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Facing the Future Unafraid |
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Recently a famous scientist told the world that he’s worried the world might not last another thousand years. He says that man-made pollution of our earth’s atmosphere will cause temperatures to rise around the world, creating deadly heat waves on earth and flooding the continents as the polar ice caps melt. But others think the world will end in a different way. Some say we will destroy ourselves in a nuclear war. Others say we’ll run out of food and other resources as world population continues to explode. Still others say we may be wiped out as a huge comet or asteroid collides with earth. And then there are those who think someday aliens from another planet will arrive and destroy us all. Most of us, of course, have plenty of other things to worry about. We struggle with just trying to make a living or to get along with others, or with sickness and grief and death. For many of us-maybe most of us-life isn’t easy. It’s so hard sometimes that we may find ourselves often wishing the world WOULD end! Surely life wasn’t made to be so full of pain and hunger and weariness and stress. We want a better world! Well, my friend, there is good news! This world IS going to end. And there IS a better world coming! Nearly all of us would like to know how and when the world will end. Will it end in our lifetime-or a thousand or ten thousand years from now? And who is right about HOW it will end? It’s not that there’s any shortage of prophets making their predictions. But the problem is finding prophets whose predictions are accurate-prophets whose prophecies really come true! But do you know that there IS someone whose prophecies have all come true-every last one of them? Someone who can tell us exactly how the world is going to end-and whether it’s going to end soon or last for thousands of more years? It should be no surprise to learn that the one who made this world-the one who was there as it began-is also the one who knows when it will end. And friends, Jesus Christ-the God of creation-through His Word, can take us into the future-He is a reliable guide. Who could know more about the END of the world than the one who BEGAN it? The Bible tells us about an interesting event in the life of Jesus Christ. One day the disciples took Him aside and showed Him the building of the temple, which had just been rebuilt by the Roman government. It was one of the prize buildings in the entire Roman Empirea beautiful showpiece! After looking at the building, Jesus made a startling statement to His disciples. He said, "...Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Matthew 24:2 This was the greatest building in the Jewish nation, and now Jesus had just predicted that it would be utterly destroyed-that not a single stone would be left on top of another. The disciples were shocked! And as they went up to the Mount of Olives, they asked Jesus the question that all of us would have asked: "... the disciples came to Him
privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end
of the age?’" You see, the disciples felt that if this building were to be destroyed, it had to be in connection with the coming of Christ and the end of the world. But in the book of Matthew, the 24th chapter, we find that Jesus spoke about two different events. One of them was the second coming of Jesus-His return to this earth in glory and His establishment of an everlasting kingdom here on Planet Earth. The other one, however, was one that would be seen by many of the people alive at that time. It was the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and of the temple. Just as Jesus had prophesied. Now Jesus proceeded to tell the disciples what was going to happen to the temple. He said, in Matthew 24:15, 16, "Therefore when you shall see the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by
Daniel had predicted that the Jewish nation would have just so many years to finish their special mission. But now He reminds the Jewish people, through His prophet, that these are the events that are soon to take place. Jesus said that the city would be destroyed, and He advised the people (in verses 17, 18): "Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes." In other words, He told them to flee for their lives, because when they saw the armies encircling the city of Jerusalem, the destruction was imminent. In Luke 21: 20, Jesus said: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
Then He went on to tell them that wherever they were when they saw those armies, they needed to flee. "For these are the days of vengeance that all things that are written may be fulfilled ... And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled." verses 22,24 In the year A.D. 66, approximately 33 years after Jesus gave this prediction, the Roman armies, under Cestius, came to put down a rebellion that had broken out in Jerusalem. As they laid siege, the city withstood the ravages of the Roman army, and finally, the Roman armies withdrew, despairing of actually being able to take the city. (See Eusebius, Church History, book 3, chap. 5). Those who had followed the instruction given by Jesus escaped the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. Not one Christian was killed when the city of Jerusalem was taken by the Roman armies in A.D. 70. But, 1,100,000 Jews were killed in the terrible siege. They failed to follow Jesus’ instructions to flee the city when the Roman army withdrew in A.D. 66. Here is a striking lesson on the importance of studying the prophecies and heeding the signs of the