>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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¤[music]¤
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People are
fascinated by the future.
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What will tomorrow be like?
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Or next year? Or next century?
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We've long looked
forward to flying cars
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and cities on the moon.
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Children a generation
ago watched "The Jetsons"
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and "Lost in
Space" and "Star Trek."
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A Swiss physician in the
1950s predicted that surgery
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would one day no longer
be needed as every illness
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could be treated with a pill.
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We're still making predictions.
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Engineers at Google
have, probably self-servingly,
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predicted that it won't be long
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and people will be
able to live forever.
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But who'd have thought 50 years
ago that you'd be able to carry
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a device in your pocket
that would let you communicate
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with anyone and access
information about anything
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at any time from anywhere?
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There are still
people who read horoscopes,
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believing that an astrologer
is able to predict circumstances
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for your life based on
the position of the sun
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when you were born.
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Any validity to that?
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No.
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Even a little bit?
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No.
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Nothing
scientific, nothing reliable,
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nothing credible
about that at all.
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So why do people
give it the time of day?
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Because the future intrigues us,
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and an answer today
about tomorrow is irresistible
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for some people.
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There are spiritist mediums
who claim to be able to tell you
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what has happened
or what will happen,
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what your future holds,
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or that they can bring you
messages from the other side.
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Can they?
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No.
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At least, not with
the cooperation of God,
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not with God's blessing.
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If you recall the story
in the Bible about King Saul
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consulting the witch of En
Dor, you'll remember that God
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was completely
opposed to that practice.
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She's referred to as the
witch of En Dor for a reason.
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In her professional life
she was getting information
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from somewhere.
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If she was
getting it from anywhere,
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it was the dark
side, from the devil.
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There's nothing about psychics
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and mediums and séances
and so on that Christians
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ought to have
anything at all to do with.
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Today we continue
our ongoing series,
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"Great Chapters of the Bible."
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There are 1,189
chapters in the Bible.
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Of course, it's a little
subjective to be singling out
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some chapters of the
Bible and not others as great.
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But there are
undoubtedly memorable chapters,
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some mountaintop chapters.
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Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter.
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Psalm 119 is the
longest chapter in the Bible
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and deals almost entirely
with the subject of God's Word.
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Matthew chapter 5
contains the Beatitudes.
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In Exodus 20, God
wrote the Ten Commandments
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on two tables of stone.
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In Daniel chapter 2, Babylonian
king has an epic dream,
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which turns out to be
an incredible prophecy
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about the rise
and fall of nations,
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from the time of
King Nebuchadnezzar
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until the return of
Jesus to this earth.
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Today, a look into the future,
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at least from the perspective
of when these words were spoken.
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In Matthew chapter 23,
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Jesus is speaking to a
group of scribes and Pharisees,
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religious leaders
who prided themselves
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in their strict
adherence to the law of God.
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He calls them "a
brood of vipers."
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He tells them their
fathers killed the prophets,
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that they are no better.
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He says in verse 37:
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"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the one who kills the prophets
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and stones those
who are sent to her!
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How often I wanted to
gather your children together,
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as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings,
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but you were not willing."
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And then this:
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"Your house is
left to you desolate."
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[inhales
sharply] Chilling words.
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The chosen ones, this people
God had rescued from Egypt,
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had sustained in the
wilderness for 40 years,
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and then brought into the land
that flowed with milk and honey,
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and He says, essentially,
"I'm done with you."
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The disciples of Jesus listened
to this, and they wondered.
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And Matthew chapter
24 begins like this:
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"Then Jesus went out and
departed from the temple,
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and His disciples came
up to show Him the buildings
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of the temple."
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Just what they were expecting
Jesus to say is not recorded
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in the passage, but those
buildings were magnificent.
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You'd anticipate that a
person would have admired them.
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This was the second temple,
refurbished by King Herod,
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who had a [in
French accent] penchant,
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or a penchant, for
massive building projects.
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The Temple Mount
was his masterpiece.
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But Jesus' response was
not what anyone was expecting:
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"Assuredly, I say to you,
not one stone shall be left here
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upon another, that
shall not be thrown down."
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Now, you can visit Jerusalem
today and see some of those
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very stones that were
pushed off the Temple Mount.
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They are huge.
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It's no wonder the
disciples expected the temple
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to stand forever.
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And so they
asked Jesus a question.
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This is Matthew 24 and verse 3:
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"Now as He sat on
the Mount of Olives,
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the disciples came to
Him privately, saying,
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'Tell us, when
will these things be?
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And what will be
the sign of Your coming,
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and of the end of the age?'"
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Jesus' answer was interesting.
