Walking In The Light

Many people have asked, “If the church is Raptured out of this world before the Tribulation, how will anyone be saved?” That’s a good question; but, don’t worry, GOD has already considered this. History is His story, and GOD has and will always give the world a witness, & this period of judgment will be no different. You see, just as the Antichrist waltzes onto the world scene to promote his message of world peace, two witnesses from GOD touch down on the streets of Israel to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and warn of GOD’s judgment to come.

It is almost impossible to watch or read the news today without hearing about the escalating tension among the nations of our world & impending global conflict. Just this past Friday, the headline on a major U. K. news site read, “Is there going to be a World War 3 & who would win? From Syria tensions between USA & Russia to the North Korea nuclear threat, what are the chances?” Now, it is not just the British news agencies that are posting such headlines, this concern of another world war is surfacing in countries on every continent. I believe this universal feeling of a future doomsday is spreading because the world can easily see how international tensions & sophisticated weaponry are revealing just how fast the stability of the global community could disintegrate in one act of a nation, resulting in a calamitous conflict such as this world has never witnessed. So, where is human civilization headed? How will the world end? Is there going to be a final world war that ends this age? Well, th

According to the Bible, an explosion of escalating global crises in the last days will precipitate the rise of an evil leader, one like history has never seen, who will eventually take control of the entire world. He will appear to be the savior of the world, but he will turn out to be its destroyer. He will make what Hitler did during WW2 & the Holocaust seem as child’s play. This man of sin is known as the Antichrist. In this sermon, we learn what the Bible says about this future diabolical leader & how this information should affect us presently.

This morning I would like to retrace the details of the death, burial, & resurrection of Jesus Christ through the eyes of Mary Magdalene. Mary was a devoted disciple of Christ after He delivered her from demonic possession & saved her.  From Jesus' ministry, to the cross, & then to the grave, Mary Magdalene stood faithfully by Jesus' side & witnessed His passion first hand. Since she was the first follower of Christ to see the Lord alive & talk with Him after He arose from death, certainly her experience is worthy of careful examination. Now, Mary did not start out the first Easter Sunday morning very well. But before the day was over, she had experienced a resurrection of hope in the Risen Savior.

Two thousand years ago, in Jerusalem, an event occurred that permanently changed the world. Because of that event, history was split. Every time you write a date, you’re using the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as the focal point of your existence. The resurrection of Jesus is foundational & absolutely crucial to the Christian faith, & yet, oftentimes, many believers only give it considerable thought around the Easter season.

All of the details of the Triumphal Entry — Jesus on a colt, the coats of people strewn on the road, the palm branches being waved & cast before the Lord, & the words from Psalm 118 used by the shouting crowds, — indicated the arrival of the Messiah into Jerusalem. This entire scene revealed that the Lord was in sovereign control of every single detail of this event, & He was making a statement to the nation. The donkey He rode prophesied of His position as King & His lowly character as a servant— He came to be a burden-bearer. The Hallel Psalm repeated on the people’s lips, “Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord,” declared His Messiahship. This was the moment that Jesus was presented publicly to Israel as her Messiah — a moment predetermined before the foundations of the world.

On this Sunday before His crucifixion, Jesus prepared to enter Jerusalem through the East Gate of the city. Since the Sabbath had ended the evening before, the streets were densely crowded once again, the noise of tourists began to fill all available space, and people were still buzzing with excitement to see if Jesus would dare come to face His enemies. A price was on His head. It would take real courage for Him to come. And yet, Jesus never waivered from His purpose. In fact, He would boldly orchestrate His Own Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem to fulfill the Scriptures & thereby intentionally set in motion the events which would culminate in His willful sacrifice of Himself on the cross. This text is one of many reminders that Jesus was no victim; He was in full control of every detail & circumstance that affected His life.

America has a unique place in history during which it emerged & continues to be a prominent feature in world affairs. For that reason, many ask “Where is America in Bible prophecy?” Because the United States has such a rich Christian heritage & is currently the most powerful nation in our world, most find it difficult to accept a prophetic scenario which doesn't include America.   So, does America have a role in the last days? Well, while there are no specific references to the United States in Bible prophecy, there are passages in Scripture which give us insight as to the possible scenarios for America.

2,600 years ago, the prophet of GOD named Ezekiel was given a list of names which identify an alliance of nations that will surface in the last days. This coalition is bent on one thing – the destruction of Israel. According to our text, these nations will assemble & march towards Palestine to wipe Israel out. Many prophecy scholars believe that this attack on Israel will occur somewhere near the beginning of the Tribulation Period. I’ll say more about that later. Now, don’t confuse this conflict with the Battle of Armageddon or the rebellion at the end of the Millennial Kingdom in Revelation chapter 20. What I want you to be aware of is the fact that our generation is watching the formation of this end time alliance.

The central point of all of the Scriptures is the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth. Let me put this into perspective. The new birth is vitally important & yet it is only mentioned 9 times in the N. T.; baptism is very important & it is mentioned 20 times in the N. T.; repentance is essentially important & is mentioned 70 times in the N.T.; but, the Second Coming of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, is mentioned at least 380 times in the New Testament. One out every 25 verses in the entire Bible speak of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, if we’re to be Biblically minded then we must stay focused on The Lord’s Return & understand that everything in history is setting the stage for Christ’s coming kingdom. Jesus is coming back & I believe it is closer than we realize.