Biblical End Time Discussions

Signs of the Times – Part 1

We have discussed many Biblical prophecies relating to end time events. Most of our discussions have centered on the antichrist, the beasts and the Book of Revelation. In this post, we’re going to take a look at other verses in the Bible that give us clues to the time in which we live. I believe that we’re given many clues that we can apply to today’s world. For me, it has become clear that we are on the edge of passing into the final stages before Christ’s return at the end of this age. We’re going to see the formation of a worldwide political ‘beast’. We’re going to see the Roman Catholic Church become a ‘beast’ once again. We will see increasing climate change that results in more severe storms, drought and famine. Wars will become even more intense. During all of this, we will also see an increase in the persecution of God’s saints. Why does God reveal these things to us? He has given us these clues so that we will not be deceived by the world. Learn the truth of what is happening and why. Jesus told us these things must happen, but to endure until the end. Focus on God’s kingdom. If you’re reading this because an event has taken place that has caused widespread fear, ask yourself why you could not see it coming. I have spoken with many true Christians who know, as I do, that the U.S. cannot continue on its present course without God’s correction. They may not have received a specific word from the Lord on judgment, but they know God’s Word and they know what happens when a nation refuses to heed the Lord’s warnings. They know that there are only two paths from here – our nation repents and returns to the Lord or we do not change and the Lord corrects us. If the things happening in the world have caught you unaware, remember what Jesus told us in Revelation chapter 3. As I’ve mentioned before, many of us are members of the church of Laodicea.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:14-22)

Step back and think about your spiritual life. Are you hot or cold or lukewarm? The truth is that many of us today are lukewarm. Many of us are wealthy and live comfortable lives, but are spiritually poor….and therefore spiritually blind. Many of us in the church cannot hear the Lord. Many of us are not following His will. It’s time for us to change.

Although I believe that our generation is the church of Laodicea and is receiving a warning from Jesus in the above verses, I also believe that He is giving us words of encouragement in the following verses:

"I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:1-8)

Let’s start our discussion of the biblical signs present in our world today by looking at the Book of Mathew, chapter 24. This is the chapter where Jesus tells us about the signs of the end of this age:

“Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Mathew 24:1-8)

This chapter begins with Jesus walking in Jerusalem. He starts by telling his disciples that ‘every stone will be thrown down’. He’s speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus also speaks of this in Mathew 23:37-38: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.” Here Jesus speaks of Israel’s unwillingness to believe the Truth and its rejection of the Lord’s prophets. The question becomes, is Jesus talking about the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 A.D. or is this something that will take place during the very end of this age? Was 'every stone thrown down' in 70 A.D.? Since His disciples asked Him about this and His return in the same sentence, I believe it is possible this is something that will happen towards the very end of this age. The remaining verses in chapter 24 also speak of end time events. Since I do not believe in coincidences, I believe that it is certainly possible that this destruction was mentioned in Mathew 24 because Jesus is telling us this will happen toward the end of the age.

After being asked by His disciples about signs of the end of the age, Jesus immediately warns us about being deceived. He is giving us a direct warning – there will be much deception in the world during the end times. He then tells us that many will claim to be Christ. Is He saying that many will say they are actually Jesus Christ? I believe the answer is no. Jesus is telling us that many will offer false religions with false salvation. We are then told about wars and nations rising against nations. Earthquakes and famines will happen throughout the world. We are then given a vital key to these things. Jesus tells us that these events are the beginning of ‘birth pains’. Think about what happens during childbirth. As the delivery progresses, contractions become more intense and happen more often. I believe we can safely assume that as we come closer to Christ’s return - wars, earthquakes and famines will all become more intense and will increase in number. Think about the world today. Wars continue to rage around the world, we are seeing a significant number of earthquakes happening every week and famines continue. It’s going to get worse.

The chapter continues with verse 9:

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Mathew 24:9-14).

We are being told that true followers of Christ will be persecuted and some will be put to death. This parallels other verses throughout the Bible (including verses in Revelation). Christ’s true followers are persecuted. We are then told that many will turn away from true faith in Jesus. Again, this parallels Revelation in that immense pressure will be placed on believers. Those without a true, strong faith will fall. Many will not be able to stand against our enemy. Only those with true faith will be able to stand. Jesus then warns us again against false prophets and deception. This also parallels Revelation 13:13-14 “And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth”. Does this deception exist today? Absolutely. If you’ve read my other posts, then you are aware of just how deceived we are.

