Participants:
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR001848A
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00:02 People have set dates for the return of Christ.
00:05 So far, all have embarrassingly failed. 00:09 But is there some way 00:11 we can tell when Christ will return. 00:14 Could Christ return in our day? 00:17 And are there signs 00:18 that point to this tremendous event. 00:21 What will happen when and if He returns soon? 00:30 Welcome back. 00:31 Today, we're talking about, 00:33 could Christ return in our day? 00:37 Could His coming be near? 00:40 What do the Bible prophecy say? 00:42 Now, we're going to have a little summary 00:43 of the first program we had, 00:45 which was on the same subject. 00:47 This is just a little summary to bring you up-to-date. 00:49 We do not know the day or the hour of Christ's return. 00:54 So it's foolish to set dates, 00:57 but we can tell when His return is near. 01:01 His coming is certain. 01:04 He doesn't return as a little baby, 01:06 He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. 01:09 He returns to save His people, 01:14 the people who surrendered their lives to Him, 01:17 and who've been saved 01:19 by His death 01:20 on the cross. 01:23 He returns to execute judgment 01:25 on the rejecters of the gospel. 01:28 The Bible talks about 01:30 this tremendous, 01:32 tremendous firestorm 01:35 that accompanies Him. 01:37 And while God's people are saved from the holocaust, 01:43 the wicked are destroyed. 01:45 But the Bible teaches, 01:46 there's hope for every lost soul 01:48 who comes to Christ. 01:50 So it doesn't matter who you are, 01:53 it doesn't matter what you've done in the past, 01:56 there's hope for every person. 01:59 Jesus Himself said the words, "For God so loved the world 02:04 that He gave His only Son, 02:06 so that whoever believes in Him," 02:07 you've got to believe. 02:09 It's a terrible idea going around in some circles 02:12 that people will say, "Well, everybody's 02:14 just going to be saved. 02:16 Everybody's going to be saved whether they believe or not." 02:18 No, no, no, that's a perversion of the gospel. 02:22 The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, 02:24 He gave His only Son, 02:25 so that whoever believes in Him." 02:30 And this belief includes a complete reliance on Him, 02:35 and a surrender to Him. 02:37 So the message is trusting Christ now. 02:42 Listen, although we cannot know the day or the hour, 02:45 we can know when His return is near. 02:50 And I want to share a text with you. 02:52 I want you to come in your Bibles 02:53 to Matthew 24:32, 33, 02:57 Matthew 24:32 03:01 I think, 03:02 32 and 33. 03:06 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: 03:11 When its branch has already become tender 03:13 and puts forth leaves, 03:15 you know that summer is near. 03:18 So you also, when you see," and notice these words, 03:21 "all these things... 03:23 When you see all these things, 03:25 know that it is near," the coming of Christ. 03:29 So you can't know the day or the hour, my friend, 03:33 but Jesus said, "When you see all these things, 03:36 these great prophecies being fulfilled, 03:39 you can tell that it is near. 03:45 We're starting a winter here in Thousand Oaks. 03:48 But in a few months, 03:50 the leaves will come out again 03:52 because summer's coming, there are signs. 03:55 Right now, 03:56 I want to share with you seven great signs 03:59 concerning the return of Christ. 04:02 And the first one is this, 04:03 if you're taking notes, you can write it down. 04:05 Number one, 04:06 great wars. 04:08 Matthew 24:7, then Revelation 11:18, 04:13 Jesus said, "For nation will rise against nation, 04:17 kingdom against kingdom. 04:19 There will be famines," try to remember this, 04:22 "famines, pestilences, 04:24 and earthquakes in various places." 04:28 And then in Revelation, 04:29 it says these words, the Book of Revelation, 04:32 "The nations were angry, 04:34 and Your wrath has come, 04:37 time of the dead, that they should be judged, 04:40 and that you should reward Your servants, the prophets, 04:43 and the saints, 04:44 those who fear Your name, small and great." 04:48 Look at these words, 04:50 just look at them. 04:52 "And should destroy those," 04:54 what does it say? 04:56 The Bible says, 05:00 "Christ will destroy those who destroy the earth." 05:04 In other words, Christ will return 05:07 when the nations are fighting each other 05:11 and are destroying the earth. 05:16 We've only had that capacity in recent years. 05:20 Sign number two, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. 