Understanding the Times

Thank you for the special music. Wow! Hope you came across the web really well, as it did in the room here. It was really powerful. Really appreciate all the effort that went into that. Thanks for the special music, beautiful sounds, beautiful harmony. What a message! What a beautiful message! Our personal responsibility to magnify Christ. So really appreciate that. Thanks for the special music.

Well, we certainly live in interesting times, don't we? The last couple years dealing with the pandemic, this last week with the attack of Russia on Ukraine, you know, it doesn't take much to look around a little bit and see we're surrounded by violence, and we can't kid ourselves. In this country, we have political unrest ourselves.

I hear about these truckers that are going to be going to Washington, D.C. this week. We've seen the political unrest with racism and violence as well right here at home. And no doubt greed and even the economy become big issues. And all of it seems to point to the fact that, spiritually speaking, we are in confusion.

We are in a world of confusion. And it seems at times we can become so wrapped up in ourselves and our own little worlds that we can electronically shut ourselves off from the rest of the world and not even have a clue what's going on because it doesn't show up on my notifications. I don't have that in my feed. And so it seems at times we become so accustomed to chaos that we really don't understand the time in which we live. Is that the case with you? Could we be accused of that very thing? It's interesting when we see what the Bible has to say about times like this, there were certainly many that faced challenging issues and difficult times, tribulation and challenges throughout their lifetimes. I mean, some that we could learn from are people like Tola and Pu'a and Yahshub and Shimran.

Guys we're really familiar with, right? Okay, maybe not. Most have probably never heard of these characters. Well, who are they and why do they have anything to do with us today? Well, if you turn with me over to 1 Chronicles 7, we've got an indication of who these four were and what were they about. In fact, we'll start to get a glimpse of what it has to do with us today.

So turn to 1 Chronicles 7, and here in Chronicles, we have a description of who these guys are. 1 Chronicles 7, verse 1, it tells us, The sons of Issachar were Tola, Pu'a, Yahshub and Shimran, four in all. So the four sons, at least four of them, of Issachar. Issachar, of course, being a son of Jacob. Now, a little farther down, verse 5, it says, Their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of Valor, listed by their genealogies, at this time 87,000 in all. Now, as you look through your Bible, you're not going to find any amazing stories necessarily about them, no thrilling narratives recorded about these four brothers, or even their offspring, for that matter, doing just miraculous, awesome things.

But at the same time, the sons of Issachar and their descendants exhibited character traits that are desperately needed today. Their story is an interesting one because it begins to come from the times of Israel and the monarchy. And at this time, circumstances were changing in Israel.

David was about to become king of Israel. It was difficult times because Saul had just been killed in battle. He and his sons are gone. And at the same time, the Benjaminites, another one of the sons, the tribes of Jacob, they had a different idea about who should probably be the successor to the throne.

And so the tribes came together and met in Hebron. What were they going to do? Well, some had in mind to turn the kingdom over to David. Now, to say it was a tense time in Israel, probably be an understatement, there was certainly a great need to discern the signs of the times that they lived in.