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They asked Him two questions,
but He blended the answer.
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Tell us about Your
return to the earth
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and the end of the age.
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And, tell us about
this phenomenal time
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when Jerusalem
will be destroyed.
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But you'll notice something,
Jesus' initial response.
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He, in fact, didn't
immediately answer the question.
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But He gave His
friends a warning.
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This is verse 4 and verse 5:
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"And Jesus
answered and said to them:
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'Take heed that
no one deceives you.
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For many will come
in my name, saying,
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"I am the Christ,"
and will deceive many.'"
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In more modern times, there
have been spiritual leaders
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who have led people
away from faith in God.
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Jim Jones led a large
group of followers to Guyana
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in the 1970s.
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You wonder how
900 people could die,
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more than 300 of them children.
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But Jones was a
charismatic individual.
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He came in the name of Jesus.
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He undoubtedly
did a lot of good.
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In a turbulent time, he
ran a church that was a model
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of racial harmony.
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He'd been endorsed by
people in high places.
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But again, remember, he did what
he did in the name of Jesus.
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David Koresh, the leader
of the group that perished
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at Waco, Texas, was another
who quoted the Bible and used,
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or, or misused, Scripture,
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and succeeded in convincing
a group of people to follow him
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into what turned
out to be a tragedy.
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There are many religious
leaders today leading cults
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that exert control over the
minds of others and lead people
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into dark spiritual places.
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The solution to that, of course,
is that a person prayerfully
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reads the Bible for themselves
and follows God's leading,
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according to the Bible
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and not according to
the word of another person.
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Once someone gets caught up
with a false spiritual leader,
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it's not always easy
to get out of that mess.
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Let's bring that closer to home.
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It might be that
your relationship with God
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is being dictated to,
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that someone doesn't want
you to think for yourself.
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Maybe a domineering
spiritual leader is wielding
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outsized authority in your life.
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Let me encourage you
to think for yourself,
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to get as
spiritually healthy as you can,
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and to refuse to be led away
from the teachings of Jesus.
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For the Christian, the final
authority is the Word of God,
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not the word of a
pastor, or the word of a priest,
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or the word of a politician.
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Make the Bible your guide
and let the teachings of God,
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let the sayings of Jesus
give direction to your life.
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I'll be back with more from
Matthew 24 in just a moment.
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¤[music]¤
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>>Announcer: The signs of
Jesus' return are all around us.
00:08:31.91\00:08:34.91
But what does the
Bible say we should look for?
00:08:34.94\00:08:37.75
Find out by
getting today's free offer,
00:08:37.78\00:08:39.95
"Seeing the Signs."
00:08:39.98\00:08:41.12
To receive this free DVD,
00:08:41.15\00:08:43.08
call 800-253-3000
00:08:43.12\00:08:45.72
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:45.75\00:08:49.26
Find out for
yourself what the Bible says
00:08:49.29\00:08:51.26
about the signs of
Jesus' soon return.
00:08:51.29\00:08:53.43
Call 800-253-3000
00:08:53.46\00:08:56.30
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:08:56.33\00:08:58.90
¤[music]¤
00:08:58.93\00:09:00.24
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
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We're looking at another
great chapter of the Bible,
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this time, Matthew 24.
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Jesus' disciples asked Him
to tell them about two things:
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the signs of His coming
and of the end of the world.
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And after warning them against
being deceived by false christs,
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people who would come in
His name and deceive many,
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He said this in verses 6 and 7:
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"And you will hear of
wars and rumors of wars.
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See that you are not troubled;
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for all these
things must come to pass,
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but the end is not yet.
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For nation will
rise against nation,
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and kingdom against kingdom."
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So how are we doing for wars?
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Yes, there were
wars in Bible times,
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but we both know that in recent
times the incidence of war
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and the extreme effects of war
have become greater and greater.
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Whatever Planet Earth might
have witnessed in ancient times,
00:09:55.86\00:09:59.83
more recent centuries
have been truly shocking.
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You know, it's estimated that
when Spain conquered the Aztecs,
00:10:03.83\00:10:06.90
more than 24
million people perished.
00:10:06.94\00:10:10.31
Millions died in
the Thirty Years' War
00:10:10.34\00:10:12.64
in Europe in the 1600s.
00:10:12.67\00:10:14.98
In World War I, there
were around 20 million deaths,
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and then World War II
cost around 70 million lives.
00:10:18.81\00:10:24.19
Add to that the
Korean War, the Vietnam War,
00:10:24.22\00:10:26.96
the wars in Nigeria and
Yemen and Bangladesh and Mexico
00:10:26.99\00:10:29.82
and Bosnia and Angola and
Sudan and the Middle East and...
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[exhales sharply]
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And it's a wonder there's
anyone left on the planet.
00:10:35.36\00:10:37.80
Jesus said that
the time of His return
00:10:37.83\00:10:39.97
would be
characterized by warfare.
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The day in which we
live undoubtedly sounds
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like that time:
00:10:45.84\00:10:47.81
nation against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.
00:10:47.84\00:10:51.98
And Jesus went on to say,
00:10:52.01\00:10:53.72
"And there will be
famines, pestilences,
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and earthquakes
in various places."
00:10:55.95\00:10:58.82
What do we know about famines?
00:10:58.85\00:11:00.92
In the 1800s, a famine in
Ireland killed a million people
00:11:00.96\00:11:04.13
and saw another
million leave the country.
00:11:04.16\00:11:06.90
There have been
devastating famines in China.
00:11:06.93\00:11:09.30
Two million or more
died in the Persian famine
00:11:09.33\00:11:12.20
of about 100 years ago.
00:11:12.23\00:11:14.20
The Soviet famine of the
1930s resulted in the deaths
00:11:14.24\00:11:17.41
of between 5 and
8 million people.
00:11:17.44\00:11:21.88
Just think about that number.
00:11:21.91\00:11:24.88
The Great Chinese Famine in
the middle of the last century
00:11:24.91\00:11:27.42
caused tens of
millions of deaths.
00:11:27.45\00:11:30.52
But then there's the
Biafra famine and Ethiopia
00:11:30.55\00:11:33.05
and so many more.
00:11:33.09\00:11:35.42
So notice what Jesus said:
00:11:35.46\00:11:37.26
Famine would be a
sign of His return.
00:11:37.29\00:11:39.79
That being the case, then
our day could easily be the day
00:11:39.83\00:11:43.80
that Jesus was talking about.
00:11:43.83\00:11:45.87
Now, today we're doing
better globally with famine,
00:11:45.90\00:11:48.10
and that's owing to
improved agriculture techniques
00:11:48.14\00:11:50.71
and the ability to get
food to people who need it.
00:11:50.74\00:11:53.58
But with food deserts becoming
more and more common these days,
00:11:53.61\00:11:57.98
it doesn't take much imagination
to realize that things could get
00:11:58.01\00:12:01.12
much worse very quickly.
00:12:01.15\00:12:03.12
Desperate water shortages
have plagued major cities
00:12:03.15\00:12:06.15
in various parts of
the world in recent years.
00:12:06.19\00:12:09.36
Jesus spoke about
pestilences-- disease epidemics.
00:12:09.39\00:12:14.36
You can think about some of
the colossal disease outbreaks
00:12:14.36\00:12:16.73
of centuries ago.
00:12:16.77\00:12:17.77
Or, we could start a
little closer to our time.
00:12:17.80\00:12:21.90
In 1918 and 1919, between 30 and
50 million people died worldwide
00:12:21.94\00:12:29.38
from influenza, the flu.
00:12:29.41\00:12:33.18
More than 25 million
people have died from AIDs,
00:12:33.21\00:12:36.45
while more than 35 million
people currently live with HIV.
00:12:36.48\00:12:41.39
In recent years we've
tried to get our heads around
00:12:41.42\00:12:43.19
some disturbing new
diseases, like H1N1--swine flu--
00:12:43.22\00:12:47.36
and SARS and Ebola.
00:12:47.40\00:12:49.93
We're probably forgetting
that tuberculosis is killing
00:12:49.96\00:12:52.87
more than a million
people a year right now.
00:12:52.90\00:12:57.41
And what about the pestilences
00:12:57.44\00:12:58.44
that we just
become comfortable with?
00:12:58.47\00:13:00.74
It's estimated that in 2018
there were 17 million new cases
00:13:00.78\00:13:05.68
of cancer worldwide and 9
1/2 million cancer deaths.
00:13:05.71\00:13:10.89
Almost 450 million
people live with diabetes,
00:13:10.92\00:13:15.02
and just under 2 million
people a year die as a result.
00:13:15.06\00:13:19.03
The World Health Organization
says that 18 million people
00:13:19.06\00:13:21.66
a year die from
heart disease, which is,
00:13:21.70\00:13:24.20
which is almost 1
in every 3 deaths.
00:13:24.23\00:13:26.87
Fifteen million
people a year have a stroke.
00:13:26.90\00:13:28.80
More than a third of
them die as a result.
00:13:28.84\00:13:31.67
Keep in mind we
live with these diseases.
