The Solar Eclipse, Lift Up Your Eyes ~Julie

With the solar eclipse coming Monday, August 21, 2017, people are talking a lot about this historic event.  Some people are mostly interested in getting their glasses to view the spectacle, but we have also seen some interesting conjecture about the end of the world or other cataclysmic events because of the eclipse.  It also seems to stir up a lot of questions about the times we live in and there seems to even be anxiety about what this can mean.  

We believe this is not only a historic event, but a prophetic one that we should pay attention to.  At our recent TRIHOP meeting, our director Skip Cone shared a very helpful explanation of this event. He described two extremes of responses to the total eclipse that will soon be crossing our nation:  we can look at it as simply a natural phenomenon and ignore what God may be saying with it OR we can move into prophetic mania.

Skip’s words regarding the eclipse: “At best, it is an opportunity for us to consider our ways and cry out for our nation to return to the Lord.  At worst, this could be a final warning for us to repent before God severely chastens our nation.” 
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You can read his thoughts in their entirety in a document about the eclipse that I thought was helpful. Check it out. 

the_solar_eclipse_august_21.docx
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I think more than anything we need to turn to the Lord.  He is always interested in getting our attention and leading people into deeper relationship with Himself.  He wants us to ask questions of Him and to seek Him in His word.  We need to lift up our eyes, not just to see the sun eclipsed by the moon, but to see the Son of God on the throne and to bring our own hearts into agreement with His word.  

We should guard against turning to prophetic meanings without turning to the One who is actually speaking.  Sometimes, we get more fascinated by the message and we miss the point which is to behold the One with the message. 

The fact that we can see something like this in the heavens at all is reason to lift our eyes and consider the One who created these things and it should cause us to heed what God may be communicating to His church through this sign in the heavens. It is worth it to ask if this is a prophetic indicator of what He is already speaking? If You are speaking, Lord, what is our response to be?
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The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4