Goodmorning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
How many times have you gone outside and seen a thundercloud coming? Maybe you saw the sky turn completely black in the distance, and felt an eerie calm. You knew that bad weather was approaching. What did you do? Did you prepare yourself and go into your house? Did you go down the stairway and into the basement for safety? How many of you fishermen have been out on a large lake when you could see a storm beginning to form in the distance. As you watched, you realized it was coming your way. What did you do? Did you prepare yourself and pull up your anchor so you could head for the safety of shore?
The sky can give certain signs and warnings in advance of upcoming weather conditions. Nowadays people use things like Doppler radar, weather satellites, barometers, and anemometers, to warn people ahead of time.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Just as we have learned to predict upcoming weather, the Bible is filled with predictions of future events. Just as we can recognize a thundercloud, or discern the right conditions that can produce a tornado, all of us must learn to recognize the sign of the times.
Matthew 16:2-3 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
The Bible is filled with signs, and today we’re going to take a look at just a few of them.
Matthew 24:10-11 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Many of the above mentioned signs are coming to pass right now on the Earth, being fulfilled as we speak.
……(And then shall many be offended,)
People were offended at the teachings of Jesus and the disciples, simply because they wouldn’t receive the truth into their hearts. The same is happening today. Offended means to be upset, hurt and angry because of something that has been said. The Word of God is a sword that plunges deep inside of a person’s conscience, and when someone refuses to believe it, it will offend them.
Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
The religious leaders were upset with Jesus because of what he was preaching.
Matthew 15:12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
There will be some who begin the Christian Life, but later on, turn away, because they get offended at having to suffer for the truth.
Matthew 13:20-21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Another sign of the times is betrayal.
….(and shall betray one another)
A betrayer is defined in the dictionary as a wife who gets married, and promises to remain with her husband through thick and thin, but then she completely abandons him. God hates this sin.
Jeremiah 3:20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
A betrayer is someone who treacherously joins up with those who are your enemies, and betrays a person and a cause as Judas did. Instead of remaining faithfully with you, they turn against you. A betrayer violates the confidence of someone by disclosing something meant to be kept private or secret, something which prudence would conceal. They are disloyal.
Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
When somebody is loyal, they demonstrate undivided and constant support for someone or something. Although the disciples of the Lord left Jesus when he was taken in the garden of Gethsemane, they didn’t betray and completely turn against him as Judas did. Peter denied Christ but he didn’t betray him. A betrayer is someone who willfully joins up with those who are against you, and your religious beliefs.
…..(and shall hate one another)
Hatred is intense dislike or ill will. Some people will hate you, because they won’t accept or submit to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Some people profess Christianity as their faith, but completely reject everything it teaches. They profess to know God,but the truth is, they don’t. Those who reject the teachings of Christ hate Jesus, and those who hate Him, hate the heavenly Father as well.
John 15:18-21, 23 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
Another sign of the times are false prophets.
……..(And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.)
One of the ways that you can identify a false prophet, (or false prophetess), is by identifying how they feel about women being in subjection to men. True men of God understand that women were not created to usurp or take authority over men, whether they are a man-child or an adult. They were created to help and serve them, just as men of the church were created to serve Christ. Those who do not understand this are not spiritual.
1 Corinthians 14:34-37 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
Certainly, they may profess to be a prophet, but dressing up in a robe and putting a name tag on their lapel doesn’t make them a prophet in the eyes of God. Do you really think a false prophet or false prophetess wants to think that they’re going to be damned? They don’t think that’s going to happen because they don’t believe in God anyway! Without repentance from their wickedness I guarantee you, they will find out soon enough. You cannot mock Jesus. Today, false prophets are on the rise, and many people are being deceived by them. When the blind follow the blind, both will end up in the ditch.
1 Timothy 2:11-13 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
The world can live the way the world does, but the church must never allow worldly behavior to enter in, and influence our beliefs. If you truly desire to please God, the first thing I suggest is to cast out all the impenitent women teachers out of the church. If their friends or relatives are upset about you choosing to do God’s will, they can find their way to the door as well. At least you can know that whomever is left, has a desire to do the will of God. I wouldn’t care if one hundred people left, if there remained ten who were faithful. Those are the only ones that are going to matter in your crown come Judgment day.
Will there be faith on the earth when Jesus returns? Will there anybody left who truly believes in Scripture? I’m not going to candy coat this for you, but a wicked storm is on the rise and it approaches with fierceness and destruction. The next time anybody checks their radar on their cell phone, they need to take a look around them and recognize the signs of these times. There’s a storm that is approaching, and the signs are evident. Do you recognize them? Are you going to prepare now? Get ready, and…..
……Watch the radar.
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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