Does your faith need strengthening? Are you confused and wondering if Jesus Christ is really "The Way, the Truth, and the Life?" "Fight for Your Faith" is a blog filled with interesting and thought provoking articles to help you find the answers you are seeking. Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find." In Jeremiah we read, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall seek for Me with all your heart." These articles and videos will help you in your search for the Truth.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Deep Truths - Signs of the Times!

 www.deeptruths.com
PROOF That We Are Living in the LAST DAYS!

God's Word gives us hundreds of Signs of the Times, signs and signals of the Last Days, of the Endtime, signs that we are to watch for and expect, so that we will know when we are near the End. We are now going to examine just a few of these outstanding, literal specific, Biblical predictions and prophecies regarding conditions and events during the final Last Days of Man's rule on Earth, as foreseen by God's prophets thousands of years ago!:

In reply to His disciples question, "What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the World?" (Matthew 24:3), Jesus said, "Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the End is not yet.--For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows!"--Matthew 24:6-8. Although we've had these things for millenniums and they re only the beginning of sorrows, it's interesting to note how the scale, severity and frequency of all of these have increased.

"Wars and rumours of wars...": Although the World had never been completely free from war prior to 1914, until then war had never been universal. But from 1914 to 1918, with World War I, total war was waged, and then again from 1939-1945 with World War II. In the latter, 93 million people served in the Armed Forces of both sides: At the 21st Session of the International Red Cross in 1969, it was reported that more than 90 million people have been killed in wars since the 20th Century began, over 3 trillion dollars have been spent on arms and over 130 conflicts on five continents have been waged!

Governments now spend hundreds of billions of dollars yearly preparing for war. The U.S. Defense budget for 1986 was about $300 billion, or $1,300 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. The U.S. recently completed a 5-year $1 trillion arms buildup. As for nuclear weapons, the hell bombs of these Last Days, it has been said that we are the first generation who have the capability to destroy the planet! Presently there are enough nuclear bombs in existence to equal 1.3 million Hiroshima explosions! One nuclear submarine alone carries more explosive force than all the bombs and ammunition detonated in WWII!

"Famines...": The World Health Organisation estimates that about one-third is well-fed, one-third is under-fed and one-third is starving! Over four million people die each year of starvation, 70% of the World's children under six years old are undernourished, and 30 persons die of starvation every minute! In spite of record high food production, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the U.N. reports that about 460 million people are now living on the verge of starvation, including 60% of all Africans. 12,000 square miles of African farmland becomes desert each year due to deforestation and lack of fertilisers.

"And pestilences...": Jesus predicted that there would be an abundance of these. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 35% of the World's food is lost to insects prior to harvest, while an additional 10% is destroyed in storage by pests. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture says there are 364 super bugs Worldwide which have developed a resistance to the poisons used to control them.

"Earthquakes in diverse places...": The World Almanac tells us that there were only six earthquakes of major strength in the nearly 100 years between 1800-1896. But in each decade from 1897 until 1947 there were either two or three, in the decade from 1947-1956 there were seven, and from 1957-1966 there were 17. Since 1975 there have been over 40 significant earthquakes! In the last five years of the 1970s, more people were killed by earthquakes than in the entire 75 years preceding! In fact, 25 of the 49 largest earthquakes in recorded history occurred from 1960-1980, within only two decades!

To continue with Jesus description of the Last Days: "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the End come!"--Matthew 24:14. Now when the Lord gave these other signs in reply to His disciples question about the sign of His Coming and of the End of the World, He said the End is not yet, these would only be the beginning of sorrows. But, He now says, "When the Gospel is preached in all nations, then shall the End come!"

Never in the entire course of history has the Gospel been preached in all the World to all nations as it is right now!--If not directly by missionaries, travellers and visitors, it is certainly being preached by the modern mediums of radio, television, printed literature etc.! Every nation on the face of the Earth today has heard the Gospel!--A definite proof that we are now living in the time of the End!

The modern means of communication and transportation that have brought about the fulfillment of the above prophecy bring to mind another prediction regarding conditions in the Last Days, given to the Prophet Daniel in 534 B.C.: "In the time of the End, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."--Daniel 12:4.

"Many shall run to and fro...": People's means of travel--horse and buggy, wagons, camels, sail boats, etc.--hadn't changed for thousands of years, until just a little over 100 years ago! Until then, Man still travelled in the same fashion that Adam travelled: He walked or rode an animal or something pulled by an animal.--And very few people travelled any great distance! But in only a little over 100 years, Mankind has advanced from a state little different from Adam's to one in which Man not only drives at enormous speeds, but flies and even goes to the moon!--And many run to and fro!

People travel more today than they ever travelled before! International tourism is a huge multi-billion dollar business involving over 200 million people travelling outside their own countries every year throughout the World! Within the U.S. alone, over 300 million passengers were carried by domestic commercial airlines in 1979 and over 223 billion miles were logged by air travellers!

When you realise that there are people alive today who can remember the days when the common means of travel was horseback or horse-drawn carriages etc., you ll appreciate how amazingly this prediction about the Endtime has been fulfilled! Cars today can travel over 600 mph (1,000 kph), planes over 2,000 mph (3,000 kph) and spaceships at 24,000 mph (36,000 kph)! A jet can fly around the World in 24 hours, a spacecraft can cover the World in 80 minutes, and in less that one second a radio message can reach the ends of the Earth!

