In Your Bible
Read This
Jeremiah 8.20; Matthew 13.
Here
is your Memory Verse
The kingdom of this world has become
the kingdom of our Lord
and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever. Revelation 11.15
Afterwards
talk about this
What signs of the times can you see in the earth? What actual
events
can you see in the newspaper and TV news which are prophesied in
the Bible?
Something
to do before next time
Have you been blessed by these studies? If so, ask to speak
in the churches
and tell people what is available. Invite them to a new session
that you will organise or tell them how to form their own groups.
Written diploma
work
Examine 2 Peter 3, 10-17 and make a list of ten answers to
the question,
"What kind of people ought we to be," in view of the
soon coming of the Lord.
Meditate word by
word on this verse
Revelation 22, 20.
- Spend
a Minute to Change the World
- Pray for
Zaire - 42,000,000 people
in 450 ethnic groups
- Facing
massive change and conflict after Mobutu, Evangelicals 21%,
RCs 42%
-
Be sure to
teach this lesson to others.
-
Always pray
and prepare well adding
-
your own verses and stories to
bring it to life.
At the moment our King, Jesus, is
away and waiting for God's time to return and rule the world with
justice. Everybody wants to know when. In Acts 1.7 Jesus said,
"Mind your business, and get on with the job" but he
has given us lots of clues about when his return may be expected.
1. There are
signs in the earth
First of all the King's prophecies
have to be fulfilled. Jesus has told us about world events
leading to his return, so as the 'last days' unfold we must
expect these signs of the end to be here in greater measure. See
Matthew 24.3-51; Mark 13, 1-37; Luke 21, 5-36.
Nations must rise against
nations.
The word nations is ethnos, which means
people groups. So even though world wars are over, ethnic
wars are breaking out in places like Bosnia, Chechenya,
Afghanistan and Rwanda.
Catastrophes must increase.
More famines, plagues, earthquakes and cyclones are
pointers to the end.
Fearful events and great
signs.
Calamities must come, maybe caused by pollution,
exploding populations, the destruction of forests, nuclear
accidents or the wide gap between poor and rich. Some
prophets think that the rich West is near the end of the
years of Joseph's fat cows, Gen. 41, 17-40, and the years of
the skinny cows are at hand. The thin cows ate the fat cows
which represent national reserves, but were just as thin. As
in Joseph's time, people may end up in captivity to debt with
neither money, stocks for buying and selling or land, and a
Saviour, like Joseph must come.
Great spiritual events
Both good and counterfeit revivals take place as evil
spirit tries to match the move of the Spirit of God to bring
about a world harvest for Jesus.
Israel is a clear sign in
the earth
After 1,900 years of being scattered in the earth,
homeless and unwanted, Gods ancient people, the Jews
are back in their land exactly as prophesied, eg. Amos 9, 8-15.
Seals, trumpets, plagues
and bowls.
Seven of each are found in Revelation chapters 6 - 16,
which tells of dramatic events on Earth which must happen.
But don't worry, look up! All these things must take place.
They point to the return of Jesus which will resolve every
issue, and answer the prayer of millions all over the world.
See Luke 21, 25-26.
2. There are
signs in the kingdom
A Kingdom is where a King reigns.
We pray to God, "Your Kingdom come," and the Kingdom
parables, eg. Mat. 13, show us how this is happening. From the
few friends at the Cross, today millions loyally and happily own
Jesus as their King.
The Kingdom is Coming
-
The sower tells us
that the Kingdom is here now and although it can be
resisted, there is far more good soil than stones,
thistles and birds.
-
The weeds tell us
that God's field is the world while the net
explains how the good news catches both good and bad
fish, hence Judas following Jesus. There is a
separation at the end.
-
The mustard seed
and the yeast show us that God's Kingdom is
here, but in an unexpected tiny form to begin with.
Later just as the tiny yeast fills the bowl, Gods
Kingdom will fill the earth.
-
The treasure and
the pearl show that if a man discovers the
Kingdom he will own it at any price.
-
The growing seed, Mark
4.26, shows Gods Kingdom growing all by itself,
even without human help. One day Gods sickle
will reap a full harvest.
The church is being built
Jesus promised with passion that " I will build my
church," Mat. 16.18, Eph. 5.27, and that is exactly what
he is doing in these days. Over 50% of the people that have
ever been saved, have been saved since 1900, and most of
those since 1950. 70,000 people give their lives to Jesus
every day. Great revivals are winning millions in South
America, in sub-saharan Africa, and in parts of Russia, China
and South Korea.
National repentance is
happening
When people repent for the sins of their nation they
hasten the day of the Kings return. Why is this? In
Acts 3.13 Peter strongly accuses his people of killing Jesus.
In fact they had not done this personally, but their leaders
certainly had. Peter declares that if we identify with the
sins of our nations, repent on their behalf, turning to God
for them, God will do this, Acts 3, 19-20:
-
Sins will be removed.
-
Times of refreshing will
come.
-
God will send Jesus to us
again to restore everything.
-
In many churches these
days all over the world, leaders and people alike
confess the sins of their nation and ask God for
mercy and forgiveness.
The great commission is
advancing
In Matthew 24.14 Jesus says that the end will come only
when this gospel of the Kingdom is preached to all nations.
The word for nations, ethnos, does not mean political
countries like India, but ethnic groups of people, united by
a common language or culture. Only 200 years ago virtually
none of the tens of thousands were reached, even in 1900 the
number was small. Today, scholars know that around 7000 major
groups remain. They know their names and where they are.
Plans and prayers are in hand to reach them all.
3. So what kind
of people should we be?
2 Peter 3.10-18 says in view of
the coming day of the Lord we should be holy, spotless, blameless,
speeding his coming, on guard, not carried away, growing in grace
and in the knowledge of Jesus.
How do we speed the
day?
By praying and working for the Kingdom to come by
building the Church, confessing our nations sins, and
by finishing the Great Commission.
Taken from the
Joshua Project Unreached Peoples List
these people have no church and as yet
no cell, church or mission has committed themselves
to prayer, adoption or church planting among this people.
Iraq
|
People Name |
Language |
Population
|
Anatolian Turk |
Turkish |
22,000
|
Bajelan (Shabak, Gura) |
Bajelan |
20,000
|
Circassian (Cherkess) |
Adyghe |
10,000
|
Dom Gypsy |
Domari |
50,000
|
Hawrami (Gurani) |
Hawrami |
22,000
|
See all of the
lessons