The End Times Are Screaming at Us!
Pastor Dale Morgan
By Lynette Schaefer
2 Tim. 3:1 describes these days as “perilous times”, and for good
reason, as you will see in the following article.
Many people erroneously think that no signs have to happen before the
Rapture occurs. This is a myth that unfortunately, exists in many
Christian circles and is taught in Seminary, but nothing could be
further from the truth. Therefore, it is believed that, because the
Apostle Paul and others from the New Testament/First Century believed
the Rapture was imminent and would happen in their lifetime, that our
position as Evangelical Christians now should be that there are no signs
to watch for in the End Times and therefore the Rapture could happen now
or a thousand years from now. I believe this is an incorrect belief,
because the signs we are to watch for (Mark 13:32-37) are prophecies
still being fulfilled. Obviously, they were not all fulfilled in the
First Century. A good twenty-five percent of the Bible is prophecy, and
much of it concerns the end times. So it would make complete sense when
Jesus commanded us to watch for Him, to be alert for His Trumpet Call as
our Blessed Hope and not be discouraged because of the times we are
living in. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "[Ye] hypocrites, ye can discern
the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not
discern this time?" (Luke 12:56) Meaning that the Pharisees should have
been discerning about the times they were living in and watching those
signs. And notice He called them "hypocrites" because they had their
eyes and focus on the wrong things. Well, here we are in 2006 in the
21st Century world, but most people who should be watching for their
Lord are fast asleep instead of awake! There are signs (prophecies being
fulfilled) everywhere you look if you know what to look for and why you
are looking there, that indicate the Lord is really near. Prophecies
from Scripture are being fulfilled DAILY which are unmistakable in their
implications, and these are what we should be watching for as we study
our Bibles.
The first "sign" that officially marked the End Times was the
re-gathering of the nation of Israel back into her land in 1948, after
2500 years in exile. (Matt. 24:32, 33) This was a sure prophecy that
surely had to be fulfilled! Since then, there have been many more
"signs" or prophecies that have been fulfilled, that are being fulfilled
now, and that still need to be fulfilled. Matthew Chapter 24, Mark 13,
Luke 21, Daniel 12, 2 Tim. 3, 2 Pet. 3, 1 Cor. 15, 1 Thess. 5, Joel 3,
Obadiah 15-18, Zeph. 2, Zech. 12, etc., all point to the times we are
living in right now or will be shortly. These are milestones that are
bringing us closer and closer to that appointed day when the Rapture
takes place. And by all means, we really are close to it at this time!
The times we are now living in, known as the End Times, can be broken
down into several areas.
1. Spiritual and Moral Bankruptcy (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
2 Tim. 3:2-5 declares, "For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away."
These verses certainly describe the characteristics of our present day
very accurately.
This is all part of the general cultural decline that has infiltrated
our population on every level. What used to be a clear-cut taboo and
forbidden not too long ago is now out of the closet and accepted with
open arms more and more. Homosexuality, "coming out" celebrations,
adultery, beastiality, porn, violence, broken families, decadence,
polygamy, foul language, "heavy metal" music, etc., are reported in the
news regularly and these things are presented and/or supported in films,
schools, the workplace, and even in some churches. They are even being
celebrated as "normal", okay behavior. It is so much so that our society
is rapidly becoming immune and hardened to these bad behaviors. People
are no longer concerned as they once were that these behaviors are
because of SIN and as such, they carry serious consequences. Pop
psychology writes them off as the result of chemical or social
imbalances with no personal responsibility for bad choices and actions.
Post-modern liberal society is godless and mocking of Christian values.
In short, our godly values that we once held so dear, have all but dried
up in today's culture. The Church, which is supposed to be the "salt and
light" of the world in remaining separate from worldliness, is sadly
diminishing in these times of "tolerance", is strangely silent on these
issues and is becoming more cozy with the world due to widespread
deception, indifference and lack of discernment.
2. Anti-Semitism (Gen. 12:3)
Anti-Semitism is on the rise on many fronts: many "mainline" churches
have decided to eliminate and replace Israel with the Church, which is
called Replacement Theology. This false teaching is fast becoming a
popular belief among a number of denominations. Churches like the
Presbyterian Church are promoting divestment from companies that have
had business relationships with Israel, and have come to think in terms
of "Israeli occupation" of their own lands! What this does is support
Arab terror against Israel. What does the Bible say about this issue?
