THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Dear Friends: I wrote this column in 1973. How much nearer are we NOW, you may wonder! Jesus Christ said: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 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." (Matt. 24: 14) Please write me with your prayer request- M.S. ([email protected])
Every day takes us one day nearer to Christ’s return, the rapture of the church and the end of the world. Each hour takes us into new crises, destruction, heartbreak and sorrow. Many of the things happening were prophesied by the prophets thousands of years ago. One could rightly describe the days in which we live as perilous, wicked, and prophetic! These are trying days full of fear, pessimism, and sadness; for the Christian, however, these days should be filled with anticipation as we wait for the return of our Lord.
TIME MARCHES ON, no one can stop it – and with it marches prophecy – marching on the fulfillment!
Watching the Newscasts today is like reading from the Holy Bible. Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and others, together with the Apostles in the New Testament, foretold the events which are happening now. Any student of the Bible surely can see the handwriting on the wall in regard to the wickedness of mankind, the shortness of time, the soon coming of Christ and the Judgment Day.
The Bible says, “Men’s hearts will fail them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken.” (Luke 21:26) The Scripture states some of the reasons that men’s hearts shall fail them – “There shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars; and upon earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and waves roaring.” Regardless of how dark the picture looks, we who know the Lord Jesus Christ, and are filled with the Holy Ghost do not frighten easily because of our belief in Him and the Holy Word of God, together with our unshakeable hope of the soon and glorious appearing of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I believe it is a God given opportunity and a great privilege to be alive in the midnight hour of this closing generation of the Grace of God upon the earth. What an opportunity, what a privilege and what a responsibility is ours to bring the glorious message of a risen and living Saviour to the ends of the earth! What a tremendous responsibility is ours since we have so much light from God and so many open doors into which we can go with this message of life.
WE MUST NOT FALTER; WE DARE NOT FAIL, we cannot ignore the pleas from the hungry and thirsty souls who are begging us to come over and help them, before it is too late. May God supply the need so that we can give ourselves freely in Gospel crusades, in radio broadcasting, TV and in printing millions of pieces of literature to ship around the world to the lost and dying.
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR GENERATION. We are not responsible for the generation of our fathers or for a future generation (should Christ tarry) – we are responsible for the people who are alive today! We must reach them with the Gospel Message before it is too late. I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of the great things which are in store for us who are servants of the living God, daring to believe the entirety of His Word, in this awful generation! Our prayer should be: “HERE I AM LORD, SEND ME!” Please pray for me that I may ever stay in the centre of His Will!”
Also, in Luke 21:24-32, “ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and upon the dearth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, (and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the SON OF MAN coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. .”
THESE ARE PERILOUS & WICKED DAYS!
The Scripture tells us that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Tim. 3:1) This certainly is a picture of this generation. These are treacherously dangerous and perilous times – murder, rape, violence and crime stalk the streets of our cities as nuclear nations stand ready to pull the trigger that would begin a third world war and could bring death to multiplied millions the earth over.
The world stands on a powder keg – almost anything could topple the scales in the wrong direction – almost hourly and definitely daily – new protests, demonstrations, riots, and insurrections are taking place around the globe. The world awaits and watches breathlessly hour by hour and moment by moment for fresh news of violence and bloodshed.
The days in which we are living are wicked days. Gross immorality and sex perversion have taken a tremendous toll on young lives in this present civilization. Our western civilization is being demoralized to the extent that many of our young people have no will to work, no desire to achieve worthwhile goals, no initiative to help themselves or their fellow man, and no respect for themselves, their parents, governmental authority, and even God almighty. Many are slaves to cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, heroin, liquor and elusive, demon-inspired and perverted thoughts.
Remember the great Empires of Greece and Rome and how they fell because of moral corruption. Look at how England is falling, and falling fast, because of sin – USA and Canada are on her heels. – MAY GOD HELP US!
Then also, not only do we have wickedness and sinfulness in the world today that has been unprecedented in other generations – but we have a double-barrel evil day here with the sins of the Antediluvian age (days of Noah) and also the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:26-30); we also have days that are tragic with happenings in the world that bring great suffering, pain, anguish and sorrow to many people. On the domestic scene, we have the tragedy of broken homes, divorce and remarriage, and children left to shift for themselves. We have the tragedy of little children being assaulted and raped by some demon-possessed pervert or sadist – women strangled, and raped, entire families murdered by someone who has given his mind over to evil spirits, who have compelled him to rape and kill, and also an alarming increase of drug addiction and suicides.
America has forsaken God is sinning grossly and must reap because of her iniquities. SHE HAS SOWN AND NOW SHE IS REAPING AND THERE WILL BE MORE OF THIS HARVEST UNLESS SHE REPENTS AND RETURNS TO GOD!
Nothing that has happened has just happened, but everything goes according to the DIVINE plan – the events of recent days are having their effect upon the millions and everyday history is being made and prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes.
All these events, tragedies and fulfilled prophecies point us again and again to the IMMINENT SOON personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven to rapture the Church. In the Holy Scriptures we read (Rev. 22:17), “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.”
My urgent message to you today is to prepare to meet your Maker, for surely, we are living in the very last days, and soon we will see Him as He is – We who are Christians must labour and work to win others to Him before the darkness falls upon the earth and God closes things down for the night! (Rev. 10:5-6) And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven and swear by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.” (John 9:4) Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
(John 4:35-36) Jesus said, “Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” We see the darkening clouds of apostasy, false religion and backsliding, lukewarm church members hovering low; we see the mammoth rise of crime, racism, violence and strife everywhere; and then we look into the Bible, God’s Holy Word, and we read “Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)
I want to ask you one question before I bring this message to a close – ARE YOUR SINS WASHED AWAY OR ARE YOU A SINNER ON THE BROAD ROAD THAT LEADS TO HELL AND SEPARATION FROM GOD?
Please stop long enough in your pursuit of pleasure, wealth and fame and begin to think! Think for a few minutes about eternity, the destiny of your soul and the Love of God that sent Jesus Christ to die for you on the cross of Calvary so many years ago – Please accept Jesus Christ today as your personal Saviour and your name will be written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Rev. 20:15) Here are the words of invitation from our Lord Himself: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Amen.
