Harvest Daily with Greg Laurie - July 19, 2006

Signs of the Times

 

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

—Luke 21:28

 

Sometimes I think I can predict the weather as precisely as most weather forecasters today.  Doesn’t it seem like they can be incredibly inaccurate?  It seems that whatever they say, the opposite will happen.  On the other hand, I can just walk outside and look up.  If it’s sunny and warm, it probably will be a pleasant day.  If I see some grey clouds, then I know it might rain.

 

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for their inability to interpret the signs of the times (see Matthew 16:1-4).  Yet we see the same reminders today.  They scream at us from the front pages of our newspapers, from our television screen, and in events that take place around the world.  There are signs that are being fulfilled, signs that are saying to us repeatedly, “Jesus is coming again.”  And we need to wake up and pay attention.

 

All of the signs Jesus spoke of are to remind us to be ready.  Jesus said that prior to His return, the conditions on Earth would be like they were in the days of Lot and Noah (see Luke 17:26-30).

 

As we look at Lot’s time, he was, of course, an inhabitant of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, places that were known for their excessive wickedness, and specifically for their sexual perversion.

 

Noah’s time was characterized by exceedingly wicked violence and crime.  Describing the time of Noah, Genesis 6:5 says, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

 

Is that not an accurate description of our time right now?

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org.

Copyright © 2006 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.