00:13:31.71\00:13:33.94
We sort of expect
that we'll get them
00:13:33.98\00:13:35.41
or that someone we know will.
00:13:35.44\00:13:37.25
These are the killers
we become comfortable with.
00:13:37.28\00:13:40.02
Jesus said that pestilences--
disease epidemics--
00:13:40.05\00:13:44.82
would be a sign of His return.
00:13:44.85\00:13:47.46
And He mentioned earthquakes
as a sign of His return.
00:13:47.49\00:13:50.06
Iran, 2003: 31, 000
or more people dead.
00:13:50.09\00:13:54.10
Pakistan, 2005:
around 100,000 dead.
00:13:54.10\00:13:57.67
China, 2008: 88,000 dead.
00:13:57.70\00:14:01.20
Two hundred and twenty-eight
thousand people dead as a result
00:14:01.24\00:14:04.91
of a tsunami in Asia that
was triggered by an earthquake.
00:14:04.94\00:14:08.91
Haiti, in 2010, as
many as 300,000 people died.
00:14:08.94\00:14:16.42
And we remember earthquakes in
many other parts of the world.
00:14:16.45\00:14:20.69
Now, notice something
that Jesus said about this,
00:14:20.72\00:14:23.09
because it would be
understandable if someone said,
00:14:23.12\00:14:25.03
"Oh, oh, John, we've
had these things forever.
00:14:25.06\00:14:27.30
Wars in Bible times,
famines in Bible times,
00:14:27.36\00:14:30.43
pestilences, too."
00:14:30.47\00:14:31.50
Well, of course, that's true.
00:14:31.53\00:14:33.90
But what Jesus said
is really worth noting.
00:14:33.94\00:14:36.47
He said this in
Matthew 24, verse 8.
00:14:36.50\00:14:38.81
He said, "All these are
the beginning of sorrows."
00:14:38.84\00:14:43.55
Now, that word He
used there, "sorrows,"
00:14:43.58\00:14:46.01
that's a word that
signifies "birth pains."
00:14:46.05\00:14:49.08
Now, you can tell by
looking at me that I'm no expert
00:14:49.12\00:14:51.32
in birth pains, but
here's what we know.
00:14:51.35\00:14:54.96
When a baby gets close
to entering into the world,
00:14:54.99\00:14:57.93
contractions begin.
00:14:57.96\00:14:59.39
The closer to delivery, the more
frequent and the more intense
00:14:59.43\00:15:03.83
the birth pains become.
00:15:03.87\00:15:06.47
Jesus said that the signs
of His return would be like
00:15:06.50\00:15:09.30
birth pains.
00:15:09.34\00:15:10.64
Now, another earthquake doesn't
mean too much on its own.
00:15:10.67\00:15:13.44
Neither does
another disease outbreak.
00:15:13.48\00:15:16.14
But take them together,
00:15:16.18\00:15:17.38
and recognizing that they're
becoming more and more frequent
00:15:17.41\00:15:20.85
and more intense,
00:15:20.88\00:15:23.12
you can't fail to
recognize that what Jesus said,
00:15:23.15\00:15:26.59
that these are a sign
of the end of the age,
00:15:26.62\00:15:29.96
is of special relevance.
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.93
If these signs indicate that
the return of Jesus is near,
00:15:32.96\00:15:36.83
what are you doing
to prepare for that?
00:15:36.87\00:15:39.30
How are you living your life?
00:15:39.33\00:15:40.97
Have you invited Jesus
to live His life in you?
00:15:41.00\00:15:43.97
Have you accepted His offer
00:15:44.01\00:15:45.31
of a new heart and
a new start in life?
00:15:45.34\00:15:48.68
He'll give you new direction.
00:15:48.71\00:15:50.28
He'll give you a new hope.
00:15:50.31\00:15:52.25
All the talk about
the end of the world
00:15:52.28\00:15:53.85
and eternity in
heaven, it's all true.
00:15:53.88\00:15:57.59
God wants you to know today
that He wants you to be ready
00:15:57.62\00:16:00.22
for eternity through
having faith in Jesus
00:16:00.26\00:16:04.16
as your sin-bearer.
00:16:04.19\00:16:05.86
More from Matthew 24, another
great chapter of the Bible,
00:16:05.89\00:16:09.46
in just a moment.
00:16:09.50\00:16:10.60
¤[music]¤
00:16:10.63\00:16:16.64
>>Announcer: The signs of
Jesus' return are all around us.
00:16:19.57\00:16:22.34
But what does the
Bible say we should look for?
00:16:22.38\00:16:25.31
Find out by
getting today's free offer,
00:16:25.35\00:16:27.38
"Seeing the Signs."
