It’s Not About Us

Yes, I am well aware that the subject of Bible Prophecy is no longer on the tip of the average believer’s tongue these days. I am also aware that the subject evokes certain strong emotions depending on your eschatology or lack thereof. Am I concerned? Yes, but not because I may be considered old-fashioned or not up to speed with this new “post-modern” age. Heaven knows I know way more than I ever wanted to about current winds blowing through the church. My concerns are simply these, in this particular order: a) the Bible is generally not being taught systematically in churches much anymore, and so, b) believers today are increasingly biblically illiterate; therefore, since the Bible is one-third prophecy, it follows that the church is doing something other than studying eschatology today. And of course, the church is multi-tasking on any given day, desiring to make Christ real to whomever comes through the door; now lest you think I am so heavenly minded I am no earthly good in these days of the social gospel, I am well aware of what ministry entails on a day-to-day basis. But don’t forget that we are commanded to know the signs of the times and be watching and waiting for the Lord, and to communicate this to whoever comes through our doors. The Martha church is serving but oh-so-distracted with many things. But the subject of rampant distraction in the church is a different post altogether and I will get to that later.

When I became a believer in 1981, I left the denomination of my youth for a non-denominational verse-by-verse Bible teaching fellowship. I will never forget the excitement of those days, because in addition to getting my first real taste of what the Bible had to say about life and godliness, over the course of a mere couple of weeks of outstanding, faithful teaching I began to comprehend the height and depth of God’s plan for the ages, both past and present. It was this awakening to the subject of prophecy, the concept of ‘history in advance’ in which God is clearly shown for being outside of time, and the idea that we could be forewarned of things to come that not only jump-started my walk with the Lord but it also gave me an overwhelming sense that God was much bigger than I ever imagined, and that He had volumes to say about both our lives in the here-and-now and the hereafter. So I jumped in with both feet and began to learn for the first time ever about this God of Wonders who created me and was actively involved in the affairs of men. Wow. They say we are what we ‘eat’, well, my first meal was Revelation and talk about putting meat on a person’s bones after being spiritually starved all of my life prior!

As I look back over 25 years of systematic Bible study and just abiding in Him on a daily basis, I realize I was part of a larger move of the Spirit, one that had certain characteristics about it that defined the those times; a move of the Spirit that encompassed and defined an entire generation of young people. And since I do not believe in coincidences, I believe this is exactly what God intended for the closing decades of the age. As the aging boomer/hippie generation found their spiritual place in this world, along with this came a renewed interest in Bible prophecy, this too according to His plan and every bit as much a part of the move of the Spirit! As much as I rejoice in this, I have had startling moments of clarity, however, regarding just how perilous the days are in that they also include rampant deception and apathy, this too being prophesied. I recall seeing an old friend from my early walk with the Lord, she had moved on to another church that had a different emphasis. As the subject of prophecy came up in our conversation, she just rolled her eyes and said, “you still into that? I moved on from it as I grew up in the Lord.” In other words, “that stuff is for new believers, I have bigger fish to fry.” Well, if you are reading this, my heart goes out to you because just between you and me and the wallpaper, don’t feel sorry for me, it’s you who are getting ripped off in your walk.

An interesting combination of world events in the ‘60s and ‘70s came together to create radical changes in our culture, and with the dismantling of old norms of behavior known to and accepted by previous generations, caused many believers to wonder if cutting edge new technologies, spiritual counterfeits, the rise of tensions in the Middle East and fast-fading moral absolutes might just be signs that the last of the last days were upon us. Funny thing is, as the days go by more and more signs of His return are readily discerned, but the church for the most part seems to care (and discern) less and less. But even though the study of prophecy has dropped in importance on the chart, that in no way changes the fact that the signs are still there and growing. Unfortunately, the church has been in the habit lately of taking a poll within itself, sort of a subjective internal temperature scan if you will, deciding that how it feels on any given day is reality, and convinces itself to move in a certain direction based on a combination of feelings, sentiment, and adaptation to the trends of a secular world. But without a Biblical barometer on any given day, without total submission to the mind of Christ in all things, we will indeed continue to lose our bearings and direction. Whatever the temperature of the church is on any given day means absolutely nothing to me. I care not about trends, fads, movements, pragmatism, ‘conversations’, or post-modern thinking; what I do care about is being changed from glory to glory, dwelling on the blessed hope and being found watching and waiting and looking for the world to come wherein righteousness dwells. This world is not my home, I’m just passing through. My treasures are laid up ‘somewhere beyond the blue’.

So maybe you’ve never studied Bible prophecy in all it’s 3-dimensional glory. Well, it’s never too late to start, and the resources available to you at this point in the digital age are mind-boggling. I had no such technology at my fingertips when I did my first prophecy update here in 1988. So a lack of ability to do research is absolutely no excuse today! Like the very Scripture itself, it is a multi-faceted, faith-building, hope-filled, perspective-keeping pursuit that causes us to rise above temporal struggles and focus on the Lord and His work in the church and the world. On a basic level, it’s about what the Word has to say as it applies to that exciting window of time before Jesus returns to rule in power and glory. The Bible has much to say about the times and seasons leading up to His second coming, and how we can know if we are even in those times and seasons. On another level, it’s about seeing the Lord’s hand in orchestrating and fore-ordaining world events to accomplish His plan for the ages, and how it builds our faith when we discern and perceive His hand in all things. And on yet another level, it’s about the personal ramifications of being the kind of believer who has their eyes on the skies, has their heart firmly in heaven while in the body is mired here below in the mundane tasks of life; the kind of Christian who is so heavenly minded that the things of earth take a back seat to the glory that is being produced in us. So with these three things in mind, let’s look onward and upward as we discuss these things. It is my fervent prayer that you the reader would be the kind of Christian who is simply so committed to watching and waiting for Him that your perspective is heavenward and you can then know profound inner peace no matter what life throws at you. After all, as my title suggests, “it’s not about us”. Never was, never will be.

What a time to be alive! Given the choice between living when Jesus came the first time to earth, and now at the close of the age, I would take today in all it’s perilous glory. Why is that? Because, my friends, the end of the age is at hand, and Jesus has promised to return. All the kings and kingdoms of this world will take their final bows, all the kings and kingdoms of this world will be seen for what they were and are, and be judged accordingly. Did they rule righteously? Or did they do evil in the sight of the Lord? How did they treat Israel, and the saints of God? All this and more God will take into account when the books are opened. The church age and the age of man will be no more, and the glorious reign of Christ will begin. Who would not want to be present to see the culmination of all things, these ‘things to come’? And since I believe with all my heart that the end of all things is near, you will see that this is what drives me and shapes my day to day existence. Let’s cut to the chase.

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.