There are few verses in the Bible that scare me. Not because I don't understand them, but rather because I understand them all too well. The verses that scare me most, are not the words penned by mere mortals, but the words spoken by Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. The church by and large seems to be on standby. We go through the motions every Sunday, sing along with the hymns, if the church we happen to be attending still sings hymns, or shake our heads to the rhythm of the drums, trying to understand the words the worship leader is screaming at us, hoping to make sense of it all, praying to hear the word 'Jesus' thrown in at some point, and waiting. We've gotten good at waiting.
For the past two decades or so, we've been waiting, and waiting, expecting anticipating, that great end time revival that's supposed to fill every church to the rafters, pack out the overflow rooms, and still have hundreds waiting in the parking lot, waving their hands in the air, euphoric with the thought of entering the hallowed halls of the sanctuary.
With hope in our hearts we wait, growing somewhat concerned at the lateness of the hour, at the eruption of sin even within the church, at the gathering darkness, but we're still hopeful. Why just last Sunday, the guest speaker mentioned the coming revival, and how we're supposed to help finance it. See, he said revival was coming too.
Some have waited for so long that they've fallen asleep, in fact a deep sleep, dreaming pleasant dreams, but unlike Euthychus, they sleep in plush recliners not in a window three stories above ground.
They sleep because they figure the noise of the coming revival will stir them from their slumber, and well, they're not the only ones catching a few winks, resting up for that glorious day when they'll have to perform the duty of usher to the unsaved.
Once in a great while their slumber is disturbed by the reality of the world around them, shattering the illusion they've meticulously built for themselves like a stone thrown forcefully through a window. Alas the spiritual anesthesia pumping through their hearts is too strong, unwilling to allow them to be brought to complete alertness, so somewhere between slumber and wakefulness they are dragged back into the deep, never having broken the surface of reason.
And so they slumber on, waiting for a revival that will never come, failing to save themselves from the flames while hoping to save multitudes.
Yes, there are verses that scare me in the Bible, because they contradict popular sentiment, and opinion. One of those verses is the reason I was burdened to write this article:
Luke 18:7-8, "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
Unanswered questions scare me, because they are either rhetorical, or the truth is so unnerving that they are better left unanswered.
Rather than live with our heads in the clouds, waiting for a revival that will never come, may we hold fast what we have, that we may overcome, and thus be made pillars in the Temple of God, and receive the crown of life.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Post Script: This is not the article I intended to write. Somewhere between my head and my fingers, there seems to have been a short circuit of sorts, and this is what came out. Lord willing, tomorrow I will post the article I intended to post tonight.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
ReplyDeleteThere's faith out there in Christiandumb, lots of faith,faith in the wrong thing.
The Church has sold her birthright for a mess of pottage as Esau did.
Instead of seeking King Jesus the church went to another and was decieved.
Now the spirit has deaprted and all that is left is a weak imitation ,not the real thing.
To this day the so called leadership of 'Christiandumb' continue to look for aanother leader to replace the fraud who will supposedly enforce Christian interests while King Jesus is all but ingnore.
Of course when Jesus returns He will find his people full of faith in strong delusions and lies and whoreing after other gods for political power and influence.
And even the remnant is silent, too weak and fearful to speak the truth.
Friendhsip with the world is emnity with God and every world political system is in Jesus' crosshairs for destruction.
God has only set apart one Nation ,people for Himself.
Are we grafted in ?
Therefore remember....
remember that you wereat that time seperate from Christ,EXCLUDED from the Commonwealth of Israel,and strangers to the covenants of promise,having ho hope and without God in the world.
Ephesisns 2:12
Our pride in our fleshly national patriotic association has decieved our hearts and this Idolatry has blinded us to the evil which our leader does against the Israel of God.
The silence and indifference speaks loudly of where our hearts truly are.
Asleep, comatose, as all ten virgins are before Messiah returns.
It seems as though the same people, or churches, who twist the word of God to prove to their congregations that 'revival is coming' also speak of the Lord coming just before judgment hits the earth and we are all blissfully caught up with Him, never having even felt the heat of judgment.
ReplyDeleteGod is not pleased with those who have this mindset. We know the scriptures, that all these things must first come to pass (wars, rumors of wars, sun being darkened, moon not giving her light) but the end is not yet. And it truly is a sorrowful thought that many of these same people will be those who are a part of the great falling away that is spoken of.
Many say, 'it doesn't really matter to me when He comes, I just know that He loves me and that is good enough.' Although, in the natural, I would understand the comfort that one may have in holding on to that thought, it saddens me that people are not willing to die to their flesh, hear the truth of God's word by the Spirit who leads us into all truth, and believe the word of God before the words of men. Claiming that Jesus will come before the judgments that God so clearly told us to prepare for, is only an excuse for people to continue to live their life of pleasing the flesh rather than repenting for the sins that they commit daily.
Michael, you also mentioned something that I have held on to ever since the Lord revealed it to me and that is being made pillars in the temple of God (Rev 3:12). To those that overcome (by hearing the Spirit of God say, 'turn left, go here, etc.)God will make them pillars in His temple that they never have to leave His presence. What could be better than spending eternity at the feet of the the One True God?
May we all have ears to hear the truth of God's word and may we let God's word be true and every man be a liar.
In Him,
Ryan
ryancfrench@yahoo.com
Luke 18:7-8, "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
ReplyDeleteAnd the answer is: Yes!!!
The Philidelphia church with little strength, those who have ears to hear, 2 witnesses, 144,000, those that have been found worthy to escape, those who have been hidden, those that have been gathered to the barn, those in the pavillion, those in the secret chamber, all the Job, Noah and Daniel types, the wise who have prepared, while during this time Jesus himself will shepherd his flock because the hirelings will flee or are found unworthy those who will instruct the sheep, the wise virgins, all those in whom God has chosen to show Himself strong through.
Dave
Do you know what scares me more brother Mike?
ReplyDeleteThe verses that I read that cause me great anguish in my heart knowing that many souls are damned even in my own family and church.
Let me clarify. It is the unwillingness to take seriously the Word, the nonchalantness that I receive from the brethren.
Yes that is what bothers me the most. The fact that no one understands and no one seeks God.
I think I also need to explain something.
ReplyDeleteI believe that God is still offering revival to those who seek Him.
In other words, there are many of us still sitting on the fence with our salvation, still hoping that God will miraculously save us despite the fact that sin is where our heart always was, and without repentance, always will be.
The revival I speak of is for those that God still waits patiently for. They still have the chance to repent for their superficial knowledge of God. The revival that I tell you is coming is the conversion power of the cross that existed ever since Pentecost. This power is the blood of the Lamb.
This coming revival is aimed at the backslider and only has one participant -- your wicked heart.
So many people I know speak of 'revival', when it is not even scriptural! The Bible only tells us of a great apostacy and falling away in these perilous times. My daughter went once to a large church youth group and came home grieved and disgusted at what she saw and heard. Following this, the Lord gave her a vision of this church with the word 'Ichabod' painted on the outside of the building.
ReplyDelete