Verse 12 gives us another clue that Jesus is talking about our times. “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold”. Think about the world in which we live today. Has wickedness increased? Violence permeates our society. Jails are overflowing. Pornography is available in most of our homes either through the internet or television. School shootings are happening more often. Wars are raging. As a result of our times, is the love of most growing cold? How often do you see someone really reaching out to others – whether they know the person or not? There are certainly faithful people in the world, but it appears that most of us are becoming more isolated. We spend less time with family and friends and helping others. As a result, our focus shifts from our relationship with God and those that we love, to things in the world – pursuit of wealth, material goods, social status, etc. Empty things that the Lord tells us are meaningless pursuits.

We live in a very busy, ‘self’ society where most of what is talked about and done is for ‘me’, not others. This is the basis of sin – selfishness. There are countless self help books available, but they cannot give us what we’re searching for – our Creator and His purpose for us. If you’re working today (as most of us are), think about how the working world has changed in the past 15 years. How many of us leave work at 5pm each day? How long are we commuting? How much actual time are we spending with our spouses, our children, our families? With cell phones, blackberries and other devices, many of us don’t ever really leave work. There were times when I would get up on Sunday, answer a few emails on my blackberry and not even realize that I left it on my hip during church. My mind would even wander in church to things I needed to do at work on Monday. I couldn’t even give God one hour every week. I would have conversations with my wife, family and friends, but I wouldn’t always be engaged in the conversation. My mind would shift to work-related issues, problems, planning – things that needed to get done. There’s obviously nothing wrong with working to provide for ourselves and our families. In fact, the Bible instructs us to do so. ‘For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”’ (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The problem is that for many of us, our work has become the focus of our lives. This is not biblical. ‘If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ‘For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ (Mathew 6:30-34). The glaring truth is that most of us do not have the faith required to put the Lord’s Word into practice. If you’re like I was, I couldn’t seek God first because I needed to earn a living to buy nice things before anything else. The opposite of what the Bible tells us to do. I allowed our enemy to pull me away from the truth because I wasn’t reading God’s Word and praying to Him. I was defenseless against the devil’s schemes. I couldn’t even see them.

We don’t like to admit that we have allowed our spiritual enemy to deceive us, but he has in many ways. It’s time to put away our pride and realize that we don’t know it all, that we don’t have all of the answers we’re seeking. It’s time to realize it, understand it and start following the Lord, not our own way.

Signs of the Times – Part 2

Let’s continue in the Book of Mathew chapter 24:

"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. (Mathew 24:15-25)

The ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is a difficult topic. It’s difficult because there are two possible interpretations of this prophecy. This prophecy either describes the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Roman Empire or it is describing a future event that has not taken place. Much has been written about this event mentioned by the prophet Daniel and Jesus. In the Left Behind book series, the authors interpret this as a future event with the antichrist (Nicolae Carpathia) riding through a rebuilt Jewish Temple on a pig, proclaiming to be God. We now know that this is pure fiction. So, is it possible that this remains a future event? It’s very difficult to say. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure of the answer. Jesus could have been warning His followers that when they see Roman soldiers entering the Temple (an abomination in a holy place), drop everything and get out of the city to spare yourselves. I don’t believe this 100% because we’re also told that ‘For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again.’ Jesus is the Lord and Savior of the whole world, not just the Jewish nation, so was this event in 70 A.D. something that caused the most distress the world has ever seen? I don’t believe that we’ve seen the worst that satan is going to throw at us, so it is certainly possible that this is a future event. If it is a future event, the key to unlocking this mystery is determining where ‘the holy place’ is. Would the Lord consider a rebuilt Jewish temple that offered animal sacrifices His holy place? We previously discussed this - I believe the answer is no. We are told in the New Testament that we are the Lord’s church (not a building or structure)– those justified by faith. So, if this is a future event, where will this ‘abomination’ take place? This would lead me to believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. The end result of my study of this prophecy is that I don’t know the answer with 100% certainty. If it is a future event, we will need to spiritually discern it.

