{"id":3042,"date":"2023-11-04T11:13:39","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T11:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3042"},"modified":"2023-11-12T15:42:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-12T15:42:24","slug":"5-november-2023-when-will-jesus-return-part-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3042","title":{"rendered":"5 November 2023: When will Jesus return? (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:35% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"212\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231105am.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3043 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231105am.jpg 320w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231105am-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231105am-24x16.jpg 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231105am-36x24.jpg 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231105am-48x32.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>Bethel Baptist Church<br>Worship Service @ Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>5 November 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3037\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1006\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/> <strong>Previous Service<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3051\"><strong>Next Service<\/strong> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1007\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Welcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 27%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>&#8220;I had a picture of a spinning top going round and round, finely balanced on its tip. And yet other forces are operating to slow the top down causing it to wobble and eventually to stop. Is this a picture of this present creation that will not go on for ever but wobbling will eventually stop and Jesus will usher in His new creation, a new heavens and a new earth.&#8221;<\/em><br><br>Stella<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"314\" height=\"336\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/spinning-top.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3045 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/spinning-top.jpg 314w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/spinning-top-280x300.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/spinning-top-22x24.jpg 22w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/spinning-top-34x36.jpg 34w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/spinning-top-45x48.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 314px) 100vw, 314px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Worship<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Great Thou Art (O Lord my God) {3vv - Spring Harvest} [with lyrics for congregations]\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/USM71JqV30o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Word<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When will Jesus Return?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives,&nbsp;the disciples came to Him privately. \u201cTell us,\u201d they said, \u201c<strong>when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming&nbsp;and of the end of the age?<\/strong>\u201d Jesus answered:&nbsp;\u201cWatch out that no one deceives you.&nbsp;For many will come in my name, claiming, \u2018I am the Messiah,\u2019 and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.&nbsp;Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.&nbsp;There will be famines&nbsp;and earthquakes in various places.&nbsp;All these are the beginning of birth pains.<\/p>\n<cite>Matt. 24:3-8 <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we consider the several signs that precede Christ\u2019s return, one of the most oft quoted is that of wars, rumours of wars, famines, earthquakes, as mentioned here in Matthew (cf. Mark 13:8) and Luke adds pestilences (Luke 21:11) meaning plagues, diseases. However, as these have happened throughout history, e.g. famines,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of them [prophets], named Agabus,&nbsp;stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.&nbsp;(This happened during the reign of Claudius.)<\/p>\n<cite>Acts 11:28 <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We need to put these under the heading that Jesus referred to them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>All these are the beginning of birth pains<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<cite>Matt. 24:8, Mark 13:8<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, using the very term \u201cbirth-pains\u201d suggests that they will increase in frequency and intensity leading to the signs that Jesus did mention. A paper detailing a study by various universities made the point (March 10<sup>th<\/sup> 2011):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cWars are increasingly frequent, and the trend has been steadily upward since 1870 \u2026 Wars are becoming more frequent \u2026 the frequency of bilateral militarised conflicts \u2026 has been steadily rising over 130 years \u2026\u201d <\/em><br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/j.1468-0289.2011.00615.x\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/j.1468-0289.2011.00615.x\">The frequency of wars, MARK HARRISON, NIKOLAUS WOLF<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-base-3-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Science Daily summarises the findings of this research as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201c\u2026 wars.. increased steadily from 1870 to 2001 by 2% a year on average \u2026 the number of conflicts rose steadily from 6 per year on average between 1870 and 1913 to 17 per year in the period of the two world wars, 31 per year in the Cold War (1946-1991) and 36 per year in the 1990\u2019s.\u201d<\/em><br><br>Science Daily (June 28<sup>th<\/sup> 2011)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note these figures do not include civil wars. All this is described as \u201csomewhat alarming.\u201d But Jesus response is different:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, <strong>but see to it that you are not alarmed<\/strong>. Such things must happen but the end is still to come.<\/p>\n<cite>Matt. 24:6 <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quote<\/strong><strong> of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cFactors are coming together, signs are being fulfilled in concert, in ways that have never happened before.\u201d<\/em><br><br>Larry Spargimino<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Verse<\/strong><strong> of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.<\/p>\n<cite>Luke 21:28<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Let\u2019s Pray<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heavenly Father, as we increasingly see things happening in this world that naturally would alarm us, strengthen us by Your Spirit to keep our eyes on You, and that we will look up and see our redemption is nearer now than it has ever been, in Jesus Christ, Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome &#8220;I had a picture of a spinning top going round and round, finely balanced on its tip. And yet other forces are operating to slow the top down causing it to wobble and eventually to stop. Is this a picture of this present creation that will not go on for ever but wobbling will &#8230; <a title=\"5 November 2023: When will Jesus return? (part 2)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3042\" aria-label=\"Read more about 5 November 2023: When will Jesus return? (part 2)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3042","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3042"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3054,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3042\/revisions\/3054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}