The 163rd Semi-Annual Fraternal Gathering of the Ontario Christadelphian Ecclesias

October 23, 2010

The Titanic

All Titanic passengers are safe!

“….1522 souls went down to the bottom with the ship”

Being prepared… be ready….Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not

having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”

There are many examples in Scripture of those like Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Steve, the Lord Jesus, Paul, etc that did not the “easy road” in life.

The believers who died in the faith….Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell

of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Why talk about the signs of the times?

Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching

37For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry”

“ to exhort’ – parakaleo – to comfort, prayActs 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples,

and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

2 Peter 3 – The Lord’s coming…10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in

the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness”

Christ should not be coming a thief to the believer that is looking, watching, and is prepared. He is not suppose to come unto us as a thief!

Luke 19

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come”

Until I come and do what? – set up the Kingdom!We should not be idle and just passing the time….

“pragmateuomai” - to trade with….. to literally go into business!

Matt. 19 & 2527 Then answered Peter and said unto him,

Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matt 25:31 ‘When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory”

“The second coming of Christ” – when?“27 And as it is appointed unto men once to

die, but after this the judgment 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

What is the sign of his coming?............ they wanted to know, as we want to know……..(Hebrews 9: 27, 28)

The Kingdom of God1. Our Hope2. Major theme in the Scriptures3. The focus of the preaching with Jesus & the

disciples.4. Our inheritance5. It is the foundation of all Scriptural teaching6. It is Yahweh’s oath to Abraham & David7. Most written about subject in the Scriptures

The purpose of Bible Prophecy

The purpose of Bible Prophecy is to enable believers from all the centuries to match the facts of history and if we have a good understanding of the prophetic word, we can be better prepared for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth to set up the Kingdom.

The important question– where are we in the timeline?

Overview of this subjectWhat will be the “conditions and attitudes” of the

latter day believer when Christ returnsWhat the scriptures tell us of this our generationVery little of this is flatteringVery sobering….. Not the “smooth things”

Isa 30:9 “That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD”

10“Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits’

Bro. Thomas WilliamsWhy is it that Christadelphians have trouble

among themselves?.. This is easily answered. Among them is a people who love the truth, and in whose “good and honest hearts” the seed of the Kingdom has taken root.

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”

“meekness” (gentleness)

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”

Zeph. 2:3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought (to practice) his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger”

2 Cor.10:1 “Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you”

Gal. 6:1 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted”

“his people’s faith”…..(Dr. Thomas)

“When (the nations) their wickedness and stupidity become obstacles to his purpose, he removes them out of his way, and introduces other actors upon the stage. In this way he controls and regulates the world’s affairs; but in every interference, he shapes the course of events towards the consummation predetermined from the foundation of the world” (Elpis Israel, 1848)

“…his people’s faith”…..(Dr. Thomas)

“The Lord God will surely do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. This revelation is made that his people’s faith may be confirmed and enlarged; and that in every generation they may know the times and seasons to which they stand related. Knowing the signs they are enabled to discern the times; and while consternation and dismay cause men’s hearts to fail, they are courageous, and rejoice in perceiving the approach of the Kingdom of God” (Elpis Israel, 1848)

Some talking points….when shining our light

1. As it was…”in the days of Noah”2. As it was…”in the days of lot”3. Israel4. The “knowledge explosion”5. The Rise of Islam

As it was in Noah’s day… a population explosion?According to population experts the was approximately 250

million people on the earth at the time of Christ. The population rose to a billion and a half at the beginning of the 20th century. Then, in the 20th century alone, the earth's population exploded as it quadrupled in size. It has passed the staggering mark of 6 billion people. In spite of advances in birth control, the world population still rapidly climbs.

A glimpse at the trend shows why many are concerned. According to the United Nations Population Division, it took 80 years to move from one billion (1850) to two billion (1930) population. Yet it took only 33 years to reach the 3 billion mark and 14 years to arrive at the 4 billion level. Next it took only 13 years to reach “5” billion, and just 11 years later we crossed the ‘6’ billion mark.