And so if you turn over to chapter 12 of 1 Chronicles, 1 Chronicles chapter 12, notice what it says in verse 23. It's describing that specific time as they came together. Chapter 12 verse 23, it says, Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron, to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord. So the tribes gathered together right there in Hebron. If we skip down to verse 32, we have the description of Issachar and those sons and their families. It says, And so here they come together at this time. And it gives us an interesting indication that they had an understanding. They had a perspective of what was going on at that time. And yet, not only that, something that was much more important than just understanding. And so from the tribe of Issachar and his sons, there are lessons that we can learn from how that tribe is described that apply to us and apply to the situations that we find ourselves in today, with the circumstances that have gone on this week. What's been happening in the last couple of years. It helps frame our thinking. And we can learn those lessons from Issachar. Who would have thought? Who would have thought? So let's take a moment to look at this particular tribe and their descendants to begin to understand something about today, what we need to do. So if you'll turn with it, in fact, hold your place here in Chronicles because we'll come back to Chronicles a number of times this afternoon. If you've got a little marker, you might put it there. We'll come back to Chronicles and notice a couple of things specifically. But I thought to begin, let's go back to where we're initially introduced to Issachar. And we can find that back in the book of Genesis. In fact, Genesis 30, verse 18. So go back to the very first book of the Bible. Go back to Genesis 30, verse 18. And here we could say we have an introduction to Issachar, literally, when he was born. So Genesis 30, verse 18, we find his mother, Leah, saying, God's given me my hire because I've given my maiden to my husband and she called his name Issachar. So Jacob's son is born. In fact, this is the ninth son of Jacob, of the one who would become Israel. And this is actually the fifth son born to Leah. And it's interesting when you look at the name Issachar, it carries meaning. It means something. And in fact, Hebrew names weren't just casually given. They represented something. They meant something in what the word itself, the name itself, meant. And Issachar literally means, there is recompense. Now, we don't use that word a lot these days. It can refer to a reward or a compensation. And Issachar's name does tie in with what's going on today, in fact, and the lessons that we can learn when it comes to how are we rewarded? How do we take into account what's happening in our world today and compensate for what's going on? That's tied into the lessons that we can learn from Issachar. In fact, if we fast forward a little bit over to Genesis 49, we find Jacob blessing his sons. And sometimes it's called the nations that are being reviewed, those peoples that would come from these various tribes. And let's notice what Jacob prophesied about Issachar. We can find that in verse 14. So in Genesis 49, verse 14, there's not a whole lot said about Issachar. But what is said is very important. Let's notice what Jacob prophesied about Issachar, verse 14, Genesis 49. He said, Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between two burdens. Of course, we look at that today and think, well, that's kind of an insult, isn't it? Who wants to be called a donkey? You don't necessarily think very highly of a donkey, do you?

But yet, notice, we're told what kind of donkey. What kind? A strong donkey. And that's the first lesson we can begin to learn from the sons of Issachar. They would become a strong donkey, not some weak, mild-mannered individuals, but strong. Strong, because what do donkeys do?

Well, what do we call them even today? We call them beasts of burden. Donkeys can take it. They bear it. They were, you know, like the semi-trucks of the day, right? They would take the burden. And donkeys, as characteristics, sometimes we think of the negative side of things. But I think very positively about this reference that Jacob gives to Issachar. Not only could it take one burden, but it could double that and carry two. And there's some interesting characteristics about donkeys. Yes, yeah, maybe they're known for being stubborn. But, you know, it's usually in the context that they have a strong sense of preserving themselves. You're not going to be able to force a donkey to do something that it thinks is not in its best interest.

It's a lot different than horses. When horses are startled, what do they do? They bolt. They take off. They run. Donkeys don't do that. Donkeys don't—in fact, it's pretty tough to frighten a donkey. You're not going to frighten them into doing much of anything. If they're startled, or they're not going to do what you want them to do, they sit down sometimes, and they're not going to be moved at all.

And so you begin to think about those characteristics of a donkey. And we can begin to see why Jacob described this particular son and his offspring as a strong donkey. I mean, have you ever noticed how many times donkeys are mentioned throughout the Bible?

I mean, over and over and over again, in many different scenarios. We often found the presence of a donkey right there at various events. I mean, think of the judge Samson. He came up against the Philistines, and he slaughtered the Philistines with—what kind of weapon? A jawbone of a donkey. That's what he used at that time. You can read about that in Judges 15. That's one example. But how many times in other places do we see donkeys being used? Oftentimes we even overlook that fact. When Abraham went to sacrifice his son Isaac, how did they get there?

Well, he loaded up the donkey, and he put all the wood on that donkey, and they went to sacrifice with the donkey. In fact, Moses, when God called him to help free the Israelites from Egypt and Pharaoh, how did he get back there after he had ran from Pharaoh? Well, he got his family together, and they loaded up the donkey, and they went back to Egypt. You can see that in Exodus 4, describes that very event. And of course, that's not all. Think of one of the greatest events of all time was when Christ got on a donkey, and he rode into Jerusalem as Messiah, showing himself and his aspect of being the one who would ultimately free the people.

