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Biblical Stewardship: An Entitlement Problem

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There is little doubt that a major issue on many people’s minds lately is the economy. In the last several years we have seen the consequences of abuse and misuse—basically really bad money management. Unfortunately, it is not a problem only in our government, but in our own homes as well. We are plagued by the disastrous results of corporate and consumer greed. One such result is that there has been a change in our mindset from: America is the place where you can work to change your life one day, to: America is the place where you deserve a better life today.

Herein lies the root of our personal and national economic woes: we have an entitlement problem. Freedom in America was once a gift fought long and hard for, now we deserve it. The American Dream was once an ideal one could labor a lifetime for, now we deserve it. We no longer have to work long (if at all!) for anything, everything should simply be given to us because we live in America.

So, how much do we deserve? The Bible says that the current wages of sin, or what we sinners deserve, is death (Romans 6:23). In fact, the last part of that verse tells us the only reason we can have hope: God offers us a gift of eternal life through His son Jesus. We don’t deserve anything; anything we have would be a gift. In fact, James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift we have comes from God. If we have anything good, we’ve received a gift from God! This is the Heavenly Dream: you don’t get what you deserve, you get God’s gift.

But, since a gift is not earned or purchased, how much of what we have crammed in our homes is truly ours? What does the Bible say?

God says that every beast and bird—all of creation, in fact—is His (Psalm 50:10–12). This is pretty clear. He created the animals, so it makes sense that they are all His, right? But God doesn’t stop there. In Isaiah 43:1 He reminds us that we are His. Sometimes we forget this. Too often we live our lives as though we created ourselves. We do not live as though our lives are God’s and not our own. Yet, this is not something God takes lightly. In fact, in Deuteronomy 14:2, he calls us His “treasured possession.” God values the fact that we are His!

What about everything else? In Haggai 2:8, God tells us that the silver and gold is His. Thus, everything that can make us wealthy is His too. Most people will quickly suggest that the money they bring home every paycheck is hard-earned money and not a gift. Besides, what about all my hard work? “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18, emphasis mine). According to this, even the ability to work hard and bring home the paycheck is a gift given to us from God. He gives us strength and ability to work.

What about those great ideas I had for that invention or the understanding I possess that got me that raise? Those were my ideas right? It was my dedicated work that brought on understanding, wasn’t it? This is what Job 12:13 says: “To God belongs wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His.” Even wisdom and understanding are God’s. All of this great technology we enjoy comes not from our own great understanding, but from God.

Just to make sure there’s no confusion, God says in Job 41:11, “…Everything under heaven belongs to me.” Everything. How much does that leave us? Nothing.

What does this all mean? I think Ecclesiastes 5:19 explains it well: “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.” All of the possessions we enjoy, and all of the money we make is a gift. Yes, God provides us with what we need in life, but he also gives us the ability to have more than we need. Since God is giving us from what is His, we become managers or stewards of His things rather than owners. Does this make a difference? It sure does. According to Jesus, God has entrusted us with His wealth, wisdom, and power to do His work and take care of His people. Therefore, the more He blesses us, the more He expects from us (see His parable in Luke 12:42–46).

You see, we are not entitled to anything—everything is God’s and all we have is a gift from Him. Therefore, we don’t have anything to offer God (except our will). We cannot “give” God money—it is already His. We cannot give God time—it is already His. We cannot “give” God anything if everything is already His, we can only give back. So, we give money back to Him, and give our time back to Him, and give our life back to Him. We are to live with the understanding that everything we have, including our very lives, is a gift from God. And with this understanding, would we waste our money, time, energy on the same things?

God has blessed us with so much. Have we been thankful? Have we been faithful? Have we taken care of His work and His people? Or are we living carelessly with God’s things? There will be a day when our Master comes back to see how we have managed what He has given us. Will He find in us faithful stewards?

Is Knowing God a Priority?

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I found this story some time ago (I do not remember where) and recently re-read it. It is thought provoking, so I thought I’d share it:

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rock right to the top, rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full. They again agreed that it was.

