Taking Prophecy Seriously

 

Saw an article today warning Christians not to take Bible Prophecy too seriously lest we stop trying to fix the problems we have in this world. The writer worries we'll just all sit on our duffs and wait for Jesus to come and let the world go to hell in a handbasket.

I sharply disagree with the author on this one. While we're convinced the world IS going to hell in a handbasket and very soon, that only makes us work that much harder to do good in the world.

For instance, my own church, which includes the Second Coming in its very name, at the same time has the second largest parochial school system in the world, one of the largest mission programs of any church, and a first rate hospital system and medical university. We were the fastest growing denomination last year and are growing faster out in the third world than we are in the States. 

Seems to me that people who believe Jesus is coming are busily trying to make the world a better place AND they aren't just sitting around talking about how we should take rich people's money, give it to the government and hope they'll do a good job taking care of the poor (the never do).

Those who believe Jesus is coming soon are the very ones showing up at disasters, digging wells for third world villages, teaching nurses, doctors and teachers, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, healing the sick, clothing the naked and lifting up the lost and downtrodden, and even more so as we see the end approaching.

So "NO!" Let's by all means take the Bible prophecy seriously. It means we only have a short time to save as many souls as we possibly can before He gets here and we personally do the work. The closer it gets, the harder we will work. That may not be how it's done in "higher" social churches or among progressive socialists, but it's how God's children do it.

by Tom King