2,600 years ago another Prophet actually foresaw our modern highways and their racing, raging automobiles!: "The chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of His preparation. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings!"--Nahum 2:3,4.

Now imagine the ancient Prophet seeing a vision of future highways, today's super highways, with hundreds of cars speeding along with their headlights (flaming torches) on at nighttime!--How would he describe it? He d never seen or even imagined anything like it before! They must have looked like lightning to him! And they certainly jostle one another in the broad ways!--Thousands of people are killed every year from this jostling!

"And knowledge shall be increased...": Did you know that more has been discovered by science in the last 100 years than had been discovered or invented in the entire precious 6,000 years? Knowledge has been increased within the past hundred years of this Endtime almost beyond imagination!--To the point that machines have now become so complicated, even highly trained scientists and technicians can barely understand them!

Computers are now even taking over the thinking of Man and are able to perform feats of calculation and memory and computation and even thinking, far beyond the limits of Man's own mind! A man takes about 90 seconds to multiply 2 five-digit numbers. A computer can do it 30 million times as fast. The NASA Space Center in California has a computer that can make almost 13 billion complex calculations per second.

A few years ago it was estimated that the sum total of Man's knowledge was doubling every ten years! But now experts estimate that it takes less than five years for Man's store of knowledge to double! It is a known fact that more than 80% of all the scientists who have ever lived are alive today! Medical knowledge is increasing so rapidly that an estimated 70% of the medicines in use today were developed after WWII. Dr. Malcolm Todd, one-time president of the American Medical Association, said that about half of medical knowledge is outdated every 10 years. It is estimated that over 15,000 scientific journals are being published annually and that, throughout the World, more than 1,000 new books are published every day!--Knowledge certainly has been increased!

But although modern Man has all this knowledge and has made so many amazing scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs, what good has it really done him?--Without God and without His Word, things are so confusing, so complicated and so complex that by the time they complete their modern education, most people are more mixed-up that when they began! Unwittingly, they've fulfilled another prophecy about this last generation: "This know also, in the Last Days men shall be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth!"--2Timothy 3:1,7.

Another strikingly fulfilled prophecy regarding the time-period immediately before Jesus returns is: "That day (of Christ's Second Coming) shall not come, except there come a falling away first!?--Thessalonians 2:3. This means that a great apostasy, a cooling off, a falling away must happen before Jesus returns to take over the Earth. Has this happened today?--Are many cooling off and falling away from the church and from Christ and from God?--Yes! In fact, a survey of the National Council of Churches in America found that only half of the clergymen believed Jesus to be divine, and only 60% believed in an afterlife.

There's a great falling away taking place throughout the World today because of unbelief, loss of faith in God and loss of faith in the bible. Entire countries of former Christianity, so-called Christendom, have abandoned their faith for the false teaching of Evolution, for which there is no foundation in proven fact whatsoever, just pure theories, lies, fantasy and guesswork! (See Evolution Exposed!, and Whose Fool are you?, )

By abandoning God, the Bible and Christianity, and putting nothing in its place except the animalistic, cannibalistic religion of Evolution, the result has been total anarchy and chaos! After all, if there is no Creator nor Creation, then life if just a meaningless, chaotic process of Evolution! If there's no God, then there's no Ruler. And if there's no Ruler, then there are no rules! And if there are no rules or laws, then nothing is either right or wrong! Kill and rob or do whatever you want to do! It doesn't matter! Nothing's right! Nothing is wrong!--And the result is total insanity, madness!

Do you know which age group has had the biggest increase in crime involvement today? Fifteen is now the age of the largest increase of arrests for all kinds of crimes, including major crimes. In 1979, over 1,607,000 15-year-olds and under were arrested in the U.S. alone, according to FBI and Department of Justice reports. In the 1930 s, the age group of criminal involvement was in the 20 s, now it's gone clear down to 15 and less! Why?--Because in places like the U.S., they've taken God and the Bible and Jesus and religion out of the public schools!

So things are not getting better and better, as Evolution purports! In fact, the Bible predicts just the opposite!--"In the Last Days, evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived!"--Timothy 3:1,13. In fact, Jesus Himself said that "as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of Man comes again."--Matthew 24:37. Well, how were things in the days of Noah?--he World was so bad that God was sorry He had even made it, sorry He had even made Man. Think of it! "And God saw that the wickedness of Man was great in the Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Earth also was corrupt before God, and the Earth was filled with violence."--Genesis 6:5,11.

Is the World full of violence today?--Yes! In the U.S., violent crime has risen by 1,600% in the past 20 years!--Costing an estimated $12 billion annually! The Surgeon General reports that violence in all its forms, from murder to child-and-wife-beating, is now the nation's number 1 public health problem!

Experts have calculated that by the time the average American child is 15 years old, he will have personally witnessed the violent destruction of more than 13,000 human beings on television! No wonder their teenage darlings wind up in jail! In one week, the following acts were observed on television during children's viewing time: On the 185 programs viewed, there were 281 assaults, 117 killings, 19 robberies, 16 kidnappings, 10 murder conspiracies, 3 arsons, 3 extortions, 3 jail breaks, 1 lynching, 1 bombing and 1 suicide! On the average station there are 800 acts of violence per week! And the pity of it is, perverted American television series, videos and movies are imported, prized and viewed by most countries worldwide! It's hard to imagine that even the days of Noah were as violence-filled as those in which we are now living!

