More Misery Than We Can Imagine, Part 1

Many see the Bible is a record of what occurred in the past history and there's certainly a measure of truth to that. But, remarkably, the Bible contains far more than historical documentation in its pages, we find surprising details about our future today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll re-creates is seen in Matthew chapter 24 when Jesus was giving his disciples specific details about the end of time is colorful account sounds strikingly similar to life in 2021, Chuck titled today's message more misery than we can imagine were in the middle of reading some of the most vocal scenes in all Scripture, the calamity that's portrayed reveals more misery then than we can imagine. And as we shall see. These are words where Jesus escorts his disciples into a time far beyond their years and I might add far beyond our years to a time when all hell will break loose on this earth and the end draws near, and because this is part of Matthew's gospel. We work our way through it, along with those other parts that are in themselves a beautiful and easy to read but if we stay with this will give us the flow of the story will understand better in our time what God is doing in his time. I'm reading from the new living translation. Matthew 24, beginning in verse 15, the day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place reader pay attention than those in Judea must flee to the hills, a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack a person out in the field must not return even to get a quote how terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days and pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath, for there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began, and it will never be so great again. In fact, unless the time of calamity is shortened. Not a single person will survive, but it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones, then if anyone tells you look at here is the Messiah or 30 years. Don't believe it.

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders, so as to deceive impossible even God's chosen ones.

See, I warned you about this ahead of time so if someone tells you look, the Messiah is out of the desert don't bother to go and look or look he's hiding here. Don't believe it. For as the lightning flashes in the East and shrines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby so these signs indicate that the end is near.

Study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck titled more misery than we can imagine what happened in Vegas could never stay in Vegas. Not this time not on 1 October 2017, not on that otherwise quiet beautiful Sunday evening when country western fans from all over, and gathered to sing along with their bands to be with her friends to enjoy an evening of fun freedom.

Building great memories together until the personification of evil unloaded on them thousands of rounds from high-powered rifles. He didn't know them. They didn't care about them as he began to spray the crowd with bullets 58 fell in death.

Hundreds more wounded. All ran in every direction they could to get away from whatever it was that was happening. Confusion and chaos reigned changing the tone from what it had been to what would be for them a never to be forgotten.

Of time.

We stared in disbelief. On Monday morning as we turn on our televisions just couldn't believe it.

If you were like Cynthia and me.

You you as what else in the world else could be happening. What treacherous times we are in.

Hard as it may be for us to wrap our minds around such horrific atrocities is that the Scripture tells of a time far worse than these, there will be calamities, the likes of which we cannot even imagine. Listen to the words. The day is coming when there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began, and it will never be so great. Again, in fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened. Not a single person will survive the misery of such a time boggles our minds and you don't know better you would think this would be the words of some while that preacher trying to gather a crowd around them, but they are words from a wild eyed preacher. They are words from a man who is sitting down, speaking quietly to a small group of followers called disciples and the one speaking has never once in his life lied or exaggerated. Let that sink in. I am sure as the disciples listened their mouths literally were wide open.

This is in the scene along the western slope of the Mount of olives, gradual slope that leads up to the crested and ultimately to the eastern slope for the little village of Bethany was located where he was going, but along the way. Even before they left the city of Jerusalem.

The disciples are wondering about what's coming, especially when he told them that no stone would remain unturned in the temple that had been all their lives before then this magnificent edifice, the likes of which they had never seen anywhere else, and he said they'll all be gone and they were curious. Of course any told him about that and then passed along to a subject far greater, far more significant and much more far-reaching because he goes around the world with these words as he takes them into a time beyond their day they would never live to see these things and may I add beyond our day, nor will we who know the Lord Jesus. I say this not in any way to manipulate but if you are without Christ and you hear these words and choose not to believe in. You may very well live to see them and go through the but you understand if I piece together the events of the future correctly. The Lord himself will ascend from heaven with a shout of the voice of the archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first is the next event of future then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and social we ever be with the Lord. I take it that we are lifted from the earth and believers are removed, leaving only unbelievers in a state of chaos and confusion we are gone we are rescued we are removed we are taken in the glorified state we are in the presence of our Savior in heaven as this unfolds on the earth and water.