Genesis 12:3 states, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse
him that curses thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed." Which is to say, that because of God's promises to Abraham in
giving him and his descendents the land of Canaan, those who would honor
these promises and support Israel would be blessed; and those who come
against Israel in dividing her land, or otherwise dishonoring these
promises, would be cursed.
Anti-Semitism has reared its ugly head in a number of places: in U.S.
schools, where the curriculum is fast incorporating Middle East studies
in favor of the Arab cause vs. Israel; moral and spiritual values in
schools are becoming more and more ungodly as people who live their
Christian values are forced underground; recently in the UK, someone was
"disciplined" for opposing Anti-Semitism; there is a rise of the hatred
of Jews throughout Europe which is out of control; the President of Iran
recently made statements that "Israel should be wiped off the map";
"Israel should move to Europe", "The holocaust never happened", etc.,
while developing their nuclear weapons (which they intend to use);
Muslim children are taught in their schoolbooks and culture that the
Jews and Christians especially, are the Enemy and they need to be
killed. These children are trained in their Muslim upbringing to hate
all Jews (and other infidels), who all deserve death based on their
twisted thinking. The Islamists will not stop until the entire world
adopts their allegiance to Allah or dies. Many people have already been
kidnapped, beheaded, tortured, or persecuted. There is a lot of violence
going on, and it's getting worse. So Christians, beware of trying times!
This is a major problem in these days.
3. Christian Persecution (1 Thess. 2:15)
Christians are increasingly being jailed, murdered, tortured, and
persecuted by many countries and peoples across the globe by the rise of
Islam and a liberal society. In addition, as the Bible and Christian
values are being treated with contempt, Christians are being attacked
and Christianity is being "squeezed out" of society as unacceptable by
the "politically correct" crowd. Christians can no longer pray in Jesus'
Name or voice their Christian beliefs without serious consequences or
being accused of "intolerance"; however, people who follow other
religions can pray in the name of Allah, the Dali Lama, or whatever.
Pastors are being jailed or persecuted for preaching that homosexuality
is a sin according to the Bible. Recently it was reported there was a
new NBC film called "The Book of Daniel" depicting a dysfunctional
Christian family. The movie script was written by a homosexual which
held a contemptuous slant on Christianity. The American Family
Association set up an online petition against this film; and last news I
heard on the story, it was cancelled because of the protest from the
Christian community. Praise God!
According to an article published in January 2006 on Eritrea that,
"Eritrea dramatically accelerated its imprisonment and torture of
Christians even as the U.S. State Department designated it as a Country
of Particular Concern (CPC) for the second consecutive year. By October
the number of Eritrean Christians confirmed to be jailed for their
religious beliefs had shot up to a total of 1,778, nearly double the
documented count in April. At least 26 full-time Protestant pastors and
Orthodox clergy were jailed and their personal bank accounts frozen by
government order, causing severe suffering for their families. The
regime of President Isaias Afwerki stripped Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch
Abune Antonios of his ecclesiastical authority on August 7, and the
country’s only Anglican priest, the Rev. Nelson Fernandez, was abruptly
ordered out of the country in early October. Since May 2002, the
Eritrean government has outlawed all Christian meetings for worship
except those of the officially registered Orthodox, Catholic and
Evangelical Lutheran churches – but the regime began jailing and
harassing key leaders of even the legally recognized churches this year.
On September 23, Eritrea became the first nation ever sanctioned by the
U.S. State Department under the 1998 Religious Freedom Act for failure
to address severe violations of religious freedom."
4. Natural Disasters (Luke 21:25)
There is so much happening in this area that it's hard to know where to
even begin and I can only barely scratch the surface. We have had a
RECORD year in 2005 for tropical weather and hurricanes, not only in
numbers, but intensity. A few of these hurricanes peaked at 175 mph
winds! Chances are we will have these severe hurricanes for some time.
Also, a tsunami hit in the Indian Ocean in Dec. 2004. Since that time,
scientific discovery missions have concluded that not only can another
tsunami hit in the same region, but other regions are ripe for a tsunami
as well; and they are not all the result of an earthquake…some can
happen because of landslides or other phenomena. Scientists say we are
overdue for these disasters. Another notable happening are volcanoes.
There are more and more reports coming out on news shows of many
volcanoes waking up and spewing ash. Some of these volcanoes are
triggered by earthquakes or vice versa. There is a reported land bulge
in Oregon by "Nature" in September, 2005. And what about Oklahoma and
Texas with all the fires? The fires may not all be because of high winds
and dry temperatures. Reports from "The Enid News and Eagle, Dec. 13,
2005" are saying there are gas pockets inside the fires that keep the
fires going and are contributing to land deformation. Where are these
gas pockets coming from? A possible leak from underground magma that's
rising to the surface from Yellowstone or another source? Who knows, but
I find it interesting. Also, the number and intensity of earthquakes is
very common these days, and there is concern for activity in the New
Madrid Fault line that runs in the middle of the US.
