Signs of the Times

I haven't followed through on publishing a course on "simple apologetic's", because I soon realized that while the course papers were helpful for me to teach on the subject, they were inadequate as a course without the background and detail of a manual. To be honest, I really don’t want to write a manual at the moment, so hence the procrastination. If anyone wants the course papers alone, they’re available on request. However, exploring this subject was just as beneficial for my own journey, insomuch as the exercise increases the information required to negotiate difficult conversations. However, knowledge has to be exercised for it to be worth the learning, and opportunity must be recognized, to take advantage of. Academic ideas, or simply debate for its own sake, are somewhat pointless without a sense of God’s purpose in the exercise.

On a recent trip to Israel I was challenged by opportunities that required me to think about how and when I might engage in conversation. It was interesting to observe complex and potentially acrimonious situations, and try to understand where conflicting world views were drawn from. I was fascinated by the religious diversity, and constant disquiet. It seems unlikely that anyone could visit this country without gazing into a religious quagmire. I wanted God to give me ears to hear, and eyes to see because Israel is so unique, and all consuming, and I wanted to experience as much as possible. While superficially harmonious, the religious miasma appears in total contradiction to the secular lifestyle of the majority. On our last trip we were insulated from the less savory aspects of this complex country. Being on our own this time meant that our inexperience placed us in situations far outside our comfort zone. These often ended in fascinating conversations with Arabs, secular Israelis, and religious Jews. These conversations were often quite random, such as in cafes, or with waiters in restaurants, and as we negotiated the narrow, and congested alleys of old Jerusalem, the complex and intoxicating nature of this country imparted a far more visceral experience than our last visit. It was not only educating, it was intensely rewarding, and left me with an appreciation for the privilege, of just be there. However, it also left me with an inevitable sadness, about the confrontational reality that overwhelmingly directs Israel’s existence.

It’s highly unlikely the religious tension will ever be resolved, not until the return of Christ. However, the sadness I felt for Israel’s future, I also feel about the moral and spiritual self-indulgence of humanity in general. The next decade will be one of increasing division within the church, primarily over the acceptance of sin. The Church will become more and more divided over the acceptance of unbiblical Christianity. Satan will exert his will from inside, and outside the Church. The wheat will be separated from the weeds. Denominations will fracture and separate, as individual Churches continue down the slope of being all things to all people. Churches will become hollow monoliths; architectural idolatry to encourage tourism. Others will simply die a death of a thousand cuts, as hundreds close their doors because aging parishioners will simply age, and die.

Richard Wurmbrand, a Jewish Pastor who survived the Romanian persecution, asked Jews the question, “Can you live with your questions”. The thrust was primarily a Jewish issue, to address the endless posturing about, “Where was God”, in the devastation that was the holocaust. When I read this article, I thought Christendom may someday ask itself the same question. Sadly the Church continues to debate over un-biblical Christianity, to seemingly satisfy increasing social pressurefor it to be inclusive. By doing so it inexplicably entertains the idea of subjective moral relativism. Having the debate is one thing; repetitive debate over how to be all things to all people, is self-destructive. I suspect most liberal religious critics will not acknowledge the existence of sin under any circumstance, and Satan will search the scriptures looking for a theological loophole, to make sin sinless. Many Churches have, and will embrace, the normalization of sexual preference, solely to gain popularity in the sight of the world. The sociological and political pressure to conform to secular ideologies may dilute right and wrong to the point, that many question “Where is God?”