If this prophecy is describing a future event, how bad will it be? Jesus makes it crystal clear for us – ‘there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again.’ Jesus tells us that when this takes place, all of us will be affected. If it were not for God’s mercy for His children, no one would survive. I believe that Jesus could by describing Armageddon. Nuclear war on a global scale. It’s also interesting to note that we are told in multiple verses in the Bible that before the Lord’s return, the sun will be darkened and the moon will turn to blood. This could very well be describing how the dust and debris in the atmosphere from this worldwide event causes the sun to appear darkened and the moon to appear red. I believe this could be describing the time between the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ and the Lord’s return.

‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.’ (Joel 2:28-35)

Notice that the Lord mentions ‘fire and billows of smoke’ and we are told, once again, that the true children of God will be saved. We are also told that many will prophecy, dream and see visions. Throughout the Bible we see that the Lord tells us what He is going to do and why. He will also speak to us at the end of this age through these prophecies, dreams and visions.

The Book of Revelation also reveals judgments that affect the appearance of the sun and moon:

‘I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.’ (Revelation 6:12-13)

Again, it appears that our view of the sun, moon and stars will be affected by an event on earth.

‘The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.’ (Revelation 8:12)

Once again, the sun, moon and stars turn dark due to a judgment from the Lord. Are all of these verses related to the same event? It is certainly possible. It is also possible that multiple events will have the same result – darkened skies.

‘Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the day of the LORD is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger — to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. I will make man scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.’ (Isaiah 13:6-13)

Here we see again that the sun, moon and stars are darkened. The word ‘desolate’ is once again used to describe the earth. Do you see a pattern? For those who question if the Bible is really the Word of God, remember that the men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words (in both the Old and New Testaments) lived hundreds of years apart – yet the message was the same. You see this time and again within the Lord’s Word. We are also given the reasons for these things – sin and evil in the world. When the time comes according to God, He will punish the world for its sins. We see this described again in Zephaniah 1:14-18:

‘The great day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.’ (Zephaniah 1:14-18)

We see, once again, a description of the same terrible event. Once again ‘darkness and gloom…clouds and blackness’ are mentioned to describe our atmosphere resulting from these events. Why are these events taking place? It’s clear - ‘….they have sinned against the Lord.’ In our physical world, how will the Lord do this? I believe that it is clear this is the result of worldwide war - ‘a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers’. There is only one thing in the world today that could cause such widespread destruction – nuclear weapons. Also note that we’re told that all the wealth in the world cannot prevent this from happening. None of the things of the world can protect us if we turn away from God - our wealth, our weapons, our military strength – they mean nothing.

Once again, we’re also told that those who are following the Lord are offered the Lord’s protection:

‘Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger.’ (Zephaniah 2:3)

The Bible tells us that even though all of these things have been foretold in God’s Word, even though there will be many who preach the Truth during these times, most of the world will not repent. They will not turn back to God:

‘The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.’ (Revelation 9:20)

Why are we told all of these things? Why has the Lord instructed me to write about them? We all need to wake up to what is happening in the world and what is going to happen. We need to prepare ourselves spiritually.

‘These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3:1-6)

Signs of the Times – Part 3

Continuing our discussion of Mathew 24:

‘At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.’ (Mathew 24:23-25)

Jesus warns us again against deception. He is telling us that when people of the world point us away from the Truth, away from Him, do not believe it. Do not let yourself be deceptively led away to false prophets and false religions. Do not believe the enemy’s lie that you don’t need Me. He also tells us something very serious – ‘signs and miracles to deceive even the elect’. The ‘elect’ are God’s children. These are true believers, teachers and prophets. What are we told? Even some of God’s true children will be deceived. What are the ‘great signs and miracles’ that are performed by these false prophets? Remember, the ‘beast out of the earth’ of Revelation chapter 13 is referred to as a ‘false prophet’ in Revelation 19. Take note that this verse also refers to ‘miraculous signs’ and deception:

‘But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.’ (Revelation 19:20).

So, what are these miraculous signs? It’s made clear in this verse and in Revelation Chapter 13 that these ‘signs’ deceive the inhabitants of earth. Looking at the world today, do we see any of these ‘signs’? I believe the answer is yes. Remember, in more than one verse, these ‘miraculous signs’ are associated with the ‘beast out of the earth’. If you’ve read previous posts of mine, then you know that I believe this to be the Illuminati/Freemason beast that becomes the worldwide political beast – this ‘beast out of the earth’. What are we seeing in the world today that could be considered ‘miraculous signs’ associated with this beast? Since these signs are associated with this beast, it’s safe to assume that the signs are being used as part of the plan to gain political control of the entire world. Here are some signs that have made worldwide headlines in recent years:

1. 9/11/01 New York City, United States. WTC destroyed by airliners. 3000 killed.
2. 3/11/04 Madrid, Spain. Commuter Train attacks. 191 killed – 2050 injured.
3. 7/7/05 London, England. Commuter bus attacks. 56 killed - 700 injured.
4. 7/11/06 Mumbai, India. Commuter Train attacks. 209 killed - 700 injured.