Sun spot and solar flare activity in 2005 was noteworthy as it caused
numerous disruptions in communication on planet Earth. What can we
expect in 2006?
Tornadoes were also unusual and severe in 2005, causing billions in
damage and many deaths. Tornadoes that typically form in the spring and
summer are now forming in the Fall and even Winter. NOAA reported 44
tornadoes for January, 2006 alone.
This past summer, we saw record heat in many places such as Alaska
impacting the glaciers, and likewise, in the winter we've seen a lot of
cold. Europe and Asia has had severe cold and snow this winter.
We have numerous news reports of many glaciers melting, according to the
National Weather Service. This is due to warming of global temperatures
as well as all the volcanic activity under the earth, which is very hot
and can cause massive flooding. Also on the same note, the West Coast of
the US has seen a lot of rain in recent days and they have had numerous
floods and landslides.
The December, 2005 issue of "Nature" reported Earth's Magnetic Pole
Drifting. It said in part, "Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away
from North America and toward Siberia at such a clip that Alaska might
lose its spectacular Northern Lights in the next 50 years, scientists
said Thursday. Despite accelerated movement over the past century, the
possibility that Earth's modestly fading magnetic field will collapse is
remote. But the shift could mean Alaska may no longer see the sky lights
known as auroras, which might then be more visible in more southerly
areas of Siberia and Europe."
MSNBC reported in 2004 that scientists found 150 dead zones in the
world's oceans, resulting from imbalance of chemicals causing oxygen
deprivation or suffocation of the fish. It is also because of acid rain
from fossil fuels, fertilizer run-off and industrial waste. Because of
this culture's consumer-driven lifestyle, we produce a whole lot of waste.
Some would argue that "natural disasters" have always been around since
Biblical times, so these things can be chalked up to simply being
cyclical in nature. These people do not see any supernatural connection
between many of the events that are occurring, they simply say it's
"global warming", a "man-made conspiracy theory" or something like that,
rather than to look at the reality and magnitude of these events as a
"global warning" from God which is increasing with time. Because of SIN,
God's patience is wearing thin with man and He is trying to get our
attention with these phenomena when we are disobedient in some way. For
further information, here is a link to an article from the KR Washington
Bureau describing America's wild weather.
I could go on and on because there is so much going on that constitutes
a potential threat. Let's just say that Luke 21:25, 26 sums it up
nicely: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in
the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the
sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for
looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers
of heaven shall be shaken."
5. Disease and Pestilence (Rev. 6:8; Matt. 24:7)
Bird Flu H5N1: The biggest threat of disease we have now is the Avian
(Bird) Flu. The WHO (World Health Organization) says this virus could
become pandemic if it mutates into human to human contact, and they warn
this is an imminent threat that is a 100% certainty. The WHO is also
stating that around 30% of the world's population will become infected
(7 billion people x 30% = 2,100,000,000). The medical experts are saying
it is taking after the 1918 Spanish Flu (which killed hundreds of
millions), and they have developed a vaccine against it which they are
using on birds. The trouble is, there is currently not enough vaccine to
protect everyone, and these birds that are infected have the capacity to
migrate to other countries as well as reproduce, etc. Therefore, Bird
Flu has been spreading among birds in Asia, Europe, Canada and many
other places. People have contracted it from contact with infected
birds, and some have died from the disease already. The experts say it's
only a matter of time until this disease explodes into a worldwide
epidemic or plague, once it mutates. The UN Food and Agriculture Agency
in Rome (FAO) currently warns that Turkey could have a widespread
endemic problem with bird flu and surrounding countries should be on
high alert. They also say this threat could spread to the west and that
the virus could be spreading despite efforts to contain it. All any of
us can say to this is WOW!
AIDS: In 2005, 5 million people were reportedly infected with AIDS in
India alone. Despite efforts to contain the virus, new cases keep coming
to the surface and the epidemic is continuing to outstrip any
containment efforts. Ignorance and poverty is still the root cause in
many third world countries along with limited medical resources. Also,
we are living in times where homosexuality and casual sex is being
accepted as the "norm" in society. Our thinking and sense of
responsibility have gone down the tubes. Instead of good morals,
monogamous marriage and abstinence, we have free sex in our society and
we have been paying the price since 1981. And part of that price is the
disease of AIDS and other STD's. It's part of the last days problems and
it keeps getting worse because we are not learning anything from our
actions. There is still no cure despite heroic efforts by the medical
community to find one; yet those irresponsible, lusty people who enjoy
their sinful activities complain because the disease is spreading. Well,
duh!
