Discerning the Times

We live in exciting times because most of us alive today will probably see the return of Jesus Christ.  Now, I know that may sound a little odd, because no one knows the hour in which He will return. However, the Bible gives us signs of the season for His return and we certainly are in that season. Since becoming a Christian in 1970 at the age of 20, I have been through all kinds of trends in the church since that time. 

• Inner healing
• Demons of every manifestation from belching to scratching
• Signs and wonders
• Prophetic visions and dreams
• Holy Spirit and emotional outpourings
• Speaking in tongues and gifts of knowledge
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit
• Prosperity gospel
• Social gospel
• Dancing in the Spirit, singing in the Spirit and rolling on the floor in the Spirit
• Messianic emphasis
• End Times emphasis
• Unity emphasis
• Evangelism explosion emphasis
• Doctrinial purity
• Discernment emphasis
• Dominion theology
• Replacement theology
• Discipleship making emphasis
• Translation emphasis

The list is endless. Now not all of this of course is bad, but much of it is just crazy emotionalism that got out of hand.  Much of what we see in the Body of Christ today can be found somewhere in the above list.  So how does one discern the important themes to focus upon, and which ones are a waste of time?  Well, I suppose it would depend on who you ask, but since I am writing this blog, you are going to get my take. 

Our authority for any spiritual emphasis comes from the Bible.  You must make the Bible the foundation of belief and practice. You must take the whole Bible, not just part of the Bible. The Bible is one story, not an old or a new testament, and it works together like a hand and a glove.  

Secondly the Holy Spirit is essential for interpreting the Bible. Some think they get revelations that are unique to scripture or to practice...stay clear.  The Holy Spirit indwells the individual and the body, and the individual is always subject to a larger emphasis and authority in the Body of Christ. Some of what is in the list above has to do individuals running with a personal revelations that were not from God. 

Thirdly, Israel is a key interpreting factor in understanding God, and His relationship with human beings. You can not understand the true nature of the scripture without understanding God and His relationship with Israel, both past and present.  This is the one piece of discernment that is missing in most churches today, and this is a key ingredient to understanding the times today. 

Fourth, you have to have participation with other believers, such as a church, or small group. Christianity is a body development activity.  God uses indiviiduals but always in concert with others. Why? Because we are instruments of pride and as a result we become  targets for Satan to use. Christ works through many parts of this Body, and you need the connections to fully be activated in knowledge and discernment.  

Fifth, you need to engage. There are too many Christians sitting on truth and doing nothing with it. They attend more church services, seminars, conferences, read more books, listen to more radio/TV and download more sermons than ever in the history of the church. Yet, in terms of productive harvest, we are letting the crops in the field rot, because the laborers are few who are willing to go into the field to gather in the harvest. 

So, discerning the times comes from the Bible, Holy Spirit, Israel, fellow believers, and participation in the mission of the gospel. 

God wants His people engaged in the kinds of activity that bring prople closer to Him for the purpose of sending them back out to be His field agents.  Let's not waste time with emotionalism, and picking out the doctrinal lice from each others hair, let's be an active force to transform our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Keeping it honest and truthful...K

Remember, He draws us in to Himself, only to send us out....don't get side tracked with things that keep us from the harvest. 

Matthew 9:37-38  37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  38thereforepray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”