What the bang dang diddly is goin on?

Thursday, September 24, 2015

What Is Your Sign ?


I know I'll get a lot of hate for this, but I think someone needs to say it anyway. We are not primitive pagan astrologers. We don't need to derive superstitious omens from natural solar and lunar cycles to know what God is saying. God's word is not a divining rod - it's a "Lamp for our feet and a light for our path." Yes, the signs of the times are all around us, clearly proclaimed in Scripture. But this sensationalism masquerading as "prophecy" needs to stop. I would encourage our leaders to be more grounded than this.
I still remember the 88 reasons book (“88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988”). Everyone was terrified, altars were flooded, but the author was wrong. He made a lot of money on people’s gullibility and fear. But rather than apologize, the next year published a sequel, “The final shout: Rapture report 1989” - predicting that the rapture would take place in 1989. Can you believe, people still bought into it?! This latest round of predictions will be another one we look back and shake our heads at down the road.
In the meantime, cynics will be made, hearts will be hardened to the true signs and the credibility of men of God will be undermined. Nineveh didn’t repent because Jonah preached to them about blood moons. Jeremiah didn’t use solar eclipses as evidence that God’s judgment was coming. This sort of superstitious nonsense has no precedent in Scripture. (Joel does say, “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” [Joel 2:31] But Revelation also says of that event that the stars will fall from the sky, the heavens will recede like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island will be removed from its place [Rev. 6:12-14]. This is clearly speaking about something extraordinary, not a normal astrological event as predictable as seasons and lunar cycles.)
John said, “Little children, this is the last hour…” That was 2000 years ago. If that was the last hour, we are living in the last second of the last minute of the last hour. This is enough knowledge for me to work even harder to preach the Gospel and “occupy” till He comes.
When the disciples asked Jesus after His resurrection, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:6-7). In other words, Jesus said, these things are not in your power. You can’t do anything about them. Your job is to preach the Gospel until I return.
If you say, “We need to recognize the signs so that we can be ready for His return.” I would say, 1) we should stay ready anyways and 2) there are plenty of legitimate signs of the times, clearly outlined in Scripture. Then again, these signs won’t sell as many books so I doubt anyone will bother.

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