times. Those who believed Christ and watched for the signs He foretold were saved, while the unbelieving perished. So it will be at the end of the world-the watchful believers will be delivered, while the careless and unbelieving will perish. What about the magnificent temple? Titus had given orders to save the temple, but one of his soldiers threw a lighted torch through a door, and the temple became a flaming inferno! Not one stone was left upon another. It happened just as Jesus had predicted nearly 40 years before! Will we ignore the signs that Jesus gave us concerning the end of the world-or will we heed the warnings and be ready for what lies ahead? How will we know when the end of the world is very near? Let’s take a look at some of these signs of our times! Christ said, "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places." In Matthew 24:7 The twentieth century was the bloodiest century in mankind’s history. World War I, back in 1914, saw 20 million people sacrificed on the altar of war. World War II witnessed the destruction of 50 million people. When everyone thought that the insanity of man toward man had finally come to an end, we had the war in Korea, the Vietnam disaster, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Gulf War, the Bosnian Massacre, the attempt to eliminate the Tsutsis in Africa-and on and on. Just when we thought that the world would be a safe place in which to live, we had all of these wars breaking out. It seems that the world has gone mad. This is one of the signs of the times. Talking peace but preparing for war. Another Bible prophecy concerning peace and preparation reads: "For when they say ‘peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them..." 1 Thessalonians 5:3 We talk about peace, but there is no peace! Everyone wants peace! But it is just talk! The Bible says that in the last moments of this earth, man will have the ability to destroy the earth. "The nations were angry and your wrath has come... Never before have men had the ability to destroy the actual matter out of which the earth is made. With the invention of the nuclear bomb, man now has that ability to destroy the earth itself. We thought that when the United States and Russia signed an agreement to get rid of many of these weapons, we no longer had anything to be afraid about. However, we find that these deadly weapons are now massproduced by many of the other nations, and they are making them to use against their common enemy, whoever that may be. Where will it all stop? Terrorists have now found a way to buy or steal some of the atomic weapons that Russia had in its arsenal, and there are at least 100 of these deadly devices missing, in the hands of someone waiting to sell them or use them. Who has them-and what will they do one of these days soon? No bigger than a suitcase, they can be planted anywhere, and one of them could destroy a city the size of San Francisco or Bombay. The Lord said there would be disasters of every kind in the last days. "There will be famines..." Matthew 24:7 And there ARE famines in many parts of the earth. It is estimated that 57 million people will starve in this one year. That is 156,000 who will die each day from starvation. Of the over 6 billion people alive on the earth at the present time, 60 percent are malnourished, and 20 percent will end up starving. Jesus said that there would be famines as one of the signs of the end. Informed sources tell us that when population outpaces food production, then worldwide famine, starvation, epidemics and food wars are inevitable. How will we feed added billions, when two-thirds of the world’s population are hungry now? Jesus described earth’s last-hour dilemma by saying that there would be "...upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity..." Luke 21:25 Jesus said that there would be pestilences: "...There will be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in various places." Matthew 24:7 The word pestilence today means, according to the dictionary, the same as a plague. We have many new plagues, in spite of all that modern medicine has done. We will just list a few: AIDS, Malaria, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Ebola disease, new forms of Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Cholera. The World Health Organization says we now have 40 million cases of HIV. Whole nations will be wiped out if something is not done to stop it. Another sign of the times is found in our environmental pollution. The Bible had predicted that the world would grow old. God said, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens
and look on the earth beneath. What better description could be given to the sky and the earth as they totter to the end! The sky over many of our large cities is filled with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and many other poisonous chemicals that we breathe in through our lungs. Signs posted in many cities warn about the danger of the polluted air. In many places the water is no longer safe to drink, because of all the dangerous substances in it. Atomic wastes have become a real problem to dispose of. The workers in one large atomic factory area are being compensated for the poisoning they have suffered. With the world’s rapid increase in population, man faces serious problems in surviving on Earth! Where will we be able to get energy and pure water and air? Where will we get food? The Bible speaks of increasing earthquakes as well. "And there will be ... earthquakes in various places." Matthew 24:7 We have seen a massive acceleration in the number of earthquakes occurring. Each year we have 6,000 major earthquakes in the world. In the last 90 years alone, we have had 1,500,000 fatalities. In the last little while, we have seen earthquakes taking 20,000 to 30,000 lives in one great rumble. Many of you will remember recent earthquakes various countries have experienced. "And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and
pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from
heaven... Notice that it says the wind and the waves will be roaring. All over the world, we have seen some extraordinary weather. Typhoons, with attending tidal waves; tornadoes; hurricanes; volcanoes-all of these things are taking a fearful toll in property and lives. Knowledge shall increase. Daniel was told by the angel to "...shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end;
Knowledge of all kinds has increased radically as computers and other amazing inventions have flooded the market. Textbooks are obsolete even before they are printed! Breakthroughs in medicine and in extending lifespan cannot be revealed fast enough! Many students of the Bible believe that this prophecy specifically predicts increase of knowledge and understanding of the prophecies of the Book of Daniel. There can be no doubt that this explosion in knowledge has happened. In the last 100 years, knowledge in all of the fields of science and industry has multiplied. Think of what is happening today right here in this meeting. Without the computer and the projector, we would be unable to bring you these programs that we have been presenting from night to night. And because we have this equipment and have been able to present these messages, your knowledge about the God of creation and the plan of salvation has been increased. Think of our ability to be here and to speak to you and teach you these wonderful things we are studying from the Word of God! In many parts of the world, things like telephones and televisions and electric appliances are just taken for granted. And computers have revolutionized our world and affected every country on earth! People run to and fro; Thousands and thousands of people are boarding planes every day and flying to faraway places. Now we break the sound barrier and span the globe in everything from the Concorde to the space shuttles, to missions to other planets! Horse and buggy days are over! It’s a new ball game now, so to speak! We are a mobile generation! In many parts of the world, people even have more than one car. We have buses and trains and vans and pickups and every conceivable means of transportation. Jesus compared conditions on earth in the last days to the early biblical days of Sodom and Gomorrah, two of the most sinful cities that ever existed. God finally destroyed them with fire from heaven. "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ... Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." "...Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them...having given themselves over to sexual immorality... are set forth as an example..." Luke 17:28, 30; Jude 7 Paul, speaking of the moral conditions that characterized these cities, said, "...Even their women exchanged
natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed Christ warned about the false Christs and false prophets who would appear to deceive His people: "Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is
Christ,’ or ‘There,’ do not believe it. There will be no need to go anywhere, for Jesus said, "For as the lightning comes from
the east and flashes to the west, so also We will see Him when He comes! No one will need to tell us when Jesus comes with all His Holy angels! As we look at the signs given in the Bible that were to be fulfilled before the coming of Christ, only one has not been fulfilled. Just one. Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, as a witness to all nations, and THEN THE END WILL COME." Matthew 24:14 In the book of Revelation, we find that God describes this great proclamation. "...I saw another angel flying in
the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Do you realize that you are seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy tonight in this very meeting? This is a part of the preaching of the everlasting gospel to every creature. It is amazing what is happening around the world where the gospel is being proclaimed by TV, radio, evangelistic meetings, the Internet, private Bible studies, and correspondence courses around the globe. Daniel has said that "knowledge shall increase." In the last crucial days of this world’s history, the book of Daniel will be unsealed, and that will bring about an increase in knowledge about God’s plan for this earth as well as a great increase of knowledge in the scientific world. Time is running out! The sins that called for the destruction of the world in Noah’s time exist today. Without Christ’s prophecies about the end of the world and His coming to set up His kingdom, man would have little or no hope for the future. He seems bent on his own destruction, as evidenced by events now taking place. Jesus compared our day to the days of Noah. The people who lived in Noah’s day were busy making a living and doing their daily things with not much time for spiritual things. Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the
Son of Man be. In the book of Genesis, we find a little clearer picture of what was happening. "And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually." Genesis 6:5 It sounds like a person who has seen what things are like around us today. Pornography and immorality is everywhere, in books and magazines, on computers and television, in advertising, in many kinds of entertainment-things that would have made our mothers and fathers blush with shame. With the flood of evil we have seen sweeping across the world, it is not surprising that violence would follow. Genesis 6:11 tells us, "The earth also was corrupt before
