I have been a student of last day events as they are revealed in the Bible for many, many years. I am amazed as I see things happening today that were written about hundreds of years ago by the men and women of the Bible. In putting together in my own mind all of the things we are told will be happening in the last days I have noted some of my own insights. These are not prophecies. These are just obvious things occurring in our world that are moving us swiftly into what the Bible simply calls the last days. The last day concept, of course, refers to the last days of our earth before Jesus returns to take over a world that has lost its way and is out of control.
First, we have a worldwide crisis created by the various kinds of governments. Every form of any man made government can be found in our world today. We have the autocratic forms which are merely dictatorships. We oligarchic which is government by the few. Aristocratic, government by the nobility can be found. Imperialistic is a government by the military and then there is the democratic forms which is government by the people. They can all be found. However, God never intended His world to be governed by any one of these forms. His world was to be a theocratic from of government. The Israelites rejected this long ago and we are still rejecting it today and creating our own unworkable forms.
Second, uncontrollable population explosion. Masses and the power that they potentially have to create havoc in our world is beginning to be seen worldwide. In the year of 2011 we saw throughout the Middle East what masses can do. There are countries such as China who live in fear of the masses. No matter how large an army a country may have they will not be able to control the masses. The masses today are unhappy. They are being abused, used, mistreated and enslaved by their governments. We are going to see more of this kind of unrest in the last days.
Third, we have a worldwide economic crisis that has thrown the world into financial chaos and their seems to be no end in sight. The economies that were strong and controlled so much of the enterprise of the world have lost their power. The Euro is fighting for its life. The US dollar is no longer king. The Mark of the Beast that will come in the last days has to do with controlling the economy. Revelation 13 tells us that no one will be able to buy or sell unless they have this mark. This is an economy crisis being brought under control by a worldwide power which we know will be controlled by the anti-christ.
Fourth, devastating natural disasters are occurring almost daily. We are not talking about inconvenient storms and landslides. We are talking about island moving earthquakes killing thousands. Tsunamis that silently sweep across the land and destroy everything and everyone. No man made power can stop them. We simply try to predict their coming and run from them. But there is no place to run. The Bible warns of an increase of these kinds of happenings in the last days.
Fifth, the emergent of false doctrines, religions, prophets and people claiming to be Christ. When it comes to religion people can be easily blinded. A false prophet can sound so correct. Religions can promise so many things. Doctrines are difficult to verify. Our emotions take over and we embrace the most foolish of religions no matter how ridiculous the claims. Even true Christians are often deceived and fall away from the faith. Many end up believing nothing at all and declare there is no god.
Sixth, we live in an age of narcissistic domination. The way we look. The clothes we wear. The cosmetics we use. The plastic surgeries we endure. The millions we spend. We have developed into a world of people obsessed with the way we look and what we own that makes us look better. It seems insignificant but it has become a dominating way of life. The Bible simply refers to this as being self centered. No one would dare admit that this is true of themselves but you only have to watch their life styles and observe what is important to them and how they spend their money. This has become a serious misguided way of life. There is no amount of money that we will not spend in order to make the right fashion statement. What becomes lost in this approach to life is what is really important and how serious life is. We easily forget tomorrow and any consequences of todays misguided value system. We can't seem to think for ourselves. We let the fashion world, the movie industry, the cosmetic developers form our value systems. And to add to this tragic lost of our own value system we tend to pass it on to our children.
Seventh, there is a lack of spiritual hunger. The vacuum that everyman has for God is being filled with a world of entertainment being offered to us. Never has there been so many different ways to be entertained. The amazing world of electronics has brought to us movies that are life like. Computers that hook us into a hugh world of music, movies and entertainment to your liking. No one today is without some electronic device that they can have with them 24 hours a day. People walk down the streets as if they are in a daze with ear pugs bringing into the head music of every kind. Our children no longer want a doll or toy car. They want a cell phone or game boy or one of the many items that Apple offers. Satellites fly around our world sending down to us from the heavens what ever we would like to entertain us at the moment. Any spiritual hunger that God may be be trying to create within us is often lost in the world of confusing sounds meant to entertain us.
Where is all of this taking us? One thing seems to be obvious we do not seem to have any control over where we are going. We are being swept along with these forces. I warn you my friend, you will be swept away with it all unless you bring into your life a power that is stronger than you and stronger than what you face. God is the only source of power strong enough to help us. On our own we will simply lose the battle and not even be aware that we are losing. We will wake up one day and it will be too late. God is always there and always will be. But it is up to us to invite Him into our situation and allow Him to take charge of our confused and lost way of life. He knocks everyday at our hearts door, but He will only knock and wait patiently hoping we will come to our senses and open the door for Him to come in. He is waiting right now.
