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You know, I think it seems like mentally it's okay as long as it's out there, right?
! But do we realize that that day could be soon.
The Bible says, we have an appointment. It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.
And we don't know when our appointment is. But when that day comes, we will be there.
And like they say, old people have to die, but young people can die anytime.
And purify unto himself, if he kill your people, zealous of good works. And we have this hope in us.
If we don't, we can. But tell you all of us.
The day is coming when either we will die or the Lord Jesus will come back and take us home.
And the question is, are we ready for that day? Are we ready for that day? You know, there's, you're talking about the Lord coming back.
There's various opinions of men. And men don't always, not all men agree on how that's going to be.
But this morning, the important thing is, is that we are ready. That we are ready for that soon appearing of our Lord Jesus.
Jesus talked about the end of time. He talked about his coming again. The apostles wrote about it much.
In, at the ascension, when Jesus went back to heaven, the angels said, let's hear an act.
While they looked steadfastly toward heaven, Jesus was taken up in a cloud and he, he, a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel.
Which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
So when Jesus ascended, when he returned to heaven, we have the angels, the angels came and they sent, that he will return again.
Now, I think we'll start in, in Peter. I think it's where we'll go to start with this morning.
In 2nd Peter chapter 3. With this in mind, Jesus promised that he will come again.
And he said, he promised, he said that he is preparing a place for us. And if I go and prepare a place, I will come again to receive you unto myself.
And all of those promises, and some of those we'll look at later, hopefully, as we go on here this morning. But in chapter 3 of 2nd Peter, we'll just start reading this.
The second Epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior.
Notice, he points back to the Old Testament. He says, the words that were spoken before by the holy prophets. And then, you know, in our day, many people want to belittle the Old Testament and say, oh, it's not important and so on.
But the Old Testament is full of prophecies that are still being fulfilled in our day today. Verse 3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming?
I mean, you know, the apostles, when they wrote these books that we're reading, you know, Peter and those, they wrote these books that we're reading.
They wrote them as if Jesus would return in their day, in their lifetime. And I believe every generation since has believed and expected the Lord Jesus to return in their lifetime.
And here we are today, expecting that he could come in our lifetime. When we have, he calls them scoffers.
And, you know, as I was reading this, I had to think, you know, he talks about people that are openly saying and questioning, where is the promise of the Lord's coming?
But how many times, how many people today, they might not say it, but they live their lives in this way. They live their lives as if we will, you know, we will live on earth forever.
And there's, the Lord is not coming back possibly very soon. Verse 5. For this they willingly are ignored of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was being overflowing with water, perished.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
You know, our vision is time.
And a lifetime for us, you know, our lifetime, that's what we see.
But in the eyes of God, he sees all of time and he sees eternity. And so, in his vision, a thousand years is as one day and one day is as a thousand years.
It doesn't matter to the Lord. It doesn't matter to the Lord. You know, he's the eternal God. And we think, you know, maybe ten years is a long time, but to God, it's not.
It's just a little, a little blink of time, that's all.
But this world is kept by the word of God. The same word that brought this, this world and every, all creation into existence.
That same word of God is preserving it today. And when, when God is finished, what does he say here?
He says, this world is, it is reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
They won't, they won't take long for God to bring judgment on this world. Let's read here verse 10.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with the great noise.
And the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought need to be in all holy conversation and godliness.
Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.
He answers the question. He just makes a statement. Seeing that all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be?
How should we order our lives? What, how, what, you know, what should we? I think it, I think it, it behooves us to every so often investigate our life and, and, and see, you know, there's a verse that says, see whether we are in the faith, but see whether our priorities are still right.
See whether we are seeking first the kingdom of God or whether we've been sidetracked in some areas and see whether our life still aligns with the eternal perspective of life that we need to have.
We look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.
That means that all the things of today are temporal. The things that we see, they will pass away. Someday there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
And that must be in the forefront of our goals in life. I want to go to Matthew 24.
Jesus here speaking. Jesus had just told the disciples.
He said they were there at the temple and they were showing him the greatness of the temple and how beautiful everything was. And all of that. And Jesus just told them.
He said there shall not be like here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. And then they went out to the Mount of Olives.
And so the temple mount is on one hill. And there's a valley at the Mount of Olives is on the other side. And you can see the temple from the Mount of Olives.
And so as they were sitting there, they asked the question. Tell us when shall these things be? What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?