In another prediction regarding World conditions and trends immediately before His return, Jesus said, "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed!"--Luke 17:28-30.

Well, just like the ancient wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, today's World is just full of Sodomites, "men with men working that which is unseemly" (Romans 1:27), and sodomy, or male homosexuality, has swept across the World! The laws of Man are beginning to tolerate and even encourage it, while countless films and entertainers are openly flaunting and promoting it!--Which is another reason why God is going to step in soon!

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold!"--Matthew 24:12. With today's totally selfish and self-indulgent me generation, this prophecy by Jesus about the Endtime certainly is being fulfilled! Iniquity is abounding and no one can deny that the love between so many people has grown cold. "For in the Last Days men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, without natural affection, despisers of those that are good, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."--2Timothy 3:1-5.

Without natural affection is also fulfilled in the millions of anti-God murderous abortions which now take place every year, in which women with no natural maternal love murder their own unborn babies because they don't want children. Children were considered a blessing for all the thousands of years of World history, and only in these Last Days is it considered a blessing not to have children. More than 1 million legal abortions are performed in the U.S. alone annually. About 30% of all American pregnancies are terminated by abortion. According to the U.N., for every five births in the World today, there are two abortions!

"And there shall be upon the Earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring."--Luke 21:25. The peoples of the Earth are often likened unto the sea and the waves in the Bible.--Isaiah 57:20,21; Revelation 17:15. So here Jesus is actually speaking symbolically of the peoples and nations of the World--the waves of their various wars and conflicts and riots and uprisings. Every time you turn on the news on the television or the radio, you can hear the waves of a new war roaring, a new riot, a new rebellion, a new revolution, more terrorism, more strikes, more problems, chaos!

"And men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the Earth!"--Luke 21:26. Do you know what the greatest cause of death in the Western world is today?--Heart failure! The World Almanac tells us that in 1980, 566,000 Americans died from heart attacks, and approximately 1-1/2 million Americans have a heart attack every year! Over 37 million Americans suffer from hypertension, which is nearly 1 out of every 4 adults in the U.S., and more than 20 million have headaches sever enough to require medical help each year!

Before World War II, most people were not living in constant fear and terror as they are today! They didn't live in constant fear of getting murdered on the street or being annihilated by an atom bomb in a nuclear war! But ever since World War II and the following nuclear arms race, it seems like the majority of the World abandoned their faith in God and got scared stiff of blowing themselves to Hell, and still are!

Another prediction regarding the Endtime which has found obvious fulfillment has to do with the tremendous and unprecedented upsurge and interest in the occult, psychic phenomena, spiritism, demonology and witchcraft which the World is experiencing today: "Now the Spirit clearly warns that in the Latter Times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron."--1Timothy 4:1,2.

In these Last Days, the Devil's really on the job and he's very very busy. There are all kinds of weird religions which are sttracting wide followings nowadays, particularly amongst the youth. In the absence of spiritual reality in the hypocritical religions of their parents (even so-called Christians), many young people have, in their pursuit of genuine spirituality and the actual supernatural and miraculous, gone into ancient mysticism, drugs and the Spirit World.

Of course, if people have rejected and refused to receive the Gospel, the truth, God's Word says that God Himself will then send them "strong delusion that they might believe a lie!"--2Thessalonians 2:10-12. There is nothing left for them to believe but a lie, so they are then wide open for the liars and the false prophets. And now the youth from so-called Christian backgrounds are following many modern-day false prophets by the millions!--"For many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many!"--Matthew 24:11.

Besides these commonly recognised demonic mediums, the Devil in recent years has raises his ugly head and literally roared his message loud and clear through another medium: Popular Music!--Hard Rock, Acid Rock, Punk Rock, etc., have deceived youth particularly and misled them into the horrors of drugs and Hell! Much of the music is literally demonic, invoking demons and seducing people to yield to their influence! Much of its jungle rhythms and screaming savages are the sounds of horror, the sounds of Hell, tortured music that's literally driving this generation insane!

When these things begin to come to pass--when you see these things happen, even when they begin to come to pass--then look up, and lift up your heads!--Don't be discouraged, don't look down! "Look up!--For your Redemption comes near!"--Luke 21:28. When all these bad things begin to happen, start looking up, because Jesus is coming soon! PTL! "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled!"--Matthew 24:33,34.--This generation! Your generation will not pass away till all these things are fulfilled!

In other words, the curtain has been drawn aside on the last scene of Earth's great drama, and the act has begun and it cannot stop now! It is impossible! All of the signs are pointing to the End! So needless to say, the Time of the End that God's Word speaks of is these last few years in which we are now living! We are already living in the Time of the End!--And are soon to witness the very final Signs of the End which Jesus said would happen next: The rise of a totally Godless World dictator known in the bible as the Antichrist or the Beast.

Under the Antichrist, Christians and believers of all faiths shall suffer intense persecution during a time known as the Great Tribulation. At the end of the Antichrist's reign, the Bible promises that Jesus Christ shall return to the Earth and rescue His children out of the clutches of this despotic Devil-man!--Daniel 7:21,25; 8:23,24; Matthew 24:15,29-31.

But most people never seem to sense impending doom or things that are about to happen until it's too late.--They remind us of what Jesus said to some: "You can discern the face of the sky, but you can not discern the signs of the times?"--Matthew 16:3. Most people just go on with business as usual, no matter what is happening!--Unwittingly, they themselves are a fulfillment of another Endtime prophecy: "There shall come in the Last Days scoffers, saying, Where is the promise of His Coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation."--2Peter 3:3,4.--In other words, There's no danger!--Business as usual!

