Revival and the Second Coming

I have a friend who has an interesting theory concerning the Second Coming of Christ.

First, two side notes here.

 

1.    Yes, I know we’re not supposed to set dates concerning the Second Coming and you could throw a hundred Bible verses at me to prove it. Just look at all the great fun Christians had ridiculing Harold Camping when he tried to precisely calculate the date.

2.    By “Second Coming” I mean the Rapture. We can discuss the chronology of the end times at a later date.

But, let’s face it, it’s entertaining to speculate. So my friend’s theory postulates that the Second Coming will occur when Billy Graham goes to be with the Lord. It’s an interesting theory, but it’s pure speculation.

I, on the other hand, have a more pressing concern and, of course, a theory to go along with it. Well, it’s perhaps not a theory, but more of a prayer: it’s the spiritual well-being of the United States of America.

Unless you have had your head buried in the sand all the way to your shoulders, you realize that the spiritual and moral climate in our country is lower than Bill Nye’s view of creation. I believe we are at a spiritual turning point in the USA. Very soon the USA will come to a spiritual fork in the road.

And when will we arrive at that critical juncture …

When Billy Graham dies. According to my theory, when Dr. Graham goes to meet the Lord, America will reach a watershed moment in its spiritual health. The last great evangelist in the USA will have been taken home by the Lord. Where will that leave us? Well, with no one to stand as a beacon of light, darkness may well prevail on the land and then every man may do what he thinks is right in his own eyes.

Or will a new spiritual leader arise in the land? Better yet, how about if the Lord appoints a leader of the country with great moral and spiritual fortitude? Then we might have a repeat of what Israel experienced in 2 Chronicles 15:1–15.

Pray for that, brothers and sisters.

The Great Debate – Short and Sweet

Now that everybody with a pen (or a computer) has appropriated their opinion concerning the Great Debate between Ken Ham and Bill Nye  on Tuesday evening, we’ll present the final word. Well, may not final but at least the word up to this point.

First a word of disclosure. I’m a creationist – a young earth creationist. And, unless I get a revelation from God, I’ll stay that way. Also we had the pleasure of visiting the Creation Museum last summer. It was great and I would love to go back again – soon.

So, here’s the deal. My wife Ellie (New Creation Ministries) and I really looked forward to this debate. We planned our day around it. We ran the test patterns on our computer thingy and were already for two and a half hours of intelligent debate.  Understand that the debate began at 5PM AZ time – right at the dinner hour. As you can figure, dinner time was reappointed.

In the end we felt it was a major disappointment. Here’s why:

No one’s mind will probably be changed. Let’s face it most people interested in this debate are either hardcore creationists or hardcore evolutionists. And certainly no evidence was presented during the debate that would change the skeptical mind of a reasonable man.

The combatants didn’t stay on topic.  Nye kept wanting to talk about the ark (That’s a different debate, Bill.) and Ham kept presenting the Gospel (Ken, that’s what won the debate.) The whole tone of the debate kind of had a little political flavor. You know, when you ask a politician a question, it never really gets answered. Case in point: Bill O’Reilly’s interview with President Obama before the Super Bowl. It was pretty much the same talking about creation and evolution.

When the debate concluded I immediately thought of the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16.19-31) and in particular verse 26 - And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ (ESV). You see, there is this great chasm between the creationist and the evolutionist. And I do not think that chasm was bridged at all in Tuesday’s debate.

David and Goliath

I came upon this blog entry through Facebook and thought it was worth a comment or two. Dr. David Lamb is a professor at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA, the school from which I received an M.A. in 1992. Lamb was not a professor of mine – and while I’m not sure, I suspect he may have been learning his ABC’s at the time.

I am taking my lead from Dr. Lamb’s assessment of Malcolm Gladwell’s book. First, I agree with Dr. Lamb’s conclusion that Goliath was probably not a lumbering, half-blind giant of a man with the IQ of a beet. Goliath was most assuredly a man of immense physical proportions – enough to scare the … tar out of every Israelite.

But I think more importantly, Gladwell would be correct if he viewed the situation from a spiritual point of view. Unfortunately, he does not. It is all from a physical viewpoint. Granted the physical may be the emphasis of the text, but there is an underlying spiritual viewpoint here also. Goliath really did not have a chance physically based on the spiritual situation in play.

It is odd and sad that a man such as Gladwell who writes religious/spiritual books does not support his argument from the spiritual angle as opposed to the physical. He misses the whole point.

Lamb is correct in his conclusion, “David, the underdog, defeated Goliath the champion with the help of his God.”

And, David, it is not whether you are a “giant” in the world of publishing. It is whether you are a man of immense spiritual proportions.

I’m know you are.

 

[Image from Bible Pathways - Rose Kendall: One Year Bible, May 15]