From now on, it is estimated, a billion people will be added every 10 years. Provided this rate of growth—adding some 80 million new people per year—if this rate continues, the planet's population will double again in within the next generation.

“As it was in the days of Noah…..”"As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in

the days of the Son of man, They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all (Luke 17:26-27)."

Marriage in Noah’s day…..When God initiated the marriage between Adam

and Eve (Genesis 2:23-24), He established the principles upon which true marriage was to be based. His purpose was that a couple, in their Godly fear, would be united in their desire to honour Him and so produce a family whom they could instruct in His ways (Malachi 2:14-16; Ephesians 5:25-28; 1 Peter 3:7; Ephesians 6:4).

Sadly, by Noah’s day, the principles of marriage as God initially intended were completely rejected and marriage had become a meaningless ritual.

As it was…..Gen 6:2 “That the sons of God saw the

daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose”

“saw” - 7200. Hebrew - ra'ah, raw-aw'; advise self, approve, behold, consider, discern

These people were destroyed in the Flood because of their sinfulness - “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

“every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”

God specifically attributes the sinful state of the earth to man himself. Evil comes from the “heart of man” (Mark 7:20-23; Jeremiah 17:9). The idea conveyed by the Hebrew word “yetzer”, translated “imagination”, is whatever is formed in the mind, the intentions of a man’s heart. The heart or mind is the seat of evil, for that is where every desire has its beginning. What God saw was that every man wanted what was evil. (James 1:13-15).

…..and the LORD shut him in.

10

Matt. 25 – “the 10 virgins”

10 “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut”

vs 11…“The earth also was corrupt before God, and filled with violence”

When men ignore God and forsake His ways and determine to be directed by their own desires, invariably corruption and violence are the result and all society suffers. This complete moral and social collapse began when those who had known God’s ways turned away from them and married those who were willingly ignorant of God’s ways.

2 Peter 3:5 “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished”

Peter gives us more detail….The apostle Peter writes that Noah was a

preacher of righteousness in a godless society, “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:5)

“As it was in the days of Lot”…Luke 17:28 “Likewise also as it was in the

days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed”

The sin of SodomIsa. 3:9 “The show of their countenance doth witness

against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves”

Ezek. 16: 49 “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy”

Jude 7 – “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange (Gk – different, the other) flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire”

As it was in Lot’s day…The Lord Jesus indicates that the world which exists

before His return will be given over to pleasure-seeking, immorality, perversion, idleness, and a rejection of the things of God

Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot's wife”She lingered, broke free of the angel’s hand, and

“looked back”. This was not a curious glance, the meaning of the word in the Hebrew indicates to look intently, implying a “regarding with pleasure, favor, or care” – it is translated “consider” in Psalm 13:3 & Isaiah 51:12

Lot’s wife was not captivated by the promise of God, but was truly enslaved by the city life of Sodom.

Today’s wedding cake

“its our right….”

“…because it offends homosexuals!Today we have not only the fact that man is too

proud to admit he is a sinner, but is proud of his sin. The same “Gay Pride” was obvious in Lot’s day also. They rejected the words of Lot therefore refusing to hear God’s word. Today we have in Canada the banning of the first chapter of Romans for public reading by law because it offends homosexuals!

The witness of the Nation of IsraelIsaiah 43:1 “But now thus saith the LORD that created

thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine”

43:10 “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God”

To reinforce the point… Isaiah 44:88 “Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I

told thee from that time, and have declared

it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”

Retained their identity – the Jew is still here!Jeremiah 31: 11 ‘For I am with thee, saith the LORD,

to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished”

Jeremiah 31: 36 “If those ordinances (the sun & moon) depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever”

Where is the Babylonians, the Romans, the Amorites, the Edomites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites?

