Days of Noah

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

Matthew 24:6-8

What a difference a day makes. Just stop and consider how fast our world got turned upside down! In a matter of days, our lives were changed forever. We will get through this present “crisis,” but our world will never be the same.

As I write this, thoughts keep racing through my mind and emotions keep flooding my heart. I am not afraid. The LORD is reminding me to remain strong and courageous. He alone can be trusted. I am not worried or anxious. Jesus is keeping me in perfect peace, as long as I keep my eyes fixed upon Him. I am not discouraged. I am overwhelmed with such hope-filled expectation!

Why? Because the Spirit testifies within my spirit that I am a child of God, and He is stirring my soul to prepare me for the coming of the glory of the LORD!

Coronavirus madness has certainly gripped the world and dominated the headlines. Regardless of the narrative that the media keeps pushing, God is telling me something else. I understand many are concerned and at the least are bothered by the uncertainty and interruption of life. The more people I talk to, however, — neighbors, friends etc… — the more I am hearing the voice of reason and a settled confidence that God is in control and that He will see us through.

And that God is up to something BIG! It’s time we join Him!

I have said from the beginning and I will say it again … this IS NOT ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS! We need to wake up, take a step back and see the whole picture! There is something much bigger at play right now, but the more we listen to the noise of the world, the less we will be able to hear what God is trying to show us and teach us. The more we give in to the pandering and fear mongering of the media, the less we will see what God is really doing!

I can only tell you what I am hearing from God’s word and what I am seeing in the midst of this madness.

I do not believe this is the end — not yet. I do not believe that this is the great tribulation. God’s word lays out the prophetic fulfillments that must take place before Jesus will return [see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8].

I do believe, however, that these are the beginning of birth pains. Jesus teaches us that there will be preliminary signs that must take place to get the ball rolling per se, but he said that we must not be alarmed! The end is not yet.

Consider …

2020 has been the year of the locust so far, and the locust plagues in Africa and the Middle East are only expected to get worse, potentially causing severe famines. Seismic activity is cranking up all around the globe. Salt Lake City was hit this morning with a 6.0 magnitude earthquake — the biggest since 1992. I expect many more substantial earthquakes to strike in the near future.

Geopolitical and economic instability is pushing our world to the brink. While we are being distracted by the coronavirus, world markets are plummeting, travel and trade has slowed to a crawl, and unrest in the Middle East is intensifying. With all the stress that presently is being placed on the nations, war is almost certainly to follow. Greece, and the European Union, is doing everything it can to avoid a conflict with Turkey over a refugee crisis created by the war in Syria, and that’s just one example out of many.

It’s like the words of Jesus keep jumping off the page, as if they were written for this very day. What more do we need to see before it finally sinks in that this is really happening?

“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”

Luke 21:11

Jesus reminds us that the generation that lives to see all of these signs unfold will be the same generation that is alive when He returns in power and glory! I believe that the chaos that we are experiencing right now is the beginning of birth pains, which means that the intensity and frequency of these prophetic signs will only increase and get worse before it gets better.

Now is a call for the saints to endure in faith!

I will leave you with the words of our King.

“So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Matthew 24:33-35

Even so … come Lord Jesus!