We have all heard and seen the news the last few days.There are so many bad news.
Terrorist attacks in many countries, children being shot dead in schools, cyclones destroying whole cities as in Mozambique and Malawi last week.
There are more and more earthquakes every year, and entire cities being destroyed.
Christians being killed every day, churches being burned, natural disasters, airplane crashes…
What is going on? What does the Bible say about all these events?
We are in the last minutes of God’s clock! We are coming close to the end of times!
Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled!
I must warn you! We are moving closer and closer towards the end.
The Word of God for you is: Wake up, get ready, keep watch, for we are in the last seconds of God’s clock.
Many Christians are spiritually sleeping, others are too comfortable in their little world and will be taken by surprise!
And as your pastor and leader, I must warn you. Wake up, keep watch, be ready, for we are coming to the end of the centuries just as Jesus foresaw!
2 Pedro 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
The Bible says that we cannot forget this:
For the Lord 1 day is like 1000 years, and 1000 years is like 1 day. If 1000 years is like 1 day, we are on the last day of God’s week!
From Adam to Abraham – 2,000 years (2 days)
From Abraham to Jesus – 2,000 years (2 days)
From Jesus to Today – 2,000 years (2 days)
We are near to the end and Christ could return at any moment,
Have you heard the word Eschatology before?
It comes from a Greek word – “eschaton” which means the end, the gran finale!
Do you realise what a great privilege you have!
You are the only people who know how things are going to end.
What a privilege that is, because the world doesn’t know, but we do!
Did you know that 24% of the verses of your bible have a prediction about the future? In the Bible there are 735 different predictions about the future.
596 of these predictions have come true: they have happened literally and come true exactly as predicted – that’s 81% of the prophesies fulfilled . I have no problem believing that the other 19% will happen!
If 81% have already happened, surely the rest will also come true.
This 19% could happen very quickly!
This 19% here are only five categories: Church prophecies, Second Coming prophecies, Millennial prophecies, Final Judgment prophecies, and New Jerusalem prophecies.
At the end of Matthew Chapter 23 Jesus starts to talk about the end of times and his return to Jerusalem!
Jesus’ return will not take place in Dublin, NY, London, Paris , Beijing – He will return in Jerusalem!
Matthew 24:3
“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?””
When Jesus begins to talk about the end times, the disciples ask him: When will the date of Your return be and what will be the signs of Your coming and the final days?
Jesus said: I do not want you to be deceived about such things, I WILL TELL YOU THE SIGNS AND YOU WILL SEE THAT I’M COMING BACK!
Matthew 24:4
“Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
Please don’t listen to teachers who tell they know the date but watch for the signs
Jesus said that we need to watch so we are not deceived…
That means He knew many would be deceived!
DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS, TRUST YOUR EYES! Keep your eyes vigilant!
If you listen to what everyone is saying about the SECOND COMING AND THE END OF TIMES, you will get into confusion!
Because there are a lot of people telling lies on the internet, tv and on the media. Keep your eyes open!
Jesus said clearly: When you SEE these things, when you see these SIGNS, know that the end is coming!
Jesus said, you must know about the future and you should not trust your ears!
He said: Many will try to deceive you! But I want you to know the truth about the Future!
Jesus said: There are 4 signs you need to keep an eye out for that will show I’m coming back!
If you keep your eyes open you will know I’m coming back!
SIGN NUMBER 1 – Disasters happening all over the world.
Jesus mentions three disasters: WAR, HUNGER, EARTHQUAKES
Earthquakes – caused by natural causes
Wars – caused by humans
Hunger – mix of both – Human and natural causes
Jesus said you could expect such disasters to increase!
If you open the newspaper, you’ll be able to read about a new war or conflict every day, a new famine, a new earthquake!
FACT – Earthquakes have been doubling in number every 10 years
Wars have been popping everywhere!
When a person is in the middle of war, or in the middle of an earthquake, what do they think? It’s the end of the World!
Jesus said: When you see these signs, It is not the End!
He said: this is the beginning of the end! This is the beginning of birth pains! Just as a woman who starts having the first contractions!
Matthew 24:7-8 “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.”
Jesus continues: when you see these things (famine, war, earthquake) THERE WILL COME DANGER – THE DANGER OF FALSE MESSIAHS
The sign of false messiahs will be to the world (and not to the church)
As earthquakes, famine and war are happening, false Messiahs will rise trying to EXPLORE THE SITUATION OF SUFFERING PEOPLE. Many false Messiahs and false Christs have already been seen in the world!
