Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. Luke 21:10-19
All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Matthew 24:8
Anyone who has had a family member go through a pregnancy knows what contractions are when the birth process begins. This process is what Jesus likened to the ‘end times’. What is obvious to everyone familiar with the birthing process is that the contractions increase in speed and intensity as the birth draws near. If you’ve been paying the slightest attention… the ‘signs’ (contractions) have been showing up with greater speed and intensity lately, and that we are now fairly far into the contractions process and it is certain that there is no stopping the process now. The Body of Christ is beginning to be blamed for all sorts of things openly and blatantly by so may factions including governments. Even our own government has begun using labels that point to “Christians” being radical terrorists. But that governments target Christians is NOT new. We can easily see that with Rome from the first century.
Have you ever asked what possibly could be meant by “great signs from heaven”? What would Jesus be referring to? One of the things we can do is research ancient history to understand what the people thought at that time were “signs from heaven”. One of the greatest significant ‘signs’ for the people of the ancient world were solar eclipses. Have we been seeing those in any type of weird coincidence? Look up the coming solar eclipse over America on April 8 2024 and the previous full eclipse in 2017. Just read about how weird this event is, it certainly will make you ponder and internally ask the question, “Is this one of those signs Jesus talked about?” As a modern “enlightened” people now we so easily dismiss things like this … saying “It’s just science.” Is it really? We ‘modern’ people dismiss so many tiny prompts from the Holy Spirit who is trying to get our attention and to listen to Him.
Are you able to discern the ‘signs’ of the times? Is the Holy Spirit explaining what He wants to do in your life? Is He wanting you to prepare in anyway for your close and upcoming future? When we are comfortable and sitting easily in our huge stockpiled warm homes — we are much more susceptible to be blind and deaf to the Voice of the Holy Spirit and any warnings He has for us. Why? We are relying on ourselves. This was the situation with the Laodicean Church in John’s Revelation. (Revelation 3:14-22)
As a parent don’t you love your children and warn them of possible dangers? Wouldn’t God warn His people as things are getting worse? Look at the Old Testament and all the prophets God sent to warn the people. Was that because was God was an “angry” mean God, or a loving parent who wanted His children to live a peaceful life and not fall for all of the enemy’s lies and false idols?
What happens when we ignore warnings? Does it always mean disaster for us? Not always, but when God warns us don’t you think we should listen?
What are the warnings the Holy Spirit is giving you lately? None? Are you even listening to Him? Have you even been able to recognize His Voice yet? I’d encourage you to spend some time asking the Holy Spirit what He wants you to do .. today. We can never regain a ‘day’ from the past we only have .. today. So invest it wisely .. for your eternal reward.