The Power Of The Gospel Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

CrossWay Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

We are in the opening Chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Church in Rome. So far, we’ve discussed a little history of the Apostle Paul and his authority to write what is canonized in Scripture. Today, we’re going to go through the next 10 Romans 1, starting in verse eight. Before we do that, let me take you to our prophesy update.

Prophesy Updates

Please go to Matthew 24, and I want to share with you some insights into this teaching from Jesus. There is a clear transition that happens in Matthew 24 as Jesus is teaching about the events to come with the end times. We already discussed the deceptive nature of the time before the Tribulation and the war footing the world will be in during this time. Add to that the groanings of the earth as disasters and famines increase. I showed you how all of those things have exponentially increased since 1948 (no coincidence) and increased even more in the last few years.

There are a few more signs prior to the arrival of the Tribulation that Jesus points out here in Matthew 24 that we should observe. Matthew 24:9-14

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9–14)

Now stop and look at this for a moment. All of these things are going to happen - and then the end shall come. What is the end? It is the Rapture followed by the Great Tribulation. Immediately after this, in verse 15, Jesus begins to describe the events of the Tribulation, which is also recorded by John in Revelation. But there is a division in the text here and in Revelation. What happens? It is the end of the Church Age and the restoration of Israel.

There is a clear dispensational shift from where Jesus is discussing the preaching of the gospel to all nations is completed. Then the Tribulation Begins, which includes an event on the Temple Mount, in the Temple, in the Holy of Holies called The Abomination of Desolation. More on that in a few weeks. Let’s go back to verse 9:

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. (Matthew 24:9)

In the United States, we live under the guard of our Constitution, which protects our right to practice our faith freely, openly, and without the threat of government interference or persecution. We find this freedom in the First Amendment of the Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

These are sacred rights that God gives - not government, and believers should defend them as sacred. However, Jesus is clear that the world will reach a point where the world system will not tolerate Christians and the gospel. Why? Because we oppose the lawlessness of the world and the doctrine of demons, it promotes opposition. As the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, we are “the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15 ). We don’t make truth or define truth; we uphold God’s truth, something that is not tolerated in a post-modern world.

So as the New World Order promotes an agenda wrought with demonic doctrines such as transgenderism, homosexuality, abortion, child mutilation, and worship of the earth (aka climate change) - just to name a few - but the pesky Christians get in the way, you can expect to see a rise in persecutions. These agendas are globalist agendas seen in the highest levels of society. Thereby, conservative, Bible-believing Christians are now being labeled terrorists.

Earlier this year, a leaked FBI Document by a whistleblower revealed that the FBI was infiltrating Catholic Churches and Catholics who preferred Latin Mass. To understand this, you need to realize there are conservative Catholics who are deeply concerned with the progressive direction of the Church over the last several decades. One of the ways they are attempting to revert these principles is by returning to mass done in Latin.