Locusts: ABC News Online reports on January 9, 2006, "Farmers in north
central Victoria are being urged to prepare for a new generation of
plague locusts.
Hatchings have started at big egg beds at Boort, Gunbower Island,
Laanecoorie, Bridgewater and Inglewood.
The Department of Primary Industries' principal scientist, Malcolm
Campbell, says the new generation could be far bigger than the first
which decimated many pastures.
He says farmers will have to wait a few weeks before they spray insecticide.
"We need to wait for a couple of weeks, at the moment they are a
millimeter long and far too small to find very easily and they haven't
all hatched, so what they need to do is wait until a good proportion of
them hatch and they have become a little bit bigger so they can be
easily found," he said." Also, National Geographic Channel on TV had a
documentary of the continent of Africa having a plague of locusts, so
much so that it is contributing to starvation of those who live there.
These people do not have the means to eradicate the locust problem from
their crops and living areas. It reminds me of the plague of locusts in
Egypt (Ex. 10:12-14). How many more outbreaks of these insects are going
to be in our future? We'll see, but again, with the weather patterns and
other conditions, may have contributed to prolific hatching of these pests.
SARS (Bird Flu renamed, PR News Now, May, 2005): link
SARS originated in China, same area as Bird Flu, in 2004. The SARS
symptoms originate in the respiratory area of the body, like Bird Flu.
Could it be the current rage over Bird Flu is really SARS that evolved?
West Nile Virus: Science Daily reports, "A genetic mutation that
protects against HIV increases the risk of developing clinical West Nile
Virus infection, according to a new study appearing online on January
9th in The Journal of Experimental Medicine." link This disease has
spread rapidly since 1999 across the North American continent. The CDC
in Atlanta is reporting that since then, 15,000 people have become
infected with this mosquito-borne virus, and over 500 have died. In
order to eradicate this disease, mosquito breeding would have to be
brought under control by minimizing or eliminating standing water.
Unfortunately, due to recent weather patterns being very wet and humid
in many places (due to climatic changes), it creates an environment for
mosquitoes to breed profusely to infect both animals and humans.
Many other diseases that have made news in recent times: Mad Cow
Disease, Ebola Virus, and more. We might soon be seeing bio-terrorism
play a role here, and a new term, “Agri-terror”; that is, the deliberate
infection of livestock with deadly plagues both to animals and humans.
Apocalypse soon? I can hear the hoof beats of the four horsemen, can you?
Famine:
Although there is enough food to feed the world's population despite a
70% increase over the last 30 years, the problem is 1) lack of income to
purchase food, 2) lack of land to produce it, 3) uncertain weather
problems causing periods of drought, flooding, or other conditions plus
many other factors such as uneven distribution, etc.
Right now, there are 11 million people in the Horn of Africa on the
brink of starvation, according to the Associated Press. The reasons are
conflict and drought as well as insect control. The World Food Program
is now feeding 1.2 million drought victims but fears this figure could
more than double to 2.5 million. Africa needs to do more for its own
infrastructure in order to solve this problem. However, it would
probably take education, money, medicine and many other things to bring
this situation under control. So, lacking that, it's liable to get worse
as poverty contributes to hunger and hunger contributes to poverty as
well as many diseases. Worldwide, over the last ten years, the rate of
hunger has significantly increased due to trends in weather,
malnourishment of expectant mothers passing it on to their children,
lack of education and employment opportunities, etc. Each year, 11
million children die before their fifth birthday due to poverty and
hunger, which brings on disease. That is very sad!
6. The European Union and the “Quartet” (Dan. 9:27)
The EU is godless at the core, which agreed on a godless constitution in
2005. It is primarily responsible for dividing or carving Israel's lands
by forcing the Road Map to nowhere. (Joel 3:2) The result is Islamist
infiltration of terrorism into Israel and chaos in Gaza and elsewhere
that is currently going on. Recently the European Union became involved
in border operations with Gaza and its neighbors, in order to achieve
"peace".
