Finally, just to remind you, as I said last week, that there are seven things which are happening now which tell us we’re on the way to Jesus’ return. There are certain signs which Jesus said would happen before He comes which are happening now.
The Bible doesn’t tell us how long we’ve got, but it does tell us that, once you see these things beginning to happen, they’re going to reach their conclusion with the Second Coming of Jesus.
I’ve said before that it’s like a woman in labour. When a woman goes into labour, she begins a process of contractions which can’t be reversed until the child is born. Similarly, when these signs begin, they’re not going to be reversed until the final event, which will be the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah.
Now, ask yourself: Are these things happening written about it in my 10 signs of the Second Coming of Jesus book? (Which we’re hoping to get republished soon by the way)
It says:
- There’ll be an increase in wars, famines, plagues, and earthquakes leading to a time of great trouble on the earth.
- The earth will be full of violence as in the days of Noah. Many people be afraid of what’s going to happen.
- There will be great sexual immorality as in the days of Lot, with aggressive homosexuality imposing itself upon society.
- There will be widespread pollution of the earth and problems with the environment.
- The restoration of Israel as a Jewish land will take place and there’ll be a conflict over Jerusalem which would involve all nations of the world.
Do you see any of those things happening? Do you see ALL of them happening?
They’re ALL in the Bible. They’re ALL what Jesus said is going to happen before His return.
Here are a few more signs which the Bible has prophesied:
- There will be a globalization process which will bring nations together to form an anti-Christian world government.
- The rise, the increase in technology and travel is going to help bring about the anti-Christian world government.
- False prophets will lead people astray, causing confusion about God and salvation.
- There will also be an attack on the basic truths of the Bible, opposition to and persecution of those who teach the Gospel.
But one of the things it says in 2 Peter 3 is
… that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they wilfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2 Peter 3.3-7
A lot of people you go up and talk to about this say, “Well, I’ve heard this before; it didn’t turn up to be true. It’s not going to happen.”
It IS going to happen. And I tell you that we are living in these days when people need to respond by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ because that’s the positive thing talked about here, the message of the Gospel will reach all nations despite opposition and persecution.
If we have one thing we can do positively, it is to take the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. It’s the only hope.
Wherever you are, whether you’re in China or Africa or the Middle East or, even here, in the UK or in the United States, all those great nations are facing disaster in some way or another.
There’s only one hope which is Jesus Christ. And Jesus is coming back, and that’s why we must hope in Him, but also tell people tell people that there is a choice.
There are two roads: one which leads to destruction; a broad road which leads to destruction, and a narrow road which leads to life, which is faith in Jesus Christ. Praise God!
If you come here, I guess it’s because you’ve taken the narrow road. If you’re listening and you haven’t taken that narrow road, now is the time to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can be ready.
Matthew 24.44 says,
Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Matthew 24.44
If the pre-tribulation view is right, then that is going to happen at an unexpected hour. At any rate, we need to be ready for the coming of the son of man.
Titus 2 says,
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Titus 2.11-15
That scripture takes in both the First and the Second Coming of Jesus. It tells you that salvation has already appeared in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, telling you to live a new life in Him, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; to repent and believe the Gospel and to purify yourself from your sins and my sins, and be zealous for good works, to do good. Above all, to look for the blessed hope in Jesus Christ.
So, I have a great hope when I look at the state of the world today. If I took Jesus Christ out of it, I would not have known Him. But, if I believe in Jesus, then, for sure, I have a glorious hope that Jesus is coming and that, therefore, no matter how dark the world gets outside, it doesn’t make any difference to my hope in Jesus Christ.
Because Jesus is coming, this time in power and glory, and it says, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord’ – ‘Baruch Haba b’shem Adonai’ in Hebrew, the greeting for the coming of the Messiah.
In fact, Jesus said to Jerusalem,
See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Luke 13.35
‘You will not see me again until you say, “Welcome to Me, welcome to the Messiah”’, which tells us also something on another subject I haven’t gone into in depth.
God has a future for Israel and the Jewish people in Yeshua the Messiah, as he has for ALL peoples.
Now is the time to welcome Jesus into our lives, to believe in Him, and trust in Him, and know that, in Him, we have a future and a hope, and that Jesus really is coming again.
It’s not just a story which has been made up, it’s an event which is going to take place when God is going to literally invade our time and space in a way which is probably greater than any other intervention He has made before in the history of the world since creation.
When He comes this time, He’s going to make a total difference to how the world is run and He’s going to make a total difference even to the environment and to the peoples of the earth. He’s going to set up his Messianic Kingdom which is a prelude to the eternal state in which we’ll be with Him forever and ever in glory. So, praise the Lord!
Jesus is coming again, and it’s the hope which we have, the hope which can give us strength, and the hope that, as the world gets darker, so the light of the Gospel may get brighter in our lives.
We can tell the people Good News of the hope in Jesus Christ, amen.
Let’s just have a prayer before we sing our final hymn.
Lord, we would you thank you for the hope we have in Jesus Christ. We thank you Lord that you are Yeshua Ha Mashiach, the Messiah, the Saviour, the Lord.
Thank you, Lord, that you’re offering salvation now to all the peoples of the earth. Lord, we pray that many people will be waking up from their slumber, from their ignorance, from their fear, and will put their trust in you as the only Saviour and come to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Help us and strengthen us Lord, and we pray that you give us the faith to confess you as Saviour and Lord, and to go into all the world and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We do remember those who are suffering because of wars and famines, and all these bad things happening in the world today, that you’re helping comfort them and give them hope.
In Jesus Christ we pray, amen. That, at the name of Jesus, many people in these days will repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray for people of other faiths, we pray particularly for the Muslims, for the Jewish people, for Hindus and all those who think that their religion may bring them to God. Lord, we pray that you show them that only faith in Jesus will do.
We do pray for the meeting tonight, Lord, when Jay Smith will be speaking on Islam. And we just pray for your cover over all those who come and guidance in that as we pray Lord, for the Muslim people to be brought to faith in Jesus.
In Jesus name, amen. Amen.
Wonderful encouragement. THANK you. Blessings and shalom from Elise (Lancashire
Shalom Elise and thank you! God bless.
DEAR TONY, A wonderful written message!! Too many churches and pastors act like we cant know much about the end times let alone the last day as ONLY the Father knows the Day and Hour. GOD knows the end from the beginning and gave exact details in Bible Prophecy what the end looks like. GOD wants His children to BE WATCHING & KNOW we are the finale generation; to strengthen our faith in these perilous days and to have a sense of urgency to warn every one we meet that out time here is very very short before the Rapture occurs. SCRIPTURE tells us; we are NOT in darkness that that day would NOT overtake us as a thief, We will see that day approaching, also when we begin to see the signs, we can lift our heads up and rejoice of His soon return and when we see ALL these things JESUS says ; I AM at the DOOR! EMPHATIC PROMISES that the last generation of believers WILL KNOW!! How appropriate and beneficial that the foreknowledge of GOD was only sealed up until the time of the end, OUR DAY; when it would be revealed!
Thank you Ron! God bless.