EARLY WARNING SIGNS!

EARLY WARNING SIGNS!

2 Thess 2:1-4

2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

          Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be too quick to assume that they were at “the end.” Their circumstances seemed to challenge Paul. Sin was rampant and they were being persecuted. The soul cries out for a snatching away to Glory. We are still there. In fact we have nearly perfected the misery quotient.

          Paul gave them, and us, two signs to watch for. First there would be a “falling away!” The Greek is the word apostasia  which is a defection from the truth. Nature hates a vacuum and so truth is not simply tossed out it is replaced with another system. Religion thrives! Truth not so much. This “replacing” of the truth with a lie is painfully explained in Romans 1:25 and the verses surrounding it.

          The Second sign was the revealing of the “Man of Sin”. Now, that hasn’t happened yet. So we are in the very middle of signs one and two. All the sinful situations and relationships of Romans One are here in spades! Men with men and women with women, riot and ridiculousness. Corruption is so common it is hardly given any notice. The youth (I know this is a broad brush) are selfish, disrespectful and have a poor work ethic. There are amazing and pleasant exceptions to this.

          Right in the middle of sign one and two we find the Rapture. That is what I’m waiting for.

Dear Lord, give us a little reviving in the midst of the years! The Harvest is White ALREADY!

SHARE THE NEWS – SHARE THE LIGHT!

SHARE THE NEWS – SHARE THE LIGHT!

2 Cor 4:6

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Do you see the three-step process in this verse? Focus on it once again. Do you see it? God is the source of light! He commanded his light to SHINE OUT. That light has SHINED IN our hearts but the result is that we must now GIVE THE LIGHT.

There is a story, supposedly true, of Rose Crawford who had been blind for 50 years. Then she had an operation in an Ontario hospital. She said "I just can’t believe it," as the doctor lifted the bandages from her eyes. She wept—when for the first time in her life a dazzling and beautiful world of form and color greeted her eyes and she could now see.

          The amazing thing about her story, however, was that 20 years of her blindness was unnecessary. She didn’t know that surgical techniques had been developed, and that an operation could have restored her vision at the age of 30.

          The Dr. said, "She just figured there was nothing that could be done for her condition. Much of her life could have been different." Rose did not know! The good news had not reached her.

Dear Lord, let me pray – give – and go so that those who sit in darkness may see the light. AMEN

ARE YOU READY?

ARE YOU READY?

2 Tim 4:6-8

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

          Billy Graham passed away yesterday at the age of 99. At this writing, funeral arrangements have not been published. His was an amazing life! He preached to thousands and he never allowed controversy to stick to him. He was criticized by those who wanted to own him exclusively but he never limited his outreach by that kind of pettiness. He spoke the same message to the low and the high. He was a friend of Presidents. When it came time to die, he was ready!

          Paul used the Greek word spendo which means “to pour out as a drink offering.” Paul was going to be executed and he considered it the final offering of his life of service to his God.

          Most of us do not approach the end of life with the same kind of certainty as Paul or Billy Graham. We don’t see death as a date on the calendar or the day of an execution. It is harder for us to “be ready.” We must be ready at a moment’s notice and too many of us are not ready.

          Much has been said about Kathy Lee Gifford’s testimony of her salvation in Christ. It makes us uncomfortable. We don’t expect celebrities to speak so openly of their faith but shouldn’t we be ready to tell others so that they might avoid eternal damnation?

1 Peter 3:15

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Dear Lord, help me to be ready both to tell my story and to depart, like Paul. AMEN

HE CARRIED IT!

HE CARRIED IT!

John 19:16-18

16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

          Nothing is harder to bear than the apparent aimlessness of suffering! F. B. Meyer once commented that an ancient punishment for prisoners was to demand they carry stones from one side of the prison yard to the other. When they were done they were then commanded to carry the stones back again. So the daily grind wears upon us!

          Actually, we are not always certain that aimless suffering has no purpose. We do not always see the reason but God knows! Perhaps it is just the heat that is needed to remove the dross or impurities from the metal of ourselves. We do not easily release hatred, bitterness, and sin. Sometimes the suffering we see as aimless has the aim of purification.

          If ever anyone suffered innocently, it was Jesus. Anytime you think that your particular sin is “no big deal” just look at the horrible spectacle of Calvary. There the pure Lamb of God took your sin upon Himself and carried them to the cross. There He paid YOUR debt. His suffering was not aimless or without purpose.

Col 2:14

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Lord, let the difficulties I am carrying produce purity in me. Strip away all that is not pleasing to you. AMEN

IT SHOWS!

IT SHOWS!

1 Thess 1:8

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

Matt 24:12

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

          It is a poorly kept secret that we preachers have a God-given sense regarding your spiritual condition. We can sense whether your faith is growing or just growing cold. It makes us somewhat unpopular at casual gatherings where people would prefer to be themselves instead of who they want their preacher to think they are.

          As our relationship with God grows stronger and closer there are telltale signs that can’t be hidden. Moses, when he went up into the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments, returned to the people with a face that glowed. It frightened them and he was forced to wear a veil to mask the glory.

Ex 34:29-30

29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

          Peter and John represented and reflected Jesus as they ministered in the book of Acts. Some things could not be hidden! They knew they had been with Jesus!

Acts 4:13

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

1 John 3:19-21

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

          The Psalmist did not trust his own heart but asked God to investigate and reveal any wickedness He found.

Ps 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Dear Lord, let my faith be of the kind that would not cause me shame if it were revealed openly. AMEN