Signs Pt. 14

We've gone through the signs of the end times given by Jesus and written in the Book of Matthew. We know that there are four gospels and in each there are different views of mostly the same happenings.  People often wonder why it was necessary for God, through the Holy Spirit guiding men over the many years the Word of God has existed in its many forms- Old Testament, which was at the time just the Scriptures that Jesus actually used, reading from and expounding upon.  The New Testament which came together over many years after Jesus' life and death, and resurrection and they were put together at various times by various means and then finally men took all the writings and decided which to include in what we now have as our Bible, some Bibles have more books than others, and people allow themselves to be confused by all this- even to the point of denying the validity of God's word.  The truth is… God has given us ALL we need of His truth and He's left nothing out.  We will by faith and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit be led to ALL His truth that we need.  Why God decided that we'd need the four gospels with three telling mostly the same thing is not a point for contention but rather for blessing.  We could read the three, the four and we could compare where we need to compare and we could see where one might word something one way while another words it differently only to give the message even greater meaning to us. We could note various differences and study those differences not to rip apart the truth but to solidify it even further.

The signs in Matthew, Mark, and Luke we must study them all, right?

Mat 24:1  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Mat 24:2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mar 13:1  And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

Mar 13:2  And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Mar 13:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

Mar 13:4  Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

Mar 13:5  And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

Mar 13:6  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Luk 21:5  And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,

Luk 21:6  As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Luk 21:7  And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

Luk 21:8  And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

The differences are minimal here, but there are differences.

Sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?

And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

Matthew says these most important words--

END OF THE WORLD.

This ties all these things together for the destruction of the temple and the end of the world.

More comparisons tomorrow by the GRACE of our GOD. This deserves a lot more studying, comparison. The Bible even tells us this--

Isa 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Please LORD help us! We need to watch for Your signs, given to us for a reason, Your heavenly reasons. Please save us.

Signs Pt. 13 Take Heed...

Sign One-

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

We've come full circle here with these prophetic signs given to us by Jesus pointing us towards the end of the world, and the destruction of Jerusalem. 

Take HEED.

Pay ATTENTION!

Why?

So NO MAN DECEIVES YOU!

This isn't the first warning about DECEIVERS- please, please read more straight from our Lord's word.

Jer 29:8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, DECEIVE you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

Jer 29:9  For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, DECEITFUL workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to DECEIVE;

Eph 5:6  Let no man DECEIVE you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain DECEIT, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

2Th 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;

2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2Pe 2:1  But there were FALSE prophets also among the people, even as there shall be FALSE teachers among you, who PRIVILY shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2Pe 2:3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

2Pe 2:4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

2Pe 2:5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2Pe 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

2Pe 2:7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

2Pe 2:8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

2Pe 2:10  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

2Pe 2:11  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own DECEIVINGS while they feast with you;

2Pe 2:14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

2Pe 2:15  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

2Pe 2:16  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Did you read all that?

Did you STUDY all that?

Did you understand what it is saying?

Sign One-

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Signs for the end of the world.

Signs we MUST take HEED to.

DECEPTION.

If it's not according to God's word then there is NO LIGHT in those who are preaching and teaching, they are DECEIVING you. They may even appear as being preachers/teachers of RIGHTEOUSNESS!  So if they appear this way then we have to be on guard! Why do we think we won't be deceived? We have to study, we have to pray, we have to WATCH! 

We can't let our guard down! So many let their guards down and then Satan sneaks in bringing all his deception with him.

If you think you can't be deceived, you're wrong.

We can all be deceived, it's the nature of deception.

Please LORD, you've given us all these signs, signs we MUST be aware of, signs we MUST study and know.

Please LORD, save us even from ourselves, especially from ourselves.

In YOUR love!

Always in YOUR LOVE!

Signs Pt 12

Sign Two-

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Sign Three-

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

Sign Four-

and there shall be famines,

Sign Five-

and pestilences,

Sign Six -

and earthquakes, in divers places.