So the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up every-thing else.

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things—your family, your partner, your health, or your children—anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

“The pebbles represent the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale—things like your job, house, or car.

“The sand is everything else, the small stuff.

“If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.”

As we go through our lives we encounter a few “rocks,” plenty of “pebbles,” and tons of “sand.” Walking on this journey to get to know God, I find that it has become a new thing to place in my jar of priorities. Of course, for those wanting to know God, a question must first be answered: is knowing God a high priority in your life? Is it a “rock” or just some more “sand”? If it is important enough to be a “rock” in your life, then getting to know Him must be placed as first priority in your life.

I hear many say they wish they could spend more time with devotionals or other ways of spending time with God. Yet, they feel they cannot because their lives are too rushed to fit that in. I struggle with that feeling too. However, like the story, we have to realize that if we fill our lives with the smaller stuff of life first, we will never have time for God. If we never have time for God, we will never get to know Him. But isn’t that the point of being a Christian: building a relationship with our Savior? Therefore, we must re-evaluate what is really important.

If we are to deepen our relationship with Him—or get to know Him in the first place—time with Him must take priority. It has to be a whole-hearted effort, not a left-over attempt. So we must be diligent to place God first in our lives. Give Him the best, and the first, of our lives.

God says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Revisiting Ancient Stones: The Healer

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The next ancient stone we will visit is found in the story of a man laying by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–6). Jesus is walking through an area that is filled with sick people. He stops by a man who was lame and asks a strange question: “Do you want to get well?” I call it strange because Jesus asked someone who was waiting patiently day in and day out, for the miraculous “stirring” of the waters, so he could just fall into the pool and gain the ability to walk out of it. The man’s answer speaks for itself: “Yes, I want to get well, but I can’t, I’m not fast enough. Of course I do, or I wouldn’t be here.” At the man’s response, Jesus instructs the man to get up, grab his bed, and go home. Then it happens.“At once the man was cured.” These are the stories we like the best. This is what we teach ourselves to expect when we hear the word “healed.” However, sometimes we miss the point in these stories.

Far too often we focus on a miraculous event and forget to praise the Source. This is the reminder from these ancient stones: There is no true healing outside of God, physical or otherwise. All healing comes directly from Him. I say this because I find that we often give man credit where credit is not due. Sure, mankind may accidentally stumble on a cure for symptoms, but it is only because God let us trip in front of His medical books. There is not a single dose of medical knowledge that hasn’t come from our Creator. Another reason I say this is because we can find physical healing from this collection of knowledge, but still remain un-well. Only when Jesus is entered into the equation will we find true healing. Only He can make us truly well. If we want healing we need Jesus. Plain and simple.

I believe there are different types of healing that can serve as reminders to praise the Source.

One type of healing we’ve just revisited. It is the one most want—the type most remembered—it is Immediate Healing. I put it first only because it is the more obvious and popular one. Jesus told the invalid to get up, and “at once” the man was healed. It is clear that Jesus healed him. Because of the nature of this type of healing it is easier to recognize it as being from God. Sometimes, in His great wisdom, God still frees someone immediately. Therefore, if God heals you immediately, remember to praise Him.

The next type of healing is Gradual Healing. We find an example of this in the healing of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11–14). Their healing came “as they went.” However, in this healing, only one of the lepers recognized that God had healed him (verse 15). Unfortunately, this is a strong warning that if we are not focused on the right thing, we too will fail to God the credit. Still, this story shows us that though God doesn’t always heal immediately, He did heal. Even if your healing is gradual, God should still be praised!

Another type of healing we find in the Bible I call 3rd-Party Healing. In other words, through a human source: Physicians, nurses, or some other person. God may heal us through medicines and other therapies even if we are hoping for a bigger bang. A great example of this is found in the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5:1–14). When Naaman did what was required, he was healed. Did the water heal him? No. Did Elisha heal him? No. God healed him—He just did it through a human source. So, in such cases, who deserves the praise? God does!