First, we have a worldwide crisis created by the various kinds of governments. Every form of any man made government can be found in our world today. We have the autocratic forms which are merely dictatorships. We oligarchic which is government by the few. Aristocratic, government by the nobility can be found. Imperialistic is a government by the military and then there is the democratic forms which is government by the people. They can all be found. However, God never intended His world to be governed by any one of these forms. His world was to be a theocratic from of government. The Israelites rejected this long ago and we are still rejecting it today and creating our own unworkable forms.
Second, uncontrollable population explosion. Masses and the power that they potentially have to create havoc in our world is beginning to be seen worldwide. In the year of 2011 we saw throughout the Middle East what masses can do. There are countries such as China who live in fear of the masses. No matter how large an army a country may have they will not be able to control the masses. The masses today are unhappy. They are being abused, used, mistreated and enslaved by their governments. We are going to see more of this kind of unrest in the last days.
Third, we have a worldwide economic crisis that has thrown the world into financial chaos and their seems to be no end in sight. The economies that were strong and controlled so much of the enterprise of the world have lost their power. The Euro is fighting for its life. The US dollar is no longer king. The Mark of the Beast that will come in the last days has to do with controlling the economy. Revelation 13 tells us that no one will be able to buy or sell unless they have this mark. This is an economy crisis being brought under control by a worldwide power which we know will be controlled by the anti-christ.
Fourth, devastating natural disasters are occurring almost daily. We are not talking about inconvenient storms and landslides. We are talking about island moving earthquakes killing thousands. Tsunamis that silently sweep across the land and destroy everything and everyone. No man made power can stop them. We simply try to predict their coming and run from them. But there is no place to run. The Bible warns of an increase of these kinds of happenings in the last days.
Fifth, the emergent of false doctrines, religions, prophets and people claiming to be Christ. When it comes to religion people can be easily blinded. A false prophet can sound so correct. Religions can promise so many things. Doctrines are difficult to verify. Our emotions take over and we embrace the most foolish of religions no matter how ridiculous the claims. Even true Christians are often deceived and fall away from the faith. Many end up believing nothing at all and declare there is no god.
Sixth, we live in an age of narcissistic domination. The way we look. The clothes we wear. The cosmetics we use. The plastic surgeries we endure. The millions we spend. We have developed into a world of people obsessed with the way we look and what we own that makes us look better. It seems insignificant but it has become a dominating way of life. The Bible simply refers to this as being self centered. No one would dare admit that this is true of themselves but you only have to watch their life styles and observe what is important to them and how they spend their money. This has become a serious misguided way of life. There is no amount of money that we will not spend in order to make the right fashion statement. What becomes lost in this approach to life is what is really important and how serious life is. We easily forget tomorrow and any consequences of todays misguided value system. We can't seem to think for ourselves. We let the fashion world, the movie industry, the cosmetic developers form our value systems. And to add to this tragic lost of our own value system we tend to pass it on to our children.
Seventh, there is a lack of spiritual hunger. The vacuum that everyman has for God is being filled with a world of entertainment being offered to us. Never has there been so many different ways to be entertained. The amazing world of electronics has brought to us movies that are life like. Computers that hook us into a hugh world of music, movies and entertainment to your liking. No one today is without some electronic device that they can have with them 24 hours a day. People walk down the streets as if they are in a daze with ear pugs bringing into the head music of every kind. Our children no longer want a doll or toy car. They want a cell phone or game boy or one of the many items that Apple offers. Satellites fly around our world sending down to us from the heavens what ever we would like to entertain us at the moment. Any spiritual hunger that God may be be trying to create within us is often lost in the world of confusing sounds meant to entertain us.
Where is all of this taking us? One thing seems to be obvious we do not seem to have any control over where we are going. We are being swept along with these forces. I warn you my friend, you will be swept away with it all unless you bring into your life a power that is stronger than you and stronger than what you face. God is the only source of power strong enough to help us. On our own we will simply lose the battle and not even be aware that we are losing. We will wake up one day and it will be too late. God is always there and always will be. But it is up to us to invite Him into our situation and allow Him to take charge of our confused and lost way of life. He knocks everyday at our hearts door, but He will only knock and wait patiently hoping we will come to our senses and open the door for Him to come in. He is waiting right now.
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