Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts
Richard Vaughn

Today: How soon will Jesus come? Part 2
Last week we looked at many of the signs that would precede Jesus’ imminent return to planet earth. We had listed a large number of them in nine scriptural references. We will continue this week with several more. 
10. Increasing lawlessness, bloody crimes and violence – Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” 2 Timothy 3:13 “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Ezekiel 7:23 “Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.”
11. An Old Testament prophet named Nahum was allowed to see the day in which we live, a time that Jesus would be preparing to return. He saw modern warfare and automobiles at night with headlights racing on the highways, hitting telephone poles and having head-on crashes. He saw them and he described it in his own language. Nahum 2:3,4 “The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.  
12. A turning to Spiritism – 1 Timothy 4:1 – “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” – People today, including a large number of the heads of nations, seek counsel from psychics, channelers, and spiritualists. Spiritism has invaded the churches as well. There are plenty of warnings in Scripture to have nothing to do with these works of Satan. See Leviticus 19:26,31; Leviticus 20:6,27; Deuteronomy 18:9-12;
Isaiah 8:19. The battle is for the mind and no true Christian will have anything to do with any of these abominable practices which include magic, astrology, fortune telling, and séances. Christian parents should particularly guard their children’s minds from such things as the Harry Potter craze that I will deal with in an upcoming article.
13. A special message to the world in the last days – Matthew 24:14 “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.” The last, great, solemn warning message of Christs’ second coming is being given to more than 95% of the world’s population in over 900 languages and dialects. Before Jesus comes, every person in the world will have been warned.
Just how near is the Lord’s second coming? Matthew 24:32-34 “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” 
The signs have almost all been fulfilled. We cannot know the day and the hour of Christ’s return, (Mat. 24:36), but we can be confident that we are the people who will live to see Jesus return. Are you ready? Look up and read the following Scriptures: John 6:37; John 1:12; Hebrews 8:10; a Corinthians 15:57. Jesus does not force Himself into any person’s life, but He stands at the door seeking an invitation. Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” The door represents the human mind or heart. If invited, He will come in and change the life, as He will erase all of your repented and confessed sins. Romans 3:23-25. Then He will give you the power to live a victorious life. John 1:12; Jude 1:24.
Of what great danger does Christ solemnly warn? Matthew 24:44 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” And Luke 21:34 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” And Matthew 24:37 “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” In Noah’s day, that generation began their last day, business as usual. This generation will start their last day the same way. There is great danger in becoming so busy with the cares of this life, or so entranced by the pleasures of sin, that the coming of the Lord may slip up on us as the flood did on the world in Noah’s day, and some of us will be surprised, unprepared and lost. Jesus is coming back soon, very, very soon. Are you ready. Nothing else matters. Nothing else seemed to matter on 9/11 when we stood frozen in front of our TV’s watching scenes that could not be happening. One day soon the sky will be filled with billions of angels as Jesus comes to claim His redeemed. Some will stand in horror. Others will say as in Isaiah 25:9 “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.   
Next Week: Are the dead really dead? Part 1