views13 Oct 2023
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Things Above
Things Above
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
In light of the ongoing events of the past week many people have asked if this is it!
BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].
For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.
[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.
[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.
For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].
Oh what a perfect description of the day in which we live!
The word “perilous” is the Greek word meaning “fierce or violent.” It was the word used to describe the the grave risk of a journey over the water in a small boat!
Remember the night Jesus and the disciples were caught in the storm. They were exceedingly afraid but Jesus calmed the storm!
I am reminded of the words of Jesus
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
We must remember during these times that the Word of God is true and sure!
Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
So what can we say about were we find ourselves? Let’s look at what we have been told!
Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”
Jesus did not rebuke them for the question but gave them a clear answer
There is one theme that runs throughout out the discussion of the return of Christ, “Are you ready?”
Are you living today that He may come tomorrow? Ae you trimming your lamp and filling it so that you will be ready for the call of the bridegroom?
We do not have every detail but we do have the tools of preparation!
Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you,
for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.
And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.
Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.
Proceeding the return of Jesus we see that a great deception has come over those who do not know the Word of God
We see today many of the so called “churches” are anything but a reflection of what God intends!
As in our opening verse, Paul warned about those who twist and pervert the Word of God.
My friends YOU are responsible for your walk!
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
We read in the book of Jeremiah
I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the Lord’s laws.
The next thing we will see is a time of persecution
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.
And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.
And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.
Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Scripture foretold of such a time
Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path.
Persecution will be both governmental and personal. It began with the disciples in the book of Acts and continued throughout church history. The current climate now is that they don’t just disagree with Christians; they will hate you.
They are tolerant of any belief but intolerant toward Jesus. Biblical truth is called hate speech. If they don’t kill you, they will cancel or censor you. The name of Jesus is offensive in our culture.
Despite all this, the Gospel will still be proclaimed!
And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
The misunderstanding is that the Church must accomplish this goal when in reality the church is not here when this prophecy is fulfilled!
And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
We know that another sign is an increase in earthquake activity. This week the USGS reported more than 330 > 2.5. A noted increase in activity
WHO shows an increase in health related emergencies unfolding in our region
WFP reports nearly 1 Billion living with insufficient food supply!
There are more than 330 conflicts raging in the world today with one 1 successful resolution!
So what are we to do?
So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
So are we to pack our bags and stand ready to depart? NO!
We must work the works of Him Who sent Me and be busy with His business while it is daylight; night is coming on, when no man can work.
God has promised
But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
God will never leave us or forsakes us.k We must hold firmly on to the reality of His Word and strength of His power!
Now is not the time to shrink back from what He has called us to do! The night is rapidly approaching and we will have rest. But for those who do not know Him, the nightmare will be just begining
Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us.
It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again.
What will you do?