Thurlow Switzer: Evolution or Eschatology

• Luke 17:20-21 – “Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;  21 nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (NKJV).

• John 18:36 – “Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here"” (NKJV).

How are we to understand our times? Of course you know that we are members of the Kingdom of God if we have been born again. By the new birth we enter into the eschatological future of God. In this article I want to use two big words: eschatology and evolution. Eschatology has to do with future hope. Evolution is the big word describing humanistic philosophy and cultural change. What is the difference between an evolutionary philosophy of history and the biblical eschatological understanding of history? 

We will not be exhaustive, but speak only with broad brush-strokes.

Naturalistic Evolution and Supernatural Eschatology are opposite world views. Naturalistic evolution says we are merely drifting into an uncertain future comprised of many factors including the survival of the fittest and the progress of scientific discovery. Supernatural eschatology is the study of God’s sovereignty, direction, and involvement in the world, past, present and future, and the affect of Godly believers taking dominion in life and history in the Name of Jesus.

• Dan 11:32, “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits” (NKJV). 
• Compare this with Dan 12:3, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (NKJV).

Society, impacted by a secular swing toward evolution as its world and life view, unknowingly entered into an bottomless abyss. Evolutionary thought embraced a philosophy of “hands-off” drift from purpose to aimlessness. God ceased to be the subject acting, and natural unknown factors became the subject acting. In English grammar sentence structure, the subject identifies the actor or agent of the acting (verb). From my viewpoint, whenever society sinks into a maze of subjectless evolution where there is no subject allowed to influence thought and action, it enters into thoughtless chaos. A sentence without a “subject” leaves a vacuum; no one is specifically acting, and things become unclear. In this instance, the subject is God and when God is removed from an ideology, only humans are left to be the subject. The consequence is the vanishing not only of universal justice by divine standards, but also the vanishing of a practical sense of justice and righteousness important to daily life and societal order.

The battle between Marxism and democracy has raged for decades. Ascending into society today is a strong resurgence of Marxist socialistic thinking. Although democracy seemed to win the battle, it is too early to declare Marxism dead, for “democratic-socialism” has taken its place--Marxism under a different name. Both, of course, are accompanied by a rejection of a Christian world view centered in the reality of the Kingdom of God. Historic Marxism was a modern discovery of the world as the plane of history stating that humans can be subjects of their own history. Marxists thought was that the average person should rise up and seize the power of the ruling class. History has revealed that when this happens, then these “average persons” become the new ruling class with the tendency to repress all who do not agree with them. The result is a swing of political power and the influence of a different set of values--hence cultural change with the power of enforcement.

How are biblical Christians to think and what are they to do in the face of this swing? Are Christians too other-worldly conscious and not enough this-world conscious? In its commitment to other-worldly orientation, Christianity over time seemed to lose its relevance for real life for many in the public square. Today Christianity needs to rediscover its relevance to the horizontal aspects of history. Christianity needs a restoration of understanding of what moved and motivated Jesus to declare, “Behold, the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Does the Kingdom of God have any earthly meaning and societal implications, especially in light of Jesus’ statement, “My kingdom is not of this world”? Is it possible for the spiritual kingdom of God to affect social thought and cultural norms without becoming political and power conscious, especially in light of what Jesus’ stated, “Indeed, the kingdom of God is within you”?

Unfortunately, in our day this argument has been cast as right wing or left wing politics, while the deeper issue is the distinction between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. Man’s human kingdoms centralize power in their own hands; whereas God’s divine kingdom distributes power to the individual who is yielded to God’s Lordship—a power that flows through humans responding in obedience to God.
From a practical and historical view, there are two great areas of human concern, plus a third ultimate concern: (1) the negative problem of suffering (issues of injustice, crime, etc); and (2) the positive need for sufficiency (issues of supply, finances, etc), both of which tend to snuff out a larger issue: (3) the ultimate problem of spirituality and relationship to God (issues of salvation, well being, etc). The problems of suffering and injustice tend to feed the communist orientation for a whole society-wide solution, or at least, the liberal approach with political solutions. The problems of sufficiency have tended to feed the capitalistic orientation for free-flowing enterprise based on supply and demand with a profit motive awakened.  The strengths and weaknesses of each orientation are evident today--each one unable to bridge the great gaps existing in history.

