I want to start with something personal, because I think it sets the stage for everything we're going to talk about today. On Friday night, our area got hit hard by storms — and I mean hard. There were several tornadoes, and one of them spun up and came right across our backyard.
Minimal damage, thankfully, but what struck me most was the timing. Tim and Darlow were at our house that night, which means the enemy, if he had had his way, could have taken out two-thirds of our elders in one setting. That's not an accident. That's a coordinated effort.
Here's what's even more interesting to me. That afternoon — before I'd even looked at the weather, because I don't do that — the Holy Spirit said, "Go ahead and clean out the safe room." I had it full of stuff, which doesn't do you a whole lot of good in a tornado. So I was obedient. I cleaned it out.
And that night, we made it to the safe room just in time. Tim told me he watched the water in the pool being pulled up out of the pool as that thing came through. It blew part of our fence in, the horses got out into the big pasture and were thrilled about it, and that same tornado went on to pass within an eighth of a mile of my parents' house and my mother-in-law's house. What are the chances?
The enemy was clearly a little ticked at what's going on here. But here's what's cool — he couldn't do anything. We weren't harmed, the house wasn't harmed, the animals weren't harmed. And that right there told me something: we are on the right track.
But it also reminded me that it's time for the body of Christ to know its authority over the storms — because there are going to be more of them. Whatever is happening in the spirit will manifest in the natural. So instead of living in fear, we need to boldly proclaim: No weapon formed against me will prosper. I'm not afraid of this storm. It will not touch my house, and it will not hurt my family, in the name of Jesus.
Be like Jesus — take a nap. And when everyone else gets scared, wake up and say, "Peace, be still."
We also had a blood moon this past Monday — a lunar eclipse — and I want to talk about what that means, because I think God is trying to get our attention in a major way. Before I go any further, let me be clear: I am not advocating for astrology. Astrology is a perversion of what God originally created.
The zodiac, the idea that whatever month you were born in defines you — that's demonic. Don't say that stuff over yourself. What I am saying is that we as believers can look up and see that God is speaking to us through what's happening in the heavens. The heavens declare the glory of God, and he put the sun, moon, and stars in the sky not just for light, but for signs.
This blood moon was the third one in a row — one every year on the same Jewish holiday: Purim. There was one in 2024, one in 2025, and now one in 2026, all on Purim. This one peaked on March 3rd — the third day of the third month.
It peaked over California at 3:33 a.m. And when it peaked, it was exactly 33 degrees off the horizon. I don't believe in coincidences when God is involved. He's stacking threes on threes, and he's getting something to us. He's saying, "Church — are you awake? Are you paying attention?"
In case you're not familiar, Purim is the Jewish holiday that celebrates what happened in the book of Esther. Haman had the king's decree and it looked like all hope was gone — but the people prayed and fasted for three days, and in an incredible reversal, the very gallows Haman had built for Mordecai were the ones he ended up hanging on. The enemy fell into his own trap.
Here's what makes this even more significant: do you know where the Jews were during the time of Esther and Mordecai? Persia. And ancient Persia is modern-day Iran — the same nation, the same principality. They rebranded hoping we wouldn't notice, but the Bible still talks about the prince of Persia.
God is turning things around in that region. He's been raising up underground believers in Iran for a while now, and they are positioned and ready. The moment freedom comes, they will bring a great revival to that nation.
There's a woman in our congregation who shared that back in the late 70s, she worked at a bank where Oral Roberts' daughter-in-law Patty Roberts would come to get a line of credit — and she would use it to go to Iran and hold revivals where thousands were getting saved. None of it was in the news. None of it was published anywhere.
And the Bible says that in the last days, the Elamites — what Iran was originally called, Elam — will come back to God. The Elamites were even present at Pentecost when everyone was speaking in tongues. We are living in the fulfillment of that.
The signs in the moon are specifically for God's covenant people — for the church. When God speaks through the moon, he's talking to us. Signs in the sun, like solar eclipses, are signs to the nations more broadly.