Then, there is Second Coming Healing. This one isn’t always viewed as a type of healing, because it is futuristic. But Paul explained that while we have mortal, perishable lives now, that will all change at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:42–44, 51–54). Basically, you may be blind now, but you’ll see Jesus’ face; you may be deaf today, but you’ll hear Jesus calling your name; you may be physically impaired at this moment, but you will walk the streets of gold! Of course, just because we haven’t experienced this healing already (since Jesus hasn’t come yet), doesn’t mean we cannot start praising God for the healing we will receive! This is a type of healing—new bodies and new lives at Christ’s return! Definitely worth praising God about!

Now, the final type: Soul Healing. In Psalm 147:3 David says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Sometimes, God needs to heal the soul. As a matter of fact, I believe that God uses this one more often than we think, if not every time. This is why there are so many promises in the Bible regarding the healing of souls. He can also heal emotional and spiritual pain and illnesses. Remember, Jesus comforted those who were sad, or depressed, or fearful. He still gives hope to those who think they are doomed and brings peace and joy to those suffering. So, if God has brings you emotional or spiritual healing, then praise Him!

These different types of healing remind us that Jesus still heals, and that He wants to make us well. Of course, we may never understand why God heals in different ways. Nor, are we given an explanation of why some people are healed physically and some are not. What we are shown is that there is One who heals, and only One Who heals—and in every healing, regardless of the type of healing, we need to praise Him!

This is the point of the memorial: it is the Healer that is important, not the healing. You don’t need to remember the types of healing, just the Source of healing. God tells us in Exodus 15:26, “I am the Lord who heals you.” Let us remember and praise our Healer!

Revisiting Ancient Stones: The Creator

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When revisiting memorials, it is good to start at the beginning and according to the Bible, our beginning started because of God: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). According to Genesis, God created everything and He did it in a specific amount of time. It didn’t evolve over millions of years, or even thousands of years, it was six literal days. Then, He capped off the creation week with the seventh day and established a lasting memorial. The seven day week stands only because God created it (it is not measured by any celestial movement). The very fact that the seven day week cannot be explained scientifically, is a strong memorial of God as our Creator.

You may be wondering why it would be important to remember this? Why have a memorial for creation, or more specifically, God as creator? Does it really matter how we believe we were created? Yes it does! Our lives did not happen on accident. God purposely created this earth and everything in it—especially mankind. If we were just accidents, then we would have no purpose in being alive. But we weren’t accidents.

Here’s what the creation story says about our beginnings: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). This does not sound like an accident! God intentionally made us in His image. The Bible also says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Of course, this isn’t supposed to give us a greater image of ourselves, but a greater image of God. As incredible as our bodies are, they were created by One greater than us! Our God is awesome and powerful and the only God, and we are only images of Him. Everything we have, or that we are, we owe to Him: He is the One “who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out he earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.” (Isaiah 42:5). The reason you wake up in the morning and have breath in your lungs is because of God.

This is a very important thing to be reminded of. In fact, God being creator is the reason all of heaven worship Him. In Revelation, the elders by the throne of God sing out, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:11). In Nehemiah 9:6, we read, “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”

It is also the reason which should cause us to worship Him (see Psalm 33:6, 8, 9). We should fear and worship the God who can create simply by speaking it into existence. Even the last-day message to mankind includes this call: “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made the heavens and earth, the sea and the springs of water” (Revelation 14:7).

Understand, friends, that Satan has done much to cause us to forget this. Today, more than ever, there are constant attacks on God as Creator. There seems to be more effort given to disprove a Creator (even by Christianity), than to remember our Creator. And the removal of a creator does more damage than you might think.

You see, if God wasn’t Creator, and we all just accidentally came to be, then who we are is who we were always meant to be. Yet, according to the Bible, who we are today is not who we were created to be. We were originally made perfect and holy, in the image of God, but we fell from that original image (Genesis 3). When humanity chose to trust in the created rather than the Creator, we fell out of a relationship with God and into rebellion (sin). Ever since that day, sin has been a part of our lives, even from our birth (Psalm 51:5). Not one of us is free from sin (Romans 3:23), but we often forget this when we forget about God. And it is to our detriment that we forget, because the Bible warns us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)!

