by David Brenneman
Many many people have written many hundreds of predictions about the future. But out of all...only the Lord God who predicted everything about His human birth, life, death, burial and resurrection...pulled it all off. Absolutely nothing about the life of Jesus hasn't happened.
In every shape and size of natural event experienced by mankind people look for signs among them.
With all that was absolutely right about Jesus...why aren't more paying attention to what He said of His return?
To start...He said plainly that no man knows the day nor the hour. It wasn't even known to Him yet. The decision was made by the Father.
Then He teaches by way of His own words what to look for that will lead up to that return by Him. Later the writers of the New Testament shed other lights on how the world will be before Jesus returns.
But why do people persist? Mainly because they actually think so highly of themselves that they think they can figure out God without His help. Pride. Satan thought the exact same way leading up to the crucifixion...then Jesus arose from the dead and showed him oh how wrong he was.
We face many who are like those Daniel faced whom are knowing that to bring us down they have to attack what we believe in Christ Jesus.
Satan's still the somewhat master manipulator of this world. Somewhat because he must obey God with regards to the affairs of mankind. This is seen in the behind the scenes story of Job.
With all that there is in learning about Jesus...understanding signs and wonders really isn't all that important. The sanctifying work of the Spirit of God is about there being more of Jesus in us than us in us. It's not about all that other stuff. While yes those the King entrusted with talents knew someday that the King would return...two of them were about the King's business until that day. They knew that they didn't know when He would return so they remained ever watchful and ready.
We are called to be about the Father’s business. Sharing what Jesus has done with us, for us, in us. We don't save people...Jesus does. We have a purpose in life that's not about predictions regarding the future. We are set in the body of Christ Jesus as the Spirit sees fit to place us. There are no unuseful people in the body of Christ.
What's also to be considered is the events of nature with regard to the end times as depicted in the Bible are NOT subject to our interpretation. They are not predicated upon events happening. If Jesus wanted a blizzard in Florida today it would just be happening. The depiction given in the book of Revelation that essentially describes an unusual eclipse...does not need to happen at the times we can calculate for a normal eclipse.
These things are proven in the story of King Hezekiah. To move the shadow back up the steps required moving the whole planet we are on.
Nature, all creation, obeys the will of God without question. Joshua was told to have the Levites carry the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan River at high tide. When their feet touched the water the water rose up in a heap and everyone crossed over on dry land. Not muddy ground. Nobody got wet.
Lions in the den with Daniel...were told by the Spirit to leave Daniel alone and they obeyed without question.
The Red Sea parted for the children of Israel to pass through on dry ground as well.
Nature only appears to roll on through as if in chaos. But nothing, not a single hair on anyone's head, nor a single tear shed, not a single cry from even a hungry animal escapes the notice of God.
The Bible says all that. If the Bible was entirely correct about Jesus...
If Jesus is the only one who perfectly called His shot concerning His death, burial and resurrection...
If Jesus, after rising from the dead and bringing 500 others back to life to testify...
If indeed all these things are absolutely inerrantly true...what manner of child of God ought you and I to be?
We too ought to make whatever is important to Jesus, important to us.
Forgiveness is not an option.
Loving others is not an option.
Time with Jesus daily is not an option.
Praying isn't an option.
Time learning from the Spirit through the Word of God isn't an option.
Setting your mind on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world is not an option.
There more than enough in just that list of non-negotiable, non-optional, segments of the Christian life to keep you and I going.
Those aren't optional. That third person with the entrusted talents? He essentially sat on what he was entrusted with. Was too worried about how he would be viewed by others. Afraid to the point of inactivity. Afraid of his Master. Afraid of what others would think. In all of that he missed out on the blessings of his Master.
Are you about the things that matter to Jesus with regards to you? Are you listening too much to what the world says is important and are inadvertently disregarding the Word of God? Are things like worldly success driving you or is pleasing Jesus driving you?
There will be no signs except the sign of Jonah. As it was in the days of Noah. People marrying and being given in marriage until Jesus closed the door to that impossible boat that would be humanities future. No signs other than the preaching of Noah that every single person ignored, laughed at, mocked, ridiculed but those whom Jesus saved.
In many parts of the world we saw a wonderful sight yesterday with that eclipse. Conspiracy theories abounded. Yet here we are today.
The judgments of God are not bound by the laws of nature.
Will you be ashamed at His return or will you be found by Him doing what you are here to be doing?
That choice is yours.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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