So when we see something happening with the moon — three blood moons in a row on Purim — God is specifically trying to get a message to his people. He's saying: listen, something is coming. Pay attention. Are you awake?
And that's why we're going to Matthew 24 today.
For those of you who struggle with Matthew 24, I completely understand. Jesus jumps around in the timeline and it can throw off even the most linear thinker. Let me help you follow it, because once you see the structure, it's going to make a lot of sense.
Before we dive in, let me lay my cards on the table: I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. That's the conviction I've arrived at through careful, open-minded study of the scriptures. I went to the Word with no preconceived ideas and said, "Lord, show me what's true." This is where I landed, and I'm going to teach from that conviction.
That said, if you land somewhere different, this is not a salvation issue. Jesus is coming back. That part, we all agree on.
Matthew 24 begins with the disciples asking Jesus three distinct questions — not one. They asked: When will these things be? What will be the sign of your coming? And what will be the sign of the end of the age? His coming and the end of the age are actually two different events. Keep that in mind as we walk through this.
Matthew 24:3-4 (NKJV): "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you."
Jesus starts by listing the signs that will precede the end: deception, wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, famines in various places, pestilences, and earthquakes. Then he gives us a critical instruction: "See that you are not troubled." That is not a suggestion. That is a command.
Matthew 24:6-8 (NKJV): "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."
That word "sorrows" in the original Greek means birth pains. Just like contractions start slow and become more frequent as birth approaches, these signs will start off less frequent and increase. We're already there. The frequency is piling up.
Pestilences aren't just pandemics — even the flu and the common cold are pestilences. Earthquakes are happening everywhere, every single day. And then there will be a great pressure on the body of Christ to abandon their faith. The world will hate us — not just specific nations, but all nations. That's already happening too.
Matthew 24:9-12 (NKJV): "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."
False prophets, by the way, are not just people who make wrong predictions. A false prophet is someone who makes sin comfortable — who leads people into lawlessness. Do a study on it. That's the marker.
And lawlessness doesn't just mean people looting in the streets; it means people living contrary to the laws of God and not caring about it. Are we there? I think we'd all say yes. But take heart — "he who endures to the end shall be saved." And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world before the end comes. That's already happening. He's got people everywhere — on the internet, in the Congo, all over the world.
After the birth pains section, Jesus shifts to talk about the tribulation. He references Daniel — and this is how you know the subject has changed. The abomination of desolation is a specific event from Daniel's prophecy of the seven-year tribulation, split into two three-and-a-half year segments.
Then Jesus does something interesting: he narrows his audience to those in Judea. That's your clue. He's now talking specifically to Israel.
Matthew 24:15-16 (NKJV): "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place... then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."
The seven-year tribulation is actually God's redemption plan for the nation of Israel. He has declared that they shall all be saved. Right now, we're in the time of the Gentiles. But God is going to shift his focus back to Israel for that seven-year period to bring them from rebellion into salvation.
The tribulation is not punishment — it's a wakeup call. And yes, it will be severe:
Matthew 24:21-22 (NKJV): "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."
This cannot be referring to the destruction of the temple in AD 70, because that was not the worst thing the world has ever seen. We're still here.
In verse 23, Jesus circles back to the birth pains and gives us the most important warning for this season: there will be a great deception. False christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders so convincing that even the elect will be challenged by them.
Matthew 24:24-25 (NKJV): "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand."
The key phrase is "if possible" — it's not possible for the elect to be permanently deceived. The Holy Spirit will illuminate us. That's why you don't have to be afraid. You just have to stay connected.
Jesus then gives us a vivid description of his coming — and this is the rapture. He says it will be as obvious as a lightning bolt flashing from east to west. You won't have to wonder if you missed it. Then he describes what happens immediately after the tribulation of those days — not the great tribulation, but the birth pains:
Matthew 24:29-31 (NKJV): "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven... And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
That's the rapture. How do we know it's not the Second Coming at the end of the tribulation? Because at the end of the tribulation, Jesus doesn't send his angels — he comes down himself, plants his own feet on the Mount of Olives, and destroys the enemy with the breath of his mouth, according to Revelation. This is different.
