Many Christians have a "Eat, Drink, and be Merry" attitude out of despair. For the masses it seems to be a hopeless situation. We say, "I don't want to hear about it, it just makes me feel bad, I don't want to feel bad, besides, there is nothing that I can do about it anyway."

His plant was closed. His job was sent to Mexico. And Rush Limbaugh said, "American's don't want to do those jobs anyway."

The government won't let him shoot the varmits that are killing his cattle.

"I'll just eat drink and be merry until the day I die.".

The problem here, shared by both Conservatives and Judeo-Christians, is this, the Christian has nothing to do but wait for God to handle the situation. It is not for the Christian to take action today because "it is not God's time".

The implication is, to even take action today would be contrary to God's will.

For us, this is not good news of the kingdom. It is bad news in our lifetime.

Christians really want action.

Christians really want victory.

Christians really want a cause to spend their money on, a cause that gets results.

What is the effect of these defeatist sermons. An empty collection basket and a defeatist attitude toward "the enemy".

These frustrated selfless saints 'try to get something going'. These saints find it virtually impossible to rally the masses. Impossible to raise money to conduct their ministry. Impossible to raise funds from masses who are told ahead of time that they will be defeated.

The Bible says, "Without a vision (of victory) the people perish." Proverbs 29:18. Christianity's present vision is not 'victory in Jesus', but rather, present defeat until Jesus returns.

What about the 'cults'?

The 'cults': For more of 'The Gospel of Gloom and Doom' we need only turn to the so called 'cults'. The following quotes are from Jehovah's Witness Publications. They share many of the same viewpoints as do the Conservatives and Judeo-Christians.

In view of the short time left, a decision to pursue a career in this system of things is not only unwise but extremely dangerous...many young brothers and sisters were offered scholarships or employment that offered fine pay. However they turned them down and put spiritual interests first. (Kingdom Ministry June 1969, page 3)

Yes the end of this system is so very near! Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end. (Kingdom Ministry, May 1974, page 3)

This was good advice for the days of the Apostles. The time just before the destruction of Jerusalem. But is it good advice for modern day America? Here is what Pastor Balyeat has to say in his book.

"As I have already stated in this book, a church which has been fed a steady diet of short-term vision and pessimistic predestination will only naturally retreat from every public area of society and hand it over to godless humanists. Jesus (who never makes false predictions) assures us that the result of this removal of cultural salt will inevitably be cultural decay. The

premillennial cultural pietists fail to see that the present wave of unrighteousness in society is not a fulfillment of Bible prophesy, it is a fulfillment of self-fulfilling prophesy! (Babylon-The Great City of Revelation, page 149.)
The Time Machine

Those who 'come out of Babylon'

Some simply 'flee unto the mountains'. They retreat from the world. They retreat either spiritually via a belief in the Rapture doctrine, or physically by moving into the wilderness. Some try to set up separate Christian communities which are away from society in general.

Whatever happened to the Great Commission? Whatever happened to the Dominion Mandate? Are God's people to retreat into pietistic enclaves and await a Rapture? Should Christians withdraw from society, 'to come out of Babylon' by setting up separate living areas, cabins in the wilderness, enclaves in the Northwest? Only to have a shoot out with Federal Authorities with lying headlines such as, "Cult Compound surrounded! Seven Haters captured!"

Heard on a call-in radio program

Anti-Semite caller to Jewish guest: "You damn Jews, you run everything: banking, movies, newspapers, ..."
Angered Jewish guest interrupting: "If you Christians would get off your dead asses and work half as hard as we do, then you would run things."

Who is waiting on whom?

Perhaps it is not for us to 'wait on the lord, perhaps He is waiting for us. Stay tuned!

What has really happened since
the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.?

American Pie is still available at your local record store.

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