By
Camilla Smith
The other day I
heard a very
famous preacher
(a great one)
speaking about
why the church
was so
weak. Unfortunately
I was in the
car, pulling
into the garage
with groceries
when the sermon
was beginning
and I didn’t get
to hear very
much of
it. Obviously, I
do not know what
his conclusion
was. But when I
heard him pose
the question to
the
congregation,
“Why is today’s
church so weak?”
I blurted out
“Because nobody
preaches about
the end times!”
The radio
probably didn’t
hear me, so that
is why I am
writing this
down. And
that is what I
truly believe.
I wonder if you
polled churches
of today, how
many are pastors
are teaching
Bible prophecy?
I mean really
getting into the
heart of it,
week after week
after week--not
just a little
two or three
week series. To
me, it is
essential that
Christians know
and understand
what is just
around the
corner. Satan
certainly seems
to have no
trouble
deciphering
where we are in
God’s prophetic
timeline, so
wouldn’t it
stand to reason
that Christians
should have a
pretty good
grasp of it?
How else can we
go on the
offensive?
How many
ministers in the
average American
church are
teaching the
truth about the
Second Coming of
Jesus?
Will they
mention Israel
and the
God-given signs
that have been
fulfilled about
God’s chosen
people?
Are they talking
about the
Rapture?
Do they describe
the Great
Tribulation and
go into detail?
Do they focus on
the wrath of God
and the rise of
the Antichrist,
the Millennial
Kingdom and the
New Heaven and
the New
Earth? What
about all those
millions of
demons that are
going to be
unleashed in
that horrible
seven year
period between
the Rapture and
the Battle of
Armageddon?
How many pastors
are willing to
go out there on
a limb and talk
about Daniel,
Isaiah, Ezekiel,
Thessalonians,
and (should we
say it?)
Revelation? Oh,
I don’t know
about
Revelation. Pretty
scary stuff
there.
Might offend
someone.
Besides, it is
written in
secret code and
not meant for us
to understand.
Whatever.
I am not a Bible
scholar. I am
not a Bible
expert. I am
barely a Bible
student, but I
am getting
there. And the
more I learn
about Bible
prophecy, the
more I want to
know. I cannot
get enough of
the stuff.
I don’t
understand why
more people are
not demanding to
hear what Bible
prophecy is
about. Is
it just not the
most fascinating
subject ever?
I believe God
told Daniel to
seal up his
prophecy until
the time of the
end, and we are
at the time of
the end, so
what’s the
holdup? We
need to look
into this! And
that is exactly
what a few great
“end times”
experts are
doing
today—unsealing
the very
intricate
prophecy that
was meant for
the people of
the last
days—that would
be US. It
is no wonder we
are (well they
are) figuring
all this out.
But these
prophecy experts
are few and far
between and they
can’t do it by
themselves!
They need
pastors to take
it to the
masses.
There is some
end times
prophecy that
was meant
specifically for
the very people
who would
understand it,
the people that
it would be
relevant to. Why
else does it
make sense to
us? We ARE
that group of
people. It is
all beginning to
make perfect
sense now. It is
all coming
together in such
an orchestrated
manner that
there is only
one
explanation—the
God who knew the
beginning to the
end from the
beginning, has
put it in our
grasp and
customized His
word for the
people of this
time in history.
But do we hear
this in the
mainstream
ministries? Not
so much. I flip
from favorite TV
preacher to
favorite TV
preacher and
find a few of
them teaching
about the Second
Coming. It
is encouraging
and maybe it
will catch on.
This past week,
Robert Jeffress
tackled the
Great
Tribulation with
finesse and I
must say, I was
hanging on his
every word. I
just could not
get over the
fact that
someone was
actually
preaching on the
subject and I
sat mesmerized
listening to the
message. It was
like biblical
nirvana!
I want to know
more. Don’t you
want to know
more? I want to
know details. I
want to know
what people
think. I want to
hear something
new. I love how
inspired I get
by reading and
studying the
Bible, and
searching for
the handful of
cutting edge
teachers who are
willing to take
on the end times
topic and teach
about it.
I wish the
desire to put
together the
puzzle pieces of
God’s revelation
to us would
overtake us and
we would become
a little
obsessed with
it.
But that is just
my thought.
