The Ever Ready Disciples | Elder Peng Hoe

You're listening to a message to go from acts church.

We hope this message will light up your tea.

Let's go Matthew chapter twenty four. I'm gonna read verses

one to thirty one, and then I'll expand it. Okay,

I'll expand it after that, but let's go. What does

the Bible have to say about the last days? Okay,

this is what the Bible is to say. Jesus speaks

about the future. I'm reading from the NLT and that

is what is entitled. At the start of Matthew chapter

twenty four, as Jesus was leaving the temple grounds and

I don't know.

Okay, great, you have the scriptures, his.

Disciples pointed out to him the various temple buildings. But

he responded, do you see all these buildings. I tell

you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one

stone will be left on top of the other. Later,

Jesus said, on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came

to him privately and say, tell us, when will all

this happen? What sign will signal your return and the

end of the world. You see the disciples back then

also quite capola. They really wanted to know because Jesus

was talking. Okay, sorry for those who don't know what

pole is. They really wanted to know. They were very curious.

They were overly curious, okay, and so they wanted to

know avans the end of the world Jesus, and Jesus

actually told them, don't let anyone mislead you, for many

will come in my name claiming I am the Messiah.

They will deceive many, and you will hear of wars

and threads of wars. But don't panic. Yes, these things

must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation

will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of

the world. But all this is only the first of

the birth pains, with more to come. Wow Wow Dana.

Verse nine. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed.

You will be hated all over the world because you

are my followers, and many will turn away away from

me and betray and hate each other. And many false

prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Seeing will

be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.

But the one who endures to the end will be safe,

and the good news about the kingdom will be pretty

throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it,

and the end will come Amen, Verse fifteen. The day

is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophets

spoke about the sacriligious object that causes desetration standing in

the holy place.

Okay, you're like, why in the world is this? I

will explain it.

Okay, Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.

A person out on the deck of a roof must

not go down into the house to peck. A person

out in the field must not return even to get

a court. How terrible it will be for pregnant women

and for nursing mothers in those days. And pray that

your flight will not be in winter or on the sabbath,

for there will be greater anguish than at any time

since the world begin, and it will never be so

great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened,

not a single person will survive. But it will be

shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones.

Hallelujah, Praise God. It will be shot.

Then, if anyone tells you look here, is the Messiah

or there he is. Don't believe it, for false messiahs

and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs

and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's

chosen ones.

See I have warn you about this ahead of time.

So if someone tells you, look, the Messiah is out

in the desert, don't bother to go and look, or

look he is hiding here.

Don't believe it.

For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines

to the west, so it will be when the Sun

of Man comes, just as the gathering of vultures show

there is a caucas nearby. So these signs indicate that

the end is near. Immediately after the anguish of those

days will be darkened, the moon will give no light,

the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers

in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last

the sign that the Sun of Men is coming will

appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning

among all the peoples of the earth. And they will

see the Sun of Men coming on the clouds of

heaven with power and great glory, and he will send

out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet,

and they will gather his chosen ones from all over

the world, from the furthest ends of the earth and heaven.

The Lord bless the reading of his word. How many

of your read this and you go to bed sleeping happy.

It's strong, it's strong, okay, But do you know thise

the future of the world is more frequently predicted than

any other Biblical prophecies if you study and sorry, sorry

my pronunciation not very clear, is I hope? I? But seriously, yes,

stay passes Sena twice say something really bad. I told

her no, no, no, I did it. It's the mouth there.

But there's so many prophecies in the Bible that is

preparing us for what is to come. And of course

we know the Bible is full of prophecies. Maybe if

someone countered, I think some people have counted it. They're

looking at seven six to seven hundred prophecies throughout the

entire Bible, and almost eighty percent of those prophecies that

you've seen. Because the Bible is not written at one

point of time's written in the span of about a thousand,

four hundred years. It's a compilation or a compendium of books.

It's a library of books, and they have actually seen

things that were prophesied earlier and then it came to pass.

