Mark 13:36-37 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"

Posted by on 12 March 2011 | 0 Comments

A massive earthquake struck off the coast of Japan on Friday March 11, 2011.  It was the strongest quake in the area in nearly 1,200 years.  The scene is apocalyptic, right out of the Book of Revelation.

Jesus warned the believers to watch for specific signs that would take place as His return drew near. He said that chaotic and strange weather would be widespread and rampant.

Luke 21:25-28 (ESV)
[25] "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,
[26] people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
[27] And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
[28] Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

He also likened these signs to birth pangs.

Matthew 24:7-8 (ESV)
[7] For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
[8] All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

There is no doubt we are seeing an increase in strange weather and "natural" disasters.  And, as delivery time draws near (Jesus Second Coming), we can expect the birth pangs will increase in both intensity and frequency.

The Rapture Index

As I ponder the chaotic headlines, it seems to me that the last days may be approaching exactly as the Word of God prophesied thousands of years ago. These signs we are seeing should serve as a wake-up call for believers that Daniel's 70^th week (aka The Tribulation), which is God's time of judgment, could begin at any moment. Don't forget that the Church is commanded to watch for these signs.  Don't ignore them!

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

And fear not...

Psalms 46:1-3
[1] To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
[2] Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
[3] though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Blessings,

Donnie

 

In our Community Group we continue to focus on the Lord Jesus.  Here are my Hebrew 2 notes...

HEBREWS 2:1-4

WARNING #1:  DON'T DRIFT AWAY FROM THE TRUTH OF SALVATION

This warning is the first of five warnings signals in the Book of Hebrews.  The warning is this:  Don't drift away from the truth of Salvation.

Strong Warning #1 -It is critical that we keep a firm grip on this great salvation message of Jesus.  If we ignore it and drift away into false teachings, there is simply no escaping God's judgment! (2:1-4)

Hebrews 2:1  We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

This is a sober warning that arises from what was revealed in Chapter 1.  The author called his readers to pay careful attention to the truth they had heard so that they wouldn't drift away into false teachings.   In the context he is talking about two specific truths that he has just revealed.

First, don't drift away from who Jesus is;  The end - the appointed heir of all things, the beginning - the creator of all things, the middle who is holding all things together, He is the express image of God, Jesus said "he that has seen me has seen the Father, He is the radiance of the image of God - He is light, he provided forgiveness when died for our sins and He is today, sitting at the right hand of the Father because His redemption work is done.

Second, as great as the angels are, He is superior to them:  He has a greater name, He is worshipped by them, He has greater authority, He has completed a greater work and He has a greater position.

Hebrews 2:2-3  For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, [3] how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

The writer now expands on what He specifically wants us to pay attention to;  The great salvation message which was announced by Jesus.  In order to drive home the point he draws a contrast between the Old Covenant, which was instituted by the ministry of angels (Gal 3:19), but this new message, was delivered by Jesus.

Q:  If you lived under the Old Covenant, what happened when you broke the Law?  You were punished.  Disregard of the Old Covenant brought judgment.  Now, something greater than the Old Covenant has been announced.  If disregard for the Old brought judgment, disregard for the gospel message of salvation will bring greater judgment.

Why?  Because something greater than the Law was announced by Jesus - the gospel of grace, the great plan of salvation.  This salvation announced by Jesus is greater than the Law itself, because keeping the Law could never save anyone.

So, the point of the warning is this... if you neglect this salvation message of Jesus, there is simply no escaping God's judgment.

John 3:16-18  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (There's the salvation message)

[18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (There's the judgment the writer is warning us about.)

Turn back to Hebrews and let me ask you a Q:

How do we know if we are losing our firm grip and ignoring the salvation message.  What are the signs we look for to determine if someone is drifting away from the Lord?

Remember the parable of the wheat and the tares?   The best way is to examine our fruit, our attitudes, and our actions.  Openly neglecting the truths of Jesus, habitually returning to ungodly life styles, not reading God's Word, lack of prayer, making decisions without seeking God's perspective.  These are all examples of one who is losing a firm grip on the great salvation truths.

This warning is not saying you can lose your salvation.  However, there are people who know the truth about Jesus, and may even intellectually accept the fact He is who He claimed to be, but they are not willing to commit their heart and life to Him.  And when intense persecution or suffering arrives, and it had with these Hebrew Christians, there are some who may renounce their faith in Jesus.   The author of Hebrews is extremely concerned about this possibility and I am here to tell you that is exactly what is going to happen in the end times as well.

WHY IS THE NEGLECT OF JESUS SALVATION TRUTH SO INTOLERABLE?

Neglect is intolerable, first because this salvation message was given by Jesus himself.   We have been given far more evidence and clarity than our O.T. counterparts.  This goes back to Hebrews 1 where we learned that in these last days God has spoken through His Son.

Second, we have the complete Word of God that records multiple eye witness testimonies.  And his disciples confirmed it.

And third...