He rode a donkey just before the crucifixion. And so when we begin to think about those various occurrences of donkeys being used throughout, each time, most of the time, they're bearing some kind of burden, some kind of load, and they can take it. They can take it. And that's what the tribe of Issachar became known for. They became known for being ready to do the job at hand. They were going to not only work hard, but they had the ability to do that work, just like a donkey was able to do it.

And when we face circumstances today, God says, we need to be strong. We need to bear the load of whatever circumstances come up. And so if we're going to understand the times we live in, like Issachar did, we need to have that character trait. And God can help us to have that, even when it's difficult, even when undesirable things are going on all around us. Issachar was not afraid. They weren't fearful. Even if they were under oppression, when you study their history, they understood the times, and like that donkey, they were willing to bear it.

And God can help us to do the same thing. When we look around us at the circumstances that we face, God says, I can help you, like Issachar, to be strong. We turn over to the New Testament. Ephesians 6, verse 10 is one of those passages, I think, that really encapsulate that very concept and that character trait that we need to have. Here we find the Apostle Paul writing to God's church in Ephesus.

And this is a very familiar section of Scripture. In Ephesians 6, that's that chapter that describes putting on the armor of God. Putting on that armor. And it's interesting that, like Issachar, strong, being able to bear it, we find how we can do that very thing. And so we're told to put on that armor of God. And in the end, we find in verse 10, Paul writes, finally, finally, my brethren, he says, be strong, but have understanding, have discernment. How do we have the strength to bear it? How can we take on whatever this world is bringing and the trials and the difficulties and the tribulation that's to come?

How can we do that? Well, he says, be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. That's the only way we're going to be able to bear what's on the horizon. That's the only way we can ultimately succeed spiritually speaking, is to be strong in the Lord. If we're to understand the times that we live in and really discern the circumstances that we face, we have to bear the burden and be strong.

There's a beautiful psalm that brings that point home. Psalm 55 verse 22. I will turn over there. Psalm 55 verse 32 tells us exactly what the Apostle Paul was saying.

How in the world can we stand strong when there are going to be some difficult circumstances? We know some of these things aren't going to be staying over in Europe. No, there's going to be times we're going to have to face these things. We know that on the horizon the church is going to be persecuted. That's you and me. How are we going to bear that burden? How are we going to stand strong? Well, Psalm 55 verse 22, it says, cast your burden on the Lord. Individually, we can't do it on our own. I can't do it. You can't do it. By our own strength, by our own power? Impossible. Impossible.

But we can be a spiritual donkey and bear it and be strong when we do what Psalm 55 says. Cast your burden on the Lord. He'll sustain you. That's how we can take it. He'll never permit the righteous to be moved.

So God backs us up when we put our trust in Him. And doesn't that mirror what Christ said? He said a very similar thing. He said, come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden. Yeah, we have a burden. We're facing difficult, stressful times. But He says, my yoke, take it. Take my yoke. Learn from me. And He says, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

That's how we're able to do it. And that character trait of Issachar is one that we can begin to understand the times we live in when we face them with these character traits and be strong in the Lord.

But that's not all. Issachar is also described with another character trait that we can learn a valuable lesson from.

If you turn with me back to Numbers 1. Numbers 1 and verse 28 describes Issachar carrying another characteristic that is so important. Numbers 1 and 29 were basically still in that same timeframe. But notice the way it's described just a little bit differently here in Numbers chapter 1. It's recounting the tribes and their generations, the people, the families, giving a description of these things. And in verse 28, it says, of the children of Issachar, by their generations after their families, by the house of their fathers. So basically talking about the tribe and then the clans and then the families, the whole group together.

It says, according to the number of their names from 20 years upward, all that were able to go forth to war. It begins to describe how many of them were capable. They were not only strong, but they were able to go forth to war. There were fighting men among them that were able. And that's an important character trait that we must have. Are we able?

