And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Luke 21:28

I took an extended break from tv. Not purposely, I just had a fairly busy period when I didn’t watch. I sat down a few days ago and was shocked by the commercials. Ads promoting abominations. Ads celebrating sin. I can’t help but thinking if I sat through them all day every day, I would become desensitized to them. When we live in the world, it won’t be long before things that God is disgusted with become things we take joy and find humor in.

The devil has never succeeded by offering us an obvious sin and tempting us to do something that we know for a fact is against the will of God. He succeeds with subtility. “We shouldn’t ‘force’ children to pray in school.” in the 60’s has become “Do not in any way acknowledge faith in God" in school. “Free Love” has devolved into “Pride Parades” with naked men parading the streets. It always starts with something small… a little ground that it doesn’t hurt to give. Before long, the truth itself sounds wrong.

Before long, we’re looking at the world and thinking: “It’s not any worse than it’s ever been.” But… isn’t it? In 2020, in America, we murdered over 900,000 unborn babies. Over 1 million same sex couple cohabitated either in marriage or not… Violent crime rose to 1.2 million incidences, aggravated assault rose over 12%, and the murder rate rose over 30%. Statistics don’t lie, and the list could go on for pages: broken homes, fatherless children, deviant behaviors, all of it is increasing by multiples and is more and more socially acceptable and even celebrated far and wide by everything from large corporations to government agencies. All the while church attendance has plumeted to only 20% of Americans claiming to attend weekly services.

Those of us who do attend church weekly are often guilty of checking a box and going back about our lives. We leave the church unaffected and unmoved by the truth found in the Holy Scriptures and if we actually hear the sermon, we find fault in anyone but ourselves. We have become those spoken about in 2 Timothy 4:3… unwilling to see, hear, or speak about any sin we find in our own lives, finding it far easier to search out a speaker willing to compromise the truth to tickle our fickle ears.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. 2 Timothy 4:3

This isn’t the first time this has happened. In Malachi we see the Israelites returned from their exile to go right back into idol worship and hardness of heart. They offer sick disgusting sacrifices much like the sacrifice of worship we offer to the Lord, giving the bare minimum of our time and heart. And when confronted with their failings from prophets sent from God the Israelites response was much like congregations of today, “How did we offer polluted sacrifices?” Today’s church scoffs at warnings to return to God. Today’s Christians place enjoyment and leisure far above serving the Lord, and when a God-called preacher preaches on the subject, they rant and rave and stir up dissention… anything other than admitting their guilt and repenting of their sins.

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 2 Peter 3:3-4

All of these things point to one thing. It won’t be long. It’s almost time. It doesn’t matter whether we want to believe it or not. The truth is that there is nothing preventing Him from coming any moment. Certainly, this information is true. What we do with it is up to us. If it brings fear to our hearts, perhaps we need to examine the condition of our soul. If we are truly children of God, why wouldn’t we be waiting anxiously for a chance to go HOME?

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:11-13

He’s coming… And if we’re not busy doing His work, what purpose is there for our faith in Him? If your love for Christ doesn’t spur you to action, and you are content to sit pretending to be blind to the fallen nature of this world, and the increasing apostacy of the church, where does that put you? We were saved unto good works. If we insist on living a life that isn’t recognizably different from the unredeemed sinners of the world, what purpose does our faith serve?

Look up, Christian! We’re almost home! Turn and come back to the Father, and get busy for the Lord!