For some people, they're facing the decision of possibly having to do something that they really do not want to do.
Sometimes, this can result in a person asking God for an enormous sign they really don't believe has any chance of happening, because that way they can trick themselves into thinking that God really didn't want them to do it. But God can perform even the most impossible signs if He wants to, so I believe that in these cases, He doesn't provide the sign because He knows that person is in rebellion against Him, not truly seeking His will.
But other times, people facing a decision they emphatically do not want to do ask for a sign because they are seeking God's will deep down, but there is a massive struggle inside of them because of how much they don't want to do it. They feel God directing them toward a decision, and already know what His answer will be in the sign, but they need that extra push to force them over the edge into saying "Yes" to God. In a way, their asking for a sign is a great act of faith and sacrifice, because they are asking for something their minds cannot write off as coincidence or misunderstanding - they are asking for a definitive command.
In other cases, asking for a sign is the responsible thing to do! If we feel that God is pushing us towards a decision, but there is a lot at stake, it can definitely be responsible to ask for a sign so we don't make a mistake by our own emotions and inclinations getting in the way of us truly hearing the Holy Spirit's leading in our souls. What's at stake may be human lives, a very large amount of money, or a life path (career, marriage, etc.) - and since these "assets" all belong to God, asking for a sign can be just making sure we're not mishandling His possessions!
Look at Gideon in Judges 6-7. He asked for a sign more than once about the same decision because he had 32,000 lives depending on him making the correct choice! Of course he wanted to make absolutely, positively sure that He was hearing God right!
I think the same situation might be what's going on in Isaiah 7 . Isaiah instructs King Ahaz to ask for a sign so he will know he can trust the important prophecy about war he has just heard - but Ahaz refuses (under the guise of having faith), and is rebuked and cursed for it. A prophet ordained by God told him to ask for a sign because the prophecy was a really big deal, and it seems to me that the idolatrous king's refusal to ask for one shows that he didn't take God's plan for the war seriously.
Do you have thoughts you'd like to share about any of the circumstances described above, or can you think of another important type of situation involving asking for a sign? Leave a comment below. :-)
Heliocentrism means that the planets, asteroids, and comets all orbit around the Sun. This scientific principle works as an analogy for Christians not judging each other in a couple of different ways.
Let's say we're all planets, and the Sun is the Son, Christ. ;-) So what's so special about the solar system's functioning for our discussion today?
1 - We're not all called to be Jupiter. What I mean is that, just like there are many different planets (or many different body parts, as Paul liked to say), God has a different purpose for each of us. And I'm not just talking about spiritual gifts here, although that may certainly be part of it. God's plan for one person's life may be ministry, for another a "regular-Joe" career, for another to be a stay-at-home parent. If we are a Jupiter, we shouldn't judge someone for being a Mars. Further, we shouldn't assume that their different calling evidences less spiritual maturity. For example, a missionary may not be any closer to God than a janitor. God has a plan for each person to make their full "orbit" around Him (their full lifespan), but each person's orbit is going to look different.
2 - Speaking of Jupiter, we can also be different places in the same orbit. For a quick astronomy lesson, there's this weird thing going on with Jupiter where it actually shares its orbit with a handful of asteroids that have gotten pulled out of the asteroid belt and steadily precede and follow Jupiter in its orbit. Likewise, there may be people in your life who are called to be in the same "orbit" as you - being gifted similarly or having a similar calling. But if they're younger in years since birth, years since getting saved, years since getting serious about Christ, or in life experience than you, they may seem to be following Jupiter in its orbit - making more mistakes than you are. But remember how you were at their level, and be patient with them.
Stop judging. For number two, disciple them, and for both numbers one and two, encourage them.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly. - 1 Peter 4:8a, ESV
Image Credit: "Planets 2013" by Kwamikagami and WP. Wikipedia. Used by permission.
You may remember that in last week's verse-by-verse study in Matthew, I talked a bit about how the seeds of persecution of Christians are already in America, and it will only get worse. Then, this week, I ran across an article detailing how Christians are now classified as a threat to the nation. Click here to read the article on FoxNews.com.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.
Last night, this verse was included in a devotional I was reading, and out of the blue, I thought to look up the word for "commit" in my Hebrew-Greek concordance ... and I found something very interesting.
