Wednesday, January 14, 2009

It is Over!

Dr. Couch, are we in the period of the apostasy?

It is finished and done. Consider us there! We have entered into the period known in Scripture as the apostasy! The next great event will be the rapture of the church, the removing of believers out from under the wrath of God "that is on its way" (1 Thess. 1:10). "Jesus who delivers us out from the wrath that is on its way."

Our new president has already made it clear he will open wide the doors for homosexuality, and for late term abortion. There is no stopping this or slowing it down. There will be an increase in raw socialism and government control through the so-called environmental movement. And that happens to be an effort to destroy our freedoms under the guise of environmental necessity.

But what is worse, is that most of our Bible colleges and seminaries are becoming "socializing" schools, buying into the "changes" taking place in our culture. These things are not moving at a snails pace but at a tremendous and rapid shift. This is no longer the America we have known in the past. We have crossed the canyon, crossed the river, into another country. The younger generation does not see America as we once did. The past, with its imperfections and also its many blessings, is now gone! There is a rapid repudiation of our European and Reformed heritage. The younger crowd no longer wants or respects experience and wisdom. They worship freedom as their god and believe firmly in government control of their lives. And because they no longer have the Bible, the Word of God, as a governing factor, power and choice drives all decisions and changes that are coming down the pike!

While believers have certain cultural and social responsibilities, our main concern should be spiritual. One of the "big" seminaries in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area has gone passionately "green." They have put out published articles making it a spiritual mandate if we believers in Christ do not join in on the green movement and the global warming issue. This is madness and foolishness! The shift has come that now places such social issues above our call to proclaim biblical truth to a spiritually blinded world. That you drive a hybrid car is more important than if you teach verse by verse, and with great passion, the Word of God in your church or Sunday school.

Over night, the younger crowd, those around 35 and under, have fallen head-long for all the social and cultural "stuff" that fascinates the world. In a survey, they made it known that they see no big problems with abortion rights and homosexuals. We believers must now must join in with what the society thinks. Concerning the environment, we are not doing our spiritual duty if we do save the planet.

It is only dispensationalists who have it straight. We know by the NT that the age of the church will self-destruct, just as all dispensations of the past failed. Proclaiming the gospel and helping believers grow spiritually by the Word is our most compelling responsibility. This does not mean we trash our environment. We respect the world that God has given us, but to make perfect our environment is not our mission. The environment is limited and it is going to fail. We are not first and foremost responsible for the planet, God is! And He tells us this is all going to burn up! The issue of human sin is the number one problem on the globe, not saving the planet!

Christ said it plainly.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21).

Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch