Signs of Things to Come?
Henry Omotayo
Signs of Things to Come? (Matthew 24:9-22)
Message No. 0494 | Twitter @GodandUs |
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Years ago, I watched a movie about the antichrist and the tribulation meted by him on the inhabitants of the earth. The cunning way in which the antichrist took advantage of a chaotic situation and became world ruler and the organized way in which his soldiers took control of existing government institutions and exerted terror on the world looked like it could only happen in a movie. Cities were locked down, stores were seized and manned by the soldiers of the antichrist and anyone who did not have the mark of the beast could not buy or sell anything. People who refused to take the mark lived in hiding and in hunger, but only for a while, because the soldiers went from house to house to fish them out and to have them tortured and killed as long as they refused the mark.
I reduced the movie to what it was, a movie, until recent occurrences reminded me of what I saw in the movie. Could anyone believe that, in 2020, governments could quarantine cities with large populations with government officials manning various exits and only allowing entry and exit in accordance with their dictates? Weren’t you surprised that China locked down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, in the wake of the Coronavirus? If that was not shocking enough, assuming that China is not a democracy, could anyone imagine that Italy, a western nation, could quarantine entire areas with population totaling 16 million? Does anyone still doubt that the antichrist will take over the rulership of the entire world and, with ease, wreak havoc across the globe?
Until recent occurrences in the banking industry, it was not so clear how some antichrist could take over the banking accounts of individuals and prevent them from making withdrawals. This has now been made clear by Open Banking, where a financial aggregator could create an App to pull together all the accounts of individuals from various banks, so you are able to see your balances just by logging into one App. The aggregator could advise you if you’re getting the best out of your investments or savings accounts and recommend the financial institutions where you could obtain the best rewards.
In Matthew 24:21-22, Jesus told His disciples:
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
If anyone is still in doubt about the time we are in, he or she needs to check the occurrences of recent times. In today’s world, we not only have false prophets, but we have “churches” that are established and run by atheists because the “pastors” knew they could gather large congregations by making people shout halleluiah. They read the Bible but feed congregants with lies about God. We have, today, renowned Christian establishments that route unrepentantly for politicians who exhibit the opposite of morals and godly behaviors. The world we live in daily criticizes the church for believing in the Bible and we hear in news media that we need to modernize, a.k.a, we need to water down our beliefs and allow liberal norms and practices in our congregations.
The infrastructure and the messaging that is needed for the antichrist to rein is already on ground. I am not saying that the second coming of Christ is tomorrow or next year. Of course, no one knows. But if the signs we are witnessing are anything to go by, we should assume that we are nearer to Christ’s coming than farther. The big question is: are we prepared for His coming? If He would come today, are we ready to be caught up with Him?
It is easy to be carried away by the daily activities and occurrences around us, but preparing for heaven is not a joke, because no one wants to miss the first resurrection. Life without Christ is not only undesirable here on earth, it leads to an eternity without hope of redemption. God forbids that any of us will live under a government run by the antichrist. When I hear people praying for the dead, sometimes I am forced to say amen (by reflex), but the truth is, there is no second chance after death. We can’t pray for God to forgive the dead because there is no phenomenon like that in God’s scheme of things. In Hebrews 9:27-28, the Bible says:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Are you ready for Christ’s coming? If you cannot answer in the affirmative, then I suggest that you surrender your life to Him or rededicate your life to Him. In this matter, there is no plan ‘B.’ please act without delays. Have a blessed week!
PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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