05:24 We read about it, Matthew 24:7, 05:28 and then it tells us in Revelation 16:8, 05:32 that the sun will have tremendous power 05:36 to scorch men with great heat. 05:38 This is tied in with global warming. 05:41 Famines, pestilences, 05:44 tremendous earthquakes, 05:45 and then the Bible says, 05:47 "These will happen on a greater intensity." 05:51 Matthew 24:8 says these words, 05:56 "All these are the beginning of sorrows." 06:01 And in the Greek language, 06:03 in which this Bible is written, the New Testament, 06:07 the beginning of sorrows 06:10 is a reference to the birth pangs 06:13 that a mother goes through before the baby is born. 06:17 Every mother knows that the pain gets more intense 06:20 and closer and closer. 06:24 And so the wars will get closer, more intense, 06:28 more famines, more earthquakes, more pestilences, 06:32 it says in another part of the Bible, 06:35 "The sun will be scorching men with tremendous heat." 06:39 Many people say, 06:40 "We are seeing the commencement of this." 06:44 Sign number three, the great tribulation. 06:48 You have to listen carefully to this one. 06:53 The Bible says, 06:54 one of the great signs before Christ returns 06:58 is a tremendous tribulation that takes over the earth, 07:03 a terrific time of trouble. 07:07 Now my evangelical friends, 07:10 hopefully, will be kind to me 07:13 because I'm going to disagree with them. 07:16 But they're charitable people. 07:19 Most of my evangelical friends teach the coming of Christ. 07:24 And after the coming of Christ, 07:26 this terrible time of trouble when the antichrist rules. 07:33 I wish it were so. 07:35 I heard a great preacher on TV say, 07:37 "We're not going to see it, 07:38 we're going to be raptured home to glory." 07:40 Now I would like to believe that 07:44 because that sort of appeals to me. 07:49 But I don't believe it 07:50 because I don't believe it's taught in the Bible. 07:53 Let me give you some texts on this, if I may. 07:56 Matthew 24:21, 07:58 and then we'll read some more. 08:02 Jesus said, "Then there will be great tribulation, 08:05 such as has not been 08:07 since the beginning of the world 08:09 until this time, 08:11 nor ever shall be. 08:12 And unless those days were shortened, 08:15 no flesh would be saved, 08:16 but for the elect's sake," 08:20 that's God's people, "those days will be shortened." 08:23 My question is this. 08:25 If the elect are home in glory, who cares? 08:31 I'd like to be home in glory too. 08:34 But Jesus said, 08:35 "There's going to come this massive, 08:37 this tremendous tribulation." 08:41 And Jesus said, 08:43 "If those days were not shortened, 08:45 even the elect could not stand it." 08:47 So the elect, I would suggest you, 08:50 are not in glory, but are still on this earth. 08:54 Now verse 22, 29, 30, and 31. 08:57 I want you to notice this. 08:59 Think about this, 09:01 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days," 09:04 hey, 09:06 "the sun will be darkened, 09:08 and the moon will not give its light, 09:10 the stars will fall from heaven, 09:12 and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." 09:16 So after this tribulation, 09:19 after this great time of trouble... 09:20 Are you listening to me? 09:22 Now Jesus said, after this great tribulation, 09:25 after this great time of trouble, 09:27 you know, He says, 09:29 "Then the sign of the Son of Man 09:31 will appear in heaven," 09:32 after the tribulation, 09:34 "then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, 09:36 and they will see the Son of Man 09:39 coming on the clouds of heaven 09:40 with power and great glory." 09:42 That's the second coming. 09:45 "He will send His angels 09:46 with a great sound of a trumpet, 09:48 and they will gather together." 09:50 Notice it again. 09:51 "His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven 09:55 to the other." 09:58 I find that pretty hard to explain away. 10:02 So I say to my evangelical friends, 10:04 please, just give me a little slack here. 10:09 I don't believe in this common idea 10:11 that the rapture takes place, and then the antichrist comes, 10:14 and the great tribulation as I tell you, 10:17 I heard this great preacher, he said, 10:19 "You can tell us who believe this 10:21 because we're all always happy." 10:26 We're going to go home to glory, 10:27 we're not going to see it. 10:30 But Jesus said, 10:32 "The elect are going to be there in the midst of it." 10:35 And then Jesus said, 10:37 "After this terrible tribulation, 10:39 this terrible time to trouble," 10:41 Jesus said, "They're going to see the Son of Man 10:44 coming in the clouds of heaven 10:46 with power and great glory." 