Road to Armageddon and Beyond
DAY 1 As we are facing the new millenium, topics about the future or the dooms day or about heaven and hell is becoming more and more popular. Many people want to know what is beyond death, that is beyond the dooms day and whether there is life after death in heaven or in hell. Therefore, this series of six regarding “The Road of Armageddon and BEYOND” is a topic that is very suitable as we are facing the new millennium. Basically, there are three groups of people: a. The first group of people is the CHOOSE-TO-IGNORE group. They say, “I don’t care about DEATH nor life after death. When and if happens, then let it be. I am not afraid of death, and it is something that is just simply beyond our control.” People choose to ignore these topics because they think that there is nothing that they can do right now that will change their life after death. People also choose to ignore because these are scary topics that will force us to face the reality that we will someday die, and what will happen after that? We don’t know the answer. This uncertainty makes people uncomfortable; therefore, it is easier to just simply ignore the topic. But the truth is, ALL MAN will face death, and we have to know whether there is life after death or not, and whether there is something that we can do now to set our life after death into a comfortable and fulfilling life. Choosing to ignore this topic is an UNWISE and IRRESPONSIBLE decision. b. The second group of people is the CURIOUS group. They say, “I am kind of interested in “things about death and life after death,” but I am just simply curious about it. I am not that concerned about it, I don’t want to get hang up on those kind of topics.” These kind of people somewhat feel that there is life after death, but they are unsure whether there is something that we can do now to set our life after death into a comfortable and fulfilling life. Choosing to just simply be CURIOUS is NOT enough, after all, it is our lives, how can we be just simply curious about our own future. c. The third group of people is the group that KNOWS-WHERE-THEY-ARE-HEADING. They say, “I don’t have to be ready for death and life after death; I STAY ready and I KEEP ready. I know where I am going and I am looking forward for the day when I will find the fulfillment of my faith and my hope, that is, eternal life in heaven with my Lord.” This is the people that believe that there is life after death and they believe that they will be in heaven (i.e., the comfortable and fulfilling life in the future.) So, which group do you fall under? Do you fall into the choose-to-ignore group, or the curious group or the know-where-they-are-heading group? It is time to evaluate ourselves, so that we can make the best decision for our family and ourselves. DAY 2 Today, we will study what is coming in the last days on earth. Let us read from II Timothy 3:1, “But mark this: There will be TERRIBLE times in the LAST days,” TERRIBLE times means hard to bear, storm tossed, perilous times, hard times. The author of the “Seven habits of highly successful people” wrote that families are facing terrible times these days. Over the pass 30 years, the situation for families have changed: ? Illegitimate birth rate increases by more than 400% ? Families with single parents has tripled ? Divorce rate has more than doubled ? Teenage suicide increases by more than 300% ? Scholastic aptitude test has dropped by 73 points ? The number one health problem for American woman is domestic violence ? One forth of all adolescence transmitted sexual disease before high school graduation Now, let us see classroom problems in 1940: ? Talking out of turn ? Chewing gum ? Making noise ? Coming in line ? Wondering in the hall ? Dress coat ? Littering Let us compare those classroom problems in 1940 with the classroom problem nowadays: ? Drug abuse ? Alcohol ? Pregnancy ? Suicide ? Rape ? Robbery ? Assault Things are not getting better. In fact, things are getting worse and worse exponentially. The families in these last days are facing terrible times. Let us see if the Bible addresses this issue. Let us continue our reading from II Timothy 3:2-9: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lover of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. … They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak- willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. …” Isn’t that amazing. The Bible does addresses this issue. Tomorrow we will continue our study from the book of II Timothy 3 about how to live our lives in this TERRIBLE time.