00:16:27.42\00:16:28.72
To receive this free DVD,
00:16:28.75\00:16:30.39
call 800-253-3000
00:16:30.42\00:16:33.15
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:16:33.19\00:16:36.73
Find out for
yourself what the Bible says
00:16:36.76\00:16:38.73
about the signs of
Jesus' soon return.
00:16:38.76\00:16:41.00
Call 800-253-3000
00:16:41.03\00:16:43.70
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:16:43.73\00:16:46.33
¤[music]¤
00:16:46.37\00:16:47.80
[wind howling]
00:16:49.57\00:16:50.34
>>John Bradshaw:
December 21, 2012,
00:16:50.37\00:16:52.47
was when the Maya
calendar was set to expire.
00:16:52.51\00:16:55.54
Many said with the
expiration of this calendar
00:16:55.58\00:16:58.15
would come the end of the world.
00:16:58.18\00:17:01.95
[birds twittering]
00:17:01.98\00:17:03.18
The Maya were
remarkable builders,
00:17:03.22\00:17:05.19
but they did not
predict the end of the world.
00:17:05.22\00:17:07.72
So where can we find
predictions that we can trust?
00:17:07.76\00:17:11.49
Recent reports state
that more and more people
00:17:11.53\00:17:14.60
are embracing witchcraft, tarot
card reading, and astrology.
00:17:14.63\00:17:19.33
People are grabbing on to this,
00:17:19.37\00:17:21.20
even though there's absolutely
no evidence that it's valid,
00:17:21.24\00:17:25.14
and they're rejecting the Bible.
00:17:25.17\00:17:27.48
Now, the Bible isn't
simply a book of predictions.
00:17:27.51\00:17:30.61
It's the story of God's
love for the human family.
00:17:30.65\00:17:33.88
But it's true that the
Bible does contain predictions.
00:17:33.92\00:17:37.45
In fact, God stakes His
reputation on His ability
00:17:37.49\00:17:41.79
to forecast the future.
00:17:41.82\00:17:43.63
"Predictions You Can Trust."
00:17:43.66\00:17:45.56
Watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:17:45.59\00:17:48.40
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:17:49.96\00:17:53.07
Matthew chapter 24 is one of the
landmark chapters of the Bible.
00:17:53.10\00:17:57.71
It's a chapter like no other.
00:17:57.74\00:17:59.57
Well, almost.
00:17:59.61\00:18:01.48
Luke 21 is an alternate account
of this message given by Jesus
00:18:01.51\00:18:05.35
to His disciples,
00:18:05.38\00:18:06.85
very similar information there.
00:18:06.88\00:18:09.12
In Matthew 24, Jesus
said this in verse 12:
00:18:09.15\00:18:13.62
"And because
iniquity shall abound,
00:18:13.66\00:18:16.22
the love of
many shall wax cold."
00:18:16.26\00:18:19.43
Doesn't that sound like
the world in which we live?
00:18:19.46\00:18:22.40
I don't want to be an alarmist,
00:18:22.43\00:18:23.60
but consider a couple of things
that are incontrovertible.
00:18:23.63\00:18:27.37
In recent times there's been an
unmistakable rise of incivility
00:18:27.40\00:18:31.17
in the United States.
00:18:31.21\00:18:33.31
It would be okay if
that's as bad as it got,
00:18:33.34\00:18:35.64
but it gets a whole lot worse.
00:18:35.68\00:18:37.75
There's currently a terrible
plague of mass killings,
00:18:37.78\00:18:41.35
in schools and in nightclubs and
concerts and places of worship
00:18:41.38\00:18:46.82
and places of employment.
00:18:46.86\00:18:49.19
Yes, of course, there's
been violence in the world
00:18:49.22\00:18:51.09
since Cain killed Abel, but
while the rate of violent crime
00:18:51.13\00:18:54.20
is actually down in many
parts of the United States,
00:18:54.20\00:18:57.33
at least since the early 1990s,
00:18:57.37\00:18:59.53
what we're seeing
today is truly unprecedented.
00:18:59.57\00:19:02.10
Back to that idea of
birth pains in verse 8,
00:19:02.14\00:19:04.61
it's not just that
these things happen,
00:19:04.64\00:19:07.08
but that these terrible
events are more frequent
00:19:07.11\00:19:10.05
and, it seems, more intense.
00:19:10.08\00:19:13.18
But notice what
Jesus says in verse 13:
00:19:13.21\00:19:16.42
"But he that shall
endure unto the end,
00:19:16.45\00:19:18.89
the same shall be saved."