10:49 Now listen to me. 10:52 On the basis of these passages from Jesus 10:54 and other texts as well, 10:57 I believe that this great tribulation 11:01 takes place before the return of Christ 11:05 and is tied up with the antichrist. 11:09 I believe it's tied up with the famines, 11:11 and the pestilences, and the world wars, 11:15 and the nation's destroying the earth. 11:17 People say, "Well, God's not going to dwell on it." 11:23 It says, when Jesus comes, it says this in Revelation, 11:27 "The nations are destroying the earth." 11:31 So I put it to you. 11:34 I believe from scripture, 11:37 one of the great signs of the end 11:39 is the coming of the antichrist, 11:41 and this tremendous time of trouble, 11:45 this tribulation. 11:48 Now, it seems to me that we are seeing 11:52 the start of this great tribulation. 11:55 It seems to me 11:57 that the prophecies are being filled, 12:00 and this great tribulation is coming on a pace. 12:05 I believe 12:06 as people say around the world, what's happening? 12:08 What's going on with the earth? 12:10 Everything is insecure. 12:13 The nations are angry, 12:16 they're about to destroy the earth. 12:19 I would suggest to you, 12:22 this is a sign of the coming of Christ. 12:25 Another great sign is the abomination of desolation. 12:29 What does that mean? 12:30 Jesus said in Matthew 24 12:34 that the abomination of desolation 12:37 would stand in a holy place. 12:40 Now, this is a term that refers to the antichrist. 12:46 And then if you come to 2 Thessalonians. 12:49 Please be patient with me here. 12:51 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4, it says, 12:55 "Let no one deceive you by any means." 12:57 Watch out for spiritual frauds. 13:01 "But that day will not come 13:02 unless the falling away comes first," 13:04 falling away from the truth, 13:06 "and the man of sin," the antichrist, "is revealed, 13:09 the son of perdition, 13:10 who opposes and exalts himself 13:13 above all that is called God or that is worshiped, 13:15 so that he sits as God 13:17 in the temple of God, 13:19 showing himself that he is God." 13:23 And if you read the first verses 13:25 of 2 Thessalonians 13:28 Chapter 2, 13:30 it says this takes place before the coming of Christ. 13:35 Now, listen to me. 13:37 I know this is pretty solid stuff. 13:42 So signs, wars, famines, pestilences, 13:48 the nation's destroying the earth, 13:52 and then there comes 13:53 this tremendous time of trouble, 13:56 this tremendous time of trouble, 13:59 brought about by the nations. 14:01 Something has happened, 14:02 and the sun, Revelation 16 says, 14:04 is scorching men and women with great heat. 14:07 Isn't it amazing? 14:09 In spite of all the overwhelming evidence 14:12 that people still deny climate change. 14:17 It's incredible. 14:19 Virtually every scientist in the world. 14:23 The only people who denied are people 14:25 who've got an interest in polluting the earth, 14:28 a financial interest. 14:30 They're the people who are teaching it 14:32 because they want to be the polluters. 14:36 But the Bible says, 14:38 "Sun becomes hotter and hotter and hotter." 14:42 Then it says, 14:45 "The great antichrist appears, 14:47 and the antichrist, the abomination of desolation, 14:50 he sits in the temple of God in the church." 14:54 That's the last place you'd expect him to be. 14:58 And the vast majority of Christians 15:01 and people who believe in God are going to be deceived. 15:04 You know why? 15:05 Because they do not follow the scriptures. 15:08 They're being brainwashed by religious charlatans, 15:13 and by tricksters, and by frauds. 15:17 They're being brainwashed. 15:19 It's the truth. 15:23 With the coming of spiritual deception, 15:26 it is a sign. 15:28 Sign number five, the gospel to the world. 15:31 Matthew 24:14, 15:35 the words of Jesus, 15:38 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached 15:41 in all the world as a witness to all the nations, 15:45 and then the end will come." 15:47 The truth is, you can't stop the preaching of the gospel. 15:53 People can connive, they can cheat, they can lie, 15:57 they can steal, they can tell, 16:00 they can do every evil deeds, 16:02 they can work to stop the preaching of the gospel 16:05 but the truth is, 16:06 the gospel is going to be preached. 16:09 In Communist China, 16:12 where they are now possibly more devout Christians 16:15 than any other place in the world 16:17 including United States of America. 16:20 People say, "It couldn't happen with the communist." 16:22 Well, it's happening. 16:24 You know why? 16:26 Because God is behind it, that is why. 16:29 Then the Bible says, "There'll be false christs 16:32 and false prophets showing signs and wonders." 