“Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of Christ scarcely at all.”

— A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

“In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.”

“We must wake ourselves up! Or somebody else will take our place, and bear our cross, and thereby rob us of our crown.”

— William Booth quotes (English Spiritual leader, founder and general of the Salvation Army. 1829-1916)

Summary of a recent Barna Survey called “Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010”

1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.
2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.
3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life.
4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.
5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church.
6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. …..  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  2Thess. 2:3-4, 9-12

Sadly, some false ‘expectations’ about the future are held by many of us.  One i’ve ‘looked for’ over the years is the event of some kind of revival among people that would bring many to Christ.  Lately i’m recognizing i don’t have scriptural support for such a hope.

in fact, the verses above would indicate the opposite.  when considered at face value, what does the Spirit of revelation tell us?

1. the future holds a great falling away (vs. 3)  “falling away” = forsake, separation, divorcement, apostasy … the reference from which is identified in vs. 10 as the truth.  so there won’t be any revival, but just the opposite.  around us, many will take out of their realm of acceptable beliefs anything that includes the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.  but more grave, many who today ‘hold the christian faith’  as their own will reject it in days to come, and their rejection will most likely be permanent.  that will be hard to take because many of these will be those we count dear and the sadness will be almost unbearable.  things are not going to get better, either in the world, or in the visible church.
2. sin, and it’s advocates, will become more clearly identified (vs. 3-4), and as such, the work of the enemy will be more open, more generally accepted, more adversarial, more brutal in his dictatorial rule.
3. this personification of sin will have great powers, both to perform miraculous acts and to convince mankind of it’s superiority. (vs. 9&11)  “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign ..”  and those signs will be given, generously, enough such that our hollywood de-sensitized imaginations will be yet impressed.  so, if we become enamored with fX and the world’s imaginations, we will have our appetites whetted sufficiently to easily be drawn into the ‘last days show’.   this show will contain “all deceivableness of unrighteousness“, meaning the personal results will be both unavoidable/irresistible and to our serious spiritual harm.
4. our gullibility is a result of not having received “the love of the truth” (vs. 10).  but how can that be?  any ‘saint’ would heartily proclaim his love for the truth.  could it be we, like so many in the past, have loved that truth we hold dear, or find most convenient, or find to fit out natural world view, but those aspects of the truth which the Spirit brings gently to our heart we quickly discard?  the implication here is that this love for the truth is a prerequisite for our salvation, a required attitude in a believer, a surgically necessary daily operation.
5. our refusal to cherish the truth at all costs (and crosses) is rewarded with deception, delusion, a mind that believes a lie, a mind no longer capable of discerning the truth (vs. 11).   i know in the past i have believed the lie that i can go into another ‘country of the mind’ and participate in life there for awhile, and later return to my homeland, my heartland.  thankfully by God mercy, He has allowed me to return, and led me back ‘in the way’.  but this verse speaks of a time, a point in one’s life, when such a way back is no longer available.  it would seem we become captured by an addiction of the mind, an addition of belief, that renders us lost, possibly even permanently lost!
6. lastly, it would seem the cause of our loss of love for the truth is due to a “pleasure in unrighteousness” (vs. 12)  it seems the one drives out, causes to wither, the other.  but again, many a ‘saint’ would claim no pleasure in unrighteousness, so what possible might be happening to bring about such a seemingly abhorrent action?!?  is it possible our liberty has accommodated such things that constitute a pleasure in unrighteousness?  are we currently taking the small steps that lead to a great fall?

a terrible conclusion to the ages lies ahead, and possibly close ahead.  and as we move forward in His-story, our seeds of action will bring a harvest in our souls and minds.  the day draws near; “let no man deceive you“, especially that inner voice of appeasement.

“A leader in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has declared that the breakdown of traditional families, far from being a “crisis,” is actually a triumph for human rights.

Speaking at a colloquium held last month at Colegio Mexico in Mexico City, UNFPA representative Arie Hoekman denounced the idea that high rates of divorce and out-of-wedlock births represent a social crisis, claiming that they represent instead the triumph of “human rights” against “patriarchy.””
— [http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/feb/09020312.html]

patriarchy was established by God, first in the garden at the creation of man, and later affirmed in the new covenant (1cor. 11:3). since it is God’s design, we need to have a biblical understanding, and a obedient lifestyle.

“Contrary to common understanding, true Biblical Patriarchy is not man dominance, but God dominance through man as head of his household, where he must love his household as Christ loves the church and if necessary lay down his life for it.” [http://www.patriarchywebsite.com/bib-patriarchy/bib-patr-is.htm]

don’t get me wrong: there are countless examples of abuse of the role of a patriarch (as alleged later in the article), just as there are countless examples of abuse by government officials, or spiritual leaders, or any other group in the human race. but abuse by one doesn’t mean the whole group is a failure or wrong in it’s efforts. it just means particular members who have been given responsibility have failed to uphold their trust.

God designed and guided patriarchy is essential for God followers of this day. it must be assertive, not passive, but also sacrificial, not domineering, a tough balancing act to walk. and dodging the arrows of the enemy and archers of the day won’t be easy! but may God fill and bless the men who dare to walk according to His calling, leading, caring for and protecting those given into his care. and may the Patriarch who we are to represent be praised by our every word and action, and never shamed.

~ sola dei gloria ~