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It Is Written Canada

Signs Of Hope

Chris Holland

Signs Of Hope #1

Hello and welcome to another It Is Written program.

My name is Doug Bruce and I've had the privilege of directing the program for over 20 years.

In 1973, Pastor Henry Fireaubin, after returning from mission work in Brazil, felt a need to start a broadcast for the Portuguese community in Toronto.

That first program started out as only 5 minutes long, but quickly expanded to 30 minutes, and then an English program named Destiny was added.

In 1991, that English program eventually became known as It Is Written Canada.

In 2000, Pastor Sean Boonstra took over from Henry Fierrobbing, the host of this program, and continued until 2004, when the speaker you're all familiar with, Pastor Bill Santos, was called to lead this ministry.

Today, It Is Written Canada is embracing change once again, and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new host, Chris Holland, to the It Is Written family, and to thank Bill Santos for his 10 years of dedicated leadership.

I know you have been blessed by his ministry, and it certainly has been a pleasure having the opportunity to work with him.

Today, Chris Holland will be presenting Signs of Hope.

I know you'll be blessed by today's program.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ It has stood the test of time.

God's book, the Bible, still relevant in today's complex world.

It is written sharing messages of hope around the world.

In the twilight hours of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic sped through the icy waters of the Atlantic.

At the last moment, an iceberg was spotted.

The Titanic maneuvered to avoid that iceberg, but it tore a gash in the side of the magnificent ship.

Almost 3 hours later, the ship sank with over 1, 500 of her crew and passengers perishing in the frigid waters.

Could it be that this 100-year-old story has a lesson for us today?

Could it be that this story sheds light on a teaching of Jesus from almost 2, 000 years ago.

In 1908, White Star Lines contracted to have Olympic-sized vessels built.

White Star was trying to stay on the cutting edge by building the largest cruise ships in the industry.

Those ships would eventually be known as the Olympic and the Titanic.

Titanic boasted a length of almost 300 meters, a width of almost 30 meters, and a height of over 30 meters.

This enormous boat was a luxurious liner.

Even the third class passenger facilities were lavish compared to other vessels.

The Titanic and Olympic were deemed the largest and finest steamers in the world.

Many experts of the day believed they were unsinkable.

However, as we know today, the Titanic was not the unsinkable ship she was thought to be.

On April the 10th, 1912, the fateful journey of the Titanic began.

In the days leading up to the disaster, the Titanic received several warning messages of drifting ice in the area she would be sailing.

Under normal operating procedures of the times, the Titanic continued cruising at full speed.

The ship simply placed a lookout to watch for any imminent danger.

Unfortunately, the spotter saw the iceberg too late.

After striking that iceberg, the Titanic sunk, and along with it, 1, 500 people perished that day.

Today, Some of the artifacts from this terrible disaster are on display at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

The Titanic received many warnings, but ignored them.

Is it possible, friend, that we are living at a time when we have received many warnings, yet we have ignored them?

Is it possible that despite the numerous warnings, we, like the Titanic, are simply cruising through life at full speed?

Almost 2, 000 years ago, Jesus gave warning signs.

Those signs were given so that we might know that it was nearing.

As Jesus was concluding His ministry, just before He was arrested and ultimately killed, He met with His disciples.

In Matthew Chapter 24, Jesus spoke of how the Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed.

The disciples were troubled by the prospect that the great temple of Jerusalem was to be destroyed.

So his disciples came to him asking questions.

And beginning in verse 1 of Matthew 24, Matthew chapter 24 and verse 1, Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things?

Assuredly, I say to you, not 1 stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.' Now, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "'Tell us, when will these things be?

And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" The disciples asked 2 questions.

When would the temple be destroyed, and what was the sign of His Second Coming?

The disciples thought that these 2 events were 1 and the same.

However, they were and are distinct from 1 another.

Jesus, as He sat on the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem, painted a vivid picture of a time when Jerusalem would be destroyed.

He pointed forward to 70 AD, when the Roman armies, led by the General Titus, would come and not leave 1 stone upon another.

The disciples thought that such a catastrophic event must precede the Lord's return, but they misunderstood.

Frankly, they may not have been able to endure the true nature of all of the events to come.

So as Jesus answered, He blended His answer so as to not overwhelm His disciples.

They were unprepared for a full disclosure of future events.

After Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, the disciples continued to study the words of Jesus.

And with the guidance of the promised Holy Spirit, they gained a more complete understanding.

