The Bible tells us what will happen, and the news tells us when it happens. We live in a time of which the Bible has more to say than any other time in the history of the world, and paying attention to the world around us, is more important than ever before.
With so much happening around us each day, and with such a wealth of information so easily accessible, we are well prepared for the time that we live in. We are only seconds away from information about developments as they happen around the world, and able to follow the predictions of the Word as they unfold before our eyes.
The daily news may not be all that great, but seeing the Word of God fulfilled as ancient prophecies come to pass, is very exciting for a Christian. It turns the bad news of the day into good news! It is important to recognize the unique time that we live in, and how to respond to it. It is never business as usual in a fast changing world!
Jesus rebuked the people of his day for not recognizing the time that they lived in:
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)
Staying informed on the news of the day only becomes meaningful if seen through the lens of the Bible. Our heavenly Father informed us beforehand so that we will not be anxious when we see darkness cover the earth.
It is an undeniable fact that tomorrow will not be like today, and next year will not be like this year. Time is running out, and, sad to say, with all the technological progress of our age, the changes that we see are not necessarily positive. It is hard to keep up with all the developments that impact our daily lives:
- The world economy is heading for a disaster, something that will affect us personally.
- The chaos caused by the unprecedented immigration into various Western nations cannot be overestimated. Infrastructures, local customs, economies, health care and personal safety, etc. are under severe pressure, and the outlook is not very promising.
- The weather is changing and has become a political issue where discussion is limited to officially accepted points of view; in some places dissenters can even be punished by law.
- This puts free speech – or the lack of it – on the table. One of the most cherished freedoms of democracy is disappearing.
- The Middle East is becoming increasingly unstable as more countries with different agendas are drawn into the conflict in Syria.
- Israel is facing dangers of levels not known since the nation was restored in 1948.
- Freedom of religion, although enshrined in constitutions of Western nations everywhere, is disappearing as more Christians are persecuted and martyred than ever before in the history of Christianity.
- The level of education is deteriorating to the point where students find mathematics and spelling too hard to master.
- Pollution is turning our entire planet into a toxic wasteland.
- Rogue nations, such as North Korea led by an unstable man, have nuclear weapons.
The list goes on and on. These things do not surprise us as the Bible tells us what the world will be like in the final days of this era. The great need of today is for people that understand our times, and know what to do, as was also the case in Biblical times as we see below:
…of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command… (1 Chronicles 12:32)
David enlisted the best skilled men of war in his army, all outstanding warriors that excelled in the use of various weapons, organized in ranks and divisions. But he understood that military might alone was not enough, and the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times and knew what Israel had to do, played an important role in his kingdom.
With the Bible at our disposal we are well equipped for the days ahead of us. We know what is coming.
Because our world is changing, the message of the church is changing too; we are turning our focus from the inside to the outside to prepare believers for the challenges that they are about to face, and evangelize the unsaved with relevant information. Even the unsaved can see that something is wrong with our world, and that things will not end well if sanity is not restored.
The news of the day indicates that the present era is coming to an end, and that the seventieth week of Daniel chapter 9 is about to begin.
How well informed are you?
