Signs Everywhere: Signs

Today, God put on my heart a little short series that we're going to go into starting today called Signs. Signs Everywhere are signs. Do y'all know what I mean? Signs. Signs Everywhere are signs.

You know, Jesus is coming back. Do you believe that? Yes. Jesus is coming back. Whether— Thank you, Cheryl. Thank you. Hey, man. She said yes. Don't you love having Cheryl back?

She battled cancer. She wasn't able to be here and week after week I see her and it just like God just keeps strengthening her. It's so awesome to have. I love having that. Yes, Jesus is coming back. And I believe we believe that whether we do or not. It doesn't change. Jesus is coming back. Amen.

The Unknown Hour

The scripture tells us though this about that hour. It says in Matthew 24:36, "But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only."

None of us know the exact timing of when the Lord is coming back. None of us know the exact timing of when the church will be raptured up. Won't that be glorious? When we're raptured up. None of us know the exact timing of when Jesus will come back and put his feet down on the Mount of Olives and all judgment will be poured out and the millennium will be ushered in and the new heaven and the new earth will be ushered in. None of us know the exact time when that will happen.

But I tell you what, we do see the signs. We certainly see the signs that the end is coming. We don't know the exact hour, but boy are we seeing signs.

Introducing the Series

To this series that I'm calling signs everywhere signs. We'll be it in a few weeks. For today, God took me to the book of Daniel, which is where we've been for three or four Sundays now. What a what an awesome book in the word of God, the book of Daniel.

If you do have your copy of God's word, I do invite you to open up there to Daniel 9. If you've got that or if you've got your device, you want to pull it up. We'll be in Daniel chapter 9 today.

A few week a couple few weeks ago, I was at a physical therapy appointment and I was in the waiting room just waiting and a guy and I was reading my Bible and a guy walked by and he said, "Man, that's a good book you got there." I said, "It sure is." Well, before you know it, I found out he's a pastor and he found out I'm a pastor. So, we're talking all about the word of God.

But then he said, "What book are you in?" And I said, "Daniel." He said, "Oh, boy." He's like, "I preach Daniel 1-6 a lot of times, but I haven't yet got to 7-12." He's like, "I I I need to get to those sometime." Now, that wasn't when I decided I was going to go to these. If you don't know, Daniel 7-12 gets very very prophetical.

And let me tell you, you could dig into Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel 9, a lot of these chapters, and you could spend hours and hours and hours reading the Bible, studying commentaries. Today we're going to start with Daniel 9. We're also going to speak a little bit to Daniel 7, but the title for our message today is setting the table for peace. Setting the table for peace.

Reading Daniel 9:20-27

For those who are able, I do invite you to stand with me in honor of the reading of the word of God. Daniel chapter 9 is where we're at. We're going to begin reading in verse 20. Daniel chapter 9, beginning in verse 20, the word of God says,

"Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God." Yes. While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I'd seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me and talked with me and said, "Oh Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications, the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore, consider the matter and understand the vision. 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the prince there shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks. The street shall be built again and the wall even in troublesome times. And after the 62 weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood until the end of the war. Desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week he shall bring in into sacrifice and offering and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate."

God, thank you for your word. And God, today as we break open your word, God, we just ask you to speak to our hearts, God, as we're as we've read the word and as we're pondering the word and as the word of God is being preached, Lord, I just pray you would would speak to our hearts, God. Teach us and instruct us and mold us more and more into your image. again. God, I pray if there's one in need of salvation, God, I pray today would be the day anybody that needs a relationship with you, Jesus, would be the day that they call on you, Jesus, as Lord and Savior. We love you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you. You may be seated.

Prophecy Is Hard

Let me tell you something. Anybody confused when you read that? No. Okay. Well, I tell you one thing I think about as I dig into a lot like Daniel 9 and other parts of Daniel and other prophecy is prophecy is hard. We don't know everything, but we do know the one who does. Amen.

