Understanding the Times…
December 16th, 2008 | Michael Q. Pink
“And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do;” (1 Chronicles 12:32)
How does one understand the times? It seems to be a prerequisite for knowing what to do. Not that God can’t still guide the ignorant and uniformed but those who fall in that category tend to miss what God is saying or filter it out because it doesn’t fit with their expectations. The sons of Issachar believed what Genesis says that the “lights in the firmament of the heaven” were “for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”. According to the Targum, they also “excelled in the words of the law, were endued with wisdom, and were obedient to their command”. They were masters of signs and of Scripture.
We begin to understand the times by understanding like the Issacharians that everything including the planets goes through cycles and seasons, times of change. In the rainforest, it is known as creative destruction. It is an expected phenomenon where the new is constantly working to replace the old. Something new is born, it grows, then matures but finally enters the phase where it unravels and falls into crisis before being replaced by the emerging generation. That last of the four seasons is the one we have entered into I believe. The unraveling always leads to a crisis, out of which a new version of the old emerges, but not without a lot of pain. Watch Fred Thompson’s take on the situation below…
We can also understand the times by understanding our history and learning that history repeats itself over and over again. Read the book of Kings. It’s like a broken record how Israel repeated the cycle of turning to God, gaining prosperity, growing complacent, falling into decadence, being severely thrashed, then turning back to God again. For America, the thrashing is only beginning. I am not prophesying here. I am a student of the Bible and of history and of nature.
It can go no other way, unless their be a wholesale repentance by those who are called by His name. Who us? Repent? It’s those heathens. It’s those sinners. It’s those bankers. It those politicians. NO! God puts it in our court. We are the ones called by His name and it is up to us to humble ourselves, seek His face and turn from OUR wicked ways. If we can’t admit OUR sins and turn from wickedness how can we expect the heathen to repent who have neither His name nor His power to do so?
If you want to know what to do, begin with understanding the times and that begins by gaining a broader perspective. Start with Scripture and look for patterns. Look at history and see the cycles. Look at nature and understand how it works. Look in the heavens and know there are signs put there by God to help us navigate through life. (I am not speaking of astrology) But most of all look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of your faith to give you the Holy Spirit and to lead you into all truth.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Just a typo note — in the first sentence, 2nd-to-last paragraph, the word should be “there”, not “their”.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Thanks Henry
December 16th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Great insight here, Michael. I don’t have to question whether or not you have received the Holy Spirit because the fruit is evident in your life. I am thinking that “articulation of speech” that comes from God could carry a transferable anointing and should not be underestimated. If this happens to be the case, there could be a deep well of blessing to tap into here that goes even beyond the wisdom and understanding that God has imparted into your life over many years of prayerful scripture reading and walking with the Lord. I hope all your readers, including myself, are gleaning everything there is to glean that is coming through you from God’s Throne Room. Continue to be blessed in all you think, say, and do. Judy
December 16th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Hello Judy…
Yesterday when I wrote this week’s blogs, it took me most of the day. It came out of study time spent from both the weekend and weeks before. When I write, I am constantly calling on the Holy Spirit to enlighten me, give me understanding, etc. I sometimes wrestle with a question for hours before posting in the blog. Your words of encouragement and others like them are in large part how I am compensated and I appreciate knowing that the effort is not in vain. Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully and encouragingly reply. Blessings, Michael
December 16th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Michael, As I read Judy’s and your comments above, I was twice blessed. I thought of you as a modern day John the Baptist crying in the wilderness for our country to repent of our lack of His wisdom. So often, our sin is knowing to do good and doing it not! Whether it’s reaching out in love or saving and getting out of debt. I agree with Judy that what you share on your blogs, especially as we agree and speak it from our mouths, carries creative power to change personal situations and the area in which we have influence. The Kingdom of God is within you and His enfluence is making an eternal impact. Press on!
Blessings, Chris
December 16th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
As always your unique ability to pinpoint with laser accuracy the heart of the matter is greatly appreciated.
The issue of personal responsibility and culpability has been completly ignored by the mass media histeria over all the ill that has befallen us. We need to take to heart that “We are the ones called by His name and it is up to us to humble ourselves, seek His face and turn from OUR wicked ways.”
