282: Norm Duke - Exhortation: The Sign of the Nation of Israel

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:13

   Welcome to Good Chris Selfie and talks. I’m Levi. And I’m Chris. And I’m Brian. Thank you for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one talk a week to help us get the Bible in our Daily News feed. We post a new episode at the start of each week with the short. Intro beforehand to kind of set.

2. 0:30

   The stage for the talk you’re about to listen to. And now, let’s talk more about this week’s talk. Hello and welcome back this. Is brother Chris. For this week we are listening to an exhortation that was given in October of 2021 by Brother Norm Duke at the San Diego Ecclesia. The sign that I have given to this exhortation, as there wasn’t really an official title given, is the sign of the nation of Israel and Brother Norm was a very special brother to me. He attended the same Ecclesia that I did when I was growing up in Orange County, and for several years in my preteen and early teen years was my Sunday School teacher that helped me study and prepare for baptism last November. Brother Norm fell asleep in Christ and is now awaiting the return of our Lord and the resurrection to come in the Kingdom, so I wanted to pick an exhortation of one of the ones that he had given.

3. 1:46

   I’ve always enjoyed his talks whenever I’ve been able to hear them. One of the things that Brother Norm loved was talking about the signs of the times and looking at prophecy and this exhortation is a classic example of that, where he is looking at the history of the nation of Israel and the things going on around Israel both in what was going on back in 2021 when he gave this exhortation and is just as true now with the events going on in the world.

4. 2:15

   Brother Norm was an instrumental figure in my life personally and helped me to become the person I am today and helped to shepherd me towards baptism when I was a young man. And I am forever grateful for the time that he and his wife both spent helping me to grow and to learn, as well as the other members of the small ecclesia that I grew up in.

5. 2:44

   So I hope that you can hear the passion for the return of Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom from Brother Norm and how excited he was about the events going on in the world, the signs of the times. That was a true passion for him and something that he would always bring up anytime you had an opportunity to talk to him. I hope that you find this exhortation and the message that it has from Brother Norm to be encouraging and uplifting in your walk and something that keeps you looking. To the future.

6. 3:19

   And to the soon return of our Lord. And with that, I will turn it over to Brother Norm Duke for his exhortation titled The Sign of the Nation of Israel. Now this morning, the question I would like to consider is, are we living in the last days of the Kingdom of man? The Lord Jesus said regarding that time.

7. 3:41

   When you see these things begin to happen, lift up your heads for your redemption draws near. But first, I’d like to point out something which I believe is just one of the many indications that we are in that time. We are very near the 2000 year mark or two millennial days since Jesus, 40 days after his resurrection, ascended to his father.

8. 4:12

   That brings us to the 7th Millennial Day, which begins with our Lord’s return and the beginning of the Kingdom age. Following that eighth day, which will be without end when, as it says in First Corinthians 15, God will be all things to everyone. Now, much of what I am about to say sound will sound a little bit like the 6:00 news.

9. 4:41

   I apologize for that, but be a good cheer. I’ll be changing to a more encouraging channel, if you will, before long. As we look at the condition of the world today, we are truly blessed to know that the Father is watching over and directing world events to bring us to that day of His Son’s return when he will take up the great power that his Father has given him. The Scriptures tell us He will begin by granting eternal life to those judged faithful of his followers from all ages past, and then he will go forth to conquer those forces of the Kingdom of man who will come against God’s nation, Israel. The conclusion of these events will mark the beginning of the Kingdom of God.

10. 5:42

    Christ’s brethren have looked forward to all these things from the earliest times since the 1st century to the prison, and it was always thought that his return would be soon, well within the time of that generation. But this has never come to pass as expected. This brings us to mind two statements made in our Matthew 24 reading. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

11. 6:20

    And therefore you also be ready for the Son is man, Son of Man is coming at an hour. You do not expect this. COVID plague, which has invaded the entire world, has tested all societies the world over, and we Christadelphians are no exception. I think we’re doing very well, thank God. But this situation of isolation and separation can take its toll on any Ecclesia, and we should make every effort to minimize this.

