No Dates
Just Dots
Are we
living in the ‘end times’? I don’t
know. Yet if you just Google the words
‘end times’, you’ll come up with over 500 million options! If you are asking then you’re good company
since the early ‘team’ assembled by ‘Jesus’ also had questions, namely 3 when
they asked:
“And
as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end
of the world?” (Matt 24:3)
Notice
the 1st thing ‘Jesus’ said when He answered them,
“Be careful that no man deceives
you. Or misleads you.” (Matt 23:4)
Why would He say that? Obviously, we can and probably are
deceived! Keep in mind a deceived
person doesn’t know they’re deceived because they are deceived! Remember they
asked these questions prior to His death on a tree.
Look at what His disciples asked Him
post-resurrection! Acts 1:6 records what
was burning on their hearts 40 days after 3 days AND 3 nights in the grave,
“So
when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time
restore the kingdom to Israel?"
So it seems this question is pretty important and has
been prevalent throughout the ages. Many
have set a date for the end, only to be wrong, obviously. Personally, setting dates are very dangerous and
in and of themselves are fulfilling Scripture.
“That
you let not your minds be hastily excited or troubled, neither by word, nor by
prophecy of the spirit, nor by an epistle, supposedly from us, stating that
‘The Day of our LORD’ is at hand. “ (2
Thess 2:2)
According to Scripture there will be ‘a day of The
‘LORD’. When? Don’t know, but He does want us to be alert
to the times and the seasons.
“But
concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I should
write to you.” (1 Thess 5:1)
“But
you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a
thief. “
(1
Thess 5:4)
Let’s not look at dates, then, can we look for
‘dots’? Dots are specified events we
should be aware of, so that when we see them we’ll have an understanding of the
times and know what we should do.
“And
of the sons of Issachar, having understanding for the times, to know what
Israel should do;” (1 Chron. 12:32)
May I proffer 2 ‘dots’? Before I do, I’d like to ask you to remember
the small words you may see in your side mirrors on your car. ‘Caution: Objects may be closer than they
appear’. I’d like to issue a word of
caution, except put it on the windshield of life. Caution: These events may be closer than they
appear!”
Dot# 1: ‘The Altar’
This is a pivotal focal event that ‘Jesus’ Himself
that a generation should be aware of.
"Therefore
when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of through Daniel the
prophet, standing in the holy place"
(Matt 24:15)
So what was He telling us to be looking for?
“…he
shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading
of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and
that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
Let’s ‘think McFly, think’. In order for the sacrifices to stop they have
to start! In order for them to start
there has to be a ‘sanctified’/anointed/dedicated’ altar! In order for an Altar to be shut down, it has
to be set up and go into operation!
Scripture is very specific on how to assemble and
gather stones for His Altar. Doing it
His Way. We may have been taught to look
for the Temple to go up first, then the Altar.
No it doesn’t have to be this way.
Which is greater, the gift, the building or The Altar that sanctifies
the gift?
Keep your eyes open and your Spiritual Antenna up
for The Altar. What are you going to do
and say if perhaps CNN starts to broadcast live the slaughtering of lambs on
the Temple Mount? You might want to
prayerfully study this issue, should this dot come to pass. Read the warnings of Malachi, especially
Chapter 1.
Dot # 2: ‘Damascus
will be a ruinous heap.’
“The
burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous
heap.” (Isaiah 17:1)
Sounds to me Damascus will be totally destroyed from
being a city. When? Don’t know, just keep your eye on the potential event, then we’ll know the ‘sign of
the times of the season’ we find ourselves
in.
Question: How
are things looking for that city in the past couple of years? Just sayin….
There are other symptoms of the signs of the end
times, but these are specific events to be on the lookout for.
So what do we do in the meantime? Stock up on ballots, bullets and
bunkers? That’s up to you?
What is The Messiah looking for? He’s looking for those who have a certain kind of faith. Read it for yourself in Luke 18 1-8
If you have any specific ‘Dots’ please share. Let’s take of the 3-D glasses of Doctrine,
Denomination and Dogma and look to The Word and believe what we read, not read
what we believe. We could be in very
exciting times, know this, that you and I were born for such a time as
this. Let’s not lose heart and faint from
fear.
If it doesn’t happen in our lifetime, then what are
we to do? Don’t do as I did, and be
part of a stubborn and rebellious generation that did not prepare its heart and
whose spirit was not faithful to God. (Psalm
78:8)
Rather: Read
Psalm 78 1-6 for the answer.
Finally, lest you think that’s ‘Old Testament’ stuff
that’s been done away with, I close with Pauls admonition in 1 Corinthians
10:11:
“Now all these things happened unto them for
examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come. “
Bless you all….Be on the
alert…the enemy is alive and well and we haven’t gotten to the end of the book
yet.