SIGNS IN THE CHURCH BEFORE THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

SIGNS IN THE CHURCH BEFORE THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

· BEWARE OF BOGUS BELIEVERS:
Have you come across this watchword i.e. “beware of thieves’; ‘beware of dogs’. This watchword has lost its meaning both on the human and animal world. However, the Biblical watchword “beware of bogus believers” has never lost its effectiveness even after 2000 years. In fact it has more significance today then in all the past 20- century.
If you are not watching and praying sheep, you will be led astray from the good, the Great and the chief shepherd.
They fight like fighting cocks, profess they are born again or filled with the Holy Spirit. They behave like devils in their homes, preach like angels.
I John 4: 1
Therefore, the Word of God commands us
i. Rom 16:17
ii. Titus 1:13
iii. 2 Tim 3:5


· HATRED OF THE HONEST BELIEVERS
While describing the signs of the end times Jesus foretold and forewarned the believers in Him of the hatred that shall prevail in the days of His return “You will be deceived’ was the first sign as we noticed.
The scientist, philosophers, and the political leaders have recognized by the signs Jesus predicted of His return, that we are in the last days, but the tragedy is that the church of Jesus Christ is still slow in recognizing it.
“You will be hated” is the saviour’s statement
o Matt 24:9
o Mark 13:9
o Luke 21:17
If you are a true child of God, you will be hated. Let us carefully consider the following things
a. THE COMING OF IT: it is coming like a flood upon the true church of Christ. You cannot avoid or escape from it.
· Did you ever see hatred among Christians as you see it today?
· Christians dragged to court by fellow Christians and others.
· Jealous among God’s people
What should be our attitude at such times?
o Pray for them
o Rejoice in it because you are rewarded in heaven, increase if you do so (Matt 5:10-12)
o Realize that you are counted worthy to receive such hatred and persecution ( Acts 5:41)

b. THE COURSE OF IT: Jesus tells vividly the cause of this sign – John 15:18, 19 & 25. You are hated without a cause just because you are connected with Him.

c. THE CONSEQUENCE OF IT: Praise God, you will be saved if you endure till the end without murmuring
o Matt 24:12- The Holy Spirit will help you in such times.
o Mark 13:11- you will be hated by all for His name’s sake, but not a hair of your head will perish.
o Luke 2:18- The comforter shall abide in you to prepare and present you without a spot or wrinkle at the coming of Jesus in the clouds.
It was after the fiery trail that Job came forth as gold- Job 23:10
· I Peter 1:7
· 2 Cor 4:16-18
When you are hated bitterly, he shall come to take you and all His dear one away from this wicked world. Hallelujah


· LOVE GROWING COLD
Another signs that openly appears within the church before His coming is that love of many growing cold.
Matt 24:12
The following signs may be analyzed for our admonition:
1. THE PURPOSE: why should you love for Christ grows cold in these days? When you think of the beginning: how tender, fervent, intense, and progressive it was! Now there is much change in your love and devotion unto Him. Instead of increasing, it is decreasing. What a shock?
Christ clearly tells us the reason for this wickedness- lawlessness- wickedness- Sin multiplies. So, the love comes under the law of minus.
Luke 18:1; 1 Sam 12:23
When we love Him, we obey His command and take heed to His warning.

2. THE PRACTICE: There is no need for your love to wax cold because you are kept in this world to love all the people just as He loved them. You are brought into the church to express all your heart’s love for it just as He loved and gave Himself for it.
Eph 5:25
If you practice divine love in your daily life- home and in your church and the place of your daily task, you need not and shall not grow cold even in the midst of trails and testing in these last days.

3. THE PENALTY: If our love continues to grow cold these days the penalty will be very severe
Rev 2:4, 5
Do you love your Lord more than you love anybody or anything else? If you love Him, you will take care of His lambs.
Rom 5:5

