6/3/18 – Leviticus 14:1-57 – Mark 13:1-31 – Psalm 30:8-12

Mar 13:24-27

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

The first time Jesus came, it was relatively quiet. There were those who knew, such as the Shepards and the Magi. The Angels sang and a star lit up the sky.

That’s nothing like the way He will return. When Jesus returns it will be in Glory! The whole world will be shaken, such is the power of His coming! Every eye will see – there will be no Atheism on that day. They will be no doubt on that day.

Don’t be shaken by false, disappointing Messiahs. Many will come saying “They are He” – but only He will come in such glory that there will be no denying.

Mark 13:32-37

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Wake up! Don’t fall asleep – for yo do not know the hour of His coming!

Is this the last generation before the end? I think so.

We are certainly in a position we’ve never been in before in the whole of History – when you look at the signs and the spread of the Gospel.

I think so. But I do not know.

But I do know this: it’s the last generation I WILL be a part of.

It’s my last generation. And I can only reach them when I’m here.

I also know that my life – your life – could end at any time. We are all living in our own end times and not one of us knows when that day will come for us.

The question is, if you go today, if He comes today… are you ready to meet Him? Seriously. Are you ready?

Because if the answer is no – you need to do something about it TODAY.

Because our lives are lived on that knife edge.

How should we live in the end times? We keep holy. We hasten the return of Jesus by preaching the gospel

It’s not that we should store up gold ready for the one world currency or stock up a shelter ready to hide from the one world government.

It’s not that we climb up a mountain and forget our duties.

It’s live a holy life. Be found spotless. And preach the gospel.

The best way to be ready isn’t to be an expert in Eschatology. It’s not working out the timing. Jesus said to His disciples “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Sometimes we say that we don’t know the day or the hour but we will know the season. But Jesus said it’s not for you to know the times OR the season.

That’s not the best way to be ready.

It’s to kick sin to the kerb in your life. It’s to get rid of compromise. It’s to make a stand in a lost generation.

If you are wrong about the timing or the tribulation, big deal as long as you are found spotless.

Wait patiently. Serve diligently.

Expect – but not at the expense of the work.

The call is holiness. Holiness IS readiness.

Ps 30:11-12

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

God heard his prayer. There were troubles – there was mourning, but God turned it all around.

It’s easy when things are going well to think that’s the way it always will be. But hard times come. The question is, what do we do in those hard times? Do we wallow, or commit them to God?

In God’s time the writer was delivered from his troubles and the mourning became a dance. The sackcloth was loosed – although it’s up to us to take that loosened sackcloth off – and we can be clothed with gladness.

Hard times come – but hard times also end.

Give thanks to Him in the good and the bad and your mourning too can become dancing.