The End is Coming!

First, “events are no longer in the hands of men.” There are increasing tides of pessimism filling our national and international scenes. News programs on television and radio, newspapers and magazines all seem to unfold a growing number of sad affair in our times leading up to a final climatic hour. We cannot look candidly at situations around us today without realizing that something is about to take place beyond human control. “The End is Coming!”

Jesus’ Words

Jesus prognosticated an end to this world system. Christ never indulged in fantasy. He was truth. On one occasion His disciples asked Him, “Tell us when shall these things be” (Matt. 24:3)? Immediately, Jesus began to   give them signs to look for. However, He warned them of pinpointing dates and times. “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, the Father has put in His on power” (Acts 1:7). Although we are not to know the exact time of His return, He assured us that we could speculate by the signs that would appear and indicate the end is near. “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift your heads up; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28 ).

Christ mentioned at least 25 events that would indicate His coming.  When these events are all happening at the same time, we can be sure the end of the world (age) is very near.

a. Jesus spoke certain of “The End.” In reply to his disciples’ question, “When shall these things be and what shall be the signs of thy coming?”

Jesus answered in part, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, for nations shall rise against nation.”

We are in a world sick with doubt and wicked with repeated disappointments. In every country we have a widespread of distress and perplexity.

What does all this mean? The ruthlessness, terror, and lawlessness of our world point to nothing but anguish and misery? It adds up to one thing-- It means the end is at hand. “When you see these things, look up-- your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28 ).

Jesus will return to the earth during the time of unprecedented war and trouble among men. It is true that there have always been war and conflict among tribes, kingdoms, and nations but never until this generation has universal destruction been on a world scale. Jeremiah was given a preview of our awful day when he cried, “I am pained at my heart, my heart maketh a noise in me, and I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of the war. Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is spoiled. I beheld and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by His fierce anger” (Jeremiah 4:19 , 20, 26).

The Bible says, “as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be before Christ’s coming” (Matthew 24:38,39). Before Christ comes, there will be a repeat of days of Noah.

b. Days of Noah

When we read Genesis chapter 4, 5, and 6 we are given a graphic picture of some events before the flood.  It was--

1. A time of religious apostasy (Gen. 4:3-5)

2. An age of travel (Gen. 4:16)

3. An age of music  (Gen. 4:21)

4. An age of metal (Gen. 4:22)

5. An age of city building  (Gen. 4:17)

6. An age of agricultural advances (Gen. 4:20)

7. An age of crime and violence (Gen.4: 23, 24)

8. An age of polygamy and sexuality (Gen. 4:19)

Today, we have an exact repetition of those days. This book, “The End of the Age” is about those days. It also reveals the positive message of these times. A message of the restored church preparing the world for Christ’s Second Coming.

One really does not completely know who the Honorable Dr. J. L. Payne is. He is a living legacy in the Pentecostal tradition and movement of the Apostle’s ministry and faith. For almost a half century, having exercised all the gifts in the five fold ministry, it became very apparent that scripture is fulfilled when it stated: “the church is a body’s ministry.”

There are no superstars or any single person to effect the completion of our Lord’s Kingdom work. We are called together as one in unity to work together. St. John chapter 17, says “so that they be one even as you and I are one.”

Bishop Payne believes that ‘oneness’ is the goal of the church. The Bishop believes that there is a powerful unveiling of Faith in positive preaching, teaching and praying in the “The Word Of God.” As Dr. Payne often quotes, “ we believe in living from the inside out, not totally horizontal but vertical, not by what we see but by faith. “We have power over all our circumstances.”

As a man of God, he gives leadership and the Apostle’s order in the church. In 1961, Bishop Payne was led to establish the New Testament’s Order of the church in Evangelism and established the first Soul Winner’s Conference in Hawaii , then on to California in 1965 and Memphis , Tennessee in 1968. Twenty years later, the Christ International Churches’ vision and foundation was set.

Bishop Payne believes that it is not buildings, money, positions, fame, whomever thinks they are the greatest in name or fame, that our Lord shall return for. Our Lord’s return is only for SOULS in the Kingdom.

