Complete Broadcast Text
Welcome to The Prophet Daniel’s Report. This is Daniel Whyte III here to remind you that Jesus Christ is coming back soon and that you need to be prepared. This broadcast is not about predictions, however it is all about preparation.
First, today, let’s look at some Signs of His Coming in the news.
The disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 24:3, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus Christ then went on to give them (and us) clear signs that show us when we can begin to expect to see the coming of the Lord and the end of the world. Looking at world events through the lens of the Word of God, let’s look at some headlines from today’s news that point to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Russia and China are spending more on their militaries. According to the Associated Press, the global financial crisis hit military spending in the U.S. and Europe last year, while Russia and China kept increasing their spending on weapons. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says budget cuts kept worldwide military expenditures nearly flat at 0.3 percent in 2011, marking an end to an 11-year trend of growing arms spending. Russia overtook Britain and France to become the world’s third largest arms spender, to the tune of some $8 billion – a 9.3 percent increase over 2010. China also boosted its purchases by 6.7 percent to around $143 billion, remaining the world’s second largest arms investor.
This development is of importance to Bible prophecy because many believe that Russia is the nation known as “Gog and Magog” in Ezekiel 38 that will attack Israel from the north during the end times. Many also believe that China is one of “the kings of the East” referred to in Revelation 16 who will cross a dried up Euphrates River to join the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon.
Israel and the U.S. are already at odds over talks with Iran. According to the Associated Press, President Barack Obama on Sunday insisted that the United States has not “given anything away” in new talks with Iran as he defended his continued push for a diplomatic resolution to the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Obama said he refused to let the talks turn into a “stalling process,” but believed there was still time for diplomacy. His assessment came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the U.S. and world powers gave Tehran a “freebie” by agreeing to hold more talks next month. While previous talks have done little to dissuade Iran from moving forward on its nuclear program, diplomats called the latest negotiations constructive and useful. Both sides agreed to hold more talks in Baghdad at the end of May.
An Israeli TV report shows air force gearing up for Iran attack. According to The Times of Israel, a major Israeli TV station broadcast a detailed report on how Israel will go about attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities in the event that diplomacy and sanctions fail and Israel decides to carry out a military strike. The report was remarkable both in terms of the access granted to the reporter, who said he had spent weeks with the pilots and other personnel he interviewed, and in the fact that his assessments on a strike were cleared by the military censor. No order to strike is likely to be given before the P5+1 talks with Iran resume in May, but the reporter, Alon Ben-David, said “the coming summer will not only be hot but tense.”
You can read these stories in-depth and get more Second Coming-related news on our website at www.SecondComingHerald.com
Now, it’s time for Prophecy Bootcamp.
Prophecy Bootcamp is where we deal with the basics of prophecy and what will happen in the future according to the Bible. Our aim here is not to make predictions but to help you get prepared by understanding how things will unfold in the end times.
Today we are at part 3 of our series titled “The Metaphors of Being Rewarded” from John MacArthur’s book “The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.” MacArthur writes the following on this subject.
In I Corinthians 3:10-12, Paul talks about the fact that every Christian is seen as a building or structure. We all have the same foundation which is Jesus Christ; but each of us has to choose the building material for the rest of the structure — either “gold, silver, or precious stones” or “wood, hay, and stubble.” Then in verses 13-15 Paul says: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
As Christians, we have a choice of building material. We can choose “wood, hay, and stubble,” or “gold, silver, and precious stones.” Did you know that wood, hay and stubble are not morally bad? Wood is a nice building material. Beautiful things can be made out of wood. Now hay isn’t as good. A thatched hut can be made out of hay, but it doesn’t last too long. Stubble is simply bird nest material. These materials are not evil, they just represent those things which are unworthy and destructable.
There are many things that we do in the Christian life that are not morally evil or bad — they are merely inconsequential. The tragedy in so many Christian’s lives is not the tragedy of living immoral lives, it is the tragedy of living disastrously inconsequential lives. If they died, there wouldn’t be anybody in the world, spiritually speaking, who would miss them. Now, every Christian is going to be saved; and every Christian is going to have the praise of God; and there will be crowns for all of us…but, believe me, some are going to receive more than others. There will be those who’ve built with gold, silver, and precious stones, which, when tried by fire, will be deemed by God to be precious and of eternal value. Our lives should be so absorbed in priorities that we are building upon the foundation of Christ with gold, silver, and precious stones. That’s what will stand the test.
In closing, let’s consider what God wants you and I to do in light of His Second Coming.
God wants you to be able to recognize apostasy infiltrating the church so that you can stand against it. In light of that, we are at part 12 of our series titled ‘What is Apostasy and How to Recognize It’. Our subject for today is titled “Apostasy and Eternal Security (Part 6)”.
According to S. Michael Houdmann:
There are many people who are willing to identify with Jesus. Who doesn’t want eternal life and blessing? However, Jesus warns us to count the cost of discipleship. In Luke 9:23-26, Jesus Christ said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.”
True believers have counted those costs, whereas apostates have not. Apostates are people who, when they leave the faith, give evidence they were never saved in the first place. 1 John 2:19 says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” Apostasy is not a loss of salvation, but rather a demonstration that salvation was never truly possessed.
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CLOSING PRAYER
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Now, if you are listening to this broadcast and you do not know Jesus Christ as your saviour, God wants you to accept Jesus Christ before He returns. The Bible says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Friend of mine, if you are willing to trust Christ as your Savior today, please pray with me the following prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner. For Jesus Christ’s sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life. Amen.
Remember the words of the Lord in Matthew 24:42: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
Matthew 24:44 says, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. Let us join in the prayer of John the Revelator — “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God bless you.
Musical Selection
Title: “Heaven’s Coming”
Artist: Shana Wilson
Album: “I Love You Live”