The biggest issue from the European Union and the Quartet of Nations
(Russia, US, UN) is that they are currently working together on a Peace
Agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. The end result is this is
opening the door for the Antichrist to walk through, and he is the key
player who will confirm peace with many (Dan. 9:27). The Antichrist is
one of Roman descent who will arise out of the European Union. The
spirit of the European Union is "many tongues and one voice".
The other thing they are concerned with is creating the New world Order
(see below).
7. Israel and the Palestinians (Joel 3:2)
Palestine: the only goal of the Palestinians is complete annihilation of
Israel. In their reality and according to their culture, there is no
such thing as "peace and living side by side with Israel". The Road Map
will never work! Israel is the avowed enemy and the Palestinians (as
well as the rest of the Muslim world) are determined to wipe them off
the map at any cost. The first step in the "disengagement" process was
Gaza. The end result of that was anarchy. Since the Palestinians have
taken over Gaza, there has been terrorist activities and bombings in
Israel, causing a lot of death. The Palestinians vow they will not stop
their attacks until they take over the whole land of Israel, as their
belief is that Israel is in "occupied" territories that belong to the
Palestinians. Jerusalem is the biggest cause of contention, and there's
a lot of talk about dividing the city. Therefore, the prophecy is true
that says, "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for
all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces,
though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."
(Zech. 12:3) Why is this going on? The bottom line is: the terrorists
are being coddled by the European Union and the Quartet, and they simply
believe terrorism works so they continue it.
The whole, so-called "Palestinian" group is a fantasy in a fantasy land.
They consist of Jordanian, Syrian and other Arabs who have no right to
take over Israel's covenant lands!
This whole "disengagement" thing that has been pushed on Israel by the
EU and the Quartet is a tragedy. If they have their way, Israel will be
forced to give up all her land and her country over the next few years.
That can't happen! The Lord will need to move to stop the evil plans of
man at sometime in the near future. At the present time, Ariel Sharon is
incapacitated due to a recent stroke, and Ehud Olmert is standing in for
him. He is planning to keep on the same path of "disengagement" as did
Ariel Sharon. In the meantime, there are other threats in the offing
such as nuclear war from Iran. They intend to be fully nuclear and able
to use a bomb by March, 2006! And it looks as though their target
countries are Israel and the U.S. The effect of EMP (electromagnetic
pulse) with nuclear blasts will render the affected country powerless,
because it will shut down electrical power due to melted transistors.
What will ensue is chaos, which will invoke the Patriot Act or a Police
State as the government will want to take over population control in
order to restore order. All these events could cause America to cave in
as a nation. Could nukes directed at us be why America is not mentioned
in end-times Bible prophecy? We'll have to see. But God makes it very
clear that those who curse Israel will be cursed, and those who carve up
Israel's covenant lands will be judged. (Joel 3:2, 3) That includes the
US, along with the EU, who has spearheaded the so-called "Roadmap" plan
to nowhere and caused the separation of Gaza (Zeph. 2:4).
On a different note, in October 2005, the Jewish Sanhedrin was
reestablished for the rebuilding of the Temple after 1600 years. The
Rededication was held in Tiberias, which was the location of the last
meeting 1600 years ago! After the Tribulation gets under way under the
Antichrist, the Temple will be rebuilt on or near the dome of the Rock,
the sight of the previous Temple. I'm not currently sure how that will
happen (again, nukes?), but it will happen. The components of the Temple
are currently in existence, so it will not take long to complete the
actual building.
8. New World Order (Dan. 7:23)
The UN and the Group of Eight Summit meetings have been working together
to bring about a future single world government. We are heading in that
direction as meetings are ongoing and decisions are made. The one world
government (as well as the next World War, which promises to be brief)
is what will produce the Antichrist who will confirm seven years of
"peace" with Israel and the Palestinians. By that time, true Born-Again
Christians will be in heaven with their Lord and the seven years of
Tribulation will begin. In recent years, world leaders such as George
Bush, Sr., Jr., and Popes John Paul II and Benedict have all made
mention in their speeches about a coming New World Order, which is
significant in light of the times we are living in. Technologies are
being developed to control the population and create a cashless society.
These technologies involve scanning and internal chip devices to make
the daily activities of people convenient and easy, as well as for
tracking purposes. However, it also means a major invasion of privacy
because things like medical records, bank information, private
conversations on telephones, or even what you do in your own home will
be known to the authorities and can probably be accessed easily by
others clever enough to beat the system. The recent Patriot Act will
give the government the authority to arrest anyone they feel is
suspicious…even if you're perfectly innocent! All in the interest of
tracking terrorists, now everyone will be lumped into the same category.