So if you want to think of the Bible as

the truth, you can because of the fact that it

has proven itself to be the truth. And that's why

I'm confident that whatever it has spoken to us or

told us about what to expect in the future, we

can anticipate.

For it to happen. Amen.

And so there are hundreds of references to Jesus' written

Sometimes how we're going to fit them in together? It's

like putting a jigsaw puzzle. Okay, it's like putting a

jigsaw puzzle together. Usually when it comes to the end

of the world, we always ask this question, what is

the world coming to?

Right?

You always think of doomsday, then you think of zombies,

or then you think you know, we always think about

what is the world coming to? Our global warming? Everything

is going Hey, why you're flooding is going to take place?

Not all the armageddon kind of shows is like a

meteor is going to hit the earth.

You know, That's how we usually think.

By Actually, the right question that we should be asking

is not so much what is the world coming to?

Is actually who is coming to the world. That's the

question that we have to ask as us who have

the scriptures. In fact, all of us have the scriptures

every human being is, whether we choose to read it

or not.

So in theory we think about it.

Jesus' writturn is so central to the Christian faith. You

pick up any Christian creed, where there's the Apostles creed,

the Nicene creed, whatever creator, all of it has got

a line that says that we are looking forward to

the return of Christ. In practice, this truth has been

neglected in theory. Is there In practice we celebrate Christmas hallelujah.

We love it.

I'm not asking you not to celebrate Christmas, but we

probably love his first coming more than we actually look

forward to his second coming. That's the reality of it,

because the past and the present is more important than

the future.

Again, we're all humans.

But I think it's important for us to make some

sense of his return. Don't just let it be wishful thinking.

You know, sometimes we always like when go and get stuff,

Jesus come back soon past, take me away. Know, we

will speak like that. That's wishful thinking. It should not

be wishful thinking. It should be a confident hope. But

how many of you confidently hope for all those things

that spell out jesus impending return. I know it's not easy,

but let's make sense of it. Let's make sense of it. Okay,

everyone seeing me. First thing we need to ask, and

we need to ask and answer certain questions. First thing,

of course, is who is coming? And of course we

know who is coming. Of course we're okay about Jesus, right,

but how will he come? And hour explain it? Okay,

our explain all these questions. The next question to ask

is where will he be returning?

To?

Good question to usk. The next question you should ask

is how will the return look like? How will it

look like?

Of use? I need to know.

And then, of course, the next one that we always

ask is when really take place?

All of us want to know when? When? When? When?

God, That's when I'll get my act right. Okay, let's

let's go into some of these questions. Let's tell you who.

Everyone say, Okay, stay with me, stay me.

I can promise you, but I hope to leave him

more encouraged than you are feeling like the end of

the world another doomsday creature with the floriku and okay,

a scripture who it has to be emphasized that the

divine Christ and the human Jesus are one and the same. Okay,

I have to start off by stating that, because sometimes

we get it a little bit mixed up, or Trinity

or Jesus when they come.

Well, the truth is, Jesus became human, right, he became human.

That's why when Quantin referred to Philippians Chapter two, what

did he do? Essentially, if you read the scriptures, he

emptied himself off his divinity. It's like he he chose

to empty himself, is deviated. He came to this world

and he took on a form of a human baby.

And we know that his resurrected body is the same

body that will remain with him for eternity.

That means from.

Whenever he came moving forward, Jesus will always retain his humanity.

He will always be in his body form. So think

about it. Is actually a perfect human being who is

now in control of the whole universe. Because we know Jesus,

he is the king of this world, and so we

have entrusted our hope of the future to a perfect

not just a human being. But of course we cannot

take away the fact that he's divine as well, because

remember this, Jesus was not always in human form.

He was not always called Jesus.

Okay, if you think about it, that was a name

that he acquired when he took on the body form.