Can I just be honest and say that I'm still trying to understand scripture? Can I be honest as your pastor and say there's things I don't know that and I don't believe I will ever be able to understand everything in the word of God. Now that doesn't change that we want to dig in. Amen. We want to dig in the word of God. We want to rightly divide the word of truth. We want to grow. But I'm going to tell you what, you dig into Daniel 9 and even just those four ver those verses 24- 27, man, it's hard. And believe me, there are you you start digging, go back and study Daniel 9 today or study Daniel 7 and Daniel 8, understand you will get different views to try to understand the details of this scripture.

But I want to I want to tell you this, whatever what we speak about today, we're going to speak a little bit to this passage, but more than anything, and this passage speaks to prophecy, and part of this passage speaks to the end of time. But something I want to say more than anything is we don't know all the answers. None of us know exactly when the Lord is coming back. None of us know exactly the timing of the rapture. None of us know exactly the timing of when Jesus is will pour out his final judgment on this earth. But we do know this. He is coming back. And more than anything, I want to say to everybody, are you ready? Are you ready? If Jesus were to come back today, are you right with the Lord? Have you trusted in the Lord? And as a believer, are you doing what Scott was talking about? Is the bride active serving the Lord?

You know, this passage, there's no question it's difficult. Would y'all agree this is a difficult passage? I would say this is a passage that is very difficult. But, you know, we're going to speak about much of it, but first I'll say this in the very last verse that we read today. I I'm sorry, not Yeah, I believe it was the last verse. verse 27. At the beginning of that verse, we read about a peace deal, a covenant of peace that's going to be made. And most people believe this is referring to the Antichrist that he'll make this peace deal and that will start the period we know as the seven-year tribulation.

Daniel's Prayer

We're going to get to that final verse. But before we do, I want us to build up to that point. If you flip back in Daniel 9, if you've got your Bibles, we started in verse 20, but if you flip back to verse one of Daniel 9, what you'll read about is Daniel was praying. I tell you what, I love the way Daniel was a prayer warrior. Amen. That man was a prayer warrior.

And understand, Daniel had been in captivity most of his life, right? Yeah. Y'all remember he got taken, many believe he got taken in 605 BC. He got taken from Jerusalem by Babylon. There were different stages of when Babylon conquered Jerusalem or when they took people captive. 605 BC it's believed is one of them. I believe around 597 or 598 BC is another one. And of course 586 BC is when Jerusalem got conquered.

So Daniel he he's praying but understand he's been in captivity in Babylon all these years since a young man. Now God used him mightily in Babylon. We've been speaking about many of the ways he got used that we read about in Daniels 1-6. God wor he he was he did not lose his identity as a child of God even though he was captive in a foreign land. He was bold for the Lord and God raised him up in a foreign land. An incredible story.

But what we see in Daniel 9 as it opens up is he is praying for God's mercies. He's been reading from from Jeremiah's writings. Remember Jeremiah is the prophet before Daniel that had prophesied that Jerusalem would be conquered before Babylon conquered them. And anyway, Daniel is reading in his writings, in Jeremiah's writings, that were inspired by God. And he's seeing that that that period that that is that is written in there was going to be 70 years. He knows the 70 years is coming to an end. And he's crying out to God. He's pleading to God for mercy at the beginning of Daniel 9. He knows this 70 years is is coming to an end. That Israel has been in captivity. Jerusale, they've been in captivity in Babylon. And he's calling out to God.

Then as he calls out to God, it says in verse three, "Then I turn my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes." He is crying out to God. He is pouring his heart out to God.

Gabriel's Visit

And then what we see in verse 22 of chapter 9, we see that the angel Gabriel comes to Daniel. It actually while he's praying, it says there in verse 21, "Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me be about the time of the evening offering."

It's interesting reading that I can't say I know, but it we know he had seen Daniel before, Gabriel before. We read about that in Daniel 7. We read about that in Daniel 8. But it says that Gabriel reached him about the time of the evening offering. And it says in verse 22, "And Gabriel, and he informed me and talked with me and said, oh Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand." And then in verse 23, at the beginning of your supplications, the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved.

