A SIGN OF THE TIMES

I was reading this morning and ran across this scripture. As I began to track out references I found some startling parallels to the crisis we appear to face today. Not only in the world but in the Church as well. Let me explain.




2Ki 15:37 In those days the Lord began sending Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.



Now the verse itself has a shock value in itself. We read here where the Lord is sending Rezin (Meaning: Good-will, messenger.) and Pekah ( He that opens; that is at liberty. ) against Judah. God's chosen people. What is even more startling is that we have an alliance of a foreign power and 10 tribes of Israel all coming against Judah. WOW.



Now we have to follow all the references to find out what is happening here. We have to go back to this to find the answer. God was doing what He had promised He would do.



Deu 28:48 Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things; and He will put a yoke of iron upon your neck until He has destroyed you.
Deu 28:49 The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you shall not understand,
Deu 28:50 A nation of unyielding countenance who will not regard the person of the old or show favor to the young,
Deu 28:51 And shall eat the fruit of your cattle and the fruit of your ground until you are destroyed, who also shall not leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your cattle or the young of your sheep until they have caused you to perish.
Deu 28:52 They shall besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land which the Lord your God has given you.
Deu 28:53 And you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, in the siege and in the [pressing] misery with which your enemies shall distress you. [Fulfilled in II Kings 6:24-29.]


Psa 78:49 He let loose upon them the fierceness of His anger, His wrath and indignation and distress, by sending [a mission of] angels of calamity and woe among them.



The reason for this is because of the promise He made in 28:48 and because they had done what He told them not to do. As a result of all this and the God's chosen people forsaking their God then this happened. It was more or less the start of His judgement poured out on His people in measurement and increments that finally resulted in the total destruction and captivity of His people. The branch was broken off.



Now, I am sure you are probably wondering what that has to do with us, right? After all Jesus came and bore the Father's wrath for us on the Cross. So what does this have to do with us as Christians? After all, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ. (Ro 8:1)




Rom 11:19 You will say then, Branches were broken (pruned) off so that I might be grafted in!
Rom 11:20 That is true. But they were broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and you are established through faith [because you do believe]. So do not become proud and conceited, but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid.
Rom 11:21 For if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], neither will He spare you [if you are guilty of the same offense].
Rom 11:22 Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's gracious kindness to you--provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away).



Wow, when is the last time you heard that from a pulpit? Is it possible that we could be broken off? What would that look like if we were? Can we have our lamp stand removed?




Rev 2:4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].
Rev 2:5 Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.



He did it to Israel. The way I read Romans 11 and Revelations 2, it could happen again. Only today, we are His called out ones. The Church.




Rom 11:7 What then [shall we conclude]? Israel failed to obtain what it sought [God's favor by obedience to the Law]. Only the elect (those chosen few) obtained it, while the rest of them became callously indifferent (blinded, hardened, and made insensible to it).
Rom 11:8 As it is written, God gave them a spirit (an attitude) of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, [that has continued] down to this very day. [Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10.]



Now when we look at what is happening in our churches with all the post modern, be your best now, easy believing churches with a total lack of scriptural basis, country club, dues paying churches then what do we see? Couple that with what we see going on in the world today, the spasms, the fear, the pain and unrest, what do we see?



What we are seeing is real good picture of Matthew 24.



Mat 24:4 Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. Mat 24:5 For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray. Mat 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. Mat 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; Mat 24:8 All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish]. Mat 24:9 Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. Mat 24:10 And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. Mat 24:11 And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. Mat 24:12 And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, Mat 24:13 But he who endures to the end will be saved. Mat 24:14 And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.



Folks, it is summer.......




Luk 21:25 And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth [there will be] distress (trouble and anguish) of nations in bewilderment and perplexity [without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn] at the roaring (the echo) of the tossing of the sea, [Isa. 13:10; Joel 2:10; Zeph. 1:15.]
Luk 21:26 Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken and caused to totter.
Luk 21:27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great (transcendent and overwhelming) power and [all His kingly] glory (majesty and splendor). [Dan. 7:13, 14.]
Luk 21:28 Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.
Luk 21:29 And He told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees;
Luk 21:30 When they put forth their buds and come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and perceive and know that summer is already near.
Luk 21:31 Even so, when you see these things taking place, understand and know that the kingdom of God is at hand.




The whirlwind is upon us.




Nah 1:3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. [Exod. 34:6, 7.]



Examine yourselves daily to make sure you are in Christ and Christ is in you for we know not what day nor hour He comes. But it is looking sooner than later.