October 9, 2012

It starts tonight! ... It's time for me to begin teaching Bible prophecy once again. ... I've taken on this task several times in the past, and each time was a time of great anticipation. ... But this time, this anticipation seems even more intense, and it's simply because of how close I feel we are to the culmination of the Church age and our Lord's triumphant return.

My goal is to start with a solid foundation as to prophecy's full purpose and meaning  ....  and then try to make it as relevant as possible as it relates to the times we are now living in ................

The following are just some of the subjects we will be touching upon:

   *End-time conditions (or) prophetic signs in today's world ...
   *Israel ...
   *Ezekiel War ...
   *Book of Daniel - All ...
   *Book of Revelation - All ...
  
-Miscellaneous side-steps such as:
  
   *Today's church ...
   *America's role ...
   *Islam ...
   *Antichrist ...
   *The Rapture ...
   *Highlights from the Minor Prophets ...

This, of course, will take quite some time .... and the order in which it will come is not 'carved in stone' ... All that will depend on how much interest is shown, current world conditions ... and ultimately, the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Let me give you just a brief example of what I mean ...  The Gospel narratives picture the Sadducees and Pharisees, the official religious leaders of Jesus' time, walking around in a 'spiritual fog'. ... They simply didn't recognize that the Son of God was walking around in their midst! ......... Why? ..... Either they didn't understand the prophecies (or) they just ignored them (complacent - lukewarm) .......

These same religious leaders asked Jesus to show them a sign from Heaven (Matthew 16:2).  Jesus' response cut to the heart of their spiritual insensitivity ... "You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." (Matthew 16:3) ............... Prophecy was being fulfilled before their very eyes and they couldn't see it !!

Think this is happening today? ... Matthew 24:37-39 says this,  "As it was in the day of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  38) For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;  39) and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." ............... We can also go to Christ's specific teachings concerning these days in the Gospels.  Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 tell of disasters such as famine, pestilences, earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars ... and how they will increase in number & intensity as we draw ever nearer to His return.

The previously mentioned 'spiritual fog' that so clouded the minds of those religious leaders in Jesus' day still hangs heavy over our theological landscape today. ....... Many teachers of Scripture are more at home preaching history rather than prophecy ... In fact, whole sections of the Bible are regularly overlooked because so many pastors and teachers feel uncomfortable treading on such unfamiliar territory. ............ and to do so is to ignore vast sections of God's Word!

Do you realize that almost one-third of the entire Bible is prophecy?! .......... There are approximately 1000 Scriptural passages on prophecy ... some single verses and some entire chapters  ... and approximately half of these prophecies have already been fulfilled literally ... an ASTOUNDING PROOF that Bible prophecy is accurate, even when dealing with distant future events.  ... This simply constitutes solid proof that the Bible is supernatural in its' Divine inspiration and that it can be trusted ...
not only in prophecy but also in other areas of truth as well.

In summing up, I want each of you to remember that Bible prophecy ... culminating with the Book of Revelation ... is a POWERFUL LIGHTHOUSE to a world that is in utter chaos ...............  Simply, God gives us prophecy so we can learn how to live and witness in today's world.

So, I hope to see you tonight at 6:30 PM - Chehalem Valley Baptist Church right here in Newberg ... and know that I will be praying for all of you, and that the Lord will keep you safe in these perilous times.

Until next time,

Red