The Re-gathering1. Prophecy of the Dry Bones…Ezek 37: 11

Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

2. 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

Valley of dry bones

Ezekiel 37 “Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the

Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

From Yahweh’s perspective…..Zech 2: 8 ”For thus saith the LORD of

hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye”

The book of Genesis ends with Joseph speaking to his brothers…

Gen 50: 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Perilous times shall come?....... THEY ARE HERE!2 Tim 3:1 ‘This know also, that in the last

days perilous times shall come”

“ perilous” - chalepos, difficult, i.e. dangerous, or (by impl.) furious:--fierce, perilous.

Islamic terror in the world

More terror

The “real” holocaust?

EMP – electromagnetic pulse

President of Iran - Ahmadinejad

“Israel should be wiped off map”, says Iran's president…anyone who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury”… “and any Islamic leader who recognizes the Zionist regime means he is acknowledging the surrender and defeat of the Islamic world”

Ahmadinejad believes that he was chosen by Allah to bring about the downfall of Judeo-Christian civilization, and to usher in the “end of days”

Ahmadinejad clearly believes that we are entering into the “apocalyptic age, which will result in the triumph of their messianic figure’, the Twelfth Inam, or the Mahdi. He believes by starting a war he will haten the return of the messiah that will begin the Islamic new world order and the end of the world as we know it (Princeton Professor Bernard Lewis)

Russia has signed a one-billion dollar deal to sell missiles and other weaponary to Iran.

Over 1000 Iranian nuclear scientists have bee trained in Russia or by senior Russian scientists.

Luke 21: 26 “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”

The Cobalt BombThe Cobalt Bomb is capable of wiping out life

on earth. It explodes and emits long-lasting and lethal gamma radiation, the most energetic radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum. It is part of a classified arsenal of weapons…… but who would want to unleash a weapon of such destructive power that none who inhabit the earth would survive? Perhaps only those who can take refuge in a deep underground Ark. (Newsweek, April 1997) 

The Samson Option

The Samson OptionThe phrase the “Samson Option” is used to describe Israel’s strategy of

massive nuclear retaliation against “enemy” nations should its existence as a Jewish state be jeopardized through military attack. Israeli leaders created the term in the mid-1960s, inspired by the Biblical figure Samson, who destroyed a Philistine temple, killing himself and thousands of Philistine enemies.

Israel refuses to admit officially that it has nuclear weapons - a policy known as “nuclear ambiguity” or "nuclear opacity." This despite government officials inferring repeatedly - and occasionally admitting - the fact. And despite Israeli nuclear whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu making public smuggled photographs of  nuclear weapons and production equipment in the 1980s. Israel now may have as many as 400 atomic and hydrogen nuclear weapons, as well as the ability to launch them via long range missiles, submarines and aircraft…they can use them in a second strike even if its military is devastated.

Originally a strategy of last resort retaliation - even if it means Israel’s annihilation - it has developed into being a nuclear bullying strategy to further Israel’s territorial goals through threats and blackmail. Israel has bullied not only Arab and Muslim nations, but the United States and Russia with its Samson Option threats. 

Terror on 9/11-”men’s hearts failing them for fear”

“Knowledge shall be increased…”Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the

words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Knowledge shall be increased… Knowledge has increased within our generation almost beyond imagination!

The term "information overload" was coined for our generation, and with good cause. Here are just a few mind-boggling facts on this:

80 percent of all the scientists who have ever lived are alive right now. Every minute they add 2,000 pages to man's scientific knowledge. Every day, the equivalent of over 300 million pages of text is sent over the Internet. According to Dr. Malcolm Todd, one-time president of the American Medical Association, about half of all medical knowledge is outdated every 10 years. In some scientific fields, such as biotechnology, the cycle is shorter than 6 months. It is estimated that over 15,000 scientific journals are being published annually, and that throughout the world well over 1,000 new books are published every day!

