The Endtimes Series - Part Nine - Keep Active & Alert
Writer Author Sylvia Huffnagle
Christian Article
:
Bible Teaching
- Fiction No
(From what I’ve observed, I would say most Christians are not ready for what is coming on the earth. I’ve written a few articles that are intended to help Christians put on the full armor of God and be ready for the evil day. This is another one. Jesus gave some important instruction here.)
Lk: 21:5-8: And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 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. 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? 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.
9-11: But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. 10: Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
(I know that He was talking to Jews and that some think this message is only for their situation. I don’t believe that. There are several reasons why I don’t. One is that He may have started off talking about the destruction of the temple, but He seems to have used that subject to catapult into warnings about the end times. The warnings are actually for all times of testing and trial. I am working to prepare people for the end times. Notice He says the end is not yet in verse 9. He goes on to describe some signs of the times)
12-15: But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13: And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14: Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16-19: And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17: And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18: But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19: In your patience possess ye your souls.
(Of course this part about kinfolk being opposed to one another can be related to Jews rejecting Christ as the Messiah and forbidding their loved ones to believe in Him, but it should also be applied to what is happening in our day. There is a division growing in the so called “body of Christ”.) There should be a division because:
Lk: 51-53: Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53: The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
1 Jn: 18-19: Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Matt: 7:13-21: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17: Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mk: 8:38: Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
2Tm: 1:8: Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
(As you can see hatred of the Truth causes division and for the Jews and Christians the argument is--is Jesus the Messiah? For the church the argument is--do Christians have to give up sin in order to receive Jesus? The battle is in full swing. Children will indeed turn their parents and/or siblings into the authorities because they won’t bend--they won’t agree with the anti-Christ spirit that is manifest today.)
20-24: And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21: Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22: For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23: But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 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.
(I think that part is a warning to those who live in Israel, it was for back when Jerusalem was destroyed after Jesus’ death and now when Israel is again surrounded by armies.)
25-28: 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; 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. 27: And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28: And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
(We do see these things happening and our Lord has told us to be ready and He has told us to look beyond what is happening to our redemption. We are to read it as a sign that our redemption is very close.)
29-33: And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30: When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31: So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32: Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33: Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
34-36: And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35: For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
(This is the part I was get to. I have another article about cares and such, but this is about watching and being ready. Paul admonished Christians to live as though they had no cares in this present world. He wanted their attention centered on serving the Lord. 1Cor: 7:29-33 Jesus instructs us to be aware of what is taking place in these end times and to live in such a way that we will be accounted worthy to escape and to stand before Him. This escape may be the rapture or it may just be that since we have paid attention to the written Word of God we cannot be fooled and therefore will escape from the enemy’s net. The stand before the Son of man may mean at the rapture or it may mean that we were ready when our time came and so we past the test. In any case, Jesus said we are to pay attention and when the enemy makes a move, we should have a counter move ready.
We are in a war. The only way to win individually and as the church--the witness--is to put on the full armor and do battle You may say, “I don’t like to fight. I’m a lover.” The Bible says, all must fight and all must love-- there is a time and season for both. The war is in full swing. Choose what side you are on and stand and fight!)
Lk: 19:12-13: He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13: And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
© Sylvia Huffnagle
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