Are we able-bodied soldiers willing to take on our enemies? Well, Issachar was able. They could go forth into battle. They were clever and they were competent and they were tough. And if we translate that to today, aren't we called to be soldiers? Not physical battles. We don't take on the army or the air force. It's not that. In a way, this is telling us onward Christian soldiers. Christian soldiers. We're called to be godly soldiers and we must be able. If we're going to understand what the times we live in, we must be able soldiers of God. We're told about that over in 2 Timothy 2. I know you're familiar with this passage. The Apostle Paul is writing to a young minister, Timothy, helping him to be the kind of minister that God wanted him to be. And so Paul is giving him instructions, guiding him, leading him, directing him on the kind of minister he needed to be and instruct God's people, the brethren, the kind of soldiers we need to be as well. So notice what Paul wrote to Timothy, chapter 2 in 2 Timothy, verse 3. He says, being a soldier is easy. There's nothing to it. Kick back, relax. No prob- oh, wait a second. No, he doesn't say that, does he? 2 Timothy 2, 3, he says, you therefore must endure hardship.

You have to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. That's who we serve under. In fact, he says, no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

I mean, to be an able soldier of Jesus Christ, spiritually, tough times are coming. We've had it pretty easy in America, haven't we? But boy, we've seen some of those prophecies. There are difficult times ahead. And as a soldier of Jesus Christ, we have to endure the hardship. We don't get messed up and off-track, sidetracked from what's most important. We keep our eyes on our spiritual goals. We don't get bogged down in the here and now and the materialism that our country is so wrapped up in. We can't afford to have that perspective. But as a soldier, I mean, you think of the ultimate soldier, first class, decorated soldiers. Those kinds of soldiers follow their commanding officer. And that's what we must do. Our enlisting officer, Jesus Christ and God the Father, they've enlisted us and called us to be completely and totally and holy at their calling, under their guidance. We are at their disposal and we follow orders. And so if we're going to understand the times that we live in, we have to realize this war that we are engaged in. Yeah, the war has already been going on for us. It didn't just start this week. But this is certainly a reminder. This is not a worldly, physical battle that we're fighting. 2 Corinthians 10, verse 3. Paul often wrote of this soldier metaphor when it comes to us as being able, strong soldiers of Jesus Christ. Notice what he says here. 2 Corinthians 10, we'll pick it up in verse 3. Of course, we are living physical lives right now. And he reminds us of that. We walk in the flesh. We're physical human beings. But because we've been enlisted in this spiritual battle, he says, we do not war according to the flesh. We don't get out our guns and missiles and tanks and artillery physically to fight this battle. Instead, he says in verse 4, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. They're not physical. But mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. Yeah, and if you've watched any of the news this week, we've seen strongholds come down in Ukraine, haven't we? The bridges that are being blown up, the airports that are being destroyed. Yeah, strongholds are coming down there because the Russians are attacking them from all sides. But our battle is a spiritual one, and we can bring down spiritual strongholds. Verse 5, it says, we can cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Those things that come against God and His way, the things that get in our way, the things that cause us not to be able soldiers or to be weak in the faith. He says, by God's power, we can change things. And where does it start? Well, he says, bringing every thought into captivity. It starts with our thinking. It starts right in our brains and what we think, because our thinking is what affects our actions. And if we bring our thoughts into captivity, he says, the kind of captivity they need to be brought under. And that captivity, it says, is to the obedience of Christ.

We are godly Christian soldiers under the authority of Jesus Christ. And it starts with capturing every thought. So those thoughts don't get away from us and we start to act contrary to our calling. He says, we can do this. We can have the endurance that we need. We can survive spiritually speaking because we're of the highest conduct.