Think about where these ‘terrorist’ events have led us. We are losing many freedoms (Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act). All the U.S. government needs to do is label you an ‘unlawful enemy combatant’ and you’ve lost your rights that were granted to you under the Bill of Rights. Security is increasing everywhere – not just airports. I recently attended a Major League baseball game and everyone was checked (frisked, metal detecting wands) before entering the stadium. We accept this increase in ‘security’ because of these ‘events’ that have happened. What if our government tried to pass the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act and tighten security to these levels at airports and elsewhere if these ‘events’ had not taken place? You and I know that Americans would never have let it happen. It’s hard to accept, but it’s the ‘beast’ that is doing this to us. Whether or not we want to accept it, it’s the truth. We’re going to see more devastating ‘signs’ in the years to come leading us to submit to this political beast.

Mathew 24 continues:

‘So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.’ (Mathew 24:26-28)

Jesus continues with warnings concerning deception during the end times. All of God’s Word has meaning – none of it returns void. So, when Jesus warns us about someone in the desert claiming to be from God, but is not, who is He referring to? Jesus would not tell us this if this person did not deceive many in the world. In the past 2,000 years, who has claimed to be a prophet of God, spent much of his time in the desert and has led millions to a false religion? I believe Jesus is warning us about one man – Muhammad. When Jesus tells us ‘do not go out’, he is warning us not to follow this religious deception. Jesus is telling us that there is only one Truth in the world – Him and Him only. Do not let yourself be deceived by a religion that mixes the clean (verses from the Bible) with the unclean (Koran).

Jesus also mentions something that I find very interesting. He tells us not to believe something that is ‘in the inner rooms’. The King James Version translates this as ‘in the secret chambers’. What is Jesus referring to? Does a religion exist in the world today that claims to be the truth, but once again mixes the clean (God’s Word) with the unclean (unbiblical teaching)? Is there a religion that has deceived millions with its deceptive doctrine that includes ‘secret chambers’ in its teachings? The answer is yes. The teachings of the Watchtower organization (Jehovah’s Witnesses). They claim to be Christian and do teach from some verses in the Bible, but much of their teaching is deceptive. Some of their teachings that contradict the Bible:

1. They deny the Holy Trinity
2. They deny the deity of Jesus Christ
3. They deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit
4. They deny Jesus’ physical resurrection
5. They deny salvation by grace through faith (they teach salvation by works)
6. They take verses in the Bible out of context and alter verses to fit their teaching (Example: Revelation 7:4)
7. They teach that Jesus was only a man on earth (same as Adam)
8. Jesus was the Archangel Michael prior to His coming to Earth. After His death, he became the Archangel again and is kept in a ‘secret chamber’.

There are many other ways their teachings contradict God’s Word, but rest assured, their teachings are not from the Lord. They are deceptively leading people away from the Truth.

I believe that Jesus made this statement regarding ‘secret chambers’ to warn us against any false religion that does anything ‘in secret’. Did Jesus hide anything from us required for our salvation? Did he try to hide anything from us? No.

‘I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.’ (John 18:20)

Are there other deceptive, secretive ‘religions’ in the world today that would lead people away from the truth? Certainly. The following is taken from the Scientology website (founded by L. Ron Hubbard):

“Man is an immortal, spiritual being. His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime. His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized — and those capabilities can be realized. He is able to not only solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but also achieve new, higher states of awareness and ability. In Scientology no one is asked to accept anything as belief or on faith. That which is true for you is what you have observed to be true. An individual discovers for himself that Scientology works by personally applying its principles and observing or experiencing results.”

I’ll translate this – L. Ron Hubbard is telling us that we don’t need God. We can solve our own problems, accomplish our own goals and somehow achieve happiness. Since he says that our capabilities are unlimited, he’s saying that human beings, in essence, are God. Mr. Hubbard tells us that we don’t need faith or belief in anything. Whatever you want to believe is fine; the truth is what you make it.

