WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE CHURCH? LAST DAYS!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (This is a several part lesson. Use wisdom)
LAST DAYS, THAT DAY, THE DAY OF OUR LORD, CLOSING OF TIME… IF I GO, I WILL COME AGAIN…
JESUS PROMISED THE CHURCH AS HE WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE: I WILL COME AGAIN..
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
DOES THE CHURCH REALLY RECOGNIZE THE OCCURRENCES AND EVENTS OF THE SIGNS OF THE TIME? ETERNITY?
REDEMPTION DRAWS NIGH. (Gordon Jenson, 1970)
Years of time have come and gone since I first heard it told. How Jesus would come again.
If it back then it seems so real, then I just can’t help but feel. How much closer his coming is today.
Signs of the times are everywhere. There’s a brand new feeling in the air.
Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky, Lift up your heads, redemption draws nigh.
Wars and strife on every hand and violence fills our land, still some people doubt he’ll come again.
But the word of God is true, He’ll redeem his chosen few.
DON’T LOSE HOPE, SOON CHRIST JESUS WILL DESCEND
REDEMPTION DRAWS NIGH… SIGNS OF THE TIME ARE EVERY WHERE, THERE’S A BRAND NEW FEELING IN THE AIR…
IN THE CHURCH: THERE IS A DANGER IN WAITING AND WATCHING FOR THE LORD TO COME… WILL WE WATCH AS PASSIVE SPECTATORS… ARM CHAIR QUARTERBACKS? OR WILL WE BE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING AND PREPARING?
Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Why stand here gazing? There is a work to do… pray for laborers in the harvest.
WE NEED TO SPUR ONE ANOTHER TO FAITHFULNESS. BEFORE THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST… THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR: THERE WILL BE A GREAT FALLING AWAY…
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Thessalonians 2:3 (MSG) Don't fall for any line like that. Before that day comes, a couple of things have to happen. First, the Apostasy. Second, the debut of the Anarchist, a real dog of Satan.
THERE IS A BIG DAY COMING… WILL OUR FAITH DEMAND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION?
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
SEEMS IN OUR MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL ATTITUDES WE CAN SEE TRIVIAL PURSUIT, TEMPORAL IN NATURE AND REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ETERNAL MATTERS.
Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 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? 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
FEW PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL TO GOD’S HOLY PLAN. FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS ISRAEL WAS SCATTERED AND DISPERSED AMONG THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD… TO THIS DAY THERE ARE MORE JEWS IN NEW YORK THAN ISRAEL… WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE NATION OF ISRAEL? THE NATION HAS BEEN DESTROYED…
THERE ARE SOME SPIRITUAL SIGNS OF THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE EAST… THE BIBLE TEACHES THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WILL CENTER AROUND THE SMALL NATION OF ISRAEL…
Jeremiah 16:15 But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
CHURCH BE READY. WHAT SEEMED WORTHLESS AND DESERTED… TODAY ISRAEL HAS SOME OF THE BEST AGRICULTURAL LAND AND TECHNOLOGY HAS BROUGHT FORTH BEAUTIFUL PLANTS, TREES AND CROPS…
Isaiah 27:6 He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.
Jeremiah 23:8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
THE EYES AND HEART OF THE CHURCH SHOULD FOCUS ON THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL. ZIONISM: THE DESIRE OF GOD’S PEOPLE TO GO HOME TO ISRAEL…THE REMNANT OF GOD’S PEOPLE SHALL BE RECALLED AND RECOVERED.
Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The Balfour Declaration begins the new cry to RESTORE THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
Biblical history is proven right again and again… MAY 14, 1948… Did you know the temperature to bring gold to purity is 1948 degrees?
Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
DOES THE CHURCH REALLY RECOGNIZE THE OCCURRENCES AND EVENTS OF THE SIGNS OF THE TIME? ETERNITY?
FALSE PROPHETS, FALSE TEACHING AND FALSE CHURCHES.
It is said currently we have 33,000 denominations and by the year 2025 there will be 50,000 denominations. Every one of them are absolutely right in their own eyes.
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
All these are the beginning of sorrows. People are seemingly willfully ignorant.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
THERE COMES A DAY WHEN THERE WILL BE A FAMINE OF GOD’S WORD.
Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT EMPHASIS ON MISSIONS, THE GOSPEL REACHING THE WORLD. The word SHALL BE PREACHED
TO ALL THE WORLD…
The great atheist VOLTAIRE predicted the Bible would be eradicated in his life time. The American Bible Society owns VOLTAIRE’S PROPERTY and prints thousands of copies of the Bible each day. We have solar powered spoken Bibles, the RADIO and TV, the computer, satellite, printing presses.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
There grows events which are manifesting the Holy Spirits call to come into the DIVINE PRESENCE of God. We must dig a deep well of spiritual understanding by the WORD OF GOD. Can we sense the trends of today and how they POINT TO THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST? I have a very great confidence in God’s plan from the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. There is an alarming redefining of Biblical Truths.