December 16th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Michael,
It seems to me you are laying the groundwork for one of the most important blog dialogues of our times. As you so correctly say, history is again repeating itself. Again our nation is experiencing the times that try men’ s souls as our founding father, Thomas Paine, once said in his pamphet entitled, “Commn Sense”. In Fred Thompson’ s talk he reiterates what William Wordsworth wrote over 100 years ago, that, “The world is too much with us, getting and spending.” Indeed, as Fred says, it seems we are trying to “spend” our way out of this mess that was caused by “getting and spending” in the first place.
As you know Jesus was addressing this wordly way of “getting and spending” in his discourse that is recorded in the 6th chapter of Matthew. And you know well that Jesus concluded his discourse by saying,”Take no thought , saying, “What shall we eat.? or, What shall we drink or wherewithal shall we be clothed. (For after all these things do the Gentiles (Pagans) seek) for your heavenly father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
In my 40 years of attending evangelical churches, I have never heard any pastor or teacher correctly expound upon this discourse of Jesus and to reveal what Jesus means practically to “seek first God’ s kingdom and His righteousness. I was taught that this means I should seek to go to heaven when I die. And the way to fulfill my seeking was to accept Jesus as my personal savior.
I now realize that such teaching served only to distract me from the fact that God’ s kingdom is at hand and that I needed to repent and start thinking and acting like the responsible and productive kingdom citizen that God has ordained and trained me to be.
I look forward to hearing what God has given you to say to help me and all other kingdom citizens tuning in to this blog so we can be even more productive and responsible kingdom citizens as we operate as sheep among wolves in this faltering economy.
Kingdom blessings,
David Thompson
December 16th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Just a correction on the correction:) by Henry who wrote: Just a typo note — in the first sentence, 2nd-to-last paragraph, the word should be “there”, not “their”.
Actually the word “their” is correct and “there” would be incorrect.
December 16th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I really don’t want to spend too much time on the typo, but I need to ask Karl — “their” is an adjective indicating possession. What noun is it modifying?
I stand by my comment.
December 16th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Michael, how encouraging to hear you articulate things that are impressed in our Spirit. By declaring these we are mobilized.
Thanks Micheal B for 2 Chron…and then He will heal our land.
He can already be seen operating through those in the Body who are postured and positioned this way - the proof is in the moral clarity and authority that comes from their leadership during this time of great change.
P.S. As we meet with business owners - some who are in re-invention and those who have been belched out of corporate america now sparked to start their entrepreneurial journey - I often quote the Rainforest Analogies your book so cleverly expresses - thanks for bearing the Issachar anointing and declaring things that shake and shape our stubborn paradigms. Never an easy task!
December 16th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Henry,
English is my second language and if I am wrong, I will humbly admit it. I am just frustrated by people of American and Canadian birth who are sending me emails on an almost daily basis where the words “there” and “their”, “where” and “were”, “to” and “too” are constantly mixed up. I looked up the meaning of the words in discussion and in light of what they mean I still don’t see why you’d like to use “there” , but like I said, I am the bohunk, so I could be mistaken.
There = 1 : in or at that place —often used interjectionally 2 : to or into that place : thither 3 : at that point or stage 4 : in that matter, respect, or relation 5 —used interjectionally to express satisfaction, approval, encouragement or sympathy, or defiance
Their = 1 : of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action 2 : his or her : his , her , its —used with an indefinite third person singular antecedent
December 16th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Karl,
Perhaps it might make more sense to you if you substituted “there is” for “there be” in that sentence. And your English looks good to me! :>)
December 16th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
AMEN! You said it all! The scripture of “humble ourselves, seek His face and turn from OUR wicked ways”, is the scripture the Lord showed me a couple weeks ago. “SEEK HIS FACE” that is a key.
December 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Well I seek God’s wisdom on these times daily. Even though I still don’t feel His direction yet, at least now I know the difference between Their and There!
December 16th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Michael,
You have had a great influence on my life. I have owned and benefited greatly from several of your teaching series, but in this instance I see things a bit differently. I hope you take this in the spirit it is given, which is just another view of things I have learned from my journey.
I don’t believe for a minute God is dealing with us the same way he dealt with the Children of Israel. He is not going to be thrashing us! That was under the Old Covenant.
I don’t want to spend time in Kings. I want to spend time in the presence of Jesus and know and learn of Him during these trying times.
