davidbowerkingwood

What’s Going on in the World?

Hardly a day goes by that some new jarring headline announces something that flies in the face of decency and order. A headline recently came to my attention:

“Girl Scouts Reverse Stance and Accept Little Boy Who Wants to Join!”

The little boy in question is seven years old, has an older sister, and likes to play with girl toys at this point in his life; to use this as an opportunity to start him on such a destructive path is irresponsible to say the very least. The article mentions no father so it would appear a single mom, who has a different last name, is permitting, if not encouraging, her son to follow a path which is not likely to be sustainable. As one male observer pointed out once this seven year old boy reaches puberty his interest in girls and girl things will likely take a big shift.

Demographic and Other Forms of Decline

According to demographic studies a national birth rate below 2.1 births per woman will result in a steadily shrinking population. The birth rate for caucasian women in the United States is 1.9 births per woman which is well below the replacement rate of 2.1.  The only thing that has given the United States a demographic edge is immigration, which is sustaining the overall population at a marginal level of growth.

Back to the original question, “Why is All This Happening Now?” I believe there is a simple answer to that question; we are living in the last days as described in the Bible and watching the problems associated with that era unfold before our eyes.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 the Apostle Paul cautioned Timothy about the last days that would come when he wrote:

“3 But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, ⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!”

Exposure to these kinds of thoughts can come in many forms including personal contact, TV, reading materials, and movies; it is important that Christians use discernment in what they do and watch. What we must also do is to recognize these symptoms as the signs of the times and not let them cause us to lose hope.

Establishing Our Priorities

I think many of us have deep feelings of sadness as we watch the United States slide down the slippery slope of moral decline. In the eyes of many, Christianity and Christ have become politically unacceptable because of the absolute moral standards insisted on by the Christian faith which tells us everything is not acceptable, everything is not OK and actions must be measured according to the moral standards established in the Bible.

To say that only by faith in Christ can one escape eternal damnation is to condemn every other so-called faith as false and becomes very politically incorrect by contemporary standards. The very mention of God has become offensive to many who feel any such reference is offensive and hurtful to them.

As we watch this change in national attitude we are called upon to re-evaluate the placement of our priorities. Can it be the extent of our sadness is in direct proportion to the degree of misplacement we’ve allowed in our lives? To what extent have we seen the United States as home as opposed to our heavenly home? To what extent have we seen ourselves as citizens of the United States rather than ambassadors for Christ in a land that is not really our own? That is a hard question to ask and an even harder question to answer.

I love Texas and I love the United States but is that a love for my home or a love for my mission field? Intellectually there is a clear answer to that question; emotionally I’m not quite so sure.

Change Seems Inevitable

Like it or not there is change in the air; the winds of change are blowing and it is only in the Bible that we find some clues as to what the nature of that change may be. The United States is conspicuously absent from Bible prophecy; how can it be that the preeminent world power will be gone during the last days described in the Bible?

Despite the widespread efforts to attack Christ and Christianity there are an extremely large number of Christians in the United States. What if all of those people were suddenly removed simultaneously in an instant? The chaos in this country would be unimaginable throwing it into an extreme crisis.

The rapture of the church will accomplish exactly that and will leave this country in a shambles. Those of you who have heard me teach on unfulfilled prophecy know I believe the rapture can be the catalyst that triggers the Battle of Psalm 83. Although Israel will have God’s protection no such protection is promised to the United States and I believe attacks on the United States, triggered by the rapture, will reduce the United States to the level of a third world country. It would be naive to think there are no Muslim sleeper cells awaiting orders to attack.

The destructive impact of an EMP burst a few hundred miles above the United States could wipe out the electrical and electronic infrastructure upon which so much in this country depends throwing us back into a 19th century economy. There are several nations with the ability and willingness to do that if they thought they could get away with it; the rapture could be seen as the opportunity for which they so earnestly seek.

Uncertain Timing

While the certainty of these events is clearly stated in the Bible, the timing is not clear at all. I have no idea whether I will go home to the Lord by death or by the rapture; only the Lord knows. Fortunately I have complete peace with that arrangement; I’m delighted to leave that sort of thing to the Lord Jesus Christ.

^“20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” Rev. 22:20-21