And he is the only person to have ever chose

to be born. I don't think any of you have

chosen to be born, but he, because of his divine being,

chose to be born. He was the eternal son of God,

the Lord of Glory, the Word, and he was a

divine being before he was a human being. So we

must acknowledge Jesus as both divine and human, both son

of God and son of men. I know, not easy,

but yet actually quite easy. Because he actually walked with

those disciples two thousand years ago, they saw him. We

have enough eyewitness evidence to tell us that there was

a man named Jesus who look human but definitely did

things which are not human. And of course the scriptures

continue to tell us that he in the beginning was

the word that means. The scriptures refers Jesus back not

just to the time in.

Which he walked this earth.

It refers Jesus back all the way to Okay again,

time is not subject to God in a way.

Is that right?

God is not subject to No, sorry, God is not

subject to time. Time is subject to God. I believe

time is in God because God he transcends time in

that sense.

And so remember this divine being, human being.

But we have to acknowledge Jesus in his embodied form.

We'll always have this implication.

And this implication is if you are in flesh, you

can only be in one place at one time, even

in his glorious resurrection body, and if you read the

scriptures in his reserme body, Jesus was not like Holy

Spirit everywhere. No, he did move very quickly to different places.

I'm not sure how, but there was some sort of

supernatural speed in terms of his movement. But it was

never recorded that he was everywhere. It was recorded that

he could be in different places very quickly, appear in

two places one after the other. So if that is

the case, when he returns to this earth, he can

only return to one geographical location. Makes sense. Okay, let's continue.

So where is that geographical location? Is the question that

we have to ask. And remember, if Jesus is physical,

it means that he is also His return must also

be local. He cannot return universally. Sometimes we think that

given Jesus come back, he's everywhere. No, he can't, because

he will return in his embodied form. His spirit can

be anywhere, but his body must be somewhere before he ascended.

That is why Jesus, we know, could not be at

two places. And this is exactly why he told his

disciples it was for their good that he was leaving them.

Do you remember reading.

Once you read John chapter fifteen, sixteen seventeen, you realize

Jesus was telling them, Hey, guys, look at me. I've

got limitations right now in this embodied form, but I

will stare. I will send you a stand by John

chapter sixteen, verse seven, I will send you a paraclectus.

I will send you my holy spirit. He had promised

to be with them always, because that's what Matt Tide

chapter twenty eight says, Go there for make disciples, every nation, tongue,

and tribe. I will be with you always. How is

he going to be with all of you always? If

he was in an embodied form, he had to go

so that the Spirit could come, and so the promise

of the Spirit enables God's presence to be everywhere. The

only way he could do this was to remove his

body and replace his physical presence with the ever present,

omnipresent Holy Spirit. Makes sense that is not limited to

time and space. So this whole situation will not be

reversed because some people think, oh, Jesus come read it.

Then how will believers lose the Holy Spirit? Well, I

believe they will have double presence. However, that is because

again God, the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit.

This is the trinity. We will be doubly blessed.

But since Jesus will return in his body like ours,

it must always be pointed to one place in this earth.

And his return means that his disciples will have to

be gathered together from every part of the globe.

That's my belief. Okay, so where will it be exactly?

Well, it is the very same place where history was

actually divided into two. And you know that when Jesus

was born, history was divided into two from before Christ

to a d.

And we know that this city is known.

As the City of the Great King, which is actually Jerusalem,

That's why a lot of our eyes are always on

what is happening in Jerusalem in the Middle East. It

is from this city that he departed. It is to

this city that he were written. Remember, he ascended from

there he were written. How is the next question we

have to ask? How is he going to come? Well,

his second coming will be like his first going, not

like his first coming. Makes sense, So his return will

be like his ascension, not like his birth. God, he's

not going to come in a baby maybe in the manger. No,

he's going to come like how he went, and he

went off pretty gloriously, and he will return in that

same manner. Everyone will know that he has come, and

everyone will know who he is because it will be

the most public event in history.

The scripture tells us this.

Thousands of angels will accompany his written it will be

so noisy. Actually, first Thessalonians for sexteen tells us that

it's not going to be a quiet affair.

It's going to be a noisy affair.

Everyone will know because it won't be like when he

first came quietly being given birth in the little manger.

The world last saw him crucified. In the future, they

will see him crown at last the fulfillment of the scripture.

Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus

Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the father

a man that's in Philippines. But when will he come?

