Author's note: Should a conservative, biblical viewpoint offend your sense of anything, please move on to something else.
The world's a mess. All of the available bits and bytes of cyberspace are insufficient to describe the totality of the magnitude of the mess. A few examples from the headlines of the past year barely scratch the surface of the enormity of the disorders plaguing the social/financial/political/spiritual state on earth today. Here are but a few examples:
- Arab Spring leads to the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood's political prominence across the Middle East
- Greeks continue to protest limiting excessive handouts from government
- Government debt across Europe leads to fears of collapse of the Euro and the Euro state
- US led coalition attacks Libya
- Syria continues to attack civilians who oppose current government, hundreds killed
- Iran closer to developing nuclear weapons, continue to quash political opposition within its borders
- US military presence in Iraq ends, explosions rock capital, political leadership in turmoil
- North Korean dictator dead, political future uncertain as untested son named successor
- China's financial stability questioned, Leadership tells military to prepare for action over continued disagreements concerning Taiwan
- Russian elections deemed fraudulent, calls for re-vote denied by political leaders
- Earthquakes/Tsunami devastate Japan, Nuclear power plant explodes exposing nation to radioactive fallout
- Israeli/Palestinian conflict intensifies, other nations weigh in with support for independent state
The United States headlines provide no respite:
- Senate fails to provide budget for third straight year, Congressional approval ratings in single digits
- Justice Department scandals concerning Fast and Furious and New Black Panthers prompt nearly 100 Congressman and Senators call for AG Holder to resign
- National debt reaches more than $15,000,000,000,000
- Unconstitutional administrative policy assaults civil liberties, Bill of Rights
- Occupy Everywhere protesters whine about inequality while incoherently espousing ill-defined demands
- Unemployment continues over 9%, real unemployment estimated to be between 17 and 20%
- Few companies anticipation expanding payroll in 2012
- Record home foreclosures continue
- Taxation uncertainty leaves trillions of business capital on sidelines, slowing recovery
- LGBT curriculum for California schools approved for children as young as 5
Christianity, Churches and Denominations are not immune to attack or controversy:
- Megachurch pastor denies existence of hell
- Christians in Middle East face persecution from rising Islamic interests
- Episcopal congregations leave national body over stance on gay leadership
- Crystal Cathedral declares bankruptcy, sells church complex, family feud continues
- Atheists win equal representation win Nativities other religious holiday displays
- 'Christmas' and Christianity under attack on many fronts, Islam atrocities given a pass
- Austrian free speech under assault for factual depiction of Mohammed
- Church leaders caught up in sex scandals
- Ill-advised Second Coming predictions provides fodder for media ridicule
- All references to God, Jesus, and religion banned from school 'Holiday' assemblies and graduation ceremonies, Superintendents threatened with jail for use of the words benediction or invocation
- Personal expressions of faith in secular settings discredited by media, even other Christians
No doubt, the world, the country, and the church are a mess. These lists could go on for pages. Many of the headlines of this past year could have come directly from the prophetic predictions given in the Bible.
Many Bible scholars see these events as the world moving into the End Times, many indicating they believe the End Times clock is already ticking. The chess board of the world's nations are lining up to provoke a major conflict concerning Israel. Will this be the final conflict outlined in Revelation? No one knows for sure.
Others believe that the economic/natural disaster turmoil currently underway in this country is God's judgment for such abominations as the Rowe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion and the resulting fifty million aborted children, the continued push to a secular society which embraces the gay rights agenda, the demonization of marriage through failure to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, repealing of Don't Ask Don't Tell, and activist judges promoting self serving decisions in defiance of the will of the voting public and in opposition to the intent of the morally based founding documents.
From sea to shining sea, pastors and church members alike pray more earnestly for "Thy Kingdom to come" and lamenting the Lord's tarrying. They cry out, "Why are we perishing in this hardship. We seek your will. Where is our deliverance?"
Why indeed does the Lord tarry? The answer is simple, grace. In Jesus' parables in Matthew, the message is clear, " In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Even if America and the American church is experiencing God's judgment, His grace is being extended in unprecedented ways around the world. Missionary organizations represented in Africa and Eastern Europe have been reporting soul harvests in the hundreds of thousands each day. God's grace is being manifest across the globe in the lives of millions of new converts finding their eternal, heavenly home.
One day, perhaps one day very soon, the last believer will repent and turn to the Lord. The final entry in the Lamb's Book of Life will be redeemed. The trumpet will sound and we will meet Him In the air, being ushered into the first moments of eternity future. What a day that will be. And yet, many believers sit on the sidelines, complaining that life is hard, or their new iPhone app doesn't work right, or their portfolio is tanking, or decorating committee got the wrong shade of drapery fabric for the nursery.
The fields are ripe for harvest. We are to be about Kingdom work for the remaining days may be few. And even if the Lord waits another thousand years, each day, we are one day closer to His coming. The mission field in America is vast. In every believers sphere of influence are scores or even hundreds of hurting souls who need to find new life in Christ. Most believers complain that they are not gifted or 'called' to evangelism, and they are wrong. Each Christian has a story to tell. Each has a personal mission field. Each has the responsibility to love their neighbor enough to step out of their comfort zone and make the effort.
Most will cry, "I don't know what to do. I don't know where to start." Or even, "My house number doesn't have a 7 in it." For to them any excuse will be enough to avoid getting out of the Laz-E-Boy and on to their knees seeking the salvation of a friend, neighbor, or family member. Fewer still will seek a church that provides opportunities to learn how to write and share their personal testimony or learn how to make a simple gospel presentation. Most will never invite even one non-believer to church, where they could have a chance to impact eternity for a lost soul, who was loved enough by God to have Jesus sacrifice Himself on their behalf. Yet, these are the very things that every Christian is called to do.
If you feel that the time has come to address your spiritual complacency, and even if you don't, here are some questions to ask yourself and pray about:
- What will I do over the next year/month/week/tomorrow/today/in the next ten minutes to make an impact for eternity in the lives of people within my sphere of influence?
- Who are the two/five/ten/twenty/two hundred people I can pray for by name, asking the Lord to bring them to repentance and salvation?
- What are the two/five/ten things I need to get squared away in my life to be sure the message can proceed unhindered?
- What are the two/five/ten things I need to do to prepare for the evangelism opportunities God will place in my path as a result of taking seriously my responsibility in the furtherance of the gospel?
- Will I face the inevitable rejection/failure/self perceived inadequacies as confirmation that I was right all along or as an opportunity to improve and a renewal of my commitment to see souls saved?
Each believer has the choice every day to be part of God's redemptive plan. Each one that chooses to enter the fray is hastening the day of the Lord's coming. All of the others are either complacently allowing others to eternally perish or standing in active opposition to God's will. What will your choice be today?
