Understanding the Times we live in

by Andy & Caroline Gillies spectrum@fish.co.uk

Have you ever wrestled with God about the times we are living in?

The news is full of reports of the forces of nature at work (Ps 18:7 & Matt 24:8), wars, destruction, illness and death in the daily battle of life that surrounds us. To the unbeliever & believer alike it can be very daunting and worrying.

God is in control, God is a jealous God as well as being all loving, all knowing, all-powerful, Alpha & Omega (Rev 1:8). Nothing happens on earth, without it already having happened in the spiritual the Lords prayer, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. God will not be mocked and nothing is done in secret. God sees man’s heart.

We’re living in end times, for generation upon generation man has been destroying all the creations that God made, ever since the first sin. God is the only one who knows when Jesus is coming back for His bride, pure & spotless.(Rev 19:7) Right now there’s a lot of planting and reaping of the harvest to come, we have a lot of work to do before Jesus returns.

We were born to live in a time such as this, as God created us in our mother’s womb, wonderfully and uniquely.(Jer 1:5) We are his army for these days, and the days to come. He knows the plans he has for us, to prosper and not to harm us. He has ordained the footsteps of the righteous.

God created everything and it was good. (Gen1:31) satan cannot create, reproducing counterfeit and corruption, it looks the same, seems the same but the truth is twisted slightly. satan has had a lot of practice. We live in very difficult times, we need to test everything against the word of God, for God doesn’t lie and His word is truth, the truth will always set us free.

Never before has life been so “instant” or convenient, we live in a fast 24/7 culture – entertainment, shopping, communication, food, work, technology. Thank God that He is the same yesterday, today & tomorrow. Nothing with God is instant, or quick fix. God is in the character business not the comfort business. We live in an ever-changing lifestyle of trends, fads, gismos, fashion and diets all bigger & better than the last one.

What a wonderful and secure God we serve, who isn’t concerned about the latest trends or fashion. What strength and power we can draw upon knowing who God is, that God gave us one day at a time. Time is a medium that God gave us, to God one hundred years is but a blink of an eye.

A time is coming when God will give His authority back to His church. Pray for wisdom, protection and vision for the leaders of your local church and the church as the bride. There’s so much more pressure upon them to be man pleasers and not God pleasers. As watch keepers of the community, the local church is called to support, encourage and understand the times we are living in, more than ever. An awesome opportunity to share the news of Jesus and how Jesus has been working in your life, a wonderful witnessing time to the unbelievers of Christ. We must have an unfailing faith, not one that bends this way and that with doubled mindedness, like flags flapping in the wind, but rooted firmly in the Word of God and foundations of Christ’s corner stone.(Eph 2:20) - strong, bold and courageous to fight and sound the alarm when danger comes our way. No one else can be the watch keeper in your marriage, family or home.

As Christians we’re called to be different. If we adopt the same lifestyle as the unsaved, how can God see the difference between us and the unsaved? We’re the salt of the earth. (Mt 5:13) How can we confess Jesus as our Lord & saviour and use the same mouth for gossip & judgement of others? (Jas 3:11).

Change is coming, and people don’t like change. Religious rituals and routine bring numbness and lethargy. Change is coming and quickly, for there is a great work to be done. The youth will rise up to positions of leadership and strength, not just in the churches but also in the world.

Children are our future and what inheritance are we leaving them? We all have a responsibility to put back the God honouring standards into our families, homes, schools and communities. Let not one child be lost in the battle of good & evil.

God is preparing His church to birth new things. Are we strong and able enough to carry full term the things of God that He wants to bring forth? Like any pregnant woman, much care is taken for correct exercise, diet, rest and regular check ups during the stages of foetal growth. If these steps are not taken there is more risk of foetal distress, premature birth and even miscarriage. God wants us to carry full term His plans and purpose, His will for His children.

God’s covenant between husband and wife through marriage is coming more and more under attack with same sex marriages now being legalised in Europe and Canada. We live in such an adulterous and idolatrous society, with promiscuous sex and extra marital affairs, and we all too easily worship other Gods in our lives. God commanded that we should worship no other God but Him (Duet 11:1). Society sells itself all too easily to success, status, wealth, greed, and lusts of the flesh. We must test everything, as the father of all lies is rampant against marriage. It symbolises Christ returning for His bride. Marriage is a God idea and a blessed idea. Cleave to each other no matter what comes your way(.Eph 5:31) We must offer ourselves as living sacrifices, and as Jesus commanded to love one another as he had loved us. Love covers a multitude of sins, love is patient, love is kind.(1 Corn 13:4 – 8) Seek Gods face and he will seek you. We need to come clean to God and to each other. We can only enter God’s presence with clean hands and a pure heart.(Ps24:4)

Don’t let the little foxes spoil the vine, stay connected to the vine. Jesus is the way the truth and the life; he is life giving water and those who drink from him will never thirst. Jesus brings life giving springs and fresh breath for us to breath. Never before do we need the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit to train, teach, equip and impart to believers, young and old.

Generations are being wiped out before our very eyes because of the times that we are living in. We need to act now. Love is about action. The love of Christ is about action. Each day counts, for God has recorded your days in His book. Jesus is coming soon.

Don’t be surprised, anxious or concerned about the days that we are living in, lean not unto your own understanding. (2 Tim 3 & 4: 6) If God is for us, who can be against us. Don’t let satan get a foothold. Try to lead God honouring lives in all areas, especially your relationship with God, with spouses, family, work and church. Put God first and centre in all things. The waves of battle are coming. Stand firm and pray for each other. We are nothing without God. Who is man? We can’t even predict the weather or find a cure for the common cold even with the latest advances of technology and fast pace of life.

The Holy Spirit is at work all around us. Not as in a revival. God has sent the Holy Spirit not with signs, miracles and wonders for us to see and believe, but for us to believe and not see as faith comes from hearing the Word. Jesus will only return when the gospel & good news has been preached to all nations. That time is coming and coming soon. Are you prepared?