_______________________________________________________________________

The Bible spends a great amount of time and space prophesying and predicting what will happen in this world in the final days before the return of Christ and the final judgment of God. When Jesus taught His disciples about the last days, He told them to look at the fig tree and just as the leaves appearing on it means that summer is drawing very near, so it would be with certain signs and events in the final days. The Bible says that at the end of his life, Jacob called his sons together to tell them what would befall them "in the last days." In the same way, our heavenly Father has foretold to us what would happen "in the last days" of humanity, and, as we see certain things being fulfilled from scripture, we can definitely know that we are living at the close of the Era of Grace.

When we think about signs of the end times or proofs of the last days, we often think about the book of Revelation with its wonderful mysteries and trumpets and wars and such. And such things are valid and needful for understanding. We can tell from a careful study of the books of Daniel and Revelation that we are definitely getting close to the end. Let me take a moment before getting to the main point of my message and elaborate on some recent developments that are leading us even closer to the fulfillment of such prophecies.

In Revelation chapter 11 and many other places in the Bible, it is prophesied that a temple in Jerusalem to Jehovah God would see a world leader, claiming peaceful intentions, who will enter into this temple and proclaim himself as the Messiah of the Jews. This world leader will actually be the Anti-Christ and will be the world leader who will become a pawn in Satan's affairs. Since A.D. 70, there has been no temple in Jerusalem, and it follows that for a world leader to be able to do such things upon entering the temple, that a temple must be rebuilt. The problem is that there is a sacred Islamic shrine very near the exact temple spot in Jerusalem. Over the last five years, talks have increased about the possibility of allowing the Jews to build another temple there as long as it is under U.N. control and that the Arabs could worship nearby at the same time. This is startling in that the 11th chapter of Revelation proclaims that the newly-built temple's outer courts will be "given to the Gentiles!"

Even more startling is the recent news that in 2005 that the newly reborn Sanhedrin -- the same court that crucified Jesus -- announced, and I quote, "the decision has been made to begin the actual rebuilding of Israel's Third Temple." They -- like was done in Solomon's day -- are prefabricating it off site and storing it for the day that they can move it to the temple mount and assemble it. Add to that fact the announcement in 2006 that the organization in Jerusalem called the Temple Institute has finished the construction and the making of all temple furniture and utensils that will be needed once the temple is built, and we realize just how close we are getting to the end. You can travel to Jerusalem and see in a display at the Temple Institute all of these things that are just waiting for a temple to be built! Truly the signs show that we are in the last days!

Even more "under the radar" but alarming is the U.S. law issuing a national ID that passed last year and that is now currently being implemented. Between now and May of 2008, Americans will receive national ID cards without which they will be unable to hold a job or open a bank account. President Bush signed this into law last year and it is a done deal. It will be marketed as the REAL ID.

If you do not see this as ominous and bothersome, then you probably do not know that the Bible prophesies that in the end times the Antichrist will pass a law that unless all people in the world receive a number that they will not be able to buy or sell anything. This is called the "mark of the beast" and is not a stamp on the forehead, but a numbering, economical system by which everyone is required to get a worldwide number without which they cannot function as a society. The scripture says that because getting such an mark will involve allegiance to the Antichrist and worship of his system; that whoever gets the mark will be lost for forever. The Bible also says that the mark would be placed within the hand or forehead of the recipient.

Over the last few years we have seen things happen to pave the way for the mark of the beast. I do not believe that the REAL ID is the actual mark of the beast because it does not carry with it the allegiance to the Antichrist and the temple has not yet been built. But I do realize that it is setting us up for the mark. For the government to decree that we must take a number and take a card and we must have it in order to have a job or buy and sell is a bit close to scripture for comfort. They have been implementing chips into animals and even humans for years carrying vital information such as a bank account and such, and now that everyone in America is getting a national ID number and entered into a database, it will be even easier to take the next step of getting a chip placed in the hand or forehead. I'm not talking about a sign of the end times in the Philippines or China somewhere but rather a law that is about to be enacted between now and the next two years! Truly the signs say that we are closer than ever to the return of Jesus Christ! Truly the leaves of the fig tree are blooming signaling summer is almost upon us. Are you ready for His return? Now is the time to think of it -- not tomorrow, because we are fast reaching the place where there might not be a tomorrow!