And how much longer do we need to wait? Ah,

that is the one that everyone is all anxious. That's

where I've met you comes in because no one knows. Actually,

the true answer is no one knows except God himself.

Not even Jesus knows his father's clendor. Jesus was curious,

but you probably were wondering. Well, in his human form,

he didn't know. He didn't say anything. Will his coming

be sudden and totally unexpected? Well the answer will be

yes and no. It will be sudden, but it doesn't

need to be totally unexpected. That's why I'm trying to

tell all of us today. Because Jesus could come back

at any moment. That is something that we have to

prepare ourselves. So, but there will be events preceding his

written things that have to happen first before he returns.

You can all these signs, you can call these signals.

So what are these signs and what are these signals?

What are we actually watching for? What events should we

be taking note of? Well, this is where the Gospel

of Matthew what I just read just now clearly spells

out some of these things in which we can be

waiting in anticipation for really go through this. There are

four signs. Okay, four signs are Let's start with the

first one, and it's in Matthew chapter twenty four verses

for the way I actually read it just now, ready,

And the first sign is actually disasters in the world

tree are specifically mentioned, wars, earthquakes, and femines all strong words, okay,

in truth, actually we are a ready witnessing and exponential

increase in all these three.

Catastrophes.

And you know what, all these three things usually spreads alarm.

And insecurity among humans.

It's normal, It's expected to happen, and that's why when

it happens, people will be looking to a savior to

always try to divert the tragedy or avert the tragedy.

Why no one stopped this from happening? Why the God

allow this to happen? Why are all these things and

why are there's so many earthquakes? Why are so many

lives dying, Why are they are fair meines? You know,

thousands of people die every day because of starvation, no food.

So really, let's not take for granted what we have

here in Malaysia. Really, but it is already happening, and

that's why people will come and try to pretend to

be christ in this time.

That's what the scripture tells us.

Be careful, keep on reminding us, be careful of the

false prophets, and disciples must protect themselves from this kind

of deception by not allowing panic to take place. Disciples, Christians,

it is very important for you to be ready in

such situations. You want to know why there are so

many different Christian humanitarian.

Groups.

It's because they have a different outlook, and their outlook

is really not one in which is condemning God, but

it's still one that is going out to save and

help people and save lives. I think it's important that

every Christian has that outlook. Don't panic, don't go into

all this is the worst thing that can ever happen.

It is very important for us to understand these painful

calamities in the opposite way that the world usually reacts

to because it's not the end of all good things,

but it's actually the beginning of much better things. So

the appropriate response is very important. It's not alarm and anxiety,

but it should always be a sense of anticipation what

is to come? Can I just tell you this, Before

things get better, it will get worse. That is my

general understanding when reading the scripture and waiting for the

return and anticipating the return of Christ. It may or

may not happen in my lifetime, but for things to

get better, it will first get worse. We need to

make sure that when things are not well. I don't

know whether we will live through this spirit, but whatever

it is, the reminder is when things are not well,

how do we respond? Is it in alarm and anxiety

or is it with a sense of Lord, I know

what you're doing, and I know you're telling me to

hang in there. You know, the signs are very visible

today because if you think about it, there have been multiple, multiple,

multiple international conflicts since since World War Two. Earthquakes are doubling,

famine is widespread, and so I don't know how long

will the state of affairs continue or how much worse

will it get? We cannot guess, but that is the

first major sign. Okay, so it's not just one sign. Okay,

but look at it, look at it chronologically, because the

second sign is this, people will leave the church. I'm

not making this up. Go and read chapter twenty four.

There will be deserts. First, there will be opposition in

that followers of Jesus will be hated by all nations.

And it's actually there.

They say that the Christians will be persecuted, and then

it will bring a corresponding increase. That means, if Christians

are hated, what will also increase is many Christians will

be martyred.

Wow.

