LESSONS FROM 70 YEARS OF MINISTRY: ‘WHAT I HAVE RECEIVED I PASSED ON TO YOU AS OF FIRST IMPORTANCE.’ (PART 11) AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, SPOTIFY, GOOGLE PODCASTS, YOUTUBE.
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:3-14, NKJV)
If God exists why does he allow suffering? This question has been in people’s minds very much recently. God is not responsible for natural disasters; these have a natural explanation. But God has more than once used disasters as a warning, for example, as it was in the days of Noah, or the plagues in Egypt.
Is God allowing something big enough to shake people out of their total apathy and indifference, and at least reawaken some moral conscience. Many parts of the world have turned away from the living God. Europe in particular is removing all reference to Christian faith in public life. Britain is fast becoming a godless secular society, where even some clergy insist we are post-Christian nation. Other continents have turned to false religions, holy men and false prophets.
I suggest that the real question is not, if God exists, but rather, why is it people only question about God when there is a major catastrophe; isn’t God important and relevant all the time? It is constant belief in Him which is the anchor we need in our lives.
The Bible is the only Book which declares the true state of man, warns of coming earthquakes of increasing intensity, forecasts the wars which devastated the early twentieth century, and warns about the pestilence consuming our world.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (Romans 1:20, NKJV)
The Bible proves without question the existence of God (Romans 1:20), the coming judgment, and the eternal reward of each person. The Bible is so authoritative and clear, that any individual or nation which follows its direction can be delivered from fear and destruction, saved from God’s wrath, and given an indescribable future with Jesus.
In the Bible can be found the solution to most of our global problems: sickness, crime and violence; law and order; binge drinking and drugs; educational standards; debt; all this is solved within the Bible, which is full of compassion, hope and joy. Jesus offers a better way to a simple life on earth, not just in heaven. Every believing Christian should be declaring the truth of the Kingdom; we have the solution!
Church leaders need to stop challenging the accuracy of the Bible, which is the very Word of God; we need to get back to basic Biblical sense. The message of Jesus was simple yet powerful enough to change men and nations; and incredibly, 2000 years later, His teaching still changes lives, if we would listen and have the courage and faith to act on it.
What does the Bible say abut today? Many question the existence of God, yet they never acknowledge or obey Him. It was God Himself who warned us about the evils and tragedies which have come. How can you question God’s existence when He told you in advance how and why these things would happen? Show me one politician who has done this. Yet the world votes for politicians but rejects the God who speaks the truth.
In Britain we have faced many crises over the last 200 years, yet history proves it was the preaching of the Gospel that saved this nation, not the meddling of politicians. It was the preaching of John Wesley and the Wesleyan revival that saved Britain from the bloodshed of the French revolution. The preaching of William Booth and his Salvation Army which helped rid us of the drunkenness and crime of the day. And the Welsh Revival and subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the early 1900s which enabled us to become a nation of prayer, which delivered us out of two world wars; did not the prayers of King and Country save us from Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, and the D-day Normandy landings? Is this not a God who intervened when we called on Him?
Who is calling us to prayer at this time? To stand for two or three minutes in silence is to be united in empathy, but not in prayer. To pray for the dead cannot help them; their future was determined during their lives. Better to pray for the living in their grief that they may find Christ.
In Mathew 24 & Luke 21:7, Jesus warns of wars and civil unrest, nation against nation, great earthquakes, famines, sickness, and in verse 25, the waves roaring. In Revelation the prophecies are more detailed: a third dying from war, and a third from plagues.
But there is good news! The Bible says there will be great revivals before the end comes and Christ returns. In Joel 2, God says, in the last days I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. God is doing this in Ukraine and Russia right now! I was there when the fire fell in Bulgaria. There are great revivals in China, South America and elsewhere.
We also see in 2 Thessalonians 2, the return of Christ will not come until there comes a falling away first, and the man of sin will be revealed, who will oppose and exalt himself above God. We can certainly see the apathy and falling away in Europe.
Israel plays an important part in the end time scenario. The Temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem, and the anti-Christ sit there in rebellion against God. Jerusalem will become a stumbling block to all nations: this we are seeing literally fulfilled as the world views Jerusalem as the final obstacle to peace in the middle east.
Many ask me if there will be revival in Britain. My answer is that it is possible. It will come, if only God can find men and women of such faith, who have power with God, and intercede passionately and prevail. We need a powerful change to save our nation: moderation not excess; morality not political correctness; without this all we have is chaos. That is why God is calling us to evangelise now!
10, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
25, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21, NKJV)
‘Heaven is God’s Throne’ used by kind permission www.vinesong.com