Today we hear a lot of the term ‘global warming’, but I have a better one for us today, a more important one for us than global warming. When it comes to the future and worrying or planning for the future, it is not global warming that we need to be concerned about, it is global warning that we need to be concerned about! What is that warning? That warning is Jesus Christ is soon to return! That warning is, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is very near! That warning is the Rapture could take place any time soon!

The Bible says that, ‘the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night’. The day of the Lord, or the Rapture, will come as a thief in the night (so quietly, so suttle, so unnoticed) and the only warning we are going to get is right now. As the Spirit of God would say, "he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit is saying to the churches." Jesus is soon to return, get ready for it, watch for it, prepare for it! When I say prepare for it, let me share with you an illustration of where I believe we are right now in the spiritual realm. We have all seen those signs on the higher speed roads that come up just before the traffic lights (which read) ‘prepare to stop when lights flashing’. They are there as a warning to us travelling at 60 or 80 km that the approaching traffic light is going to soon turn amber and then red. So these warning lights are a wonderful safety feature.

Now, if I can just change the words on that sign a little, you will have what I believe is where we are right now, in regards to how close the rapture is, and how near we are to it. I would change the sign to read like this, "Prepare to Rapture when lights flashing"; not prepare (to stop) when lights flashing, but prepare (to rapture) when lights flashing! That’s where I believe we are right now, as a Church, in the spiritual realm, as of August 1998 with regards to how close the rapture is. I believe it is very close! Too close for comfort for some! We are in the place of warning! The warning is going out – prepare to rapture when the lights are flashing. They are flashing, by the way, do you see them flashing?

Maybe these next few verses will help you to see that the warning lights are flashing. I mentioned earlier about global warning, and these next few verses we are about to look at (if you receive it today, if you believe it today) may change your life. Ezekiel 3: 17 says, "Son of man I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel, therefore, hear a word from my mouth and give them warning from me" (give them warning). Hear a word - hear the word that I speak to you, and give you revelation on. Hear a word, and here’s the word, I heard! Matthew 25:10 says (and this is in the context of the rapture of the church), "and while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding and here it is, the word that I heard the Lord impressing on me, speaking into my heart – those who were ready went in with Him, and the door was shut. Those four words are so powerful. If those four words are soon to come to pass, then we need to turn to Christ. We need to soon get saved, if we aren’t saved! We need to get right with God; we need to get ready for the rapture. For the text reads, only those who were ready went in with him to the wedding. Only those who were ready!

Well, what is ready then? Simply put, it is basically having oil in your lamps and this speaks of the Holy Spirit, having the Holy Spirit in our lives, being in relationship with God and knowing Him; knowing the word because the next verse reads that afterward the other virgins came to Him saying, ‘Lord, Lord open for us’ but He answered and said "I do not know you!" Do you know God? Are you in relationship with Him? If not, He may very well say to you, I do not know you, and the door will be shut (in your face), and it will not open for you! You will yourself be left behind to experience the great tribulation period, which will be the most hellish time on earth in all its history.

Finally being ready has to do with watching. Are you ‘watching’, for the coming of the Lord? Verse 13 of Matthew 25 says, "Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Because we don’t know the day or hour of your Lord’s return, we are to watch! And watch out for the devil, for he’ll try to put ‘other things’ in your path to watch, so that you’re distracted from watching for the Lord’s return!

Church, hear this ‘world wide warning’, be warned, the door was shut. This is soon going to come to pass; ‘the door was shut’ is soon going to be a reality! If I heard from God, and I believe I have, then a whole lot of people are going to be in a whole lot of trouble, when this verse suddenly comes to pass, takes place, happens, and they are shut out saying, "Lord, Lord open for us." And He will answer and say to them, "I do not know you!"

Why are they saying Lord, Lord to Him anyway? I think it is because they must have been some kind of church goer or religious person, why else, would they say Lord, Lord open for us? Church, when it comes to the rapture and being ready for the rapture, make sure you know God and know His word. May the Holy Spirit be working in your life and be watching for His return. Be watching for the Son of man is coming in an hour when we do not expect Him. So suttle, so sudden (like a thief in the night), so unexpected, so unanticipated!

I would like to interject something here about the principle of ‘warning’; when God gives a warning here’s how I believe it unfolds, or comes to pass. God gives the warning, then He allows some response time for people to turn to Him, for people to change their behaviour. He wouldn’t be a very loving God if He didn’t allow a little time for people to respond and change. So just keep that in mind, as we are giving a warning here today. God gives the warning, allows some response time, then brings it to pass!

Ezekiel 3:17 says, "Hear a word from my mouth and give them warning!" That warning is the door was shut! Church, and people of this world, hear this "Worldwide Warning!" THE DOOR WAS SHUT! The warning is, the door will soon be shut! Which side of that door will you be on?

Where it says the door was shut, that meant that the rapture happened, and had taken place. But it hasn’t happened yet! And that door is still open. There is still time for you to come to Christ and have a relationship with Him. Get to know Him, thru hearing and learning His words - the Bible! Will you come to Christ today, while the door is still open? Will you ask Jesus into your heart and life today by simply whispering His name, JESUS? And if perhaps you’re a prodical son and you’ve slipped away from your relationship with the Father, will you return to Him today and say, "Dad, I’m home!" I’m back! I’m back to get my life on track before Jesus comes back! I’ve wandered away, but now I’m here to stay! I want to know you Lord, not just to escape the tribulation, but because I have a desire to fellowship and commune with you, to get to know you!

If any of those words are the expression of your heart, could you just respond by saying a quick simple prayer. Yes Lord, I want to know you, come into my heart and life and help me to live righteously, in an unrighteous world, as I seek fellowship in a good and godly church, and seek to know you by reading your word. Thank-you and praise God if that was your prayer and hearts desire. The angels in heaven are rejoicing at this very moment! There’s a party in heaven!

Now, allow me to remind you again of the word I heard, the Lord spoke to my heart - Matthew 25:10, ‘the door was shut! The Bridegroom came, and the door was shut! Jesus came, and the door was shut! Jesus is coming, and the door will soon be shut! Church of Jesus Christ, and all the world, hear this world wide warning, "THE DOOR WAS SHUT! Which side of that door will you be on?

I encourage you to turn to the Lord now, because soon, only the Father knows how long that soon is, whether it is a week, a month, a year, or two years, only the Father knows how long that soon is, and then this verse will be reality! The verse, the door was shut, will be a reality. It will have come to pass! It will have happened! It will be HISTORY! Now its prophecy, it will soon be history. The Lord only knows when that is. Don’t fool with His clock! Trust me, if God’s giving the warning now, it’s for a good reason! Any good fire fighter will tell you "when you hear the alarm, respond!"

The alarm is sounding. The door was shut! The door was shut! And even a fire fighter will tell you that you have "so little time," between when you hear the alarm until the building is engulfed in fire! Don’t fool with fire! The alarm is sounding! RESPOND! The warning is going out: The door will soon be shut! Which side of the door will you be on? Heaven or earth? Choose today, please for tomorrow may be too late!

And to those who have already chosen Jesus, I end with this poem; we so need to reach the lost whilst there is yet time!

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