“Many in the church today are being held captive spiritually, not because of the enemy’s power, but because we do not clearly understand our authority and calling in Christ… As we begin to understand the hope of His calling, we will begin to walk in an abundant life of freedom and power.” Angie Weaver
Most Christians do not exercise the tremendous authority they have in Christ. God has called us to make a difference in our neighborhoods, cities, and nations.
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).
Did you know that there are 22 signs of the time when Jesus will return to earth? You can find them in Matthew 24-25. Jesus is not wordy in what He tells us, but with precision He carefully picks what He shares. Isn’t it quite amazing that He spent two whole chapters telling us about the end times? It was a monumental teaching.
The last generation won’t pass away until these signs have taken place. Some of them have taken place before, but in the generation when Jesus returns to earth, every one of these signs will be happening. This is biblical information that we must know, study, and observe because God is warning us in advance. We must be aware of the season and take this seriously. Studying the end times will be an anchor in our lives and will help us to know how to maneuver through difficult days. We must be prepared and not let our hearts get discouraged as the days grow darker, but seek to understand what Jesus is saying.
Let’s look at the Parable of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24:32-34, because in his teaching Jesus is shifting to a pastoral exhortation on how to live and respond in the end times. A parable is an illustration or story that sheds light on the spiritual truth so that it is easy to grasp. The word “learn” is in this parable three times and means to be intentional. We must set our heart towards understanding the end times because it takes a determined effort.
We must learn watchfulness. When the branch is tender with leaves you know it is summer. These are time indicators so we can know what is coming. If we think about a thunderstorm, the dark clouds show us that we must be watchful because it is approaching. If we don’t run inside, we will get wet.
My grandfather did not take heed when a thunderstorm approached his Minnesota farm one warm summer evening. He was out on his tractor with his two sons when a terrible thunderstorm hit their land. A bolt of lightning suddenly struck him causing everyone to fly off the tractor. That bolt of lightning took his life when my father was only a young boy at the age of 13. It was sudden and swift. There was no longer time to run inside. Earlier there was the need to take heed and be watchful regarding those dark clouds, but my grandfather continued working and took his chances that all would be ok. But it wasn’t, and my father grew up until the age of 94 without a father.
Mt. 24:5-31, show us through the signs of the times that the day of the Lord is near and that we must take this seriously. We can’t be out in a thunderstorm when things suddenly change. We see in this parable important indicators of His coming, so that we can prepare in advance. Every calamity in biblical history was prophesized ahead of time. Look at the Flood, Egypt, the fall of Israel, and the others.
God is giving us insight into the generation when the Lord returns. He is warning us that the coming of the Lord is near, and is exhorting us to watch because we don’t know the hour. The Father only exclusively knows the day and the hour. He is reasserting the importance of the signs to be a predictor of his coming. We must prayerfully watch for the signs. The increasing of these 22 signs that have been promised for over 2000 years clearly point to the season of His return.
We can compare this with the days of Noah when people are drinking and having a good time. There was rebellion. We must realize two important truths. The world will not recognize these prophetic signs of the times, and they will be apathetic and live as they always lived. But remember Noah and how the flood suddenly came. Judgment was swift. God prophesizes for ages about it, but the fulfillment was sudden. It will happen quickly, just like the strike of lightning was for my grandfather.
Like in Noah’s day, many today are more concerned about the world, but we are not to let our hearts be weighed down by all its’ cares. It’s a snare to catch us by surprise if we are not prepared.
“For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark” (Matthew 24:38).
How to Apply the Parable of the Fig Tree
God wants us to prepare our hearts. Here are some ways we can prayerfully watch:
Let’s realize that in the darkest of hours, those who are prepared will shine brightly. Studying about the end times has helped me to understand, prepare my heart, and live above the storm. Let’s be prepared by carefully studying, prayerfully watching, and radically living for eternity. Let’s set our minds and hearts on things above.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).
By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
http://www.intercessorsarise.org
“Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always” (Psalm 105:2-4).
Seeking God’s presence helps us to navigate through the ups and downs in life—times of joy or sadness, prosperity or adversity, love or loneliness. If we set our hearts to seek and encounter Him at all costs, we will find strength for any battle and sufficiency of His power for every moment.
God wants to transform our lives in so many ways if we seek Him. It’s time to seek His presence and love God with all our heart (Matthew 22:37-38). He longs for us to develop a deep inner life with Himself and His Spirit. When we do, we receive instruction, strength, and supernatural courage to face everything.
God our Father longs for intimacy with His family, and He wants to encounter us with His presence.
He is our eternal Father who has prepared an eternal Kingdom for us from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). We can relate to God just like Jesus does. We can call Him “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). Jesus wants us to receive the Father’s embrace. He takes all of our brokenness and shame when we experience His Father’s touch in our spirit. He empowers us to live victorious lives. We need to know that God our Father is our greatest cheerleader who longs to partner with us in life.
Let’s choose to love Him in the good and the bad times, and fix our hearts to draw near to Him.
A Prayer for Encountering God
Lord, I long to encounter You in my life. I thank You that I can call You “Abba Father.” I want to receive Your embrace and Your Father’s touch in all that I do this year. Help me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I want to be like Moses who sought you face-to-face. Empower me to live victoriously and to know You intimately.
I want my city to be one that seeks after Your presence. Bring your people into unity as we seek Your face. Give me Your heart with Your passion, and burden me to reach out to the lost that live here. Help me to fast and pray for transformation in my city. You promise in Your Word that my light will break out like the dawn, Your light will guide me; You will satisfy my needs and strengthen my frame, etc. [Continue praying through Isaiah 58:6-12, bringing before God His promises.] Help me to fast and pray like Charles Finney, Rees Howells, and You when You fasted forty days and nights.
Father, I ask that You would give me a hunger for prayer. Help me to focus on You alone. Come into the center of my every activity, and remove those things that keep me from encountering You. Capture my heart, and reveal Yourself to me when I are praying alone, and corporately when I am praying together with others. I want to adore You and be wholly consumed with Your person.
I praise You because You are holy, righteous, good, all loving, merciful, etc. [Pray the attributes of God.] You are my Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). You are the ruler of the kings of the earth, the faithful witness, the Alpha and Omega, the Almighty, the Living One (Revelation 1). [Pray the names, descriptions of God, and the Word of God.] I want to be like the woman who took an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on Your head because she loved You so much. Help me to love You extravagantly with my life this year. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek… I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm27:8, 13-14).
By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
www.intercessorsarise.org
The Fire of Prayer 