Wars.  Endless wars over our world history. If there wasn't an active war being fought in some area of this world, there were rumors of wars.  I looked up on the web whether or not there's ever been a time of world peace, and really there hasn't. While one corner of the world was at peace, others were not. Maybe there have been no constant WORLD wars, but there have been wars even minor ones between tribes in Africa, being fought consistently in our entire world history. 

Wars and rumors of wars.

Nations rising against nations.

Huge WORLD wars, small conflict wars, intelligence wars, cold wars, cyber wars and NATIONS are rising against NATIONS.  This is truth.

Someone wrote recently that the U.S. , China, Russia, Middle East, all the big powers are at war and will forever be at war - the only thing that has changed is the mode of warfare.  We might never again be involved in a world war such as those fought on the battle fields of old, but the wars are still real and the casualties will grow. 

Nation against nation.

I can personally, never envision world peace without believing that will only happen when our Savior comes and then after a thousand years in heaven, the earth is made new.

Our Savior said these words-

Mat_10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

Sadly, many people including those who have been labeled great religious leaders strive for world peace, when our Savior did not tell them to. It's as if these leaders haven't read the Bible at all. They haven't read, or simply do not believe that Jesus said there would be FEW that are saved, that He did not come to send peace.  I'm not saying that anyone should simply accept that there is war and hatred, but there needs to be an understanding that the Devil rules this world and will have majority hold over it until our Savior returns.

Sign Four-

and there shall be famines,

Sign Five-

and pestilences,

Sign Six -

and earthquakes, in divers places.

Truth.

Sad, truth.

Can you imagine a world without famine? Without any deadly sicknesses? Without any earthquakes?

Earthquakes today-

M 5.1, 24km SSW of Teberda, Russia

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 23:35:24 UTC

M 5.4, 197km SSW of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 17:36:25 UTC

M 5.5, 12km NNE of Tambulatana, Indonesia

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 17:23:57 UTC

M 4.5, South of the Fiji Islands

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 14:53:08 UTC

M 4.7, Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 13:37:49 UTC

M 4.6, 8km NNW of San Pedro Jicayan, Mexico

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 13:36:15 UTC

M 4.6, 4km WSW of San Pedro Jicayan, Mexico

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 13:25:59 UTC

Pasted from <http://earthquakestoday.info/>

Pestilence-

The following is a list of the most common infectious diseases throughout the world today. Accurate caseload numbers are difficult to determine, especially because so many of these diseases are endemic to developing countries, where many people do not have access to modern medical care. Approximately half of all deaths caused by infectious diseases each year can be attributed to just three diseases: tuberculosis, malaria, and AIDS. Together, these diseases cause over 300 million illnesses and more than 5 million deaths each year.

African Trypanosomiasis (“sleeping sickness”)

Cholera

Cryptosporidiosis

Dengue

Hepatitis A, B,C

HIV/AIDS

Influenza

Japanese Encephalitis

Leishmaniasis

Malaria

Measles

Meningitis

Onchocerciasis (“river blindness”)Pneumonia

Rotavirus

Schistosomiasis

Shigellosis

Strep Throat

Tuberculosis

Typhoid

Yellow Fever

Pasted from <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0903696.html>

Famines-

1. 2012-08-03 N. Koreans in desperate need of food after floods North Korea

2. 2012-06-07 Violence, hunger plague South Sudan Southern Sudan

3. 2012-03-08 Oxfam warns of West Africa crisis West Africa

4. 2012-02-14 Food prices 'hit poor families' India

5. 2012-01-18 Sudan faces potential famine Sudan

6. 2012-01-17 East Africa drought delay 'cost lives' East Africa

7. 2012-01-15 Somali famine 'to kill thousands' Somalia

8. 2011-09-05 Somalia famine 'may kill 750,000' Somalia

9. 2011-08-13 Somalia PM orders aid protection Somali

Pasted from <http://www.mapreport.com/subtopics/d/0.html>

TRUTH.

Signs.

Signs we have to KEEP noting until our SAVIOR returns! Signs that should SHOUT at us to wake up and listen, WATCH and PRAY!

By the grace of GOD may we SEE the signs, wake up, watch and pray!

