Any recollection of the nostalgia going back some forty to fifty years ago might bring back memories of young people seemingly if not genuinely on fire for the Lord. Overt witnessing on street corners did take place while church, Bible study sessions and frequent retreats were high on the to-do list of these youthful individuals. Such a pleasant recall could soothe many stressed souls seeking some respite in the wake of the never-ceasing negativity of pseudo normal! There would be that proverbial question concerning how the world we lived in for all this while got to this stage.
It all began with the love of money and the materialism associated with it. It was this love that not only challenged the love for Christ but also set in motion the ever-widening gulf between the Creator and His creation. 1 Timothy 6, 9-10 explains everything very clearly in layperson’s lingo.
“For those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Things did start turning an unwelcome corner the moment people got caught up with the lure of material desires. Enough to cause them to forsake that Old Time Religion which they once savored amidst sincerity plus simplicity. Once the stock market took off on a pathway that tested new heights, so did the magnetic pull of money first above all things. Adding to one’s assets had to be done quickly, cleverly, and at some point, justifying the means for the sake of the ends. Enough to drive one time on-fire Christians to trade in their Bibles for some earthly treatise on material success that would be the darlings of major bookstores!
Churches were pushed hard with the above trend. Old Time Religion was apparently out of date. Doctrines, Biblical or not, had to go with the flow and stay relevant. Thus came the dawn of doctrines that appeased the appetite of worldliness which, in turn, negated the principles of godly living. Scores of people were in love with this new fad over what should have been before – the love of Christ! The falling away was truly taking shape, big time!
These were indeed carcinogenic lusts that would spawn a generation of individuals that could only view the Gospel as nothing more than anathema. As kids, their parents showered them with the fruits of their material labor – much of it sporting designer labels. These children could only deem love through the lens of everything money-driven. No room for the love demonstrated in Holy Writ. They would have fun with sophisticated toys besides being entertained with the likes of Bart Simpson and Harry Potter in pre-adolescent years. Teenage-hood would then be graced by the advent of Social media.
As long as the material gravy train stayed on track, there was plenty of room available for a pile of worldly pursuits. It would attain a hedonistic state whereby it became a celluloid realm carried away by pleasure after pleasure – all in the name of I, me and myself!
Enter the selfie genre, prone to indifference and lacking affection – these attributes would be full-blown in the prime of their lives. So there are multitudes of young adults that have morphed into these elements through varying degrees of godlessness spanning those formative years. A good number are hostile to the Gospel while sporting great cynicism. What’s the problem? Did flesh and blood really play a crucial role in their upbringing? Sad truth is this: these men and women grew up on money!
With the way they were brought up, they were at the whims and fancy of every avenue of wickedness. The brainwashing would come thick and fast through none other than Social media. There was a menu thick and fat-laden with about every abomination unto the Lord. Apostasies galore, the occult and anything but that connected with Holy Writ for these people to feast on. Their brains would receive an unwholesome bombardment each passing day. To a point whereby it would stiffen mindsets while hardening hearts. Sufficient where their destructive force mattered, not just to the person concerned but also to loved ones – parents and perhaps grandparents were buffeted to the point of throwing in the towel when it became apparent that walking out of the faith was the only option.
Small wonder why there is so much disdain when Bible prophecy is mentioned. Do not be surprised that the crowd of young adults mentioned above scoff loud and hard at the Blessed Hope! No doubt about it! The Son of Perdition has got them under his skin. Totally immersed in that cesspool of deception and primed for delusion which precedes destruction!
In spite of the malevolent metamorphosis over decades that has resulted in this beastly end product, the Lord has been faithful to the remnant which held fast to the Truth regardless of the trends. It has not only survived the above said ravages but continued in unwavering fashion to the present day. It is this bunch fulfilling the role of salt and light – doing the level best to curtail the prevailing decay, even in the face of great frustration. The hardening of hearts is of such astounding character despite the debilitating blowback from the pandemic. Still many turn their minds away from the Good News, instead choosing to wallow in the quagmire of continuous lies.
When that moment the remnant has their hopes pinned on arrives, would it matter to the hard-hearted and disbelieving hordes? A sizeable number would swear by the myth of alien abduction while not a small lot gaze in zombie-like confusion. There will be those who are in the likeness of the fictional Chloe Steele if not Buck Williams! These folks would be screaming from the rooftops about the reality of the Rapture.
Whether it is on a Website or the Tube about the reality of the Blessed Hope, a lot of people might not pay attention for now. They could be indifferent and insensitive, even when the likes of final boarding calls are clear to many ears. The Lord knew about this happening a very long time ago. He knew that we in our earthly form could only do so much with the help of the Holy Spirit. So He planned for some other form of sharing the Good News. A lot of familiar names, if not less familiar ones like yours, truly would not be around for the upcoming task at hand. The job will be taken by two plus a hundred and forty-four thousand!
Maranatha
Edwin
Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com