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Look Back, Look Ahead

Look Back, Look Ahead. Look Back, Look Ahead. When looking at the current condition of our planet, what frightens you the most? The rapid decline in morality in the U.S. The growing influence of China (economically and militarily) World-wide economic collapse

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Look Back, Look Ahead

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  1. Look Back, Look Ahead

  2. Look Back, Look Ahead • When looking at the current condition of our planet, what frightens you the most? • The rapid decline in morality in the U.S. • The growing influence of China (economically and militarily) • World-wide economic collapse • U.S. banks failing and your bank accounts suddenly frozen • Multiple natural disasters simultaneously

  3. Look Back, Look Ahead • When looking at the current condition of our planet, what frightens you the most? f. The rapid spread of radical factions of Islam g. A world-wide disease pandemic h. Iran’s threat to nuke Israel i. Jericho Sanction: Israel’s pre-emptive nuclear strike j. Missing Soviet nukes in the hands of terrorists k. All of the above

  4. Look Back, Look Ahead • All of these events are probable, and it appears that the earth is heading toward a single climatic event. • Everything seems to be pointing in that direction. • But, there is only 1 correct answer for a believer, and it is not on the list. l. None of the above

  5. Look Back, Look Ahead • 2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV) • If there is a verse that speaks to our present time, it is this one!

  6. Look Back, Look Ahead • Several thoughts: • Spirit of Fear – If God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, who did? • The enemy! • It is the spirit of this present age. • Fear does not come from God.

  7. Look Back, Look Ahead • Please understand that fear and faith are on opposite poles. • Just as faith is currency of Kingdom of God, fear is the currency of the devil’s kingdom. • He operates through fear and intimidation. • If you give the devil some fear to work with, he will be able to do some damage in your life. • Many believers are ignorant of their authority in Christ and are easily intimidated by the devil.

  8. Look Back, Look Ahead 2. God Offers – What does God offer us during the tumultuous times we are living in? • Love – why is that important? • When we are fearful, we only think of ourselves and of survival. • When a believer looks at the volatile times, he is full of love, giving and sacrifice. • It is not about saving yourself; it is about being pleasing to the Lord. • That is one reason why we are going to see real believers shine brightly in this hour.

  9. Look Back, Look Ahead • Power – dunamis in the Greek, which is where we get the word—dynamite. • Think about it, fear paralyzes and renders you powerless. • But we are not left powerless to face the trials of this world. • No, we are empowered by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! Resurrection power! • Not only that, but we have been granted more than we need—it is above and beyond all we could ask or think!

  10. Look Back, Look Ahead • Sound Mind– What a gift to have a clear, peaceful and sound mind in the midst of the storm. • When people are fearful, they do loony things and are often tormented in their thoughts. • But not a believer! We are full of the peace of God! • It is a peace that surpasses all understanding and guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:7)

  11. Look Back, Look Ahead • Now, you can see why God offers these 3 blessings! • But, many ask how can you be so peaceful as you look at all the potentially explosive events that are about to happen. • It is like we are living on the edge of a simultaneous, volcanic eruption of events. • There are even movies out about this happening. • One of the biggest reasons we have this peace is because of the Book that we possess—the Bible. • In this case, IGNORANCE is not bliss!

  12. Look Back, Look Ahead • Between now and J-Day, many potentially frightening events are going to happen. • There are around 2,500 prophecies in the Bible, and about 2,000 or 80% of them have already been fulfilled. • That means the remaining 500 are going to unfold rather rapidly in the next few years.

  13. Look Back, Look Ahead • Here’s the point for us– • If all 2,000 prophecies have been 100% fulfilled, would it not stand to reason that the remaining 500 will come to pass exactly as God had promised too? • YES!

  14. Look Back, Look Ahead • Looking back at God’s faithfulness to His people and His Word, should give each of us a confident peace as we look ahead to the future. • If all the prophecies pertaining to Jesus’ 1st Coming came to pass, would it not stand that every detail predicted in Scripture about His 2nd Coming will come to pass as well? • Look Back to Look Ahead

  15. Look Back, Look Ahead • Let’s take a moment and look backat the accuracy of Scripture, so we can confidently look aheadto the future. • Or, Back to the Future

  16. Look Back, Look Ahead • Here’s an example of looking back to the future. • Take the first prophecy in Scripture: • Genesis 3:15 – And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread [crush] your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. (AMP)

  17. Look Back, Look Ahead • When man fell in the Garden, God did not leave him without hope. • In this verse He revealed His future plan of sending His Son, the seed of woman, to crush the head of the serpent or the devil. • When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated the devil! • This verse was partially fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. • But he will be “crushed” or “destroyed” once and for all in the near future.

  18. Look Back, Look Ahead • Romans 16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. (NLT) • And, it will happen “soon”: Revelation 20:10 – Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (NLT)

  19. Look Back, Look Ahead • Many are fearful and intimidated by a defeated foe. • Because the 1st part came to pass in the resurrection of Jesus, we can have total confidence that the 2nd part will happen as well.

  20. Look Back, Look Ahead • Let me show you several more of the 2,000 prophecies that have been fulfilled. • Before 500 BC, Daniel prophesied accurately that Jesus would begin His ministry 483 years after the Persian King Artaxerxes issued a decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. • Also, he predicted that Jesus would be killed before Jerusalem would be destroyed a 2nd time (Daniel 9:25-26).