There is however, a current awakening in the Christian community, at least in my heart and as I see it. Are we as Christians involved in influencing and shaping history? Are we players on the world scene; or are we merely waiting to escape and go to heaven? Do we have an adequate understanding of history, or even a biblical theology of history?

Even as Marxism developed a philosophy of history, simultaneously rejecting Christianity, so now a fresh concern arises in Christian leaders to understand how conservative Christianity may have remained in a vertical only (heaven above) viewpoint--paying primary attention to life after death and only dealing with the real life problems superficially, often leaving issues of suffering and sufficiency to the politicians, with their trying to solve problems without a biblical reference.

Perhaps, rather than remaining in a Hellenistic-Platonic heritage with its tendency to separate non-earthy, non-physical realms from earthly, physical realms, Christians need to return to a more concentrated understanding of Hebrew roots and Jewish theology which had a vision of God active in history. The early church’s understanding of eschatology was that God was actively involved through His people in the forward march of history to a final, ultimate, point in which God rules all and all. Christians today need to embrace this understanding.

• 1 Cor 15:22-25, 28 – “22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. … 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (NKJV).

The New Testament Church knew that in Christ Jesus history had been impacted and life on the historical plane forever changed. In fact, the early believers understood history as the powerful enactment of the Kingdom of God now in time. Progressively they anticipated the time when all things come under the Lordship of Christ, leading to the consummation, when “all things were under Him” that “God may be all in all.”

Therefore, we the Church and God’s people must enter into these grand issues of time and space--the negative problem of suffering and injustice, and the ever-present need of sufficiency and supply for the peoples of the world, around us and abroad, even as we maintain a steadfast focus on the need of people to come to salvation and experience the fullness of spirituality in God.

How does this relate to individuals in the local church? Even as we seek to introduce people to God as Heavenly Father and to personal salvation, we must not lose awareness that people around us are going through great suffering and often experiencing critical lack of supply.

• Matt 25:31-40 – “31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. … 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me'” (NKJV).

Even as we embrace the vertical (upward) implications of the Kingdom of God--His rule and reign among humans, we also embrace the apostolic (outward) implications of advancing the Kingdom of God on earth as ambassadors of Christ and as His instruments of love and compassion to others.



Thurlow J. Switzer, Logs for the Fire 06-24-2010
Add on to article submitted to Ram’s Horn at Northgate

Rod Levey: The Day of Testing

Gold and silver are great commodities to purchase right now considering the value of the dollar is continuing to fall. These precious metals have great value. However, some of the rare coins being sold and purchased don't have the true amount of gold or silver as you would expect them to have. A lot of coin jockeys have begun pushing older silver coins. The truth is, some of them aren't as valuable as a newly minted American Silver Eagle. The content of the silver in the rare coins could be 25%  less. Additionally, these rare coins sell for 35-45% more per coin. So, essentially, you end up paying more for less. The dealers make you think  that the rare coins have some significant worth.

Unless you do some real investigating, you could fall prey to deception and really be taken. You could pay the price for something that is light in weight or have the proper weight, yet with great mixture. For  the novice or fool making the purchase, you may just get a total counterfeit. There has to be a way of testing the rare coin to see if it is authentic to its perceived identity before you make the purchase. What is its true weight? Is it pure or is it mixed? Is it really a precious metal at all or a counterfeit? What do I know about the person selling this precious coin?

We are living in a day of testing. God Himself is testing! We personally are being tested of the Lord, and we personally need to test the doctrines, spirits, and the men and women who are bringing alleged new things into the body of Christ.  These alleged new things are normally old practices of deception returning.  They are just packaged a little different.

The test is:  are we going to love God, and Him alone, or are we going to run after other gods? God wants to know. He is doing the testing.  He is watching to see who will be content and satisfied with Him and Him alone. He wants a special people called His own who are not running after or needing the mixture or counterfeit.

I would like to look at two tests God initiated that are found in the Old Testament. The first one we will look at is found in Judges chapter 7.

The Israelite army, under Gideon's command, was camped beside the well of Harod (the name means “fountain of trembling”). God said the people were too many to go into battle against the Midianites, lest Israel win this battle, claim the glory for themselves and say they did it by their own strength. God told Gideon to take them down to the water and I will test them there.

This test, that God designed, is at the watering hole (or the place of refreshing). They are going to drink water from the fountain of trembling.

This was a test to see not only how much they would drink, but also their approach of drinking in.  It was supposed to be a time of refreshing, not “slosh-festing”.  God's chosen ones for the battle ahead were: 
1.    The ones who maintained a state of awareness to their surroundings
2.    Those who controlled their intake (you might say they were cautious in their consuming). 

I fully believe God wants us to drink deep of the pure fountain of living waters.  Even then, in our times of true refreshing, God is distinguishing and marking between those who are disciplined and those who are ungoverned.  We  have to be extremely careful because the enemy has a way of slipping into our environment when we aren't observant. Our enemy is extremely deceptive.

It is saddening and disturbing to see brothers and sisters in the Lord drinking in, unaware of the polluted waters they are drinking from. Yes, the enemy has gotten in and slipped a mickey. These polluted waters could be identified as false doctrines, vain philosophies, and as “God's new thing.”

There's an old adage that says, “Nothing new is true and nothing true is new.”

We have a lot of spiritual coin jockeys exploiting the body of Christ. They are presenting their “rare” coins, if you will, and people are paying a big price for mixture and counterfeit. These jockeys are cheaters and deceivers, rare in themselves, in that they are presenting phenomenon. Yes, they are legitimately observing and displaying unusual appearances. What they call “being God” I call another god. I question their source. 

The second test is found in Deuteronomy chapter 13.

Moses is speaking to the second generation; those that are going into the Promised Land. He says to them, “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, “and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods' -which you have not known–' and let us serve them,'  “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”1

Marital infidelity can be defined as unfaithfulness, a violation of covenant, committing adultery. Now let's talk about spiritual adultery. It is committing spiritual intercourse with another god or better said, with another spirit.

We have false prophets and dreamers arising in our midst today from among us. They are seducing God's children to run after and serve other gods and to enter into intimacy with them. These false prophets and dreamers are “rare” and are selling “rare” coins. Enamored with angels and leading people into a state of drunken stupor, these personality driven performers, who have no resemblance of the true apostles, prophets or evangelists of the early church, continue to deceive God's children with their hyper-spiritualism.

Yes, there are mystics in our midst who are mystifying the body of Christ. These “rare” ones are able to flow in the supernatural, yet are unable themselves to reveal the mysteries of God which Paul mentions:  God and man walking together; Christ in you, the hope of glory, both of which are characterized by a holy people not those who are seduced by foreign spirits or by selfish ambitions.  These holy people are totally sold out to God and for God, empowered by His Spirit, with no cravings for any other power except for the power to stay pure and true to Him. God is looking for a people infatuated with Himself and His presence, and with no desire for the imitation. GOD IS TESTING!

God is testing to see who will love Him singularly. God is testing to see if the Holy Spirit He has given us is going to be embraced and obeyed. The test is:  can we be content with God Himself and His ways?

 Here are some questions we need to ask ourselves:  Are we bored with our marriage to God or will we remain faithful?  Do we need to experience something new and exciting? Has our love grown cold? Are we entering into or involved in spiritual infidelity?

We are living in times of testing for a near battle.  We are also living in times of testing for eternity.  My hope and prayer is that we will not compromise in the day of testing.

1Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Lynda Switzer: Keeping One's Heart Loyal to God

The scriptures contain many accounts of saints in the Old Testament and the New Testament who began well with God in their lives, but in their latter years departed from the ways of God. Recently I read the account of Asa, a king in Judah. In 2 Chronicles 14:2, we read that “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” He removed idols and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God. The Lord gave him rest in the land. He called his nation together to build walled cities “because we have sought the Lord and he has given us rest. So they built and prospered.”

Then Zareh from Ethiopia came against Asa and the army of Judah with an army of a million soldiers,   the largest army mentioned in the Old Testament. King Asa cried out to the Lord his God for help declaring that, “we rest on You and in Your name we go against this multitude, O Lord. You are our God: do not let man prevail against You!”

The Lord struck the Ethiopians, and Asa and his army of 300,000 overthrew the Ethiopian army “for they were broken before the Lord and His army.”

Then, in 2 Chronicles 15, the Spirit of God came upon Azariah and he prophesied to King Asa saying, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” King Asa took courage and continued to remove idolatry from the nation. Along with the nation of Judah and King Asa, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh “entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.” The scriptures record that the Lord “was found by them and Lord gave them rest all around.”