This is the scary stuff of totalitarianism, for anyone but especially
for Evangelical Christians because Christians are a target group as they
are considered "fundamentalists".
9. Technology & Other Advances Dan. 12:1-4
In addition to the technologies already mentioned, we live in an age of
Computers, the Internet, scientific discoveries, advances in medicine,
and knowledge explosion in every area. Because of this advance in
various technologies, we have the ability to communicate instantly,
travel around the globe in record time, launch rockets into space, rely
on many modern electronics devices for convenience or entertainment, and
we have the capacity to produce many products and services quickly which
makes modern life easy. Compare the way we live today with the way it
was even twenty, fifty or a hundred years ago, and you know what I mean.
10. Islam and The Middle East (Rom. 9:13)
The Arab world of the Middle East is ruled by Islam. Islam is an
inherently violent religion, it is certainly not a "religion of peace".
Are all Muslims violent? Of course not: there are many who would be
considered part of the "Sunni" Muslims who want nothing to do with the
ongoing violent activities of several of the radical, Shiite Islamist
groups. Those groups consist mainly of Fatah, Hamas, Al-Jaida, and
Hezbollah, and they are dangerous. They are extremist in their practice
and are fundamental in their application of the Koran. There are
literally hundreds of verses in the Koran directing Islamists to
practice violence and death against those they deem "infidels". The
spirit of these Islamists is one of utter hatred towards everybody
outside their little group. They intend to wage war with the world using
nuclear weapons, which will bring about World War Three or the Gog-Magog
War of Ezekiel 38-39.
The Islamic world is predominantly one of poverty, although some of the
leaders are very wealthy. Everywhere you go, these extremists live in
filthy conditions and in poverty. The once beautiful Gaza strip is now a
hell-hole of poverty and anarchy since the Islamists moved in only a few
months ago. Sad indeed! They have squandered and spend the resources the
U.S. and other countries have given them on more bombs, guns and terror
instead of building a decent infrastructure for their people. Yet, we
don't learn from this and keep on feeding this idea of creating a Nation
of Palestine!
11. The Threat of War (Matt. 24:6; Mark 13:7)
Since World War II, there have been 250 wars in 100 nations. This will
only continue to increase as we near the time of the Tribulation. Modern
society, through the advances in technologies, has been developing a new
type of weapon called Directed Energy Warfare. This is a weapon
super-powered by laser, microwaves and particle beams, and it is fast
approaching the time when it will be used by the military for ground,
air, sea and space. After more than two decades of research, the United
States is on the verge of deploying a new generation of weapons that
discharge beams of energy, such as the Airborne Laser, the Active Denial
System, as well as the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL).
War is looming on the horizon because of Iran's nuclear program. The new
President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, hates Israel so much that he has
said Israel "should be wiped off the map", "the holocaust never
happened, it is myth", and that "Israel should be relocated to Germany
or Austria", among other things. They intend to direct their nuclear
weapons at Israel, and these weapons will be ready to use in just a few
months. It remains to be seen, however, if this will really happen and
when it will happen -- whether it will be now or further into the
future. Time will tell and we will have to see how things unfold. Russia
has played a big role in supplying Iran with the capabilities to develop
nuclear weapons and supports its use of these weapons. China is also
building up its nuclear forces in order to target the U.S. and many
other countries, according to the Washington Times (July 29, 2005).
Could this lead to the Gog-Magog War of Ezek. 38-39 when all nations
come against Israel? Again, we'll have to watch and see how these events
unfold. But in light of these recent news items, I find this very
interesting in light of Bible Prophecy.
World Net Daily from January 13, 2006, states the following: "The new
government of acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also wants the mullah
government in the Islamic republic to understand that the incapacitation
of Ariel Sharon will not leave Israel in any less state of military
readiness", G2 Bulletin sources say. So, Israel knows what Iran is up to
and is prepared to confront them should a nuclear strike happen. How is
tiny Israel in a position to strike and win against Iran? It is planning
preemptive strikes against key cities in Iran by March, 2006. What the
outcome of this will be is something to watch; but in any case, tiny
Israel has the God of Hosts on her side and she will win, regardless of
whether she is in a state of unbelief in the Messiah at the moment.
