Family, are you familiar with El Niño? In its original Spanish, “el niño” (pronounced el ninyo) actually has a sweet meaning: “the little boy.” However, for those who don't understand Spanish (like me), there's nothing sweet about El Niño. I only understand that it's a natural phenomenon where the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the Pacific Ocean increases. Simply put, this temperature increase then causes various problems for humanity. The last very severe El Niño occurred in 2015-2016, leading to extreme drought followed by crop failures in Asia and Africa. As a result, food prices, of course, rose dramatically. In Australia, it was an extremely hot year. The bad news is that the 2026-2027 El Niño is expected to be even worse, in fact, the most severe in modern human history. This year's El Niño is particularly intense because it coincides with the warming of the Indian Ocean, making Asia and Australia feel like they're caught between two fiery furnaces. If the 2015-2016 event was called “Super El Niño,” then the 2026-2027 one is being dubbed “Godzilla El Niño.”
Regardless of its name, the direct effect we feel in Australia is an extremely hot summer. So, don't be surprised if we come to understand how a steamed bun feels. Therefore, we need to prepare ourselves for this extreme weather, especially for seniors and children. Also, be wary of what is called heat stroke, which can be triggered by excessive heat. Avoid dehydration, carry a fan everywhere, or for those who are still strong, perhaps even a 2 HP air conditioner in your backpack. Furthermore, because El Niño is also very prone to causing fires, prepare for polluted air, and so on. In the spiritual realm, I wouldn't be surprised if this event is connected to the fourth bowl of God's wrath, as recorded in Revelation 16:9, “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.” But if you ask me, honestly, I don't know if this is a sign of the times or not. However, if we examine the increasingly deteriorating state of nature, coupled with humanity's even worse greed, then we can say that this earth is indeed growing old. Even without the promise of Jesus' second coming, this earth would destroy itself. It is precisely His second coming that will save us. “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them,” Jesus said in Mark 13:20.
Calculating and observing the signs of the times can indeed be an interesting topic of discussion. Understandably, we are already at the end of this road, and there's nothing wrong with trying to recognize the signs of the times. But one thing is for sure: let us not forget the most important thing of all, which is recorded in Luke 18:8, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”