Of course, all of these things contradict the Bible. We do need God. Look at the world today. Much of the world is going its own way with disastrous results. What does the Bible say about the plans and actions of men? Filthy rags. ‘All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.’ (Isaiah 64:6)

Do you see now why Jesus warned us so many times about deception during our times? Our spiritual enemy knows that we need God, so he gives us counterfeit versions of the truth. Satan creates false religion that encompasses some of the Lord’s Word and mixes it with things that are unclean to deceive those who are seeking God. He also creates ‘religions’ like Scientology that deceive those that are not necessarily seeking God, but who want to belong to something. After being indoctrinated with these false teachings, it becomes that much harder to believe the truth. As I’ve mentioned before, there is only one, uncorrupted truth in this world, the Holy Bible. Any religion or teaching that adds to or takes from the Lord’s Word is a false religion. Any religion that uses some of the Lord’s Word, while disregarding much of the Bible is a false religion. If you ask a Mormon a theological question, will they reach for their Bible or the Book of Mormon? What does the Bible say about this? Once again, the Lord makes it crystal clear:

‘I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.’ (Revelation 22:18-19)

Don’t miss the significance of these verses. If you add to or take away from God’s Word, you will be cursed and will have placed your salvation in jeopardy. Does your Church teach only from the Bible? Are you adding to or taking away from God’s Word? Don’t let our enemy deceive you. There are no exceptions. If it’s not in the Bible, you can’t say that God ‘intended’ for it to be there. If He wanted it in the Bible, it would be in the Bible. Same goes for those that disregard sections of the Bible because they don’t fit a particular theology or lifestyle. All that we need is in the Bible – pure and simple. You must ask yourself – am I learning only from the Bible? Am I being deceived? I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again here – God will not accept your excuse on the day of judgment if you say that you were deceived. God has given us His Word so that we would know the Truth. Jesus warned us many times against the deceptions present in the world. There will be no excuses.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for us to stay true to God's Word and His plan of salvation in these deceptive times. Our enemy has deceived many with false religions in the world today - just as Jesus told us he would. Never forget, there is only one truth in this world - that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins so that we may live in eternity. He was resurrected by the power of God and now sits at the right hand of the Father with all power and authority over heaven and earth. We can only rely on the truth of the Holy Bible to guide us and instruct us. Do not be deceived and let others tell you differently. Do not let them tell you that you don't need our Father in heaven, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't need to read the Bible. Don't let them tell you to disregard verses in the Bible. Don't let them add to God's Word and then tell you it's ok. All of these things are designed to lead you away from the truth. If you notice carefully, all false religions very quietly, very deceptively lead you away from what the Bible tells us is required for salvation - faith in Jesus Christ. Faith that he died for our sins and was resurrected on the 3rd day.

"know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

According to the Bible, you will not receive salvation by observing religious rituals - any rituals. Don't let a person or church (any church) tell you differently. The Bible is clear. Salvation is a gift to us by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Many churches teach that salvation can be achieved by our works on earth. What does the Bible say about this? It's clear:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Once we are saved through faith, we will do God's work on earth, but your works will not save you. You must believe and have faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus clearly answers this question for us and leaves no doubt on this subject:

'Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.' (John 6:28-29)

The Lord has given me these words for a reason. He wants all of us to believe the truth and accept his offer of salvation. He desires that we all overcome the world and its deception. If you are someone who is a member of a church or organization that does not teach exclusively from the Bible, this message is for you. You are at a crossroads. You may have been led astray at some point in your life, but you've now been given the truth. You must now choose whom you will follow. Will you accept God's offer of salvation and follow Him and where He leads you or will you continue on your own way? It's a decision that we will all make in this life - and no decision has more importance or significance. You don't have to be alone in the world. He guides us through all of our trials and tribulations.