Please LORD, please!

Signs Pt 11

Sign Seven-

Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you

Sign  Eight-

Mat 24:9  ...and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Christ followers afflicted, killed, hated?

Read the following--

'Persecution of Christians can be traced historically from the time of Jesus in the first century to the present time.[1] Early Christians were persecuted for their faith at the hands of both Jews from whose religion Christianity arose and the Roman Empire which controlled much of the land across which early Christianity was distributed. Early in the fourth century, the religion was legalized by the Edict of Milan, and it eventually became the State church of the Roman Empire. By no means was that the end of the persecution. Michael Gaddis wrote:

Christian missionaries as well as the neophytes that they converted to Christianity have been the target of persecution, many times to the point of being martyred for their faith.

There is also a history of individual Christian denominations suffering persecution at the hands of other Christians under the charge of heresy, particularly during the 16th century Protestant Reformation.

In the 20th century, Christians have been persecuted by various groups, and by atheistic states such as the USSR and North Korea. The Christian missionary organisation Open Doors (UK) estimates 100 million Christians face persecution, particularly in Muslim-dominated countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.[3][4] They also face persecution in atheistic states like North Korea in which there is no religious freedom.[5] A recent study, cited by the Vatican, reported that 75 out of every 100 people killed due to religious hatred were Christian.[6][7]'

Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians>

*******

Headlines-

2013-03-25 Radical Islamists Threaten Holy Week Celebrations in Indonesia

2013-03-24 Unidentified Vandals Damage Indonesian Church

2013-03-24 House Church in Northwest China Raided, Leaders Interrogated

2013-03-24 New Restrictions Worrisome for Christians in Malaysia

2013-03-25 Christians in Lahore, Pakistan Traumatized by Violence

2013-03-25 Christians in Libya Remain Undeterred in the Face of Persecution

2013-03-24 Libya’s Christians under attack?

2013-03-24 Syria’s Christians Fear Iraq Scenario

2013-03-24 Christian at Risk of Deportation to Iran Where Persecution Awaits Her

2013-03-25 Fla. Professor Makes Class Trample on Jesus’ Name; Suspends Student Who Refused

2013-03-25 Christians Mourn the Victims of Last Weeks Suicide Bombing

2013-03-24 Persecution Hits Christians in India Hard

2013-03-24 Boko Haram Continues its Campaign Against Christian in Northern Nigeria

Pasted from <http://www.persecution.org/>

'Burma Troops Kill, Rape Christian Civilians; Churches Burned'

Rights groups urged the world to pressure Burma to end a crackdown on ethnic and religious minorities after government troops reportedly killed and raped dozens of mainly Christian civilians while burning hundreds of churches and homes.

Treasury Sued to Remove 'God' from Currency

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing the U.S. Treasury Department to remove "In God We Trust" from all its currency.

Pasted from <https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/13da05daf7410a84>

*******

Are Christ followers hated, afflicted, killed?  It's a fact.

And historically they've been persecuted continuously, even by their supposed own.

God's people, His true followers have always been persecuted and will continue to be persecuted until our Savior returns.

Maybe you aren't personally openly HATED, AFFLICTED, or in danger of being KILLED, but many are.

You are HATED by Satan and all Satan's followers, don't forget that. We tend to forget that we are hated when  truthfully we are constantly under a barrage of hatred from unseen spiritual forces that are busy influencing our lives negatively any way they can.

We are hated.

We are truly hated by men and women around the world who steadfastly hate ALL Christ followers.  Your winning personality here in the land of the free, would win you NOTHING in another country dominated by those whose faith tells them to HATE all Christ followers.

The signs are true.

The signs are real.

The signs are here for us to take NOTE of, often, and realize that we are living in prophecies fulfilled, signs fulfilled, signs that MUST make us realize that EVERY day we need to be growing closer to our SAVIOR, every day is ONE day closer to our LORD'S return.  PRAISE GOD!

All in HIS LOVE!

Signs of the Time Pt. 10

Mat 24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Offended.

Betraying.

Hating.

This is everywhere.

