Signs of Jesus Christ Return

The Gospel- aka "Good News" has been spreading to the ends of the Earth. Since its inception in Israel, Christianity has permeated through out the world. From Hebrew, Aramaic, to the Greek- the disciples recounted during their travels the truth about the Messiah- who was born in Bethlehem and the disciples proudly shared with humanity how the Messiah would return At the time of Christ, there were approximately 300 million people in the world (Nova.Net) now it's estimated that the world population is over six billion people (U.S. Census Bureau), taking this into account- it is astounding to realize that the followers of Christ have been spreading the Gospel for the past two thousand years. As there are numerous signs mentioned to take place prior to Christ return, none are more explicit than those Jesus Himself declared. The book of Matthew gives the account of, when Jesus' disciples pointedly asked Him, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Matthew 24:3. Here are few of the signs Jesus told His disciples:

"Take Heed that No one deceives you- many shall come in my name."(Matthew 24:5) This statement is true for numerous men, especially those in cults- have claimed to be Jesus and to the surprise of many, hundreds and thousands of people willingly follow these false prophets to their own detriment. In 2007, CNN did a report on Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, a man who believes that he is God. To this day, De Jesus stands firm to his belief and has thousands of members in more that thirty countries.

"Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." (Matthew 24:9) In an obvious spiritual attack from the enemy (Satan) - nations from different periods of time to current times have strategically vilified Christians. One has to wonder, why being a follower of Christ puts such a large target on your back? The persecution of Christians isn't an archaic tactic from the past. On July 24, 2009, North Korea publicly put to death a Christian woman, Ri Hyon Ok, 33, for simply distributing the Bible. The fact is Christians believe that a Nazarene, born in Bethlehem, named Jesus is the Son of God and for this belief Christians are hated. On August 2, 2009, Pakistanis burned down the home of a Christian family who refused to convert to Islam. Visit www.opendoorsusa.org , the website illustrates the brave souls who are willing to share their testimony of faith even when facing danger. Opendoorsusa.org estimates that over 100 million Christians are suffering for their faith in Christ.

"Because iniquity abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12) The constant bombardment of heinous murders, rapes, pornography, and shocking utter wickedness within the world has facilitated many becoming insensitive to our common man. Proof of iniquity has been running rampant is evident with all the media reports on disturbing violence, especially among our youth. Look at some of the recent headlines: "Police Look for Suspects in Beating, Robbery of 100- year old man," "Possessed Teen Stabs Three Younger Siblings" and "Pregnant Mom Stabbed on Newspaper Route."

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14). The power of the internet has allowed cheap distribution of the most powerful Book in the world. Bible.org is a website devoted to building a platform where Bible teachers can make their own study material so anyone in the world can read it and download it for FREE. Basically, anyone that has internet or a mobile device is able to receive the Gospel with a touch of a fingertip. The Washington Post reported on technological advances that allow the Gospel to be preached throughout the entire world. The Post also described a solar powered device called the "Bible Stick" which allows users to listen to audio recordings of the Bible.
According to the Forum Bible Agencies International, since the year 2000, the Bible has been translated into six hundred more languages leaving 3-5% of the world's population not having the Bible in their native language. Technology has become instrumental in spreading the Gospel:

• Since its release in 1979, the Warner Brothers Jesus film has been translated into more than one thousand languages (Washington Post) and has been viewed approx 5.6 billion times worldwide, making it the "most seen movie ever". How awesome it is that this generation has the opportunity to witness the fulfillment of the Gospel being preached to the ends of the earth.

• Christianmobile.com delivers completed Bibles via cell phones to millions of people.

• The Summer Institute of Linguist has translated the Bible into 2,197 different languages.

• According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, new computer programs have made it extremely practical to translate scriptures into native languages in as little as one to three years.

• Worldmap.org visually records the progress of the successful missionary efforts to bring the Gospel to every corner of the earth.

If one were to watch for the signs that Christ described, one can clearly see His imminent return on the horizon. For the Gospel of the kingdom is being preached to even the most remote places on the earth. Truly only God knows when the Lord is returning, but just as Jesus said, "But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. (Matthew 24:43)." This is the same case scenario-the Lord has shared with mankind; what the signs would be prior to His return- don't ignore them. Granted, it's simple to get caught up in the cares of the world-especially in the current economic situation. However, what price do you pay if you are robbed of your soul and the opportunity to spend eternity dwelling in the house of the Lord forever?