of

Sid and Vilda Collison
1826 14TH Ave. S.W.
Vero Beach, FL 32962
(772) 569-5791   
 sidcollison@earthlink.net or vilda@mpinet.net 

May, 2004

Dear Family and Friends,                                            
	
	“April showers bring May flowers” is a quote that I remember from childhood. Like so many things that we remember from our past, it may or may not be true. This is not the case with the Word of God. Many believe that the Bible is a miraculous book provided for the benefit of mankind. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32).
	I have chosen to introduce this month’s newsletter in this rather unusual way because of the cataclysmic world events that are occurring in most, if not all, parts of the world. These events have taken on a prophetic image that is unprecedented in the last two thousand years of world history. For this reason I have chosen to focus on prophetic signs that we are living in the end times for the Little Words Bible study this month. 
	It is becoming more and more obvious that the time of our Lord’s coming is near. Even the tabloids on the supermarket magazine stands speak of the signs that “The End Is Near.”  While no credible Bible student would depend upon such sources, it certainly indicates the far reaching interest in prophecy. 
	Prophecy is being fulfilled at a faster pace than at any time in history. It is extremely important that we understand the signs of the time which the Bible calls the “beginning of sorrows.”  These signs will not have the same effect on all of us. Indeed, they will go unnoticed by the non-Christian and the nominal Christian. However, recognition of these signs should motivate those of us who know Christ as our Savior and Lord to bring as many as possible into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in the time that is left.  The great commission tells us to be disciples to all nations, bringing the message of salvation through Christ to all people (ref. Matt. 28:19-20). 
	 If the Church is raptured (taken out of the world) before the tribulation (and I believe it will be), it is tremendously important that we leave behind the message of salvation through Christ for all people. With this said, let’s now study together some of the prophetic signs that God has given us as a warning of the fast approaching end of the age.  

L

ittle  Words:  
“Prophetic Signs That We Are Living In the End Times”
	
	“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age’” (Matt. 24:3)? 

1.  FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS

Matt. 24:5:  “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and will deceive many.”
	Matt. 24:11:  “And many false prophets will arise, and will deceive many.”

During the last several years, we have witnessed an ever increasing number of individuals claiming to be the Messiah. Jim Jones and David Koresh are just two examples of those who have made this claim. Those who are false prophets are even greater in number than those claiming to be Messiah.  There is a reason for this. The false prophets are a prelude to the ultimate false Christ, the one called the antichrist. “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, even now  many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (I Jn. 2:18).

2. WARS AND RUMORS OF WAR

Matt. 24:6: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

Wars and rumors of wars in all areas of the world may now be seen and analyzed by the majority of the  world population, thanks to instant, worldwide media coverage on a 24 hour basis. More people have been killed in warfare is this century than in any other time in history. As the death toll rises in the Middle East, more and more countries work feverishly to develop weapons of mass destruction. When this is considered along with the increased threat of terrorism and unpredictable dictators, we see the truth of Biblical prophecy.

3.  FAMINES
	
Matt. 24:7: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”

As Christian farmers are driven out of Africa in increasing numbers, and foreigners move in to replace viable food crops with poppies that supply over 25% of the world’s drugs, famine continues to spread across Africa at an alarming rate. Starving people are not limited to Africa, however. A large portion of the world’s 5 billion people suffers from an acute food shortage.

4.	EARTHQUAKES

Luke 21:11:  “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”

The number and intensity of earthquakes in this century are greater than at any other time in history.  A staggering number of seismic events occur around the world on a daily basis. The seismic monitor IRIS shows all of the major earthquakes that occur each day. The recorded seismic events of any 15 day period or more provide strong evidence of the fulfillment of Scripture in our day. By contrast there was only one earthquake recorded in the entire world between 1890 and 1900.
		
5.	TRIBULATION

Matt. 24:8-9: “All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”

Christians are under attack throughout the world today. The United States is still a land where the Christian can enjoy freedom to worship God without suffering other than possibly some ridicule and discrimination at work or school. However, in other countries such as Africa, Canada, China, India, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim nations, Christian face much greater persecution and often death for their faith. During the tribulation, this suffering will be on a worldwide basis, including the United States. These first five signs will continue and increase in intensity and severity as the tribulation approaches, much like the birth pangs of a pregnant woman intensify as the birth approaches.

6.	GOSPEL PREACHED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Matt. 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

	This prophecy has already been fulfilled to a great extent by means of radio, television, missionaries, 	hundreds of translations of the Bible in many languages, the Internet, films like Campus Crusade for 	Christ’s Jesus 	and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ which is now being shown in some	Moslem countries. Because of the airplane and many other advanced methods of travel, missionaries can 	now get to virtually every place on earth.          	

Watching world news unfold daily, makes it clear to those with even a nominal understanding of these signs as outlined in Matthew 24 that the events coming to pass are far from being just coincidental or random events. Consequently, we as Christians should be committed to sharing the wonderful news of salvation in Jesus Christ with everyone the Father brings across our path. We urge you and encourage you to share your faith.  