00:19:18.92\00:19:21.56
In a discourse where He's
talking about some real hardship
00:19:21.59\00:19:24.33
coming to the world,
00:19:24.36\00:19:25.89
He goes on to speak about
the "abomination of desolation,"
00:19:25.93\00:19:28.90
about "great tribulation, such
as was not since the beginning
00:19:28.93\00:19:32.40
of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be."
00:19:32.43\00:19:36.00
He encourages people to,
to "[endure] to the end."
00:19:36.04\00:19:40.64
Now, that's significant.
00:19:40.68\00:19:42.74
You know, there are many reasons
people fall away from faith
00:19:42.78\00:19:45.18
in God, and so often
those reasons are small.
00:19:45.21\00:19:51.12
Here's what I mean.
00:19:51.15\00:19:52.19
A man falls into sin,
00:19:52.22\00:19:53.39
and, and then he feels as though
God won't accept him back.
00:19:53.42\00:19:56.73
Someone gets tangled up
in something they regret,
00:19:56.76\00:19:58.79
and then they feel so much shame
they don't want to face people
00:19:58.83\00:20:01.83
at church, and
so they stay away.
00:20:01.86\00:20:04.17
Then it becomes
easier to stay away.
00:20:04.20\00:20:05.77
They say, "It'll be okay
because I'll stay close to God."
00:20:05.80\00:20:08.10
But, of course,
that just doesn't happen.
00:20:08.14\00:20:11.37
Discouragement drags a
lot of people away from God.
00:20:11.41\00:20:14.24
Failure does.
00:20:14.28\00:20:17.11
When what we know
is that God is patient,
00:20:17.15\00:20:21.28
kind, loving, and forgiving,
these things ought not so to be.
00:20:21.32\00:20:28.69
We shouldn't let any of
that keep us out of the arms
00:20:28.72\00:20:32.43
of a loving God.
00:20:32.46\00:20:34.20
In Luke 21, it
speaks of persecution,
00:20:34.20\00:20:36.40
but Jesus says that will
turn for you to a testimony.
00:20:36.43\00:20:40.67
God's able to bring something
wonderful out of something
00:20:40.70\00:20:44.14
truly difficult.
00:20:44.17\00:20:46.74
It's what God does.
00:20:46.78\00:20:48.24
If you're facing difficulty
in your life right now,
00:20:48.28\00:20:50.45
I want to
encourage you to endure.
00:20:50.48\00:20:53.15
Hang in there with God.
Things will turn around.
00:20:53.18\00:20:56.02
And God will bring you through.
00:20:56.05\00:20:57.35
It's what He does.
00:20:57.39\00:20:58.79
You don't need to be able to
see the end from the beginning.
00:20:58.82\00:21:01.56
You just need to
believe that God does.
00:21:01.59\00:21:03.63
I hear people talk
about the need for a person
00:21:03.66\00:21:05.69
to be able to
forgive themselves.
00:21:05.73\00:21:08.13
I've never read
that in the Bible.
00:21:08.16\00:21:10.23
We're not told to
forgive ourselves,
00:21:10.27\00:21:12.00
but to trust that God forgives.
00:21:12.03\00:21:15.14
He does.
00:21:15.17\00:21:16.44
And He always will.
00:21:16.47\00:21:18.21
There's a need to endure,
00:21:18.24\00:21:20.01
and if you feel like you don't
have the strength to do that,
00:21:20.04\00:21:22.44
remember what Paul
told the church at Ephesus:
00:21:22.48\00:21:25.18
"Be strong in the Lord and
in the power of His might."
00:21:25.21\00:21:28.15
God is your strength.
00:21:28.18\00:21:29.55
You lean on Him,
and He will sustain you.
00:21:29.58\00:21:32.29
Now, there's more
in Matthew chapter 24.
00:21:32.32\00:21:34.29
Jesus speaks about
signs in the sun and the moon.
00:21:34.32\00:21:38.16
A few years ago, the
BBC ran a story entitled
00:21:38.19\00:21:41.36
"What Caused the Dark Day?"
00:21:41.40\00:21:44.63
Through the years, people
have postulated that maybe
00:21:44.67\00:21:46.67
it was an eclipse, or smoke
from a fire, or a thick cloud.
00:21:46.70\00:21:50.61
But it was none of that.
00:21:50.64\00:21:52.47
It was May 19;
the year was 1780.
00:21:52.51\00:21:56.21
While it was still
morning, darkness descended
00:21:56.24\00:21:59.61
across New England
in the United States.
00:21:59.65\00:22:02.68
Night fell by lunchtime.