_______________________________________________________________________

In studying prophecy, we often focus on the "biggies" like the ones that I have mentioned as proof that we are living in the end times, but I would like to point out that in focusing on the seals and trumpets of revelation and the mark of the beast, we too often ignore many other scriptures which give many more common signs that have been screaming at us for a long time that we are living in the last days. The seals and trumpets and mark, we can do nothing about, but there are plenty of signs of the end times given by God that we can do something about because they are dealing with people and their actions and lifestyles. In fact, God uses people -- living, breathing human beings and their attitudes and traits-- as more signs of the end times than all of the mysteries of Revelation and Daniel combined. Sometimes in looking for great wars and great fulfillments in the political world, we forget that we are surrounded by signs of the last days, even right here in Castroville and maybe even in our church. We worship beside them and work with them and maybe even live with them. We co-exist with millions of signs of the last days. Signs of the last days are literally walking around us.

Take our text in Luke chapter 21 where Jesus told the disciples that just as the leaves of the fig trees signal the soon approach of summer, so would there be definite signs of the last days. After saying this, instead of mentioning beasts and Antichrists and such, His next words were:

Maybe a clearer translation would help:

Did you catch it? He said "watch out lest by your lifestyle you become a very sign of the last days!" Then Jesus gave three attitudes and lifestyles of people as signs of the last days and that we were to keep ourselves from these things because they would cause us to miss His coming. Let's take them one by one:

The Greek word here literally means "headaches and other pains from drinking and immoral behavior." Some scholars advise translators that are putting the scriptures in foreign language to render it as "bad things people do when they are drunk." It refers to a party lifestyle and the resulting complications that come with it!

Is not there many such signs walking around us every day!? Is not this world overcome with a carousing attitude and the custom of this world for young people to give themselves to such immorality and then spend the rest of their life dealing with the headaches from their past!? Every where you go there are billboards and advertisements for the booze industry advertising a carousing lifestyle. Such a lifestyle is the norm for most of our society and unfortunately we have reached the day where I could quote many important scriptures partially and many of you could not be able to finish it for me, but if I said "Less filling" many of you instantly know the rest . . . Truly we are in the last days!

The Greek word means "any degree of intoxication." Jesus warned His disciples against any degree of intoxication -- not just against what the government defines as is legally drunk. I was amazed to read in a religious article the other day that "the Bible does not forbid the use of alcohol in Christians." Hogwash! They need to go back and read the scripture a little bit closer, because the scripture says:

"Well I drink a little but never get legally drunk." The intoxication begins at the first sip and just because you don't visibly notice the effect of it until the level has risen somewhat does not take away from the fact that the first sip raised the alcohol level in your blood! And the Greek word for "drunkenness" refers to any level of intoxication. The very fact that we have some "believers" who would defend their drinking rather than obey the Word of God and surrender this area to God is a sign in itself of the last days! But let's not hammer the attitude of drunkenness so much that we forget that just as serious is:

Or as the NLT put it: "worries of this life." This is in the same categories of warning with carousing and drunkenness but some Christians who would never pick up a beer can become so intoxicated with worrying about the things of this life that they neglect the things of God. When you come in to praise God and you cannot focus on Him because of your busy schedule that is running through your mind or your job pressure or worry about this or that, then we have fallen into a trap of the end time! We live in a time where people cannot pray and read the Bible because their mind is filled with too many things. We are an anxious society with little peace and little rest. Never has there been a time where people worried more about day-to-day things of no or little eternal significance and as such they prove that we are in the last days!

Another scripture reveals a very present attitude of the end times:

The NLTse is even clearer as to the context and scope of this verse:

The scripture commands us to meet together with other believers in a church service regularly and to meet more and more frequently as we get closer to the Day of Christ's return. The very fact that this commandment is given means that obviously the trend of the world as we got closer and closer to the return of Christ would be to attend church less and less.

Is this not we see today? The early Apostolic church met morning and evening on the Lord's Day and met during the week for regular prayer meetings and Bible Studies. At the very least, the Apostolic church of today should be still at that same level! But there are many people who say "I don't need to go to church all of the time" or "it is not required to attend church to be saved." And they disobey the commandment of scripture and don't even realize that they have fallen prey to a spirit of the age and themselves they have become a sign of the last days. Their attitude proves that we have reached the day where such a commandment and exhortation is needed!

Coming to church ought to be such a part of your weekly lifestyle that it takes precedence over everything else! You kids should never have to look at you and say "are we going to church tonight?" The bottom line is that the Bible equated faithfulness to church services with those who would be ready at Christ's return! Those who choose to ignore this scripture have themselves become a sign of the last days!

And for those who would scoff and say "Jesus is not coming back soon, that's just a preacher trying to scare somebody" I would point out that you too are a sign of the last days:

So to those who would mock at the reminder that Jesus' return is very close, I say "thank you," because you have just become yet another -- as if we needed another -- sign of the last days!

