The Future Belongs to God
Pastor Dale Morgan
The Future Belongs to God*
Saturday, Aug 04, 2007
Jack Kinsella
More than 2600 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah recorded a challenge hurled
by God to all those who laid claim to Divinity, saying;
"Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye
are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold
it together.” (Isaiah 41:23)
While many have picked up the challenge, including Mohammed,
Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, William
Miller, Harold Camping, etc., all have failed to meet God's exacting
standard of 100% accuracy, 100% of the time.
Consider what it means for Ezekiel to describe, 2500 years in advance,
the geopolitical alliances of the 21st century. It was only sixty years
ago that the world was at war -- the alliances described by Ezekiel
didn't exist until that war forced them into being.
The Scriptures say that the 'hairs on your head are numbered' --
multiply that times every single person who ever lived. Every single one
of them had free will choices and the choices made by our ancestors, no
matter how far back we go, shaped the world we live in today. The same
one foretold by the prophets.
Hebrew prophets named alliances between nations that didn't exist in
their world, and in some cases, didn't exist until this generation.
Let's take a look at ten prophecies in the process of fulfillment in
this generation.
1. 'Take heed that no man deceive you' "
And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall
be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus
answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."
(Matthew 24:3-4)
It's often been said that the 'devil's greatest trick is convincing
people that he doesn't exist'. Deception has been raised in this
generation to an art form. We expect to be deceived by our politicians,
our entertainment, advertisers and the media.
2. An increase in disasters and wars.
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not
troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not
yet. " (24:6)
World War One and World War Two were cataclysmic events that shaped the
20th century, but they were domestic disputes in comparison with what
World War Three with the Soviet Union would have looked like. For fifty
years, the two sides were locked in ideological combat in what history
calls the Cold War. Every morning for fifty years, each side woke up
wondering if the Cold War would turn hot -- the ultimate rumor of war --
that ended only a decade ago. But, as Jesus noted, see that ye not be
troubled, for the is not yet. And it wasn't.
3. The great "Falling Away".
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed,
the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
In this generation, being labeled a Christian 'fundamentalist' is almost
a criminal charge. The very phrase "Christian fundamenalist" conjures up
images of wild-eyed crazies stockpiling weapons against the end of the
world while plotting the best way to blow up abortion clinics.
4. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to
the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be
increased." (Daniel 12:4.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, very few commentaries existed
on either Daniel or the Revelation. Both were considered to be filled
with metaphors and symbolism. Even Calvin and Luther passed up the
challenge. The words were 'sealed UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END'.
In this generation, the mysteries of Daniel and Revelation are largely
unlocked.
Columbus sailed to the New World 1500 years after the Apostle Paul made
his Meditterranean journey. Both sailed on wooden ships equipped with
sails, as did ships until the end of the 19th century. One hundred years
later, the same trip takes a few hours by air. 1900 years to get from
Paul's ship to the 'unsinkable' Titanic. Sixty years after that, Neil
Armstrong walked on the moon. We certainly can go 'to and fro'.
Moore's Law says that computer capacity doubles every 18 months.
Knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate. There is technology
being developed to make computers out of strands of DNA.
5. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
(Matthew 24:12) -- Anybody else notice how many parents are murdering
their children lately? Each of you can make as strong a case for the
increasing tolerance of sin and the collapsing moral structure of
society as eloquently as I can.
6. The emergence of the antichrist.
Daniel says that the antichrist's seminal act of power will be to make
peace between Israel and her neighbors. Until this generation, there was
no Israel to be at war. Today, the effort to bring peace is the single
most important foreign policy goal of the US, EU, UN and Russia -- who
together form the "Quartet" that developed the current 'road map'. The
world is crying for a leader who can solve the global problems of the
Middle East, terrorism and outlaw nations. Today. In this generation.
7. Earthquakes, Famines, Wars and Pestilences --
Matthew 24:7 speaks to all of these as being like labor pains -- growing
in intensity and frequency as the time approaches. Earthquake activity
is demonstrably on the increase, while ethnic wars rage across Africa
and entire populations face starvation at a time when other countries
are throwing leftovers in the garbage.
The entire sub-Saharan continent of Africa is facing extinction by the
pestilence of AIDS -- while the technology exists to arrest it. We can
make computers out of DNA strands, but the earthquakes, famines, wars
and pestilences just keep getting more intense.
8. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:28-30)
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually" (Genesis 6:5) That wickedness is the hallmark of this age
can be proved by picking up a newspaper.
The president refers to 'evil' and 'evildoers' in every speech. What
could be more wicked than deliberately blowing up a bus filled with
children to make a political statement?
Television could be described as 'imagination in a box'. We are
entertained by vicariously participating in the story line. What
entertains us the most? According to the box office receipts, murder,
mayhem, war, destruction, occultic fantasy and sex.
Lot lived in Sodom, a place where homosexuality was rampant and widely
accepted as an acceptable alternative lifestyle. Today, we have parades
for homosexuals in drag, or in various stages of undress, flaunting
their wickedness to the enthusiastic applause of the audience. (Romans 1:32)
9. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world
for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew
24:14)
Right now, some of you are reading these words in South Africa. Others
in the UK. Still others in New Zealand, Australia, Mexico City,
Vancouver, Nigeria and Bahrain. That's just the Omega Letter
subscribers. There are literally thousands of Christian websites doing
the same thing, with the same global reach. Soon, there will be no
corner of the earth that the Gospel has not penetrated. Jesus said that
once that happens, THEN shall the end come.
10. "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:24) I could make a list. But
so could you.
Bible prophecy is both the proof of God's existence and the assurance we
have of our salvation. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in
a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your
hearts:" (2 Peter 1:19)
The same Voice that proclaimed, "So shall my word be that goeth forth
out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall
accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) also proclaimed, "And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand." (John 10:28)
Bible prophecy is not gloom and doom, but is instead hope and a blessed
assurance. It is proof positive that God remains on His Throne and that
He WILL do all that He has promised. Including the following:
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians
4:16-18)