We can deny it. We can say we don't hate and know any haters. We can say we've never betrayed anyone and do not know any betrayers. We can say we've never offended anyone, and know not any offenders.  We can say all that but we'd be lying.

I'm not saying you're hateful, or a betrayer, or an offender but I'm saying there are a lot of people who are hating, betraying, and offending others and they are doing so all the time.

Again we must come to the realization that today people call evil things good and this is very true in this respect as well.

Isa_5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Gen_6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Luk_17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Many shall be offended.

Many shall betray one another.

Many shall hate one another.

These are SIGNS.

Do we see these signs in our world?

Do we see them daily?

Do we feel nothing when we see them?

Have we become immune to the evil of these signs?

Are we among those who have begun to call evil, good?

Seriously, these are questions that need asking and answering.

And if we dare to say this is all just part of life, then we are excusing evil, and in excusing evil we are guilty of that evil.

We love to make excuses for evil by calling it natural, calling it normal. And before you say you don't do this, realize that every time you offend anyone in word or deed even in the littlest way you are sinning and sinning is evil. Yet, we do this and we accept it as being normal. We tell our children that life is tough and people are cruel, that's just the way life is.  We say it as if it is normal, but it's not, it's tragic that we have to live in a world filled with sin in so many, many ways that we call it all normal.

These signs--

'And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. '

--have been covered in layer after layer of filth until we can barely see them as signs any longer. Satan has done his work well.

Open our eyes, please Lord, open our eyes to the signs.

We cannot afford to say that these signs have been the same for generation after generation, after generation and therefore no longer relevant to us today. 

In our past 'Signs of the Times' studying we've seen where a major sign as recent as 1980, and hint towards another major fulfillment of prophecy is currently underway, so how can we say these signs- ALL of them are not relevant in some manner.  Some past signs are relevant simply because they have been fulfilled and are history. Other signs serve to remind us of the EVIL surrounding us, evil that is filling almost every single corner of our world, evil that will fill men's heart continuously until this world ends as our Savior returns for us!

Please, Lord, save us! Please, Father, Keep us from EVIL.

All in YOUR LOVE!

Signs of the Times Pt. 9

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

You're too smart to be deceived by a false prophet, aren't you?  We all think we are. We have in our minds this picture of a false prophet and we've given him (because inevitably they seem to be male) wild, crazy hair and possibly a scraggly beard. This false prophet's eyes are the eyes of a lunatic, and his smile is just as crazy and creepy. He is most likely wearing some funky robe attire and he will definitely be spouting nonsense usually from the top of his lungs at wary passerby's.  This is the image we've bestowed upon modern prophets for the most part.  Of course if you're much too sophisticated to even imagine that sort of stereotypical ideal of a false prophet then you've most likely dressed your false prophet up in a nice suit and given him a clean cut hair style and the words drip from his mouth like sweet nectar.  Because he's a false prophet however, you've given him secret vices hidden from plain view.  Again, you're much too savvy to be taken in by even this sophisticated false prophet, right? Right.

The trouble with both of these scenarios of sorts is that we HAVE to take these words into account-

SHALL DECEIVE MANY.

No, it doesn't say, shall deceive all, but it does say MANY.

And unless you are God's, truly God's in all His truth, you will be among those many who are DECEIVED. 

The deceived will NOT know they are DECIEVED, that would negate the word DECEIVED.  They won't know they are deceived until it's too late. 

They'll try to use their deceptive state as an excuse too-

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

DECEIVED!

They'll be able to count the multitude of things they have done all for Christ, but He knows better. He knows that none of those things were truly done for HIM, but rather for secret, self-deluded, selfish ends.  We can help others until we are worn to the bone but that will NOT count as our being known of CHRIST if we do these things falsely.

Deception is heinous.

The deceived feel horrifically betrayed.

The deceived have to ask themselves if somehow they didn't allow themselves to be deceived.

We want to blame everything on the deceiver taking NO blame upon ourselves, but usually there is truly some small bit of guilt, not always, but usually. 