When we hear that, we're like, how is that? No,

are you ready for your Christian faith? But the Scriptures

is actually preparing us to read whole and to endy

and all around the world today we already see many

Christians coming under immense pressure. Again here in Malaysia, maybe

we are sped for now, but I'm not sure wherever

a pastor comes from in India, in the northern states

of India is not all hunky dory. It's challenging, and

Christians do die for their faith in many countries in

this world. Churches everywhere therefore need to prepare their members

for suffering and sacrifice. That is why sometimes I don't

want to just come here and tell you that Jesus

loves you.

Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you, which is the truth.

He loves you, but he also wants you to be

ready to hang on to him all the way. Because

the scriptures actually tell us that we will see the

number believers reducing. Why because when pressure picks up, you

will discover who are the true believers. You can distinguish

between the nominal Christians and the genuine Christians because there

will be those who will struggle to remain faithful. If

someone puts a gun to your head and asks you

if you will continue to believe in Jesus or not,

what would you answer.

I don't even know what my answer would be.

But if you think about it, we haven't even scratched

the surface of what persecution can really mean. I think

the going gets stuff you stray away, like, oh are thers?

I'm out of here? But you know what.

It also says those who remain faithful and steadfast, they

will be the ones that cause the church to expand.

Read the scriptures.

It says that if you remain, stay fast and faithful,

you will cause the church to expand because you will

go on hanging onto your faith and preaching it. Because

those who are bold and renewed now will be zealous

to preach Jesus more confidently. That's why knowing the scriptures

will help you build confidence.

Clarity brings confidence.

If you read the scriptures and you're like, half the

time you're hoping that none of it will come true,

don't because it's the holy scriptures. I'm telling you that

whatever it says, it will come to pass. Heaven and

earth will faith, but His word will come to pass.

And then accompanying all these events will also be the

increase in false profits. Again, there will be many false

prophets you know who will come and they will preach

peace when there is no peace. They will reassure you

it false comforts when trouble is there. It's almost like,

don't worry, bad times will never happen. By doing so,

many Christians will be left repair Christians. I don't want

us to be unprepared because again a lot of us

think that we know the times and we think that

we will never be affected by it. I say we

be prepared to go through whatever these times may prepare

us for it's important. Some teachings will make light of

sin in our lives. You can do whatever you want.

You are all God's chosen people. Don't already He loves you.

Do whatever you want. Be careful of teachings like that. Really,

don't ever render God's forgiveness like it's nothing, like it's worthless.

Don't keep putting him back on the cross over and

over and over again. Very important. The sad thing is

many will turn away from the faith, and then it

says the love for many will grow cold. But I

also believe it will bring about world evangelism because those

who believe will keep on preaching. And that's what the

scriptures actually says. It is only when the Gospel is

brought to all the ends of the world then Jesus

will written this will be the catalyst.

Sometimes and not sometimes.

Actually most times you see that Christianity spreads in times

of persecution, not so much in times when everything is nice,

because if everything is nice, we're all sitting down on

our behinds enjoying life. But when the going gets tough,

then you would definitely want to go and tell your

father your mother, your love ones. Really, the signs are clear,

the scriptures are real.

Please believe in Jesus, call on his name. Amen. The

third sign is this, Okay, I need to go faster.

There will be a dictator, an evil person, most likely

in the Middle East, because that's what the scripture points to.

Troubles that have always afflicted God's people will reach a

climate sort not climate, a climax, sorry, come pronounce proably climax,

and it will be a very sharp crisis known as

sometimes we refer to it as the Great tribulation. You

have to read revelations to get the corresponding event. And

Jesus actually said more about this penultimate sign. This is

the second last sign, more than any of the other tree.

But he says it in a less straightforward manner. And

then he based his warning on that phrase, the abomination

that causes desolation.

I know you're like, what the world is that?

If you read the book of Daniel, is there the

abomination that causes desolation? In other words, is the evil

thing that causes destruction. And Daniel was actually referring to

a person, and it's going to be in the very

city where God had been honored this very person will

arise and will provoke great mental and physical distress among

God's people. Some scriptures refer to him as the Antichrist

or the beasts. I know you're like all this, sure, No, Elder,

this guy thinks sounds like some drama. Nobel, No, it's

in the scriptures. It will be for a period of time,

by thank God, from what I understand in revelations, is

not a long time. It's most likely about one thousand,

two hundred and sixty days. That's what the phrase a

time times and half a time means in Revelations. Probably

about three and a half years. Tribulation, the great tribulation,

because this will all take place in Jerusalem. That is

why Jesus advises all living in the Judaea area that

is time to live.