16:36 Matthew 24:24, 16:40 "False Christs," charlatans, 16:42 "false prophets," talking nice things, 16:45 the charlatan, "will rise and show great signs 16:48 and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." 16:51 Therefore the elect are on the earth. 16:54 Oh, no, but the elect are home in glory... 16:56 No, no, no, the elect are on the earth. 17:00 They're fighting the antichrist. 17:03 They're fighting the false prophets. 17:07 And most people who take the name of God 17:09 are sitting ducks. 17:14 So easily brainwashed 17:17 because they've lost the capacity 17:19 to think for themselves. 17:20 I charge you today to think for yourself, 17:25 not to follow a religious hierarchy 17:28 or some charismatic political figure, 17:32 but to think for yourself, 17:35 you see? 17:37 False Christ, 17:38 Revelation 16:13-15, we won't turn it up, 17:41 but you can write it down if you're taking notes. 17:43 It talks about spiritism that takes over the world, 17:47 where the whole world becomes demon possessed. 17:52 Sign number seven, the carcass and the eagles. 17:57 Jesus said, 17:58 "The whole earth would become a stinking carcass." 18:04 Matthew 24:28. 18:07 People say, "What on earth does this text mean?" 18:09 "For wherever the carcass is, 18:11 there the eagles will be gathered together." 18:14 Just as the Old City of Jerusalem in 70 AD 18:18 became a stinking cesspool of every sin. 18:23 And the Roman soldiers came with the eagle emblazed 18:27 on their banners. 18:31 So the earth becomes a cesspool, 18:37 ripe for judgment. 18:40 Cities are all broken down. 18:42 Let me tell you this. 18:44 You're listening to me? 18:45 There's no security in this world. 18:49 There's no security in politics, my friends. 18:53 There's no security in false preachers. 18:58 There's no security in con artists, 19:01 who are very good at brainwashing 19:03 the totally gullible. 19:07 There's security in Christ. 19:09 That's why I say to people, 19:11 "Read your Bible everyday." 19:13 Therefore 19:15 we believe 19:16 that the coming on the basis of these tremendous prophecies, 19:20 we believe. 19:22 Listen, we believe 19:24 that His coming is near even at the doors. 19:29 We're not saying the day or the hour, 19:32 but we believe His coming is near. 19:35 If we believe this, I think we would live 19:38 and act differently to the way 19:41 we live and act today. 19:45 But one thing is certain, 19:47 His coming is no farther removed than my death or yours. 19:51 You and I could die at any moment. 19:56 For me, 19:58 my death would be the second coming. 20:01 Because I would fall asleep, 20:04 and a moment later, 20:05 I would see Christ coming. 20:08 Some people say, 20:10 "No, His coming is a million years off." 20:12 It's as close as your death. 20:15 That could be today, 20:17 it could be during this meeting, 20:20 it could be while 20:21 you are watching the telecast. 20:26 We're no farther removed from death than this thickness. 20:30 Look at it. 20:32 You know what that is? 20:34 That's the thickness of the wall of your artery, 20:40 this thick. 20:44 In the Book of Philippians, 20:47 Paul said 20:48 that he wanted to depart and be with Christ, 20:52 which was a great idea. 20:54 No doubt about it, to depart and be with Christ 20:56 because Paul realized 20:59 he would fall asleep, 21:02 completely oblivious, 21:04 and then the next thing he would know, 21:06 what would it be? 21:08 Christ. 21:10 Depart and be with Christ. 21:13 That's in my personal reality, 21:16 His coming is no farther removed 21:19 than my personal demise. 21:24 Then why are people so indifferent 21:27 to Christ and His truth? 21:31 My heart 21:33 is beating a beat 21:38 that says 21:39 Christ is coming. 21:43 Great text. 21:45 Matthew 24:44, 21:47 I want you to notice it. 21:48 Matthew 24:44, 21:50 therefore, in view of all of these things, 21:53 in view of all of these things, 21:55 "Therefore be also ready, 21:58 for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." 22:02 Be ready. 22:04 That's the message of scripture. Be ready. 22:08 Be ready today. 22:10 Be ready now, 22:13 and don't think that pious religiosity 22:15 is going to save anybody. 22:18 You know, the story of the miner, 22:20 went along to church. 22:23 The preacher preached his heart out, 22:25 the miner was not committed. 22:28 You see, you're not saved until you accept and believe. 22:32 Some people have this terrible idea 22:34 that everybody is saved until they reject. 22:37 That's nonsense. 22:39 That's the devil's lie. 22:42 And there're lots of people who go to church 22:43 believe that devil's lie. 22:47 But you're saved when you accept and believe. 