It is about the salvation of souls. Reaching those souls and establishing God’s Kingdom, Foundation and Principles in the church. Dr. Bishop J. L. Payne, one of the original spiritual warriors of the Church of God in Christ.

Arnold Toynbee, an eminent historian of our day, has pointed out that 26 civilizations have withered and died since the beginning of time. Is there any question that we aren’t going in the same direction these past civilizations took before their fall?

There are many people who brand us as calamity preachers, alarmists, or panic button pushers, because we speak of the end. I see something coming upon this nation as well as upon the world that requires an alarm to be sounded. This alarm is sounded for every man, woman and child. Not a person dare be missed. It concerns us all. It is God’s last call to man. Something strange is taking place about us. It can be felt as well as seen. Ladies and gentlemen, we are coming to “THE END!”

God has declared in His word that He would not do anything until He first reveals it unto His servants, the prophets. When we look back at history, there was no flood without Noah’s warning to the people. There was no apostasy in Israel without an Elijah sounding the alarm. There was no fall of Rome without early Christians predicting its doom. There wasn’t the coming of Jesus Christ without the sounding of prophets. There was no eminent coming of Christ without John the Baptist. Will we experience an abrupt end of world systems, the second advent of Christ, and Armageddon without a warning?

Is there such a warning? Is there a message that will do for today’s world such as that spoken by Noah, Elijah, and John during their generations?  This is a challenging, alarming, and daring thought. The fact remains that all signs point to the end and terminus of history, as we know it.The Prophet Jeremiah saw the doom of Babylon fifty years before it fell and began to declare it. In Jeremiah 51:13, the Bible says, “Thine end is come.”  Babylon at that time was at the height of its power. God’s judgment against the nation was irrevocable. Gross sins were bringing it down. “The wages of sin is death.” “The wicked shall be turned into hell,” says God. God’s Spirit will not always strive with man.

When the Prophet Zephaniah saw the approaching end and disaster of Judah, he cried, “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly” (Zephaniah 1:14). Yet, Judah was 20 years away from her fall. Her sins had made the end inevitable and near.

I, too, see catastrophe coming upon our entire world, the western world and this nation unless we turn to God. The evidence is overwhelming. The end of an age and death is on our civilization. As we look at the deaths of past civilizations, they had similar experiences as most of the great nations of our world, western world, and the Americas . They rose to power through a long period of development. They prospered for a season, and then abruptly passed away. Our progress has risen higher and higher each year. It is not a civilized world and America ’s progress that’s killing us, but our sinfulness; our departure from God. This civilization, rich and most prosperous of all times, is dying spiritually!

Billy Graham stated in his book, World Aflame, “Our interests are centered in ourselves, we are preoccupied with material things. Our supreme god is technology, our goddess sex. We give more thought to what we wear, what we eat, what we drink, and what we can do to relax than we do to what we   are.” We don’t  seem to be concerned with the way we are going, where we are headed and our final end.” The world is on its deathbed and it is only a matter of time before we’re placed in the grave, if we aren’t awakened and rescued out of our spiritual slumber. The grave is open, pallbearers are standing at the door, the last rights are about to be given, the eulogy is about to be pronounced and memories of our existence are about to be banished in outer darkness, never to be relived again. Every concerned person needs to go to God in prayer seeking His divine favor and pardon, deliverance, and help.

“WILL God in His mercy postpone judgment a little longer?”  Coupled with the end of the nations of our world, western world, this nation, and mankind on this planet, I foresee something else, “IT IS THE END OF THIS AGE AND MANKIND IN THIS NOW KNOWN WORLD!”

The Bible tells us that the world as we know it shall end. The scripture says in I John 2:17, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” It says again in II Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up.”  This world is now on a rapid course to the climax of this present time. It is very possible that we may witness such a climax in our day.

“It’s later than many think.”

Paul wrote to Christians, “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armour of light” (Romans 13:11 -12).

Thousands, tens of thousands, even millions are blind to the end of time and the doom of the world. Many Christians have grown familiar with the constant warning of the nearness of the end and the legacy of their lives until this familiarity has bred contempt. They are sophisticated in their believing, slow of heart in their devotions to Christ’s ministry, unrepented in their spirit. They have just become dead in the pretense of being spiritually awakened.