Leave.

If not, you're going to be under so much per secure.

Don't even wait to peck.

Just leave.

Don't remain in the vicinity of the Antichrist, because he's

going to bring a lot of tribulation to believers. And

it is likely that the Antichrist will be together with

a false prophet. If you read revelations, you will see

there's a pair of them, and they will probably set

up some sort of totalitarian kind of regime in which

only those who submit to their authority by being branded

with a mark.

Again I'm cross referencing to Revelations.

The mark, of course, we know is the Monk of

the Beast is the mark of six sixty six.

Again, I don't know how.

Literal it would be, but you, what is mostly accepted

is that without the monk, you will not be allowed

to trade. You will not be allowed to buy and sell,

most likely your essential food. That's why it's going to

be so challenging during that time. Read Revelations chapter thirteen.

You will see.

You can say that I'm making this up, but read it,

read it literally, and then understand that these are some

of the signs. It is going to be a great pressure,

probably the greatest pressure any believer has ever encountered. Terribly fierce,

but mercifully brief. Thank God, it's only a few years, right.

There will be many rumors that Christ has returned. Believers

will be told where they can find him. You're here

because again I told you it keeps on repeating. There

will be rumors of Christ, rumors of Christ returning. Don't

listen to the rumors. You will see the sign. Christians

identify the sign and know that he will come eventually,

and when he comes, you will know it. The only

warning is for those who are staying in Judea to go.

That's why it says if you're pregnant that time, it's

going to be so difficult, very challenging. If it's during

winter and you have to flee, it's going to be

also very challenging. So why do you think the scriptures

are saying it like this is to prepare us. What

we need to do is to watch and pray, watch

and pray, and thank goodness, this crisis will be only

for a short period of time.

I know at this point you will be like.

I believe in pre tribulation, I believe in post tribulation.

I don't know whatever your beliefs may be. Some people

believe that Christians will not be around to go to tribulation.

That's I leave that to you to interpret it personally.

I don't interpret it that way.

But all I can say is I rather prepare believers

for the worst.

That means if you.

Would to go through it at that time, what will

you do?

Amen?

And so I'm not here to argue about how to

interpret it. I'm here to tell us what the signs are. Finally,

it says this the Lord will return almost immediately after that,

because it says immediately after the distress of those days, hallelujah.

So we know that the signals and the signs. It

starts off long prolonged, prolonged wars, rumors or wars threads,

and then the persecution of the church. People will desert

the church. And then eventually the appearance of the Antichrist

is getting shorter and shorter in terms of the duration,

and the tribulation times is not going to be forever

a long period decades, No, it's years, a few years.

And then almost immediately after the trying times, it says

there will be no delayed Jesus going to come back,

and the final sign will be something that no one

will be able to make a mistake, because every source

of light will be extinguished. There will be darkness, that's

what the scripture says. Whatever the time of day, it

will be pitched that and then nations will see the

lightning come from the east and flashing to the west,

and they will see Jesus riding on the clouds. That's

what the scriptures tell us the believers who have waited

for so long for this day to arrive, know this

was a call to the Lord's people to gather together.

That is my belief of what the gathering would be. Again,

I'm not going to argue. I know some people will

tell me I believe in this. I believe in pre millennialism.

I believe in post millennialism. I'll leave it to you.

But mind stance is that believers will rule and reign

together with Jesus.

We will be brought together with.

Him, and we will rule and reign with him, and

therefore faithful follow us Jesus will forever be united thereafter. Okay,

I'll stop there. I just want us to be clear

of the science. Very important, because why are we told

so much about the second coming? There has to be

a reason. A lot is actually mentioned in the scriptures,

and the purpose has to be practical, and in my opinion,

it is for us to be ready when Jesus comes back.

