Signs of
the Times
John 14:1-3 (NIV) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and
take you
to be
with me
that you
also may
be where I am.”
Matthew 24:3-8 (NIV) 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?” Jesus answered: “Watch out
that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive
many. 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. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will
be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of
birth pains.”
Matthew 24:36 (NIV) “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
1. Increase of wickedness.
Matthew 24:9-13 (NIV) Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all
nations because of me.
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the
increase of
wickedness, the
love of
most will grow cold, but the
one who
stands firm to the
end will be saved.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV) But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self- control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a
form of
godliness but
denying its
power. Have nothing to do with such people.
My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I ride a Mercedes, my son rides a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to ride a Land Rover. But my great- grandson is going to have to ride a camel again. Why is that he was asked? And his reply was, “Hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times. Easy times create weak men, weak men create difficult times. Many will not understand it, but you have to raise warriors, not parasites. And add to that the historical reality that all great empires … the Persians, the Trojans, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and in later years the British … all rose and perished within 240 years.
They were not conquered by external enemies, they rotted from within.”
Worldwide satellite
technology.
Worldwide financial technology.
1. Increase of the Gospel spreading.
Matthew 24:14 (NIV) 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.
1970 = 1.2 billion Christians
2020
= 2.6 billion Christians
2022:
698,975 conversions
1990: 52% of world in extreme poverty 2017: 16% of world in extreme poverty 2022:
9.2% of world in extreme poverty
Matthew 24:15 (NIV) “So when you see
standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through
the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand.”
Daniel 12:1-4 (NIV) At that time Michael,
the great prince who protects
your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as
has not happened from the beginning of
nations until then.
But at that time your people--everyone whose
name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth
will
awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many
to righteousness, like the
stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up
the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
Increase in travel. Increase of knowledge.
Daniel 12:8-13 (NLT)
I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So, I asked, “How will all this finally end, my lord?” But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means.
2 Peter 3:10-12 (NIV)
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and
everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed
its coming.”
1. Follow God, not culture.
Matthew 24:37 - 44
2. Make an eternal difference with our lives.
2 Peter 3:9
Acts 1:6-8
.
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