And just like Jesus said about the Days of Noah, "They builded and they planted and they married and were given in marriage, and knew not until the Flood came and swept them all away, so shall also the Coming of the Son of Man be!"--Matthew 24:37-39. Most people today are just going on with business as usual! Oh, they've been preaching this business about Jesus coming for centuries and He hasn't come yet! Well, He is coming and He's coming very soon, and you d better be prepared by believing in Him and living for Him, or you re apt to be swept away by the awesome soon-coming events of the very End!

Are you ready? Your only hope is Jesus and the only way out is up! He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."--John 14:6. He loves you and will forgive you your sins and give you His Love, joy and peace if you will just humble yourself and pray, asking Him into your heart! Receive Jesus today and prepare for His Coming by serving Him and telling others about His Love!

Copyright (c) 1997 by The Family

Deep Truths - The Last Days! Signs of the Times!


Articles from D. Berg and the Family International - www.deeptruths.com
The Last Days! Signs Of The Times!

Here is a list of Bible verses which indicate that we are living in the days just before the return of Jesus Christ to earth! The references are given but not the entire verse. So if you want to look up the whole verse, get that Bible off your shelf, and dust it off!

The Last Days: Signs Of The Times:
A. We should discern the signs of the times:Mat.16:3b Can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat.24:3 What shall be the sign of Thy coming, & of the end of the world?
Mat.24:39 (Unbelievers) knew not until the flood came
1Thes.5:2,4 Ye, brethren, are not (to be) in darkness
2Pet.3:3-4 Scoffers saying, "Where is His coming? All things continue as they were..."
B. Greatly increased learning:Dan.12:4 Time of the end: Many shall run to & fro, & knowledge shall be increased
2Tim.3:1,7 [Modern education:] Ever learning & never able to come to the knowledge of the truth
Mat.24:14 Gospel preached in all the world [now possible by radio, TV, world travel, etc.]...then the end
C. Greatly increased natural disasters:Mat.24:7 There shall be famines, & pestilences & earthquakes [Increasing in number & severity; famines worsened by world economic troubles]
Lk.21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear [unprecedented rate of heart attacks today]

D. Greatly increased wickedness & wars:2Tim.3:1,13 In the last days...evil men shall wax worse & worse
Mat.24:6 Wars & rumours of wars...nation against nation
Mat.24:37,38 As the days of Noah were (corrupt & violent) so shall
Lk.21:25b Upon earth distress of nations [civil unrest]

E. Rampant homosexuality in the end time:Lk.17:28-30 As it was in the days of Lot [rampant sodomy]...even thus shall it be in the day when (Jesus returns)
Rom.1:24,26-28 Uncleanness...lusts...dishonour their bodies...vile affections...against nature...working that which is unseemly
2Tim.3:1-3a In the last days...men shall be without natural affection
(See also Gen.9:20-27; 13:12,13; 18:18-33; 19:1-30; 2Pet.2:6-8.)

F. Great falling away from true faith:2Thes.2:2,3 The day of Christ shall not come except there come a falling away (apostasy) first
Mat.24:12 Iniquity shall abound...the love of many shall wax cold
Mat.24:5,11,24 Arise false Christs, & false prophets...deceive many
1Tim.4:1 In latter times some shall depart from the faith... giving heed to doctrines of devils

G. Increased persecution of true Christians:Mat.24:9,10 Ye shall be hated of all nations...many be offended
Lk.21:16,17 Ye shall be betrayed...& some of you...put to death

H. What all these fulfilled signs mean:Mat.24:33 When ye see all these things...(Jesus' coming) near
Lk.21:28 When these things begin to come to pass
Lk.21:31,32 This generation not pass till all be fulfilled

2. How To Recognise The Antichrist World Government:Dan.8:25 By peace (he) shall destroy many
Dan.11:21 Come in peaceably, & obtain the kingdom by flatteries [lying propaganda]
Dan.11:23 Work deceitfully...become strong with (deceive & use) a small people (the poor)
Dan.11:24 Enter peaceably even upon the fattest (nations)
Dan.11:24 He shall scatter among them (the poor)...the riches
Dan.11:24 He shall forecast his devices against the strongholds
Dan.11:39b He shall divide the land for gain (popularity)
Dan.11:36,37 Exalt himself...speak things against the God of gods

3. The Antichrist & His Rise:1Jn.2:18 It is the last time: (the) Antichrist shall come
2Thes.2:1-4 That day (of Jesus' coming) shall not come except... that man of sin be revealed
2Thes.2:9 Whose coming is after (according to) working of Satan
2Thes.2:10-12 God shall send them strong delusion (the Antichrist)... who believed not the truth
Dan.8:23 In the latter time...a king of fierce countenance...shall stand up
Rev.13:4 The dragon (Satan) which gave power unto the beast
Rev.13:7 Power was given him over...all nations
Dan.11:37 Neither shall he regard God of his fathers
Dan.11:37 Neither...regard...desire of women
Dan.11:37 Neither shall he regard...any god

4. Signing Of The Covenant:Dan.9:27a He shall confirm the covenant for one week (7 years)
Dan.11:30b The holy covenant [It's a religious pact]

