By Pastor Joel Finck
Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:3
With the increased activity in the Middle East, many "prophecy preachers" are claiming that the signs of the return of Christ are coming to pass. Of course, many of these same preachers and Bible teachers fail to recognize the difference between the Rapture and the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Before the revelation, or Second Coming of Christ, there will be visible indicators of His soon return. The disciples asked our Lord, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3) Notice that they asked what the sign would be not signs. In the Lord's answer, He pointed out that there would be wars, famines pestilences and earthquakes (verses 6 & 7), but that the end was not yet. Even during the tribulation, these things are not "signs of His coming" rather only the "beginning of sorrows" (verse 8).
The true "sign" of His coming is found in verse twenty seven, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." This takes place after the heavenly bodies are darkened (verse 29). "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (Matthew 24:30).
There will be no mistaking the sign of Christ's Second Coming, for God will "turn out the lights" in the universe right before Christ circles the globe like a flash of lightning. Later in the text, the Lord goes on to say, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36). How futile it is to set dates for the return of Christ, especially when based on supposed "signs" of His return!
Scripture Reading: Titus 2:13
As many Christians look for signs of the Second Coming of Christ, (See last lesson.) the apostle Paul urges us to look for Christ. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). It is important to recognize that the Rapture is the subject of the "mystery" (I Corinthians 15:51) and, as such, is not preceded by signs. The nature of this age is that "we walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7)· This is true during the course of this age and concerning the end of this age.
While the Second Coming of Christ will be preceded by many prophesied events of the tribulation, the "secret" coming of Christ in the Rapture is imminent, and therefore has nothing which must precede it. Paul teaches the imminence (or "any moment coming") of the Rapture in I Thessalonians 4:17: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds .... " Paul clearly believed that he could be alive when the Rapture took place. If this is the case, how much more could the Rapture come at any moment in our generation!
The Lord wants us to be ready for Christ to return and catch us away at any moment, rather than looking for signs. This way we will be motivated to ever be diligent in our own Christian life, knowing that there will be no warning before His return for us. Furthermore, if we knew even an approximate time of the Rapture, some might become lazy like the Thessalonians and refuse to work while waiting for Christ's return. God truly displayed His infinite wisdom when He told us to look for Christ, not for signs.
Daily Smile:
What did the sardine call the submarine?
A can of people!
In The News:
Iran: Seven Christians Detained Following Raid on Prayer Meeting
Seven Christians from the Church of Iran denomination were detained Oct. 12 following a raid by members of the security services on a house in the city of Shiraz in Iran's Fars Province, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports. The Christians are currently being held in Plaque 100, the Intelligence Ministry's notorious detention center. They were detained around 6 p.m. after security forces raided a house where a prayer meeting was underway. According to sources, older people who had attended the prayer gathering were threatened but not taken into custody. The detentions are part of a marked upsurge in a campaign of harassment of Christians of all denominations, with reports of a significant increase of arrests during recent weeks.
Sudanese Military Kills Christian Mother in Bombing
Government bombing of ethnic Nuba civilians in a predominantly Christian town in Sudan's war-torn South Kordofan state last month -- which killed a mother of seven children -- is further evidence that officials are trying to rid the country of Christians, area Christian leaders said, according to ASSIST News Service. Sudanese government forces dropped five bombs from an airplane near a crowded market in Heiban on Sept. 27, killing Asia Omer Kuku and wounding six others. Kuku, whose youngest child is four months old, was working in a field near a church building when the bomb hit. Another Christian mother of seven children, Howeda Hassan, sustained a serious stomach wound and was described as in critical condition but without medical care. Since military conflict broke out in South Kordofan state in June 2011, Christians in the Nuba mountains have been living in fear and hunger. Humanitarian agencies have stated that the Islamic government is targeting civilians there as an "ethnic cleansing" of non-Arab peoples, while at the same time aiming to rid the area of its large Christian population. Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has warned that Sudan's constitution will become more firmly entrenched in sharia (Islamic law).
Assisted Suicide Could Expand in New Jersey
A New Jersey lawmaker proposed a bill last week that would let doctors legally prescribe lethal doses of medication to help patients end their lives, WORLD News Service reports. The New Jersey Death With Dignity Act would allow doctors to issue deadly drugs to patients who’ve been told they have less than six months to live. If the bill passes, it would need voter approval to be enacted. Pro-family groups are, of course, opposed to the legislation. New Jersey Family Policy Council president Len Deo said: “We believe that life should run its course. As our country struggles with the culture of death verses the culture of life, these are inevitable the outcomes we will see in public policy.” The New Jersey law would be modeled after laws in Oregon and Washington that went into effect in 1997 and 2009, respectively -- where doctors may prescribe drugs to help terminally ill people commit suicide. In Montana, physician-assisted suicide has been permitted on a case-by-case basis decided by courts since 2009. Since the 1990s, residents of California, Maine and Michigan have voted down physician-assisted suicide bills, and voters in Massachusetts will see a similar measure on their ballots in November.
Regent University Challenges Birth Control Mandate
Regent University, founded by Rev. Pat Robertson, has joined the legal battle against the contraception mandate in President Obama's health care plan, CBN News reports. The Health and Human Services regulation requires group health insurance plans to provide birth control at no cost to consumers, including abortion-inducing drugs. Regent filed an amicus brief Oct. 10 along with the American Center for Law and Justice, claiming the mandate forces them to violate their religious or pay significant fines. There are now more than 35 separate lawsuits challenging the HHS mandate.
Presidential Election
Tuesday, November 6th
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