I Wonder No More

I remember even as early as 20 years ago, how I used to more or less avoid eschatology (study of end times).  I focused my sermons and even comments on-line more on issues that were pertinent to folks making it through the nasty now-and-now.  There were still so many things that I had studied that I just didn't see happening...  although I knew that it would sooner or later.  Much of that was how I looked at things as a United States citizen but face facts...  The U.S. was the super-power for many years and there was no denial of that fact.  So the idea that we aren't written about (clearly) in prophetic Scripture was important because there was no way that anything was going to happen over there without the involvement of the U.S.  I know there are some obscure passages that folks say is speaking of the U.S. and perhaps they are...  but it wasn't clear. Things that would happen during the last of the last days were going to be clear though and we just weren't there feasibly.  Too much I just couldn't see happening yet so I just didn't focus that much on that and just preached with the idea that every day folks died therefore it was always someones "last day" albeit not the "last days" in particular.

Now...  I don't wonder "how could this be" any longer.  I can see how and see it clearly.  I can see the turn against Israel, even in our own country.  It is no mystery that our current President isn't fond of the nation of Israel although he tolerates them as a political necessity during his first term.  This I can tell everyone...  the second term, when President Obama isn't having to run for office again...  you will see a total turn against Israel. He will be elected again more than likely and even if he isn't...  you won't see a friend in Israel with Mitt Romney and or the likes of Ron Paul.  The only two candidates that I can see supporting Israel are Gingrich and or Santorium but neither of those men are going to win.  If they do win the nomination, they will not win the presidency.  This is not my tossing in support for Romney because I believe totally that he will be as bad as Obama in many ways...  perhaps even worse.

The turn against Christianity in this nation has always been a sore spot.  While I have been able to see the turn against God for many years now...  that is still a far cry from how we read Christian folk will be treated during the very last of the last days.  I mean we read of some really bad persecution and in this country...  tough to see that coming.  Now, there are options here but mixed with other stuff we read...  still hard to see the US out of control of the Antichrist being the main superpower (arguably the only one up until recent times and still we're up there at the top)...  or else we control the antichrist up until a point.  Nevertheless... I can see it now.  Folks think the comedians aren't setting it up because they're just comedians...  remember when homosexuality was frowned on greatly as a whole in this nation?  It was comedians that have played a massive part in changing that mindset.  Remember when making fun of religion wasn't really that cool a thing to do?  It was comedians that played a massive part in changing that.  Many things that were frowned on by the average citizen of the US once upon a time, through comedic shows on television, those things are now accepted.  Then they move over into the more serious series shows and in short order... it is just accepted as normal now.

There is a hatred by many against fundamental Christianity now.  It isn't just dislike but it is outright hatred.  The "stars" that hold that hatred have been through the mill about it.  They've been through the threatened boycotts and all that noise and yet they still stand even more popular than before. We will see it get multiplied times worse over the next two years.

Then there is the church itself. It is insane, the amount of junk being preached out of pulpits now.  I know we long for revival but here me...  we are dead amid the "great falling away" that the Bible spoke of.  So many messages now have folks chasing after wealth.  Sure they speak of it being in Christ but Jesus is no longer the way to salvation...  He's the way to wealth.  There is such a small amount of holiness left that it is really not even recognizable any longer.  Go to a church now and cleavage abounds.  Go to a church now and it looks and sounds like a business rally more than a gathering of believers.  Go to church and hear how to firm up a marriage... how to get through your business life without hating your aggravating co-worker...  how to make it through the drive time traffic without a constant "bird" formed on your non-driving hand.  Such silly stuff and none of this mess has any real eternal value.

Tons of money is given to the Christian television folks and stations.  Multiplied millions of dollars pour into these "ministries" so that they can remain on television and all in the guise of getting the gospel out to the world!  They play on your emotions like a well conducted orchestra, convincing you that this is necessary for doing the Lord's work in mass.  Thing is...  and think on this really...  if you added all of the money that is given to the top 20 Television preachers along with the amount of money given to TBN, Daystar, GodTV, WORD Network, etc...  do you realize how many churches we could plant all over the world with that?  Do you realize how many preachers could be actually supported in Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico, Russia, India, etc. etc....  and okay... let's have ONE network that does the Satellite thing in the middle eastern nations and WONDERFUL!  ONE network is enough for that.  However many satellites that are needed to cover that area...  and preach the actual gospel.  We would have tons of money left over to support actual churches with actual flesh and blood ministers that can actually be a pastor to the actual people in those actual places.  Yet these missionaries are cut off in large part because our economy is worsening...  and yet people still dump money into these networks and hear me...  there isn't a whole lot of "GOSPEL" that really goes out on those networks.  There is some and I don't won't to totally cheapen it but come on...  much of what is preached on those networks are messages that make folks already supposed to be saved feel better about themselves.  Just keeping this real.

Then there is technology.  This stuff is scary now in many ways.  I have a dear friend in South Africa that for years refuses to use Google to do a search.  He believes, dogmatically, that Google is an entity of the CIA and everything thing attached to it is just another tool for the US government to spy on folks with.  I'll be the first to admit that I thought that a wee bit paranoid and all...  but today?  Google is dead into tons of stuff they need not be into. Just today I read an article where Facebook is reading text messages of people's cell phone.  They upload the ap with their smart phones and thus give them access to everything.  Google just recently got nailed for that same thing and they quickly stopped it...  but they didn't stop it with facebook.  Come to find out as well... YouTube can access your camera and see where you are at and what you are doing at any time...  another Google toy and guys...  this technology that we all love is going to be the very way that Uncle Sugar will be able to find out whatever they want at anytime they want about whoever they want.

Oh yeah...  there are many questions answered now that I couldn't feasibly see even 20 years ago as plausible in this nation.  We're not just losing our rights now...  thanks to terrorism and technology...  we're giving our freedom away.  Soon...  the church is going to have to see this for what it is and then make some very tough calls.  We're like little fish that can't help ourselves...  we see the bait and know there is a hook attached to it...  but the worm just looks too good to pass up!  We nibble away trying to steer clear of the hook but sooner or later...  you will lose that battle and the hook is going to get you.