“So you
also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Matthew 24:33
NKJV
By
now I am sure that most all of us have heard the question asked in one form or
another; “what in the world is going on”?
The eclipse, earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, tropical storms and
floods, solar flares, unseasonable heat waves and other events are all
combining to produce in many the thoughts of nature out of control. Yet as believers, we know with a certainty
who it is who not only controls the weather, but has often used it for the
purpose of exhibiting His displeasure and judgment. That said, it would seem not only reasonable,
but logical to consider that God is sending us a message.
I
asked you a few weeks ago to consider the possibility that many have expressed
about the forty days between the eclipse and Yom Kippur being a time of
judgment for America. I think I would be
remiss if I didn’t ask that same question again today and wonder if many of you
might have changed your minds in the past few weeks? Of course, I couldn’t say for certain but I
think it is beginning to look a lot like it is a much better answer to the
question many are asking than blaming it all on climate change. Yet I think it important to consider if there
is more to what is happening than meets the eye.
I
would, however, also want to suggest that what we see happening might just as
well be part of God’s plan which answers one of the most asked questions those
who teach about the end times receive on a regular basis, and that is where is
America in prophecy? If you have studied
that question, you may have already formed your own answer, but for myself, I
believe what we see happening may fit perfectly in supporting the position of
many, including myself who teach that America is not mentioned because it is
unable or unwilling to be a participant in the coming events in the Middle
East.
Let’s
first examine the “unable” position for a moment. We now have finally elected a government
which holds the position that our national debt and government spending must
come under control. To their credit,
these two goals are slowly being achieved, and it is obvious that our
administration is serious about accomplishing this. Now add to the equation the current drain on
our resources as a result of the many natural disasters we as a country are
experiencing at the moment. How many
requests for federal aid are on the books right now and after hurricane Irma
passes through this weekend, how much more will that add?
Of
course, if we accept the possibility that there is, in fact, a forty day period
of time to consider, that leaves us with three more weeks to experience even
more disasters. Do you see where this is
leading? I can recall many times as a
father that I wanted to do something for my children but was unable to do so
because of a serious lack of funding. As
a country, is it not possible we would find ourselves in the same
predicament? A series of disasters on
the scale we have been experiencing so far could economically ruin any chance
of us having the funding to spend defending our allies in the Middle East
should a conflict there arise.
Then,
of course, we come to the “unwilling” part of this discussion. Why would America be unwilling to defend its
greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel?
As most of us know, there are two different political leanings in our
country at present which most would categorize as conservative and
liberal. If we were to speak in general
terms, polls have shown that the majority of conservatives identify themselves
as Christian and support the nation of Israel while those who identify as
liberals are less likely to have any religious affiliation and often support
the positions of Israel’s enemies. As I
said, this is a generalization and there are always exceptions. If we accept this as fact, however, there is
an obvious question which arises.
Our
present administration not only identifies itself as conservative, but also as Christian
as well. Even the media, which could
hardly be considered supportive of the administration, has often reported on
the fact that many of the members our President has appointed are people of
faith, and even revealed that there are now Bible Studies being held in the
White House for those who wish to attend.
This being the case, one would expect our support for the nation of
Israel to be not only unwavering, but virtually guaranteed. To this point, it has, yet there is one event,
which as believers, we must consider as well.
What happens after the rapture?
As
the Bible clearly reveals, all believers will be suddenly taken from this earth
to by our Savior Jesus Christ, to be with Him forever in Heaven. This of course, only leaves unbelievers
behind. In such a case, I think it
rather logical to assume that whatever government rises from the ashes in this
country would be less than supportive of Israel than the current one. Considering that the period of time following
the rapture is called among other things, the time of Jacob’s trouble, and the
fact that America is not mentioned in the prophecies of that period, it would
be reasonable to believe this country is unwilling to be involved.
Unable,
or unwilling? You could make an argument
for both, or a combination of both. The
fact remains, however, many believe we are experiencing a dramatic display of
God’s displeasure and a foretaste of what many believe is soon to come. What will we see occur in the coming
weeks? More of the same, or an increase
of events which will make it plain to all that there is more to what is
happening than just nature acting outside of her norm. If you are familiar at all with the book of
Revelation, you know that what is happening right now is nothing compared to
what is to come. The passage from the
book of Matthew which begins today’s discussion is directed to, and about the
things which happen during the tribulation.
Yet it certainly is applicable right now with what we are seeing around
us.
I
truly believe what we are seeing and experiencing today is God’s warning that
His return is near. If you are reading
this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord
and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. All you need to do is pray a simple prayer
like this;
Jesus I know I am a
sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the
cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive
your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live for you
from now on. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Keep
watching.
