Dear Reader,

These are truly exciting times we are living in! Ever since Jesus left earth with the promise to return, people have been anticipating and pointing towards signs of his return. Wars and rumors of wars have been with us since He first left, earthquakes have always been with us, and from the very beginning brother has betrayed brother even to death. We would all agree we have seen an escalation of tension between nations, and earthquakes and storms seem to be getting stronger and are appearing in places they have never been before.  But does this mean the end is here?

War seems to be unavoidable between Israel and Iran, while peace with North Korea appears to be just around the corner. A new persecution against Christians has broken out in China unlike any it has seen since the cultural revolution. Nations, families, and even churches are dividing over issues of abortion, homosexuality,  and other sinful and selfish desires. One stands in wonder at how good is being called evil and evil is looked upon as good. Now then we should not be surprised, we were told these things would happen. But once again, does this mean the end is here?

Did not Jesus say that all these things would take place? In Matthew 24 He lays it out pretty clear:
Vs. 4,5; …many will come deceiving…
Vs. 6; …wars, rumors of wars (don’t be alarmed the end is still to come)…
Vs. 7,8; …nations and kingdoms will rise against each other, famines and earthquakes will come in various places (these are the beginning of birth pains)…
Vs.. 9-13; …persecution and false prophets will appear, the love of MOST will grow cold…
Vs.. 14 …the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached to all nations (Then the end shall come)…

Friends, never in the history of the earth have we seen revival like we are seeing in China today! Despite, or should I say because of intense persecution, we are hearing reports of up to 30,000 people every day coming to Christ. Out of this same revival is what may be the largest mission outreach ever, as Chinese missionaries are boldly going  into some of the most hostile countries of the world to take the good news of Jesus Christ. While radical Muslims are taking their own lives to kill and destroy as many as possible, radical Christians are giving up their lives to love and point people to Christ. While most churches in the west are inward-focused, the church in the East is outward-focused, and the results are phenomenal. If Jesus’ words are true: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Mat. 24:14 KJV)then we should all prepare ourselves, for his return is just around the corner.

This should not cause us alarm, but we should rejoice, and join the force. There is work for us all to do, the task is not just for one but for us all. It is time to stop looking inward and start looking outward. Would you join the force to preparing the way for Christ return?