What role will mankind itself play in

Ushering in the end of the age?

Signs concerning Mankind

In describing the attitude of mankind and the conditions that will prevail upon the earth at the time of Christ’s return, the Lord Jesus said: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:37-42).

In this portion of Scripture we discover that, upon Christ’s return, conditions on earth will be exactly as they were during Noah’s era: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose…. 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…. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:1-2,5,11). Would you not agree this passage is as current as this morning’s headlines?

Sex Outside of Marriage

The first sign in this listing has to do with sex. “They took them wives” (Genesis 6:2). In doing this, they went against the lesson God had given them at creation. God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18-). What did God create? He did not create a man for a man. Instead, He created one woman for one man. This is God’s established order for the universe. Lust and sin have, however, kicked a dent in the Almighty’s program. Men and women today are running away from one another, leaving children destitute and homes broken. Why? Because their number one concern is the satisfaction of their own flesh. Someone compliments them, they become enamored, and suddenly they find themselves infatuated with the idea of love rather than the genuine article. Soon they go through a predictable pattern of adultery, divorce, and remarriage, only to discover that their second and third choices were not much better than the first. The trouble was not their first mate, but sin. Naturally, there are exceptions. Today, approximately half of all American marriages end up on the casualty list. The signs of Noah’s era are all around us. It is one more example that the Rapture is near.

Jesus further added that they were “giving in marriage.” Dr, M. R. DeHaan and other scholars render this as “exchanging mates” or “wife swapping.” Swingers are still the rage of the day-and in many communities where you might not expect such unsavory activity. Couples get together for a supper bash and end up exchanging their mates for a night of glorified orgies. How low can humans go? The situation dominates modern society, and it has the curse of God upon it. We also see millions today shacking up and living together without a marriage license, and the pulpits remain silent. Hebrews 13:4 states, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Still, despite God’s warning, millions disobey His commandments. They live life loosely and laugh off the consequences. Sin, however; offers its own reward, and its wages are always death (Romans 6:23). The day of sifting and judgment is coming. Soon a sin-crazy, hell-bent generation will meet the God of holiness: The string will snap and the joke will end.

Gluttony and Drunkenness

Christ also mentioned gluttony and drunkenness as signs foreshadowing His return. He said, “They were eating and drinking . . . until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not [believed not] until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:38-39). The fool’s motto has not changed over the centuries, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. ” Bars and nightclubs throughout the nation advertise a “happy hour,” or an “attitude-adjustment hour,” meaning that drinks go for half-price during a specified time. But what does this really mean? That one can choose an eternity without Christ at discounted prices. Never have we had so many alcoholics and drug addicts. America’s combined total of addicts exceeds twenty million. Europe, Asia, and all the continents of the world are in the same dilemma. Satan’s brew is eye-enticing and nose-appealing. Millions have fallen victim to his seduction. However, it will not last forever. The third and fourth seals of the Apocalypse picture shortages, poverty, hunger, and death.

Revelation 6:7-8 states, “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” When life ends, as it must for all mortals, because “it is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27), the sinner must enter a place where even water is unattainable. Christ told of a lost sinner crying out from hell, saying, “Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). Liquor is not worth such eternal thirst. The Holy Spirit declares in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 mentions seventeen sins, and the sixteenth is listed as “drunkenness,” which brings eternal loss, for the conclusion of the text states, “They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Do not let sin rob you of being caught up with Christ in that glorious day that is soon to come.

Is it my imagination, or are corruption and

violence on the increase? What does this have
to do with Christ’s return?

Corruption

Noah’s era was also one of corruption: “Every imagination of the thoughts of [mankind’s] heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The result: “The earth also was corrupt before God” (Genesis 6:11). It takes no stretch of a person’s imagination to see a world of men filled with vile imaginations. This is history’s worst hour. Filthy pornographic magazines and X-rated movies have brainwashed the depraved into submission. Vile, lewd, and licentious pornography floods the world. Savages are roaming the streets raping and sodomizing victims. Since morality is the essence of God’s Ten Commandments, as well as the entire teaching of the Holy Bible, Christians should be crusaders in the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. How does it make you feel to see pornographic bookstores within a few doors of gospel-preaching churches? Unfortunately, many believers are doing nothing to stop this intrusion on our morality. This is contrary to the Almighty God who demands that His servants “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).

