Message: Today I saw a parallel between Genesis 41 and Mark 13. Both are warnings from God about the times to come ahead. In Genesis there were warnings that there would be abundance and then famine. In Mark Jesus is warning of the signs that will happen in the world as indicators before his coming. Both warnings require preparation. In Genesis, Joseph proposed a plan and Pharaoh gave him the authority to carry it out. In Mark 13 they were given the warning to stay focused and pay attention to the signs of destruction to come. They weren’t instructed to prevent the destruction, but to pay attention to the signs and stay aware so nobody is caught sleeping when the time comes.
Command: Pay attention to the signs of the times, but don’t get caught up in them.
Promise: Jesus is coming!
Warning: The signs are there to point the way, but if we get caught up in them we will become distracted and could easily find ourselves off track.
Application: To me, this is a reminder that the political arguments and the culture we are seeing today point toward the signs we should expect to be seeing. We know that each of these signs brings us a day closer to the coming of Jesus. Although we are each responsible to do our part in what’s right, we can’t fix the brokenness of this world and we weren’t called to try. If I obsess the over the signs and get involved with the arguments, I miss the mission entirely. My mission is not to correct the immorality of the world and set them straight. My mission is to introduce people to Jesus and allow Jesus to cleanse them from the inside out.
