God’s Early Warning System

Editorial by Jerry Lutz

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, especially when there is loss of life, one of the first questions asked is, “Were there any warnings issued?” Could the loss of life have been prevented had notifications been sent and alarms sounded in time for people to prepare to take evasive action or evacuate? The issue then is not about the lack of information or having access to it, but getting out the word to people in harm’s way in a timely manner. And the earlier it is disseminated, the better! We are fortunate to have the technology, communication devices and systems to help prepare us for storms, tornadoes, fires and floods.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “Every day, supercomputers collect and organize billions of earth observations, such as temperature, air pressure, moisture, wind speed and water levels, which are critical to initialize weather prediction models.” The amount of weather data collected, collated and compressed into real- time reports is staggering. Yet sometimes systems fail, either because of outages, technical glitches or just plain old human error, despite the 2.8 quadrillion mathematical calculations per second around the clock that go into predicting the weather so that we might know how to plan our day. When that happens, the tragedies are compounded. Thankfully, this lifesaving information is often made available to us imme- diately on our devices.

We are living in truly amazing times. What’s more, we are living in the end times. The alarms have been sounded; the warnings are being issued daily, as seen and heard in the unprecedented events of nature and human affairs, as millions struggle for position and power in a world dominated by selfishness, war, lust and greed. The end of all things earthly is imminent as Jesus and the prophets foretold in clear and certain terms. No one can say we haven’t been warned. Nor can anyone say there is no plan for escaping the inevitable. We—the people of God’s great, last-day movement—know what is to come. And we know the lifesaving plan God offers to anyone who hears and accepts His Son as Savior.

With this knowledge and the blessing of living in Christ Jesus, moment by moment, comes great responsibility. If we understand the relevance and urgency of the Great Commission, there really is no other way to say it than this: We are a vital part of God’s early warning system for the world. Jesus said, “Go.” He has chosen us to spread the Good News; to warn the world of His soon return and prepare for it now, before it is too late.

As we continue to press ahead into Pentecost 2025 and Reach Baltimore, let us commit ourselves to prayer, and seek the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that we might be equipped to help prepare our local communities and the world for His return. Sound the alarm! Jesus is coming again!

Jerry Lutz is the president of the Chesapeake Conference.