I don't know, but it almost seems like a command went out when Daniel started crying out and the angel Gabriel was commanded to come to Daniel. That's when I read it, that's kind of what I see. And I picture Gabriel traveling from heaven, this angel to be on earth with Daniel. It almost to me as I read that it seems like there was a period of time maybe it before Gabriel got there. But regardless of the fact, we know the angel Gabriel visits Daniel while he was calling out in prayer. He gets there at the time of the evening sacrifice. It's hard to know how long Daniel had been praying. I in my mind I think Daniel I just think he had been crying out a few hours or something. Crying out a while and the command went out for Gabriel to come. the angel Gabriel to come. And then Gabriel, however way he traveled from heaven, he got to Daniel.

And he gives Daniel this prophecy that is often referred to as the 70 weeks prophecy. We read about it there in verses 24 through 27.

The 70 Weeks Prophecy

We're going to get to verse 27 where we read about this covenant that's going to be made, this peace deal that's going to be made. But first, let's speak a little bit about what on earth is the 70 weeks prophecy. What does this mean? This 70 weeks prophecy. Again, I'll tell you there's different views on this and it's certainly one that is very hard to understand, but it starts out with verse 24. 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

Now, most scholars believe this 70 weeks refers to 77s. We know 7 is God's perfect number, right? And most believe that when you multiply 70 * 7, it's 490 years. So it's pretty generally accepted that this 70 weeks 77s refers to a period of 490 years.

Also in verses 20 in verse 24 when you read that when I read that there's part of this that I believe relates to Daniel's time until the time of Jesus and his first coming. And it could be the time that he was crucified. It could be the time that he was, you know, came in in the triumphal entry. But there's part of this time that refers to to a time from Daniel's time to the time that Jesus came on this earth. And then the the the the final part of this 70week prophecy refers to the end of time.

In general as you read this, the first seven weeks of this 70we prophecy refer to the time to rebuild Jerusalem. Verse 25 says, "Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks." What does that add up to? 69 weeks, right? It's not quite 70 weeks. It's 69 weeks.

The first seven weeks that there were different when you go through the Old Testament, there were different times that it was commanded to that you could possibly say this was the command to rebuild Jerusalem. Because remember Jerusalem had been conquered by Babylon, right? Jerusalem had been conquered in 586 BC. That's why Daniel was in captivity. So Jerusalem was in in a in in ashes. It was torn down. But there was a command when God's people got out of captivity to go and rebuild Jerusalem. And scholars, you know, don't know and can't come to a general consensus on the exact date. Many say 458 BC when Artis Xerxes issued a decree, but there's different potentials dates around 458 BC that many believe that that was the command to rebuild Jerusalem. And what it says is 7 weeks from then, which is 7 * 7 is 49. So 49 years from then is the first 7 weeks.

Then the next 62 weeks, which I believe is 434 years, is the time to Jesus and his first coming. Most believe it would it represents the time to when he was crucified. Although scholars have different views on it. I would encourage you if you want to dig more into the details of that and dig into it, block out a half a day, block out a day and dig into it.

But what you've got is you got 7 weeks, which is 49 years till the time of rebuilding Jerusalem because Jerusalem was in ashes was was was conquered. Then another 62 weeks, which is 434 years until the time of Jesus and his first coming. Most believe until the time he was crucified. It says to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity. When Jesus died for us, he made reconciliation for iniquity. But to bring in everlasting righteousness and to still vision and prophecy that more points towards after that there was more prophecy after Jesus rose from the dead. We know that we know John wrote on Patmos Island a lot of years after that. So most believe part of that refers to the final 70th week.

The 70th Week and Tribulation

So we talked a little bit about what the first 69 weeks are. Well, what is that 70th week referring to? Well, most believe that the first 69 weeks has already happened. When Jesus came in his first first coming, when Jesus died, that marked the end of 69 weeks. The period we are in now is often referred to as the church age. And the big question is nobody knows exactly how long the church age will last because none of us know the hour, right?