12. 6:58

    So this morning I would like to look briefly at some of the signs which should encourage and strengthen us, and which tell us time may indeed be short until our Lord’s appearing. When we look at just the very recent development here in this country, the unprecedented anger and hostility between the political parties, conservative right and the liberal left, the chaos and the tragedy of the mass migration across the southern border of this nation, the sharply rising crime rate and many of the biggest cities in the US and the increasingly troublesome supply chain. All of this happening during this persistent worldwide COVID plague does not at all this fit the description of at least the beginning of a time of trouble, since there was a nation until that time, as described in Daniel 12. But the most significant sign of all it’s a Greek gathering of the Jews to the land from which they were scattered almost 2000 years ago.

13. 8:13

    Jeremiah was one of the several Old Testament prophets who spoke of this, and he wrote in chapter 31. Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it, and the Isles afar off, and say, he who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock. The Lord Jesus and his Olivet prophecy called a time limit on the scattering of Israel, when he said in Luke 21.

14. 8:50

    And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and be LED away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Then Jesus went on to say. And there will be signs in the sun and the moon, and in the stars, and on the earth, distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, and men’s hearts failing them from fear.

15. 9:23

    And the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

16. 9:50

    The regathering of the Jews back to the land was eagerly anticipated by Christ’s followers since the 1st century. After his resurrection and ascension in the mid 1800s, Brother John Thomas in his book Elpis Israel confidently predicted that Jews would return to the land and this would be a sign of Christ’s appearing. And he based it all on the prophecies, of course, in the scriptures.

17. 10:23

    After the First Zionist Congress in the late 1800s, the Jews began to return to the land in small but steady numbers. The numbers began to increase in 1917 because of the encouragement of the Balfour Declaration and then following World War 2 and 1945, and spurred on by the terrible things which befell them under the Nazis in the 30s and 40s, these numbers became a steady stream.

18. 11:02

    In 1948 Israel was declared a nation again after all, over 1800 years of being scattered from the land. They immediately came under attack by the surrounding nations and in spite of overwhelming odds and using whatever weaponry they could put together, they succeeded in repelling these attacks. This rebirth of Israel took place well within my lifetime. 1919 years later and 1967, Israel was again attacked by Egypt and her Arab allies.

19. 11:46

    The Jews not only repelled this attack, but succeeded in capturing Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. All of these events were guided by the hand of God and were foretold in some detail by Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and many other prophets. The Lord Jesus finished his prophecy in Luke 21 with this parable. Look at the fig tree and all the trees when they are already budding you to see and know for yourselves the summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.

20. 12:34

    Brothers and sisters, His words were directed to us and this time this generation, the precipitous withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan has sent political shock waves throughout the world which is causing a re evaluation on the part of both allies and enemies with the of the United States. Because of the increasingly chaotic political situation here in this country, a prophetically significant development has been all but forgotten by the news media.

21. 13:16

    And if you’ll recall much prior to these events of the past several months, Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, has been busy establishing a strong military presence in the Middle East and Syria. This development is a historic 1st and includes a naval base and two airfields with supporting forces to accommodate. The Russian Navy has been patrolling the Baltic and the Mediterranean seas in aggressive ways that make their presence known.

22. 13:58

    That’s all been overlooked. Putin’s Russia is now an ally of Turkey and a supporter of the new rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban and Russia is also an ally of Iran, whose leadership is absolutely sworn to Israel’s destruction. Something else which relates to all this, but which we do not hear much about in the news, is that the hatred of the Jews and of Israel is spreading once again throughout Europe.

23. 14:36

    This is reflected in the fact that the United Nations consistently votes against any pro Israel proposal. When Putin looks at Israel, he not only sees an advanced, prosperous nation, but he sees those oil and gas fields which Israel has developed in the Eastern Mediterranean To gain control of. These, in addition to what Russia already has in Europe, which is massive, would make Russia the supplier of energy to a very large part of the world.