Godly conduct, properly honoring God, putting Him first in our lives. Our behavior is ethically godly. And that's so important these days because our world is exactly the opposite. And when you think of how this ties in with the tribe of Issachar, they were able, capable soldiers who understood the times that they lived in. We can understand our times when we frame our thinking toward God. And every thought then comes under the captivity of Christ. And we can then be able spiritually to fend off the challenges that are coming our way. Now, when we think about the aspects of Issachar and their characteristics, there were more. There were other characteristics that became very important to them as well as us, as lessons we can learn. If you held your place there in Chronicles, go back to 1 Chronicles 7. We find a third characteristic that is also critical for us today. 1 Chronicles 7. Notice verse 5. 1 Chronicles 7. Verse 5. We find another aspect that accentuates a powerful character trait. So 1 Chronicles 7. Notice verse 5. 2 Chronicles 7. Verse 5. Describing Issachar, it says, Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of Valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all. Sometimes you get into genealogies, and those are the parts of the Bible I kind of skip over really quickly and don't really pay attention to some of the detail that's actually here. That can be so helpful. Don't skip over it. How did it describe them? Mighty men of Valor. We have to have that character trait of Valor, which I think translating to our vernacular today really means that we are unwavering. We are unwavering. We are courageous. That's what they were. They were valiant, mighty warriors. Some translations say they were strong soldiers. Others say stout-hearted warriors. That's the kind of individuals they were as mighty men of Valor. They were unwavering in the face of a battle.

And when it comes to us, we are fighting a spiritual battle. And if we're to be unwavering, if we're to be people of Valor, that means we've got to go beyond the ordinary. We've got to go beyond being self-focused. We can't be self-serving. That can't be who we are. We have to go outside of ourselves and stop being addicted to mediocrity.

Well, it's okay. It's fine. It's good enough. You can't be run-of-the-mill. You can't be a run-of-the-mill Christian. That is not what God has called us to. You see, Issachar went out of their way to do what not only they ought to do, but to do what needed to be done. What needed to be done. And so for us, it's such a reminder, if we're to be unwavering, if we're to be people of Valor, we can't be casual Christians. We just can't allow ourselves to fall into that kind of thinking. How can we win the spiritual battle, the war, if that's our perspective? So many times throughout the New Testament, we're told this same characteristic is critical if we're to discern the times that we live in. The Apostle Paul wrote about it in 1 Corinthians 15.

If you remember, 1 Corinthians 15 almost always has a title that comes along with it, at least in our minds. The theme of 1 Corinthians 15. What is it? Yeah, sometimes we call it the resurrection chapter. It's about the resurrection. It's about the plan of God. It's about the completion of God's plan and purpose. It's interesting, at the end of chapter 15, if you turn to verse 58 in 1 Corinthians 15, after discussing the calling that we have, the plan of God that Christ is ultimately going to return, and the saints will be resurrected to rule with Christ, chapter 15 describes all of these amazing things that this mortal must put on immortality. All these amazing concepts, recognizing God's purpose and His plan, and understanding those things is so important. But it can't stop there. That's the interesting thing about chapter 15. After describing and helping us to understand God's purpose and plan, notice what it says in verse 58. Verse 58, because we understand these things, he says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Because we understand, because God has opened our mind to His truth, we have to be unwavering in our calling. To be steadfast, that's what that means. Be strong in the Lord. And that's the point that He makes. Always. Not just once in a while, not just sometimes, not just when there's war on the horizon, not just when there's difficult times we're facing. He says, always. Always. Not be half-hearted, not be partly, but always abounding. Abounding in the work of the Lord. God is doing a work in each and every one of us.

How is that construction project going in your life? You see, these times open our minds to say, we better be unwavering in our confidence in God. And that work better be obvious in us, so that we are strong, able soldiers who are unwavering in this spiritual battle that we've been called to.