If we do not want kiddy porn and its sister, prostitution, to arrive in our communities, we must rid ourselves of obscenity at every level or eventually it will touch the innocent lives of our children. Even the Supreme Court has stated emphatically that the first amendment does not protect obscenity. The laws must be enforced at all levels: local, state, and federal. Many Christians think their children are safe because they are in a Christian school and church. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our homes are being invaded by television filth from morning to night, with the afternoon “freak shows” walking away with the ratings! Yet, millions of American Christians have accepted the philosophy that there is no right or wrong. The result of our inaction? Purveyors of smut capitalize on the opportunities that an uncaring public hands them on a silver platter. The present scene has become so nauseating that celebrities, professional counselors, and media executives themselves are speaking out. One famous comedian, Steve Alien, declared publicly that television has gotten too dirty and that the networks televise junk just to keep the ratings high. A broadcasting executive asked his industry this probing question, “Have we sunk so low that we have sold our children to the dogs in order to make a dollar?”

You’ve probably seen the popular armbands worn by many Christians-young and old alike. There are only four letters on the band: WWJD-a question and a reminder to the wearer: What Would Jesus Do? Good question. “What would Jesus do? Well, I can tell you one thing He’s going to do: He’s going to return in majesty and glory. He’s going to remove His church from the porn, the permissiveness, and the poverty of morality and arrange for His bride to meet Him in the air in a sky-splitting event known as the Rapture. While we remain on planet earth, you and I must heed the apostle’s words, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). This bombardment of continual wickedness, implanting so much filth and false values in our collective minds, is presently reaping an abundant harvest morally, spiritually, and socially. Just as the degenerated values of society in Noah’s day filled the world with violence, so sin, crime, and fear stalk humanity as we come to the close of the twentieth century.

I’m confident this situation will continue to deteriorate because the sign will break forth in all its debauchery during the Tribulation Hour. We are already observing the preview of coming events. Life will not be worth living during the Tribulation, because Satan will be cast out of the heavens and will be enthroned upon the earth. Because he knows that he has only a short time to perform his heinous acts, and because of his impending imprisonment for one thousand years (Revelation 20:3), he will unleash all of his brutality and uncleanness upon earth’s millions. That is why Revelation 12:12 states, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

Violence

Remember that Noah’s day was also one of violence (Genesis 6:11). Any person who watches television news today surely realizes that we are going through a period of unprecedented violence and terrorism throughout the world. Information coming to the intelligence community is providing further evidence and new details on the operations of a worldwide international terrorist network, which has been functioning since 1969. They are an organized alliance with roots in Asia, the Middle East, especially Iran, Western Europe, Latin America, and the United States. The network’s ideological cement is mixed from Marx and Mao, with proclaimed goals of “world revolution,” to be attained through a worldwide war of terror against the advanced states in attempts to undermine their normal way of life and institutions. While the scope of the terrorist alliance now is attaining global proportions, the Middle East remains its main base and sanctuary area-backed by Russian arms and manipulation. It’s reported that terrorists believe that a larger number of casualties may now be necessary to generate the amount of publicity formerly evoked by less bloody operations.

The world is in a precarious position. But we’ve seen nothing yet. Violence will rear its ugly head in monstrous proportions as terrorists prepare for germ and biological warfare to hold major cities captive. Soon millions will die. When it does occur, could it be the beginning of the Tribulation Hour? But fear not precious flock, Jesus said in Luke 21:9, “When ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come” and then adds in verse 31, “When ye do see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom [return to earth] of God is nigh at hand [near].”

FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

The Quest for Peace

I heard a story recently about a nagging wife who kept writing complaining letters to her serviceman husband who was on combat duty in another country. Finally, after receiving yet another hateful letter, the husband wrote back, “Will you please stop writing me vicious letters so I can fight this war in peace?”

We all want peace, don’t we? Personally and nationally we crave it. Yet, so few of us find it. I’ve read that over half the beds in our hospitals today are filled with people who have mental problems. These individuals have desperately sought for peace but haven’t found it. At last, they have reached the place where they can no longer cope with life, and they have become ill.