The most basic building block of computer technology, the transistor, was invented at Bell Labs in 1948. In 1994 a computer chip could hold 3.1 million transistors, more than twice as many as the previous year's model. In 1996, new technology allowed up to 125 million transistors, each less than 1/600 the diameter of a human hair, to be manufactured on a single chip. By the end of the this year, a chip will contain more than a billion transistors.

Commenting on recent advances in computer technology, Professor Peter Cochrane of the British Telecom Laboratories' Advanced Application Division said, "There are now wristwatches that wield more computing ability than some 1970s mainframes. Ordinary cars today have more 'intelligence' than the original lunar lander." [58]

Studies have concluded that human knowledge is currently doubling approximately every eight years. According to author H.L. Willmington, "By the time a child born today graduates from college, the knowledge in the world will be four times as great. By the time that child is 50 years old, it will be thirty-two times as great, and 97 percent of everything known in the world will have been learned since the time he was born." [59]

With all this knowledge, are we more happier than our predecessors?...”ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”

Author Larry Letich examines another aspect of today's knowledge explosion: "It's not only the amount, but the kind of knowledge and intelligence that's changing. In the

past 100 years, the fundamental way the majority of people understand and experience the world has been altered, with consequences that may be more drastic than we can begin to guess.

Until this century, at least 95 percent of what an adult "knew" fell into two categories: practical (how to build a house, plant a crop, cook a meal) or interpersonal (how to cope with one's superiors or get along with your spouse or mother-in-law). Both of these types of knowledge are concrete; they involve things one can see, touch and feel. Almost all of the remaining 5 percent--the abstract knowledge--was comprised of myths, legends and religious beliefs passed down by the culture.

Today, from the moment they wake up to the morning news on the radio until the moment they turn off their TV at night, Americans must constantly process information about things they can't see, touch or really even imagine. ... The technological advance of the modern world has caught most people unprepared, and it is exacting a heavy price on every rung of society."

Although we have made tremendous strides scientifically and technologically, are we more fulfilled or happier than our predecessors? Our knowledge has radically increased, but much of our scientific genius has been squandered in the development of armaments and weapons of mass destruction. Hi-tech gadgets and luxuries are given priority while many of our fellow humans are hungry and destitute.

DVD’s and microwave ovens have their virtues, but in the everyday course of our highly efficient lives, there are times when something seems deeply amiss. ... Whatever the source of stress, we get the feeling that modern life isn't what we were designed for.

Rates of depression have been doubling in some industrial countries roughly every 10 years. Suicide is the third most common cause of death among young adults in North America, after car wrecks and homicides. Fifteen percent of Americans have had a clinical anxiety disorder. And pathological, even murderous, alienation is a hallmark of our time. [61]

What good is a head full of knowledge if our hearts are empty and we lack peace of mind and purpose in life?

Where are we?Rev. 16:14 “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles,

which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame”

The nations are gathering…this is happening….spirits of wickedness, the evil thoughts are men are gathering nations to the position that the Yahweh had in mind that they would be when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Where are we?......the space between the verses….

The most powerful people on this earth believe we are running out of time…..

Newsweek May 2009

“The main aim of any American President is to prevent World War III”

Our duty as believers in the one true gospelMatt 24:44 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in

such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat (food, “trophe”, meaning nourishment) in due season?

46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing”

This message is to us…… the believers – the latter day household of faith

A blessing and a curse….46 “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh

shall find so doing.47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over

all his goods.48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord

delayeth his coming;49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat

and drink with the drunken;50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he

looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion

with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”

Evil servants who abuse and lead astray members of the Member’s household will be cut off and given a portion with the hypocrites

2 Tim 42 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of

season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry”

Evangelist - 2099. euaggelistes, yoo-ang-ghel-is-tace'; from G2097; a preacher of the gospel:--evangelist.

Our mission statement15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world,

and preach the gospel to every creature”

2 Tim. 4:4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Revelations 33 “Remember therefore how thou hast

received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee”

Mark 1332 “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man,

no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch”