December 4 - The Church's and America's Great Threat
Please bear with me, for though this commentary may seem pessimistic, I believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I have been thinking about what is the greatest threat to the church and to America. There are many candidates for the not-so-great "award." Radical Islam, a move to the Left in every category of American life, the death of discernment, and more.
I have decided that it is apathy in the nation and the church. This has brought about harm or even demise to other nations who focused on temporary pleasures and who majored in minors while ignoring long-term implications.
I have hundreds of e-mails saying the same. Their church friends and family members seem to care less about the pretty intense issues of the day. They are only nominally interested in the Bible and cannot or will not see the dangers in our world or the church. Such issues make them uncomfortable, spoil their longing for a good time, and make them think about things they wish to ignore.
How can we turn this around? Or, is that too late?
White House correspondent Bill Koenig comments on a conference he spoke at recently in a ten thousand member church. Many fine speakers were invited and the theme was similar to my annual event, "Understanding the Times." I guess the favor of God has continued to bring folks by the thousands from around the country to the Olive Tree Ministry event, but many similar events are not so fortunate.
>From the ten thousand member church, only about 50-75 attended the conference which included other fine speakers including David Hocking, Chuck Missler, and Roger Oakland. Fortunately more came who were not from the church but learned about the event through speaker Web sites and radio programs. But as the event drew near, church leaders did what they could to get the event cancelled. The pastor held his ground and let the event play out.
So there aren't a lot of people who want to understand the times today. I repeatedly hear from people who pass along information about Olive Tree Ministries, and particularly the radio show, "Understanding the Times." When the issues we talk about are discussed, many shrink back and indicate those issues would make them "uncomfortable." Don't you suppose the saints throughout history who were burned at the stake or who are enslaved today in Sudan, North Korean, and elsewhere, were and are uncomfortable?
As Koenig summarizes, "Until the times worsen considerably and people begin to look outside of their churches for explanations of the times, people will remain disinterested. As the times get more serious--or in the event of a major terror threat in our homeland--more will seek an understanding of our times. With this in mind, we must continue to be prepared for the opportunity to lead people to their only hope, Jesus Christ."
Here is a tiny sampling of recent e-mails:
- Jan, I can find hardly anyone who cares to see beyond their recreation opportunities. My evangelical church doesn't help as they discourage studying deeper things, exchanging those things for "gospel lite." Most are sound asleep and enjoying it.
- I have learned more from your ministry than in twenty years at my church. And those that mean the most to me are in a lethal slumber.
- My family and friends run from anything that makes them nervous. They are shallow and uninformed--and they like it that way.
What's baffling is why God even allows this? Does He not want ALL to understand the issues of the day, thus helping with discernment in our troubled generation? Or does He just remove the blinders off of people who are earnestly seeking truth? In I Chronicles 12:32 it would seem that God was pleased with the Sons of Issachar who "understood the times."
I believe all of this is, in part, due to the fact that we are in the last days. The Hebrew prophet Daniel said that in those days people would be running to and fro (Daniel 12:4). The tide of our times does not lend itself to study and to keeping up with the issues of our day. We run out of hours in our day. Urgent issues take precedence and the issues that need studying, reflection, and discernment must wait.
Secondly, I believe we are in the days prophesied in Matthew 24:38 where the "last days" are characterized as similar to the days of Noah. While Matthew 24 is the Tribulation, I think we are having a run-up time to that. Noah preached his heart out for over one hundred years but was met with the same reaction: Noah, your boat is rocking our boat so kindly shut up and stop preaching the truth. He was ignored, mocked, laughed at, and scorned--until it was too late.
The "last days" are characterized by scoffing but it is more grievous when it comes from those we love. From those we long to see and understand truth and become excited about their faith. We so want them to take the issues seriously and even for those who do not know or care about "last days" issues, to long for His return.
What we are observing is just another reason to know that He is coming soon and we should be expectant for His imminent return.
RADIO: Catch this past weekend's programs with Brigitte Gabriel and Kevin McCullough who gives five reasons why he expects Barack Obama to be sworn in as President January 20, 2009. The program is posted to our "radio archives" later today, Monday here http://www.olivetreeviews.org/radio/mp3/ Kevin is a talk show host in New York on WMCA 570 and has been nominated for National Religious Broadcasters' Talk Show of the Year for four years running. Check the podcasting link below. "Radio Archives" are simple to use as you just click on an icon for high speed or dial-up after selecting the date.
Awaiting His return,
Jan Markell