"Defense sources in Israel believe the end of March to be the "point of
no return," after which Iran will have the technical expertise to enrich
uranium in sufficient quantities to build a nuclear warhead in two to
four years." (probably much sooner, emphasis mine)
"Israel — and not only Israel — cannot accept a nuclear Iran," Sharon
warned recently. "We have the ability to deal with this and we’re making
all the necessary preparations to be ready for such a situation." (World
Net Daily, Dec. 11, 2005)
12. Apostasy and Decline of the Church (2 Thess. 2:3)
The underlying problem in current apostasy that is spreading like
wildfire, is the unwillingness to confront sin and to truly repent. The
popular "purpose driven" and "seeker sensitive" mentality that pervades
our churches today is preaching a "feel good" gospel that is a
counterfeit and a watered-down version of true Salvation through
Christ's atoning blood. In addition, we are now encountering a
fleshly-driven "ME" agenda that is being pushed in many churches;
namely, MY prosperity, MY health, MY rights, MY wants, MY needs, MY
happiness, etc. It is pure selfishness and is totally void of the
message of Christ. It's all about "me, myself, and I". The Word of Faith
movement, which is a "name it and claim it" belief, is a common example.
Just believe that Ferrari into your driveway. You want it and you
deserve it, and you demand it. Let God enable all your selfish little
wants and needs with no thought of His Gospel or what His Son came to
the earth for. Yeah, right. Is that in the Bible? Also, we see that many
different cults are springing up and growing, making the Word of God of
none effect. There are about 2,500 to 3,000 cults of varying types in
the world today!
Another big item we are confused about is in eschatology. There are so
many false doctrines that are prevalent today: Kingdom Now, Replacement
Theology (the Church has replaced Israel), Amillennialism,
Postmillennialism, Pre-wrath, Post-Trib., Preterism, etc. We are
confused because proper eschatology is not taught or studied. People
view it as "gloom and doom" instead of our Blessed Hope and therefore
dismiss it, leading to lukewarmness in the church and in Christian life.
Thus the gross ignorance, superstition and fear of the Lord's return;
rather than looking forward to it with great anticipation as our Blessed
Hope and the Lord Jesus as our True Bridegroom.
There is also a big problem with many of our pastors who are not being
taught properly in Seminary. Some churches are accepting homosexuality
and ordaining those who practice it; some preachers don't accept the
Virgin Birth of Christ or other basic doctrines of the Bible, others are
living and accepting immoral lifestyles, "extra-biblical revelations",
etc. These should be huge red flags to us for those of us who know and
love our Bible and its divine message.
We buy into this stuff because we lack discernment and wisdom. How many
of us read and study our Bibles every day and seek to find out what God
has to say to us? How many of us go to God for advice via prayer and/or
meditation? How many of us search in earnest for a Bible-believing
church and leadership we can trust? How many of us associate and
fellowship with other Bible-believing Christians? Folks, there is SO
MUCH spiritual deception out there, it is scary. And we can get fed that
deception right from our television screens, the computer or the wrong
books. Many of these television "ministries" use influential means to
bilk enormous amounts of money from deceived Christians for their phony
causes. These so-called "ministers" end up extremely wealthy with
mansions, private jets, expensive clothes, you name it. And those they
deceive end up in severe financial trouble. My advice is: stay away from
it and focus on the true Jesus. You can find Him in the pages of the Bible.
The true purpose of the Church is to tell the world about the true Jesus
from the Bible and to be "salt and light" to those around us who don't
know the Lord. If your church or ministry is spouting any of the above
nonsense, then GET OUT quickly! This sort of apostasy is in reality,
opening the door for the Antichrist to enter. At this point, he is not
far away as all the players are already in place to play out the last
scene of the end times.
All of the above are indicative of a soon return of our Lord and Savior,
and there are probably many more “signs” that were not even touched on.
When you look around, you see the signs are really everywhere and you
don’t have to look very far to see them. Many prophecies from thousands
of years ago are being fulfilled before our eyes. Knowing this, it
should motivate each one of us to be watchful for the Lord's trumpet
call, to endeavor to be “salt and light” to those around us and to
continue our witness to those who do not know our Lord. If you have been
spiritually asleep, groggy, or not paying attention to the Lord’s soon
return or the times we are living in, NOW IS THE TIME TO BE ON THE ALERT
because His call for us can come at any time. We do not know when that
day will be, because it is an unknown day. It therefore makes no sense
to try to tie the date of the Rapture to a Jewish Feast day or other
holiday, a month, or even a season of the year; because in doing so you
will be wrong in your guess and also it is misleading as well as
discouraging to others. It is simply unknown, as Jesus told us that we
do not know the day or the hour of His return, not even Him, but His
Father only. (Matt. 25:13; Matt. 24:36; Mark 13:32). But, on the other
hand, all the current events and conditions of our present world as
outlined above that continue to unfold every day while increasing in
volume and intensity, are definite indications of a soon return. It is
like the labor pains of a woman about to give birth: when her pains
become very frequent and intense as the baby moves into position,
everyone knows she is very close to delivery (even though it is not
known exactly at what moment the baby will be born until it is born). In
the meantime, this world continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate on
every level and is headed for sure self-destruction, which will lead
into the period of the seven year Tribulation for those who are left
behind. The Bible has foretold about these things for thousands of
years, so it is in our best interest to take each one of them seriously
in order to be prepared for the future.
