With all that’s happening in the world it’s no wonder that people are anxious about what may be ahead, and are increasingly worried about the future of their children—and not without reason — big cities can be vulnerable. Absolute security can never be guaranteed, not even in geographically separate Australia.
Of special concern to me, though, is the tendency of some Christians to retreat from the grim reality of the nightly news into a kind of escapism that at first glance appears to be Bible-based. So, the other day I sat down and listed a few fairly predictable reactions, along with relevant suggestions.
The Escapist Mindset. This involves a flurry of getaway activities that include identifying oneself with a “remnant” group whose members have helped prepare a “secret place” for the few who will enter into it and thus survive an inevitable apocalypse.
God is never without a faithful remnant on this earth, but don’t think that He will hide them in caves or cloak them with anonymity. Google Earth doesn’t miss much, and anyway, God’s people worldwide are numbered in the billions, so who’s to say which of them will join “the few”?
Some Christians meet in houses and some in cathedrals. Elijah thought he was the only one, but God told him that he had 7000 who hadn’t bowed the knee to Baal. (Even prophets don’t know everything.) But do get closer to those who are determined to be faithful to the Lord no matter what, and refuse to compromise what Jesus taught in order to gain the stamp of political or religious approval.
The “Miracles R Us” Mentality. Why load up the 4×4 with provisions and head for The Secret Place when instead you can be safe with God’s Anointed in a powerful mega-church? Of course, it needs to be one where the anointing is strong enough to overpower anyone who steps over the threshold with mischief in mind.
There’ll also be Prophetic Protection: a kind of Early Warning System that operates among those who seem to see things that others can’t. If they talk about it after the event, they usually say, “I knew it, God told me.” “Better late than never”? Better never than late!
Credible mega-churches are great rallying points for Christians to recharge their spiritual batteries after long-term service in small churches has drained them. But don’t allow experience to be the sole indicator of faith—and take that refreshing you’ve received back where it’s most needed: the small church in your own community, because Jesus is there, too.
The Revelation-based Reverse View. A special blessing is promised those who read The Revelation—the last book in the Bible. So, we shouldn’t ignore it just because it’s difficult or scary. On the other hand, it is crowded with symbols that speak of events that are either past or future, depending on what books you’ve read or which films you’ve seen.
The ideas of your first pastor would have been influential. (Mine had an historical bent, and saw the sting in the scorpions’ tails as the cannons that were towed backwards by the Ottoman Turks!) Do read the Book of Revelation, but don’t read it through best-selling, End Time books that are more novels than commentaries.
An important key to bible study is to interpret the things that aren’t clear through the things that are. What Jesus said would happen is clear when we separate First Century events from those of the Second Coming.
The Apostle Paul’s writings clarify the teachings of Jesus. Keep in mind that Peter’s sermons to the Jews in the Book of Acts focus on the crucifixion of Jesus, whereas Paul’s focus is on Christ’s return, the Resurrection and the Judgement. This is because Peter was called to the Jews of his generation who had crucified their Messiah, and Paul was called to non-Jewish nations who hadn’t even heard of Jesus. Peter was driven by the past; Paul was drawn toward the future.
A Jesus-based grounding in the Gospels is the only sure foundation. The apostles Peter and Paul built a strong structure on that foundation. Since the Bible is not one book but sixty-six, maybe the last book should be read after all the others instead of before them. Of course, there are those who claim they know their Bible backwards, but maybe they began by reading from the wrong end.