'I tell you in that night, there will be two men in one bed; the one will be taken and the other will be left' - Luke (17:34)
Dear friends, it is no longer news that we are indeed living in the last days. The disciples of Jesus asked to know the specific signs that will herald His second coming and the end of the Age. Jesus spoke explicitly about
these in Mathew (24 :4-14) 'Take heed that no one deceives you. for many will come in My name, saying;"i am the christ", and will decieve many'. - Already, this is happening today, there are reports of people who call themselves 'LORD' and are addressed as such by their ignorant followers. Some claim to be Jesus Christ that has returned.v6: 'And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. see that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet'- some time ago, the republic of north korea as reported by the media claimed to be at war with the USA; but it turned out only to be a rumor. also we hear of actual wars taking place even now; in some parts of Syria, Yemen, Ukraine,Libya, Nigeria, Afghanistan. As heart breaking as these things are, i am not surprised because Jesus spoke about these events in the last days.
v7: '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' - Today famine and malnutrition is killing a significant number of people in parts of Africa and other places. Pestilences and diseases like ebola, malaria, avian flu and other deadly diseases killing people around the globe. The number of Earthquakes taking place almost on a daily basis around the world is unprecedented. Some of these earthquakes are not reported because they are not signifcant enough on the Richter scale to cause major damage. This does not take away the fact that they do occur.
v9: 'then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my Names sake' - Today all over the world Christians are being persecuted and killed because of their faith in Christ. Its happening in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Kenya, north eastern Nigeria etc
v11: 'then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many'- today there are allegations within the church where some preachers are being accused of teaching doctrines that are not consistent with the Holy Scriptures or indulging in practices and activities that are questionable.
v14: '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' - today we have a situation where it is possible for this gospel to be preached in all the earth with the capabilities of the internet and advancements in communication technology. the world has become a global village. The words of Jesus are faithful and true. God cannot lie. we can see that most if not all of the signs Jesus spoke about have all come to pass.
Dear Brethren, time is short. Jesus will return soon. I also ask myself the same question everyday. Am i ready to meet the Lord if He returns now? A daily self assessment is necessary so that we are not taken unawares. The issue of eternity is a very serious one not to be toyed with. we are not talking of one thousand or two thousand years...but for all of eternity.
The world is indeed pregnant with these signs before our very eyes. Let us turn to God in genuine repentance and humility, that He may deem us fit to escape the things which are to come as His Judgement upon the whole earth.
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