Feedback from the Family

We were so encouraged by a letter we just received, especially the following excerpt:
	
	“. . . One of your newsletters was very inspirational to us, personally. We were at a really low point with the closing of the carpet store, financial problems, legal woes, and other things. It seemed like we were a target for every off the wall thing, through no fault of our own. It was depressing and oppressive. The newsletter gave us the inspiration to start up our own new carpet store, and to muddle through all of the problems. The new store is doing ok. . . .” 

PRAISES:

•	Eden had to come out of her cast 2 wks. early and into a walking boot, because her cast had gotten wet inside, and she couldn’t afford to have another $300 cast put on. But, praise the Lord, the doctor said he was amazed at how strong her ankle was and that she wouldn’t have to have surgery any time soon.  
•	Vilda’s sister, Cookie, who underwent tests for chest pains, did not have a heart attack. The doctors are still doing further testing to determine the reason for the pain, but have not turned up anything yet. However, we praise the Lord that they did discover that several problems she has had over the years like a hiatal hernia no longer exist! 
•	We are so happy to report that Vilda’s mom’s mouth and throat are almost completely healed of the blisters. 
•	More details about this follows later in this letter, but praise God with us that our son-in-law, Eric, is back at work after seven or eight days in the hospital with a heart problem.

Thank each of you for your prayers that were instrumental in bringing about these blessings from our Heavenly Father.  We pray you will be blessed knowing that you had a part in these answers to prayer.

PRAYER REQUESTS:  Please continue praying for−−

•	Eve as she is about three weeks from her due date, but her doctor won’t let her go that long. She is still very anemic, has low platelets, syncope and a terrible cough as well to name a few of our concerns for her. 
•	The lady who has been estranged from her children. Two of the four children have renewed contact with her. Pray for her husband who had a stint put in his heart and is not doing well.
•	The couple from whom we recently received letters regarding their marital problems. They have 	divorced. They are not involved with other people, so we pray God will work a miracle in this 	situation.
•	The couple who had been in the beginning of a divorce but decided to really work on making their marriage work. 
•	The family who is temporarily separated because of the husband’s new out-of-state job. This is a very difficult situation, and their house has not sold yet.
•	Our daughter-in-law, Teresa. A polyp has been found on her gall bladder. Her doctor has referred her to a surgeon with whom she and Michael will meet on the 27th.
•	Us and for one another that we will be found faithful in all things and glorify our Savior and Lord always.

PERSONAL NEWS

	How we wish all of you could have been with us at the Life Exchange Ministries Fundraising Banquet on the 23rd of April! It was so wonderful to hear the testimonies of how LEM has touched lives, especially Pastor Anise from Haiti and Candy, a missionary in Dominican Republic. Most of all, we wish you could have heard Steve Pettit. God really used him in an awesome way to share the wonderful grace life truths of who we are in Christ. If you ever have an opportunity to hear him, don’t miss it! 
	Some of you already know that Vilda was not able to make the trip to Colorado with me due to the fact that we were not able to find anyone who could stay with Eden and help with the children. She not only had a cast on her right leg but had hurt her left shoulder when she had a seizure three days before we were supposed to leave. It was also at this time that Eve had begun to get sick. During the time I was in Colorado, Eve blacked out, fell and hit her head. Vilda kept Tommie while Tom took Eve to the hospital. Praise God, she and the baby are okay.
	Also, a few days before we were to leave, Vilda called Cindy to get directions from the airport to her home and learned that Eric had been ill for a couple of weeks. He was under the care of a physician but had been getting worse when she finally called the doctor as they were getting ready for work Tuesday morning. When she related what had been happening with Eric, he sent him straight to the ER where he was immediately admitted to the hospital. A very serious heart defect was discovered, and he spent the week before Jenny’s graduation in the hospital. His mom and I brought him home on Wednesday. Needless to say, he was not able to attend this momentous occasion, but how very thankful we all were that he was home and feeling better. We pray that he will continue to get stronger each day.
	It seems that everywhere we turn, we hear of similar circumstances and situations arising in everyone’s lives. As Christians, we have an enemy who is constantly at work trying to destroy us and make us ineffective witnesses for our Lord, but the One who lives within us, the Lord Jesus Christ, is stronger than Satan, and so we praise Him for His marvelous and awesome grace toward us. Through Him, we are triumphant in all circumstances of life and can praise Him with great joy in our hearts that we are His children.
	 In closing, we want to say thank you for being here for us through your prayers and support. You are a very important part of all that we do, and we praise the Father for each of you. Please keep Vilda and I in your prayers as we continue to minister to those the Lord brings into our lives. Also, pray for us as we are working on our website which we pray will be a blessing to everyone who visits it. Robby Lewis has come along side to be our webmaster. It is still under construction and changes will be made to what is already there. If you are interested in checking it out, you may visit us as www.foreverfamily.org. We would appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have. Remember, it is still under construction, however.
	May our gracious and loving Father bless you more and more each day. You are always in our hearts and prayers.

With our love,

Sid and Vilda