If you are reading this article and have not yet made Jesus Christ your
personal Savior, I strongly urge you to do so TODAY. There is no
guarantee in this life: a misfortune can happen to us at any time,
causing our untimely death. (1Pet. 1:24; Psm. 39:4) Without Christ as
your Savior who cleanses you from all sin, you will definitely be in
hell if that were to happen. (Heb. 9:27; Matt. 25:46; Luke 16:19-31)
That would be a true tragedy, because it is an everlasting punishment
but it would be your own choice to go there as you failed to respond to
the call of the Gospel when you had the chance. (Psm. 9:17; Psm. 55:15;
Psm. 101:4; Matt. 7:23) Likewise, even by the Grace of God, if we don’t
die and continue to live, Jesus can call us out of this world at any
time via the Rapture. If you don’t belong to God, you will be left
behind to endure very horrific, wrathful judgments from God that will go
on for at least three and one half years in order to cleanse the earth
of mankind’s and womankind's grievous sins. On the day the Rapture
happens, it will appear to be another ordinary day and most people will
be coming and going, pursuing their daily activities. (Matt. 24:37, 38;
Luke 17:26, 27) They will be caught completely unawares and once it
happens "in a twinkling of an eye" and people find themselves left
behind, it will be too late. (1Thess. 5:3; Matt. 25:1-13) If you are
still foolish enough to be in a lost state at that time, you can still
trust in the Lord and be saved; however, you will be forced to endure
the wrath of the Tribulation anyhow because the Age of Grace as we know
it today will be over. So consider this a fair warning ahead of time!
The good news is that the Lord doesn’t want anyone to either die and go
to hell and/or experience the Tribulation to come. (2 Pet. 3:9) He
created each one of us to love and to have a relationship with, but the
one thing that barricades us from that relationship is the issue of SIN.
This is due to the holy, pure and righteous nature of God, who cannot
look upon sin and cannot allow anything sinful into God's presence. (Ex.
20:5; Acts 17:30) To solve that very big problem, God sent God's ONLY
BEGOTTEN from heaven whom God loves so dearly to come to this earth to
be our Savior, to die in our place and atone for us. (Rom. 6:10) What a
Gift of Grace! (Eph. 2:5, 8) When we trust in the Lord for salvation, he
forgives us of all sin and comes to live within us and start a new
relationship. (1Cor. 6:11) That is called the Rebirth, and now we have
eternal life with Him. (Rom 8:15-17) It is only when we have a true
relationship with God by trusting in the Lord to atone for us can we say
we are really prepared for the future. No other method, tradition or
system devised by puny man will count a whit for salvation, nor will
following after some earthly guru who cannot possibly save your soul.
Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to heaven! (John 14:6)
Here are the simple steps you need to take to ensure your future with God:
1) Recognize that you are a sinner in dire need of God’s help, and that
only God can help you with your sin problem. Woman or Man is completely
helpless to solve this problem on her own, she needs a real miracle from
heaven: Jesus Christ.
2) Humbly come before God and recognize God as the great God of the
Universe and the Godhead, who came down from heaven in the form of a Man
to be your Savior.
3) Humbly and contritely ask God's forgiveness by acknowledging
God'sgreat sacrifice on the Cross as your Substitute, knowing that God's
pure blood which Jesus shed for you has the power to forgive all sin.
4) By surrendering your life to God and renouncing the world and the
lifestyle of sin, you become a new creation in Christ and the Holy
Spirit now indwells you.
5) Walk in newness of life with Christ, sharing your witness with others
and obeying God’s commands with the direction and guidance of the Holy
Spirit.
NOW IS THE TIME to get your life in order, because these are clearly the
"Days of Noah" (Matt. 24) and the future is looking very ominous indeed!
The future is either wonderfully glorious and the Rapture and heaven is
our Blessed Hope with Christ our Bridegroom; or it is terribly bleak
with wrathful judgments ahead for this earth. Which is it for you?