You know, and to the disciples, in their minds and their thinking, if the temple will be destroyed, that would mean that the Lord is coming back and the end of the world has come.
You know, just to compare that, that thinking, that's the way we think, with eternal thoughts and the plan of God in eternity.
Amen. Well, Jesus answered it. And the first thing he said was, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many will come, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, and nations that rise against nations, kingdom against kingdom, and on down the line, famines, festivities, earthquakes, in direst places.
Jesus, all these are the beginning of sorrow. Ye shall be hated of all nations. And then verse line, But many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.
And because illiquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
You know, Jesus is expecting us to endure to the end. Remember, what is that verse in Jude? It says that he is able to present us hopeless in the presence of God.
So if we abide in him, if we abide in Jesus, we can be faithful unto the end. And through all of these trials and tribulations that come upon this earth, we can be faithful.
Even facing many false prophets and false doctrines and false teachings. And though the tide of religion comes against us, we must stand firm unto the end.
He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. You know, there's no promise to the one who endures half their truth.
There's no promise to the one who gives up and turns aside into discouragement. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.
And then shall the end come. Jesus teaching them and telling them about how things will be in the end of the age.
And we'll skip through some of this. Let's go on to verse 21. Let's go on to verse 21.
Notice. Notice.
Many, many men, well, in our day, they will try to establish legitimacy through wonderful works and through maybe even miracles and great signs.
But notice what he says here. False Christ, false prophets. They will show great signs and wonders trying to deceive us, trying to deceive the believers.
Just because a man has power doesn't say he is of God. No, but we must beware.
We must beware. Behold, I have told you before. He points out that he has warned us. He has warned us of this.
Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert. Go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chambers.
Believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shined out of the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
You know, when Jesus comes back, says, every eye shall see him. You know, there won't be any question.
You won't come back in secret. No, but we're going to see him. We're going to know. We're going to know. And we're going to know to be with them.
Verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his delight from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.
Oh, hallelujah. You know, Jesus, Jesus told us many things that if we will just look at what he says and believe it and take it to heart, we can see the signs of the times, and we can know about where we are at in the timetable.
what he talks here. He says, you know, in verse 21, he talks about there shall be great tribulation, and in 29, he says immediately after the tribulation of those days, and, you know, there's varied opinions of men, but Jesus said after the tribulation of those days, you know, there's a lot of Americans will say that that the church will leave before hard times.
Well, in many areas of the world, they're already in hard times, but I believe that the word of the Lord says immediately after those days, and then verse 30, he says, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and great glory, and he will send his angels to gather the alight.
Oh, hallelujah. What a day that will be when our Jesus we will see, and we will go to be with him, we will leave this old world and all its troubles and trials and tribulations, we will leave it behind, and we will go to be with him.
Verse 32, Now learn the parable of the fig tree. When his branch is yet tender for the fourth leaf, he knows that summer is nigh.
So he's giving us a parable. He's giving us a lesson, pointing out the fig tree, which is something in the natural. Now, we don't have fig trees here, but in Israel, there's many fig trees.
They're all over, and then some of them are thousands of years old. They've been there. Some of those trees were there when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem.
He says, when the fig tree, when his branches get tender, and he puts forth his leaves, he knows that summer is nigh.
So likewise ye, when ye shall see these things, know that it is near even at the doors. When we see the trials and tribulations, when we see the wars and rumors of wars, and yes, there's been wars for all of time, seems like, but famines and pestilence, earthquakes, and all of those things, they're signs of the end times.
And Jesus said, when you see these signs, when you see these things come to pass, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. but of that day and hour knoweth no man, know not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
No man knows the day or the hour. You know, if, if you're old enough, you know that, that there's been various times when men have picked the day, picked the day.
You know, I, I remember, um, there was a book that came out, 88 Reasons Why the Lord Will Return in 88. And then, they had all these reasons and they, they had picked the day that in 1988 the Lord was gonna come back.
It's almost 40 years later and he's still not coming. maybe that's why, maybe that's why there's scoffers who are in the promise of his coming.
But he is coming. He is coming. Just because men who tried to figure it all out and they were wrong doesn't say the Lord is not coming.
But he is coming. And he's coming. Verse 44 says, Be ye ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.
in verse 38 he's talking about the flood of Noah as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and they knew not until the flood came and took them all away so shall it also be so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
You know what that tells me is life on earth will be going on it will be continuing just like Noah.