The insecurity of the world as well as the need of the people will all contribute to the emergence of false Messiahs, and even of the antichrist!
SIGN NUMBER 2: It’s going to be in the Church
( Matt 24:9)
1- Universal persecution: Christians will be hated and persecuted!
Did you know? the persecution of Christians has increased every year!The number of countries that persecute Christians has grown a lot!RECENT SURVEY: revealed that persecution of Christians exists in 9/10 countries – that is only 10% of countries are totally free of persecution!Every day we can see on TV Christians being beaten and beheaded, churches being burned and destroyed.
3RD SIGN IS: THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM WILL BE PREACHED EVERYWHERE!
(Matthew 24:14)
That is: all this persecution and pressure the Church is facing, will only purify it. and this purified Church will fulfil the task of preaching the gospel to the whole world!
THE GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED WORLDWIDE!
Notice that until now there was no rapture! The Church is still here on earth!
Sign number 4
Jesus said that there will be a Great Tribulation on Earth like never before!
In the apocalyptic view of history, all the prophecies state that things will get worse before they get better.
So we have bad news and good news! But the good news has the last word!
As Christians our hope is not in the government, in elections or in other people . Our hope is the return of our Lord Jesus to earth and there is no other hope at all
Things will get worse until the second coming of Christ and from them things will change!
In revelation from chapter 6 to 19 there are 21 disasters affecting the whole earth! Seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls of wrath!
In one of them a quarter of the world’s population dies! And this hasn’t happened yet!
We know things will get worst and we should be prepared for it!
The great news about the Great Tribulation is that it’s very short and Jesus has told us that:
Matthew 24:22
““If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”
If those days lasted too long, nobody would survive ,
He said it’s going to be three and half years, or 42 months, or 1,260 days (Daniel 9:27 Revelation 12:6)
When it’s come – we can say to each other : it’s three and half years more !
That’s a good thing! Thank you Jesus for telling us!
But the Great Tribulation is not here yet!
I just want to help you get ready for when this time comes!
Also, we should know we will be governed by an Unholy trinity during the end time!
What do I mean by an unholy trinity?
We know that the holy trinity is: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The unholy trinity is: Satan , the anti-Christ and the false prophet.
In place of God Father, we have Satan which has been his ambition all along. In place of Christ we have the anti Christ – a false Christ promising peace and security to a lost world and the world will believe him when he promises it but it won’t last for long !
He will even be a Christ-like figure!
2 Thessalonians 2 Paul said that
before Christ can come back, the Antichrist must be seen first.
The Bible says there will be a peace treaty for seven years.
Satan is a master at deception and he will offer peace and security to a sick sad world.And the world will say – this man will lead us!
Every election, for president, for prime minister, we are expecting for a person to get us out of whatever trouble the country is facing!
But our Lord is the only one capable to bring justice and peace to the world! Because where there is injustice there will be no peace !
Only Jesus can bring justice and peace to this world
What’s going to happen with the church in the end times?
In Europe many Christians believe that the church is gradually shrinking and will die because the church buildings are empty and abandoned and turned into tourist attractions, libraries, pubs and mosques ..
But when I go to Brazil, South America, Africa, USA, South Korea and many countries you see a new church every street corner !
The church I belong to is not dying, it’s growing at an incredible rate!
The church of Jesus is alive and growing!
Did you know, every minute I talk to you there are 60 more Christians in the world . More than 86,000 people every day are born again
What is incredible is that the Church never ever loses a member by death – not the church of Jesus at any rate – because true Christians never die!
They are simply transferred to another branch! 🙂 (Heaven)
Many people in Europe think the church is dying but not the church of Jesus! The church of Christ is worldwide and the church of Christ is growing
In Luke 16:18 (Jesus said)
I will build MY church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it .
Jesus is building His church! It does not belong to any pastor, or organisation, the Church belongs to Jesus Christ!
Revelation 7: 9 and Ephesians 5:27 show us what the church will be like in the final days !
Revelation 7:9
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”
It will be a great multitude that no one will be able to count! It definitely won’t be a weak church!
Ephesians 5:27
“and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
It will be a glorious church, a strong church, living in holiness and in the power of the Holy Spirit!
There is a promise from God that he will bring a great revival at the end times!
Acts 2:17-18
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
One of the signs of the end times is a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit! We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit!
The Word of God for you is: Wake up, get ready and set watch, for we are in the last seconds of God’s clock.
God bless you !