Signs in the heavens

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:25-28.

 Jesus is encouraging us to look up for signs in the heavens in hopeful anticipation of His return as our redemption draws near. He wants us not to be weighed down with the anxieties of everyday life but rather to live always on alert for His imminent return. Jesus is giving us some signposts to watch for; the first is going to be signs in the sun, moon and stars.

Psalm 19 states “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” It’s certainly true that our universe is too wonderful to grasp a hold of. Its dimensions are too enormous and unfathomable for our finite minds to comprehend. Look up into the night sky and behold the universe brimming with galaxies that are filled with a myriad of stars. God’s complex rules and laws define precise order and design to our cosmos. We watch daily as our own star rises and sets on our horizon. Our clocks can be set to it, our lives ordered to it as our earth’s rotation and orbit transverse large expanses of interstellar space. Keep your eyes on the Lord, His glory and continue to watch our skies for the signs that He promised us would appear just before His return.

Jesus also warned us that as we got closer to His imminent return that the earth would begin to suffer tribulation.  He compared this time of pain and suffering to a woman in labor where as the birth event got closer, the frequency and intensity of her birth pains increased. 

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:6-14.

Just within the last few weeks two major earthquakes in Nepal have killed thousands and displaced even more families from their homes.  Today Isis continues their un-holy war on Christians in the Middle East. Evidence of genocide continues to mount in northern Iraq. The group continues to persecute Christians who refuse to denounce Christ. The northern territory of Iraq which once recorded 1.8 million Christians  now records numbers in the 300,000. Isis has been looting banks, stealing the country’s wealth, taking over oil fields while they rape young girls even as young as five years old.

So here’s some writing on the wall, If American Christians don’t begin to stand up and be the salt and light of the world that Jesus commanded us to be then it’s only a matter of time until this great wave of evil  begins devouring our own shores.  Don’t let fear and anxieties rule your life anymore but rather put your trust into Jesus Christ. For God so loved His world that He gave His only begotten Son that who so ever would believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Eternal life is our blessed hope. 

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And He who sat on him was Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.” There is a day coming when all men will bow their knee and confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ  is Lord either to glory or their destruction. God is our salvation, Jesus is the Logos and His name is Jeshua! Glory to God in the highest!