22:53 When the pastor was closing up the church, 22:55 he said, "I can't go home." 22:56 Why can't you go home? 22:58 He said, "I need... 22:59 I can't go home until I settle it. 23:01 Tonight, 23:02 I've got to settle it." 23:05 So the pastor and he got down on their knees, 23:08 and he led the man to Christ. 23:09 There are steps you take. 23:12 You repent of your sin, 23:14 you believe in the cross of Christ 23:16 that Christ died for you. 23:17 It's easy. 23:19 Anybody can be saved. 23:22 It is not a quick fix. 23:26 So he gave his life to Christ. 23:27 The next day he went down the mine, 23:29 there was a tremendous explosion. 23:31 They brought him up out of the mine. 23:33 His wife rushed to him, 23:35 she heard the words 23:37 coming from his lips, 23:39 "I'm glad I settled it last night. 23:42 I'm glad I settled it last night." 23:44 You'll be glad too if you settle it now. 23:48 What are you going to tell God 23:52 if you don't settle it? 23:55 What are you going to tell Him? 23:57 I never had an opportunity. 23:58 You've had it, 23:59 had it now. 24:03 Just very recently, 24:04 we had terrible fires in Thousand Oaks. 24:10 We saw the fire coming up 24:12 at the back of our place, over the mountain. 24:14 We thought, 24:16 it's going to happen again. 24:17 So we went home and packed 24:19 as much as we could, 24:22 and then 24:26 the tank is arrived overhead. 24:29 The big tankers, 24:31 the DC-10, the MD-80s, the Hercules, 24:36 we had deliverance from the heavens. 24:40 Now listen, they were like angels. 24:43 The day is going to come when things are going to get 24:45 so bad in this world. 24:47 People are going to say, "There's no hope for us." 24:50 But those who trust in Christ are going to look up 24:52 and rejoice 24:54 because 24:56 the angels are going to come 24:59 with Christ. 25:01 There will be deliverance 25:04 from the heavens. 25:05 But I want to say to you, 25:07 the deliverance is for those 25:09 who put their faith in Christ now. 25:14 Don't put it off, 25:15 you could die 25:18 today. 25:20 And when Christ returns, my friend, 25:25 when Christ returns in all His glory, 25:30 with all His angels, 25:35 that's when the good time start. 25:39 You hear this? 25:41 No more pain, 25:43 no more tears, 25:45 no more sorrows, 25:47 no more 25:49 broken hearts, 25:52 no more stillbirths, 25:54 none of those things. 25:58 And therefore, 26:01 we should take today to our hearts 26:04 the great text. 26:07 "For God so loved the world, 26:10 that He gave His only Son, 26:13 so that whoever believes in Him, 26:17 shall not perish, 26:20 but have everlasting life." 26:22 Amen. 26:27 There's only one thing 26:28 that really counts in this lifetime, 26:31 your relationship to Christ. 26:33 And then if you have a right relationship with Christ, 26:37 you want to tell people about Christ. 26:40 That's why Jesus said, "Go into all the world, 26:42 and preach the gospel to every creature." 26:46 By the grace of God, we're going to do that, 26:49 we are doing that. 26:51 That is why we're going back to Cuba, 26:54 to this communist land, to preach Christ. 26:58 We're accepting an invitation to go to the vast, 27:02 huge city of Manila, 27:05 the capital of the Philippines. 27:06 I've been there before, 27:08 but by the grace of God, 27:10 we're going back. 27:11 Please support us. 27:13 Please stand with us 27:16 in the preaching of the everlasting gospel. 27:19 You say, "How do you do it? 27:20 Who pays the bills?" 27:22 We do. 27:23 "Do you get any help, 27:25 financial help from the church?" 27:26 No, my friend, we don't. 27:28 But we get a lot of help from God and from His children. 27:32 Please support us in the preaching 27:35 of the everlasting gospel. 27:37 It's the most important work in all the world. 27:40 Everything else is almost trivia. 27:43 So would you please write to me? 27:47 John Carter, P.O. Box 27:49 1900, Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 27:55 Do your best for Jesus. 27:57 Do your best for the gospel. 28:00 And in Australia, write to me at Terrigal, 28:03 and we promise you this. 28:06 Every dime, every dollar is going to be used 28:10 to win souls to our Lord Jesus Christ. 28:13 Please write to me today. 28:18 Thank you, and God bless you. 28:29 For a copy of today's program, 28:31 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 28:34 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 28:38 Or in Australia, 28:40 contact us at P.O. Box 861, 28:44 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 28:48 This program is made possible 28:50 through the generous support of viewers like you. 28:53 We thank you for your continued support. 28:56 May God richly bless you. |
Revised 2019-02-25