You see, revelation for the future is given to affect

the present, not to satisfy our mental curiosity. Sometimes we

are so curious. I want to know what's going to happen.

I want to know what's going to happen. Tell me

exactly that all will tell you. There are different versions,

but it's actually to stimulate moral consistency. It's actually to

help us live a morally consistent life. To not to

tickle out curiosity. A lot of times we love to

study or read End Times because oh, we can interpret

it this way, interpret it that way.

Doesn't matter.

I rather we all realize that what the scriptures are

essentially trying to do is to make sure that we

all live a morally consistent life.

Not so much for information's sake. I want to know.

I want to know, but really to realize that there

is an incentive that comes with believing and following Christ,

and that incentive is to be with Him in glory.

The future must influence the present, and only God knows

the future, and that's why we as believers must put

our trust in God. And the only time we have

to get ready for the future is actually the present.

If we think that, I will wait because it's not

going to happen anytime soon. I want us as believers

to always be prepared.

That's a scout motor, right.

I think be prepared, Lord Baden Powell, I think if

you think about it, the early Christians, we're all looking

forward to the return of Jesus right from the veryou start.

That's what the prayer maran Nata means, Come, Lord, Come.

They were prepared and these are the seven ways to

be ready for Jesus's retturn. I just want us to

take note of some of these things. I know it's heavy.

Make sure we have individual faith, not borrowed faith. To

be ready for Christ's return is your faith. Those who

are safe are those who put their faith in Christ Jesus.

We are saved by grace, true faith.

God put man on this earth so that they will

seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.

All of us need to find God for ourselves. We

need our own individual faith. Not my pastor's faith, my

mother's faith, my mother woman of faith. I just come

under her covering no your own faith. Then the next

thing we need is continuous service. Faithful service is actually

an essential ingredient in readiness for the Lord's return. That's why,

if you read on a Matthew chapter twenty four, Jesus

actually gives you further three parables after that, about a household,

a wedding, and a commercial trading. Read it, it's basically

waiting in that anticipation, you know, the foolish brides and

all those and then ultimately, what was Jesus? What was

the person's statement to them? Well done, my good and

faithful servant. The Lord is essentially one servants who are

both faithful and foodfool If you read about it, you

take the talent and you bury it under. They got rebuilt.

So he's looking at faithful and fruitful servants. Continuous service

is needed. Personal holiness is the next thing that is

I know, wow, sounds so deep, Elder Well. The gospel

is good news about holiness as well as forgiveness, and

it is now possible to have sins conquered as well

as cancel. A lot of times we know that when

Jesus came, he canceled sin. Sin has got no part

to play in our lives because he has overcome death.

But somehow sin cancel and conquering sin is two different

things because a lot of times we're like God, I

know it's cancel. I know you really overcome death, but

why is it so hard for me to conquer sin?

And that's why you need God's forgiveness. You need to

take it appropriate it put it upon your life, and

that also means you need his holiness. His holiness simply

just means to be said apart. That means we are

not to touch what is not right.

To be set apart.

If we are really convinced that our future destiny is

to be holy, this belief will be evidence in our

present behavior through our endurance. I know it's not easy

young people. You go through university life and everything is

calling out your name, Do this, do this. There's going

to be distraction. There's going to be a lot is

where we go through life as young adults. There's going

to be so many distractions. Don't go into that area

because what God wants of each and every one of

us is holiness to be set apart. It's not holiness

only when we meet him. No, that's why it does

this saying no, it's actually happiness and holiness. The difference.

A lot of us want happiness. Now, we want a party,

You want whatever you want, and then eventually when I

get to heaven, that's why I'll be holy. By actually

the scriptures, if you study carefully, you realize that he's

talking about holiness. Now, now we set our lives apart

to live for God and then eventually we will live

happily in His kingdom. Amen, personal holiness is needed. The

fourth thing is communal fellowship. There's a reason why we

meet as a church, because believers are called to be

the chosen people. We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

a people belonging to God. There is strength in numbers.

