MATT 24:1-14, 22-28, 32-44 - AS THE WORLD TURNS

INTRODUCTION:

Hollywood has captured the imagination of millions with their sitcoms, soap operas, and nightly comedy spins concerning the daily life of humanity and trying to make people laugh about the end of the world as though it is inevitable yet nothing to worry about because there is nothing you can do about it anyway.

But there is something to do about it and what have you done to prepare for the end of the world?

In verse 3 the disciples just like you had questions for Jesus.

1 - When shall these things be?

2 - What is the sign of your coming?

3 - What is the sign of the end of the world?

First in verse 5 - Jesus said many would come in his name saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Today we are living in the most doctrinally confused generation ever known to man. Unless you are a disciple of Christ and student of the Bible who can tell which church is right and what message is truth?

The Man Who Claims To Be Jesus - September 2007

Followers Claim Doral Man is God On Earth

Jose Luis deJesus Claims There Is No Heaven, No Hell

Followers Believe All Other Religions Must Be Destroyed

by Ileana Varela

DORAL (CBS4 News) - His name is Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda; his followers call him everything from apostle to Dad, or simply Jesus Christ Man. De Jesus Miranda himself believes he's the living incarnation of "Jesus Christ Man," "the second coming of Christ."

A follower of his believes "he is God, he is God." She also lavishes him with money and gifts.

"I don't have one Rolex," de Jesus Miranda said, "I have 3 because they want to give it to me. It's like that woman that came to Jesus with the expensive perfume and put it on his feet. He didn't reject it, so when someone gives me a watch or a gift, I receive it. I like them too, they're nice."

This self-proclaimed Son of God is a 60 year old former heroin addict and convict. The divorced father of 4 was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in South Florida with his second wife.

From a warehouse in Doral, near Miami, he presides over the "Creciendo en Gracia" or Growing in Grace Ministry which he also calls "God's Government On Earth.

Who will you be believing in when the end of the world comes?

Verse 6 - You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars - these things must come to pass - but the end is not yet.

According to the Canadian Army Journal says since 3600 B.C. the world has known only 292 years of peace but has had more than 14,531 wars with over 3,640,000,000 people killed. - Encyclopedia of 7700 Illus.

Our present conflict in Iraq:

Iraq body count says up to 92,000 civilians have been killed

Anti-war.com says we have lost 4102 Americans

No liberal groups posts how many have been freed from terror and how many terrorist have been killed.

How will you deal with the verse in Revelation 14:20 when the world ends?

Verse 20 - and the winepress was trodden without the city, and the blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

1 furlong equals 660 feet so 1600 furlongs would be 1,056,000 feet or just under 200 miles.

Verse 7&8 - Nation against nation and Kingdom against kingdom - famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in many places - these are the beginning of sorrows.

This in my opinion is a reference to positioning for a one world order. All these trade agreements and economies depend upon each other or it can all fall in one big heap.

FAMINES - Wikipedia online - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine (accessed June 21,2008)

During the 20th century, an estimated 70 million people died from famines across the world.

PANDEMICS AND FAMINES - CBC NEWS - http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/05/08/f-natural-disasters-history.html 6/21/08

1900 to present. Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in the developing world even though it is curable and largely preventable. According to the World Health Organization, malaria causes severe illness in 500 million people each year and kills more than a million annually.

1984-1985. Famine killed at least one million in Ethiopia as severe drought led to desperate food shortages.

1980 to present. Toll from AIDS worldwide since 1980 is estimated at 25 million, with 40 million others infected with HIV.

EARTHQUAKES & TSUNAMIS - CBC NEWS - http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/05/08/f-natural-disasters-history.html 6/21/08

Oct. 8, 2005. At least 80,000 people were killed and three million left homeless after a quake struck the mountaineous Kashmir district in Pakistan.

Dec. 26, 2004. A magnitude 9.0 quake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering tsunamis that swept through the coastal regions of a dozen countries bordering the Indian Ocean. The death toll has been estimated at between 225,000 and 275,000.

HURRICANES, CYCLONES, AND FLOODS - CBC NEWS - http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/05/08/f-natural-disasters-history.html (accessed 6/21/08)

May 3, 2008. Cyclone Nargis, swept along by winds that exceeded 190 kmh and waves six metres high struck the Burmese peninsula and may have left as many as 100,000 dead, according to U.S. estimates.

Oct. 26-Nov. 4, 1998. Hurricane Mitch was the deadliest hurricane to hit the Americas. It killed 11,000 in Honduras and Nicaragua and left 2.5 million homeless.

EPIC DISTASTERS ONLINE  (accessed 6/21/08) http://www.epicdisasters.com/index.php/site/comments/the_worlds_worst_floods_by_death_toll/

Huang He (Yellow) River, China 1931
Death Toll: 1,000,000 to 3,700,000

Associated Press - (accessed June 21, 2008) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hw95ek5Sllmi4SoQ_N4HJvwHE0ZAD918RC4O1

By AMY LORENTZEN - Jun 12, 2008

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - The Cedar River poured over its banks here Thursday, forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 homes, causing a railroad bridge to collapse and leaving cars underwater on downtown streets.

Officials estimated that 100 blocks were underwater in Cedar Rapids, where several days of preparation could not hold back the rain-swollen river. Rescuers had to use boats to reach many stranded residents, and people could be seen dragging suitcases up closed highway exit ramps to escape the water.

"We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start," Linn County Sheriff Don Zeller said. "We're going to need a lot of prayers and people are going to need a lot of patience and understanding."

About 3,200 homes were evacuated and some 8,000 residents displaced, officials estimated.

"We are seeing a historic hydrological event taking place with unprecedented river levels occurring," said Brian Pierce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport. "We're in uncharted territory - this is an event beyond what anybody could even imagine."

Gov. Chet Culver has declared 55 of the state's 99 counties as state disaster areas.

They were eating and drinking and giving in marriage when Noah went into the ark and God send the flood. Where will you spent eternity when the world comes to an end?

T

HE BIBLE TEACHES THAT THE WORLD WILL BE JUDGED IN HELL

Deu 32:22  For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Prov 27:20  Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Isa 5:14  Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Luke 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; Luke 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Luke 16:24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Mark 9:43  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Mark 9:44  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:45  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Mark 9:46  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:47  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Mark 9:48  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

2 Pet 2:4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 2 Pet 2:5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 2 Pet 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

2 Pet 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Revelation 20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 22:11 - he that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy, still.

Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

CONCLUSION:

Matthew 24: 44 - Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.