And so if we're to understand the times, we have to add to our character and have these traits that have to be strong ones. In fact, if we turn back to 1 Chronicles 12, I think there's another character trait that helps us to understand the times that we live in. So that we can, well, not be like Issachar. They understand the physical events and the physical times that they were in. For us, we have to recognize what's coming spiritually at us. And to understand their times, 1 Chronicles 12, 23 describes the tribe and the sons of Issachar. And we read a little bit of this before, but let's notice something else here that we find in chapter 12, verse 23. It says, these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, to David, according to the word of the Lord. Then it goes on as we read in verse 32, the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. Their chiefs were 200, and all their brethren were at their command. And so we find something interesting here. It says, they had an understanding of the times. That's the Hebrew word yada, y-a-d-a, yada. And yes, it can mean to know, but it goes beyond that. They had a perception. They could perceive what was going on in their world. They could distinguish between the possible things that could occur as compared to what should occur. And so they could discern the times. And so what did they do? I mean, in a sense, when you look at this character trait of yada to really have a deep perception and understanding of the times that they lived in, it was that character trait that really was the reason all the others were kind of spawned from. That all of them were kind of dependent on this one, this yada, which in a way is saying they were insightful.

And I think that's the character trait we need to have as a part of our character. We have to be insightful people of God if we're to understand the times, that we have a perception, spiritually speaking, that when you look at Issachar, one of the reasons they were insightful. And if we read really fast over it, we miss it. We miss it. Verse 23 says, it was according to the Word of the Lord. It was according to the Word of the Lord. In other words, they understood God's Word. They understood what God had to say about things. Well, we have God's Word. To understand the times we live in, we have to be able to differentiate between truth and error, right and wrong. We can't be like this world today that calls evil good and good evil. Our times have just degenerated into that perspective. We can't be like that. We can't be like that at all. We have to know the Word of God. We have to be like Issachar and know what God intended. They understood what God intended for David. They understood those things. And if they didn't know the Word, they wouldn't have understood what needed to be accomplished. If we don't know the Bible, we can't focus our life on God's will. We don't know what God's will is for our life. That's why it's so important to understand Scripture, understand God's plan and His purpose, and understand how it applies to us. They understood the times which focused on the fact they knew what needed to be done. If we don't understand the times we live in, the point for us is, how can we be ready for the return of Christ? How can we spiritually be prepared for Christ's return if we can't discern the times? And that's really the key that is so important. It was important for Issachar. It's important for us as well. When you read verse 32 again, 1 Chronicles 12, yes, they had understanding of the times, but the key, to know what Israel ought to do. They understood what needed to be done. It wasn't just that they knew they had an understanding, but application was there. How do you apply the Word of God? And this wasn't something that, well, we're just going to hang around in Hebron and see what happens. No, this is something that needed to happen now. They had an urgency. So they not only understood what God wanted to do, but they knew how to respond to what God was leading them to accomplish. And so when we think about our times, we can understand the times we live in. We can watch the news. We can read prophecy in the Bible. We can understand what the Bible says. But it means nothing. It means nothing unless we act upon those words.

Unless we have an understanding to apply the truth of God, to really understand and respond and put that truth to work in our life. Otherwise, it's meaningless. I mean, literally during their time, Issachar analyzed the times. They perceived correctly about what was happening and what God was doing. And they understood what was happening and they stood forward and stepped up knowing what needed to be done. And they did exactly what was necessary and needed in order to crown David as King of Israel. And those prophecies would ultimately be fulfilled. For us, that understanding the time is absolutely critical. It's absolutely critical. But it's more important to understand and know how to respond. How do we respond to the events of this last couple of years? How do we respond to the events of what's going on in the economy? How do we respond to what's going on with racism and bigotry in our world? How do we know how to respond when Russia is attacking Ukraine and the world is standing around just watching? How do we respond? Well, we have to have a godly perspective. In fact, it's one that Christ spoke of many times. Many times. One example is found over in Matthew 16.

Take a look at Matthew 16. Interesting section of Scripture because this is a time when the Sadducees, the rulers, the religious rulers of the day, and the Pharisees, those who were upholding what they thought to be God's truth of the day, they didn't like Christ. They didn't like Jesus. They recognized certain things about Him but didn't want to admit this guy could actually be the Messiah. Boy, if He is, that would take our power. That would take our authority. We'd lose our positions. It was pretty much what they were thinking. And so here in Matthew 16, they came to Him to try to trip Him up, to try to show that now He couldn't be Messiah. He's just a man. So they tried to trap Him. And so when they came in verse 1, they tested Him asking that He would show them a sign from heaven.