However, something happened in King Asa’s thirty-sixth year as king. Baasha king of Israel came against him. Asa, instead of crying out to the Lord for help and protection, went with treasures from the temple on his own seeking help from the King of Syria. The prophet Hanani rebuked King Asa telling him, “because you have relied on the King of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the King of Syria has escaped from your hand.” Hanani continues to prophesy to Asa that because he relied on the Lord when the Ethiopian army of one million came against him, that the Lord delivered King Asa. The scriptures record that King Asa was enraged with Hanani and put him in prison. Then Asa began to oppress some of the people. Three years later King Asa died not seeking the Lord when his feet became diseased.

In the midst of this account of a tragic end to a good king’s life, God inserts this verse in 2 Chronicles16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. . . “

As I pondered this portion of scripture, the Lord showed me several Biblical values to pursue in growing a loyal heart to the Lord:

1. In the midst of seasons of God’s blessing, He opens doors for us to build for His Kingdom purposes. Let’s be alert and active to these open doors and times of building.
2. Amidst God’s blessings, we are to be ever diligent against the evil one’s tactics and ruthlessly deal with any idolatrous ways in our lives.
3. When troubles, storms, and war come to our lives, our first line of defense is to cry out to the Lord and to affirm our faith and trust in Him. Our victory is in the Lord; it’s not in ourselves and our effort.
4. Listening to and obeying the voice of the Lord brings God’s blessings, His protection, and often, other believers who have a similar kindred heart want to band together with us.
5. The Lord places a high value on a heart that is loyal to Him: a people who seek the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul will be found by the Lord!
6. We must beware lest past victories and spiritual accomplishments lull us into seasons where we stop pursuing the Lord as new challenges come into our lives. As we began in the Spirit walking with the Lord, even so we must continue in the Spirit. We may even hear a prophetic word that calls us back to the foundation of our faith. We cannot despise that word. Instead, we continually need to humble ourselves before the Lord acknowledging that He is our Source and our Strength.
7. 7.    Still today, as in the days of King Asa of Judah, our Lord’s eyes are searching the earth looking for those whose hearts are loyal to Him to show Himself strong on our behalf.

“Lord, I want to be one of those believers with a loyah heart to You that your eyes are searching the whole earth for, living humbly knowing that You are my source; You are my strength; You are my victory. I yield myself afresh to your purposes and I know that only You by Your Spirit can create that loyal heart of faith within me.”

Whether we are new in the Lord or we have known the Lord for many years, let’s continue to cultivate loyal hearts by seeking the Lord with all our hearts and all our souls for all the days of our lives.

Jonathan Switzer: Living in a Big Boy World

My youngest son Peter always wants to do what his three older brothers are doing.  If they go to friend’s houses, he wants to go.  If they go to play in the creek, he wants to go.  If they are riding their bikes or playing in the field across the street, he wants to join.  But that is a problem… much of the time, he simply is not yet ready to keep up.  At some point he realizes that they are too fast for him and, frustrated, he comes back to Mommy and Daddy.

Revelation is the topic at our church these days.  We should notice something.  Depending on how one studies the book it could either produce significant anxiety or a sense of sober, joyful expectancy.  According to Revelation, things are going to get really bad.

Revelation simply turns on the light about the end times.  Yet, turning on the light about how bad things will get could either lead to anxiety and fear or a settled trust in the Lord.

These are the two responses to end times that I would like to contrast: Perfectionism and Truth.  Perfectionism is when we see things wrong and take personally responsibility to make things right.  It can lead to an over anxious fear of not being perfect; as if everything depends on my perfection and ability.  It can suck the life out of people and leave them exhausted, exasperated and hopeless.  It beats a person up with legalism.

Like Peter, my son, the perfectionist must, at some point, admit he just can’t keep up.

Living by the truth is different.  Truth, like perfectionism, also turns on the light.  It exposes how bad things are.  However, a person of truth (as the bible defines it) does not get anxious and strive for perfection.  Instead, he goes to the cross and admits that sin has the world in bondage.  He lets the light shine and admits his need for help.  Truth leads to the cross of Jesus Christ.  It recognizes that we have not only missed the mark but that without help we are incapable of hitting it.  Through Christ’s resurrection power we hunger for righteousness and are filled.

Perfectionism
When Peter is playing legos with his brothers, it usually leads to some consternation.  His brothers, one a full six and a half years older, are able to make very complex and cool space ships, cars and landing pads.  They create without breaking a sweat.  Sometimes, Peter can start feeling like he will never be as good as they are.  Mom and Dad pick up his frustration from the other room as he gets whiney and weepy.  Sometimes, he will even start lying to his brothers about what he can do.  Then, maybe he will lash out at them and hit them for correcting him about something.  Patiently, Mom and Dad are training him to rest in God’s love and do right.

Perfectionism only turns on the light about how far we missed the mark.  It deceives us.  It conveniently (or savagely) ignores the fact that we are incapable of fixing our mess.  It is very similar to the news media, either on the right or the left.  Both tend to share the story from their side’s perspective.  They conveniently leave out facts that might soften the story’s finger pointing.  They are crafty.  Yet, they act like they show the full truth.

In the same way perfectionism only highlights how far we miss the mark.  It cruelly leaves out the part that we could never fix the mess we’ve made.  It deceives through partial truth.

You see, pride and insecurity are opposite sides of the same coin.  When we become overly perfectionist, it leads to fear and insecurity about the future.  All of which, leads us to think we should be able to fix our own problems.  At which point, the fear coin flips over and reveals the arrogant pride lying underneath: we should try to fix this all by ourselves!  Then, we lash out in immaturity and selfishness.

Remember, when we die to the flesh, to the old man, we are resurrected with Christ.  In that case it is no longer us who lives but it is Christ living in us.  The emphasis on the daily cross is an emphasis on a daily exchanged life; Christ living in us.

Only the Strong Survive?
The wii is another area where Peter struggles to keep up.  His brothers, naturally understand games faster, or have simply played longer.  They almost always finish way before he does or are several levels beyond him.  We have taught his brothers to cheer him on when they finish and help him along.  Nevertheless, they are still learning to consistently do so and can get impatient.  Again, Peter can suddenly start crying saying things like, “I just can’t do it!”  Or again, he will yell at his brothers for not waiting for him or helping him.  Again, Mom and Dad step in to patiently teach Peter to be at peace and his brothers to share and help.

There is a big difference between an evolutionary approach to life versus a Christian approach.  Evolution teaches survival of the fittest.  To which, there is some truth.  For example, righteousness alone will ultimately survive.  In that sense, only the fittest will survive; Christ and those who follow Him.

But, that is the point: weakness versus strength is not the whole story.  The rest of the story is that Christ came to the weak, poor, orphan and widow to save, redeem and strengthen them.  So, yes, first, we need to live according to what is most likely to survive; i.e. righteousness.  But, then righteousness must be balanced with our inability to be righteous; our need of a savior.

Nevertheless, evolutionists think we are on our own and must fix everything ourselves.  They see industrialism destroying the environment and they think like an evolutionist. Anxiously they say, “We must stop all drilling and imposes major controls!”  The fear leads to arrogant over-control and sucks the life out of economies leading to greater poverty and weakness.  In the same way, an evolutionist sees endangered species and begins to fear.  Anxiety leads to obsessive, one-issue only shame tactics attempting societal change; like unnecessary restraints on ANWAR drilling.  They do the same with poverty and wealth.  They see the disparities and anxiously try to equalize things with bad, unsecured loans.  In each case, the fear leads to hasty, over-obsessive, control efforts to fix what man cannot fix.  They see health care disparities and impose consistently failed utopian dreams.

Unfortunately, right-wing unbelievers also do the insecurity/pride flip routine.  They see controls placed on business and their liberty-cry can carry an arrogant disregard for honesty, integrity and morality.  They deny that sexual immorality causes a nation’s slide into corruption.  After all, sex sells!  Further, they miss the connection between abortion, disregard for human life and Wall Street/Big business bowling over the “little guy” in the name of profits.  Greed has the potential to become almost a virtue.  Their anxiety brings an irrational push for complete freedom from all restraints.

In this sense, the right and the left both share responsibility for our current pre-apocalyptic economic and political situation.  Christians must prophetically speak to both.  We need Christ to turn on the light.  Otherwise, the anxieties of unbelievers will drive them inevitably into not just extreme verbal conflict with one another but, according to scripture, into armed conflicts as well.

Then come apocalypses like the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 or modern Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia.  Certainly, today, North Korea, Venezuela, Israel and Iran all threaten to explode at any moment.  Here in the USA, political discourse has turned very bitter and news media wars threaten to stir passions beyond civility about tea-parties, taxes, race and justice.