Of time it will be different words are used to describe it.

Jesus moves through the story. I believe in it.

If you will a rather matter-of-fact manner because you have none of this is surprising understand this and I'm so grateful for the one who mentored me Ray Steadman help me see as God views this earth.

It is all in one great panorama.

The whole series of events, all before him, he sees it all. Of course knows it all.

Of course, has planted all and in light of that, as he unfolds various segments of it. In this case, through his son Jesus is not said in a shouting or chaotic manner. It's unfolding as you would read through a novel. Though it is certainly not to be taken with a yawn. Neither is it designed to keep you awake at night, you will be gone, but I will tell you if you were left after we have been taken.

You will be awake at night, in light of all of that. I think it is interesting that Jesus chooses an interesting analogy as he describes these events that take place intensely and repeatedly as birth pains. We saw that last time.

In verse eight of Matthew 24 they will be like birth pains. Mothers of unborn babies will tell you of those pains. Man can only imagine them and those pains intensify as the woman begins to bear down and the birth of the child is closer to term and in the intensity of the pain today. Doctors provide assistance.

Medications are available, etc. there are some who prefer to go through it with what's called natural childbirth. I have certain reservations about that. I like to ask a person who says they preferred that you go through a natural drilling of your teeth. Do you like natural appendectomies but anyway not being a mother. I better stop there. I'll get into trouble with the mother in my life who has borne our children. The point is birth.

Things are are dreadful. Their painful but they all are announcing the time will come when all the pregnancy will end and the baby will be born. Ideally, a healthy baby, happy baby and we go on with life.

But in this case he only takes us to the birthday, and as it unfolds. He puts his finger on the abomination who causes desolation. Daniel mentions him three times Chapter 9 Chapter 11 and Chapter 12.

And I believe him to be a person called elsewhere the beast in another place. Antichrist. He is an individual who comes with a persuasive word for his times people in chaos need a leader. He will emerge as a leader. He will be very persuasive, and he will be very influential and he will be very brutal for there to be an economy must be worked through him for there to be a way of life. It must be handled through him. And if you're now a believer realizing what you missed at the catching up of the other believers and you're now turn to Christ, you will find yourself in a whale of misery because you will be targeted. Among those he will persecute for his desire. Since he is motivated by Satan is to bring you into his plan ahead.

You will part of his following. He is called the abomination who causes desolation.

I think it's interesting right about now. At the end of verse 15, Matthew interrupts the narrative and says reader pay attention like a teacher would say in a classroom that's getting out of order kids in class. Listen using Matthew who was there realizes the significance of the narrative and knowing that such things as this tender bottle of mind knowing that you may read through it and quickly pass beyond it since you can imagine it. He says to you, stop, listen, pay attention, take it seriously. So we will verse 16. He speaks of those who will be in Judea. He says you must flee to the hill. These are people running for their lives. And there will be those who will be on the deck of a roof, you must not run back into the house to pack anything you have time for such risks, you want to get out of there a person in the field must not return even to get a quote don't go back one get out of there terrible it will be for the pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.

Verse 19 mention pray that your flight will not be in the winter. For obvious reasons difficult to travel on foot in the winter and that it will be on the Sabbath, for there will be those Orthodox Jews who will persecute you as a Jew for working on the Sabbath as you were running for your life, for there will be greater language than it ever did. Any time since the world began to read that earlier. In fact, verse 22, unless the time of calamity is shortened.

Not a single person will survive. You know it isn't too difficult for us to imagine such a scene of running my childhood goes back to just before World War II and I've since seen the grainy films of those who took them at Pearl Harbor as the Japanese fighters were strafing the people on the ground at Pearl Harbor and his bombs were being dropped into the. The simple of idyllic's Sunday morning lifestyle of of life in Hawaii and other people were running for their lives. We seen that of as I looked leader and saw the Jews all over Europe, running for their lives to get away from the Nazi regime, I realized what it must mean to run for one's life. We saw them in Saigon is a format single line up to the helicopter, hoping to find a place on the helicopter to get out before the Vietcong took over most didn't make it.

