Gtcotr/ss090620
John 5:25 “Most assuredly, I
say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice
of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”
·
The
hour is … now – The Apostle John wrote that we are already in the last hour. (1
John 2:18)
·
When
the dead will hear the Word of God and live!
o Two-fold promise
concerning the dead
§ The dead in sin will be
saved by preaching of the Gospel
§ The dead in Christ
will rise at the voice of His coming
o In order for anyone to
hear, there must be a voice …
· We are in the last hour, no doubt the last minute, and perhaps even the last few seconds of this age.
Three Approaching Prophetic Dates lie just ahead.
1.
The Imminent Return of Christ – referred to as the Rapture of the Church
2.
The Tribulation Period – Which will
not begin until after the Rapture
3. The Battle of Armageddon – Which will happen after the tribulation
Late in 2017, President Trump did what so many other presidents of the United States have done before him, he recognized the City of Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel. However, in May of 2018, President Trump did what all those other presidents of the United States promised to do but never did … President Trump actually moved the Embassy of the United States of America to the Capital City of Jerusalem. This action stirred the hearts and minds of those who follow Biblical prophecy and engage in the study of end-time events.
It is well-known and without argument that events occurring in nation of Israel are meant to be a time piece for the Church to track the coming of the Lord and the end times. There is no doubt that we are in the last days and have been since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus nearly 2000 years ago. The one certainty about the next coming of the Lord is that we are closer today than we have ever been before.
To add to the clock and its countdown, recently President Trump mediated a new level of recognition, peace, and trade agreements between the United Arab Emirates and the nation of Israel. The first commercial flight between these two nations took place last week. Neighboring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will now allow these flights to pass through their airspace. Additional Arab states, including Sudan, Bahrain, and Oman, have been identified as countries that might also normalize relations with Israel soon.
As if these were not big enough signs, Friday the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia met with President Trump in the Oval Office at the White House and signed a treaty not only aimed at bringing peace between these two divided countries but it also included both Serbia and Kosovo’s recognition of Israel, which is monumental and a first of its kind. As well, Kosovo will be the first Muslim-majority nation to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
These things hold major prophetic implications. These things coupled with the ongoing political division in our nation, the rioting in many major cities around the world, the pandemic lockdowns and deaths, the lawlessness in the streets, human trafficking, plagues of biblical proportions, and starvation deaths all over the globe, signal the Matthew 24 discourse on the coming of the Lord. In addition, a recent BBC report said: “In 2020, locusts have swarmed in large numbers in dozens of countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Oman and Saudi Arabia, and others.” The BBC reported that 80 million locusts will destroy the equivalent of what 35,000 people would eat every day.
These things added to the murder hornets, the crazy destructive weather patterns and other related disasters, the persecution of the Church and marginalization of Believers, combined with the political divisionist’s beating of the drums of succession and civil war if their candidate does not get elected as President, paint us a clear picture of the impending apocalypse.
All we are missing are giant hailstones … no wait … we aren’t even missing them. On Friday May 22 of this year, “Giant hailstones measuring over 5 inches in diameter punched holes in roofs and left craters in the ground in north Texas. What in the world could happen next? Where do we turn for answers and help in these times of trouble? Thank God for God and His Word! Because of the Bible, and Churches who preach it without compromise and with the right motivation, we have the answer.
The Church has always been challenged in every generation to remain doctrinally sound in the midst of a world that is out of control and at war with God. The two most important elements of truth which each generation has been given to protect can be explained with two statements.
1. We must be Jesus Specific
2. The Imminent Return of Christ
John 5:25 “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.” (No social gospel or humanistic philosophy will eternally save.)
There are many false gods and false religions in the world, but none can save the soul of a man. The only hope of salvation is found in the one true and living God, Jehovah, and His only begotten Son, Jesus. Jesus said:
John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me.”
Jesus told Nicodemus that good works, money, religion, prayer, ethnicity, and/or political affiliation, will not save a person from hell. Jesus told Nicodemus:
John 3:7 “You must be born-again.”
There is no other way, no other truth, and no other life but that which is found in Jesus. Sincerity, passion, love, opinion, or good intention do not equal truth … Truth is truth! John 17:17 says “Thy Word, Jesus, is Truth!”
The second doctrinal truth we must hold by which we guide our lives and the lives of others is The Imminent Return of Christ. What does this mean?
Simply put: There is nothing that has to take place; no date; no time-lapse; no prophetic fulfillment; no world event … nothing, absolutely nothing at all has to take place before the return of Jesus for His bride.
There are some things dealing with prophetic fulfillment which must take place before the beginning of the tribulation and before the great battle of Armageddon but, There is absolutely nothing that has to be fulfilled before Jesus returns for His Church.
Jesus ascended into heaven with one promise. It was the promise that He would return for His bride. Since that first Pentecost when the souls of saints were sealed by the Holy Spirit, Believers have been admonished to look to the heavens for His return. Jesus is coming in the clouds of Glory!
I believe the end of this age is upon us. I believe we are seeing the very last of the prophecies concerning this age fulfilled in real-time right before our eyes. I believe the world is being set up to accept the anti-Christ and his one-world government. I believe the signs of a soon seven-year peace treaty between Israel and her Arab neighbors is right on the horizon.
One of the last things to happen before the beginning of the seven-year tribulation is the catching away of the saints. Jesus could come at any moment. The Coming of the Lord is Imminent, and we must be ready …
How do you get ready for the coming of the Lord?
First,
it is a matter of the heart … not a physical getting ready.
·
Open your heart to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
o Recognize you need a
Savior
o Repent of your sin and
sinful ways
o Receive Jesus as your
Lord and Savior by grace through faith
·
Acknowledge
your heart-felt desire to see Jesus come back for us.
· Pray for His return. (Revelation 22:17-21 Come Lord Jesus!)
How
do we help others prepare for the coming of the Lord?
·
Do not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ … (Romans 1:16)
·
Share
the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others
·
Invite
them to Church or a Bible Study in person or online …
·
Share
your testimony and your faith with all boldness … and …
·
Be Jesus specific – no other way and no other name will do.
·
Pray with people out loud and lead them in the prayer of salvation.