Hebrews 2:4  God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

The message was confirmed by signs, wonders and many miracles of the Holy Spirit.  And the Holy Spirit gifted men with power to confirm the message.

At the three periods of human history, when Scripture was being written, the time of Moses, the time of the great prophets and the time of Jesus and the Apostles, there were corresponding periods of signs, wonders, miracles and healings.  Why?  This was to make it clear to men that God himself was speaking.

The greatest of these periods of signs and wonders was the third one when the gospel was being spelled out so clearly.  And the book of Hebrews warns, "How shall we escape if we neglect a salvation so clearly confirmed by God?"  The answer is, of course, that we cannot.

Final thought:   The writer of Hebrews regarded these miracles as the powers of the coming Age...

Hebrews 6:5...  who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age...

I anticipate that in the end times, the period of miracles and signs will return.

Rev. 11:3-6     And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." [4] These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. [5] If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. [6] These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Like prophets of old the two witnesses will be able to do supernatural miracles, and fire will destroy those who will try to harm them (Rev. 11:5). Like Elijah they will have power to stop rain, and will have power like Moses to turn water into blood and to bring on plagues (v. 6). In the midst of the unbelief, apostasy, and satanic power of the Great Tribulation these two witnesses will be a threat to the entire wicked world for a literal period of 1,260 days

COUNTERFIET POWER IN THE END TIMES

2 Thes. 2:9     The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,

Rev. 13:13-14     And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. [14] Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

Rev. 16:14     They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

Rev. 19:20     But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur...

HEBREWS 2:5-18

JESUS, GOD'S SON, WAS MADE LOWER TO BECOME OUR BROTHER

Hebrews 2:5-8     It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. [6] But there is a place where someone has testified:      "What is man that you are mindful of him,  the son of man that you care for him?

[7] You made him a little lower than the angels;  you crowned him with glory and honor     [8] and put everything under his feet."  In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

MAN'S DOMINION AND DESTINY SPOILED

Verse 5 opens with the fact that God does not intend to turn over the administration of the world to His angels.  According to the Bible, the angels are not going to be ruling the world to come.  Their present superiority over man is temporary.  Perhaps this is why Satan hates mankind so.  Originally, man was given authority over all creation.  Perhaps that did not sit well with Satan, the glory of God's creation and caused him to be consumed with pride and fall.

The author quotes David, speaking of mankind... He was made a little lower than the angels.   The word "Little implies both "lower by a little" and "lower for a little while."  Man was created only one rung down on the ladder from the angels, who are so great in might and power.  And even that slightly lower state is only for a little while.  1 Cor 6:3  Do you not know that we will judge angels?

Q:  What was man's intended destiny?  We were not created to live in a fallen, sin filled world.  We were not created to die.  Man was created to rule.  (Gen 1:26).  Man is not what he was meant to be.  Why?  Because Adam and Eve sinned and brought death upon the whole creation.  We lost our dominion.  At the present time we do not see everything subject to man.  Most of the animal kingdom is not tame.  Nature is extreme, controlled by no man.  Disease is rampant.  And it isn't that man isn't trying to rule.  We risk our lives to climb mountains, explore seas, even conquering space.  But our destiny was spoiled due to sin.

So, are we without hope?  What is the answer to this sin problem?  How do we reclaim our destiny that we lost due to sin?  The answer is Jesus!

MAN'S DESTINY IS NOW SECURED BECAUSE OF JESUS

Hebrews 2:9     But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

We are not without hope because Jesus has recovered our destiny.  He became man and tasted death for everyone of us.  Jesus experienced death and conquered sin.  He was forsaken by God His Father, so that you and I don't have to be forsaken.  The price of reclaiming our destiny was the passion and death of Jesus.  This is how he brought mankind back to glory...

Hebrews 2:10     In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Now Jesus is called the author or the captain of our salvation.  And we are told that He was made perfect through suffering.  Q:  How was Jesus made perfect through suffering?  His perfect obedience to suffering made him a perfect leader, a perfect captain, the perfect author of our salvation.  Jesus did not need to suffer for His own salvation, he completed the work necessary for our salvation.

He was the pioneer who blazed the trail for us, and now He is at the other end of the path pleasing with us to come with Him.  And He knows how difficult the path is.  He knows it's full of suffering and heartache.  He experienced it first hand.  He asked the Father to remove the suffering if there was any other way!  He can empathize with us because He went through it.  And for that reason, He now calls us brother.

JESUS BECAME IDENTIFIED WITH MAN AS A BROTHER

Hebrews 2:11-13     Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. [12] He says,"I will declare your name to my brothers;   in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."

[13] And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says,     "Here am I, and the children God has given me."

Angels are never called our brothers, but Jesus is.  The point is that because God has adopted all believers as his children, Jesus calls them his brothers and sisters.

JESUS BECAME IDENTIFED WITH MEN IN ORDER TO...

To deliver men from death and the Devil.

Hebrews 2:14-18     Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- [15] and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. [16] For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. [17] For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. [18] Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Satan's wrath against mankind is demonstrated in the end times.