We saw them running on 911 2001 in New York City and away from the Pentagon as more chaos reigned upon us and on and on we could go right down to 1 October 2017 when they ran from the open fields in Vegas people running for their lives running to find a place to hide running to get away from the danger having lived long enough to see that we can imagine the scene here, but nothing will compare to the scene. It will be worldwide refugees running to find the place to hide what's interesting is is a run to hide the deceiver will have his emissaries among them, and they will run with them and once they have found a place that has temporary shelter the deceivers will emerge with their voices singing.

Do you realize the Messiah is near verse 23 if anyone tells you look. Here's the Messiah or there he is. Don't believe it. Don't believe false massage and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders. This is a great point for a place for me to stop and point out something that's easily forgotten great signs and wonders had to do with miracles miracles, through supernatural power and God is not the only one with supernatural power. Satan is an enormous amount of supernatural power. He's a supernatural creature in this demotic host are given supernatural powers as well and they use them in the performance of miracles only proves that it's a sign or wonder, not that it comes from God. People have the idea that it is miraculous. It can only come from God, but this is an example would signs and wonders are coming from the deceiver. He says there will be great signs and wonders, so as to deceive a possible even God's chosen one. Your Bible reads, even God's elect. See, I warned you about this ahead of time.

Jesus and he adds, if someone tells you the Messiah is out there in the desert don't go out there.

He isn't there, or look he's hiding your mother don't don't look for him here. I don't believe it more as the lightning flashes in the East and in the east and shines to the West. So when the Son of Man comes just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby so the signs dictate or indicate that the end is near. Preclear is meant it is we wish we knew more detailed. We wish we we had greater information, but it gives them what they need to hear to count on the fact that there is a plan in motion and in the midst of the plan of escape.

There will be deceivers just as a roar today. Don't be deceived.

Now men and women. I realized when I was preparing this that I need to say some words to all of us since we are not in that time, and since we will not be in times like this unless we choose to reject Christ and carry on life as we think we can handle it, but most of us today who are hearing me are or are in the family of God.

Where were going through treacherous times were all familiar with organizations.

We never thought out 10 years ago.

20 years ago. I since Al Qaeda lone gunman who sit in families filled with explosives and blow them up in front of buildings to kill people.

Those who hijacked planes and others who drive those trucks into crowds deliberately to murder them and then there are the suicide bombers who strapped themselves with explosives. Then there are those who would break classrooms, even classrooms of little children with high-powered rifles to kill the little children.

The list goes on and on and on. Now let me say to everyone very carefully. You can so focus on these times which are treacherous that you will find your your your piece is invaded. If you take it far enough, you will live a suspicious life. There will be very few. You will trust in the older you get, the fewer they will be. This is a difficult moment to hit the pause button on today's message from Chuck Swindoll because we're living as he said in treacherous times tomorrow on Insight for living.

Chuck will help us relieve our fears with faith and will learn to as Paul the apostle put it, be steadfast and immovable, and to discover a variety of resources available on today's topic, please visit us online@insightworld.org now one of the ways we alleviate fear is to immerse ourselves in the promises of God.

We can expect to have courage without constant reminders that God is in control. Along these lines and please remind you check is written a devotional that will become a daily source of comfort to you is called God's word for you subtitled an invitation to find the nourishment your soul needs every entry in this book contains an insightful quote about the Scriptures, a brief devotional from Pastor Chuck a prompt to help you grow in spiritual maturity at a Bible verse to meditate on the purchase a copy go to insight.org/offer or call us if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 if your generous donations that empower Insight for living to deliver these daily visits which when you give your actually making it possible for others across our country and even around the world to have access to practical Bible teaching by giving you enable them to grow in Christ, just as you have so thanks for giving generously to this nonprofit ministry to give a donation today go online to insight.org or call us listening in the US dial one 807 seven 288. Join us again tomorrow study in Matthew 20 continue your on Insight for living with Chuck Swindoll the preceding message more misery than we can imagine was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

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