SIGN OF TIME PT1

TURNING POINT MINISTRIES BAHAMAS

SIGN OF THE TIMES PT.1

Before Christ died He pulled back the veil of time and gave prophetic warning into the future, the events that would take place just before His return. Jesus himself warned of wars, natural disasters, etc. Prior to these warnings He spoke of something more dangerous: (Matthew 24:4) “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.” Friends it is very significant that the first warning that Jesus gives is that every believer should be on guard against deception. One of the reasons that deception is so successful is that the falsehood sounds better than the truth. No one who is being deceived willingly wants (or asks) to be deceived, and those who are being deceived are not aware of it. Yet deception is here. It led 1/3 of the angels to rebel and follow Satan, it existed during the time of Christ and it is sweeping across the world even today. Many are turning to the physic hot lines for answers, multitudes are turning to novels, and religious leaders rather than to the Word of God for answers (2 Timothy 4:3-4). In the Bahamas, where there is a Bible in every home and Churches on nearly every corner, people can quickly quote their ministers, but few can quote directly from Gods Word. Many claim the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but how many display the fruits of the Spirit? Many see the truth, but how many obey? (Matthew 24:24) “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Friends, this is speaking to us in the church. Can you and I, our bishops and pastors, elders and ministers backup our beliefs solely from the Bible? Jesus said, by the mouth of two or three witnesses (Matthew 18:16) every word shall be established; there should be at least two places in the Bible that substantiate anything that we teach (Isaiah 8:20), and it should be in plain. If there is no place in the Bible that teaches what I am teaching in plain language, then I had just better stop teaching it. Friends will you make that commitment today? Will you examine Gods Word and if a teaching cannot be proven using the Bible only will you abandon that teaching? Let us quickly examine two beliefs within the church today and see which is upheld by Gods Word. One belief says that before the time of trouble Christians will escape in a Secret Rapture, the other belief says no, Christians will be on this earth during the Tribulation. Which is truth and which is truth mixed with error?

	1. Before Jesus returned to heaven, what did He promise? (John 14:3, 1 Peter 5:4, 1 John 2:28)
	2. How will Jesus return the second time? (Matthew 26:54, Mark 13:26, 14:62, Isaiah 66:14) (1Thessalonians 4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
	3. Will Christ's second coming be secret and silent, as a thief in the night? (2 Peter 3:10-12) No, it will be a surprise as when a thief breaks in, but waiting and watching believers will be expecting His return (Psalm. 50:3; Isaiah. 66:15, 16). The shout, the voice, and the trump will be audible to every creature under the sun. This is not a secret event.
	4. What will happen to the wicked at Jesus' second coming? (2 Thessalonians. 1:7-9, 2 Peter 2:9, 2 Thessalonians. 2:8)
	5. Will everyone who claims to be saved, be taken to heaven when Jesus comes? (Matthew. 7:21-23, 2 Thessalonians. 2:11, 12).
	6. What should we do to be ready for that day? (Titus 2:11-14, Luke 21:34-36).

Friends we are in the last days, the signs are fulfilling. Christ’s coming is sooner than we think and Satan is pulling out all the stops to lead people away in deception. But greater is He that is Christ than he that is the deceiver. We must study God’s Word, pray and ask the Lord to be our guide and He will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all truth and save us from the deceptions of these last days.