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SM1135: On-Line

SM1135: A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

PROVERBS 25:13

As you look around at the things that are happening in this world we can easily become discouraged. We see the violence that is sweeping across this nation. And the violence that is taking place is not just happening in the inner cities but in small towns across America. And this violence is not limited to gang members, but your average person has fallen prey to this activity. There was even a grade school student who brought a gun to school because he had received a "time out" for his behavior the day before. His intention was to kill the teacher! I'm not even sure he understood the full extent of what he was doing, but he saw that this was a way to handle that situation which he did not like.

We see drugs freely used in this nation by people and children we would never suspect. Just recently in Green Bay a local businessman was arrested for selling pot and cocaine. And this man kept very good business records of who he sold to and, according to police, there will be more arrests, even some local business people are in trouble. There are those that want to see pot legalized and have free needles handed out to drug users to protect them from the spread of diseases. Lets forget about the drugs that are killing them!

We are also seeing a increase in deadly diseases, strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and viruses for which there is no cure. Now we can argue that some of these diseases were biologically engineered versus they have become more resistant over time as the weaker organisms died out leaving the deadly ones behind to destroy the lives of people. Whatever the case, it is still deadly.

We see people becoming more and more sensitive to food, materials, medications, and-so-on. Allergies are on the increase with occasional deadly results.

The morality in this country is spiraling downward. It starts at the top with the leaders and has filtered down to the common people. Many people now have developed a mentality of "I wouldn't do it, but if it makes you happy, then go for it!" The results of that kind of thinking is a proliferation of homosexuality, adultery, sexual promiscuity, lying, stealing, cheating, and-so-on.

"Ron Greer, a fireman and pastor in Madison, Wisconsin shared a gospel tract with other firemen at work. It was his burden to reach the lost. This tract also had a section mentioning that homosexual behavior was immoral, and sinful according to the Bible. Well, this man was suspended and ordered by the fire chief to attend a pro-homosexual 'sensitivity' training class! His church and home have been terrorized because of his stand."

Yes, Christian values, beliefs are targeted and restricted while anything and everything else goes. Coming against homosexuality can be seen as a hate crime. Coming against Christianity gets you a slap on the back, and a "that a boy" as you are taking a stand against those religious zealots. Now why isn't that a hate crime?

Now in saying all that, how do you feel? Are you encouraged? Does it make you want to shout for joy? Hearing all that is depressing to me. The loss of control in this nation is heart breaking. But I don't want to leave you in this depressing condition. So turn to Proverbs chapter 25, and lets look at verse 13 and see if Solomon can encourage us this morning.

PROVERBS 25:13

"Like the cold of snow in time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters."

During the harvest season it was very hot. And you have to remember they didn't have refrigerators or air conditioners back then. Thus, a cool breeze during a hot spell was very refreshing. A cold drink on a hot day is refreshing, it quenches your thirst. And Solomon is likening a faithful messenger and his word as being just as refreshing as a cool breeze or a cold drink. It just refreshes the soul.

That is what I would like to do this morning, give you words that will refresh you, encourage you during the days we are living in. Words that will give you a proper perspective of things that will help you forge ahead during these difficult times. I want you to leave here this morning refreshed by God's Word and His promises to us.

In speaking of the days we are living in, listen to what Paul told Timothy in II Timothy chapter 3, and see if it matches up to what we see happening all around us today. Starting in verse 1 of II Timothy chapter 3 Paul tells us, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" II Timothy 3:1-5. Doesn't that fit the picture of man today, loving himself more than anyone else and trying to have a form of religion and yet is very far from the truth?

Now when do these "last days" begin or have they begun? Some will point to Acts chapter 2 and say that the last days began on the day of Pentecost. Others will look to Hebrews chapter 1 and say that the last days began with Jesus' earthly ministry. Whichever you want to believe as the starting point there is one thing we can all agree on, WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS!

Now one of the things that troubles me is to hear Christian's deny that the Lord is coming back or ignore the things that are happening which point to His coming. And Peter warned us that there will be those who will reject this truth. He said in II Peter 3:3-4 "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'"

I truly feel sorry for people like that. Do you really want this world to continue like it is? In fact it seems to be getting worse and worse. I do not look to this present world as my hope but in the Lord's return. Paul, writing to Titus, said we should be "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13.

Maybe the reason some Christians are living in despair, lacking hope, is they have taken their eyes off of this truth and are not looking to our Lords return! Think about it. This world is not a pretty place. And Paul was telling Titus to exhort his people with this truth, that one day the Lord will return. It is our blessed hope!

