In my first message in 2011, I shared that “God has been trying to get our attention for a while now – financial crisis, wars and famines, but do not be surprised to see greater distresses around the globe, from 2011 onwards, before the eventual Day of the Lord!”
Some of the signs of the end of time were described in [Matthew 24]:
[Matt 24:7-8 NIV]
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth-pains.
In 2010, there were 26 major earthquakes, averaging more than 2 a month. Since the start of 2011, we already recorded 5 major earthquakes in January alone!
Besides the natural disasters, the most significant events in 2011 so far has been the uprising of peoples’ power in countries ruled by authoritarian governments like Tunisia and Egypt. We are seeing similar protests in Libya, where the Government deployed tanks & fighter jets in an attempt to put down the uprising.
This open defiance of protesters against authoritarian government in the Middle East has spread to Morocco and Iraqi……...
[Matthew 24] went on to say:
[Matt 24:12-14 NIV]
12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
One sure sign is “the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations”.
As Christians, we should do 2 things both now and in the days to come:
1) Do not fear what have been happening and what are to come, no matter how stressful they seem. Find peace in God. Stand firm in our faith to the end.
2) Preach the gospel as a testimony to all nations, wherever God puts us. Depend on God’s grace and anointing.
I have made up my mind to do just that :)
Because of your great love and your gift of salvation “I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever……The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands….The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men.” [Ps 9:1-5, 15-20 NIV]
God’s ways can be difficult to fathom with our human mind at times. It includes things that seem bad at the time. One example was God commanded the Israelites to be taken as captives to Babylon.
“…….This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity……[Jer 29:1-14 NIV]. Our job is to trust and obey!
Another example was God’s call to Paul to serve Him, although Paul used to persecute Christians big time.
"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense…..Then Paul said: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' "'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied……"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' [Acts 22:1-21 NIV]
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, [Prov 2:1-12 NIV]
Amen and amen!
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