Discerning the Times

Luke 12:54-56

Jesus said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?

God of the Times,

You are the Beginning and End; the First and the Last. Thank You for Your timeless Word that's still alive, active and accurate after thousands of years. You are absolutely right. When we see clouds forming in the west, we say, "A shower's coming." And, it does. When the south wind blows, we say, "Today's going to be a scorcher." And, it is. When the humidity is 100% we know a thunderstorm is on the horizon. And, it comes. When the days get longer we can be sure summer is right around the corner; and when the light gets lesser we're aware that winter isn't far off. We can interpret the weather by the appearance of the earth and the sky, but we are clueless about the crisis ahead.

A confluence of conditions is combining to form the storm of the millennia, but because we've neglected Your Word we don't recognize Your activity in the world. These are crucial days! All biblical indicators point to phenomenal conditions mounting in the eastern sky. Enormous pressure is forming on all sides of Israel as evidenced in the daily news. With each passing day it appears we are getting closer to the ultimate Perfect Storm - the day when heaven and earth collide, You roar in on the rogue cloud, time is wiped out, and we are swept into eternity.

How predictable You are! We are indeed ignorant of the present times. Lord, now more than ever I need to carefully study and KNOW Your Word. By Your Holy Spirit and according to Your promise, make all the scriptural predictors plain to me, and enable me to remember them. Then, with my eyes peeled to the news, I will be able to see the incredible converging conditions and confirm my belief that You are coming back again soon. Blessed assurance. Amen.

A storm of biblical proportions is rising in the eastern skies. Do you understand the time in which we're living? I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to make the scriptural predictors plain to you. Then open your Bible and study Ezekiel 38 and
39, and Matthew 24. Compare God's Word to the daily news and you will see with your own eyes God's terrific and terrifying activity in the world.

Jesus says in John 14:29, "I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe."

Henry Blackaby, recently published an excellent article in Herald of His Coming entitled; Do You Understand the Time In Which You Live? Click here to read and select "Articles From Our Current Issue."