Living by the Truth

Mom and Dad have learned to talk with Peter regularly.  We say, “Peter, you are four years old aren’t you!”  He smiles back and says, “Yes, I am, I really am!”  Then, mother says, “Do you know that your three older brothers were all four years old one time?”  Peter eyes start moving back and forth as he thinks about his older brothers being his age.  Dad speaks up and says, “Do you know that when your brothers were your age, they played legos just like you do?  For a four year old, you are doing a great job!”  Peter starts to get it and confidently says, “Yeah, When I am 6 I will be able to make lego spaceships that fly really fast and go way up into space!”  Mom and Dad smile encouragingly and Mom says, “You are a great four year old and when you turn six you will be the greatest six year old we know!”

Anxiety is the ruling passion behind perfectionism.  Living by the truth is different.  It turns on the light but also recognizes that alone we are incapable of fixing our situation.  Therefore, the truth person chooses to go to God asking for His help and wisdom.  He chooses to simply be obedient to God’s commands trusting God to take care of the rest.  He recognizes that there is only so much that a man can do.  He remembers the example of great men of faith like Moses, Joshua, David and Daniel.

Faith and rest are the ruling passions behind truth.

Not Complacency or Compromise
Note that Faith and rest are NOT equal to complacency and compromise.  Though, there are many who would say so.  They say we should be as driven as they are.

Instead, the truth turns on the light, acknowledges the failures and then obeys God.  Such simple obedience is very proactive.  There is no better way to handle a situation than to obey the Lord.  When counseling, I often say, “I have no hope for this situation unless we do it God’s way.”  Faith leads to diligent obedience.  Then, God keeps His promises to show us favor.

So, when we look at the failing economies around the world, when we see the moral decay and corruption rampant in business, society and politics, we need not choose fear and anxiety.

This is the reason for Jesus’ Revelation to John and the Olivet discourse.  Jesus turned on the light about how bad things were and are going to get.  However, when he turned on the light he fully turned it on.  He was clear about how limited are our change efforts.  Further, He was clear about God’s direct role opening the seals and overseeing the blowing of trumpets and pouring out the bowls of wrath.

Obedience and Patience Endurance
He was also clear about our role.

Peter is just now in the process of learning to read.  Just the other day he learned to read the word STOP.  So, of course, now, we always point it out on the road signs around town.  However, he is not so sure that he likes to practice reading.  When Dad says its time to read, he says, “Do I have to?  I don’t want to read now.”  But, then he perks up remembering that he gets some smarties for every page of reading he does.  He will quickly go and get his book and say, “Okay, daddy, where are we?  Let’s do this page!”

When the apocalypse happens, we too are to simply obey and endure patiently.  That means we are to go on preaching the gospel to all nations, making disciples, loving our neighbor as ourselves, taking care of the poor, orphan and widow and growing in our understanding of God’s love toward us in Christ Jesus.  We are to go on taking up our cross daily, putting off the old and putting on Christ.  We are to forcefully advance the Kingdom through faithful integrity and meek endurance.

God will be taking care of the rest.  He will bring down the beastly greed and power driven governments.  He will bring down the greedy, immoral harlot business structures.  He will judge the nations.  He will use the simple obedience of His saints to expose the wicked tyrants and their followers.  He will use the simple obedience of His saints to confound the world’s wisdom.  He will improve the environment, propagate animal species and provide for the poor.  He will cause the meek to inherit the earth.

Summary
So, as we face world-wide financial break down and pervasive political unrest, let Christ’s Revelation to John turn on the light.  Like Peter my son, we are not able to keep up with the “big boys” (God, Satan, Beasts and angels).  But let us not get anxious.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  We need not be perfect.  Rather, let’s reject anxiety.  Let’s reject fear which leads to arrogant, misguided efforts to fix the mess.  We are in way over our heads here.

Let’s embrace the cross and admit our failure and weakness.  Let’s put off the old man and put on the new.  Let Christ now live in us with resurrection power.  In Christ, we are overcomers!  Then let us trust God to do what he promised in Revelation, powerfully judge the wicked and faithfully bless those who trust Christ.

One day, Peter will stand shoulder to shoulder with his brothers in sports, business and life!  Today, he already does so in his parent’s hearts.