Am I Mentally Tuned In?

(Part 1)

Just before I sat down to begin composing this post, I asked my self this question, are the world events ‘just news’ or are they ‘signs of the times’?

The immediate answer to that question probably rests heavily on whether or not you are a Christian or a non-Christian. However, I am of the opinion that there are many believers who just see the daily events as the news of the day.

This morning I realized, too, that I had not seen or heard much about the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. This is not front page news but it is in its 622 day (as of 11-7-23) of conflict. Do I, do we even think about it? Do Christians pray about the end of the Ukraine/Russia conflict? I plead guilty to not regularly praying for this conflict to end.

Many of us in this nation might be engrossed in the Trump trials or simply ignoring them. I suspect that many in this nation are not really interested. Mr. Trump made front page news (11-7-23)this morning in the local newspaper because he was ‘front and center’ testifying at his trial in New York yesterday.

And of course there is the devasting conflict of the Israel/Hamas war going on in Gaza. This is most likely what is prevalent in most people’s thinking because it is in its fifth week and its events are dominating the media.

I do not take any of these lightly. I also know that there are many other important tragic events taking place throughout our nation and the world.

There is persecution of Christians taking place throughout the world. Believers homes are being burned. People are being incarcerated. Churches are being burned. Believers are being persecuted. Believers are being killed for identifying themselves as Christians. These stories are not daily news in our regular media; but these stories are available for those who know where to look.

In addition, there have been destructive earthquakes. The latest was in Napal.

And yet, amidst all this trial, tribulation, and turmoil, there are revivals happening in our nation and in various places in the world. God is on the move. Are you aware of that? Do you believe that? It certainly is not front and center on the daily news.

The fact is that we are witnessing ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our nation and in the world. Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many instances of nations unleashing horrific, barbaric treatment against other nations. The past empires of the world have conquered, possessed, and ravaged at the expense of others expanding their nation and influence. We know this history if we have studied world history.

The Bible records the movement of nations conquering other nations, as well as, attacking, destroying, and wanting to obliterate God’s chosen people, Israel. Sound familiar! It is happening right before our eyes in the Middle East. Hamas has attacked Israel. Israel has responded appropriately.

The birth of Christ, which we will be celebrating next month (December, 2023) triggered the slaughter of infants ( Please read Matthew 2:13-18) by king Herod.

Matthew 2:16 (NKJV), says, “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were born in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.”

This barbaric event was the fulfillment of a prophecy recorded in Jeremiah 31:15. Notes in the Spirit-Filled Life Bible(NKJV) records the following comment about the prophecy remembered in Matthew 2:18. “The distress of the Hebrew mothers at the time of the Babylonian captivity (Jeremiah 31:15) received a deeper significance by the weeping mothers of Bethlehem.

What about the weeping mothers of Jerusalem today? The war between Israel and Hamas has many mothers and other family members weeping for their children and their loved ones, both Israelis and Palestinians, because of the horrific, barbaric attack by Hamas, and Israel’s justifiable response.

Do you remember in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, that the Pharoah of Egypt, ordered the killing of all male infants at the time of Moses birth because he wanted to stop the growth of the Hebrew nation who were slaves in Egypt? The account says that he was a new Pharoah who did not know the history of the Hebrew nation and their relationship to Egypt. He was afraid of the Hebrew nation. (Please read Exodus 1:8-22)

Let me reemphasize, our world today is experiencing ‘unprecedented unrest’ as we watch horror being perpetrated throughout the world and we ponder the consequences of those events and speculate about our future and the future of the world.

Question: Does this ‘unprecedented unrest’ worry you? Are you anxious?

Question: How do you personally view and process these events? Are they merely the daily news (just news) ? Or, are they significant events that have challenged your thinking and mindset regarding the historical time in which we are living? Are we seeing the end of age?

Wrestling with this mindset is not new in Christendom. Paul had to address this mindset in the church at Thessalonica. They were concerned about when Christ would return? Haven’t past world wars triggered this same concern ? As I understand there were many who believed that WWI, and then WWII were ushering in the return of Christ? Christians have pondered this whenever there has been a major interruption in the ‘normal daily’ lifestyle of a nation or the world.

Question: Did you ever think that COVID was issuing the end of the world?

In times like this, people gravitate to eschatological events and the teachings that surround the second coming of Christ. I am not minimizing that thinking in any way. There is every reason to ask oneself penetrating questions, such as, if we are witnessing the escalation of end time events and personally living in the moment when Christ will return? Well, guess what, Christ can return at any time, because the decision is not ours, or His, it’s God’s the Father.

Jesus said so. Matthew 24:36 (NKJV), “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Jesus did speak directly about His second coming. His words are found in Matthew 24 and following.

Let’s look at what He said. (Before moving forward, I recommend that you read Matthew 24,25)

End of Part 1, TBC

a brother in Christ, deo