And Christ has a brilliant response. Notice what He says in verse 2. He answered and said, When it's evening, you say, it will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening. Which probably took them back a little bit. Probably saying, hmm, we didn't want a weather report. What are you talking about? Right? What are you talking about? Well, Christ lays it on the line. He calls them hypocrites. He says, you know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. They didn't have those character traits of Issachar. They weren't wanting a Messiah. They weren't looking. If they would have been looking, just like the weather, it would have been obvious.

This is God in the flesh. This is Emmanuel. Who could possibly do the things that he does without being the Messiah? They didn't want to look at the weather. And so, in a way, Christ poses the same question for us. I mean, look at what's going on. You know, where are we in the weather report? You think the sky is red and threatening?

I think it is. Are we discerning the times? Do we recognize these things? Do we live our life with understanding? And what he points to is that it has to be something we put into practice. Boy, that sky is red and threatening. What does that mean? Well, not going to rain. No. It means the storm is on the horizon. It means it's coming. You can't escape it. It is right there. And so there has to be a sense of urgency about our reaction to what the weather is doing. And that's what Christ was telling the Pharisees and the Sadducees. You don't see. You don't see. I'm Messiah. You don't understand. You're not willing to look. You're not willing to have this sense of urgency to do something about it. And so when we look at the sky that's red and threatening today, it's obvious our adversary is being successful in making his presence known in this world. It's obvious with what's happening with Russia invading the Ukraine. It's obvious with China lurking in the shadows with their plans to take Taiwan. It's obvious when we see these things around us. Do we notice it? Or do we just get engulfed in our own little metaverse and we don't pay any attention to these things? Yeah, that's the Pharisees, the Sadducees. They were so engulfed in their own power and their own authority and their own desires that they couldn't even see the Messiah. So how do we respond? Well, we've got to discern what's going on in our world. And like Issachar, respond. Respond and live accordingly. That's what the Apostle Paul told God's church in Rome. If we look at Romans chapter 13 verse 11, Can you imagine this time that they were living in? This time that they were living in? The Apostles weren't expecting Christ to return in 2,000 years. They were living their life with urgency because they recognized they didn't know when Christ was going to return. But they knew they were drawing nearer. And here Paul is writing to the people of God who are basically in the midst of the beast. They're at the heart of the beast, the center of the Roman Empire. And notice what he writes to them. Romans chapter 13 verse 11. He's really saying, put these character traits to work and respond accordingly. Understand the times. He says in verse 11, Do this, knowing the time. Understand the time.

Understand the time. That now it is high time to awake out of sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Therefore, act. Respond appropriately. Do something about it. Do something about it.

Well, I can't change the Russian army. I can't have an effect on the coronavirus. I can't. But I can do some things. And collective we as the body of Christ can do some things. So what does he say? Cast off the works of darkness. Take up that spiritual armor for this battle that we are fighting. Let us put on the armor of light. Let's walk properly. As in the day, not in revelry or drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. He says, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. So he's saying, we've got a battle to fight. The sky is red and threatening. This isn't going to be going on forever. We are ever closer to that time, to the return of Christ. And so God is inspiring us that this sense of urgency has to move us and motivate us to recognize our personal status with God. To recognize our own situation. It should stir us personally into action. That we should recognize we need to draw closer than ever to God. We need to get our spiritual house in order. We've got to focus on our future and our hope and live accordingly. Because after all, tomorrow may not come as we expect. We may not have a tomorrow. It may not come at all for us. I mean, we've had some tragic deaths in the Church of Late. Tomorrow may not come. Now is the time. And if we understand the times we live in, it should move us and motivate us to have this kind of urgency spiritually. To prioritize our lives for what's most critical. I mean, it's not the time to hide our heads in the sand. It's time to grow ever closer to God. That's why Christ said, watch! He said, be ready. Don't just watch. Have that move you to action so you spiritually are prepared. So that we can be faithful and wise servants. That's what God wants for us. Because ultimately, we don't have much control. We don't have much control over the events around us. But what can we control?