A noted doctor once said that if all the tranquilizers were taken away from the American people, we would have a national nervous breakdown so big there wouldn’t be enough well people to take care of the sick ones. People who take tranquilizers are trying to push the turbulence in their lives out of their minds. They have to resort to a little pill to put them in “peaceful” oblivion.

My heart goes out to those who do not know the meaning of peace. Each day is a repetition of the previous one, filled with hostility, despair, and loneliness. They are miserable, frustrated, and unhappy with themselves and everyone around them.

A picture of peace

Remember the story of the rich man who commissioned an artist to paint him a picture illustrating true peace. The artist painted a beautiful picture of a lake surrounded by trees. In the distance were majestic, snow-covered mountains.

When the rich man saw it, he shook his head. “It’s very beautiful,” he told the artist, “but it’s not a picture of true peace. Please try again.”

This time the artist thought a long time before he began to paint. On the canvas, he painted a huge, thundering waterfall. He showed the water churning over the falls and crashing onto rocks far below. Then, at one side of the waterfall, he painted a birch tree whose slender branches reached out over the roaring water. On one of the branches, he painted a little bird sitting quietly and contentedly on her nest, oblivious to the danger around her.

That is true peace — not an escape from the pressures and trials of life but the quiet repose of a heart at rest with God. Jesus said, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

Jesus’ life was anything but peaceful. Yet, His last legacy to His disciples and to all those who would follow Him was the promise of peace. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

I love the old hymn that goes:

Trust and rest when all around thee
Puts thy faith to sorest test;

Let no fear or foe confound thee,
Wait for God and trust and rest.
Trust and rest with heart abiding,

Like a birdling in its nest,
Underneath His feathers hiding,
Fold thy wings and trust and rest.

I don’t know the things in your life that cause you unrest and destroy your peace. But I want to remind you that there is a way to handle them. God has given us guidelines that can take us through these troublesome times.

Guidelines for troubled times

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9). What does that mean to you in your everyday life? It means that if you will turn your thoughts to God, He will take control. Then, regardless of the conditions around you, you have His abiding peace, joy, patience — whatever you need at the moment — to draw on.

The Apostle Paul tells us that He [Jesus] is our [way of] peace (Ephesians 2:14). It’s only when we follow after Him that the walls of hostility which surround us come tumbling down. He is our way of living at peace with others. Paul also speaks of those who do not seek after God, and he observes that they do not know the way of peace (see Romans 3:17).

A verse that has helped so many who were going through turbulent times is Isaiah 26:3, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. When you keep your mind on the Lord and trust unwaveringly in Him, you can truly live in peace though the world around you be filled with turmoil and strife.

My prayer for you today is that… the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

CHANGED LIVES-one at a time

Good morning Drs. Jack and Rexella,

I just wanted to say I totally enjoy your newsletter and wait in anticipation for the next one to arrive. Your newsletter has opened my eyes and my mine to better understanding of GOD’s love and sacrifice he did for me a sinner. I so love Revelation and now that you explain it so well in your newsletter I am getting more understanding of the book of Revelation.

Thank you both for this wonderful teaching. I love it and please continue doing GOD’s work because at least when we hear it from you both we know it is the truth revealed through GOD in the Bible the Book of the Lord. I also was touched by Rexella story about her loving father. This has touched my heart.

Thank you again and keep up the good work of preaching the Gospel throughout the world.

Sincerely,

Sandra

Louisiana

I have been watching Jack and Rexella for a month or so now & I have been so blessed with the “Bible based” message they have to offer. Thank you for the message you offer, God used this program to draw me closer to him & now he is doing a new work in me with a hunger for his truth found only in his word. Before when I received Christ at a younger age, I didn’t really understand much about my Christian walk, then over years I began to backslide & distanced myself from God, always saying small prayers of asking forgiveness of my daily sins, but recently God placed a burning desire in my heart & mind to seek him again & turn from my sins & walk with him. I desire to serve God, last time I just focused on my own salvation, but now I see the need to serve, but don’t know where I belong yet. I feel new in Christ, but I know this isn’t going to be easy. I need others of like faith to fellowship with and grow with.

Thank you so much Jack & Rexella, you mean so much to me. I will watch every week.

Joe F.

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