Are We Ready?

In recent weeks we have seen three very public shootings.  The first of which was a Pastor in Illinois who was shot and killed along with two of his parishioners being injured.  The second shooting happened in Alabama, where the bloodshed began when Michael McLendon burned down his mother's house, then drove to a town called Samson where he claimed nine other victims, including four members of his own family before taking his own life.  Finally, a gunman named Tim Kretschmer began a rampage at a school in Germany killing 15 students.  Tragic to be sure and at the same time perhaps a message.

I don't consider myself given over to hyper-spiritualization however, I cannot escape the feeling that this is somehow an alert for us to be aware.  I'll get to the point!

When I first heard of these events taking place, I was shocked and amazed at the closeness in time with which they happened.  My first thought was the enemy was definitely on the loose and running rampant.  Then as I pondered this and inquired of God, I began to come up with this conclusion.  I'll let you make your own decisions.

I began to think about this passage of scripture:   Revelation 12:2  "Therefore, rejoice, O Heavens and you who dwell in them!  But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"

The devil doesn't know the exact time, he just knows he doesn't have a lot of time.  First, the enemy is not all knowing, however, he is a spiritual being who can see activity in the spirit. Perhaps, he sees that God is about to do something, he sees Heavenly activity and while he doesn't know what it is or when it will take place, he can see it!  Therefore, he launches out a specific attack, in this case shoot sprees at specific targets.  Follow with me here:  A pastor in a church; a family ; and children in a school.

Could it be that perhaps the devil knows God is up to something, because he sees it in the spirit.  Therefore, he try's to gain an upper hand and steal the focus off of God and what He is doing and try's to put the focus on what he (the devil) is doing?

Could it be that God is getting ready to move by His Spirit in the Church again; in the family again, and in the schools and/or among the children?  I think so, the only question I have for myself and perhaps you is, "Are we Ready?".

If I am wrong in all this and if I am hyper-spiritualizing these events, then it is nothing more than a tragic happening that we are getting all to familiar with.  We say a quite prayer and then move on to the next thing.  If however, God is allowing this to happen to have us seek Him a little more for the reasons, asking Him to reveal to us what He is doing.  Then what is our position.  Repentance, fasting, praying, turning our hearts back to the First Love!  Yes, absolutely and more.

We are supposed to seek God, His Kingdom and His Righteousness then as we do we will began to see in the spirit and discern the signs of the time.  Jesus said it this way, Matthew 16:2-4 "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'  And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is read and threatening.'  You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, by you cannot interpret the signs of the times.  An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the signs of Jonah."

If we are to be prepared, we must discern and interpret the signs of the times, not look for an openly obvious sign from God, like a dog awaiting a biscuit!  This will require a great pursuit of God in prayer and in meditation, in seeking wisdom through the Word of God by His Spirit!

The enemy is stirred up like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  He is seeing something in the spirit, that is about to happen.  God is on the move!  Are We Ready?