5. Breaking Of The Covenant & Daily Sacrifice (Jewish Worship) Stopped:Dan.8:11,12 By him (the Antichrist) daily sacrifice was taken away
Dan.9:27b In midst of the week [after 3-1/2 years of the 7-year covenant] shall he cause the sacrifice to cease
Dan.11:31 Take away the daily sacrifice; place the abomination that maketh desolate
2Thes.2:4 He (the Antichrist) as God sitteth in the temple of God

6. Great Tribulation:
A. A time of intense trouble & persecution:Dan.12:1b There shall be a time of trouble such as never was
Mat.24:15,21 When ye see the abomination of desolation...then shall be great tribulation
Mat.24:22 Except those days be shortened (cut off), there should no flesh be saved

B. Antichrist blasphemes, says he is God:Dan.7:25a (Antichrist) speaks great words against the most High
2Thes.2:3b,4 (Antichrist) exalteth himself above all that is called God
Rev.13:6 (Antichrist) opened mouth in blasphemy against God

C. Much of the world worships him:Rev.13:8 All that dwell upon the earth worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life
Rev.13:13,14 (Antichrist) doeth great wonders...& deceiveth them that dwell on the earth

D. The mark, the image & enforced worship of the beast:Rev.13:15 Image of the beast...speak & cause that as many as would not worship (it)...be killed
Rev.13:16,17 No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the number of his name
Rev.13:18 The number of the beast...is 666
Rev.14:9-11 If any man receive his mark...shall be tormented

E. The false prophet:Rev.13:11-16 He causeth the earth to worship the (Antichrist)... deceiveth them
Rev.19:20 False prophet wrought miracles...he deceived them

F. The Antichrist's persecution of Christians:Rev.13:7 To make war with the saints, & to overcome them, & power given him over...all nations
Dan.7:21 Made war with the saints, & prevailed against them
Dan.7:25 He shall...wear out the saints of the most High (God)
Dan.8:24 He shall...destroy the mighty & the holy people
Dan.11:33 They that understand...shall fall by the sword
Dan.11:35 Some of them of understanding (teachers) shall fall
Dan.12:7b He shall...scatter the power of the holy people

G. Why God allows us to suffer tribulation:Dan.11:35 To try them, & to purge, & to make them white
Dan.12:10 Many shall be purified, & made white, & tried
Isa.48:10 I have refined thee...in the furnace of affliction (See also Pro.17:3; Eph.5:27.)

H. Future Heavenly reward for enduring tribulation:Rev.7:9,13-17 These...came out of great tribulation...therefore are they before the throne of God day & night
Rev.20:4 Them...which had not worshipped the beast...lived & reigned with Christ

I. Christians overcome & survive despite persecution:Rev.12:11 They overcame him (Antichrist) by blood of the Lamb & by the word of their testimony
Dan.11:32b People that know God shall be strong & do exploits
Rom.8:35-37 In all these things we are more than conquerors
1Cor.15:51,52 We shall not all sleep (die)...we shall be changed
1Thes.4:16,17 We which are alive and remain [Many Christians still alive at Jesus' 2nd coming]

J. Protection & provision during tribulation:Rev.9:3,4 [The wicked will be tormented, but we will be spared]
Rev.11:3,5-7 Two witnesses have power to smite earth with plagues
Rev.12:6 Fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there
Rev.12:14 Fly into the wilderness...where she is nourished

K. Witnessing during the tribulation:Dan.11:33a They that understand...shall instruct many

L. Length of the great tribulation:Dan.7:25;12:7 A time, times, and a half (3-1/2 years)
Rev.12:14 A time, & times & half a time (3-1/2 years)
Rev.11:2; 13:5 Forty two months (= 3-1/2 years)
Rev.11:3;12:6 1,260 days

7. The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ:
A. After the great tribulation (but before the wrath):Mat.24:29-30 Immediately after the tribulation...they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds
2Thes.2:1-3 That day (of Jesus' coming) shall not come, except... first...that man of sin (the Antichrist) be revealed

B. Jesus' coming will not be a secret event:1Thes.5:1-4 Ye...are not in darkness, that that day...[We will be expecting Jesus, but world will be surprised] (See also Mat.24:38,39)
Mat.24:23-26 If any say unto you, Here is Christ, or there...He is in the secret chambers; believe it not
Mat.24:30 The tribes of the earth shall mourn, & see the Son of man coming...with power & great glory
Acts 1:9-11 Jesus...shall so come in like manner (in the clouds)
Rev.1:7 He cometh with clouds, & every eye shall see Him

C. The tremendous signs of His coming:Mat.24:27 As the lightning shineth from east to west...so shall the coming...be [Jesus lights up entire sky]
Mat.24:29 Sun be darkened...moon not give light [Jesus shines]
1Thes.4:16 Lord shall shout...voice of archangel...trump of God [Lots of noise & commotion]

8. The Resurrection & Rapture:
A. The living raptured, the dead resurrected:1Thes.4:14 Them which sleep in Jesus (departed saints) will God bring with Him
Isa.26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise
1Thes.4:15,16 The dead in Christ (their bodies) shall rise first
1Thes.4:17 Then we which are alive shall be caught up (raptured)
Mat.24:31 Sound of a trumpet...gather together [rapture] elect
1Cor.15:51 We shall not all (die), but we shall all be changed
1Cor.15:52 At last trump, dead shall be raised incorruptible, & we shall be changed (transformed)
Job 19:25-27 In my flesh shall I see God...though (I) be consumed [Resurrected in bodies long dead]
Rev.20:6a Blessed & holy...hath part in first resurrection
(See also 1Cor.15:53,54; 2Cor.5:1-4.)

