Have you noticed or felt that the world is on shaky ground -- literally and spiritually? Are you experiencing a season of feeling weighed down by the responsibilities of life, and sensing a strong spiritual force coming against you? You're not alone! The planet is literally trembling and shaking at the surface, and spewing forth from its depths. Wildfires, hurricanes, pandemics, famine and food shortages are becoming more frequent and more severe. Is a Polar Shift in our future? All this plus the recent volcanic and earthquake activity are evidence of the "birth pains" that Jesus foretells in Matthew 24.
He is very deliberate in describing the signs and events that will happen before the end of the age. Like the birth pains before the birth of a baby, many Christians understand these signs to mean that Jesus's return is coming quickly once they start. But they miss the fuller understanding that these signs and events are just the beginning of greater troubles to come. Just as the labor pains [at the birth of a child] increase with intensity, Jesus is telling us that we will experience challenges that will escalate in strength and force as the end approaches.
These events will be the beginning of sorrows, followed by the worsening of the labor pains [as the world prepares for the fullness of the birth of God's Kingdom on earth]. But we cannot escape the times of tribulation that come before that glorious birth; the times of great catastrophe, anguish, and cataclysm. Are we there yet? I don't know, is my honest answer. But I don't think we can dismiss the deception that Jesus warns us about in Matthew 24:4-5 ; or the wars and global conflicts we are seeing in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iraq and now Taiwan. Hints of Nuclear war are increasing. These wars alone don't mean the end, but when they abound alongside the other signs, they indicate His return is getting closer.
As I talked about in my preceding post, the moral and spiritual decline, along with the celebration of evil as being right, plus the mocking of Biblical values shows us we are mirroring 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ... People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy. We are there, folks!
We can't ignore Israel's role in End-Times prophecies, nor the tensions that are building in the world as every nation is watching the Holy Land. I need you to understand my position on God's chosen people. The land belongs to God and He will restore His holy Zion and her people to their homeland. But there's a difference between the holy Zion of the Bible and the secular, political Zion we see today. But I believe there will be a time of repentance and they will return, fully committed to their God. That is my prayer for them!
And, if you read my blog with any regularity, you will notice that I often write about warnings surrounding Technology and the role it could play in the prophecy of Revelation 13:16-17 .... It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. Can you see the system of control that is beginning to creep its way into our lives? -- It's visible in restaurants that no longer accept cash as payment; in digital IDs; in AI surveillance on our phones, in our TVs and appliances; and microchips used as part of the infrastructure for worldwide tracking of every human on earth.
One clear indicator for me is Jesus's prophecy that the end of the age will come when one last sign is fulfilled ... it will come when "this good news of the gospel of the kingdom is preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations". Consider how long it has taken during the past centuries to spread this gospel! Now, one click and it is shared worldwide. While Satan will try and use Technology for evil, God is using it to for His good and spreading His Word fast and far!
So all this is telling us how the Bible says we will recognize the "signs of the times". But how are you dealing with all this personally? Do you recognize that as the prophecies of God's Word are unfolding, that we are also being tested by God as to the level of our faith? In 2015, I wrote of my feelings of anxiety and apprehension as I discerned the civil unrest in our streets, the racial tension among our citizens, homeland terrorism, and the threats of world war. That was ten years ago and everything is escalating! The birth pains are increasing in intensity!
At the time, I found myself trying to look into the future, plotting and planning ways to endure that scary time. Today, my spirit knows the truth -- my security does not lie in anything I can do -- the world, itself, offers no security. And what the world calls security is false. No amount of money, peace of mind, or stability in my life measures up to the trust I have in the Lord through my faith. [NOTE: I am not naive ... I have skills that will sustain me in times of trouble]. And I will admit, that there are times the Enemy taunts me to return to those sleepless nights full of fear and sows into my active imagination. But I remind myself that my husband and myself are in a covenant with the Most High God. We have put our confidence in the truth that He is who He says He is, and will do what He has promised us: He will be faithful to provide for all our needs, if we would be faithful to put our trust in Him.
I will accept it if He decides to test me. I am not perfect! And He needs to know He can trust me to do His work when the times get tough -- and we're headed that way! So I praise Him for those times when I discern His testing and the supernatural clarity of the inter-dimensional aspects of this world and the heavenly realms. All the worries and concerns that the Enemy uses to distract me are only momentary and worthless compared to the riches that will be my inheritance in Heaven. I want Him to refine me and purify me so that I can battle the darkness, all while waiting on Him and renewing my strength. So, as the Bible encourages us, let us count it all joy when we meet these trials and tests, because it will help us develop our steadfastness. And when we prove that we can remain resolute and steady in times of trials and tribulation, we are assured the Crown of Life! It is all worth it! Hallelujah!
Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].
