Sign Of The Last Days

As many of you know Matthew chapter 24 deals with events that would happen in the end of the Last Days. Events that would cause us to know that the return of Jesus in the air to catch away his church is near, and that the end of all things on this old earth is at hand.

We hear preaching about wars and rumors of wars, the increase of nations raising against nations, the increase of false prophets, and about earthquakes in divers places as being signs of the end of the Last Days. And surly they are; but friend, one of the most over-looked signs, and probably not even considered by many as being a sign of the Last Days, is the LACK OF LOVE in the hearts of many professing christians!

Now, it's not that they never did have the LOVE OF GOD; Jesus said their LOVE WOULD WAX COLD. The Lord put it like this in Rev.2:4&5; (Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. ver.5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.) The reason for one to leave their FIRST LOVE is because THEY HAVE FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOMETHING ELSE; THEIR AFFECTIONS ARE ON OTHER THINGS!

I will be dealing more with this later on in the message.

When Jesus' disciples asked Him: WHAT SHALL BE THE SIGN OF THY COMING, AND OF THE END OF THE WORLD? Along with all the other signs that Jesus told them about, He lets them know that BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD! And friend from what I'm seeing, and from the treatment that we have received, and have seen others receive from professing christians; it leaves no doubt that JESUS IS COMING SOON!

Love One To Another

Lets take a look at John 13:34&35 ( A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ver.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.)

This Last Day Generation must see us LOVING ONE ANOTHER! What they have seen for the most part is many professing one thing and living another. They hear us say how we love one another, but what their SEEING in many cases proves other wise. And it can truly be said that: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THEN WORDS! Why the Moose club, the Masons, the Lions club, the Mormons, the Jehovah Witness, the Catholics, etc. have more fellowship, and are more supportive of one another then many who call themselves Christians and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our LOVE for one another MUST be as Jesus' LOVE for us was! And His LOVE for us was that of DEEDS and not just mere words.

Lets take a close look at ver.35, (By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, IF YE HAVE LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.) Notice the ACTION of LOVE Jesus said we are to have: ONE TO ANOTHER! Not just ONE FOR ANOTHER, but ONE TO ANOTHER!

There is one thing that this generation MUST know about us, and that is, that WE ARE THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS. Saints of God they MUST know this. It is of the utmost importance that they know that we are JESUS' FOLLOWERS! And Jesus said the only thing that is going to convince them that we are His disciples, is when they see us HAVING LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER!

Waxed Cold Love

My heart is saddened by the SELFISHNESS I see many Pastors, Evangelists, and lay-persons operating in. Their only concern is for their feelings, THEIR wants, their special events, and THEIR ministries. I am going to make a statement that I know is not going to go over good with some; but I must make it because it is a TRUTH we must come to face. That is: "IT IS A SURE SIGN OF CARNALITY AND SINFULNESS WHEN WE ARE SO ALL CONSUMED WITH ME, ME, ME, I, I, I, MINE, MINE, MINE!"

Jesus said; Because INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY WOULD WAX COLD! Look at that. Because INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND. You see, it's where INIQUITY is allowed to abound that will effect our LOVE TO ONE ANOTHER. As long as INIQUITY is abounding apart from your life, then your LOVE will be what Christ wants it to be towards others. But when we ALLOW INIQUITY TO ABOUND WITHIN OUR LIVES, THEN IS WHEN OUR LOVE WAXES COLD TO ONE ANOTHER!

As long as wax is hot it will continue to melt and FLOW covering a larger area. But when wax becomes COLD, it also becomes HARD! And once it has become HARD, then it can no longer FLOW. This is why Jesus said it in this way. Because when we allow INIQUITY TO ABOUND in our lives, the FIRE goes out, OUR LOVE BECOMES COLD, OUR HEARTS BECOME HARD TOWARDS THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, AND OUR CONCERN, AND COMPASSION NO LONGER FLOWS OUT, IT BECOME LIMITED TO OUR OWN SELFISH WORLD!

The Word of God makes it clear in 1John 3:17 &18 that; (But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? ver.18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.)

Why the Moose club, the Masons, the Lions club, the Mormons, the Jehovah Witness, the Catholics, etc. have more fellowship, and are more supportive of one another then many who call themselves Christians and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am not so naive as to think that we can be at every special event that those whom we say we appreciate and love have. I know that there are times when for GOOD REASON we can't attend a special event of one whom we really love and appreciate. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR HEARTS WHEN WE JUST WON'T!

Friends how can we go on deceiving ourselves into thinking that we truly have GOD'S LOVE for one another, when our LOVE IS ONLY IN WORDS, AND NOT IN DEEDS ALSO?!

How can we treat each other with so little consideration, and still feel we are ready for eternity? May the Lord have mercy on us, and open our eyes to that which is JUST and RIGHT in our dealings with each other.

We are told in Gal.6:9&10 ( And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. ver.10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.)

Jesus Takes It Personal

Let us take a look at Mat.25:34-46 ( Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ver.35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ver.36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ver.37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ver.38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ver.39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? ver.40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ver.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: ver.42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ver.43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ver.44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ver.45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ver.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.)

Did you notice how PERSONAL the Lord took that which was done or that which was not done unto even the least of those that are His?

One other place He puts it like this: (And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.)

Think about this; When you allow bitterness to fill your heart towards a brother or sister in the Lord; Jesus says that you are BITTER AT HIM. When you mistreat a brother or sister; Jesus says YOU ARE MISTREATING HIM. Friend, HE TAKES IT VERY PERSONAL HOW WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER!

Lets Hide This In Our Heart

David said in Ps.119:11 (Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.) Let us all take time to meditate upon these veres below until they are hid in our hearts, that we might not SIN AGAINST THE LORD!

(Rom 12:10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; (Rom 15:7) Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. (Gal 5:13) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Gal 5:15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (Eph 4:2) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (Eph 4:32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Col 3:13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (1 Th 4:9) But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. (Titus 3:3) For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (Heb 10:24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (1 Pet 1:22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (1 John 3:11) For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1 John 4:7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (1 John 4:11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.