But there's going to come a day when there's the 70th week is going to start sometime between the end between when Jesus came the first time and when Jesus died for us and when Jesus rose. We're now in the church age and sometime that 70th week is going to kick off and that 70th week is the final seven years that we often refer to as the tribulation. And we don't know how long it will be before that 70th week comes. We don't know how long it will be before the antichrist signs this peace deal that's talked about in verse 27. We don't know the exact timing of when the Lord will rapture his church, but we know this. We are certainly seeing the signs, and we better be ready. Amen.

Do y'all know what I mean when I say we're seeing the signs? I don't know about y'all, but I look around at the world today and we are seeing signs and we ought to be ready.

You know, Matthew 24, we're not going to get into that passage today, but it's the beginning of the Olivette discourse where the disciples asked Jesus, "What will be the signs of your coming and of the end of the age?" When you go to Matthew 24, and we might we might go there next Sunday or another Sunday, but you see those signs that are pointed to in Matthew 24, we've already seen them and we're still seeing them.

Setting the Table for Peace

Today what I want to speak to for the most of the remainder of the day is really hone in on verse 27 and speak to the fact that the table is being set for peace.

You know, Wednesday night, Reeba actually asked kind of towards the end of Bible study something the effect of what do you think about everything going on in the world today? And I shared some of the things that I'm going to share right now that God had already been dealing with me about.

You know, a week and a half or however long it's been, many of y'all saw the news that there was trying to work out a peace deal with Israel and with Hamas, right? Most of y'all saw that, right? And I don't Did anybody else see it? Know what I'm talking about? Well, for most of us when we saw it, I don't know if y'all thought like me, but it was like all over the news talking about peace. peace. I mean, I was hearing about peace more than I've heard in a long time.

And, you know, it immediately made me think I think I was ironing my clothes or something. It made me think about Daniel 9. And it made me think about how one day the Antichrist is going to promise peace with Israel and promise peace with this world. And everybody will people will believe him.

You know, in my heart, I believe the Lord is going to rapture us up like it says in Revelation, he'll save us from the hour of trial. And if that is the case, that we're all raptured up before the tribulation starts, can't you all the more see where the world would believe the Antichrist? It talks about the Antichrist won't be fully revealed in Thessalonians won't be the man of sin won't be fully revealed until the falling away takes place. Some say that refers to the church being raptured and this world getting super ungodly after.

But you know, when I was listening to the news, something that really caught my attention was when I heard on the news that there was going to be a board of peace that was going to be formed. Now, clearly, I don't know the way all these things are going to play out. I'm just telling you, as I heard that this board of peace was going to be a formed, boy, did I really start to think about Daniel 9. That was what immediately hit me.

And this board of peace, from what I've heard on it, is going to consist of different world leaders from Arab nations, from around the Middle East, from the United States, and it's going to have a lot of world leaders and they're going to be concerned with peace in Gaza, rebuilding Gaza, and in general with peace in that region.

You know, as I was reading that, it made me think of Daniel 9 27. Daniel 9 27 says, "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week." And it's pretty unanimous that people believe that he is referring to the Antichrist, that the Antichrist will confirm a covenant, a peace deal. It says with many and that term many you could interpret it different ways but I believe a way that would be likely to interpret it is that when the antichrist makes this peace deal it's going to be made with many world leaders and it's going to be made concerning that area in Israel and that area in the Middle East he's going to confirm a peace covenant to ensure peace in that area with many and that's going to mark the beginning of the 70th week. The 70th week, the final seven years, the years that the Bible refers to as the tribulation, you know.

And as I think about a board of peace being formed for many nations, I think to myself, although I don't know how it's going to all play out, boy, the table is sure being set for peace. You know what I mean? the table and the world view is sure being set up to where you could see world leaders coming together and the antichrist eventually rising up.

The Antichrist in Daniel 7

Now, speaking of the antichrist, has anybody ever read how all the different names that people have thought might be the antichrist? If you Google that, you will you will read name after name after name after name where people said this person must be the antichrist. This person must be the antichrist.

