God’s News In The News

Week One Hundred Forty-One

Whole Lot Of Distractions Going On

This Sounds So Familiar

When I heard about a huge balloon seen over Montana, I wondered about much like all of America did. Then as it continued to float in specific directions and then cries of why we didn’t shoot it down once it was discovered it was a weather balloon from China, my views changed. It was shot down once it got over the Atlantic and it left us with more questions than answers. Then strangely we started shooting down more “objects” over Canada, Lake Huron and Alaska. The military even said they wouldn’t rule out that they were alien crafts that moved in strange ways and that we even missed hitting one with a very expensive missile. So, we had military confusion, government obfuscation and extraterrestrial intrigue all rolled up into one neat package that had news shows and all of social media buzzing. And then I remembered all about a strange object over Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 that came down, crashed or whatever you want to believe. It was called a weather balloon, too by the military and that is their story to this day. But it also was thought to be everything from a military weapon to an alien spacecraft. What it really was is still shrouded in mystery.

We Live In Different Times

Back in 1947 we didn’t have the Internet, cell phones or a 24-hour news cycle. Technology now won’t allow for a coverup like our government is known for in previous years. Well, at least the lengths needed to construct a story or narrative to fool the general public. And yet, there is technology around now that will allow it in better ways than ever before as we’ve discussed in other lessons. But who decides the topics of our news cycles is harder to pin down based on political and social biases. There is an agenda that dominates who reports our news these days even if the agencies say they are fair and balanced and there are a lot more ways to get news so hiding things is harder. Right now, as believers we can very well miss the important things, because things that dominate the so-called news cycle aren’t where God wants us to look.

Mother Earth Isn’t Happy?

When California saw flooding and draughts recently, a famous talk show host infamously took to social media to tell us that Mother Earth wasn’t happy with us and we need to do something about it, those who espouse that sentiment nodded in tacit agreement. Others cringed and even laughed at the absurdity of the thought we could even do anything about the catastrophes happening there. Environmentalists were rallying around her cries for help regardless. As a general rule it seems that any voice calling for attention to “climate change” will have their 15 minutes of fame yet, in a small town in Ohio such an ecological disaster occurred and it is being ignored by the same loving and caring media that would have been outraged by it, much like an oil spill happening. Greta Thunberg would be telling us how dare we ignore it and yet, so far, she is silent.

Conspiracy?

One social commentator said that he is not into conspiracies, but he is a coincidence noticer. He noted that in January of this year the CDC changed its web site about the dangers of vinyl chloride a mere two weeks before the train derailment in East Palestine that spilled this chemical into the drinking water for that small town. And even stranger is that a movie about this same accident happening was filmed a year earlier and actually used this city as its location with many extras being from that town. One such extra even told reporters that the first half of the movie, White Noise depicted the exact incidents happening now. And then there is the news blackout about it among the major news channels and the arresting of reporters for even trying to get this news out along with the Federal government refusing to notice the spill happened until two weeks after it occurred that makes one wonder. While the vast majority of the news cycle is talking about balloons and aliens and other such things, people are getting cancer and wildlife is dying in what some people are calling the American Chernobyl replete with black mushroom clouds and contaminated air and water.

But What Are We Also Missing?

How many years have we heard about a last great awakening and how many prophetic words have been given saying God will send such a revival? While we look for other prophecies about a great exposure and justice and I am not demeaning any of those things as I believe that are important for a last great ingathering of souls to the kingdom, we may be missing the very revival we prayed for. In a tiny town in Kentucky called Wilmore on February 8th of this year a chapel service started and hasn’t ended. It is now going on its 11th day of non-stop worship, prayer and impromptu sermons. Can this continue? Here is quote from the President of Asbury University about changes that will begin:

After much prayer and discussion with campus leadership, I am announcing our new schedule for the next week. This schedule is an attempt to recognize and steward this beautiful, historic moment of spiritual renewal while quickly moving toward a more sustainable campus experience for our students that fosters predictability, well-being, and continuity.

Along with a new schedule, we are working with several groups to increase security, prayer and ministry support, event management, and overall logistical planning.

While some may decry man trying to manage a revival, we need to understand that this is not ending anything. This was just the start.

The Fire Is Spreading

Consider Asbury University as the spark for a much bigger fire as we are seeing God move on college campuses around the country. Reports of a similar move of revival are being seen at Lee University, Campbellsville University, and Cedarville University and this will not stop anytime soon if our God is sending what we asked for. Yes, there are those who call these others counterfeit revivals and will say that it is just people acting like God is moving. The Pharisees of our day are out in full force as could have been expected, but we may be missing the fulfillment of many words about God moving and getting the credit for when things change. Is this not what is happening? And could this also spread to the social and political worlds as past revivals have? We may be missing the beginnings of the Great Awakening because it started in a town in Kentucky at a university no one heard of unless you are a student of revival. We need to remember that the Jesus Movement of late 1960s and early 1970s started there, too.

Don’t Despise The Days Of Small Beginnings

Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel… (Zechariah 4:10, TLB)

We can look at Asbury University and not see it as the start of a worldwide revival. Or we can see it as the first spark of a fire that will blaze across the globe much like the one in 1970 did. The difference is that we have that same 24-hour news cycle we mentioned that the prince of the power of the air is using to blind the masses and control their minds. But God can and will use it to touch the same minds with His truth. Let us not miss what He is doing and dismiss it like so many other religious and irreligious people are doing now. They did the same thing about Jesus and we now how that turned out and they are doing it now by ignoring it or downplaying it. God is moving and woe be to the person who stands in its way. And I pray we will not resist it as well.