He's sending his angels to gather the elect from all over the world during the birth pain season, before the tribulation begins.
After this, Jesus talks about the fig tree: when the branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know summer is near. Some teachers believe the fig tree represents Israel — and if so, the moment Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948 marks the beginning of the generation that will see all of these things fulfilled. We're still within that generation.
Whether that's the intended interpretation or not, the point is the same: when you see all these signs beginning, you know you are in that generation.
Matthew 24:34 (NKJV): "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place."
But no one knows the day or the hour:
Matthew 24:36-37 (NKJV): "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."
He takes us back to Noah because he's giving us insight into the order of events. Before the flood, people were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage — living life as usual. If the rapture happened after the tribulation, people would not be living normally. When the water is blood and two-thirds of the world is dead, no one is just going along with their day.
The fact that life will be going on normally when Jesus comes tells us the rapture happens before the tribulation. Life keeps going, and then — just like the flood — it happens suddenly. Those who weren't paying attention will mourn.
The application is straightforward: stay ready. Don't be the servant who says in his heart, "My master is delayed," and starts living however he wants. That servant gets caught off guard.
How do you know if you've lost your expectation of his return? You don't talk about it, you don't think about it, you're not looking for it. You're looking around, but you're not looking up.
Matthew 24:44 (NKJV): "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
His coming brings hope. In a moment, our bodies will be changed into our glorified forms. We'll be gathered to meet him in the clouds and enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb for seven years. Then we come back to rule and reign with him for a thousand years in his millennial reign. And after that, he wipes it all clean and gives us something brand new — and says, "Let's spend eternity together." That is exciting.
Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the 10 virgins — five wise, five foolish. The wise ones brought extra oil. The foolish ones brought some, but not enough — as if to say, "If he doesn't come by a certain time, I'll give up on waiting."
If you understand the Jewish wedding tradition, the bridegroom could come at any hour, and the wedding party had to be ready no matter how long it took. The wise ones were prepared for the long haul. The difference between the two groups was simple: the wise ones said, "No matter how long it takes, I will be here waiting when he comes."
The oil often represents the anointing and the Holy Spirit in scripture. The main point is this — keep your expectation alive. Don't let it fade. Keep it in the forefront. You're not going to give up on his coming.
The Lord interrupted me before I got to Ezekiel 33, because he had something he wanted to say first. I had a dream the night before where I was in an airport rushing to catch my gate — and I got there only to realize I didn't have a boarding pass.
I panicked and ran to the desk, and the people behind the counter looked at me calmly and said, "Don't worry. You can get it right now. Here's your boarding pass." And I got on the plane and went home.
I've had many dreams about this church being like an airport hub — a place where people fly in to get what they need and then fly out to deliver it wherever God sends them. And I believe that dream is a picture of this season we're in as a church.
There are people out there who knew something was coming, but they've been living however they wanted. And soon they're going to have a wakeup call. They're going to show up and realize, "I thought I had my ticket, but I don't." And they're going to come to us — and we're going to comfort them and say, "It's not too late. Here's your boarding pass."
This goes hand-in-hand with the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Some workers showed up in the morning. Others at noon, at 3 p.m., even at 6 p.m. And at the end of the day, he paid them all the same wage.
Don't be sour at the ones who got to fool around until the last minute. When they show up at the end wanting in, we say, "Here's your boarding pass." Salvation is in Christ. His righteousness, his peace, his joy — it doesn't matter how long it took you to get here. You're going to get the same boarding pass everybody else got.
Now here's where it gets intense, but I want you to hear it. Ezekiel was not just prophesying for his time. The Old Testament prophets prophesied the whole timeline of the Lord — including our time and the time to come. Jesus himself told us not to forget what the prophets said.
In Ezekiel 33, God describes a watchman — someone chosen by the people to stand on the wall and sound the alarm when the enemy is coming. The watchman's job is not to make people respond. The watchman's job is to sound the alarm.
