LIVING IN OUR LAST DAYS

Feb 28

JESUS SPOKE ABOUT THE END OF TIME

“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.” — MATT. 24: 6-8

NATION AGAINST NATION:
- NATION: ETHNOS (GREEK): A RACE, A TRIBE OR A PEOPLE. THE ENGLISH WORD ETHNICITY IS DERIVED FROM ETHNOS.
  - NOTICE THIS DOES NOT SAY COUNTRY AGAINST COUNTRY.
  - NATION: A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE THE SAME CULTURE, LANGUAGE, RELIGION (LIKE ISRAEL, IRAN) BUT MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE SOVEREIGNTY
KINGDOM AGAINST KINGDOM:
- KINGDOM: BASILEIA (GREEK): ROYALTY, REALM OR REIGN. THROUGH THE NOTION OF A FOUNDATION OF POWER.
  - WARS BETWEEN COUNTRIES - SELF GOVERNING POLITICAL ENTITIES
FAMINES:
- FAMINE: LIMOS (GREEK): A SCARCITY OF FOOD. DESTITUTION, TO BE WANTING OR LACKING.
1/3 OF THE WORLD IS WELL-FEED
1/3 OF THE WORLD IS UNDER-FEED
1/3 OF THE WORLD IS STARVING
30 PEOPLE DIE EVERY 60 SECONDS OF STARVATION
PESTILENCE:
- PESTILENCE: A PLAGUE OR DISEASE THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY
  - AIDS, STREPP A, FLU, CORONAVIRUS; ALL WITH NO CURES
EARTHQUAKES
- EARTHQUAKES: SIESMOS (GREEK): COMMOTION, TEMPEST OR GALE OF THE AIR, OR OF THE GROUND. TO ROCK OR VIBRATE BACK AND FORTH. TO THROW INTO FEAR OR CONCERN.
  - WEATHER OR ATMOSPHERIC CONDITION
  - JUST IN THE USA: THE MUDSLIDES IN CALIFORNIA, THE SNOW IN MIDWEST, THE FLOODS OF THE SOUTH, THE “FREAK FREEZE” IN TEXAS

ALL THESE ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS

SORROWS: BIRTH PAINS, TO SINK OR TO GO DOWN

“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” — MATT. 24:38-39

PRIDE SINKS THE TITANIC

“THE TITANIC” IS THE NUMBER ONE SELLING MOVIE OF ALL TIME. IT DEPICTS A SHIP THAT SOMEONE SAID, “NOT EVEN GOD HIMSELF COULD SINK THIS SHIP.” THE SHIP REFLECTED THAT PERIOD’S EXTRAVAGANCE AND ARROGANCE.

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” — PROVERBS 16:18

BRITAIN AT THIS TIME WAS SENDING MISSIONARIES AROUND THE WORLD, THEY BROUGHT GREAT REVIVAL AND REFORMATION. IT WAS BRITAIN THAT GAVE THE WORLD ONE OF ITS GREATEST SPIRITUAL GIFTS - THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE.

THE TITANIC WAS A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD TO BRITAIN CALLING HER TO REPENTANCE. PRIDE HAD REPLACED VISION, THEY WERE RESTING MORE ON WHAT THEY HAD DONE THAN ON WHAT WAS LEFT TO DO. THE LORD DID NOT SINK THE TITANIC, PRIDE DID.

THESE PEOPLE SAILED BOLDLY INTO DANGEROUS WATERS WITH RECKLESS ABANDON. THE UNSINKABLE PROVED TO BE INCREDIBLY FRAGILE. EVERYONE NOTICED THE JOLT OF THE ICEBERG, BUT IN A FEW MINUTES THE PARTY CONTINUED. TWO HOURS LATER IT RESTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

MANY PEOPLE IN THIS HOUR FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT ALL IS WELL, HOWEVER, THERE IS SOME JOLTING GOING ON. IT ALMOST SEEMS INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT CATASTROPHE MAY BE UPON US.

IN THE WORDS THAT JESUS USED TO DESCRIBE THE END-TIME, THE “SORROWS” OR THE GOING DOWN WILL BE MUCH LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH AND THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC.