There is ALWAYS going to be guilt on the part of the deceived when it comes to our being deceived by a false prophet. Those who are truly God's will be kept from evil. Those who are truly God's will have the Holy Spirit opening their hearts to all truth.  Only those who are deceived have acquiesced to that deception in some manner they've subsequently chosen to deny even to themselves until the day of Christ's return.

Everything will be revealed in the end.

Not a single person will be able to say in truthfulness that they are NOT guilty in and of their own accord.

Yes, those who are FALSE PROPHETS choosing deliberately to deceive others will suffer for their treachery, but those who have allowed themselves to fall prey to the deceiver will suffer along with them.

We are WARNED.

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Whether this false prophet wears 500 dollar suits, 1000 dollar suits, 20 dollars suits, or mere rags, there are MANY false prophets out there and they are deceiving all those they can from ALL walks of life. This false prophet could be a charismatic leader of a mega church, or the street preacher who doesn't boast of any church at all but has managed to deceive one other person.

We need to be on guard against FALSE PROPHETS, and the only way to do that is to know the TRUTH of God's word and LIVE that TRUTH.

A false prophet will not deceive you by telling you that they are lying. A false prophet will tell you they have the truth.  YOU have to go to God and His Word YOURSELF and study out the truth, not relying up ANYONE, NOT ME, NOT YOUR PASTOR, MINISTER, PRIEST, RABBI, GURU, FRIEND, or FAMILY to tell you the truth!  SEEK the TRUTH for YOURSELF in prayer and humility!

Follow NO MAN, but choose to follow ONLY CHRIST JESUS and HIS WORD PREACHED!

Please LORD we do NOT want to be among the deceived! We do NOT want to be among the MANY! Please LORD, help us! Guide us! Keep us, wholly YOURS! Known by YOU and knowing YOU!

All in YOUR LOVE LORD, in YOUR LOVE ALWAYS!

Signs Pt 8

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Sometimes don't we wish we lived in an isolated place, far from the outside world with all its many horrors? I know I long for that but the truth is what we are truly longing for can only be found in another world, not this one.  We could hide away in some place here on earth but the horrors won't cease to exist.  In that isolation death and sickness, injury and pain will still find us all on our own without any outsiders contributing to it. The fact remains that this world is under a curse and has been given over to the ruling power of Satan.  This means that from the beginning after sin entered our world that it would fight for dominance and for the most part, it wins.  Of the innumerable amount of people that will have lived from earth's beginning until Christ comes again and take all those that are His with Him to heaven, the overwhelming majority will belong to Satan.

We can read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and know by that example alone that the majority of people belong to Satan. 

This verse here in Matthew 24:12 tells us that BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND- the LOVE of MANY SHALL WAX COLD.

All you have to do is read one day's worth of news to know that this is factual.

All you have to do is turn on the television and watch a day's worth of television, and you'll know.

Of course, if you've been BLINDED to what is evil, you won't comprehend the evil that exists and you'll actually call evil...good.  To you the world might be a mostly good place, the majority of people might be mostly good people, but the truth is vastly different. We can spin things in many directions but the truth is the LOVE of many is ICE COLD.

And the corresponding truth is that it is ice cold because, iniquity abounds.

SIN rules this world.

The closer you grow to Christ and His love, the clearer you can see the true evil of sin in its many, many forms- large and small.

And your heart breaks.

We have to stop donning our rose colored glasses called optimism, called wishful thinking, because the clearer sight they give is truly called deception.

Love, true love, God's love has been practically frozen solid it's so incredibly cold in our world today and sin reigns from the tiniest evil to the greatest.

Please LORD help our LOVE not wax cold but be burning hot, alive, on fire for YOU and all others as YOU would have our love truly be!

All through YOUR LOVE! By YOUR GRACE, YOUR MERCY!

And just moments ago on the news I heard the following:

A seventeen and fourteen year old are being charged in the murder of a toddler. They went up to the mother who was walking her baby in his stroller and demanded money. Then they shot the baby.  My heart breaks!  Love is ice cold, ice cold and iniquity abounds!

Save us, Lord, please, save us!