Headline news: Nuclear testing by North Korea causes alarm. A Taliban suicide bomber kills nine in Afghanistan. Humanitarian organizations are hard pressed to divert food to the affected regions, however, because of continuing famine in eastern Africa. U.S. census estimates 300 million...

Coming events cast shadows before them and, if we're alert, we can spot those shadows now...in the daily news. While we don't know the exact time of our Lord's return, I do believe we can know we are nearing the end times.

False Christs
Today's news sounds a lot like Matthew 24. In verses 4 and 5, Jesus said, "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." Christ-impostors abound in our time. They don't all claim to be Jesus in name, but the trends are growing.

Interestingly, atheism as a philosophical system is collapsing in our days. Increasing numbers of both young and old are seeking spiritual enlightenment; but they're looking for it in false Christs.

Wars
Next Jesus warned of increasing swells of "wars and rumors of war," nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom. I'm fascinated by the fact that after all these centuries, the spinning core of world conflict is still in the Middle East.

Famine and Pestilence
Jesus went on to predict, "And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places." If you have access to the Internet, do a search for "earthquakes." You'll be amazed at the number of earthquakes occurring almost every week.

That's not all. I personally believe that the next great crisis in this world will be universal famine. Just ponder the population explosion. It took all of recorded history for the world to produce its first billion inhabitants in around 1850. It took only eighty years to pass the two billion mark in 1930, another thirty-one years to reach three billion in 1961, and only fifteen years to add the fourth billion by 1976.

According to scientific projections, if we continue to grow at the present rate, in 900 years we'll have 100 people for every square yard of land and sea-unless something happens to stop this disaster.

Persecution
As the world grapples with those problems, yet another signpost is flashing red: persecution. Jesus said in verse 9, "They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My Name's sake."

In each of the world's Muslim-dominated nations, Christians are repressed and persecuted. In Communist nations like China, North Korea, and Cuba, the same is true. In other totalitarian lands, Christians are imprisoned, tortured, and killed. And in the democratic West, an increasingly visceral anti-Christian philosophy seeks to attack, thwart, intimidate, and marginalize the followers of Jesus Christ. Around the world, the church is facing more active persecution right now than at any other time in her history.

Lawlessness
Not surprisingly, all this makes for an increasingly violent world. Jesus predicted in verse 12, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."

The Preaching of the Gospel
As evil increases in intensity, Christian influence is becoming weaker. However, the picture has one bright spot. More people are preaching the Gospel in more places to more people than ever before in history. Our Lord doesn't want anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. He intends for His Good News to be heard. When Jesus left earth, He had only twelve men preaching the Gospel. Now there are millions, and the Gospel is penetrating pockets of the globe hitherto unreached. Jesus predicted that the Gospel of His kingdom would be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations.

That's what we're seeking to do. All of us. Together.

These are exciting days! Israel is back in her land…the signposts are speeding by. As we see these things coming to pass, it means the kingdom of Christ is drawing nearer. We can almost hear the countdown.

We're living in prophetic times and seeing prophecy fulfilled right before our eyes. It's time to look up, for our redemption draweth nigh!

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This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.