God is Speaking

Amidst turmoil in the Mideast the news media is salivating - so many headline stories to cover. Of course their experts always ascribe the problems to natural causes, political unrest because of repressive governments, global warming because of man's greedy use of the environment, Israel's repression of the Arabs, and I have even heard the Christians blamed. Few, if any, ever attribute the problems being the inevitable result of man's rebellion against God.


Jesus said the 'last days' would be as 'the days of Noah', but what were the days of Noah like? Genesis 6 describes them as days filled with violence and every "intent of man's heart was only evil continually". They were filled with demonic manifestations and they celebrated them. They lied to one another, coveted one another's possessions, and delighted in evil. They had a form of religion but no time for God. Jesus described them this way: "For in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away." How do we compare to this?


In America, we are close enough to fitting this description to put the fear of God into all who will look. The courts are overbooked and backlogged with cases about fraud, physical abuse, lying, thievery and murder to name a few. The jails are full and we are having to build bigger ones or invent new ways to handle criminals, such as early release. The entertainment media is filled with violence and an increasing number of movies involve the occult and demonic themes. In most towns there are more bars than grocery stores and divorce and remarriage are destroying our families. And America is one of the few countries left in the world that still has at least a show of Christian morality. In our political parties, Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian, true Christianity is a dirty word. By true Christianity I mean those who believe the Bible and try to practice it. It is now against the law to publicly display the 10 Commandments or talk about Jesus in our public schools. As a nation, we are not far away from the 'days of Noah' condition.

Jesus said, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near." (Matt. 24:32). We have already witnessed the return of Israel as a nation, as was prophesied, and we are seeing the 'fig tree' blossom, as Jesus predicted. Other signs of His soon return are also happening. As Joel Rosenberg recently wrote -


"The Lord Jesus Christ said that in the last days, "there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven….There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Luke 21:11,25,26) Why? To get our attention. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." (Romans 8:22, KJV) This will intensify towards the end."


Our news has been filled with these very events of late. God is trying to get out attention with warnings on every level of our senses. "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Heb. 3:7) as the rebellious Israelites did in the desert with Moses - and they perished. The war described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is not far off, in which radical Islam will be destroyed. It will soon be followed by the rise of Antichrist.


Isaiah warns, "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isa. 55:6,7). The Holy Spirit is also warning through King David, "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him." (Ps. 32:6). Don't be fooled into thinking you'll get right with God later, you may not have the opportunity. As Scripture says, "Today is the day of salvation".