Unfortunately, many people—even many sincere Christians—have been lulled into apathy concerning “end-time” events. The recent spate of apocalyptic books and movies have served only to dull our sensitivities to the real dangers of meteor showers, earthquakes, floods, famines, economic unrest, and widespread panic in the streets.
Catastrophic calamities will soon strike the earth; economic systems are going to crumble; life as normal will be severely disrupted; and the world will be plunged into a time of tribulation such as we have never before experienced. It is not a question of if these things are going to happen; the Bible clearly predicts their occurring. The only questions are, When will these things occur? and Will we be ready for them?
Someday, far more people than we might imagine will be looking to the Church for physical as well as spiritual help. And what about you? How do you plan to make it through the difficult days the Bible says are definitely coming? How connected are you to the Body of Christ right now?
The truth is, Christians need each other simply to get through the “ordinary” events of life, let alone the catastrophic or tragic times. God does not intend for His family members to live alone, in isolation physically or spiritually from one another.
To understand why it is so important that we rediscover the church in these days, we must understand the backdrop against which we are living. To do that, let’s refresh our memories concerning some of the signs of the times that Jesus told us to watch for.
Jesus said that in the last days there will be false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes (Matt. 24:5–7). Certainly, we are seeing the rise of cult activity today. We can also track the increase in unusually devastating natural disasters in the daily news. Beyond that, Jesus said, “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. 24:7 NKJV). Interestingly, the word He used for “nation” was ethnos, from which we get our word ethnic. In other words, Jesus predicted “ethnic cleansing” long before it became a descriptive term on our newscasts.
Jesus also informed us that there will be a flagrant increase in lawlessness, people will betray one another, and many people’s love will grow cold (Matt. 24:10–12). Love for the Lord will wane, as well as love for each other.
Skeptics scoff, saying, “We’ve always had these natural disasters, and men and women have been at each other’s throats since the beginning of time. What’s new?”
Plenty. Jesus stated plainly that “when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door” (Matt. 24:33 NASB). Jesus implied that the awful things that are to come upon the earth will intensify, that they will converge at one point in human history, and they will be so bad that our very survival will be in question. He said, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short” (Matt. 24:21–22 NASB).
For us, these are days of preparation. God has told us in advance what He plans to do. Some Christians scoff at the idea of preparing. “Oh, brother, I’m not worried,” they tell me. “I’m just going to trust God.” I’m going to trust God, too, and frankly, I feel that it takes even more faith to take Him at His word and prepare in anticipation for what He has said will come to pass. By faith, Noah prepared the ark.
And God has made it clear that the vehicle for surviving the storms to come is not a big boat. The ark today is His church, the body of Christ, the true Christian community.
Love,
Jim
Jim,, the bad events will make us grow together and if we die then we get to rule with him that is another give and you will/ get that the body seems to, forgets
Amen, God bless you and this ministry for helping many to prepare for the times ahead ….
And that is so right because Faith alone is not enough. Faith without action (works) is dead.
We must have and do both …. Trust and Faith in our Wonderful Master and Lord JESUS and put into action by our faith what we must do in order to prepare for the times the are just around the corner.
In Jesus Name, Amen — Sean
Part Two
Jim, it’s not us, it’s you as the watch tower to teach and lead us in what to do of God’s warnings to be prepared, with emergency food and survival products! Which you have the best value for the less cost for being in these times we’re in and what’s coming! One day God will look into your face before all and say, “Well done, my loyal servant!”
True Jim, if we just look how the leading county of the world, America that has allowed a hand full of cold people compared to Christ believing population, to outlaw the display of prayer in schools, religious symbols of public display in government buildings and/or land, ignoring things the forefathers of our nation determined in the first court of law, these things should be made a part of our nation!
The meaning of free speech, wrongly interpreted, twisted around from what our forefathers meant, has allowed the filth of darkness sadly be a part of daily life in all forms of entertainment, telling the world, this is the image of America! A congress coldly cutting much needed programs causing suffering, ignoring the words of Jesus, “What you do for the lesser, you do unto me!”
Allowing the greed of the God of money to cause global warming that will soon bring world wide starvation, riots in the streets!
Our nations religions misuse of God’s words to make them fit their agenda to gain more offerings, teaching feel good long horn preachings having only a point here and there of wrongful points! Not of the truth that’s coming in this age of advancement if compared to the day’s of the bible, that even today’s light blub would seem as a miracle, which proves that we’ve reached advancement beyond imagination with people thinking themselves as God’s!
Much more examples could be stated however, isn’t this enough? The time is upon us now!
Keep teaching truth Jim!
Good message. Believe it or not some people take heed and listen and do prepare……keep up the great message Pastor Bakker. I know people as well that scoff and just say “They will trust in God”.
A prudent man sees evil and hides himself. The naive proceed and pay the penalty. (Prov 27:12)
I’d rather be the wise virgin than the foolish one.