Signs of the Times

S i g n s

o f t h e

T i m e s

" . . . When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'

"And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening'.

Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?"

Matthew 16:2,3

Because Jesus (Yeshua) was God, in constant communication with the Heavenly Father, He was Wisdom incarnate. He wanted His followers to seek their answers directly from God. He not only told them how to do this, He SHOWED them how. He pointed His disciples to the work of the Holy Spirit, Who would teach them after He had ascended to heaven.

"Seek, and you will find" Jesus said.

"Ask and it shall be given to you."

"Knock and the door shall be opened to you."

Jesus warned us that there would be false prophets and teachers.

He cautioned us to stay away from them, and disregard what they said.

What we seldom hear in churches today is that

THERE ARE TRUE PROPHETS AND TEACHERS TODAY --

and that we should examine and test their character, as well as their ministries.

This command of Our Lord applies to "secular" questions and individuals as well.

Humanism and secularism have crept into the American way of life, and have largely taken over the governmental authority of the nation.

Let us recall that among the points listed by Lenin, by which the goals of international socialism - communism - or whatever we may call it, would infiltrate and take over the societies of the Western World, would be university and seminary education? Gronchi, the Italian communist, wrote about this approach from his prison cell. The deadly fruit of this strategy has now fallen off of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and has been rotting the soil of America.

Lawlessness, sexual perversion, slaughtering of unwanted babies, theft of savings and investment accounts, mistreatment and misuse of our military forces -- government regulation choking the ability of businesses to expand and create jobs --

These horrible atrocities to the America we have known and loved, have been and are now being committed from the highest offices of government.

Is America awake yet? Are we studying our founding documents? Do we know our options, and are we determined to "throw the rascals out" and nullify their deadly executive orders, laws and regulations?

Are we reading and listening to those among us who have been called by God to lead us out of the quagmire and to become at last "the shining city on a hill" which we were created to be?

Are we joining together with others who are also awakening from their long slumber, and are we praying and seeking God's plan for our deliverance?

We need to open our eyes to privately and publicly acknowledge our sinful state. We need to follow the example of the prophet Daniel. Let us read and pray as Daniel did:

Daniel 9

Amplified Bible (AMP)

9 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans-

2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass by before the desolations [which had been] pronounced on Jerusalem should end; and it was seventy years.

3 And I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes;

4 And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, Who keeps covenant, mercy, and loving-kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments,

5 We have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.

6 Neither have we listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion and shame of face, as at this day-to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to those who are near and those who are far off, through all the countries to which You have driven them because of the [treacherous] trespass which they have committed against You.

8 O Lord, to us belong confusion and shame of face-to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers-because we have sinned against You.

9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;

10 And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets.

11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside that they might not obey Your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out on us and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.

12 And He has carried out intact His [threatening] words which He threatened against us and against our judges [the kings, princes, and rulers generally] who ruled us, and He has brought upon us a great evil; for under the whole heavens there has not been done before [anything so dreadful] as [He has caused to be] done against Jerusalem.

13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses as to all this evil [that would surely come upon transgressors], so it has come upon us. Yet we have not earnestly begged for forgiveness and entreated the favor of the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and have understanding and become wise in Your truth.

14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity (evil) and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and rigidly just in all His works which He does [keeping His word]; and we have not obeyed His voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, Who brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and secured Yourself renown and a name as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

16 O Lord, according to all Your rightness and justice, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your wrath be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach and a byword to all who are around about us.

17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to and heed the prayer of Your servant [Daniel] and his supplications, and for Your own sake cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary which is desolate.

18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You for our own righteousness and justice, but for Your great mercy and loving-kindness.

19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God-

21 Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the former vision, being caused to fly swiftly, came near to me and touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice.

22 He instructed me and made me understand; he talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill and wisdom and understanding.