Church Of The Lost Sheep

“Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer’s just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you’ll know he’s at the door. Don’t take this lightly. I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out. “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows." Matthew 24:32-36 The Message Paraphrase [Part of the  end of the world  Series]  Jesus of Nazareth spoke a lot about the end days. He said certain things will be happening and then the end will come. There will be signs. People will know. But then no one knows when the day will actually come. It was a word of caution for the people of that time, just as much as it is for every succeeding generation. Each day is a day closer, but we just don

" The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They’ll tell you not to eat this or that food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by believers who know better! Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God’s Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy." 1 Timothy 4:1-5 The Message Paraphrase [Part of the  end of the world  Series]  By the time Jesus was born, the Jewish people have evolved from doing God's will to following man-made rules and rituals, and making it appear that they are doing God's will. Humankind has done this every time they started a religion. They turn God into a legalistic set of dos and don'ts.

" The second beast forces all people—important and unimportant people, rich and poor people, free people and slaves—to be branded on their right hands or on their foreheads. It does this so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the brand, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name." Revelations 13:16-17 Nature of Believe it or not, we are still in a (worldwide) pandemic. I know, we all are so over this pandemic virus. But pandemics do take a long time to subside, years. And even after it has subsided, the effects and the virus (and variants) still linger/s on. Peculiarities of Now this particular pandemic is unique in the sense that it is the first full blown pandemic during the social media age. This is the first when news, both real and fake reaches everyone, anywhere in the world with a smart device and wi-fi in real time. Politics of This pandemic has been politicized, politicians and people in positions of power and big business have used it to stay

Parable of the Talents “For it is like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and handed over his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more. In the same way, the one with two gained two more. But the one who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money." Matthew 25:14-18 [This is the 11th lesson in this series] Continuing where we left off from the previous message , Jesus is again telling a story about the end days. As we have mentioned He was in a roll and was telling story after story about what the end of days will be like. End Days Parable In that previous message, He used the wedding analogy. In this story, Jesus is using a story about a master  and his servants, which the people listening could also easily

Parable of the Ten Virgins “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish ones took their lamps, they took no oil with them. But the wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps. “Now while the bridegroom was taking a long time, they all got drowsy and started falling asleep. But in the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. Now the foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, since our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell, and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Now later, the other virgins came, saying, ‘S

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another."  -Jesus of Nazareth, 1st century Matthew 24:6-10 I Am Offended The internet era and the age of social media has given rise to a phenomenon unique to our generation today. We call this as the cancel culture. Essentially, cancel culture is about certain "influential" people or groups of people being "offended" over something someone was reported to have said or caught on record to have said or something someone was rumored to have

A Wonderful Future for God’s People "I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us. In fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who his children are. Meanwhile, creation is confused, but not because it wants to be confused. God made it this way in the hope that creation would be set free from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children. We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth. The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it." Romans 8:18-25 (excerpt from the letter of Paul to the early church in Rome, 57-58 A.

A New Heaven and a New Earth "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.” The one sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” He said, “Write this: ‘These words are faithful and true.’” Revelation 21:1-5 Prophecy There will come a time when the former things will all pass away. There will be no more death. There will be no more pain. And there will be no more crying. No More From that day on, the old earth will be no more. Everything

"For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 Encouragement This world will always be marked with broken hearts, broken dreams, disappointments, lost opportunities, sickness, pain, fear, regret, worry, guilt and shame. Yes even a pandemic. But God's Word will always be about love, inner peace, joy, hope, healing, forgiveness, new beginnings, courage, peace of mind and encouragement. We can say the same about the leading and the

Day of the Lord "Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape." 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 Many people say that the last days will be marked with mass destruction, total chaos with a side of a zombie apocalypse. Yes it could very well be. But Apostle Paul and as well as other passages in the bible tell us that the Day of the Lord or Judgement Day will come like a thief in the night. Meaning it will come unannounced and we have no idea the exact hour. So it will come when we least expect it (so it could tonight, next month or next year). Like a woman with a child on the way, we know the baby is coming but don't know

"And when you hear of wars and revolutions, don’t panic. For these things must happen first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he told them, “Peoples will fight each other, nations will fight each other, there will be great earthquakes, there will be epidemics and famines in various places, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from Heaven." Luke 21:9-11 Birth Pains Jesus said that the end of the age will come and it can be likened to an expectant mother having birth pains. We know when a woman conceives, and when her pregnancy progresses to full term then she will eventually deliver a baby after "approximately" nine months. The same can be said of the end of this age. Certain birth pains will mark it's impending arrival. (Even scientists, Greta Thunberg and movie script writers have put an expiration date on planet earth). With an expectant mother, we can approximate when the baby will come but we cannot tell the precise m

"Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare." 2 Peter 3:8-10 Peter in writing* to the early believers was saying that people will be mocking them because Jesus was taking His sweet time in fulfilling His promise of coming back. But he took that opportunity to speak about Jesus, who He is and how this will all end. Jesus is a compassionate person and He is taking His time for good reason. But at the proper time, just as Jesus have already told them; Peter in quoting Jesus' own Words said that He would return like a thief breaking in

‘In the last days,’ God says,     ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy.     Your young men will see visions,     and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit     even on my servants—men and women alike—     and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heavens above     and signs on the earth below—     blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark,     and the moon will turn blood red     before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord     will be saved.’ Acts 2:17-21 As we have been reading the Book of Acts, we have been seeing how it was like during the time of the first Church. The first time Peter preached, he spoke about the reality of Jesus Christ. Telling those who were there, things they already know about including some that they may have overlooked or have failed to totally understand. He spoke of th

Watch Out for Doomsday Deceivers "One day people were standing around talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was, the splendor of its stonework and memorial gifts. Jesus said, “All this you’re admiring so much—the time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble.” They asked him, “Teacher, when is this going to happen? What clue will we get that it’s about to take place?” He said, “Watch out for the doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, ‘I’m the One,’ or, ‘The end is near.’ Don’t fall for any of that. When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end.” He went on, “Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You’ll think at times that the very sky is falling. “But before any of this happens, they’ll arrest you, hunt you down, and dr

December 22, 2012 - Maya Calendar The Day-After the Mayan End-of-the-World Scenario So you didn't sleep the night of December 20th and you found yourself wide awake the entire December 21st. Now, 12-21-12 has come and gone and what now? Yes, the world didn't come to an end on 12-21-2012! Let's go back some 2,000 years ago and take a look at what the Gospel writer Luke wrote as recorded in Luke 12:22 the following: Do Not Worry Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. And he added: Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. So true, yes all so true. If you have been worked up with all these end-of-the-world predictions, remember, you are not likely to find anybody out there who can actually give you a doomsday prediction that will actually turn out to be accurate. So stop sweating about them and live for the moment. Today, if you wis