Now if we are to be looking for the Lord's return, the obvious question is "How close are we?" That is what I want to share with you this morning, for I believe we are very close. Interestingly enough "According to a recent U.S. News poll, 66 percent of Americans, including a third of those who say they never attend church, say they believe that Jesus Christ will return to Earth some day - an increase from the 61 percent who expressed belief in the second coming three years ago."

You see, in people who reject God, they still believe He is coming back, as strange as that may sound. But that does not prove that Jesus is coming back soon, in fact this idea of His return has been going on for almost 2,000 years now, why is today any different?

One of the reasons I believe the Lord's return is drawing close is the advancement, the proliferation in the computer and technology industries. Speaking of just the computer industry, there is a law known as Moore's Law which states "Computer power doubles every 18 months." Can you imagine what can be accomplished in just 10, 20 or 30 years at that rate? That is what I want to share with you, for with this I don't see man surviving very long, and thus the Lord must return before we reach the level of extinction for man.

One of the most brilliant minds in the world, Steven Hawking, said "We can expect biological and electronic components to come together in the future to create super organisms that will be a new form of life." Steven Hawking is speaking of cyborg's or a terminator like creature that has evolved from man. You think this is far fetched? They are growing neurons, brain cells on silicon chips to create an interface with the two. Thus, if part of your brain is damaged, they can replace it with a chip to restore the function. Again, this is in the development stage now, but how long before this technology can be implemented only time will tell.

They call this technology "the next step in human evolution" or "bioperfection." They, in a sense, are a new human race. Peter G. has been paralyzed in a motorcycle accident from the neck down. Unable to talk, he is the first person to have a silicon chip implanted into his brain. This chip, connected to a computer can speak for him. What he is doing right now is learning how to manipulate that chip so it performs what he is thinking.

Computers have come a long way and yet they have not developed an artificial intelligence as yet. That is they are unable to set goals, reason like we do, and-so-on. And yet, in the spring of 1997 we saw Deep Blue, an IBM computer do battle in a chess tournament against Gary Kasperov, a world champion chess player.

The first match was won by Gary Kasperov, but it was troubling for him. It seemed that Deep Blue, this computer, was learning as it played, it learned from its mistakes! And in the sixth and deciding match, Deep Blue won! An intelligent machine?

In England they put together this small robot with six legs and programmed it with the information needed for walking and yet did not program it to walk. Within 10 minutes of trial and error, it was walking! The video of this was mind boggling!

There is the Honda P2 robot that can walk and go upstairs and move around like humans for about 15 minutes. Artificial intelligence is not here yet, but many feel it is only some 20-30 years away!

Now some of those working on this technology are very fatalistic about what they are doing. Dr. Moravec said "The machines will take over ultimately." Mr. Sale said that by the year 2020 the human species will be doomed by computer evolution. Steven Hawking said "We humans should be creative while we can, we may be overtaken." Terence McKenna said "Technology can deliver extinction or transformation to the human race." And again, Dr. Moravec said "We may have engineered our successors!"

One of their solutions to the problem of machines taking over the world is this, if you can't beat them, join them. You see, we are to become like computers. Right now they are working on a microchip called "soul catcher" that is placed behind the eye that will interface with a computer that can download information from our brain into the computer and from the computer into our brain. Many feel that this type of technology will be accomplished in our lifetime. The name for this new evolutionary species is "HOMOCYBERNETICUS!"

In light of all of this, the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:21-22 are even more interesting. He said of the tribulation period "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." Could it be not only nuclear annihilation of the human race that Jesus was taking about, but also technological annihilation as well?

Jesus also spoke of deadly diseases that will be a mark of the tribulation period. We are seeing an increase of AIDS, Ebola and other diseases that there is no cure for at this time. Some of the deadly bacteria are related to overuse of antibiotics which have resulted in a resistant strain of bacteria, but not all can be blamed on that of course.

There are over 100,000 genes in the body that are being mapped by scientists. It has been estimated that this work will be completed by the year 2005. And this technology can be used for good, in treating deadly diseases and-so-on. But it can also have devastating results.

Jeremy Rifkin says that in thousands of laboratory's, governmental facilities all over the world, we are "...Manipulating life at the genetic level, creating novel new forms of bacteria and viruses...Creating new transgenetic animals." What if one of those novel new life forms gets lose and is deadly? The consequences of what they are doing is overwhelming. Look what happened just with the killer bee, and experiment that got away!

John wrote the book of Revelation from the island of Patmos sometime in the 90's AD. Not much technology back then. No computers. And John tells us that during the tribulation period there will be technology around that will be used so that unless you have a certain mark on your right hand or forehead, you won't be able to buy or sell goods.