Something to remember about the Antichrist. There's a lot we see in scripture as we read about the Antichrist. We read about a lot of it in Daniel 7. One thing is we know he's a little horn that rises up. In other words, the Antichrist isn't somebody that's known as the greatest world leader. He's a little horn possibly from a smaller nation. We don't know exactly, but he's going to rise up to power. So, he's not going to be one of the most powerful per people that we know.

Daniel 7, it talks about the Antichrist. If you want to flip back to Daniel 7, you you you go back there. Daniel 7, we read about a vision that God gives Daniel. And this is another tough one to get into. I'm not going to get into it today, but it Daniel has a vision of four beasts in that in that vision that he has from God.

The first beast is a lion, and it had eagle's wings, and its wings were plucked off. Most people believe that that refers to Babylon. And we remember King Nebuchadnezzar was humbled when his mind got overtaken. And that's the part that's referring to his wings being plucked off.

The second beast Daniel talks about there in his vision was like a bear. Most people believe that refers to the Persian kingdom which took over once and took over Babylon.

The third beast in Daniel 7 was like a leopard and it had something on its back like four wings of a bird. Most believe this refers to Alexander the Great when he just sped through and created their empire and then he was killed at a young age and the his four generals took over his empire.

Then there's the fourth beast of Daniel 7. Watch what it says in Daniel 7:7. A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. Then later, Daniel 7, it says, "It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had 10 horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, referring to the Antichrist, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words."

Then in Daniel 7:23, the fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth. So there, this fourth beast, what we get a picture of is a kingdom on earth like no other kingdom that's going to overtake the whole world. Kind of like a worldwide government. And then it says, "And it'll trample and break into pieces. The 10 horns are 10 kings." So it it's talking about kind of possibly 10 leaders helping to oversee this kingdom like no other kingdom ever. Who shall arise from this kingdom and another shall arise after them. He shall be different from the first ones and shall subdue three kings. And that's referring to the little horn rising up, the antichrist.

So the fourth beast refers to this kingdom that's different that devours the whole earth. There's these 10 horns representing 10 kings, 10 powerful people, 10 powerful world leaders. But a little horn rises up, probably a lesserk known world leader. We don't know for sure. He takes out three of the main key leaders, but I don't know. When I read all that, don't you see how the table is being set up for peace?

Now, clearly, we don't know the timing. We don't know how long this will all play out, how long this will take. But boy, when I when I see what's going on in the world, I say to myself, man, the table is being set. We better be ready. The table is being set. We better be ready.

Daniel 7 21 says, "I was watching and the same horn," again referring to that little horn, the Antichrist, the man of sin, was making war against the saints and prevailing against them.

We know the antichrist, he's going to promise peace, but then he's going to break that covenant in the middle of the seven years, and he's going to start persecuting Christians. Daniel 7:2, he shall speak pompous words against the most high, shall persecute the saints of the most high, and shall intend to change the times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and a time and half a time.

Again, we know the Antichrist when he makes this covenant that we read about in Daniel 9 verse 27, it's going to be a promise of peace for seven years, but he's going to break it after 3 and 1/2 years. And that's and he's going to set himself up to be worshiped in the Jewish temple. The Jewish temple in Jerusalem isn't there right now. So that that will be another sign when the temple starts getting rebuilt. That will be another sign that is getting closer. But the temple at that time will have been rebuilt and the antichrist will have come to power. That little horn will have risen up. But then after three and a half years, he'll break that piece and he will set himself up to be worshiped in the temple.

Now, there's people disagree on this. In my heart, I think we're if we're a believer, we're going to already be raptured up during this time. But man, talk about an awful time when he sets himself up to be worshiped. And then that ushers in the great tribulation, the final three and a half years.

It says in Daniel 9:27, "But in the middle of the week, halfway through that last seven years, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering." Halfway through the tribulation, the Antichrist will break his covenant of peace and will start persecuting the saints.

Some say if the church is raptured, how could be there be believers during the tribulation? Well, remember in the book of Revelation, we read about the two witnesses who are going to proclaim the gospel. And we also read about the 144,000 Jewish witnesses. A lot of people are going to get saved during the tribulation, but they're going to pay a price if they don't take the mark of the beast. They're going to be killed. And there's going to be great persecution breaking out. But those final three and a half years, the Antichrist will wreak havoc. He'll bring an end to Jewish offerings. He'll kill Christians.