People will be going to work. Yes sir you know when there's earthquakes and wars and all of those things but where there's not a calamity people will be going about their life like normal.
People will be continuing on. People will be going to their jobs. People will be getting together for social gatherings.
There will be weddings. yes and and on and on and on but the normal things of life will be continuing until today Jesus returns and he warned us to be ready for in such an hour if you think not the sinner may not call it.
watch he therefore for you know not that always will come! the warnings over Lord Jesus on an ordinary day on earth will come.
now now I hear verse in Mark 13 Mark 13 33 Take me heed watch and pray for you know not when the time is you know not when the time is for the son of man is as a man taking a hard journey who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man who has worked and commanded the for to watch the son of man he he left on a journey right he went to heaven to prepare a place for us and he sent the holy ghost to live within us and to build his church here on earth until the time that he returns he has given us his servants authority and he's given us a work to do he's given us a job to fulfill and to accomplish and to every man in his work and commanded the for the watch watch me therefore for you know not with a master of house coming at even or at midnight or at the clock crowing or in the morning lest coming suddenly he find you sleepy and what
I say unto you I say unto all watch lest he find us lest he find us not ready not ready now in blue we have the same account but we have a few very issues here the end of verse twenty one the end of twenty four and the ten jerusalem shall be trot down of the gentiles until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled you know I'm not sure I'm not sure how this will be but we know that
Israel has again taken jerusalem and claimed jerusalem and jerusalem is being recognized as the capital of israel and so what is that is that a sign that the times of the gentiles is coming to an end there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity the sea and the waves roaring men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken and then shall they see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory and when these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your hands for your redemption draw up nigh are we beginning are we seeing these things come to pass
I believe we are I believe we are seeing some of these things coming to pass is the Lord going to come back today or tomorrow I don't know that none of us knows that my and it could still be who knows how long because one day is with the Lord is a thousand years and a thousand years is one day but will it be soon I believe it will be soon will it be in my lifetime well a great possibility it will be but we don't know that my dad expected the Lord to come back in his time the Lord came back for him but he did not come back for his church as a whole again let us hear let us hear we know about the day or the hour and we have no promise of tomorrow do we as individuals the
Lord we all have an appointment and we will be there when that appointment comes when we see these things begin to come to pass lift up your head your redemption!
to come to come back for those that look for him are we looking for him are we expecting him are we expecting our Lord to come back soon to come to come to come to come back soon!
again Luke brings out the tree and all the trees and how when their leaves come forth you know when the spring and summer is nigh and likewise when you see these things come to pass you know that the kingdom of God is nigh I believe we receive many signs and we must take heed that that day is coming soon that day is upon us Mary I say to you this generation shall pass shall be fulfilled heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away verse 3 4 and take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and brokenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares he warns us again you know
Jesus was very concerned that his people would not become sidetracked by other things by things of this life you know he said surfeiting and drunkenness you know and we would say well you know that's not us but what about the cares of this life you know it's so easy to allow the cares of this life to bog us down and to drown out the things of God and to dim our eyes so that we can't see where we can't see life in an eternal perspective take heed save money to yourselves yes for as a snare shall come on all of them that dwell on the face of the earth watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be a help for me to escape all the things that shall come to pass and ascend before the son of man yes we'll be faithful will we be found faithful in that day you know
Jesus asked the question where is that in chapter 8!
about the unjust judge and at the end of that at the end of that Jesus asked the question he said I tell you that let's read let's start on verse 6 6 3 and the Lord said hear what young just say shall not God avenge his over life which cry day and night unto him though he bear along with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on the earth Jesus asking the question when he returns will he find faith on the earth will he find us faithful in that day or will he find us discouraged will he find us will he how will he find us when he comes in that day you know
I when I went to my mind went to the parable of the tender of these five wives and five and what why were the five daughters what was the difference you know their ladies had come out they had not been diligent to prepare they had not been diligent you know after a long time you know there they were they were all slumbering and sleeping and waiting on the bride to come five had brought oil and they brought extra oil but if
I are foolish they had not prepared they had not prepared they had not brought what they needed they had not been diligent they had not been diligent to make their calling and election sure they were careless they were the foolish they were unprepared they had no oil they were careless in spiritual duties they were undisciplined they were casual you know we all know I believe that is why the bible says he that goeth to the good and doeth it not to him it is sin they all knew what it would take they all knew that it would take oil in their life they all knew that that life had to be burning!
