Why do we insist on believing things will get better?

[memoriesbymichelle]

OK so the election is over and all kinds of articles and news shows on TV are analyzing what happened and why Mitt Romney lost blah blah blah.

What I find interesting though is that Christians in general still think that somehow the world will get better. When I read Matthew 24-26, and that is Jesus Himself replying to a question about when will the end be, it does not sound good at all!

Are we Christians in denial just like the non-believers?

I mean take for example Matthew 24:9-12

New International Version (NIV)

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

In verse 6 He tells them not to be frightened but then in verse 9 He says they will be handed over and put to death!

I know those things must happen and even though it DOES frighten me a little, I don't understand why we don't talk about this much?

I also heard Dr. Dobson this morning saying that when Ezra found the scrolls that were written and realized what the people were doing was wrong he called them all together and told them what God said and they all wept and repented. So he said that God was not calling the non believers to straighten up, but it's the Christians that need to return to God, which I can agree with, but then he went on to say that IF and WHEN we do this, the world will get better because God will bless us then, so that part I cannot agree with. Thoughts?

 

[Life2Christ]

OK so the election is over and all kinds of articles and news shows on TV are analyzing what happened and why Mitt Romney lost blah blah blah.

I find that those who are unhappy with Obama are practically begging for the Rapture. Its ridiculous. Right now the emotional levels are running high in the red states over this election and people think our country is gone, its no longer, it will never be the old America.

I'm sorry but I think they are a bunch of cry babies and its unfortunate that when the democratic process doesn't go their way they rebel. In 2004 my candidate did not win but I didn't cry over spilled milk. Obama has another 4 years and then he is out. Maybe a republican, or a Christian president will be in the White House.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I find that those who are unhappy with Obama are practically begging for the Rapture. Its ridiculous. Right now the emotional levels are running high in the red states over this election and people think our country is gone, its no longer, it will never be the old America.

I'm sorry but I think they are a bunch of cry babies and its unfortunate that when the democratic process doesn't go their way they rebel. In 2004 my candidate did not win but I didn't cry over spilled milk. Obama has another 4 years and then he is out. Maybe a republican, or a Christian president will be in the White House.

I totally agree with what you said, but what I am wondering is in general, not just in the aspect of the election being over, just in general everyday life, most christians preach and believe that somehow someday the world will get better. IMO, it will NOT get better until Jesus returns and we are living in eternity, but before that happens, I see things getting progressively worse. Of course that is just my opinion, but alot of christians I know don't even want to talk about let alone think about end times and my question is WHY?

 

[Life2Christ]

Of course that is just my opinion, but alot of christians I know don't even want to talk about let alone think about end times and my question is WHY?

Denial. The end times that were foretold were not described pretty. It was described as catastrophic. That is enough to push it to the back of your mind and hit the "ignore" switch. For me, I see all that was foretold in the bible. In my daily life I see examples of people acting out like they lived in biblical times. That is enough for me to keep the rapture in the forefront of my mind.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

But in the bible we are told to "watch!" So if we deny it how can we do that and watch at the same time?

 

[mjmcmillan]

What are the alternatives? Well, let's see here.

1. Do like those doomsday preppers, bury an old school bus and fill it full of food, bottled water, medical supplies and enough guns and ammo to protect your hoard (and your family) from the hungry mobs that will surely descend on your makeshift fort to relieve you of the food, water, medical supplies and so on.

Problem: Many of these doomsday preppers have never been under siege and have no idea what that's about. Sure, they say they're prepared to shoot their hungry friends and neighbors, but the problem is that many of these people will be armed as well and will be shooting back. Sieges tend not to end well. Especially if the position you're trying to defend proves not to be that defensible.

2. Take part in one of the sieges. If the TV shows are any indication, there's bound to be a buried school bus full of food (and fools) in the woods somewhere. Who knows, you might get lucky enough not to get shot while trying to liberate some of that food.

3. Die at the onset of hostilities. Given the stuff the doomsday preppers are talking about, this actually has certain advantages. Their idea of what's to come isn't a world you'd want to live in anyway. Too close to being in Hell without having to die first, if you get my drift.

4. Trust in God. This is the only option with any real chance of success. If Judgment Day is coming, all those doomsday preppers have a major problem since every preparation they've made is based on an incredible level of selfishness. I hazard a guess that God might start with them first. Guns and ammo mean nothing when faced with an angry God. Further, when the calamity comes God knows how to protect those who are His.

So, to me the choice seems simple enough. Trust in God to see you through, or bury an old school bus, fill it full of the supplies you think you'll need, and get prepared to shoot your friends and neighbors when they try to take it from you.

Your call.

 

[Doctor Strangelove]

I know that not all people who believe in dispensationalism/millennialism are preppers getting ready for doomsday but...

There is a certain mindset some people have about being obsessed with looking for "secrets" that will reveal when this or that event is supposed to take place - they tend to be fans of the "Left Behind" novels. I am not quite sure why you would think you need years worth of food and ammo if you are going to be "raptured" out if the world anyways. There is a point where that thinking is not really Christianity any more but becomes a cult based on a mixture of divination/numerology plus conspiracy theories plus survivalism.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

Well mjm, I agree that we should not become a doomsday prepper.

And I also agree we should trust in God.

So if we talk about imminent return does that make us somehow a doomsday prepper?