But overall the biggest thing I thought just to kick off this series about signs, signs everywhere are signs is boy, don't you see the signs that we're seeing about how the world is setting up to come together in that part of the world to talk about peace? And I don't know how long it'll go on. Nobody knows the hour. Nobody knows the hour. But can you see how the table is being set for peace? How the table is being set for world leaders to come together? And how the table is being set for whenever that time comes for that little horn to rise up. And when he rises up and makes that covenant, that peace covenant with many, that'll mark the beginning of the 70th week of the seven-year tribulation.

Be Ready and Proclaim the Gospel

What do we take away from this? Biggest thing I would say is we are seeing the signs. We don't know how long those signs will go on. You know, in Matthew 24, it talks about birth painans. We don't know how long this will go on, but we are seeing the signs. We better be ready.

And tell you, one way to be ready is to make sure we are saved. Make sure you are right with Jesus. Make sure you've trust in Jesus. When you talk to people, you'll hear from people a lot of ways that they maybe think they'll get to heaven. I mean, you will. people that are on the news, people that are talking to everybody, people that you talk to, you will hear a lot of ways that people people think they get to heaven by being a good person. You don't get to heaven by being a good person. And maybe a lot of you in here know that, but a lot of people out in the world don't know that. A lot of people out in the world think because they're a good person, they're getting to heaven. make sure there's only one way to heaven and that way, the only way is through faith in Jesus Christ.

So, knowing that we're seeing the signs, knowing that we're seeing the table being set for peace, more than anything, I want to tell you, make sure you've made that decision to trust in Jesus, to give your life to Jesus.

And secondly, if you are saved, if you are a believer, we need to have an urgency to proclaim the gospel. Amen. We need to have an urgency. I think a lot of times in the United States in general, we can get kind of lacadasical. We can kind of just go through the motions. Maybe we say, "I'll go to church. I've done my part." But we've got to have an urgency to proclaim the gospel. For one, we don't know how long we'll be here. how long before God takes us on before we die. We don't we don't know when it'll be our last day. And for two, we don't know when the rapture is going to be. I mean, the Lord could take us up at any moment. That's the way we ought to believe. He says he comes as a thief in the night.

And can't you see how if that is the case, that he takes us up first. how if that little horn rises up once we're gone, how the whole world will believe his lies because there won't be many believers here anymore except the ones that get saved in the tribulation.

But secondly, if you're a believer, mate, let's have an urgency to proclaim the gospel. It's such a joy to share the gospel. It's such a joy to see someone come to a saving faith and a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you want to lead somebody to Jesus? You can. Do you want to win souls for Christ? You can. Do you want to see people get saved, church, do you? You can see them get saved, but it takes God's people sharing the gospel. How is someone going to believe without a preacher? How is someone going to believe without someone sharing the gospel? Faith comes through hearing, hearing through the word of God.

So as we wrap up today and as we think about the signs and we think about how the table is being set for peace believers, let's have an urgency to leave from this place and to share the love of Christ and to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer

God, we love you and I just thank you and I praise you for this day. I thank you for your word. I thank you for the way that as believers I do believe you tell us in the word to be watchful. You tell us to be watchful because you'll come as a thief in the night. Thank you that as we see what's going on in our world and as we consider the word of God, you can put in our heart a spirit of discernment.

And God, something that I know you put in my heart is we are seeing the signs. And God, I just pray knowing that we are seeing the signs. Signs, signs everywhere, signs. I just pray that knowing that we are seeing those signs that it gives us as believers an urgency to live out our faith in Jesus, to put away sin and live for Jesus, and to tell this world about Jesus.

And Lord, I pray that as we speak about this, that if there's someone here today that's never given their life to Jesus, they would not put it off anymore. But today would be the day that they call on you, Jesus, as Lord and as Savior. We love you. It's in Jesus name we pray.