Remember these words from the Lord:

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-10)

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." (2 Peter 2:1-3)

"For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." (Jude 1:4)

Signs of the Times – Part 4

We continue our study of Mathew Chapter 24:

"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Mathew 24:26-31)

Jesus also tells us here about the sun, moon and stars being darkened ‘after the distress of those days’. So, I believe that the Lord’s prophets and Jesus Himself are all speaking of the same events. I believe they are speaking of worldwide events that are going to cause widespread ‘desolation’. What are these events? I think we can safely say that nuclear weapons are going to be part of this. Nothing else on earth could cause such destruction. This may only be one part of everything that is happening during this time. What results from these events? Our atmosphere is going to be polluted to the point that all heavenly bodies are darkened. This sounds horrible and it’s going to be a very difficult time, but there is hope. Never forget that our focus should not be on this world, but on God’s kingdom. Jesus tells us that after these events, He will appear in the sky with power and glory. While these events may seem horrible to unbelievers on earth and fill them with fear, they will be a sign to believers that the end is near. They will know that their Savior is at the door. Why will the nations mourn when Jesus returns? Because they will see the Truth and it will be too late. Many will have rejected God’s offer of salvation and will realize that they face eternal judgment. Imagine persecuting God’s faithful and rejecting Him, then seeing Jesus coming in the clouds. Finally, we’re told that Jesus gathers His faithful. Those that have remained faithful to the end will inherit eternal life in the kingdom of heaven with Jesus and our Father. They will have endured unto the end.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Mathew 24:32-35)

What are we told here? We’re told that when we begin to see these signs, the end is ‘right at the door’. We’re also told that the generation that sees these events ‘will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened’. Don’t miss the significance of this message. Even though Jesus is speaking to our generation and we will see all of these things, the most important piece is that those of us who survive to the end will see Jesus return. So, we’re not told a definite date of the Lord’s return, but we are told that we will see Him. We are getting very close to the end of this age.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Mathew 24:36-41)

Here we are told that only our Father knows the time of Jesus’ return. I know that many in the world try to determine when Jesus will return, but I believe these verses make it clear – we are told of the events that will tell us when the time is near, but we will not know the exact time. We’re told by Jesus to be ready at any time for His return. We should always focus on God’s plan for us and not worry about what is or is not going to happen. I know this is difficult. It is something that I struggled with for some time. As you mature spiritually, this will become easier as you place your complete trust in the Lord.

Jesus mentions the story of Noah for a reason. Imagine for a moment that you are Noah. The Lord speaks to you and tells you to build an ark because the world is overcome with wickedness. Through faith, you do what is asked of you. Imagine building an ark in a wicked society. Do you think that Noah was ridiculed for building this ark when nothing was currently wrong? I’m sure he endured a few insults. I’m sure that people probably laughed at him. Did he build it in his backyard? Based on the dimensions of this ark, I’m sure it looked very out of place to everyone else. In spite of what everyone else thought, regardless of what was said to him in this world, he did what the Lord asked because he trusted the Lord. Now, think about the world today. Are true believers who trust the Lord ridiculed? If someone speaks a word of prophecy, how does the world respond? I imagine that today we endure the same type of ridicule that Noah endured. Those who do not know the Lord are spiritually blind, and just as in Noah’s day, they will be caught unaware of what is coming.

Verses 40 and 41 then tell us what will happen when Jesus does return at the end– some will be taken (His faithful believers) with Him, others will be left (unbelievers). If you are left, you will face eternal punishment. There will be no second chances at this point.

“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9)

We are given some very important guidance in these verses. We are told that the Day of the Lord will come unexpectedly to unbelievers. They will not escape the Lord’s wrath. As always, we’re then given a message of hope. The Lord tells true believers that we are not blind as unbelievers. The Day of the Lord will not be a surprise to us. We will be prepared for it. We are of the light and therefore, will not be uninformed of what is happening and why. Verse 8 then gives us similar instruction as Ephesians chapter 6 – put on the armor of God so that when your day of evil comes, you will be able to stand. Knowing that we have eternal salvation through God’s grace, we will not fear what is happening in the world.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Mathew 24:42-44)

Once again we’re told that we do not know the exact time of our Lord’s return, so stay faithful and keep watch. Do not let the world draw you away from the Lord.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mathew 24:45-51)

Mathew chapter 24 then concludes with a clear warning to us. Jesus is telling us to remain faithful until the end and endure. Do not let the world pull you away from the Truth and deceive you. If we are faithful until the end, we will receive our reward. Do not be like those who fall away from the Truth because Jesus has not returned according to their own timetable. Those who do not remain faithful to the end, but return to the world are given a clear warning – ‘…and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Those that fall away will face the same fate as unbelievers. Eternal punishment.