How we live. How we personally live our lives. We get to choose. We get to choose whether we take notice and change and grow and draw closer to God and put on Christ or not. Or just let it pass by and don't take note.

You see, I think God is reminding us that we better take note. A parallel section of Scripture to Matthew 24, where Christ said, watch and be ready, is Luke 21. I will turn over to Luke 21. In verse 29, Christ tells a story. Really giving part of this lesson of Issachar and understanding the times that we live in. And he tells this story to bring home that very point. To help us in the times that we are facing. Luke 21, verse 29, he tells the parable of the fig tree. Probably familiar with it. But let's read it and recognize how it connects to this time right now. Here's the story. Verse 29, Luke 21. He told them a parable. Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they're already budding, you see and know for yourself, summer is near. Summer is near. You also, when you see these things happening, he talked a lot about different prophetic events. The red sky that's threatening. He says, you see these things happening? You know the kingdom of God is near. Do we know it's near? In fact, he even says, you start seeing these things happening? Is there any denying that we see it? When he says that, he also says, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. This generation, people that live in this age. He says, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. Prophetically speaking, this will happen. So we can understand that. We can recognize it. We can perceive it. But if we're like the sons of Issachar, we better do something about it. And so Christ said exactly that. Verse 34, take heed to yourselves.

Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing and drunkenness in the cares of this life, that the day come on you unexpectedly. It will come as a snare on those who dwell on the face of the earth. And so put your thoughts and minds into action. He says, watch therefore, pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape these things. And so he's telling us, get your spiritual act together. Draw closer to me. I will give you the power you need. I will give you the strength that is necessary to face the times that lie ahead. And in fact, it's interesting. If you read through the Chronicles, God gave similar instructions to His people back then. Second Chronicles, He told them, and we remember the story of what happened to Israel. They refused to see the signs of the times. They didn't continue to have an understanding discerning what was going on. So eventually what happened to Israel? Well, and Judah for that matter. They went into captivity and God told them, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, if they would pray, if they would seek a relationship with me, seek my face and turn from their ways, God promises He will hear. He will hear. He will forgive our sin. He will be with us. And ultimately the land will be healed. Christ will return. And so He spoke to us through the tribe of Issachar. And as difficult days continue to come, and they will, we know we're ever closer to that time of the return of Christ. It's going to happen when? Well, we're not setting a date, but it's nearer than before, isn't it? It's on the horizon. Well, what do we do?

I think we remember Issachar. I mean, as we face the uncertainty of the times that lie ahead, God can give us the strength to be strong. Strong as that beast of burden. We can take the burden. No matter the weight, no matter the trial, no matter the tribulation that we'll face, we can be capable. We can be strong. We can be competent soldiers of Jesus Christ when we rely on the power of God's Spirit. Then we can do that. We can be unwavering. We can be strong in the faith. We can be selfless, courageous soldiers of God when we put on Jesus Christ. We can be able to fight the spiritual battle that we've been called to when we recognize and we see the times that we face, when we have that spiritual insight. And if we don't have it, let's ask God, give me the insight that I need to recognize what's going on. Get my own act together. Help me to draw closer to you. Help me to praise you and honor you and worship you and put on the character of Jesus Christ. Help me to have the urgency that I need so that I can grow closer to you and help us as a church, help us as the body of Christ to stay close together. Because together we can weather the storm. Together we can face the red and threatening sky. Together we can stand strong in the faith. And so God has called us to do just that. Let's live with that kind of urgency. And as the sons of Issachar understood their times, spiritually we can be like them. We will let nothing move us. We can have the resolve so nothing will move us away from God. We can stand strong in the faith. We will draw closer, ever closer, to God. And we will live our life with an urgency so that we will discern and understand the times.