We all agree He has forgiven us once and for all at the Cross!!! The sin issue has been dealt with. He is not angry with us!!
Sin and punishment are the same. God is not out to get us, but our sins brings ramifications in their own right and we open ourselves up to the devices of the enemy of our soul, and we reap the destruction and calamity that sin brings. This is where we find ourselves today in this country, and where the world at large finds itself. And this is in spite of everything Father has done to save us from it!
There is no double jeopardy with God. The old covenant scriptures you use were before His wrath was poured out on the Son. The way I see this is either all of our sins have been forgiven on the cross, or we are yet in our sins and without hope.
I am not saying people should not repent. Certainly we should, but not because God is angry with us and about to thrash us. We need to repent because of destruction being brought on us because of the ravages of sin itself, and the access the enemy has to us because of this sin. Sin and punishment are the same.
We can all agree the gospel of Christ is good news. Having an angry God getting ready to pounce on us is not good news though, and Religion has seen to it that it has remained this way for centuries. On the one hand talking about the Good News of the Gospel but on the other hand presenting something that is not at all good news. The world for the most part has responded accordingly.
The Good News is that we are forgiven period. It is that He IS NOT keeping score anymore! That is the Good News! The way I see that is if He is not keeping score He is not going to be thrashing us. Israel did not have the atonement and thus was dealt with in a completely different way.
Think about this, because at first it will rock you, but God is not angry with the wicked either. Christ paid for their sins too. He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world. No one is going to Hell for their sins. They will go to Hell because of their refusal to accept the finished work of the Cross.
Religion would have us think if we believe that, we would just go out and sin with impunity. Religion needs an angry God so it can control and manipulate people(I am not saying you are trying to do this brother. I have read your blog for years and can sense your passion and heart and know you are not), but I just no longer see Old Covenant overlays on New Covenant realities.
Besides anyone who thinks the real Good News will lead people to sin, has arrived at a point they need to come to before going on to the truth. Which is that if you are consumed in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, you have no desire to pursue sin, only to pursue Him. Of course you will sin, but it will not be with impunity and you will despise it.
Think of the Savior. Did He come as angry and threatening? Only to the religious crowd as far as I can see.
Would you think God wants us to think of Him as He revealed Himself in Jesus or as He revealed Himself under the Old Covenant? Yes He is eternally the same God, but the answer to this question will forever dictate a persons view of their God.
I ask the question again for emphasis and for people to really think about this. Would you think God wants us to think of Him as He revealed Himself in Jesus or under the Old Covenant?
Yes, these are trying times and we all need to seek Him. He is for us and not against us. How shall He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all How shall He not with Him now also freely give us all things?
I think in these desperate times the world (and a whole lot of the Church) needs to understand the Good News first and then move toward discerning the times we are in. I am certainly not saying you don’t know or understand the Good News. You have forgotten more insight into the scriptures than I will ever have.
I just want to stress to folks out there, He is pulling for you!!
This is from someone who is 60 years old, has lost his job, and has been living on the equity of his home for the last several months. We have our home up for sale and have no idea what the new year will bring, but we know Who holds it all in His hands!
May anyone who disagrees with my view remember that we can differ in conscience and still love; this way we celebrate the individual acting in accord with their conscience even if we disagree.
Also this way the world can see that the body of Christ can be the body of Christ not based on the false unity of human conformity, but on a love that is greater than all our disagreements and a humility of spirit that allows our differences to be discussed openly without bashing and still respecting each other.
I offer this within that spirit.
Blessings
December 16th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Michael,
I subscribe to many business newsletters, financial feeds, and Christian new sources. I have been working diligently to understand the times we live in. I made a transition from mortgage business/realestate into the insurace business because of what has and will happen.
I believe much of the difficulties that we are dealing with have been compounded by are nations/politicians and statesmen dealings with Israel. There seems to be a direct correlation of our prosperity as a country and our dealings with Israel. Thanks for your continued insight.
December 17th, 2008 at 4:21 am
Henry,
A friend of mine pointed out that you mean this sentence: It can go no other way, unless their be a wholesale repentance by those who are called by His name.
And I meant this one:and were obedient to their command
Of course you are correct. The there should be there instead of the their, otherwise their repentance wouldn’t be there at all:)
I should be able to count paragraphs!
Have a blessed Christmas!