Good Moring Meetpastordan Readers…As I mentioned last week, I felt particularly drawn to this series of blogs, partly, I think, because of my current study in the Book of Revelation, but also because I have always been fascinated with the prophetic accuracy of the Bible. I am also particularly concerned about the state of our culture right now, in that it has fallen so far away from the truth of God’s Word, The Holy Bible. When I look at not only our culture, but the volatility of the world in which we live, signs of the Tribulation are certainly lining up; this is something no one can afford to ignore.
No doubt many of the signs listed below have happened in earlier times too, but when you look at the technological advances that have taken place in the last quarter of a century with computers, the internet, and cell phones alone, the speed of information distribution and transfer is moving at a pace not even imagined in earlier times. And year after year it gets faster and faster and more sophisticated as the latest and greatest gadgets become available.
Many people take solace in the fact that the end will not come until everyone in the world has heard the Gospel of Grace. To some people, that sounds like an impossibility. But the fact is, Jesus stated this truth in Matthew 24:14: “And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Notice that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout the world. That does not mean that everyone will hear it and receive it.)
Keep these three things in mind. 1. The never-ending advances in the technology listed above have made mass distribution of information possible in ways never available before. 2. In China, Africa and also in the Middle Eastern countries right now, Christianity in being embraced by millions upon millions of new Believers as they hear for the first time the Gospel of Grace. It is THE beacon of hope in their world plagued with despair. (I suspect this could come as a surprise since I know you’ve heard nothing about this in the major news outlets.) 3. Don’t be surprised if you see a nation-wide Revival in America in the not-to-distant future. I say that for two reasons. The door of pathos is certainly open for such an event, and since I believe we are in a time of reprieve, I know there is a movement underway to proclaim the only hope that we believe can restore our country to its former glory. And that would be, putting God in His rightful place.
Let me be clear about that last statement. I am by no means proposing anything like a Theocracy. Our country was founded on religious freedom, and as such, everyone has the freedom to worship as they choose, as long as someone’s freedom doesn’t hinder or disparage another person’s freedom. After all, God set the example. He gave us free will. Therefore, we make our own choices, and we reap what we sow. (In my opinion, no man or government should ever have the right to impose a particular religion on the populace.)
I talked earlier about a period of Tribulation, which is defined in its most general terms as a time of trouble. No doubt the followers of Jesus Christ, from the first century until now, have dealt with tribulation. In fact, Jesus was very up-front about what to expect as a Christ-follower. In John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples, “In this world you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, I have overcome the world. And again in John 15:18,21 He said, “When the world hates you, remember it hated Me before it hated you. The people of the world will hate you because you belong to Me.” No doubt, Jesus never soft-pedaled the journey, but the focus was always on the reward. This world is not our home; we’re just passing through on our way to our eternal destiny.
But in End-Times prophecy, the term tribulation is used twice. There is a first period of Tribulation, and that is described by Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 as follows: “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them Godly.” And Jesus gave us this description in Matthew 24: 4-8. “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in My name saying, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all of this will be only the beginning of the horrors yet to come.” (Can you see the above proclamations lining up in our world right now?)
And “the horrors yet to come” will be ushered in by The Great Tribulation, which will be the subject on next week’s blog. But I will end that blog on a happy note with what has commonly been referred to as the “Rapture”, although I have never found that term used in the Bible. But no doubt the term refers to 1Thessalonians 4: 13-18, the great hope for those of us who are in Christ.
So plan on joining me next week for part 3 of this series, and please feel free to respond to this post, and please “like” and share with other social media friends.
May God Bless You Abundantly,
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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