Today, like those early disciples, we are studying the words of Jesus to discover what words of warning He has for us.

When reading a book or watching a movie, the final chapter of the book or the final chapter of that movie is often the climax.

In that final chapter or minutes, tensions are resolved and everything that book or movie was driving towards is brought to a conclusion.

The Bible is replete with warnings to God's people and in the last chapter and the last verses, that final warning is given, which all other warnings pointed to.

In Revelation chapter 22, Verse 7, Jesus had words.

Revelation chapter 22 and in verse 7, He shared these words for us.

And then again in verse 12, He states this.

And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give everyone according to his work.

Finally, in verse 20, he goes on to say, Surely I am coming quickly.

In the last chapter of the Bible, with great urgency, Jesus tells us 3 times.

Today we're studying specifically the warnings given in Matthew 24 that point directly to the nearness of His coming.

These warnings are in reality encouragements to be steadfast in our faith and to cling more closely to Him.

As we begin this study, I want to share with you a key principle in understanding the timing of the Lord's return.

In Matthew 24, verse 36, Jesus is very clear.

Again, Matthew chapter 24 and in verse 36, Jesus is quite clear about the timing of His coming.

But of that day and hour no 1 knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Did you hear that?

No 1 knows the exact time of the Lord's return.

So if any pastor, preacher, or teacher begins sharing that they know the exact timing of the Lord's second coming, we can know that they are not operating according to biblical principles.

Yet, we ought to care about the nearness of Jesus' return, because in verse 42, notice what he goes on to say, Matthew chapter 24 and verse 42, Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

And in verse 44, Jesus goes on to say, Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect." In these verses, Jesus gives us 2 key principles that will enable us to be prepared for His return.

In chapter 24, he tells us what to watch for and gives us signs of his soon return.

Then in chapter 25, he tells us how to be ready through 3 parables.

Those 2 principles of watch and be ready prepare us for that day of glorious hope when Jesus will come and take us from this hopeless and helpless world.

The original language gives the idea that this word is defined as being on alert, being vigilant, and having zealous watchfulness.

This watching is not just a casual glance, but an intent gaze.

This type of watching pays attention to the details so as not to miss anything.

With just over 3 minutes to play, in the gold medal women's hockey matchup at the Sochi Olympics, the U.S.

Women's team held a 2-0 lead over the Canadian team.

However, in a shocking turn of events, the Canadian team tied the game in just less than 2 minutes and sent the match into overtime, where they of course won the gold medal.

Imagine for a moment that you had watched the entire game, And in those closing 3 minutes, you figured the game was over and went and popped a bag of microwave popcorn, or you went to use the washroom, or you went outside to gather your mail.

Signs Of Hope #2

♪♪ In 1962, David Bernays and Charles Sawyer were on a mountain expedition investigating the Cordillera Blanco mountain range in Peru.

Along their journey, they decided to investigate Glacier 511.

Their findings were absolutely frightening.

They saw that an enormous piece of the rock bed had been compromised by the glacier and just the slightest disturbance would release an avalanche that would spell certain doom for the town of Yungay in the valley below.

Equipped with this ominous warning, the men contacted the authorities and newspaper.

Instead of being grateful for the warning, Bernays and Sawyer were thrown into jail and threatened because of the hysteria they might cause.

They were told to recant their story or face lengthy prison sentences.

The men were able to escape the country and the authorities were able to suppress any warnings that may have leaked.

Everything went back to normal and for several years nothing happened.

However, on May 31, 1970, Bernays and Sawyer's worst fears became reality.

An undersea earthquake named the Ancache earthquake tipped the scale at 7.9 on the Richter scale.

The short quake set off a devastating turn of events.

The movement of the earth shook loose the damage to the rock bed of the mountain, sending a colossal avalanche, which included an 800 meter section of the glacier down the mountain.

There was so much debris, it buried the entire city of Yonge, killing 20, 000 people instantly.

The complacency and suppression of the truth by the authorities led to tragedy.

We are right now living in a time of warning.

Jesus warned us almost 2, 000 years ago that this world was going to end.

He gave signs to watch for that we might know how soon He is coming.

In Matthew 24, Jesus gave us signs of His return to give hope to this helpless planet.

Jesus taught that there would be signs in the religious world, the political world, the natural world, and in the world of society.

Last week, we reviewed the signs we are seeing fulfilled in the religious world.

We see a rise in false teachings and a general pulling away from Bible truth.

We also studied the increasingly political tensions and wars in our world today, knowing that those signs in the political world point again to the coming of Jesus.