00:22:02.72\00:22:05.55
People lit candles.
00:22:05.59\00:22:07.06
Many people began to pray,
00:22:07.09\00:22:08.49
wondering if this
was the end of the world.
00:22:08.52\00:22:11.76
It wasn't.
00:22:11.79\00:22:13.06
But it was a
fulfillment of a prediction
00:22:13.09\00:22:15.86
in Matthew 24, verse 29:
00:22:15.90\00:22:18.73
"Immediately after the
tribulation of those days
00:22:18.77\00:22:21.14
shall the sun be darkened,
00:22:21.17\00:22:22.74
and the moon shall
not give her light,
00:22:22.77\00:22:24.97
and the stars
shall fall from heaven,
00:22:25.01\00:22:27.08
and the powers of the
heavens shall be shaken."
00:22:27.11\00:22:29.58
It's calculated that on
November the 12th in 1833,
00:22:30.25\00:22:32.88
about 30 meteors
were seen a second.
00:22:32.91\00:22:36.05
About 150,000 of them, in all,
00:22:36.08\00:22:38.55
seen across much
of the United States.
00:22:38.59\00:22:40.92
Now, at that time, the Second
Great Awakening was underway,
00:22:40.96\00:22:44.59
a major religious revival,
00:22:44.63\00:22:46.19
so you can see
what God was doing.
00:22:46.23\00:22:48.00
The Pittsburgh Gazette wrote,
00:22:48.03\00:22:49.93
"Some say it looked as if
the heavens were pouring down
00:22:49.96\00:22:52.77
showers of fire--
00:22:52.80\00:22:54.60
others, that it resembled
the falling of brilliant
00:22:54.64\00:22:56.84
and burning snow--
00:22:56.87\00:22:58.17
not an occasional
spit here and there,
00:22:58.21\00:23:01.64
but as it would look
in a storm--save only,
00:23:01.68\00:23:04.11
that the flakes flew in an
opposite direction to the wind."
00:23:04.15\00:23:07.98
God was trying to
get people's attention.
00:23:08.98\00:23:11.72
The signs of Matthew
24 were being fulfilled.
00:23:11.75\00:23:15.02
It was time that people made
sure they were right with God
00:23:15.06\00:23:19.03
because, broadly speaking,
00:23:19.06\00:23:20.60
humanity was
entering its final days.
00:23:20.63\00:23:25.23
Jesus said in verse 33:
00:23:25.27\00:23:27.47
"When you see all these things,
00:23:27.50\00:23:28.77
know that it is
near-- at the doors!"
00:23:28.80\00:23:33.01
Later in the chapter, He
said that the day of His return
00:23:33.04\00:23:35.28
will be like it was
in the days of Noah.
00:23:35.31\00:23:37.81
In Noah's day, the whole world
was invited to get on the ark
00:23:37.85\00:23:41.65
and be saved, but in that
time of amazing wickedness,
00:23:41.68\00:23:46.15
only eight people
accepted the invitation.
00:23:46.19\00:23:49.86
Jesus spoke of a time when
two women would be at the mill,
00:23:49.89\00:23:52.33
two men in a
field, and He said that
00:23:52.36\00:23:54.56
one would be saved
while the other would be lost.
00:23:54.56\00:23:57.43
You know that message is clear.
00:23:57.47\00:23:58.93
People with
similar opportunities,
00:23:58.97\00:24:01.74
and yet one is
saved, and one is lost.
00:24:01.77\00:24:06.41
Matthew chapter
24 touches on a lot,
00:24:06.44\00:24:08.48
but the entire chapter is given
to encourage us to be ready
00:24:08.51\00:24:12.01
to meet Jesus, to be
ready for His return,
00:24:12.05\00:24:14.55
to be ready for eternity.
00:24:14.58\00:24:17.55
So let me ask you:
00:24:17.59\00:24:20.16
Are you ready?
00:24:20.19\00:24:21.72
If you are,
that's wonderful news.
00:24:21.76\00:24:25.03
If you're not, I have
some wonderful news for you.
00:24:25.06\00:24:29.70
You're watching this right now
00:24:29.73\00:24:32.07
because that has
been ordained by God.
00:24:32.10\00:24:36.00
And I'm going to
invite you to be ready now.
00:24:36.04\00:24:38.91
"Ready" means you've
handed your heart over to God.
00:24:38.94\00:24:42.01
It doesn't mean that
you've fixed all your problems.
00:24:42.04\00:24:44.18
It means that you've
invited Jesus into your heart,
00:24:44.21\00:24:46.51
that you've
accepted Him as Savior,
00:24:46.55\00:24:49.05
that you believe He
accepts you, because He does.
