Christmas greetings from Hong Kong
in the wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
In my message in Dec. 2011, I wrote about 2012 as a year that would mark
the beginning of the end of the world, and a 7-year Tribulation would precede
the end. Some said that the Tribulation was imminent, whilst some said it had
already started, by judging recent disastrous events happening in the world, be
it economic or natural. I said it was without doubt that the end was near.
As we come to the end of 2012, people of all faiths and atheists in the
world talked about the 21st December with great interest, the date regarded as the end-date of a 5125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar (Maya calendar).
Going forward, we can expect all of the signs foretold by Jesus to occur in greater frequency and intensity:
[Matt 24:4-8]
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no-one deceives you.
5 For many
will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are
not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
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.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death,
and you will be hated
by all nations because of me.
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray
and hate each other,
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.
21 For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning
of the world until now — and never to be equalled again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for
the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
The birth-pains have started. They will build up progressive to the
moment of birth (return of our Lord Jesus). Unfortunately, the worst (the greatest
pain) is yet to come!
God is also a God of righteousness and justice.
He has patiently waited for men to repent in the last 6000 years. But, to
be fair to the faithful, He will not wait forever. As far as I can see, God’s final
judgment has already started.
1)
Many will come in my (God’s) name
[Ps
125 NIV]
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like
Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures for ever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so
the LORD surrounds his people both now and for evermore.
3 The sceptre of the wicked will not
remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers…..
[Ex 20:7 NIV]
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD
will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
2)
Nation will rise against nation / kingdom against kingdom / famines /
earthquakes
[Hag
2:5-7 NIV]
5'This is what I covenanted with you when
you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.' 6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
7 I will shake all nations…….
God is shaking the nations through wars, famines
and earthquakes. The purpose of His shaking is two fold:
a)
Wake up call for
believers and not-yet-believers alike
b)
Punishment for
the wicked
3)
Hated by all nations because of me (Jesus) / turn away from the faith /
betray and hate each other
[Rev
13:1-10 NIV]
2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard,
but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon
gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to
have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world
was astonished and followed the beast.
4 Men worshipped the dragon because he
had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked,
"Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter
proud words and blasphemies and to exercise
his authority for forty-two months.
6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God,
and to slander his name and his dwelling-place and those who live in heaven.
7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer
them. And he was given authority over
every tribe, people, language and nation.
8 All inhabitants of the earth will
worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life
belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
9 He who has an ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the
sword he will be killed. This calls for
patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
At the same time Satan the Devil will battle with God
for the souls. The final battle will be for 42 months during the Great
Tribulation. The Devil will have authority over every tribe, people, language
and nation. He will war against the saints, causing the weak in faith to fall
and worship the devil instead of God. “This
calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.”
4)
Son of Man will appear in the sky with power and great glory
[Prov
16:1-11,20,33 NIV]
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and
your plans will succeed. 4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends — even the wicked for a day of disaster.
5 The LORD detests all the proud of
heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
6 Through love and faithfulness sin is
atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil. 20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
The good news is that God will watch over the faithful and bless them
accordingly.
The good news is that God (Jesus Christ) will return in glory and power
at the end of the Great Tribulation.
Be encouraged to know that “Whoever gives heed to
instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD”