OFFENSES

“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” — MATT. 24:10-13

THIS IS ONE OF THE PROMINENT SIGNS THAT WE SEE IN OUR DAY. JESUS SAYS THE LAST DAY WILL BE VERY EVIDENT IN OFFENSES, FALSE PROPHETS, AND INIQUITY.

“Then He said to the disciples, ‘It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.’

And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’” — LUKE 17:1-5

OFFENSE: (WEBSTER): A SIN OR A CRIME; WRONG DOING. A CREATING OF RESENTMENT, OR ANGER. SOMETHING THAT CAUSES ANGER.
- IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE AN OFFENSE, THEN THERE MUST BE THE OFFENDER AND THE OFFENDED.

THE OFFENDER:

VS 2: “IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE A MILLSTONE AROUND HIS NECK”
MILLSTONE: USED FOR GRINDING GRAIN, A NORMAL MAN COULD NOT MOVE IT

LIMIT YOUR LIBERTY BY YOUR LOVE

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.” — ROMANS 14:19-21

LET GOD TAKE CARE OF THE OFFENDER!

THE OFFENDED:

“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle.” — PROVERBS 18:19

“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” — LUKE 17:3-4

THE INSTRUCTION TO THE OFFENDED IS “TAKE HEED TO YOURSELF”

PRINCIPLE OF RELEASE:

MAN IS MOST LIKE ANIMAL WHEN HE KILLS
MAN IS MOST LIKE MAN WHEN HE JUDGES
MAN IS MOST LIKE GOD WHEN HE FORGIVES

THIS IS A FACT: THERE WILL BE MANY OFFENDED IN THE LAST DAY, BUT YOU MUST TAKE HEED TO YOURSELF TO NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP OR SNARE OF UNFORGIVENESS!

DEALING WITH OFFENSES:

“OUR RESPONSE DETERMINES OUR FUTURE!”

“Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.” — PSALM 91:3

OFFENDED PEOPLE PRODUCE:
- ENVY, STRIFE, ANGER, OUTRAGE, JEALOUSY, ENVY, HATRED.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF STAYING OFFENDED:
- INSULTS, VERBAL ATTACKS, WOUNDING OTHERS, DIVISION, SEPARATION, BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS AND BACKSLIDING.
THE PROGRESSION OF OFFENSES:

“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” — MATT.24:10

THE OFFENSE > THE BETRAYAL > THE HATRED

AFTER THE OFFENSE COMES THE BETRAYAL:

BETRAY: TO PUT IN PRISON. TO LOCK SOMEONE OUT OF YOUR LIFE.
HATE: TO DETEST BY PERSECUTING. TO AFFLICT CONSTANTLY SO AS TO DISTRESS OR TO ANNOY CONSTANTLY.

THE RESULT OF HATRED:

“Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” — I JOHN 3:15

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” — MATT.5:44

THE PRESERVATION MODE:

AFTER HATRED PEOPLE ENTER INTO THE MODE OF SELF PRESERVATION.

“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle.” — PROVERBS 18:19

AN OFFENDED PERSON REFUSES ENTRY TO ANYONE THEY FEEL COULD HURT THEM.
THEY FILTER OUT ANYONE THEY THINK OWES THEM AND THEY HOLD THEM OUT UNTIL THEY FEEL THEY HAVE PAID THEIR DEBT.
THEY OPEN THEIR LIFE ONLY TO THOSE THEY FEEL ARE ON THEIR SIDE. MOST OF THE TIME THEY HAVE OFFENDED PEOPLE ALSO.
WITHOUT KNOWING, THE WALLS OF PROTECTION BECOME PRISON WALLS.
THIS IS A FALSE SENSE OF SELF PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION. IT KEEPS YOU FROM SEEING YOUR OWN CHARACTER FLAWS BECAUSE THE BLAME IS DEFERRED TO ANOTHER.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN THIS MODE WHEN YOU FILTER EVERY RELATIONSHIP THROUGH PAST HURTS, REJECTIONS AND EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS.

“And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’” — LUKE 17:5