00:24:49.08\00:24:52.35
And now you live with
confidence that He's with you,
00:24:52.39\00:24:54.76
and He's growing you, and that
He's coming back to this world
00:24:54.79\00:24:57.63
for you one day soon to
take you to be with Him forever.
00:24:57.66\00:25:02.76
In verse 42, Jesus says:
00:25:02.80\00:25:06.37
"Watch therefore,
00:25:06.40\00:25:07.97
for you do not know what
hour your Lord is coming."
00:25:08.00\00:25:11.27
We can't know
exactly when it is,
00:25:12.11\00:25:14.31
but we can know
His coming is near.
00:25:14.34\00:25:15.84
So Jesus says, "Watch. Be
ready. Watch. Don't delay."
00:25:15.88\00:25:20.12
This whole chapter is given
00:25:20.15\00:25:21.42
so we should not
be casual about faith.
00:25:21.45\00:25:24.52
We ought to take it
seriously enough to accept Jesus
00:25:24.55\00:25:27.29
into our lives right now.
00:25:27.32\00:25:29.09
¤[soft music]¤
00:25:29.12\00:25:29.99
Friend, how's that
working out for you?
00:25:30.03\00:25:31.93
An entire chapter letting
you know that sign after sign
00:25:31.96\00:25:35.40
after sign after
sign has been fulfilled,
00:25:35.43\00:25:40.74
and that Jesus is
coming back for you soon.
00:25:40.77\00:25:45.07
I have one more verse
for you, Matthew 24:14.
00:25:45.11\00:25:48.74
"And this gospel of the
kingdom will be preached
00:25:48.78\00:25:51.41
in all the world as a
witness to all...nations,
00:25:51.45\00:25:55.52
and then the end will come."
00:25:55.55\00:25:58.12
The gospel hasn't yet
gone to everyone everywhere,
00:25:58.15\00:26:02.49
but we're getting close.
00:26:02.52\00:26:04.23
We're close. Matthew 24
says we're getting close.
00:26:04.26\00:26:08.70
So watch, pray,
invite Jesus into your heart,
00:26:08.73\00:26:13.87
believe that He is
your Lord and your Savior,
00:26:13.90\00:26:16.30
and when you do,
00:26:16.34\00:26:17.91
you can know for sure
that eternal life is yours.
00:26:17.94\00:26:24.91
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:26.58\00:26:28.62
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:28.65\00:26:31.82
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:31.85\00:26:35.16
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:35.19\00:26:39.49
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:39.53\00:26:40.93
to the address on your screen,
00:26:40.96\00:26:42.23
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:42.26\00:26:46.17
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:46.20\00:26:48.97
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:49.00\00:26:53.14
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:53.17\00:26:56.18
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:57.18\00:26:58.85
Our Father in heaven,
thank You for showing us
00:26:58.88\00:27:00.58
in Matthew 24 that
Jesus' return is not far off.
00:27:00.62\00:27:04.12
Thank You for the signs,
00:27:04.15\00:27:05.29
so many of which we can
see have been fulfilled.
00:27:05.32\00:27:09.42
We know that He is
near, even at the doors,
00:27:09.46\00:27:11.76
and so, Lord, take our
hearts; make them Yours.
00:27:11.79\00:27:15.36
Friend, will you surrender
your heart to Jesus now?
00:27:15.40\00:27:17.93
If you wouldn't,
why wouldn't you?
00:27:17.97\00:27:19.63
What are you waiting for?
00:27:19.67\00:27:21.74
Jesus offers you everlasting
life, and if you would say,
00:27:21.77\00:27:24.14
"Yes, I accept that now.
00:27:24.17\00:27:26.14
Lord, come into my
heart, into my life; change me;
00:27:26.17\00:27:28.54
make me Yours; forgive me;
00:27:28.58\00:27:29.74
I believe I'm forgiven, and
now I have confidence in You,"
00:27:29.78\00:27:33.82
this will change your life...
00:27:33.85\00:27:36.52
and bring into your
life everlasting life.
00:27:36.55\00:27:39.55
Lord, we believe
that time is short.
00:27:39.59\00:27:43.02
So take our
hearts; make them Yours.
00:27:43.06\00:27:46.56
We believe it, in Jesus' name.
00:27:46.59\00:27:50.03
Amen.
00:27:50.07\00:27:51.30
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:51.33\00:27:52.53
Looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:52.57\00:27:54.24
Until then, remember:
00:27:54.27\00:27:56.24
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:56.27\00:27:59.37
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:59.41\00:28:04.15
¤[theme music]¤
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