B. Our powerful, immortal resurrection bodies:Lk.20:36 Neither can they die any more...equal unto angels; being the children of the resurrection
Phi.3:20,21 Jesus...change our bodies...like His glorious body
1Jn.3:2 When He shall appear, we shall be like Him
Lk.24:36-40 A spirit hath not flesh & bones, as ye see Me have
Jn.20:19,26 The doors were shut...Jesus...stood in the midst
Lk.24:30,31 As He sat at meat...He vanished out of their sight
Lk.24:42,43 He took it (fish & an honeycomb) & did eat
Acts 10:40,41 We did eat & drink with Him after He rose from dead
1Cor.6:14 God hath raised up (Jesus), & will also raise us up
(See 1Cor.15:19-55--"The Resurrection Chapter")

9. The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb:Rev.7:9,13-17 Great multitude (of Christians)...which came out of great tribulation...stood before the throne
Rev.19:1,6-9 Much people in Heaven...marriage of the Lamb is come
Rom.7:4 [The church, all true Christians, marry Jesus]
Hos.2:19,20 I (God) will betroth thee unto Me for ever (See also Isa.62:5; 2Cor.11:2.)

10. The Judgement Seat Of Christ:
A. Christians rewarded or punished for their works:Rom.14:10-12 Judgement seat...every one give account of himself
2Cor.5:10 We (Christians) must appear before the judgement seat of Christ...receive (rewards for) things done
Rev.22:12 My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be

B. Jesus praises & rewards some, is ashamed of others:Dan.12:3 They that turn many to righteousness...shine as stars
Mat.25:21 Well done, thou good & faithful...enter joy of Lord
1Cor.3:11-14 If any man's works abide, he shall receive a reward
1Cor.3:15 If any man's work burned...suffer loss...be saved
Mk.8:38 Of him (some Christians) shall the Son...be ashamed
Dan.12:2 Many shall awake...some to shame & contempt

C. The crown of life--A reward for faithful service:Rev.2:10b Be thou faithful...I will give thee a crown of life
Jam.1:12 Crown of life...Lord promised to them that love Him
2Tim.4:7,8 I have kept the faith...a crown of righteousness

11. The Wrath Of God Upon The Earth:
A. God's wrath upon the remaining unsaved:Isa.26:19-21 Dead men shall live [resurrection of saved]...(then) the Lord cometh to punish inhabitants of the earth
Isa.13:9-11 The day of the Lord cometh with wrath & anger...He shall destroy the sinners...punish the world
Rev.14:9,10 If any man worship the beast...the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God
Rev.16:1-21 [Description of the plagues of God's wrath]

B. The utter destruction of Babylon by fire:Rev.17:1,5,18 The great whore...Babylon the great...that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth
Rev.18:2,3,11 [Babylon is the world merchant/commercial system]
Rev.18:8 In one day...she shall be utterly burned with fire
Rev.18:17 In one hour so great riches is come to nought
Rev.17:16 10 horns (nations) shall...make her desolate & burn her with fire

12. The Battle Of Armageddon:
A. The Antichrist, his allies & eastern kings gather to fight:Rev.16:12 Euphrates...water thereof dried...the way of the kings of the east prepared
Rev.16:13,14 Devils...go forth unto (Antichrist's) kings of the whole world, to gather them to the battle
Rev.16:16 He gathered them into a place called...Armageddon
Rev.19:19 Kings of the earth gathered to make war against Him Rev.17:12-14 Ten kings...these shall make war with the Lamb
Ezk.38:1-9 Magog (Russia)...in the latter years thou shalt come into Israel...many people (allies) with thee

B. The Lord & His armies destroy the Antichrist's forces:Deut.32:41-43 Rejoice...for He will avenge blood of His servants
2Thes.1:7-9 Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven...taking vengeance on (the wicked)
Jude 14,15 The Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgement upon all
Rev.19:11 [Jesus comes riding on a white horse to make war]
Rev.19:14,15 Armies in Heaven (saints) followed Him on white horses
Rev.19:19,21 The remnant (of the Antichrist's armies) were slain
Isa.11:4 With the breath of His lips shall He slay wicked
Rev.19:20 The beast was taken...& the false prophet...these both were cast alive into a lake of fire

C. The cleanup after the battle:Isa.66:15,16 The slain of the Lord shall be many
Rev.19:17,18 Saying to fowls, Come...that ye may eat (corpses)
Ezk.39:17-20 (Birds of carrion) filled...with men of war
Ezk.39:11,12 7 months shall (Jews) be burying them...in Israel

13. The Millennium:
A. One thousand years of peace:Rev.20:1-3 Satan...bound 1,000 years...cast into bottomless pit

B. The saints rule with Jesus over all the earth:Dan.2:44 In days of these kings shall...God set up a Kingdom
Dan.7:13,14 Son of man...there was given Him a Kingdom, that all peoples, nations & tongues should serve Him
Dan.7:18,22,27 The Kingdom...given to the people of the saints [true Christians]
Rev.20:4,6 They lived and reigned with Christ a 1,000 years
Rev.2:26 I will give (overcomers) power over the nations
Rev.2:27 He shall rule them with a rod of iron (authority)
Rev.5:10 Made us kings & priests...we shall reign on earth
(See also 2Tim.2:12a; 1Cor.6:2; 15:24,25; Psa.22:27,28; 47:2,3,7,8; 72:6-8,11,19.)