But there are other signs in the political world.

There has been a dramatic rise in the potential for world destruction.

The world's ability to destroy itself is sobering.

Revelation chapter 11 and verse 18 actually cautions us about this.

The nations were angry and your wrath has come and should destroy those who destroy the earth.

Humanity's technological advances to have weapons that can destroy the earth is much greater than it ever has been.

Just think of the countries with the known capacity for nuclear weapons.

The United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and Japan.

They have more nuclear weapons on hand to destroy the Earth many times over.

And countries like India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel and Iran are all suspected by some to be capable of producing some type of nuclear weapon as well.

Walter Lippmann's portentous words are a living reality.

We are poised on the brink of the most calamitous conflict that can be imagined.

What hope is there for this helplessly hopeless planet?

He will bring all of this turmoil and suspicion to an end.

William Ripley, a journalist who covered the effects of the atomic bomb, broadcast these almost prophetic words as he stood in the midst of the aftermath of Hiroshima.

I am standing on the place where the end of the world began.

2000 years ago, Jesus shared today's prevailing modern mindset when he spoke these words in Luke chapter 21 and verse 26.

Men's heart failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." People wonder today, What do things mean for me?

Jesus also warned that there would be signs in the natural world.

In Matthew chapter 24 and verse 7, Jesus had these words, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

The study of things happening on and to this earth shows an increasing intensity of natural disasters.

The increasing frequency of tornadoes and earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and fires point to this planet being in distress.

Sadly, Famines are happening all over this earth.

While we in the West are rarely plagued with famine, many of us will never forget the tragic pictures of Ethiopian small children and youth emaciated and hungry.

The United Nations reports that there are over 35 nations experiencing food shortage.

One-sixth of the world's population is undernourished.

Over 3 and a half million people per year die of starvation.

In 2012, the Associated Press reported that 80% of the people living in the conflict of the Sudan were eating only 1 meager meal per day.

But famine wasn't the only sign Jesus gave.

He also said that there would be pestilences.

A pestilence is a strange disease that afflicts human beings, crops, and the environment.

In addition, a pestilence can be new diseases that spring up around the world.

Just think of some of those new diseases that were unheard of in previous generations.

Lyme disease, Marburg virus, HIV AIDS, Mad Cow Disease, and the Bird Flu, and H1N1, just to name a few.

Many medical experts believe that our current antibiotics will no longer be able to provide a defense against the strongest pathogens.

Diseases of the plant world have grown increasingly complex to deal with.

The loss of soil has weakened plants' natural resistance to pests and disease.

Resistance to pesticides and herbicides grows stronger and at times requires more use of these chemicals, potentially causing further damage to the environment.

Some have estimated that 50 to 120, 000 premature deaths are caused each year by the 2.4 billion pounds of toxic pollutants released into the atmosphere.

In 1992, 1, 700 scientists met together and wrote a document entitled, A Warning to Humanity.

They said the following, human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.

Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources.

If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms, and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know.

Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about." Did you hear these words?

Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.

In almost prophetic language, these scientists confirm what Jesus predicted would be a sign of His soon return.

Notice, they went on to say, No more than 1 or a few decades remain before the chance to avert the threats we now confront will be lost and the prospects for humanity immeasurably diminished.

While these signs can cause great fear and distress, Jesus warned that they would happen.

All of these events should draw us nearer and nearer to Jesus and rely on Him in this time of trouble.

In Matthew 24-7, He also cautioned that we would see earthquakes in various places.

Geological Survey estimates that worldwide there are on average more than 40 earthquakes per day.

That is more than 14, 000 earthquakes per year.

Luke 21, verse 11 states this, And There will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven." The total chaos in the natural world has led many to wonder what is going to happen to this planet of ours.

Describing this state of uncertainty and anxiety, Luke 21, 26 reveals these words, Men's hearts, failing them for fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.

For the powers of the heavens will be shaken." Is there any hope for the future?

Our only hope, friend, is in Jesus Christ.

The natural world continues to experience all types of turmoil.

Tsunamis seem to be on the rise and occurring in various places such as Japan and Indonesia, Sumatra and Turkey.

Many remember the tragic Christmas Eve Asian tsunami of 2004, in which an estimated 230, 000 people died.

The tsunami was set off by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake under the ocean, which produced the destructive waves.

Although in some parts of the world, the 2013 hurricane season was 1 of the least active in decades, hurricanes have, in recent years, been increasing in numbers and intensity.

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