In the original Hebrew, the word here translated as "commit" is galal, meaning to roll.
I thought this added an intriguing picture to the verse. In my mind, I get the image of someone trying to roll a giant rock that's way too heavy for them - just like it's really hard to "give things up" to God - careers, relationships, whatever. But it's worth it, because His plans are so much better than our own.
So, this week, roll your works to the Lord!
"Making Time" for God
This week, I also ran across a comical but very poignant video on the Blimey Cow channel on YouTube about the absurdity of "making time" for God. Enjoy:
1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.
2 And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.
5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.
6 "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10 "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
12 "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.
13 "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."
The Temple
(Image believed to be one of the stones from the Temple! "To the Trumpeting Place" by Talmoryair. Wikipedia. Public Domain in the United States.)
The prophecy of the Temple's destruction was fulfilled only a few decades later, in 70 AD.
This event certainly had significance for the Jews at the time - it was another step, like the veil of the Holy of Holies tearing in two at Christ's death (Matthew 27:51), demonstrating that Judaism was no longer the way to serve God, and that His dwelling place on Earth was no longer a physical building, but in His followers themselves (1 Corinthians 3:16).
But the disciples' questions about the End Times show that they picked up on some apocalyptic significance, as well. This gets into kind of the mind-bending principle that even though we classify the "End Times" as the 7-year Tribulation of Revelation that is yet to come, the "End Times" basically actually started in Acts. For example, the prophecy of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit identified as fulfilled in Acts 2:16-21 is also End Times in nature. But what's significant about the Temple's destruction in terms of the End Times is that it marked a critical event in Roman persecution of the Jews - and of Christians, who were considered a Jewish cult by the Romans. This corresponds with the fact that, throughout history, Christians around the world have been persecuted - something that will intensify more and more as we get closer to the Tribulation.
Brief Elements
How are the false Christs manifested? Well, in 20th century America we have certainly seen some famous cult leaders literally claim to be Christ and amass followings, and I believe we may see a lot more of that as it gets even closer to the Tribulation. But we've also seen people presenting false Christs - such as in the "Christian" cults of Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses, who preach a Jesus and a Gospel totally different than the true ones. And, there have been other religions such as Islam to develop and gain popularity that offer a different identity of God - another type of false Christ.
Next, the passage mentions rampant wars, famines, and earthquakes. There are two ways to look at this: (1) that these will intensify as the world gets closer to the End, and (2) that they will accomplish the "agenda" of the End Times. It seems to me that both have turned out. For example, we've had two world wars in the past century, and major natural disasters certainly seem to be escalating (although I don't have statistics on that). But as for the second way, the End Times are all about demonstrating judgment and bringing people (with emphasis on the Jews) to repentance. We can certainly see how wars and disasters throughout history could be used to accomplish these objectives.
But let's take a moment to step back and look at what Jesus said about how we should react to seeing these things:
We are to not fear. We need to remember that even if the world is consumed by war, if natural disasters shatter our nations, and if people seek to kill us because of our faith, that God is still in control. Easier said than done, obviously, but if we train our minds to remember that God is in control when "little" things go wrong in our lives now, it will be a far more natural reaction when the sky starts to fall.
We are to keep it all in perspective - there are so many "birth pangs" leading up to the "actual" End that we shouldn't freak out that "The End is nigh!" every time a flood happens or some country threatens to nuke the world. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't be psychologically prepared for the possibility of the End Times occurring during our lives, or that we shouldn't actively engage in staying attentive to world events and comparing them with Biblical prophecy, but it does mean we shouldn't go crazy. That only makes people think that Christians are all morons when the End doesn't happen right away - and that can prevent them from coming to Christ themselves.
We need to stay resolute in our faith. More on that directly below.
The Great Apostasy
We Americans are disgustingly unaware of the persecution of our brothers and sisters around the globe, but frankly, outside of the Western World, it's quite rampant. And there are certainly many cases where people renounce their faith because of the persecution. Persecution of Americans has already started on small scales - Christian businesses have been fined for refusing to provide abortion pills to their employees, and we can get fired, suspended from school, and even arrested for "hate speech" for speaking God's Truth. But one day, probably sooner than many people think, global persecution of the Church will arrive - and that includes America. If the authorities showed up at your door today ready to cart you off to prison on the charge of being a Christian - would you proclaim your faith in Him? If the punishment were death - would you still proclaim your faith in Him? We can all flippantly say, "Well, yeah, of course" - that's easy because we don't really think that will happen. But think it through - right now. Vividly imagine that scenario. Picture the handcuffs. Picture the prison. Picture the beatings. Picture the noose, the electric chair, the firing squad.Then ask yourself again: Would you claim Him, or deny Him?