we all know what it takes to walk with God and to abide in Christ to be born by the Spirit of God and to be washed by the blood of Christ to have our sin under the blood and washed away we know what it takes Hebrews asks the question how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation you know there's it doesn't the answer is so obvious it doesn't even answer because there is no escape there was no escape from these five three virgins notice they were virgins just like the others they had kept themselves but they still lived a careless life they were
Christian in name only and when they came to the door and they knocked on the door what was the answer I know you not I know you not how sad for people that thought they were Christians yet the Lord did not know them Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
Now this I say, brother, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doeth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
In a moment in the twinkling of an eye of the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.
so in this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up with victory.
Oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh, great, where is thy victory? The sea of death is sin. And the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, hallelujah, we shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed. You know, if we are living, if we're still alive, when Jesus returns, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
Yet this body of clay will not go to heaven. No, but we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. We will be changed and we will have a new body, a body incorruptible that will go to heaven and we will live there with him forever.
Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Oh, is this your hope? Is this your hope? Is this your hope or is there a question?
Is there a question in your heart whether you're ready for this day? If there is, let's answer that question today. Yes.
You know, in the next verse, remember in Peter, we had that verse that said, seeing all these things shall be solved, as a matter of person, not we to be.
How should we then live our life? Let's read verse 58 here. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, uncovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Lord, I believe this adds to the answer to that question of how we should live. But we need to be steadfast and unmovable in the faith that we stand in, in our belief of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in his salvation, and in his redemption, and that someday we will hold me with him.
We must be steadfast and unmovable in the face of false doctrine, in the face of false prophets and false teachers.
We must be steadfast and unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. You know, we cannot work enough to work our way to heaven, but if we're on our way to heaven, we will abound in the work of the whole world.
Yes, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, yet someday, someday we will be rewarded for our labors.
Yes, for the work that we've done, for the poor our own Savior, Heal this earth, what we have done for him. Someday, yes, we will be rewarded.
Hallelujah. Yes. The second term is in chapter 4.
There is the apostle. There is the apostle.
That he is now ready to be offered. The time of my departure is at hand. Verse 7. I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course.
I have kept the faith. Y'all. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me in that day.
And not to me only, but unto all that also that love his appearing. Are we also ready? Even as the apostle was here, he said he fought a good fight.
He had finished his course. He had kept the faith. Y'all, that's what God, that's what he is expecting of us, is to be faithful.
To be faithful as we live this life, as we fight the fight of faith, as we continue on, as we press on into the kingdom of God.
And we will finish our course. And we will keep the faith. Whether we keep the faith till our Lord Jesus returns, or whether we keep the faith until he returns for us individually in death, we must.
Oh, hallelujah. We will, or we not. Hebrews says, yes, he admonishes us to continue on, to continue on in the faith.
In Hebrews 10. The just shall live by faith.
Now, if any man draw back my soul, she'll have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back, but of them that believe for the saving of the soul.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. crouch crouch Here is the first verse of the Lord.
And then the first, the other one in my pocket and bed and light. First verse of the Lord is 4, 13.
I would now have you to bear with them for others concerning them which are asleep. But we sorrow not and then have others to have no hope.
You know, these verses are all those red cumulus that they've used as verse. We sorrow not as though we can have no hope.
You know, these are the first verse of the Lord. Not really, but we buried in time.
Do we have that hope? Do we have that hope that He has been gone? Do we have that hope?
Should the Lord come back for you and we would bury your body here a couple days. And we have that hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which stood in Jesus were God's name again.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord, for the Lord himself shall be sent from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangelium. And with the trump of God and the dead of Christ shall rise first.
That way which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord of the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
For the Lord shall be caught up together with the Lord of the air. Do these words bring comfort to your heart?
Or is there a fear that comes to your heart? Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you.
Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you.
Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you. Through you.
Through you. Through you. Through you. Everything is changed and we're blessed. As a tree falls, that's where it is.
All the young kids may be alive. They're right. They're right. All the plans for today and tomorrow, they're stopped.
They're stopped. All of a sudden, there was an appointment that had to be announced. Does it bring a confidence to us today to think of the coming of the Lord?
The Lord himself shall descend from death with a shout and with the voice of the earth. the trumpet of God will sound and the daily cross will rise first and they will arise and we will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord our Lord our Lord our Lord our Lord our Lord our Lord