If the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't warn the people, their blood is on his hands. But if he sounds the alarm and they ignore it, that's on them.
Ezekiel 33:7-9 (NLT): "Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. If I warn the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me."
That is some motivation right there. But here's the relief in it: you are not responsible for how people respond.
The only thing that keeps most of us from delivering God's message is that we feel responsible for their reaction — we're afraid they'll blow up, get offended, or reject us. But God is releasing you from that. Your job is to deliver the message. That's it. Deliver it and leave the rest to him.
God goes on to say something that should shake all of us awake:
Ezekiel 33:12-16 (NLT): "Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins... None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will destroy them for their sins. And if I warn the wicked, saying, 'You will surely die,' but they turn from their sins and do what is just and right... none of their past sins will be brought up again."
This is not just an ancient instruction. It's relevant for us today. God has given us righteousness in Christ — what a gift. But if you turn from that righteousness and turn back to sin, you cannot rely on your past righteousness to save you. You are a slave to whom you obey.
The good news is that God takes no pleasure in the death of wicked people. He's not sitting up there hoping people fail. He's shouting, "Turn! Turn from your wickedness! Why should you die?"
Ezekiel 33:11 (NLT): "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so that they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?"
I want to be clear about something, because this message can be misunderstood. I'm not saying that one slip-up and your salvation is gone. That is not what the scripture is teaching.
What I'm talking about are people for whom sin is no longer the enemy. People who've made peace with it. People who say, "This is just who I am," or "It's okay if I keep this one thing in my life." That's the danger zone. When sin stops being your enemy and starts feeling like your friend, you've turned your loyalty.
For those of you who keep messing up in the same area, repenting, and fighting to get free — that's different. You're working to get it out. Keep going.
The answer for all of us is the same: keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on righteousness. Sin is trying to pull you away from everything Jesus has given you. Don't give it your attention. Don't make excuses for it. Don't pet it. Just turn away and keep walking toward him.
Before I close, I want to leave you with this — because sometimes when we talk about end times and sin and repentance, people can feel heavy. But this is what happens when you turn to righteousness:
Zephaniah 3:17 (Amplified Bible): "The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in silent satisfaction and in His love He will be silent and make no mention of past sins or even recall them; He will exult over you with singing."
He will make no mention of past sins. He won't even recall them. That means I don't have to carry them either. When you turn to righteousness, God doesn't look back. He sings over you. That makes me so excited.
Near-death experience testimonies — people who've died, gone to heaven, and come back — consistently report the same thing: Jesus told them, "I'm coming soon, and it's sooner than people think."
I don't want to be one of those who is caught off guard. So I wake up every day and say, "Today could be the day."
There are so many signs — the blood moons, the war with Iran, the birth pains multiplying and accelerating. We don't know the day or the hour, but he told us to keep watch.
And why did he say it was "soon" two thousand years ago? Because if he had given us an exact date, we would have just reserved our best behavior for that moment. He positioned it this way for our protection — so that we would stay alert, stay prepared, and stay ready.
My uncle went to be with the Lord last Sunday at 52 years old — suddenly and unexpectedly. And when I got the news, my first feeling was excitement for him. He's with the Lord. He lived a lot of his life in the wrong way, but he got his life turned around before he went. I had to tone down my excitement a little out of respect for those who were grieving, but there is nothing to be sad about for a believer who has gone home.
Honestly, I kind of feel like he just got the fast pass. He got there a few days early.
If any of you came in today knowing you need to make a turn, I've got two words for you: turn around. Turn away from sin and turn back to righteousness. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and he will help you live the life he's called you to. He is not looking for perfection — he is looking for direction.
His return is not something to fear. It is something to be excited about. The kingdom of God — righteousness, peace, and joy — you don't have to wait for access to that. You already have it, right now. So see to it that you're not troubled by anything going on around you. Maintain that place of peace.
You are his, and he is coming soon.