But there's another thing still that drives people to fall away, an evil strong and active in the West right now: apathy. The Church is lukewarm, claiming Christ but not living it out. It accepts fornication, freely uses God's Name in vain, and is lazy, encouraging Christians and "Christians" to pursue their own lives with God on the side, rather than making every education choice, career choice, and relationship choice centered on Him. Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. Evil and apathy are rampant, and the Western Church clings to the abominable lie that we have a "right" to a "normal life" - and that "God understands" this. Friends, that is evil. If a person couldn't look at a random day of your life and tell that you are not just a "Christian" in the American sense of the word, but that you passionately believe it with every fiber of your being, something is wrong.
We cannot stay strong for Christ on auto-pilot - it is a daily war against the flesh, the evils of this world, and Satan's forces. There can be no resting from it until the day we are called home.
The Gospel to All Nations
One of the prerequisites to the literal, official End is for every nation to hear the Gospel. I can't locate exact information at this time, but last I heard, all we have left is a few pockets in Asia and Eurasia. In other words: It's almost fulfilled!
But this brings up another important issue: What about the people who have never heard the Gospel - how is it "fair" that they go to hell when they've never had a chance to get saved? Well, even though God likes to use us to spread His Good News (primarily for our sake, I believe, as it gives us a purpose and helps us mature in our faith), it's not as if He's limited to only using human words to bring people into a saving relationship with Him. Romans 1:20 explains that God reveals the Truth about Himself through nature, and elsewhere Scripture makes clear that if someone is truly seeking God, He will reveal Himself to them, no matter if a missionary is around. In fact, there have been multiple cases in the Middle East where Muslims have sought the True God, and God revealed Himself to them in dreams. There will indeed be people from every tongue and tribe and nation from throughout history in Paradise.
What, then, is the point of the Gospel being verbally preached to all nations before the End can come? I believe it's largely symbolic - that God's purpose for the world has been accomplished completely, at long last.
Any comments you'd like to add - insight, thoughts, further Scripture references?
Or any questions about this passage (or anything about the Bible or Christianity) you'd like to ask?
Then leave a comment below. :-) Or you can e-mail me questions, if you prefer.
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With midterms coming up this week, I didn't feel I had the proper amount of time to devote to the End Times prophecy we've found ourselves in for our study through Matthew - but I will certainly make time for a topical post on free time. :-)
Have you ever heard people say, "You'll have to give an account on Judgment Day for how you spent your time"? I'm not aware of anywhere in the Bible where it actually says this (if you do, share the reference in the comments section), but the general principle is indeed there. For example:
Therefore be careful how to walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. - Ephesians 5:15-16
And of course there are famous passages like the Parable of the Talents that talk about using whatever God has given us - money, time, relationships, power, influence, skills, etc. - for His glory and kingdom.
And, there's the whole concept of "giving your life to Christ" meaning exactly that - as a Christian, your time (and everything else you have, both tangible and intangible) belongs to God.
We all need these reminders at certain times when we prioritize something over God (like a relationship or studying or a fun hobby), but I've also learned that it can be taken too far. We can adopt that mindset so much that we become legalistic and guilt-ridden.
What I mean is, God created us to be human, and to live on this Earth. That means that 100% of our time can't be spent on ministry, evangelism, Bible study, prayer, etc. Some basic necessities take time - getting enough sleep, hygiene, cooking, cleaning, etc., as do other things we as humans need to do, like foster relationships with our friends and family, commute, and go to work. But we are also wired to need a little down-time and relaxation - it's not sin to "waste" some time watching TV, reading, doing a puzzle, playing a sport, etc., because God wired our brains to need that.
And, in the end, if we allow ourselves a little bit of "human" time, it will prevent us from getting so burned out that we can't serve God effectively.
So, it's all a matter of balance ... one I assume most of us will have to keep trying to figure out for the rest of our lives. :-) But if we keep trying, we'll get closer and closer to the answer.