· PLENTY OF PENETRATION PLAN
Our dear Lord compared our generations with those of Noah and gave is an insight into this glorious coming again.
Matt 24:37, 38
Compare the men, message, and methods of Noah’s days.
i. Men: during the days of population explosion, God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth…. ( Gen 6:5)
Is this not the exact picture of the world today?
God saw His own children behaving like worldly people and could not tolerate them marrying the unconverted. There are more carnal Christians today than in all the previous history of the church
Intermarriage between and unconverted are an abomination to God. God is going to take final and sever step in our day because of the compromising attitude and action of the true believers in Christ.
ii. Message: The message of God to the man of Noah’s day is the same for our day.
Gen 6:13-18
As people of the true God, we are the cause for the utter destruction of our country and the world. The wickedness and violence in the church has already aroused the wrath of God to bring His swift judgment upon the innocent world.
Peter long ago wrote with reference top Noah’s message and ours, that many Christian will criticize the word of God and His promises particularly of the 2nd coming of Christ. However, they should know that the world is preserved by the Word of God for the destruction of the Ungodly through terrible fire
2 Peter 3:7-10
There is so much criticism in the church today over every message that comes from the Lord. God’s word is resisted and rejected by His own people by turning their backs to Him. How can God tolerate this great sin of the church of Jesus Christ and be silent any longer.
iii. Methods: The message of Good news was proclaimed by Noah directly to the people
I Peter 3:18-21
Never in the history of the church has there been so much of City Penetration plan as we have today.
Why do the penetration plans not seem to be effective?
False preachers, adulterate milk, over emphasizing on doctrines than presenting the saviour can be the cause. The real tragedy of the church today is that the Word of God does not penetrate in to the heart of believers. Many of the word lie wasted before many children of God
Jesus warned in Mark 4:24…………………………
When we give a deaf ear to His Word, than we are quiet near to His judgment. The time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of God?
I Pet 4:17, 18

· DOWNFALL IN DISCIPLESHIP
According to the prediction of the Lord Jesus Christ, there shall be much falling away in the discipleship of His own people in the church just as it was in the days of Lot. Never in the history of the church that there was such disappointment, deceiving and degenerating discipleship of church as it is today.
a. DISAPPOINTING: (Gen 18:23-33) Abraham, a mighty intercessor of Lot’s day was very much disappointed when God answered not his prayer for the city of Sodom. The work of modern missions, evangelical activities in our cities today, gives an impression to any intercessor that would be many believers in some cities but God’s answer is contrary. Our statistics are to be checked just as those of Abraham until we see a shocking downfall in our discipleship. How many true believers in your city are ready for rapture?
b. DECEIVING: (Gal 6:7) Deception among God’s people today has come to its climax as in the days of Lot. Mrs. Lot apparently obeyed the Word of God but she set her heart on the things of the world in spite of repeated warning. When she looked back to Sodom, she became a pillar of salt. Any backslider has to reap the consequence of his dissembling among God’s people and inward thinking always of the things of the world.
Much is done in the church today to impress others. Cheating is common in the church. Jesus has already foretold that this would be a sign in the church today.
c. DEGENERATING: Lot was a righteous man in the midst of the wicked. He was vexed in his soul, day by day because of the behaviour of the ungodly.
o 2 Pet 2:7-10
Lot was delivered from destruction- He was commanded to climb up the mountain but her did not do so. He escaped to a small place nearby, live in a cave with the habit of drinking. Then in his intoxification he committed a nasty crime (1 Pet 4:18)
Consequence of Lot’s downfall: ruin his own family and a bad testimony among his own generation.
The spiritual standard in the church today has been brought very low and members of the body of Christ have corrupted His name



· STRUGGLING OF THE SINCERE SAINTS:
Luke 17:26-30
When we see people like Noah and Lot struggling in the Church of Jesus Christ for their own security and that of their families for the sin of leaven that is spreading rapidly we must know that we are at the threshold of Lord’s return. We are fighting the battle today against corruption and sin in the church – Rom 1:26, 27
We are living in the latter days; conversion to Christ and self-control are no longer distinctive terms in the church. The coming of our Lord has a twofold purpose
1. First to deliver the godly
2. Second to destroy the ungodly
· Sudden deliverance: The people of Noah’s day did not realize their fate until after the flood came and destroyed them. God has been preparing the invisible ark, the true bride of Christ to save the godly who have been fighting the Battle day and night against flesh and all uncleanness- I Cor 15:51-52
· Sudden destruction: God destroyed the wicked by flood in the day of Noah and by fire in the days of Lot. The Lord has been warning the world of our day by the same elements in many parts of the world.
Jesus says…. Luke 17:34-36; 21:25-38
Praise the Lord for there are a few godly people on earth today like Noah preparing themselves and others, through their examples and witness for the complete deliverance from the destruction. Are you one among such?


