End Times Significant Signs-Shawn Smith

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Seasons greetings to all my facebook friends and to everyone wherever you are in the world reading this today I hope you're all doing well. I'm thankful for so many things today God has truly blessed me far beyond what I deserve. It's definitely been a while since I've written so I'm writing today with a prophecy update in mind for you from my personal perspective on fulfilling Bible prophecy in the world today. There are so many voices on the subject today already but I guess I couldn't help myself and just had to chime in! I've written much on the subject in the past and I'm no scholar but I've studied for decades now and have also learned from many wise and knowledgeable godly men through the years who are highly regarded and very sound in their biblical doctrine and teaching. They make no foolish predictions on the day of Christ's return specifically to earth one day but believe in His imminent return at any time now for all believers who are truly born again and filled with the Spirit. Those who are watching and waiting for Him. Men for example like Ray Bentley, Greg Laurie and David Jeremiah to name a few of my favorites. So with that said I'll be sharing my personal biblical based views primarily in this article on the subject so please take the time soon to sit down and read it all at your leisure. With the pandemic crises we're all in and the signs of the times all around us today I believe it's a timely message and relative for us all today for such a time as this. There are many terms today to describe the end of this age and there are plenty of books of course on the subject of Christ's return. Terms like "last days', "end times" etc. The apostle John in his day 2,000 years ago put it like this, "LITTLE CHILDREN IT IS THE LAST HOUR AND AS YOU HAVE HEARD THAT THE ANTICHRIST IS COMING EVEN NOW MANY ANTICHRIST'S HAVE COME BY WHICH WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE LAST HOUR. (1 John 2:18)." We should all realize as the apostle Peter also said that in the end scoffers would say where is the promise of His coming (2 Peter 3)? But we all should realize that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day as he went on to say. So by any definition we are clearly nearing the end of this age and the day of His return and we need to be ready! John also went on to say that we should abide in Him so that when he "appears" we may have confidence and not be "ashamed" at his coming. It may seem like eons to some of us living today centuries later in all the violence and chaos on earth today who long for his return and have now for decades but compared to eternity of course it's really only been from God's perspecive since Jesus left earth just a mere two days! And remember that Christ himself said in Revelation 22 three times behold "I COME QUICKLY." So when it comes to His return we need to have patience and the right perspective. An eternal perspective. Even the apostle Paul himself wasn't sure exactly when either in his day calling it a mystery when he would return for us putting it like this, "BEHOLD I TELL YOU A MYSTERY WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP BUT WE SHALL BE CHANGED IN A MOMENT IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE AT THE LAST TRUMP. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)." I like to call it the rapture factor. But I've often wondered why if Paul called it a "mystery" and wasn't even sure himself writing back then exactly when true believers would actually be raptured "caught up" (1 Thessalonians 4:17, Greek-Harpazo) then why have and why do so many in our generation today still try and predict when Jesus will come again? It boggles the mind! Or at least it does mine. The truth is we can't know for certain and aren't supposed to. We live by faith and not by sight it's in the Father's hands and we are to "occupy" until He comes. We should be more concerned with loving Him seeking Him pleasing Him and serving Him day by day while we wait rather than with making presumptuous predictions along the way. The apostle Peter's final instructions to us were to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)." Just as a bride who's spoken for in the Jewish tradition of marriage prepares herself to meet her groom but doesn't know the exact day he will actually appear for her, she must be ready always and so prepares diligently to never be caught unaware. How much more should we then as the bride of Christ be ready always for His return and faithfully prepare! In closing I'd like to share one final thought. One of my favorite books lately has been the book of Hebrews. We don't know who wrote it for sure but many scholars believe that the apostle Paul was it's author. Either way specifically I've been focused on Hebrews 10. I personally think although originally written apparently to Jewish believers in their day it has a very significant and special meaning for the body of Christ in general for us as well today. For example there's no specific greeting to anyone in particular as is customary in other epistles. Consider for a moment Hebrews 10:23-25 which says, "LET US HOLD FAST THE PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH WITHOUT WAVERING FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL. AND LET US CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER IN ORDER TO STIR UP LOVE AND GOOD WORKS NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER AS IS THE MANNER OF SOME, BUT EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER AND SO MUCH THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING." Wow! Until He comes things sadly will just get worse here and that's why we need to encourage each other more and more as well today along the way. We must remember too that God is patient for the precious fruit of the earth and to me that clearly explains the reason for his delay. Finally the Lord Jesus himself said as we near the end of this age because of lawlessness the love of many would grow cold but he that "endures to the end" would be saved (See Matthew 24). Sound familiar? There's so much corruption, violence, hatred and heartache along with the current pandemic that we all must endure today. But God's grace is sufficient and come what may we must fight the good fight trust the Lord daily and have an eternal perspective on life. The truth is we're just passing through and one way or another we'll ALL stand before Him to give an account of our lives to Him one day (See Romans 14:11-12). So when our time finally comes and it will one day I wonder will we be ready just what will He say?