24. 15:16

    That reminds me of the hooks and the jaws that are mentioned in Ezekiel, something that draws them forth. The precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan has sent shock waves and has changed the nation’s relationship with both enemies and allies. With the weakening influence of the United States, Israel’s main ally and protector is no stretch of the imagination to see that the stage is being set for Russia and her allies. Launching that great attack on the newly Israel established Israel as foretold in Ezekiel 38, Daniel 11, Joel 2, Revelation 16 and elsewhere the Battle of Armageddon. As we read this morning, God will intervene with earthquakes, storm and storm to conquer these forces to begin the establishment of the Kingdom of God. And I believe it that those powers will have been turned over to his son at that time.

25. 16:25

    There’s little doubt that these prophecies are Speaking of Russia leading this attack. In Ezekiel 38, verse two, it identifies Gog, the leader of this confederacy, as being the Prince of Roche, Meshech and Tubal, that is, Russia, Moscow and Tubalski. Do not all these developments tell us that this is the state of the world we should expect at the time of our redemption? Drawing near?

26. 16:59

    This should prompt us to be all the more diligent in our lives, to direct our steps according to the Father’s will, as taught by his Son and all those who he sent and Luke, 2136 the Lord Jesus warned our generation. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.

27. 17:31

    So there’s great need for us to take his words to heart, and prayer comes to mind. Prayer expresses our faith and trust in God. It indicates our awareness of His greatness as a living God. It expresses our penance on Him. It gives voice to our praise, our thanks, our appreciation of His loving mercy toward us. It is evidence of our faith, Paul tells us in Colossians for continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with Thanksgiving.

28. 18:10

    This takes concentration and effort as well as awareness of the one whom we are addressing. Our age is not an age that is conducive to prayer. It deplaces demands on our time, which can keep us rushing without stopping to meditate on God or his work. We need to draw aside from all this rush and focus on God in prayer with due reverence and love. We should pray to have the wisdom and strength to deal with whatever may lie ahead in these uncertain times that we’re living in and Ephesians 3, Paul wrote. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulation for you, which is your glory.

29. 19:02

    For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his spirit, the inner man. We should pray for the welfare and spiritual well-being of our brethren everywhere.

30. 19:28

    Those 50 years old brothers and sisters trapped in Afghanistan truly need our prayers, as do those remaining in Iran and in other difficult situations around the world. And John 17 As he was preparing the disciples for his departure, Jesus said in his prayer, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.

31. 20:00

    Think about it. Jesus was telling his disciples to pray for us. Those who have dedicated their lives to spreading the Gospel message deserve our prayers. And Luke 10 Jesus said the harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray for the Lord to send out laborers into the harvest, and in James 5 the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

32. 20:34

    The political situation in this country is becoming very tense and it changes almost daily. But we should pray for the governmental leaders that we might live peaceably as we wait for our Lord’s return, Paul wrote in First Timothy. Therefore I exhort first of all the supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving them thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority.

33. 21:09

    We may lead a quiet and peaceable life and all godliness and reverence. Instead of yielding to our immediate reactions to developments, it would be better to ask God for guidance in all things. Psalm 25, four and five says, show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation.

34. 21:40

    On you I wait all the day. We should pray for forgiveness of our shortcomings and for restoration. An example of this is David’s prayer in Psalm 51. He said, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

35. 22:10

    For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin, as always before me. First, John chapter one. If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We do not know what lies ahead in these trying time, but if we ask the Lord, He will bring us through to that glorious time we all look forward to. We now approach that time when, with the bread and wine, we commemorate our Saviours, submitting to the cross that we might share with Him and His wonderful promise. We should always keep before us that vision of the Kingdom, when real, lasting peace, plenty, and security will be brought to this world, along with the true worship of the Father, our Creator.

36. 23:12

    All this, along with the hope the Father has granted us to His Son’s great sacrifice on our behalf, the hope of eternal life, a hope so great we cannot even begin to comprehend it Even so. Come, Lord Jesus.

37. 23:44

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38. 24:11

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39. 24:37

    God bless. And talk to you next week.