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MAKING SENSE OF THE LAST DAYS Change is occurring at record speed in every area of life. Confusion, fear, questions, and uncertainty abound in the hearts of people all over the world, but not in the heart of God, or His people. For the believer, it is without a doubt the most exciting time in history to be alive! God is in full control of history, and God never does anything without letting His people know first. Believers are not to be afraid or confused about end time events. God sees only three groups of people: The Jews, the Gentiles, and the Church of God God loves the Jews, God loves the Gentiles (unbelievers), and God loves the Church of God. In these Last Days God is dealing with each group differently. (1 Corinthians 10:32). Jews After 2,000 years of exile, God is supernaturally bringing the Jewish people back home to Israel. He promised He would do this before the return of Jesus. Gentiles (Unbelievers) Jesus died for all mankind. God is trying to save all mankind. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read, The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. The Church of God The Church, the body of Christ, is doing the work of the ministry, serving mankind. Matthew 16:15 (NKJ) Jesus said, Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Living in the Last Days We have been living in the Last Days for some 2,000 years. The Last Days began when Jesus came out of the grave. Jewish time stopped, with seven years remaining to be fulfilled. That is the Tribulation, and the time of the Gentiles began. We call this the Church Age. Signs of the Times (End Times) The Bible gives us things to look for: Matthew 24:3 (NLT) Tell us when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? Jesus told them, Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming I am the Messiah. They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic.Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains with more to come. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)You should 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 hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that. Acts 2:17-18 (NLT) And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh: your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams. And on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. The Last Days will be a scary time for some, a blessed time for others. A One-World Economy Is Coming Revelation 13:16 (NLT) He (Anti- Christ) required everyone - small and great, rich and poor, free and slave - to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. This cannot happen until after the rapture of the Church. We have a job to do. Preach the gospel. Help the poor, the widows, the orphans, those sick and in prison. That takes money. The one-world economy may be getting set up but cannot come into affect until we are gone. That is why Jesus said: Luke 17:26-30 (NLT) When the Son of Man returns, (the rapture not the second coming) it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business - eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building - until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be business as usual right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. God Cares For His People 1 Chronicles 12:23 (NLT) From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. Isaiah 33:6 (NKJ)Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation. Isaiah 54:13 (NKJ)All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. John 16:13 (NLT)When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. Without The Bible Nothing Makes Sense Thank God He has given us His Word to lead us and guide us. Psalm 119:105 (NKJ)Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. 1 Corinthians 2:13 (NLT)But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, who can know the Lord's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach Him? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. Thank God that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and He orders our steps and directs our paths. He talks to us when we sleep, when we wake up, and when we walk during the day. He guides us into all truth and shows us things to come. We are His sheep and He is our shepherd. We hear His voice and the voice of a stranger we do not follow. We know we are children of God because we are led by the Spirit of God. We are in the world, but we are not of this world. We get to use our faith and walk in victory every day. Whatever evil tries to come on us God will work to our good. We are blessed and highly favored. God will prosper all we set our hand to. We can encourage ourselves with God's Word in Psalms 112. Praise God! Thank God for the honor to be alive in the last days! God Bless, Joe McGee Click here Joe's Newsletter Archives for past articles by Joe McGee. |