· VULTURE AMONG THE CORPSE
Another sign that will appear in the church, before the return of our Lord Jesus is the gathering of vultures among the corpse- Matt 24:28
In Matt 24:23-27 Jesus revealed the picture of false prophets and miracle workers. Even God has chosen the miracle workers “Behold I have told you in advance” will deceive ones (vs. 25)
According to our Lord’s prediction, the purpose of the miracle worker today is to draw people to themselves rather than to draw them to the Lord. As we approach the day of the Lord’s return, we are confronted with more miracles in the church than ever before. It is very hard for believers to discern and decide whether they are of the Lord or of the devil.
Vs 26………..
You cannot deny both the preaching and the performance of miracles under the unction of the holy spirit-(vs. 28)
Oh, what a terrible picture of the church of Christ today! Can you imagine the heart condition of Jesus, the Head of the church, when he observes the preaching drawing people under themselves through their preaching and miracle?
Listen to His word again- Rev 3:1-3
While the vultures flock to the corpse, the doves fly off to the Lord who is ever living to meet Him in the clouds. Hallelujah!
Are you a dove or a vulture?


· TURNING AWAY FROM CHRIST
I Tim 4:1-6
The sign and the warning are very clear. Notice the declaration of the Spirit, the deluding spirit and the demonic doctrines inside the church.
1. The declaration of the spirit: The Apostles positively states that in the declaration of the Holy Spirit and it is very distinctive and expressive.
John says…………… Rev 2:7; 3:6
The spirit who is preparing the church to present it before the heavenly bridegroom spotless and blameless at His appearance in the clouds, knows the urgency of the message to the church of this generation
How sad the spirit is today because some members of the church are not willing to be under His discipline and so have turned away from Christ and the faith that was once delivered to the saints of God.
2. The deluding spirits: where do you find them? Not outside the church but right inside! However, the great tragedy is that many saints of God who have been faithful in the past are under the influence of these spirits. The spirit of God says they are giving attention to such spirits. The spirit also tells us clearly that this would happen in the last days.
3. The demonic doctrines: The teachings of the demons do not appear to be deceiving because they come from the devil himself, the angels of light inside the church. He has achieved his purpose in turning away the evangelicals from their fundamental faith and keeping them away from the Lord their God who has been knocking at the door of their heart but they do not care to open their door for Him, nor do they care to listen to Him- rev 3:20
What are the doctrines of demons?
I Tim 4:1-6
Preachers whose lives are inconsistent with their teaching- forbidding the people from marriage and meat. Impressing the people by the words but not the works of God. The spirit warns the ones who have turned away from Christ and call them dogs and cats
2 Peter 2:21, 22

· THE LIONS LINGERING:
I Peter 5:8, 9
How grateful we are to the Holy Spirit for inspiring men like Peter to awaken the Church of Jesus Christ at this midnight hour when like the roaring lion is lingering in the church to devour anyone who is not alert. The devil is very hungry and therefore he is very angry.
The place to hunt is supposed to be in the wilderness but he has found the church to hunt his prey.
The churches instead of resisting him have gladly received him. Now he has perfect freedom among the true children of God. The purpose, the pattern and the place of the lingering lion is clearly set forth in the text.
1. THE PURPOSE: He has only one purpose- to devour and destroy the church of Jesus Christ. He could not achieve his purpose in the centuries past- Rev 12:10
He is not tired of swallowing the saints of God- more martyrs then in the last twenty-century, persecution but the saints did not give up their faith. He is more active and angry because he is put to shame so far.
2. THE PATTERN: He is looking, lingering and roaring. This means his eyes, legs, and mouth is ever on the church. He is struggling but not slumbering as the saints of God are.
The way he approaches and attacks you is clearly written in Rev 3:15-19
· He makes the believer loyal to His church or assembly but not to Christ.
· He lets the true child of God, practice tithing but not to use it for the task of world evangelization.
· Dragging each other to civil courts.
· Use all the consecrated tithes and offering for building huge church buildings and acquire properties.
3. THE PLACE: He has a comfortable place in the church of Jesus Christ to live and linger. He has his throne in the center of the church and boasts of his property, personal and pews – Rev 3:18,19
The church, the Body of Christ is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
I Cor 6:16-20; James 4:7; I Thess 5:22

· THE DAY & THE HOUR OF HIS COMING
Matt 24:36, 42, 44; 25:13
Many are trying to interpret the day and hour of His coming- The devil is trying to deceive many a servant of God today by stirring them up to interpret the prophecy of Christ’s return and give some year, month, and date to arouse the curiosity of many believers who are eagerly expecting the return of their Lord. Bogus prediction and disbelieve the warning of Christ. The church of Jesus Christ is full of false prophets and preachers who are trying to deceive the very elect.
Matt 24:23, 24
Matt 24:44
Ever since Jesus left this earth people have tried to interpret history in the light of prophecy and predict the day of His return. After centuries of un-successful date setting, many well meaning believers have been surprised and disillusioned.

· THE PROBLEMS OF THIS LIFE
Luke 21:34-36
When the children of God are fully occupied with the thoughts of the return of Jesus Christ, the problems of this life turn their attention away from the 2nd coming of their Lord
Vs 34…………..
The pressure and the problems of finance, fighting for property and possessions are innumerable today among His people. People are worried for food and clothing (Matt 6:31-33)
Phil 3:18, 19- The word of God and the Holy Spirit shall help you to be alert until the day you meet the Lord.

· THE AMBASSADORS ATTITUDE
Another sign of the last days is the attitude of Christ’s ambassador in the church who thoroughly disappoint their king.
2 Cor 5:20
What a tragedy it is to note that we have lost the vision of our ambassadorship.

Reason: wrong attitude toward the return of Jesus, their king. The ambassador is supposed to maintain the dignity of his king. But alas! What a wrong picture is given to the world by the ambassador of Christ today. The world has lost confidence in the King of Kings because of the behaviour of His own ambassadors.
What is your attitude towards your Lord today? Are you faithful still? Do you have the same concern and burden for His cause which you had before? Are you eagerly and expectantly waiting for His 2nd coming?
If you do so you shall be placed over all His property when He returns.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

1. Sign in the nations:
· Daniel 12:4- an increase of travel and knowledge
· Zech 8:10- wide- spread unemployment and economic distress
· Mark 13:7- strife, internal conflicts and civil war

2. Signs in Human society
· Matt 24:37- society characterized by godless living and collective wickedness.
· Luke 21:25- Great distress and perplexity, universal restlessness and dissatisfaction, paralyzing fear for the future.

3. Signs in the Religious spheres
· Matt 24:5- false Christ’s arise, leading many to follow him.
· Matt 24:9- Persecution of both Jews and Christian
· Matt 24:44- A lamentable unprepared ness on the part of the Christian


4. The Sign of the” fig tree “ ( The Jewish people)
· Jer 29:14;Eze 36:24- God gathers His people out of all the nations where they have been prepared
· Eze 36:25- The people find rest in their own land, they become bold, and joy is in their heart, a new heart is given to them.
5. Signs in creation
· Mark 13:8- Great natural calamities as suggested by the expression’ earthquake in diverse places
· Luke 21:25- Remarkable happening in the heaven may be expected.
· Rev 6:14- suggests terrestrial events of frightening magnitude, which will affect even the most stouthearted and most prominent people.

Jesus declared “when you shall see all these things, know He is near, even at the doors” ( Matt 24:33) From this statement it is to be concluded that disciples of Christ living in the period of history when all the signs occurred would be entitled to announce boldly that “ the Lord is at hand”. If we are among those living in that favored hour of history, then we much preach Christ to sinners with a tremendous sense of urgency, and offer Him to them with a high degree of earnestness.
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Mark 13:1-13
Jesus not only warns about the disasterto come upon Jerusalem but also upon the whole world before His second coming. The destruction of Jerusalem has happend in AD70. The destruction of the world has already begun. The Lord explains the signs of destruction here.
DECEITFULNESS: The Lord warns that in the last days, false prophets, factious people and antichrist will rise and see that our faith is destroyed. Even today we see such kind of people rise and people follow them blindly, seeing the miracles they perform(Matt 24:24) We will not be decieved if we remain in His teachings.
LOVELESS NESS: Lack of love,enmity among nations (8), broken relationships (12) will be seen in abundance.We see the royal law of loving the neighbor (James 2:8), being disparaged to a great extent these days.Jesus warns us to be away from such loveless ness.

NATURAL CALAMITY: Terrible disasters such as the earthquakes that triggers Tsunami,epidemics such as AIDS, Bird Flu, etc. These are the signs of the beginning of end time and of God's coming, keeping these things in mind.
MARTYRS: Christians have been persecuted down through the centuries. They will face persecution at God's coming (9). However, God will lead His children through His Spirit (11). Only those who endure persecutiob an be steadfast in faith would enter God's kingdom.