God, In many countries today there is an epidemic of violence. In America a number of schools have been the stage for mass murders by either students or madmen turning their guns on innocent people. In some countries, the government is trying to take guns away from citizens who are trying to protect themselves against such things happening in the future. But it will take more than restricting the use of guns to change the way men treat each other. The Bible tells us that "as lawlessness spreads, men’s love for one another grows cold." It is shocking how violent the world has become! But there is good news in these signs of the end. The Bible tells us in Daniel 12:4, "But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.... knowledge shall increase." There you have it. In the last crucial days of this world’s history, the book of Daniel will be unsealed, and that will bring about an increase of knowledge about God’s plan for this earth. On several occasions, Jesus directed the attention of His audience to the colorful figure of Noah, pictured in Genesis, chapters 6 and 7. Noah lived in a time when the earth was filled with sin and violence. It was so bad that the Bible says that God was sorry that He had created man. How could He save the earth and mankind that He had created? God had a plan. He called Noah to head the rescue mission for all who wanted to be saved. "And God said to Noah, The end of
all flesh has come before Me, The strange part of these instructions that Noah received from God was that he was to build a very large boat, when there had never been a rainstorm on earth! The Bible says it had never rained. But Noah was a man of tremendous faith in God. He followed God’s instructions exactly! For 120 years he worked on the ark and warned of coming disaster. He and his sons witnessed, by their work on the ark, to their belief in the instructions God had given them. The people laughed at them and ridiculed them as they faithfully worked and preached. The description given in the Bible reveals that God asked Noah to build a huge boat, for it was to hold Noah and his family and animals of every family. At last the final board was put in place-the last bit of tar was put on the side of the ark to make it waterproof. As Noah completed the work he had been given to do, birds came flying down from the sky and into the ark, and out of the forest the wild animals streamed into the ark, two by two and seven by seven. Noah and his family placed the animals in stalls on the ark that had been prepared for them. This scene should have been a sufficient sign to cause the skeptics and mockers to have a second thought. But not so! Noah made his final appeal to the crowd, but no one else boarded the ark. Just Noah, his wife, and their three sons and their wives! Then the Bible says, "...And the Lord shut him in." Genesis 7:16 God did not send the rains for seven days, but no one tried to get in. The people didn’t see any rain or water, so they made fun of Noah and his family. The people scoffed, but the picture soon changed! The Bible gives an interesting account of what happened on the eighth day: "And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on
the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second
month...the The waters rose higher quickly. First, the people outside the ark had to flee the valleys and then the hills, and finally the water reached over the top of the highest mountain. There was no place to flee. Genesis 7 says the water prevailed fifteen cubits [or about six and a half meters] over the highest mountain-and that all that was alive on the earth died. "...Only Noah and those who were
with him in the ark remained alive." Jesus said that His second coming would be as it was in the day of Noah. People would be having a great time-but no time for God! They would be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. The last few grains of sand in the hourglass of time are now trickling through. Soon the Son of God will pierce the star-studded skies, attended by countless angels. God looks anxiously for that day, not that He may destroy the world, but that He may take His people home. That home is waiting. It’s ready! As we look at the signs in the world today, we can certainly see how close we must be to the coming of Jesus. Things now are much as they were the first time Jesus came to this earth. God gave many signs back then to let the people know what time it was that Jesus would come to earth. The clock ticked for 4,000 years, and God even sent angels and wise men to let the people know of His coming. But sad to say, "He came to His own, and they received Him not." John 1:11 They were not ready for Him. Friends, He has given us all these signs which say He is coming soon. Jesus said, "...When you see all these things, know that it is near — at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." Matthew 24:33, 34 Will we receive Him this time-or will He be disappointed again? The hour is late, and the stakes are high. There is not a moment to lose. Won’t you lift your heart to God right now and ask Him to help you prepare for Christ’s soon coming? Won’t you prepare your heart to meet the one who made you and who loves you so much He gave His life for you? To wait may result in being eternally lost.
Won’t you lift your heart to God now and ask Him to help you be prepared for Christ’s soon coming.
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