John put it this way in Revelation 13:16-17. We read "He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

Now it was not that many years ago that this technology was beyond our wildest dreams. But today, we place chips under animals skin as a permanent tag in case they get lost, or even to track them. But how far away are we from implanting those chips in humans? It is just around the corner. One of the biggest hurdles will be acceptance, the fear of losing your privacy, that Big Brother is watching.

Listen to this article, not from some Christian magazine or book, but from the Chicago Tribune, dated Tuesday, May 7, 1996. The title of this article "In Future, Tiny Chip May Get Under Skin." We read:

"A tiny chip implanted inside the human body to send and receive radio messages, long a popular delusion among paranoids, is likely to be marketed as a consumer item early in the next century."

"Several technologies already available or under development will enable electronics firms to make implantable ID locators, say futurists, and our yearning for convenience and security makes them almost irresistible to marketers."

"Inevitably, implantable radio locators conjure up visions of Big Brother and unscrupulous scientists abusing such technology to control the masses. But the researchers laying the foundations for this technology see their work as helping humankind, not subverting privacy."

"Companies already market pagers for children so parents can keep in touch when youngsters are away from home. Adding the ability to pinpoint location at any time is a natural extension; keeping track of the child through a chip implanted under the skin may be another."

...Bernard Beck, a Northwestern University Sociologist. [said] "If I have a universal ID implanted, I can cash a check anywhere in the world. There's no worry about credit cards being stolen. These are attractive matters."

"Cornish believes, at least initially, that such chips would be voluntary. But he acknowledges that 'things that are voluntary today have a way of becoming compulsory tomorrow.'"

The technology is already in existence, they are just improving it and making it more sophisticated. All your information, medical, financial, living, will be on this chip, and with it you can easily be tracked by GPS or Global Positioning Satellites. How did John know all this?

Lastly, in Ezekiel chapter 37, Ezekiel is given a vision of dry bones and the Lord brings them to life. Now I believe that this is speaking of the nation of Israel coming together again after the dispersion in 70 AD. From all over the world the Jews are returning home to Israel after almost 2,000 years of not having a homeland. The state of Israel came into being in 1948 and this year we are celebrating 50 years of its existence.

Now some would argue that this is not speaking of Israel. And they will spiritualize this as the church or whatever. Now instead of believing what I have said, lets let the Scriptures speak for themselves. In Ezekiel 37:11-13 we read "Then He said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!' Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.'" Also, in Ezekiel 37:21-22 we read "Then say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again."

I don't think it takes a theologian to figure this one out. God is speaking of Israel, and what He promised way back in the 500's BC He has now brought to pass. Not luck, just fulfillment of what God has told us would happen.

Now we can talk about a one world government coming together, but we have talked about this before. We can also talk about a one world religion, but we have also discussed this before. I think you get the point that the return of Christ is drawing closer. You see, there are over 500 predictions of Christ's second coming. How do I know they will come to pass? Because the over 300 prophecies of His first coming came to pass, we can look back and see that in the historical record.

I can't see humans becoming robots or robots taking over the world. I can't see chips being implanted forcibly before the start of the tribulation period. And I can't imagine peace in the Middle East lasting much longer, if you call this peace. One Israeli leader said of the situation "...Remember something, in the battle of the Middle East the Arabs could lose many times over and still come back. We can only lose once and we are finished." Yasser Arafat's uncle, a friend of Hitler, said over Radio Berlin to the Arabs, "Rise as one man and kill the Jews whenever you find them. This pleases God and religion - and God is with you." Arafat said "Our struggle with Israel is such that when it is finished, Israel will cease to exist. There can be no compromise."

You see, there is just to much hatred there and one day it will explode into a nuclear war and usher in the reign of the antichrist who will come on the scene as a man of peace but we will see after 3 1/2 years his true colors and they are not pretty.

Are you excited about the Lord's return? Is that your blessed hope? It should be! Jesus, in John chapter 14 is telling His disciples of His death that was approaching. He comforted them by saying "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:1-4, 6.

We are living on the other side of Jesus death and resurrection. We are looking towards His second coming which is fast approaching. Live every day with the expectancy of His return. I remember when my wife was at Mayo Clinic and I had to return to Chicago because of my job. It was hard to do that but Julie knew that I would return. And as the days passed on it didn't discourage her, for she knew that each day that past by was another day closer to my return for her.

Jesus promised us He will return, and His promise is more valuable than mine. Remember when Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts chapter 1, we read "Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'" Acts 1:9-11.

Keep your eyes focused on the Lord and hold on to that blessed hope. Remember the words of Paul the apostle to encourage us of His return in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. We read "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Be comforted. Be encouraged. Live everyday wondering if this is the one. Wake up every morning asking the Lord to use you to minister to the lost so that as many as possible will be caught up in the clouds to meet our Lord in the air. TIME IS SHORT, PRAY HARD!