DAY 3 On Monday we have seen from verse 1 of II Tim 3, that there will be TERRIBLE times in the LAST days. Then, yesterday, we have seen that the Bible addresses what kind of TERRIBLE things will be there in the LAST days. It states in ver 2-9 of II Tim 3: ?People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lover of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. ?? Today, we are going to see how we should live our lives in times like this. We are going to see some of the KEYWORDS in the gospels. a. Matthew 24 ? Verse 42: ?Therefore KEEP WATCH, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.? ? Verse 44: ?So you also MUST BE READY, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.? b. Mark 13 ? Verse 21-23: ?For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to decieve the elect - if that were possible. So BE ON YOUR GUARD, I have told you everything ahead of time.? ? Verse 33: ?BE ON GUARD! BE ALERT! You do not know when that time will come.? ? Verse 35: ?Therefore KEEP WATCH because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back.? ? Verse 37: ?What I say to you, I say to everyone: WATCH!? c. Luke 21 ? Verse 34 : ?BE CAREFUL, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.? d. John 14 ? Verse 1-4: ?Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father?s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.? We are clearly told to BE ALERT, BE ON GUARD, WATCH, KEEP WATCH and KEEP READY, STAY READY. This is how we should live our lives in this TERRIBLE times of the LAST DAYS. Three hundred times future events are mentioned in NT. In fact, the Bible reveals more about hell than about heaven. God commands us to BE READY, to STAY READY for what is coming. Tomorrow we will see how can we be READY and how can we STAY ready. It is said that 38% of the people in America are READY for the Y2K. They have stocked some can foods, drinking water and other necessities. If you can be ready for the possibilities of computer glitches at Y2K, then, shouldn't you be ready for the TRUE LAST days? Are you ready to face the judgment at the LAST days?
DAY 4 On Monday we have seen from verse 1 of II Tim 3, that there will be TERRIBLE times in the LAST days. On Tuesday, we have seen that the Bible addresses what kind of TERRIBLE things will be there in the LAST days. It states in verse 2-9 of II Tim 3: People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lover of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Yesterday, we learn that God urged us to BE ALERT, BE ON GUARD, WATCH, KEEP WATCH and BE READY. How can we BE ready? Let us continue our reading from verse 10-17 of II Tim 3. a. Verse 10-12 - FOLLOW THE MODEL OF THE FAITHFUL. We are urged to follow the model of those that have gone before us. Do not think that because we are living in terrible times, that we can not find anybody that can be used as an example. There are people that we can use as our role models. Seeing how they persevere in their lives can be used to motivate us to KEEP being READY and to not give up. b. Verse 13-15 - STAY WITH THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE. You'll never be wrong if you stay with the truth of the Bible, it will never let you astray. Take time for bible study, for personal study, to dwell in the Word of God. Blessed are those that were raised in godly family. Timothy has a godly grandmother and mother. Do not forget the teachings of those people in your lives. If you don't have that chance like Timothy, then become that godly teacher for somebody else in your family. c. Verse 13-15 - PREACH THE WORD. Be ready, be consistent. By preaching the Word you'll be reminded all the time about your own salvation and relationship with God. d. Verse 16-17. MAINTAIN AN EXEMPLARY LIFE STYLE. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that man of God may thoroughly equipped for every good work. These are the four principles to BE READY. Once we are ready, then we have to STAY READY to KEEP READY. Tomorrow we will see how we can STAY READY and KEEP READY from II Tim 4.
DAY 5 Yesterday, we have studied the four principles to BE READY from II Tim 3:10-17, today we will learn to to KEEP being READY from II Tim 4:6-8. 1. Consider your life as an offering to God rather than a monument of humanity. (II Tim 4:6) I am already being poured out like a drink offering. Paul can keep his faith even though he went though terrible times, because he lived his life as an offering to God. This is the base for his perseverance. 2. Remember that finishing well is the proof that truth works. (II Tim 4:7) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Paul can keep his faith even though he went through terrible times, because he has a goal to finish the race and finish it well. This goal keeps him to persevere through terrible times. 3. Fix your eyes on heavenly rewards instead of earthly rewards. (II Tim 4:8) Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,will award to me on that day. Paul can keep his faith even though he went through terrible times, because he fixed his eyes on heavenly rewards instead of earthly rewards. This heavenly rewards keeps him to persevere through terrible times. Now, the good news is this heavenly rewards is given not only to Paul, but also to all who have longed for His appearing (II Tim 4:8b) We can also receive these heavenly rewards. Now friends, will you choose to be ready and will you keep ready One poet says: Live your life as if Jesus died yesterday, he is resurrected today and he will come again tomorrow. Yes, this is how we should live our lives in this perilous times, in this terrible times.
Disclaimer This material is a summary of the message that was preached by Pastor Chuck Swindoll at Prestonwood Baptist Church. The writer of this EBS (Electronic Bible Study) made some changes and added some personal notes that is necessary to customize this material into an electronic media, a daily reading material and to better fit the audience. The Prestonwood Baptist Church is not affiliated in anyway with the Indonesian Christian Fellowship of Fort Worth.