C. His rule will be just & righteous:Psa.67:4 Let nations be glad...Thou shalt judge...righteously
Psa.72:3,4 He shall judge the poor...He shall save the needy
Psa.98:8,9 With righteousness shall He judge the world
(See Psa.45:6; Isa.14:5,7.)

D. Heavenly conditions of the millennium:Isa.11:6-8 [Peace with animals & nature during the millennium] The wolf shall dwell with the lamb...calf & the lion
Isa.11:9 Shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain
Isa.65:25 The wolf & lamb shall feed together...lion eat straw
Hos.2:18 In that day will I make a covenant with the beasts...& I will...break the sword out of the earth

E. Men will live for centuries, like before the flood:Isa.65:20 For the child shall die an hundred years old

F. Peace on earth:Isa.14:5-7 The whole earth is at rest, & is quiet
Isa.2:4 They shall learn war no more [true disarmament] (See also Mic.4:3)
Psa.46:9 He maketh wars to cease [weapons are destroyed]

G. Everyone on earth will know about the Lord:Isa.2:2,3 All nations flow unto [Kingdom to learn God's Word]
Jer.31:34 They shall teach no more...know the Lord: for they shall all know Me
Hab.2:14 Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of...the Lord
Psa.22:27 All the kindreds of the nations shall worship Thee

H. Some will disobey & be punished:Zech.14:16,17 Whoso will not come...upon them shall be no rain
Psa.2:8-10 Shalt break them with a rod of iron [rule by force]
Isa.26:10 The wicked...will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly

14. The Battle Of Gog & Magog:Psa.2:1-5 The heathen rage [& rebel against Jesus' rule]
Rev.20:7 When the thousand years are expired...Satan loosed
Rev.20:8,9a He shall deceive the nations...gather them to battle
Rev.20:9b Fire came down from Heaven & devoured them [rebels]
2Pet.3:10-13 Elements melt with fervent heat...earth burned up... (atmospheric) heavens on fire shall be dissolved
Psa.78:69b The earth which He hath established forever [Only earth's crust melts; globe is permanent]
Isa.40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, every mountain low [Earth's surface melted down evenly]

15. Great White Throne Judgement:Rev.20:10 The devil was cast (directly) into the lake of fire
Rev.20:11 And I saw a great white throne (in Heaven)
Jn.5:29 And they shall come forth...unto the resurrection of damnation (judgement)
Rev.20:5a Rest of the dead live not again until the 1,000 years finished [this resurrection at end of Millennium]
Rev.20:12,13 The (unsaved) dead judged...according to their works
Lk.12:47,48 He that knew not...shall be beaten with few stripes [Differences of punishment] (See also Rom.2:12,14)
Job 34:10,11 For the work of a man shall He render unto him
Rev.20:15,21:8 (Those) not written in book of life cast into lake of fire...the second death

16. New Heaven & New Earth:
A. The Heavenly city comes down to earth:Rev.21:1 I saw a new (atmospheric) heaven & a new earth...& there was no more sea [3-4 times more land area]
Rev.21:10 Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven (space)
Rev.21:2 I saw...New Jerusalem, coming down (to earth)
Rev.21:3 (City) of God is with men, & He will dwell (on earth)

B. Description of the Heavenly city:Heb.11:10 A city, whose builder & maker is God
Rev.21:16 [The city is 1,500 miles high, wide & broad]
Rev.21:12,17 [The wall around base of the city is 214 feet high]
Rev.21:14,18-20 [The wall is made of 12 layers of precious stones]
Rev.21:12,21 The 12 gates were 12 (gigantic) pearls
Rev.21:18 The city was pure gold, like unto clear glass
Rev.21:21b The street...was pure gold, as...transparent glass
Rev.21:23,25 The city had no need of the sun...for the glory of God did lighten it...no night there
Rev.22:1 A pure river of life [flows through city]
Rev.22:2 On either side of the river, was...the tree of life
Jn.14:2-3 In My Father's house (city) are many mansions

C. Only saved live in the city; unsaved nations outside:Rev.21:24,27 Only they which are written in the book of life
Rev.22:2 Leaves of the tree for healing of the (sick) nations
Heb.11:13-16 Pilgrims & strangers...God prepared for them a city

D. Eternal life & happiness in Heaven forever:Rev.21:5 Behold, I make all things new
Rev.22:3a And there shall be no more curse
Rev.7:17 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes
Rev.21:4 Shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying... former things are passed away
Rev.21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things
Psa.36:7-9 Make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures
Heb.13:14 Here we have no...city, but we seek one to come

Copyright (c) 1997 by The Family International

Daily Praise!

Daily Praise: June 6

When my heart feels burdened and my soul distressed, I raise my heart up to You, my Lord. I reach for Your Spirit of wisdom and love, Your refreshing, pure voice. You wash away my worldly thoughts with Your words so strong and sure. I love to listen and hear Your whispers; I love to tune in to Your Spirit. It lifts me and refreshes me. It gives me faith without limit, for I know Your love goes on and on. Your song never stops; You give and You give.

