Amos 5:18-20 How terrible it will be for you who long for the Day of the LORD! Why do you want it to come? That day will be dark, not light. It will be like a man running away from a lion only to meet a bear. He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall only to be bitten by a snake. The Day of the LORD will be dark, not light. It will be very black. There won't be a ray of sun anywhere. NIV Reader's Version

No one in their right mind should desire that the prophecies of God's Wrath should come upon us. Even God does not desire it as, "God desires that none should perish but that all men should be brought to repentance." Prophecy teaches us the lengths God will go to in order to bring His children to repentance. Above all things, God desires that we have life and every horrible thing we suffer is for the purpose of bringing us to repentance. So too are God's prophecies for the purpose of inciting human repentance.

We live in a time of uncertainty that differs from other times in history because of the globalized operation of the world we now live in. Our lives are interrelated within a global community, whether we like it or not. The threats in this life now take on global proportions and what threatens lives in the Middle East also threatens lives in the U.S. The actions and missteps of one country either benefits or threatens the well being of every country. The world is a tender box and those who pay attention to what is going on in this world are filled with anxiety. People turn to prophecy in hopes of being able to prepare for the unthinkable and the unimaginable.

It is not only those influenced by Christian thinking that are turning to prophecy but people of all faiths and even the irreligious. They will naturally look toward those prophecies which predict the best outcome for them and by doing so, they make themselves vulnerable to hucksters. Prophecy is a big business in the frightening global climate.

False prophets play upon this fear and they devise messages that please targeted audiences. They desire a following and the wealth that can come with it. They will not point to God as the refuge in time of trouble. They point to themselves and use the mysterious nature of their craft to deceive and garner power for themselves. Their messages may be smooth and soothing, calming human fears with false dreams of perfection and well-being. They may also predict violence toward those whom a particular group doesn't like coupled with the outcome of global control. None of them will point to Jesus and none of them are designed to make hearers uncomfortable with their sin.

In these times, we are confronted with many messages concerning God. I too deliver such messages and you should not trust me. You should measure all that I say according to Jesus and measure the soundness of my words according to the Bible, that long held written record of Truth. Do the same for any words that a prophet speaks. If they are true words, they will hit the spot in your heart that yet harbors sin. They will cut to the quick and then point you toward Jesus for removal of that sin and for healing. True Prophecy will point you toward the safe harbor in the dark days predicted that is only Jesus.

A prophet of God is not a magician. He is only a man like all men, sinful and frail. If one should present himself in any other way, flee. He is a liar and of his father the devil. These are Bar-Jesus, sparkling counterfeits. Measure carefully all of the words spoken and heed only those which reveal to you the sinfulness of your own heart and point toward Jesus Christ. Do not follow any frail and sinful man, follow only Jesus.