FEAR VS. TRUST? CAN WE SEE THE EVIDENCE OF STORMS? DESTRUCTION? FEAR? TERRORISM? VIOLENCE? FAMINES? FEAR--- SHALL TRY TO GRIP THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS THAT ARE WEAK IN THE WORD… CHECK OUT THE MENTAL STATE, THE PRESSURE, THE FEAR, THE PERPLEXITY…
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
THE PERPLEXITY: INABILITY TO DEAL WITH OR TO UNDERSTAND DEEP THOUGHTS. Entangled, confusion, uncertain.
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
IN THE CHURCH AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH… MORAL COMPROMISE AS NOAH.
Luke 17:26 (KJV)And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:26 (MSG) "The time of the Son of Man will be just like the time of Noah— 27 everyone carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ship. They suspected nothing until the flood hit and swept everything away.
THERE IS A CRY FROM WITHIN THE CHURCH AS WELL AS THE WORLD: THE CRY FOR PEACE AND ACCEPTANCE… SAFETY
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 (MSG) About the time everybody's walking around complacently, congratulating each other—"We've sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!"—suddenly everything will fall apart. It's going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.
THERE IS AN INCREASE OF SCOFFERS THAT WILL MAKE COMEDY OUT OF THE CHURCH … JESUS AND THE SECOND COMING…
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2 Peter 3:3-4 (MSG) First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, 4 they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed."
THERE ARE SOME SURE SIGNS FROM GOD IN THE CHURCH…
THE OUT POURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
THERE THRIVES AND GROWS A SPIRIT OF OFFENSE IN THE CHURCH…
1. OFFEND: to feel upset, annoyed, resentful, to feel hurt, angry, difficulty, injured, to dislike, to quit,
2. OFFENSE: annoyance, resentment, insulted, outrages, displeasing, aggressive, attack, transgress.
Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
3. BETRAY: tattle tail, give information to an enemy, reveal, to be unfaithful, violate trust, cheat, disloyal, break.
Matthew 24:10 (MSG) And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat, everyone hating each other.
4. HATE ONE ANOTHER. Passionate dislike, hostility, loathe, wounded, hurt.
THERE COMES A DAY IN THE CHURCH WHEN PEOPLE WILL REFUSE TO LISTEN… MANY CHURCH PEOPLE WILL BECOME THE EMPLOYER AND THE PREACHERS WILL BE EMPLOYEES…
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
DISEASE, PLAGUES, PANDEMICS --- COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN THE LAST DAYS…
I MUST GUARD MY WORDS HERE AS WE TALK ABOUT PESTILENCES, PANDEMICS, DISEASE AND PLAGUES. Our governor shut down churches but not bars or abortion clinics? Religious leaders closed churches. State Police Agencies went to church parking lots and took down license tag numbers and the state sent warnings to the people that attended church. Again not to bars and abortion clinics.
Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
We never dreamed the governments of the world would close churches. Communicable disease has and will again play a role in the church and the second coming.
THERE IS A TIME THAT WE MUST OBEY THE WORD IN THE CHURCH AND LIFT OUR HANDS AND OUR HEARTS BECAUSE WE ACKNOWLEDGE WE ARE GETTING NEARER AND NEARER TO THE RELEASE OF GOD’S PLAN…
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
SELF LOVE WILL GROW IN THE CHURCH, US FOUR AND NO MORE… THERE WILL THRIVE A SPIRIT OF I DESERVE THIS NOW… UNTHANKFUL, UNHOLY…
2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
THE JEWISH TRADITION WAS TO FORGIVE 7 TIMES… JESUS CHANGED THE STORY OF FORGIVENESS… IT IS VERY SAD THAT IN THE CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS WILL BE THE ATTITUDE OF UNFORGIVENESS…
Matthew 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
FORGIVENESS CAN BE A FAMILY ISSUE… SPOUSES?
Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
My ever humble opinion is this term husband should be a non-gender word… spouses don’t be bitter.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (This is a several part lesson)
CONCLUSION:
Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
We have looked at some of the reasons we believe Jesus Christ is coming again that are reflected in the church. There seems to be a compromise spirit of Luke warmness… God give the passion back to your people. Is our discipleship lukewarm? Are we good for nothing? Evaluate our attitudes? Is our serve half-hearted? Indifferent?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
PLEASE GO TO WADE HUGHES--- YouTube. EVALUATE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE? ARE WE READY?