Again, according to the Bible, we were created to live forever, but sin has taken that away. God warned Adam and Eve that if they did not trust Him (and ate of the forbidden tree) they would surely die. Yet, this was not merely a punishment for doing wrong, it was the natural results of rebellion. If God is our source of life and we are separated from that source, then we do not have life. Our Adversary wants us to forget God because we will also forget that we are sinners—causing us to reject the Savior.

In addition, we must remember that, as Creator, God also has the power to re-create. God desires to, and can, change us into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He can change us from who we were, to who we were always meant to be. This is what God wants for you and I, to return us back into His image (Ephesians 4:22–24). Isn’t that incredible?

You can see, then, why it is so dangerous to forget God as Creator. When we do, we do not call on God to save us and change us. We will reject putting on “the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after its creator” (Colossians 3:10).

Here’s the beautiful part friends. If we will remember our Creator, and admit we need Him, He will forgive us and cleanse us. This is the promise of 1 John 1:9. This is taking off the old self. It is admitting we need a change. It is admitting we are in need of a re-creation.

I believe God created us. We are reminded of His creative power every where we look. We are reminded that He made us and can remake us. He did not create us for this pain and misery. He created us for eternal life and joy in Him. Do not forget your Creator! We need to admit we are the created. Admit that we are fallen. Admit that we need Him—a Savior. Then He will forgive us and cleanse us, and restore us into His image. And He promises that “whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:36).

Will you come to your Creator today?

Psalm 23: When God is My Shepherd

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There’s a story about a tour group traveling in Israel, enjoying the surrounding scenery, when their bus comes to a stop. As they looked to see what caused the stop, they noticed a flock of sheep crossing the road. They watched as the large flock moved past, until a man brought up the rear. One of the passengers, curious, asked their tour-guide, “I thought the shepherd always walked at the front of the flock?” The tour-guide answered, “Yes, but that was the butcher.”

Did you know that there are two who are interested in sheep? There is a “butcher” who desires to have you. The Bible says that Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). However, there is also a Good Shepherd who wants to lead you. David wrote how things are much different with the Shepherd. The following is what I learned from my study of Psalm 23:

“The Lord is my Shepherd.” It is not “the Lord is a shepherd,” but He is my shepherd. This must be a personal decision. It is not enough to say “he is my pastor’s shepherd,” or “he is my neighbor’s shepherd.” Nothing in this Psalm will mean a thing, unless the Lord is my shepherd. Yes, it is nice to say the Lord is a shepherd, but it is powerful to say that He is my shepherd.

“I shall not lack anything.” Does this mean that I will get everything that I want? No, it means that I’ll have everything I need. If I don’t have it, maybe I don’t need it. Have you ever thought of it that way before? I hadn’t. Maybe we don’t get that treasured item, because it is not truly good for us. But a good shepherd knows what his sheep need and when they need it. So, when God is my shepherd, I will not lack anything. I will have everything I need, when I need it.

“In pastures/ meadows of green grass, He will cause me to lie down.” I have been told by people who know sheep that a hungry sheep will not lie down. When sheep are lying down, it means they have been fed. When was the last time you were fed spiritually? Last week? Why is it that we put so little value on our spiritual health? The shepherd cares. He’ll feed us. Notice what He feeds us with: green grass. I may not always choose the healthiest nourishment on my own, but when God is my shepherd, I will not only be fed, but I will be fed with the best!

“Beside quiet/ restful waters, He (intentionally) leads me.” The verb means “to lead to a watering place and cause them to rest there.” I’ve read that Rottweilers (because of loyalty and a high endurance to pain) may, when playing at a lake, continue running into the water chasing a ball past the point of exhaustion, even to the point of drowning. Their owners are told that they must make the dog take a break regularly. Sometimes we can be like Rottweilers. The world says that there’s “no rest for the weary,” but when God is my shepherd, “there is a place of quiet rest”—and He intentionally leads me to restful waters.