  21. Look Back, Look Ahead 3. About 700 years before the birth of Christ, Micah prophesied that Bethlehem would be the birth place of the Messiah (Micah 5:2). 4. In the 5th Century B.C., Zechariah accurately predicted that Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave (Zechariah 11:12-13). 5. 400 years before crucifixion was developed, David the Psalmist and Zechariah described how Jesus would be killed (Psalm 22; 34:20; Zechariah 12:10).

  22. Look Back, Look Ahead 6. Moses predicted (additions from Jeremiah and Jesus) that Israel would be conquered twice and carried into slavery, first by Babylon (607 B.C.) and then by Rome (A.D. 70). 7. They also, predicted that the Jews would one day return to their homeland which happened in 1948. • Perhaps the greatest miracle in modern history. • And this is a sign that we are living in the last days. (Deuteronomy 29, Isaiah 11:11-13; Jeremiah 25:11; Hosea 3:4-5; Luke 21:23-24)

  23. Look Back, Look Ahead 8. The prophet Isaiah foretold that a conqueror named Cyrus would destroy Babylon, Egypt and most of the known world. • He also predicted that Cyrus would allows the Jews to return (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; and 45:13). • Isaiah made this prophecy 150 years before Cyrus was born! • He actually mentioned his name!

  24. Look Back, Look Ahead Isaiah 44:28-45:6 – When I say of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, 'he will certainly do as I say. He will command, 'Rebuild Jerusalem'; he will say, 'Restore the Temple.'" Cyrus, the LORD's Chosen One. 45:1 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again.

  25. Look Back, Look Ahead 2 This is what the Lord says: "I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.3 And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the One who calls you by name. 4 "And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel My chosen one.

  26. Look Back, Look Ahead • 5 I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don't even know Me, 6 so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other. (NLT) • Remember—Isaiah lived 150 years before Cyrus was even born! • Before you were born God knew you, and He even knew you by your name.

  27. Look Back, Look Ahead • A list of 13 prophesies that have been fulfilled. • Combined, the 13 prophecies have a 1:10138 of being fulfilled or 10 with 138-zeroes-behind it. • The Bible is a book that literally writes history before it happens. • If you want to know what is going to happen next in history, read the Bible!

  28. Look Back, Look Ahead • Given the fact that the Bible is so reliable, there is every reason to believe that the remaining 500 prophecies will be fulfilled to the letter. • Why would any reasonable person reject the warnings and the blessings promised here? • Knowing that, why would anyone reject Jesus now? • Do you see the hour that we are living in? • We truly are in the Last Days! • Look at what Jesus says about the hour we are living in:

  29. Look Back, Look Ahead • Matthew 24:32-35 – 32 "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, [i.e., the predicted signs] you can know His return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation [that sees these signs—simultaneously] will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but My words will never disappear. (NLT)

  30. Look Back, Look Ahead • What does this mean? • The Fig Tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel. • Eagle is a symbol of the U.S.A. • Bear is a symbol of Russia • Lion is the symbol of the British Empire • The Bible mentions the fig tree 33 times, and the context is always the nation of Israel.

  31. Look Back, Look Ahead • When a fig tree blossoms in the early spring, it is a sure sign that the general time of summer has arrived. • So, the thought goes that the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948 was the budding of the fig tree. • We now know that we are living in the general time of the Lord’s return! • Selah!

  32. Look Back, Look Ahead Matthew 24:32-35 – 32 "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things,you can know His return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but My words will never disappear. (NLT)

  33. Look Back, Look Ahead • With that thought in mind, what Jesus said in verse 34 is quite amazing: • 24:34 — I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. • What is a generation? • That is the $64 million dollar question! • Much debate

  34. Look Back, Look Ahead • Those who were alive in 1948 will not pass away until all these events take place. • It is not a fixed set of years, like 40 years. • If you were born in 1948, you would be around 61 years old. • You could conceivably live another 30 years or more. 1948 + 100 = 2048. • It is in that time frame that all these things will occur.

  35. Look Back, Look Ahead • Strong Caution—NO ONE KNOWS THE HOUR OR THE DAY OF THE LORD’S RETURN BUT GOD! • Not even Jesus!  • Plan your life as if Jesus is not going to return in your lifetime, but live each day as if He were returning tomorrow. • Don’t go out and say, Hal said Jesus is returning soon, so I don’t need to work or finish my education. • Jesus said: Occupy until I come!

  36. Look Back, Look Ahead • Looking Back — ifall the prophecies of the past have been fulfilled with amazing accuracy, why will the remaining 500 not be the same? • If He was faithful then, why will He not be faithful now and in the future? • Looking Ahead — now, we can look at our present times and stand with confident assurance that Jesus will ultimately be the Victor. • The One Who will put all of His enemies under His feet—death, sickness, suffering and the devil himself—will come back just as He said!

  37. Look Back, Look Ahead • The Bible is certainly the only reliable guide by which to live your life. • What peace is in our hearts as we approach the future! • What the world would give to have a book that accurately describes the future of the world. • Thank God, we have that Book—The Bible.

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