Sing on, dear Jesus! My spirit flies into Your arms of love. Sing on, my Lord, and lift me to the heavens. Your voice, Your whisper, is the sweetest music in the world to me. Nothing can match it; nothing comes near. No one can be like You, my Lord. Just one moment with You is all I need to keep me coming back for more. Sweet Savior, wonderful Jesus, I can never get enough of You.

These texts are taken from the book "My King and I" with the kind permission of Aurora Productions.

Daily Might - Our spirits are contagious!

Sometimes just a word or a smile can make a big difference—how we look or sound or seem. If it's not cheerful and victorious and uplifting, it's bound to drag somebody else down with us. Others will partake of our spirits and be influenced by our attitudes. This is why it's so important that we dwell on the positive, not the negative. Think about the good things (Philippians 4:8). Be encouraging, loving, and cheerful. Love begets love. If we are peaceful, trusting, patient, restful, and full of faith, this is the way others will also react. A little real love goes a long, long way!

No man is an island. Everybody has influence. One person walking in love will encourage others to do likewise. If you show love, others will catch the same spirit. It's such a contagious thing—the love of Christ in action. It spreads from heart to heart.

If we live enough with God, like Moses did, a little of God will rub off on us too and we'll be happy and our faces will shine with joy and the Spirit of God (Exodus 34:29-34; Numbers 6:25-26). That's the secret! If we shine forth with enough love, others will reflect it.

Want a Strong Marriage?

If your marriage is going to be strong, it must be strong in the spirit. If it's going to be strong in the spirit, then I must be the center. Your focus, your unity, your love, all must be centered around Me. Then you'll have what you need to make it over the human weaknesses and mistakes and misunderstandings. But when you go for a long period of time without having good prayer and communication, without humbling yourselves and uniting around My Word, it's very easy to become set in your ways, proud, unyielding and intolerant. You lose the compassion. You lose the tenderness. You lose the sweetness.

This text is taken from the book "From Jesus, With Love" with the kind permission of Aurora Productions.

The Poetry of Love

A compilation

Download Audio (22.1MB)

Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.1

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Love is a consistent passion to give, not a meek persistent hope to receive.2

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To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.3

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Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.4

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A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.5

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Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”6

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The art of love ... is largely the art of persistence.7

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Love means to love that which is unlovable; or it is no virtue at all.8

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Loving can cost a lot but not loving always costs more, and those who fear to love often find that want of love is an emptiness that robs the joy from life.9

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True love ennobles and dignifies the material labors of life; and homely services rendered for love’s sake have in them a poetry that is immortal.10

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We say that grace is “unmerited favor.” And we are instructed to love as Christ loves us. He shows us grace; we are to show each other grace. What does that mean? That means we are to be kinder to people than what we think they deserve.11

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Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.12

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This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.13

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Impart unto me, O God, I pray Thee, the spirit of Thy love, that I may be more anxious to give than to receive, more eager to understand than to be understood, more thoughtful for others, more forgetful of myself.14

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If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.15

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Love has no uttermost, as the stars have no number and the sea no rest.16

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The angel is the benevolent stranger who shows some ordinary kindness to miraculous effect. It is the woman who is friendly to the grungy kid on the bridge, not knowing he had been planning to jump off, but whose chitchat breaks the spell of despair so that, instead of plummeting to his death, he goes home and makes an omelet. The woman would continue on her way, unaware, but for that moment, in that tableau, she was an angel. In a painting of the moment, the light would fall on her.17

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Who has not found the heaven below
Will fail of it above.
God’s residence is next to mine,
His furniture is love.18
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There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved: It is God’s finger on man’s shoulder.19

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To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic.20

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You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.21



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Love only gives one answer, and it is YES.
To every fear that begs to be faced.
To every longing for approval, to the need to be valued.
To the heart’s wish to be treasured, even with its cuts and scars showing.
Love says yes.22
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Jesus calls us to show this truth forth, live this truth forth. Be the light of the world, he says. Where there are dark places, be the light especially there. Be the salt of the earth. Bring out the true flavor of what it is to be alive truly. Be truly alive. Be life-givers to others. That is what Jesus tells the disciples to be. That is what Jesus tells his Church, tells us, to be and do. Love each other. Heal the sick, he says. Raise the dead. Cleanse lepers. Cast out demons. That is what loving each other means. If the Church is doing things like that, then it is being what Jesus told it to be. If it is not doing things like that—no matter how many other good and useful things it may be doing instead—then it is not being what Jesus told it to be. It is as simple as that.23

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Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other—it doesn’t matter who it is—and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.24

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Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.25

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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.26

Published June 2012. Read by Bethany Kelly. Music by Michael Dooley.


1 Song of Solomon 8:7 NIV.

2 Swami Chinmayananda.

3 Karen Sunde.

4 Author unknown.

5 Proverbs 17:17 NIV.

6 Matthew 22:37–39 NKJV.

7 Albert Ellis.

8 G. K. Chesterton.

9 Merle Shain.

10 Harriet Beecher Stowe.

11 Author unknown.

12 1 Peter 4:8 NIV.

13 1 John 3:16 NIV.

14 F. B. Meyer.

15 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NLT.

16 Eleanor Farjeon.

17 Melanie Thernstrom.

18 Emily Dickinson.

19 Charles Morgan.

20 Alphonse de Lamartine.

21 Henry Drummond.

22 Author unknown.

23 Frederick Buechner.

24 Mother Teresa.

25 1 John 3:18 NIV.

26 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a NIV.copyright@thefamilyinternational

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

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