There are
probably many,
many reasons why
the church of
today is
weak. Part of
it, I also
believe, is that
the entire
church family is
divided over the
whole Second
Coming issue
anyway. And
whether to focus
on it or
not. There is
that, and then
there is the
minutia like
mega church
building funds,
mission funds,
outreach funds,
youth ministry
funds, donut and
coffee bar
funds, popcorn
funds, vacation
Bible school
funds, and the
biggie,
whether-to-have-rock-music-or-not
funds. Ouch.
So my friends, I
am just spouting
off again,
putting my
thoughts out
there and
testing the
waters. I
am grateful to
have a platform
to even declare
my humble
opinions, but if
I am going to do
so, I might as
well stir up a
hornet’s nest
while I am at
it.
I believe that
we are living in
the last days of
life as we know
it. There are
political powder
kegs around the
world as thick
as ants in an
ant hill, ready
to blow up at
the lighting of
a fuse. It won’t
take much to
ignite a major
war. Morality
and decency have
gone to you know
where, in a you
know
what. Famine,
greed,
perversion,
pestilence—we
have all the
ingredients.
All we need is a
giant sinkhole
and the demons
can start rising
from the abyss.
I believe that
extremely soon,
the trumpet of
Gabriel will
sound and we
will be
“harpazoed” out
of here.
The signs are
undeniable.
I feel the
change and I
sense the tide.
It is like no
other time in
history and we
are witnessing
it unfold before
our eyes. And
that is why I
cannot
comprehend the
lack of teaching
on the subject
in our
churches. It is
the most
important moment
in the history
of
mankind—quickly
approaching—and
there seems to
be no cause for
alarm. In fact,
it is just the
opposite. Many
Christians have
been lulled to
sleep and just
keep hitting the
snooze button.
I can see where
a minority of
Christians would
think we are on
the precipice of
leaving this
earth and kick
back and wait it
out. But I would
love to see what
happened to
churches if
pastors really
preached about
the times we are
in. Maybe
they are afraid
people would run
for the hills,
leaving them
with an empty
offering plate.
But more likely,
people would
come in droves
to hear what
they are hungry
for, or at least
what true
Christians
should be hungry
for—details on
the return of
Jesus.
If there was a
huge movement to
preach Bible
prophecy, I
can’t help but
believe a
spiritual
revival would
bowl us over and
get that fire
roaring. To me,
Bible prophecy
is like
kindling. It
stokes the
smoldering coals
under believers
and sets our
spiritual sparks
ablaze. At least
that is what it
did for me. It
was like someone
turned the knob
on the gas stove
from simmer to
boil.
But there is
definitely an
element of the
church that is
taking a
nap. And I
guarantee you,
while people are
snoozing, you
can bet that God
is hard at work,
continuing to
spin his perfect
web and utterly
putting things
in motion to
finalize His
plan for
humanity and His
kingdom.
If you are doing
your job, you
should see
things falling
into place
around you. Your
non-believing
friends and
relatives should
be changing
their tune,
should be
softening their
hearts, and
should be coming
to Christ. Your
own life should
be looking
pretty spiffy
and
polished—hopefully
as close to
Christ-like as
you have ever
been. Do you
see a
change? Are you
touching a
life? Do you
have that
burden? Are you
content with
your own
spiritual
status?
There are some
exceptional
churches among
us. And there
are many, many,
dog-tired and
under-appreciated
pastors who do a
phenomenal job
at juggling
their
ever-demanding
and I am sure,
exasperating
jobs. It is an
absolutely
self-sacrificial
and multifaceted
job and I could
not do it.
But I wonder if
the majority of
churches are
truly feeding
their sheep? Are
they leading
their flocks?
Are they really
even watching
for the wolves?
And are they
passionately
looking up for
the Lamb?
Bible prophecy
is an integral
part of a
Christian’s walk
with the Lord.
We have a peace
that passeth all
understanding
and a hope that
is
unprecedented.
How do we know
this?
BIBLE PROPHECY.
How can we know
what we know,
and not be
teaching this
vital aspect of
God’s word?
I think it is a
minister’s job
to tell the
whole story, as
best he can, to
the best of his
true knowledge
and
interpretation
of the
scriptures. And
that includes
the prophecy
part—the
prophecy of the
first coming of
Jesus Christ and
the prophecy of
the soon return
of Jesus Christ.
Almighty God
loved us enough
to give us
insight into
what is coming.
Prophecy is in
the Bible for a
reason and if it
were to become
the hot topic in
the pulpit, we
might actually
see that revival
we have been
longing for.
I’d say it is
worth a try.
Camilla
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