It's along the line of thought that when you become a christian all your troubles will fade away and you will have no more problems. Of course this isn't true and causes people saved under this pretense to leave the faith because of it.
So why do some christians hold the belief that all will be OK? Of course in the end, after Jesus returns, everything will be more than OK, but leading up to that point, I see things getting worse not better and faith in God to be more and more necessary. I just think it will cause even more people to leave the faith when things get really bad....for them. JMHO. I mean we might have to die just because we believe in Jesus according to the bible. No where in the bible did Jesus ever tell his diciples "hey don't worry, you will be zapped out of here first so you don't have to be afraid." He specifically tells us that "they" will deliver us up to tribulation and kill us.

 

[CounselorForChrist]

I never believe the world will get better. That doesn't mean I don't want it to, but factually I know it won't happen. And on top of that the bible even says things will get worse where brother will turn on brother in the end.

 

[blackribbon]

When we became Christians, we also were given something called "hope". Biblical "hope" means we do not have to dread our future because it is in God's hands. Even when the world appears to be falling around us, our hope is there because we know that something good lies on the other side. I don't really see how you can be a doomsayer and still say that you believe God is in control. Yes, the circumstances that we live in may get worse than crappy (will it let me say this?)...but truthful, even when life really gets bad, it just means we are getting closer to walking into our Saviors arms.

 

[mjmcmillan]

We have an example. How did Stephen handle it? How did Paul handle it? How did Peter handle it? What about John, what did he write about it?

Seems to me we already have examples of believers who lived--- and died-- through some of the worst that Rome had to offer to believers.

So---- do you want to dwell on gloom and doom when things go boom, or do you want to hope for a brighter tomorrow in God's Kingdom?

Maybe things are going to be terrible for a while. No surprises, Jesus already told us about that. This earth isn't our home anyway, or at least it isn't supposed to be, so why be surprised that the natives are getting restless?

 

[MennoII]

When we became Christians, we also were given something called "hope". Biblical "hope" means we do not have to dread our future because it is in God's hands. Even when the world appears to be falling around us, our hope is there because we know that something good lies on the other side. I don't really see how you can be a doomsayer and still say that you believe God is in control. Yes, the circumstances that we live in may get worse than crappy (will it let me say this?)...but truthful, even when life really gets bad, it just means we are getting closer to walking into our Saviors arms.

! I totally agree with the above statement.

 

[dayhiker]

Why do I think thinks are likely to get better?

I believe we are a lot better off than most of our ancestors. You remember reading about watches in the Bible. Well, everywhere people lived in most of history they had to post a guard for the night to "watch" for unruly men at night would sneak in to steal and rape. So each member of the community had a time when they had to stand their watch. Ya, we have a few policemen out there, but most of us sleep without anyone watching our property. Even most women live in their home for years with no one breaking in to rape them.

Then we have buying things and our finances. I've never had a bank do the math wrong on my bank statement. Most of history we would have had to check every aspect of a transaction to make sure we weren't getting cheated. That the weights were right, that the money wasn't counterfeit and that the goods we were buying were actually what was being sold.

Crocked people would even move property boundaries. Today they can move makers, but we can have a survey come in and remeasure the distances from records at town hall and know the boundaries are correct again. But if someone had moved things years ago, it was often each persons word against the other and the one who was strongest would end up with the land.

There there were bribes that had to be paid ... I think things are very good good here in the USA on most accounts.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

When we became Christians, we also were given something called "hope". Biblical "hope" means we do not have to dread our future because it is in God's hands. Even when the world appears to be falling around us, our hope is there because we know that something good lies on the other side. I don't really see how you can be a doomsayer and still say that you believe God is in control. Yes, the circumstances that we live in may get worse than crappy (will it let me say this?)...but truthful, even when life really gets bad, it just means we are getting closer to walking into our Saviors arms.

Of course we have hope! If we didn't what would be the point of Jesus even going to the cross and why would we care? What I am concerned about is false hope that is being preached and then the truth not even being brought up. If God did not think the future was important to us, why is 1/3 of the bible prophecy then? And I'm not talking about being a doomsdayer. I'm talking about adequately preparing believers about the future. Does that include stocking (hoarding) supplies? Not to me it doesn't. So....because I AM concerned about prophecy, does that automatically make me a doomsdayer to you? It tells us when talking about these things in the bible to not lose heart and I agree. But putting our fingers in our ears (so to speak) saying la la la la la I can't hear you does not negate the fact that things will get worse and if we aren't strong in our faith, we will fall away. The bible says this. Not just my words.

 

[dayhiker]

I agree Michell with much of what you say. Clearly, the prophesy in the Bible is one of the major themes of the Bible and those prophesies are amazing to the point that quite a few say they have to be written after the fact because no one can predict the future in that much detail.

The falling away is an interesting passage and one that isn't given much historical consideration in my study. I think there have already been two falling aways. We have the Catholic church (600-1400AD) that was so backslided that God brought about the reformation to being the church back from indulgences to salvation by faith. Then we have the liberal church(1859-present) that has fallen away from who Christ is. Today we have individuals falling away and some individual churches falling away from Christ and the continuation of some of the past falling aways. Some would say that the prosperity movement is falling away, but they can support almost everything they teach from Scripture and are still bring a lot of people to Christ even if there is some condemnation building in that movement.

So my conclusion is we have two historical fulfillment of the falling away verse and church wide example in our current time.