The Ministerial Alliance Minute

By Pastor Brian Johnson, First Baptist Church, Winnie

  “He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, “A storm is coming,” and so it does. And when the south wind is blowing, you say, “It’s going to be hot,” and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?’” Luke 12:54–56 (CSB) Surely you have noticed how much attention is given to interpreting the weather these days. From arctic blasts and tornadoes to hurricanes and heat waves, we seem to have the ability to predict future storms with at least some degree of accuracy. When certain conditions line up, we can be fairly confident about what kind of weather is coming next. In this passage, however, Jesus is not primarily talking about the weather. He is speaking about interpreting the times. That leads us to some important questions: What about the end times? Is it possible that we are living in the last days? Could Jesus return during our lifetime? Scripture tells us that many things will take place leading up to the return of Christ. Have some of these things already happened? Are others unfolding right before our eyes? Jesus made it clear that no one knows the day or the hour, so attempting to predict an exact date is fruitless. What we can do, however, is prepare our hearts. Let me leave you with this question: If Jesus were to return today, are you ready? If not, please feel free to reach out to me or one of our local pastors. We would be honored to help you make sure that you are.