Monday, Jul 13, 2009

7-13 The Sign of The End

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Now you just need to keep praying! Friday I wrote an open letter to our Time with God family and to the people of the church. The responses were overwhelming! Thanks for standing with me in prayer. I want to share a few of the responses. “I have been soooo dry spiritually over the last 6 months… I sent our Pastor a letter on Tuesday asking him to pray for me that I would want to do what God's will is...and that I would hunger and thirst for righteousness and yearn to be in the Word. Please keep us in your prayers.” Susan “I think it is awesome that without ever meeting you face to face we can share concerns and encouragements at such spiritual depths because of the Holy Spirit living within us… Even if you have only reached me, you have done and are doing a wonderful work, thank you. Don't stop! So steady on my man. You have my love and prayers and whatever else I can offer.” Greg “We need all the prayer we can get right now. Yes! We need God to work among us and bring back America to himself. I know "I" need more motivation, dedication and enthusiasm......how is such manufactured? The Lord work upon both of us to make us more like Jesus.” Daniel. God bless you and thanks for praying.

Today's Scripture reading is 1 Kings 1:1-27; Haggai 1; Luke 9:30-62
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.podbean.com

Today’s thought comes from Matthew 24: 3 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?" 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 "For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 "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. 7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows.

What will be the sign of His coming and the end of the age? Matthew 24 is similar to Luke 21, but Luke takes a significant detour in that it contains prophecy for the times in which we live. “Before all these things happen” #1 there will be persecution and tribulation and #2 Jerusalem will be destroyed and trampled until the times of the Gentiles is complete. Matthew skips the comments on our day and instead goes right to the end of the age. He divides Daniels 70th week into two sections. The first we call “The Beginning of Sorrows,” or the beginning of birth pangs. These labor pains are characterized by false Christ’s, Wars and rumors of wars, Famine, pestilence and earthquakes. But the end is NOT YET. The second half of Daniel’s 70th week is called “The Great Tribulation.” The time of Great Tribulation begins with Daniel’s “Abomination of Desolation” (Mt 24:15). The "Abomination of Desolation" is rooted in a historical event. It happened when Antiochus' placed an idol to Zeus in the Holy of Holies. It is referred to four times in Daniel. But Jesus indicates that this desecration will happen again in the future. It is when the Antichrist sets up an image of himself in the temple and insists that the world worship him. These are the clear and unmistakable signs of the end of the age. The Great Tribulation is followed by “The Sign of His Coming” (Matthew 24:29-30). The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the heavens will be shaken and the sign… the sign of his coming is that you will SEE Him “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” The generation that sees the beginning of sorrows will also see Him coming in the clouds. Look up; your redemption is drawing near.

Dear Lord Jesus, come quickly. The future is clouded with sorrow and tribulation. We don’t know when all these things will come to pass, but we know that they will because You are in control. History will culminate in a kingdom of peace. We await that with great anticipation. Please wake us up spiritually.

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in the LORD, is everlasting strength

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:41 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

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