The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
Matthew 24:3-8
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
I Thessalonians 5:1-10 NKJV
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
It's been about 2 weeks since this announced during the Generable Assembly of the United Nations: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel is at the cusp of a “dramatic breakthrough”: a historic peace deal between his country and Saudi Arabia."
“Such a peace will go a long way in ending Arab-Israeli conflict and will encourage other Arab States to normalize their relations with Israel,” he said, adding that it will also enhance prospects of peace with the Palestinians."
Source: United Nations general debate of the General Assembly’s 78th session
2 weeks later, as I type this with a heavy heart, Israel has now declared war with Hamas within the last few hours.
Source: Israel 'at war' as Hamas unleashes surprise attack from Gaza.
I do not wish to fear-monger or to pressure, that is not the goal of this post.
Rather, it is a call to action, a warning of the foreseeable future of the things to come. With the bad news, must also come the good.
The first time Jesus came to Earth, he became the likeness of man while also being the very likeness of God. Jesus Christ came to save the world from it's iniquities and shortcomings, to provide the very salvation of our souls that by believing in him we will have eternal life. A life reigning in the kingdom of Heaven with him, in a world far different than what we see now. That is the hope we have as believers and I want to extend the invitation to you today to make a life changing decision, the salvation of your soul.
The second time Jesus comes to Earth, he gives us signs and warnings as we see in Matthew 24, he will come to righteously judge the world for it's iniquities and he will judge all who continue to deny him after giving us chance after chance. (View Romans 2:4-11) The justice that you and I long for, for all the unseen evil that is going on in this world requires a just due.
No one knows the day or hour when he will come back, but we can clearly see the signs that his return may very well be imminent as we see the news headlines of our day. It's all happening in succession to what the word of God says. If we believe John 3:16, we must also believe what the rest of the bible states of his return. (View Matthew 24:36–44; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 17:26–37)
Please don't harden your heart and make a decision today.
Say this prayer with a humble heart knowing that you can no longer fight the battles of this life by yourself and ask God to pour his Spirit out to you, ask him with a humble heart and with time, he will reveal himself to you.
Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen.