We human beings have extremely short memories when it comes to epic events. The stock market has had three significant sell offs in three years and yet there is almost complete complacency out there of our having another even as we face "a cliff". Millions live in known flood zones and think that "it won't happen to me". Over and over this occurs.
We can only imagine our forgetfulness of our Lord's return in that it has been nearly two thousand years. We tend to make the illogical mistake that the peers of Noah did which is thinking "because it hasn't happened it won't."
As usual our thinking is backward. Rather we should be saying "Everyday that passes brings us closer to the Lord's return". Most scholars concentrate on the lengthy Matthew 24 when studying the second coming . while Luke 17 is shorter, it has two "signs", absent in Matthew, that will be active before Christ returns.
The fist sign is that of Noah: " Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man". Lk 17: 26 One can scour the Scripture about Noah but only one cause is given for the flood....
"The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." So God destroys everyone save Noah and his family.
Millennial-ists are those that believe that we Christians will usher in the Millennium through evangelism and our good works.
NO!! Christ clearly warns us that things will get worse as the time for his return approaches. We will see "wickedness" increase as birth pangs ebb and flow with greater and greater intensity until the birth (his return). (Mt 24:8)
Do I have to argue that violence is on the increase just as in the time of Noah? We cannot help but be horrified at senseless massacres on a worldwide scale, yet we must expect them in increasing tendency.
Another Noahic sign was disbelief in the coming flood. Oh how Noah was mocked for building the ark. Again why? Because of the logic that there had never been a flood and thus there never will be one. The idea was preposterous. So Christians that confess the return of Christ are mocked and hated. It is amazing in light of the natural peace of Christianity how we are despised and yet this hatred is is an epidemic around the globe , but not surprising (you will be hated for my names sake) Mt 10:22
Now for the second sign,- the sign of Lot. Lot chose of his own volition an area to live "Abram lived in the land of Canaan while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." (Gen. 13:12-13)
Next scene: Lot is at the city gates implying that he was a respected man. Now as I will show, the sins of Sodom was aggressive homosexual sin. Do you think he would have enjoyed his standing if he was speaking up against this sin? Does today's fear of speaking against sexual sin remind you of Lot's attitude? This apprehension by God's elect is a sign of Lot imo.
While Lot is at the city gates two angels (lit messengers) appear to Lot and Lot is adamant that they stay at his home. The next scene is violent. "Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom- both young and old surrounded the house. They called to Lot, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out so that we can have sex with them" (Gen 19:4-5) This is like is a feeding frenzy for foreign flesh. Active homosexual behavior and it's bold advocacy is a sign of Lot. All sexual activity outside of marriage is forbidden as well. (Acts 15:20)
The third sign of Lot comes from learning about his wife. It says that as God is providing his family a way of escape from Sodom, the command of God is to not look back. "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Gen 19) When we are in bondage to some evil place or even some substance and God provides a way out, do we look back?
Lot is a great example of a "worldly Christian". But you may say I doubt he was a believer at all- and yet Peter calls Lot "a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless, 2 Peter 2:15 Again, the question is whether Lot kept all his pains about the wickedness around him to himself. It appears he kept his mouth shut due due to his being respected in Sodom. We all know what would happen to us if we were especially vigilant against the worldwide pro homosexual lobby.
In conclusion we must not be overcome by the violence getting increasingly worse- nor as the homosexual agenda enjoys official ecclesiastical standing which is absurd in light of scripture. ( Romans 1: 26,27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9 ) "Scholars" tell us that the sin of Sodom was Lot's lack of "hospitality". This is absolutely pathetic statement in light of scripture in order to justify homosexual behavior.
As we see these signs it adds to our faith because Jesus' warnings are coming to pass in front of our very eyes. Say no to the thoughts that it has been two thousand years so forget about the second coming. In God's timetable it has been only two days! (2 Peter 3:8)
I should say something about those who struggle with homosexuality; my advice is to live a single celibate life and not to marry. Paul practically begs all people to stay single. (1 Cor 7) Follow his words if you struggle with these urges. The time is near. Christ tells us to take up our cross. Every Christian has a burden from time to time.
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ReplyDeletestanding firm in love... that is the challenge facing the church today,..many of our churches sit at the gates with Lot, blending in, overlooking offenses against the revealed word of God. yet in Colossians Paul shows us plainly how the emptiness of our human philosophy (enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior) contrasts with the cure in the cross,...the peace, the hope, the fullness, the glorious riches, the mystery that is Christ in us. and there God's people find the strength to stand firm in love-the virtue which binds them all together in perfect unity
ReplyDeletethe return of christ! great topic. i liked what you wrote here: "Everyday that passes brings us closer to the Lord's return". grey and i heard a sermon recently by dr goligher at tenth, who was relaying a story about his mother's daily prayers that the lord would come. she would pray fervently for it back in the 40s but dr goligher said that today, nearly 10% of china's population now identify as christians. if christ had come then, then so many would not have been saved... all of that is to say, we're on the lord's timetable, not ours and its good for us to remember that.
ReplyDeletei also have been reading luke lately and thinking about end times... jesus gives a sort of cryptic response to his disciples questions for more information at one point saying "where the corpse is, vultures will gather" and i've been wondering about what that exactly means. any thoughts?
re: homosexual sin... you're right that it is a topic that many fear to talk about, for many reasons. i feel that way myself. i understand your points but i also see that we live in a broken, fallen world. there is a difference between sin and fear too, and i think a lot of christians show fear and hatred towards homosexuals rather than love. jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners, and the pharisees looked upon then with distaste and derision. who are those sinners today, and who are those christians? its our job to stay firm in the scriptures but to understand the gospel as well... does that make sense? im rambling now!
good post!
it is so hard to know how to stand for the truth without causing pain,...Christ did indeed befriend prostitutes and murderers, but never greenlighted their continuing to prostitute and murder...but rather exhorted them to a life of obedience, encouraging them to "go and sin no more"
ReplyDelete"Millennial-ists are those that believe that we Christians will usher in the Millennium through evangelism and our good works."
ReplyDeleteNo, it has nothing to do with good works, or at least not in the sense you mean. Christ is building his church, and naturally good works flow from that. I think it is a very reasonable position with a natural interpretation of this:
"Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth." Dan. 2:35
Christ destroyed earthly kingdoms and set up his own in the hearts of believers. Both wickedness and holiness are increasing. The church has hundreds of millions of believers. Amillenialists don't deny that that Christ will return and there will be a final judgement. They (we) just think the millenial reign is now, which also explains this to a large extent:
"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." Luke 21:32.
As for homosexuality,
"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" 1Cor. 5:12 The bible very clearly teaches it is wrong. Those outside the church are depraved and will do what wickedness does, but those inside the church must not.
The Lot reference illustrates the church becoming accommodating in that Lot was a "righteous" man and endorsing by their acquiescing, of active homosexuality.. even to the point of allowing homosexual "marriage"... I think your observation that holiness is increasing seems to deny reality as we look around us....however I will agree that God can cause an explosion of faith and works anytime he chooses.
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