Witnessing with Bible ProphecyBy Jackie Alnor The natural outcome of recognizing the signs of the times for the Christian should be the urgency to share the gospel with others. It is inconceivable to think about the looming wrath of God being poured out upon those we love who will be left behind if they do not receive the free gift of salvation before the rapture.It has truthfully been said that "apologetics is the handmaiden of evangelism." You cannot proclaim the truth without being prepared to defend it. The defense of the faith and the proclamation of it are two sides of the same coin. You can't have one without the other.When witnessing to others it is so important to find common ground upon which to begin the conversation. There are no formulas to follow; we must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit because we cannot argue anyone into the Kingdom. It is a work of God upon the heart and all we can be are vessels God uses to speak on His behalf. Those who have ears to hear will listen, and those who have been given over to their own devices will respond accordingly.A good conversation starter in this day and age is the condition of the world. Even the world in its fallen state recognizes that civilization is on a path toward the final event. The media in all forms - television, film, print, internet, video games - are filled with references to Armageddon, Apocalypse, and Antichrist. The understanding that we're on the brink of judgment seems to be in the very DNA of all peoples.When witnessing to unbelievers we can make a connection by giving them the hope of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the soon return of the King of kings as a lifeline to escape the wrath to come. We can show them how Bible prophecy is history written in advance and that the world is not spinning out of control into chaos, but that all is happening according to God's plan. God is in control.We can show them fulfilled prophecy regarding the first coming of Christ and how all things happened as it was written in advance, and that we can trust the Word of God to be what it is: the Word of God to fallen man. From there we can share the Gospel of salvation and the call for repentance for the forgiveness of sins that Jesus Christ purchased for us on the cross of Calvary.As the world seems to recognize the approach of Armageddon, the visible church is now overrun with scoffers who say, "where is the promise of His coming? All things remain the same." For such Christians, there is no urgency to go out into the highways and byways to gather the wheat.There are two influences that people are listening to both within and without the church: the voice of Christ and the voice of antichrist. The Bridegroom is telling His bride to be ready for His soon appearing when He will take her to the place that He has prepared for her. He is warning the churches not to get caught up in the cares of this world, recalling Lot's wife who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.The spirit of antichrist however speaks as one who only has this world to offer. He is anxious to start his earthly reign over the kings of the earth and so he deceives many with the allure of global peace and security. As the devil unsuccessfully did to Jesus in the wilderness, he tempts others to sell their souls by bowing down to him. In exchange he offers them riches, power, and influence.An example of the spirit of antichrist's efforts to win over the masses can be seen in a trailer for an upcoming film called "The Shift." [theshiftmovie.com] Today's heroes are featured trying to sell everyone on the idea that if we all join together, lay down our differences, and become a Collective we can achieve the transformation of humanity into divinity. The cast of leaders include Desmond Tutu, Deepak Chopra, Al Gore and Oprah Winfrey's spiritual advisor, Marianne Williamson.This latest New Age effort at accomplishing this paradigm shift has now caught on with society as a whole. Back in 1982 the effort failed big time. Remember when all those full-page ads appeared in major newspapers around the world announcing that "The Christ is Now Here"? The ad said that "soon the Christ will acknowledge his identity and within the next two months will speak to humanity through a worldwide television and radio broadcast. His message will be heard inwardly, telepathically, by all people in their own language. From that time, with his help, we will build a new world."Well, he never showed up and his handler, Benjamin Creme, is a laughing stock, still claiming this guy is going to come to the forefront very soon. It appears that those who are against the true Christ are indeed hearing the voice of the antichrist inwardly. And those whose hearts are open to the true Christ hear His voice as He promised that His sheep would. It is reminiscent of the Stephen King thriller, The Stand. In that book/film, 99% of the population was wiped out by a government experiment in germ warfare gone wrong. All the bad guys dreamed of being drawn to go to Las Vegas, while the nice survivors saw a sweet grandma in their dreams beckoning them to Boulder, Colorado. The final stand between good and evil ensued, and of course the good guys won.Today we must warn nonbelievers that if they are hearing the voice of the true Christ not to harden their hearts. The voice of the antichrist is being heard and accepted even within the walls of the church. Conferences have sprung up looking for this "Shift" and bringing in the same global unity agenda as the New Age Shift. The angel told Daniel that at the prophecies of the time of trouble would be closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Only the wise would understand, while the wicked would not. [Daniel 12] And those who turn many to righteousness would shine like the stars forever and ever. As in The Stand, it is time to choose sides and tune in to the voice of the Master.