What's the point preacher? The point is that we must guard against such attitudes and actions ourselves lest we ourselves become the sign of the last days. Jesus said "watch yourselves." We truly are close to the end of time, but you don't want your life to be a sign of it because you are filled with carousing, drunkenness, worries of life, lack of church attendance, and not taking His coming very soon seriously! In these ways, don't be a sign of the last days!

_______________________________________________________________________

Even more disturbing a sign is people following religious superstars with the crowds. We live in a day where people are drawn to men and women in the religious world not Jesus and doctrine. You need a pastor, and it is good to have men and women of God as positive role models, but beware lest we say "they are such great speakers or well known that whatever they say must be right, regardless of what the Bible says."

I am reminded of a story of the late T.W. Barnes who was a mighty prophet and miracle worker. Early in his ministry, he decided -- in the midst of seeing God do marvelous miracles and wonders -- to put a sign on the tent where he was preaching that said "T.W. Barnes Ministries." That night no body got the Holy Ghost and nobody was healed although he prayed for a bunch of people. The next night had the same futile results. After about three days of that, God spoke to Bro. Barnes in prayer and said "you said that it was your ministries so I decided to let you heal them yourself." The sign came down and the miracles resumed!

Listen to this preacher: I careless how big a house they live in or how much money they make. It doesn't matter how many people know them, tune into their broadcast, or how many people buy their book. It doesn't matter their fame -- if they don't line up to the Word of God, then they are accursed by God! It doesn't matter how many people go to their church. Elijah never had anybody except Elisha follow him, but he was a man of God! Everybody turned their back of Jeremiah and yet he truly had heard from God!

We live in this superstar religious age where everything is about personalities and stardom and not about doctrine. I'm hearing way too much that "well Joyce Myres says, or Billy Graham said, or the pope said." Listen carefully: the Bible never prophesies that a true and great prophet would arise in the last days. We know that there will be two witnesses to Israel but there are none prophesied that will arise as a true spokesperson to be the one person for the entire world to turn to on religion. Why, then do we try to make religious superstars out of people and take their word and crowds as proof that it is truth!? What the Bible does prophesy is that in the last days there would be many false prophets arise!:

"Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray!" Are we not seeing this now!? We have mega churches where no doctrine is preached and the Gospel is watered down and the crowds love it because they can attend church for one hour on Sunday morning and feel religious and ignore most of the scripture about how we should live.

"How can we tell whether or not they are a false prophet or not?" What doctrine do they teach and preach? The Bible says if a man or angel preaches you any other gospel let him be accursed! The religious climate of America is a sign of the last days, but don't you be a part of it! The Bible commands the Godly preacher to:

Certainly, we have seen the fulfillment of this prophecy in modern religious landscape! I could go on and on about prophecies of people as signs of the end times but it's clear that we are surrounded by millions of such signs found in the humanity around us! Let me just read you 2 Timothy 3:1-5 in the NLT:

Has there ever been a generation that fit the description of these verses better than the current day climate of our world? If you are wanting proof that we are in the last days, then forget about wars and trumpets and beasts and just look around you! And we must take the warning of Jesus and beware lest we be overcome with such things and become a negative sign of the last days by our own lifestyle!

_______________________________________________________________________

As I steer toward the close of this message, let me remind you that not all of the signs of the last days are sinful and negative. There are some positive signs of the last days before us in this very place tonight!

Remember the Day of Pentecost? Peter stood up after the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the 120 and proclaimed under the unction of the Spirit of God:

"In the last days" God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh! If you have received the Holy Spirit, then you are a sign of the last days! And that's a sign that you want to be a part of! If the 120 getting the Holy Spirit 2,000 years ago was a sign of the last days, then how much more are we at the end now!?

Think of the promise: "all flesh." That means that people raised in church would get the Holy Spirit and people not raised in church. That means that old people would get it and children would get it and people of all ages in between would get it. That means that rich people would get it and poor people would get it and Jews and Gentiles alike would receive it! That means that liars would get it and good people would get it and white and black and brown and yellow and any shade in between! That means that smart and dumb and educated and ignorant and outgoing people and shy people would all receive the Holy Spirit! That means that people that were sexually and morally pure would get it and also homosexuals and prostitutes would be able to repent and get it! Southerners and Northerners and Americans and from every culture and land and religious background -- they would all have the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit in the last days!

Look around at our church and the Apostolic church abroad and you see every possible scenario and that there is someone from every background that has been filled with His Spirit and is living for Christ! We are signs of the last days! We are signs of the end times because God has poured out His Spirit truly without respect of person!

In the Book of Daniel, the prophet gives a long, detailed description about the Antichrist, but hidden amongst all of the negative prophecies are two very positive signs of the last days:

In the last days, there will be two positive signs:

1. The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action! and

2. The wise among the people shall make many understand.