“My soul He brings back/ restores/ returns/ refreshes.” After being fed by green pastures, and rested by peaceful waters, our soul is refreshed or renewed. This is the same verb that God used when He called His people to “return” to Him. Life is hard on us and sometimes we can feel lost. But when God is my Shepherd, He restores my soul—He returns my soul—He refreshes my soul—in preparation for an incredible journey:

“He leads me in the tracks/ entrenchment of Righteousness, for his name sake.” These “tracks” are basically wagon tracks and, because of the alternate meaning of “entrenchment,” it gives the idea of ruts in the road. Now think about this one for a moment. We all have been stuck in a rut of some kind before, but David is talking about a very different kind of rut: we will be led in the well-worn straight and narrow path of righteousness. You see, when God is my shepherd, He makes the way of righteousness a rut in my life!

“Also, when I shall walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I will not fear evil, for You are with me.” This is not death—this is the shadow of death. This is when you feel like all hope is gone. You can’t see God leading, you can’t see where you are going, and you can barely see where you just came from. This may be the darkest period in your life. But, when God is my shepherd, even when I walk in the darkest period in my life—the deep darkness of the valley—I do not have to fear any evil because the Good Shepherd never leaves the sheep’s side.

“Your rod and Your staff comfort me.” The rod (a larger staff often used as a weapon) would be used to keep danger from getting into the flock and to teach the sheep not to leave the flock. If they did leave, the staff could guide them back or be used to lift them up out of trouble. Therefore, I don’t have to fear the dark valleys of life because, when God is my shepherd, He keeps me out of trouble and keeps trouble out of me.

“You shall spread out/ prepare/ arrange before me a table (for private use) in the sight of my enemies.” According to historians, this is one of the ways a person would welcome you into their home as a guest. This is saying that God will welcome you into His house as a guest even as all your enemies, those who showed hostility towards you, watch. So, when God is my shepherd, He will publicly accept me as a guest in His house.

“You anoint my head with oil.” One reason shepherds did this was to keep bugs off the sheep. It was like an insecticide. This is also more frequently used to set someone apart from the rest, often as a sign of an honored guest. This tells us that, when God is my shepherd, I will not only be a guest, but I will be set aside as an honored guest.

“My cup overflows (is saturated).” Everything God sets apart is blessed. Everything God blesses overflows. In His presence there is no end to blessings. What a thought: when God is my shepherd, I receive more blessings than I can handle.

“Surely good things and goodness/ kindness shall pursue me all the days of my life.” “Follow” gives me the idea of a puppy dog: following you around the house just to be where you are. The verb literally means, “to pursue, in order to overtake, especially with hostile purpose.” This gives me the idea of a rabid dog. We spend our lifetime seeking happiness and good things. But when God is my shepherd, good things and kindness will hunt me down with the purpose of overtaking me! Oh, to be persecuted with goodness!

“I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” This is what it is all about. This is the purpose of the journey: Our shepherd brings us all the way from the green pastures and still waters, through the paths of righteousness and the valley of the shadow of death, to His house, where we will live forever.

This is why Satan wants to be your butcher: to keep you out—to keep you lost. Because when God is your shepherd, when it’s His voice you are following, you will end up home.

The Purpose of Prophecy

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We are living in very exciting times. It seems as though prophetic signs are happening all around us. It is also possible, though, that we have become hyper-sensitive to things prophetic. What I mean is, while there are definitely signs occurring, not everything hyped up as a prophetic fulfillment is actually from a prophecy in the Bible.

Of course, I think sometimes we misunderstand the purpose of prophecy. I know I have. If you are like me, you might look at prophecy as “telling the future.” Because of this, we often think that prophecy was provided in the Bible simply to give us a future road-map. Another way to think of it is that it was given to us so we can solve the “puzzle” and know what will happen next. But is this what the Bible says about prophecy?

