Luke 21:5-19
When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” 7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.9“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. 12“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.
SIGNS
We get information from signs…
Signs of Tornado
- A Rotating, funnel shaped cloud extending from a thunderstorm towards the ground.
- A dark, sometimes green, sky
- An approaching cloud of debris
- A loud roar (similar to a freight train)
- A strange calm after a thunderstorm
- Debris falling from the sky
Signs of a Stroke
- Numbness or weaknessin your face, arm, or leg, especially on one side
- Confusion or trouble understanding other people
- Trouble speaking
- Trouble seeingwith one or both eyes
- Trouble walking or staying balanced or coordinated
- Dizziness
- Severe headachethat comes on for no reason
Signs of Prostate Cancer
These include bladder and urinary problems that result in: 1. painful or difficult urination, and frequent urination, especially at night 2. loss of bladder control 3. reduced urinary flow or velocity 4. blood in the urine (a condition known as hematuria)
Signs of Hard Winter
- Thicker than normal corn husks 2. Woodpeckers sharing a tree 3. Early arrival of the Snowy owl 4. Early departure of geese and ducks 5. Early migration of the Monarch butterfly 6. Thick hair on the nape (back) of the cow’s neck 7. Heavy and numerous fogs during August 8. Raccoons with thick tails and bright bands 9. Mice eating ravenously into the home 10. Early arrival of crickets on the hearth 11. Spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in great numbers 12. Pigs gathering sticks 13. Insects marching in a line rather than meandering 14. Early seclusion of bees within the hive 15. Unusual abundance of acorns 16. Muskrats burrowing holes high on the river bank 17. “See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest” 18. Narrow orange band in the middle of the Woollybear caterpillar warns of heavy snow; fat and fuzzy caterpillars presage bitter cold 19. The squirrel gathers nuts early to fortify against a hard winter 20. Frequent halos or rings around the Sun or Moon forecast numerous snow falls.
SIGNS – WARNING SIGNS
An early signal that something bad or dangerous might happen A notice or bulletin that alerts the public of imminent danger/ hazard
PURPOSE OF WARNING SIGNS
The main purpose of signs is to communicate, to convey information such that the receiver may make cognitive decisions based on the information provided
EVANGELISTS- tell of signs
END TIMES
Harold Egbert Camping who died in 2103 was an American Christian radio broadcaster, author and evangelist. …
Camping predicted that Jesus Christ would return to Earth on May 21, 2011, … time of the Rapture or the end of the world
Jack Van Impe
TV Evangelist
Weekly program – Detroit
an eschatological commentary on the news of the week through an interpretation of the Bible.
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There will always be those who try to unlock the real message or messages of REVELATION
To unscramble the codes… read the clues, decipher the signs… so we would have an exact ANSWER —
In the scripture today,
it says Jesus warns that there will be those who come and claim the end is near…
they will claim to be sent as the messenger of God –
Jesus said “don’t be fooled – do not follow them…
These impostors will talk
of the wars – of the time
of Nations rising against Nation –
of the latest plagues like the world has never seen before…
and claim the end is here….
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When has there ever been a time when there was no war anywhere on Earth…
it has been calculated that in the last 3500 years,
there have only been 230 years of peace throughout the civilized world…
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Nation against Nation is just part of world history… Even when there may have been times of peace…
Nations were still enemies – Russia will always hate the US… the middle Eastern countries will continue to hate one another as they claim to be the chosen ones…
And I have to believe that each time a new illness, virus, bacteria, plague appeared… people believe it was the sign of the end of the world…
In 10,000 BC – Small Pox ravaged the population
TB – first appeared 15-20,000 years ago… it had to have seemed like a world ending plague
Polio – spread and maimed thousands after it was first diagnosed in 1789.
Zika Virus –panic spread in the last couple of years and it spread into the US… but it was first seen in 1947 –
Ebola – hemorrhagic fever – strikes fear in our hearts…
HIV- AIDS in the 1980s had people screaming the end was near… it was a plague on sinners…
Each time the world is in the throes of a medical epidemic… we fear the end has come..
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SIGNS-
So, the signs Jesus means, are signs that mean MORE than just wars and plagues…
He mentioned weather calamities as well… and with the climate warming issues… we see these happening now too..
Jesus said these will come and go…– and even if we understand the signs… we cannot prepare for what is coming…
We don’t have to prepare… just keep our walk with God as the most important focus of our lives…
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Signs of the times are everywhere…
Many of us as well as our neighbors are feeling very anxious and afraid with the result of the Presidential election.
There is fear for well-being for those who depend on the Affordable Care Act for their medical needs –
Those of other cultures fear the possibility of not being recognized as citizens and forced to leave the country.
Some are afraid for their lives because of promises to undo the laws that assured their rights as equal citizens –
The threats of physical violence towards those who think differently – is a real fear for many…
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But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you;
they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.13
This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14
So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 1
6You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 1
7You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish.
19By your endurance you will gain your souls.
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So, is the end near…? Are the signs clear?
Once again , Jesus dodges giving an answer…
What we do know is God is establishing the new age among us..
This new age does not come with wars, and uprisings, protests and threats…
Not with vengeance and resisting the forces that control our land
But it will come in the still of the night… with the birth of a child in Bethlehem…
It will come with a quiet call to love one another…
The new age will come with a journey through our fears — and we will be under God’s protective wings –
We will face the world with LOVE
We will stand up to anger and hatred – With MORE LOVE
We will be the LOVE the world needs…
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Signs of the times are everywhere.. and there’s a brand new feeling in the air
Keep your eyes upon the Eastern Sky- Lift Up your heads redemption draweth nigh…
Thanks be to Spirit….