"When are you going to take stock in the fact that your world is changing with alarming speed? When will you acknowledge that you are seeing Words that were said long ago being fulfilled in your day, during your lifetime?

        "You are the end-time generation. You are the highly-called ones, who have a mandate to gather all the real wisdom of the ages; and present it so that those who have ears to hear can make a proper decision. You are the only generation that is capable of looking back through the corridors of time to actually see how easily everything can come to pass with what is readily at hand.

        "Do not shrug off all that you have the privilege of seeing as inconsequential. You must open your heart to the fact that you are a player in the unfolding of My plan. Stop thinking about worldly cares and begin to think in terms of eternity. You must make changes in your way of thinking, so that you can take the steps necessary to fulfill your part in what I will call you to do.

        "The way of life that you have had for so many years is coming to a close. You must prepare for what is about to happen, using the wisdom that I give you as you seek Me with all your heart. I must be your priority. No other priority will suffice during the coming times."

Esther 4:14b AMP

And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

Isa. 48:3 NIV

"I foretold the former things log ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass."

Matthew 24:3-8 NIV

3) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

4) Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

5) For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

6) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

7) Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8) All these are the beginning of birth pains."

One of the lines in a movie called "The Horse Whisperer" goes something like this. "Knowing it is the easy part; saying it out loud is the hard part." It was said to a character in the movie, so that the person might face what was obvious with enough conviction to take decisive action.

For years, many knowledgeable people within the church have been saying that we are living in the end times. I whole-heartedly agree with them. Whether that is true or not, however, should have little to do with how we live our lives. Our lives should be the example of the life of Jesus so that others can see who He is by the life we live, no matter what season we live in. That is the way we are told to live throughout the new covenant.

Because we, as a people, have gravitated so far from the plumb line of the life of Jesus as our model for living, there are some decisions that need to be made if time is as short as it appears to be. Even if the seasons do not proclaim the very end, one must admit that something quite radical is happening all around us, calling for measures to be taken simply to adapt to the tumultuous conditions of our world and present Jesus properly.

The problem, however, is getting what we see as obvious past the thinking stages of our brain and into the action stages. It's the "saying it out loud" part with which we seem to be having difficulty. We all know that our world is drastically different than it was even a year ago. We all know that even the world at present could change in a moment. Why do we do so little to prepare for what seems to be imminent? I don't mean that we should stock up on food, clothing, and water so that we can tuck away in a cave for our protection. That would be the typical carnal, selfish response and have little to do with the calling on our lives.

When will we say out loud that we are living in a time that requires us to represent Jesus properly? When will we say it out loud and then be determined to do enough about it to make a difference, honoring God with our lives as we promised Him we would?

Needing to clear my throat, so that I am heard clearly when I say it out loud,

Jim Corbett