Can you imagine going through tribulation if you're alone? Don't

ever give up communal fellowship.

The church exists for this very reason, not the universal

Church alone.

Yes, we believe in the universe Church. All of us

are part of the universe Church. But you have to

be part of a local church first. The local church

is important wherever we go. This is what we have

to do.

Amen.

If is evangelism global evangelism. And he has been said

that the Church is the only society on the earth

that exists primarily for the sake of his non members. Right,

think about it, isn't that true? We are constantly thinking

about not we should be like we should be, but

we end up thinking more about our members because our

members need this, our members need that. But the church

should actually be primarily thinking about these non members about

those who are not safe yet. There is two things

that we need to distinguish. Don't allow the world to

creep into the church, because when the world seeps into

the church, it will affect holiness.

And that's why it's difficult.

But make sure that the church is out in the world,

very very important. We must stop the world from coming in,

but we need to remain in the world. That is

what evangelism is, evangelism and holiness. Understand it from that

and you will realize why all four gospels conclude with

a great commission to the apostles. You see in Matthew

chapter twenty eight. You see it in Mark chapter sixteen,

you see in Luke chapter twenty four, you see in

John chapter twenty. All of it had the commission to

go make disciples, not just through the apostles, but through

the church throughout time and space, because just twelve disciples

would not have been able to complete the job. But

they went on and they passed it on until today,

even in the midst of persecution, churches are still being

birth because new believers are still being birth as well.

Amen, hallelu yeah, don't forget that.

Ultimately, and I'm coming to the end and John, you

can come up, or you're like worried, what is he

ever going to end? Yes, you see, the real test

of our faithfulness is not how we behave if he's

coming is imminent. Iminion means are almost like we know

when he's coming. No, there's a reason why the date

is not given exactly. The real test of faithfulness is

not if you know when exactly he's coming back, But

the real test of faithfulness is how do we behave

if he is long time coming?

Will the church still continue to remain faithful?

Or the church will the church be like, God, you're

coming and I want a party, Now, let me party first,

tell me last, or that I party first, that I

after our repent. But we know it doesn't work that way, right.

He's not looking Jesus is not looking for panic action.

He's actually looking for loyal service. I know it's one

of the most difficult things to do, but loyal service.

It is not what we are doing when he returns

that matters so much as what we have been doing

all the time he has been away. Actually, if you

read some of the parables, it's not so much just

what you are doing when he returns, No, what have

you been doing all this while when I was away?

That's why we have to live a life that is

bearing food. If you want to know whether you're Christian

life is a life? Is it bearing fruit? Because that's

what growth happens. When your Christian life is growing, you grow,

I hope not just sight wasays, but you'll grow spiritually

and then you will start to bear food, love, joy, peace,

You not all this will be evident in your life.

And that's why passages like Metew chapter twenty four Revelations

is a reminder that before things get better, it will

get worse.

So all of us Christians.

Again, I'm not one thing to make your feel or scared,

but I think there should be some level of reverence

unto God.

Respect.

If you really respect God, then you will respect his commandments.

Then you will honor his teachings. To be a follower

of Jesus, it's not just to pay lip service. And

that's why the early church I mentioned just now could

look forward to the.

Coming and the return of Jesus.

In fact, right from the very start he just left

the already ask when will he return? And that's where

I told you that one of the shortest prayers in

the Bible was coined in the Aramic language Maran Natah.

It simply means Lord Come. Why were they so eager

for Jesus to return one day? Because they know when

he does, Jesus will come back and he will complete

the good work he had begun in every believer, because

they know that when Jesus returned, he will come back

and fulfill his promises to his chosen people. I really

believe Jesus will come back and fulfill his promises, the

promises he made to Abraham, especially to those who respond

to him in faith. When Jesus returns, he will ultimately

conquer evil. He will evil and the devil will have

no stronghold w lifsoever, and Jesus will return to command

the world. And finally he will return to judge the ungodly.

I pray, as believers of Jesus, followers of Jesus, the

question that we need to ask ourselves, are we ever

ready disciples?

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for you, God bless