What one believes about endtimes has huge worldview implications.
For example, after the Trade Center attack Hal Lindsey came out and said that the reason America is "not in bible prophecy" is because it has to be destroyed so that God's endtimes plan can be turned back to the Middle East and Europe. He has made many such ridiculous statements which border on treason because his apocalyptic worldview demands such a predestined defeat of America in our age. That endtimes pessimism is very destructive.
Hal Lindsey believes the Church is destined for failure when just the opposite is true. Will Hal Lindsey and the Churches he has influenced be active in revival ministries, or building top-achievement Christian schools, or developing urban renewal ministries and Churches, or helping justice reform and neighborhood crime watches, or running for local and national office or seeking to overturn abortion, or developing strong Christian economics and businesss, etc.??? No. They will not. "You don't polish brass on a sinking ship" is the popular cry of the dispensationalists. Their founders (Scofield, Darby, etc) were very much bound by a retreat and withdraw mentality, and evangelicals and their children and grandchildren are paying a high price for it.
I recently heard someone who was against the idea that any revivals could take place in our times. I asked him why??? His response was that the endtimes doesn't allow for such to take place. But what if we're not in the endtimes? (and we're not). So his endtimes views radically effected his practical ministry and life, and for all intents and purposes this bright young man was sidelined and disabled in the purposes of God.
I could list countless other practical effects endtimes has on how we live today and the kinds of applied ministries the Church does. It has HUGE long-term effects on our worldview and implications for ministry.
For example, after the Trade Center attack Hal Lindsey came out and said that the reason America is "not in bible prophecy" is because it has to be destroyed so that God's endtimes plan can be turned back to the Middle East and Europe. He has made many such ridiculous statements which border on treason because his apocalyptic worldview demands such a predestined defeat of America in our age. That endtimes pessimism is very destructive.
Hal Lindsey believes the Church is destined for failure when just the opposite is true. Will Hal Lindsey and the Churches he has influenced be active in revival ministries, or building top-achievement Christian schools, or developing urban renewal ministries and Churches, or helping justice reform and neighborhood crime watches, or running for local and national office or seeking to overturn abortion, or developing strong Christian economics and businesss, etc.??? No. They will not. "You don't polish brass on a sinking ship" is the popular cry of the dispensationalists. Their founders (Scofield, Darby, etc) were very much bound by a retreat and withdraw mentality, and evangelicals and their children and grandchildren are paying a high price for it.
I recently heard someone who was against the idea that any revivals could take place in our times. I asked him why??? His response was that the endtimes doesn't allow for such to take place. But what if we're not in the endtimes? (and we're not). So his endtimes views radically effected his practical ministry and life, and for all intents and purposes this bright young man was sidelined and disabled in the purposes of God.
I could list countless other practical effects endtimes has on how we live today and the kinds of applied ministries the Church does. It has HUGE long-term effects on our worldview and implications for ministry.
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