To start, we must understand that prophecies were always meant to be a blessing to us (see Revelation 1:3 and 22:7). Every prophecy in the Bible was given to benefit the people of God, not to scare or intimidate. The definition of the word “prophecy” is “an utterance of God.” A prophet is one to whom God speaks (Jeremiah 23:21) and then delivers God’s message to the people (Deuteronomy 18:18; Exodus 7:1). Anytime God speaks to His people through a prophet is considered prophecy.

This is why Paul says that the gift of prophecy is meant for believers (1 Corinthians 14:22)—because it is God’s message to them. Although we may be more familiar with the prophecies in which God reveals future events, there are many more prophecies that were given to the people as warnings of their wickedness. In fact, one of the major reasons for prophecies was to expose their sins and ward off captivity (Lamentations 2:14, see also 1 Corinthians 14:24). More prophecies in scripture consist of some kind of warning and a plea to return to God.

In fact, in Jeremiah 23:21, 22, God says that if the prophets had truly spoken His words, the people would have turned from their wicked ways. It is actually a false prophet who preaches peace and that no harm will come from sinning (Jeremiah 23:16–18; Jeremiah 28:9). We know it cannot be God speaking such words because He says, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23). Again He says in 2 Chronicles 7:14—“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This is why we should not treat such prophecies with contempt (1 Thessalonians 5:20), because they are often given to us to warn us, change us, and save us!

But what about the ones that do reveal the future? Part of the reason we have been given future prophecies is so we can know the times in which we live. Jesus, after telling the disciples some of the signs of His coming, said, “when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates” (Matthew 24:33). In Luke 21:28, He says, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Basically, the signs were to tell us that Jesus is coming soon.

Notice, though, that Jesus doesn’t say, “when you see a sign fulfilled, figure out what will come next.” The signs weren’t meant to be puzzle pieces for us to figure out, but were a means to warn us that Jesus’ kingdom was near! Our reaction to seeing a sign, according to Jesus, should be raising our heads in preparation to greet Him when He comes. If anything, any prophetic fulfillment we recognize should prompt us to deepen our relationship with the King Who is coming!

More than this, though, future prophecies have a greater reason. According to Isaiah 46:9 10, knowing the future, and telling it with 100% accuracy, is something only God can do. In a somewhat humorous challenge to idols, God explains again that knowing what is to come is an attribute to being God (Isaiah 41:22–24). This idea is also established in Daniel 2:47.

The fact that He can reveal the future, and is always right about it, proves He is God (this is also why God’s prophecies of the future are so specific and not vague). It is not surprising, then, that God would say, “when this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God” (Ezekiel 24:24). That phrase, “then you will know that I am the Lord,” shows up more than 50 times in the book of Ezekiel alone. Each time it is in the context of when something takes place as God said it would, then they would know He is God. Therefore, prophecy was meant to be recognized when it is happening, not necessarily figured out before. It is meant to prove that God knew it would happen. This is the greater purpose of prophecy: when we see what God said would happen, happening, we will trust Him even more.

Yes, it is good to study and know what the prophecies are so we can recognize them when they happen. Understand, though, that some claim that a prophecy is from God when it isn’t. Deuteronomy 18:21, 22 says that if someone proclaims something in the name of God, but it does not take place or come true, then God did not speak through them. Because of this, we must be faithful to test everything to make sure it is from God (1 Thessalonians 5:21)—remember, Jesus warned there would be false prophets (Matthew 7:15), which means there will be false prophecies as well.

God’s prophecies are found in scripture (not on Facebook or Google). They are specific and they will be fulfilled exactly as He said. And when you recognize one being fulfilled, you can know that God’s kingdom is near—it can serve as a reminder for you to hold on to Jesus.

It is not for us to try to figure out how the future will unfold (the Pharisees tried this with their interpretations of the Messianic prophecies and still did not recognize Jesus as the fulfillment). We are not to wait until some greater prophecy is fulfilled to get right with God. There are plenty of signs that show He is near. So let us look to the sky—and prepare to meet our Savior!