A Sign for Today

A Sign for Today
Luke 21:11 "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." June 14, 2010

The current massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is very frightening and clearly very devastating. But we should not be surprised by it, not one bit. Some would argue it was a direct result of misconduct and greed leading to this disaster that could have been avoided. Some would argue it was just a freak accident. I've heard one respectable Christian call it an act of Judgment by God, specifically directed at Americans. Still others suggest it is a prophetic warning of Revelatory proportions. While I will not pretend to carry the definitive answer from God, I want to offer a perspective that we all should have on the situation: consider it all of the above.

Certainly, there are many things we could infer from this incident, one being the necessary infrastructure for the future, to avoid this type of event again. Chalk it up to a freak accident and allow mankind to all pull together. We must also consider it could be a judgment from God. The Oil Disaster happens to be at the same epicenter of Hurricane Katrina from a few years ago, hitting the same coastline, directly affecting almost the same people group. Coincidence? Maybe. God does bring judgments on specific people groups for the whole lot of their sins, a type of punishment unless they repent. Is God doing this through the Oil Disaster? Did God CAUSE it? It is possible and we should ponder it. If it is indeed from God, then no one learned the lesson after Katrina hit; the appropriate repentance did not occur.

If anything, it is at least a warning of what is to come, a glimpse into the future; consider it birthing pangs. The End is coming and God has given us many, many signs to look for in our lifetime. This Oil Disaster or "fearful event" is one of those. When the End is here, after Jesus comes again, there will be seven angels unleashing seven "woes" on the earth. One of the "woes" will be that a third of the ocean will turn to "blood" killing a third of the living creatures in all the seas. Depending upon your interpretation of Scripture, this will not happen while there are Christians on the earth. The current Oil Disaster in the Gulf maybe a precursor to that event, a foreshadowing of things to come. There is a reason God allows such Warning Signs. These Warning Signs are meant to prepare us, even scare us a little into what we should all want to avoid. The only way to avoid it is to ensure you are going to Heaven when that trumpet sounds, by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

This Oil Disaster, be it Judgment or Warning Sign of things to come, should cause all of us to take action. That action is to seek God. The action should not simply be to ask God to correct the current situation because it is so horrible. The action should be to make sure that each and every one of us is in a right relationship with Him and that we are all repentant of our sins (we ALL have sins worthy of Hell). It is an opportunity to check your own self. If it is Judgment, God will relent when people repent. If it is a Warning Sign, consider it of grave proportions and thank Him for the opportunity to get yourself right before the End does come. Either way, we all need to turn to God regardless of who might be at fault.

God does not spare anyone discomfort if it means getting his or her attention. He wants everyone in Heaven with Him, and if you are currently one of those blessed to have already accepted Salvation, let "fearful events" motivate you to warn others of things to come. I don't want to be in the water off the Gulf in the midst of that oil, and I certainly don't want to be in the water when a third of it turns to blood.

1. How can you get perspective on the current Oil Disaster?
2. How can you repent of your sins and make sure you are ready for the future?
3. How can you warn others of the future?

Add. Scriptures for Study: Jonah 1, Luke 21, Acts 2:18-20, Rev 8