Posted on 05/23/2024 3:49:40 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
This sounds so much like today! I couldn’t get that thought out of my head as I read the John 6 account of Jesus’ interaction with the Jews the day after His feeding of the five thousand.
How did those in the crowd on that day respond to Jesus’ plea that they believe in Him? They asked, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?” (John 6:30).
What more did they need to see?
Jesus had just fed a multitude with “five barley loaves” and “two fish.” The total number of people could easily have been close to fifteen thousand since the number “five thousand” just included the men. Even satisfying the hunger of a few hundred people with such little food would’ve been a significant miracle, but to feed so great a gathering was over-the-top supernatural.
Seeing such a miraculous sign should’ve at least caused the crowd to consider Jesus’ claims on the following day, but most scoffed at His claims and walked away.
The lack of discernment among this hungry throng from so long ago bears a striking resemblance to many Christians today. They see the multitude of signs telling them that they live in the last moments of time before the start of the Tribulation, yet they respond in the same manner as those who witnessed the feeding of the five thousand.
They scoff at our hope of Jesus’ imminent appearing and flock to churches that proclaim an end-of-the-world return of Jesus that happens in the far distant future. They want what Jesus offers but would rather not look for His imminent intervention in their world.
Beginning in the early seventeenth century, many students of Bible prophecy taught that Israel would again become a nation. When this miraculously happened about three hundred years later, it did little to change the minds of those who claimed God had rejected Israel. This major fulfillment of Bible prophecy didn’t alter their errant thinking that the church was God’s kingdom in place of Israel.
In His mercy, the Lord is letting today’s world see multiple precursors pointing to the soon release of the horses of the apocalypse in Revelation 6:1-8. I believe that if it were not for His restraining force, the world would already have experienced the full impact of these judgments. Sometimes I’m amazed that we are still here and these horses remain in their stalls. We are so close, but for God’s mercy.
Never before has there been so much evidence pointing to the nearness of this time of wrath than today. However, never in recent history has there been so much unawareness and disbelief regarding Bible prophecy as we now see in churches.
The same unbelief that caused the crowd to refute Jesus’ claims in John chapter 6 keeps many of today’s Christians oblivious to the fact that their world could radically and suddenly change at any moment. It grieves my heart that despite professing to believe in the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture, so many pastors remain sound asleep, mired in unbelief concerning what the Lord revealed in His Word regarding His appearing and the time of His wrath upon this wicked world.
Of course, Jesus attracted many true followers during His time on the earth. Many saw the signs He performed confirming His identity and recognized Him as their Messiah. Notice the response of those in Jerusalem a little while after the feeding of the five thousand: “Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?’” (John 7:31).
We might ask a similar question to those who tell us we are foolish to look for Jesus’ appearing anytime soon, or even in our lifetime: ‘If the Lord were to warn today’s Christians that the Tribulation period was near, would we see any more signs of its soon arrival than we currently witness?’
I can’t imagine we could see more evidence of the approaching Day of the Lord than what we now witness. I’m aware that those who reading are likely eagerly awaiting His return, but I write to provide reassurance of the validity of what we see despite living in the midst of naysayers.
Just like those living in the first century AD, we live in biblical times today. Also similar to that day long ago, it’s primarily church leaders who are leading people away from anticipating the Lord’s imminent appearing.
Believe you are right. Seems to me that some churches are just not quite accurate in what they are preaching. I’m thankful I found a church that seems to be preaching the truth according to the Holy Bible.
Believe you are right. Seems to me that some churches are just not quite accurate in what they are preaching. I’m thankful I found a church that seems to be preaching the truth according to the Holy Bible.
Literally everything on that list could be a thousand years ago, in Rome, or a thousand years from now when America has fallen and the next golden empire is repeating the process.
Considering the condition the world is in these days, I cannot fathom why they'd think that way either.
I can't wait for Him to come back and clean up this mess.
Exactly 💯!
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The New Jerusalem is our New Address!
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.
The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
You don't need more *proof*. Your problem is not lack of information but an unwillingness to believe.
That's not why people think the end times is near and I doubt that is true anyways.
People are well enough aware that things can ALAWAYS get worse before Christ returns.
And what we're experiencing now is a walk in the park compared to the horrors of the Tribulation.
...and decades ago, she was correct.
Which is also a sign in and of itself.
Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
That’s right and it’s obvious that the Rich man Still didn’t “Get It” as he was still in his Earthly self ordering
Po Lazarus around...
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C.S. Lewis said;
The Gates of Hell would be
Locked from the Inside!
Why do people feel obligated to lecture others on stuff they don't do?
Every time RWC posts and end times thread, SOMEONE has to come on with that worn out argument.
Just WHO is predicting the day or hour? Could you point us to someone doing that?
Yeah. So?
You're projecting because I don't know anyone who thinks Jesus' return is soon who thinks of it as an excuse to be lazy.
I don't know where ideas like that come from, but it isn't people who are anticipating His soon coming.
Pastor, you have voice mail ... cancel the church bake sale.
The End is Near!" ?
“And what we’re experiencing now is a walk in the park compared to the horrors of the Tribulation.”
I agree, but there is always those in every generation that see their time as the worst of times, in terms of the prospect of the Trbulation being “soon”. I think some of it is for some the desire that it be true “now”, for them, and for others they get cauught up in what some preachers are saying, in terms of prophecy an what many prophecies mean.
They shoud all quit being anxious and or fearful. When it is truly that time God will make it undeniable.
Certainly not the nuclear power to blow up the whole world.
Don't be one of the scoffers Peter talked about, that everything has been, is, and will always be the same, contrary to God's Word.
knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.2 Peter 3:3-4.
Good reminder. I may have to add that in my manuscript.
He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
"Kiss became closely associated with the wall-of-amps phenomenon. The Marshall-powered live album ‘Alive!’ marked their breakthrough in 1975."
(What More Does The Church Need To See Before They Conclude We Are Nearing Christ’s Return?)
Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.
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