The area I live in has more churches per capita than any city in the world. Nashville, as well as its surrounding communities, is a church-saturated city. It offers a smorgasbord of Christianity… every kind, every denomination, every belief is here. As a result it is much like Jerusalem in the time of Jesus… the most religious city in the world.
The late Billy Graham came to Nashville in 2000 for a crusade in the then new, Titans Stadium. He was interviewed on television at the time and asked the question, “Of all places to come, why did you choose Nashville when it has more churches than any other city in the United States?" His answer was, to put it mildly, shocking. He calmly and with boldness replied, "Where there is the most religion, it is the darkest." I remember thinking to myself at the time there was no way anyone is going to catch this, much less understand what he means by it. It will sail right over everyone's head.
This is not about Nashville but about the body of Christ worldwide, especially in America. I'm not pointing my fingers at anyone, as I have none to point; this is an exhortation to all who read to consider what you are about to ingest.
The apostle John writes this: Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is with you. Walk while The Light is with you lest the darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may be children of The Light." John 12:35-36 His words were an urgent exhortation as He had just laid out for His disciples the plan and necessity of His death on the cross. But that urgency wasn't just for them, it spans the past 2000 years of history from the cross to now and means just as much to us today, if not more, than it ever did.
I find a curious thing happening throughout Christianity. The majority have buried their heads beneath the sand. They don't want to see what's coming. They don't want to know the realities of the unseen world that surrounds us. They don't want to understand darkness or the way that it works. They don't want to know that it's breathing down your necks every minute of every day. And more than anything, they don't want to know the end of all things. The majority of Christianity would prefer to stay safe and disconnected, uninvolved with reality. They are taught to only look for the positive and the uplifting! But whose life is full of only positive and uplifting things? They go to church on Sunday and midweek bible studies but beyond that they have no interest in understanding or discussing all the things happening right in front of our eyes and the very high possibility of the nearness of the coming of Jesus.
We love religion because religion keeps God at a distance. The socialist Karl Marx said "religion is the opium of the masses". Religion is highly uncomfortable with the very reason Jesus came and died in the first place: restore INTIMACY with God! It was religion that drove the people at Sinai to tell Moses to go up on the mountain and talk to God himself because God was too scary for them. It was religion that built the golden calf. Religion is a barrier, a wall built within the soul that keeps a deep intimate relationship with God at bay. Intimacy is a bad word among many if not most in Christianity. Religion is the antithesis of what God desires: He wants us to KNOW Him. The Hebrew word for the kind of knowing God desires is yada. Adam yada Eve and she conceived a child. Genesis 4:1 Intimacy is not optional, it's mandatory. (see http://stevenbliss.blogspot.com/2010/10/yada-well-of-transformation.html) Religion knows that getting that close to God means we have to die to ourselves, and in this world at this time, preserving self is far more important than putting to death the very thing that causes separation with God in the first place.
But here's the kicker, if you knew that the return of Jesus was imminent, within the next ten to twelve years, and that those years were going to be an accelerated progression of worse to worse to worse; and you were fully aware that time was beyond short, not just for your own life but for lives of everyone you love, not to mention the entire world; would you change the direction you are going? Would you pull your head out of the sand and urgently begin seeking God for the knowledge and understanding of what is taking place so that you could have the wisdom, courage, power and discernment to help others come to know the same truth? How many will be desperately searching for answers? How many will be crying out to be snatched from the fires that consume them? Let me ask you, who will have the answers at that point? Who will God use to deliver the message and walk in the power of God? Will it be you, or will you choose to close your eyes and turn away not even realizing that what you are seeing are the very things Jesus Himself said would happen just before He returns?
We all want positive things, good things, and wonderful things, but my friends, that's not what we were promised. Jesus said, "I have spoken these things to you so that you will have peace in Me. You shall have much suffering and tribulation and trials in this world, but take heart, I have overcome the world." John 16:33 The apostles taught persecution, trials and tribulations with the very real possibility of loosing their lives. They did not teach escapism. There is the large contingency within Christianity awaiting a Rapture. That sudden snatching away of the church in order to be spared the promised hard things that will come just before Jesus returns. But do you know the story of Passover? Does the Passover mean anything to you? Could there be something in the Passover itself and the way it took place that will be replayed in the end?
Did you know that the story of the Exodus will be repeated on a global scale at the end? Sadly most pastors and teachers turn their backs on the most prophetic of all stories leading their flocks astray as they relegate the Exodus and its prophesies to an old testament story that only pertained to the Hebrews at the time but has no relevance for believers today. The truth is, the exact opposite is true! The result disengaging with the Hebraic heritage of our faith, Christianity eagerly looks for the Great Escape as it closes its eyes and slips into a happy dream convinced that God will snatch them out before anything bad happens. It reminds me of the parable of the Ten Virgins. Five kept their lamps trimmed with extra oil so that they wouldn’t go out as they diligently kept watch in the dark for the coming of the Bridegroom, while the others paid no attention to the fact that their oil had run out causing their lamps to go out leaving them clueless as the darkness overwhelmed them and they fell asleep causing them to miss the most important event of their lives.
Christianity's Hebrew roots hold the answers to all you'll ever want to know regarding the end times things.
The only thing the apostles were looking for was the immediate return of Jesus in their lifetime. They couldn’t see the big picture because the persecution and tribulation was constant and intense. They weren't looking for a rapture they were looking for the return. They did not have their heads buried in the sand; on the contrary they willingly gave their lives to help others know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, no matter what they were required to endure. They lived in full expectation and anticipation.
With all that's been said, I want to proclaim to one and all something that the apostles said twenty five times in the New Testament, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are seven Greek words that describe ignorant in those twenty five statements. Put together they cover the spectrum of ignorance: to be destitute of knowledge; uninstructed or uninformed; untaught; unenlightened; unacquainted with. To be unconscious or unaware, not knowing as a result of ignorance, a person who is untaught or uninformed on a specific matter. The perfect description of someone with their head buried in the sand. In 1 Corinthians 12:1 Paul says this, "Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don't want you to be ignorant..." but then he rebukes those who prefer living in ignorance, "But if anyone is ignorant, let them remain ignorant." 1 Corinthians 14:38 DON'T BE IGNORANT!
Let me encourage you and stir you up from the wisdom of the ages, “How long, lazy person, will you lie down? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to lie down— and poverty will come on you like a prowler, destitution like a warrior." Proverbs 6:9-11 CEB There's work to do. If you are a believer, sitting on your hands is not the point of salvation. You were saved and delivered not just to make it into heaven but to die to yourself so that Jesus might continue to live His life out in the world and save others just like He saved you!
This is an exhortation and admonishment as well as a word of encouragement to take your head out of the sand. Don't ignore what's in front of you. What can be more exciting than to let the God of all creation live through you? Oh the power, the miracles, the pure joy of seeing God working through you! Ask Him to forgive you of your complacency and then let Him fill you up so that it's no longer you who is living but Him in and through you! That's life! That's when you will be the candle in the dark lighting the path to life for those who are lost. The choice is always yours!
by Steven Bliss
© 8/14/18
The only thing the apostles were looking for was the immediate return of Jesus in their lifetime. They couldn’t see the big picture because the persecution and tribulation was constant and intense. They weren't looking for a rapture they were looking for the return. They did not have their heads buried in the sand; on the contrary they willingly gave their lives to help others know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, no matter what they were required to endure. They lived in full expectation and anticipation.
With all that's been said, I want to proclaim to one and all something that the apostles said twenty five times in the New Testament, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are seven Greek words that describe ignorant in those twenty five statements. Put together they cover the spectrum of ignorance: to be destitute of knowledge; uninstructed or uninformed; untaught; unenlightened; unacquainted with. To be unconscious or unaware, not knowing as a result of ignorance, a person who is untaught or uninformed on a specific matter. The perfect description of someone with their head buried in the sand. In 1 Corinthians 12:1 Paul says this, "Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don't want you to be ignorant..." but then he rebukes those who prefer living in ignorance, "But if anyone is ignorant, let them remain ignorant." 1 Corinthians 14:38 DON'T BE IGNORANT!
Let me encourage you and stir you up from the wisdom of the ages, “How long, lazy person, will you lie down? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to lie down— and poverty will come on you like a prowler, destitution like a warrior." Proverbs 6:9-11 CEB There's work to do. If you are a believer, sitting on your hands is not the point of salvation. You were saved and delivered not just to make it into heaven but to die to yourself so that Jesus might continue to live His life out in the world and save others just like He saved you!
This is an exhortation and admonishment as well as a word of encouragement to take your head out of the sand. Don't ignore what's in front of you. What can be more exciting than to let the God of all creation live through you? Oh the power, the miracles, the pure joy of seeing God working through you! Ask Him to forgive you of your complacency and then let Him fill you up so that it's no longer you who is living but Him in and through you! That's life! That's when you will be the candle in the dark lighting the path to life for those who are lost. The choice is always yours!
by Steven Bliss
© 8/14/18
