The Spirit of The Times
Genesis 6 speaks of “giants in the earth”, a time of violence and brutality. In Exodus chapter one the Hebrews are treated ruthlessly by the Egyptians. Judges speaks of lawlessness with no king and every person fulfilling his own lust (21:25).
I Chronicles 12:32 is a fascinating verse: the number of soldiers by tribe are being listed. But of Issachar it is said: “men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” -- 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.
The number of Issachar soldiers is not listed. Chiefs knew what to do, and the chiefs had a sense of which way Israel ought to go in difficult times. The soldiers believed in their leaders. Thus, Issachar was a formidable force.
Nehemiah brought about revival in Jerusalem with a vision of restoration.
II Timothy 3 speaks of a spirit of the times in the last days before the return of Jesus. Individualism, boastfulness (pride), rebellion, ungratefulness, critical spirit, greed, slander, traitors, god-haters, and lovers of self are characteristics of these times.
Have we forgotten that the 1990’s were a time of unparalleled prosperity? Money seemed to be “growing on trees” in the whole world. Lewd and lascivious behavior marked the era. Good times rolled.
Things changed. We discovered that billions of dollars of retirement income had been fraudulently spent by corporation executives. Retirement income evaporated for many Americans. Health insurance rose annually in double-digits. Terror attacks were unleashed by radical Islamic groups. Then came 911 and the invasion of Iraq. Then the hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes came. Of course, in all of this the Palestinians and their friends were determined to drive every Jew into the grave or sea.
What do we have? What is the spirit of the times? Fear drives insecurity. Insecurity drives the worst in the nature of man without God. Without God the psyche of man in times of insecurity rushes to hedonistic pleasure. Man’s sinful nature will pursue individualistic self-satisfaction. Like a King Manasseh lusting for a thrill, man in his love of self will want to know where the next party is and what will be the new indulgence in sin (II Kings 21:16).
Given that man is soul, how does man deal with soul in times of running from God? The answer is that carnal man becomes his own god, or he adjusts and rationalizes God to be what he wants for a god. Talk about “each of us looking inside to find our own inner strength” is worship of self. Talk about “it is not important what you believe, only that you believe”, is reducing God to a personal recipe. Talk about “all religions are about one god, and there are many paths to the same place” is idiocy that deceivingly allows each person to believe lies and worship idols with false hope.
How does this translate into Protestant and Evangelical churches? Folks who do not think, pray, and search the scriptures cultivate an attitude of “You owe me,” “ I am looking for a church that makes me feel good,” and “I pick and choose my commitment and do not want anyone to question me or hold me accountable.” “I will attend church where I want to, when I want to, and put in whatever offering I want to.” “I will privately donate to a charity a secret amount and pretend that it is my tithes to God.” “I will involve myself in Christian duty only so long as it does not disrupt my pleasure nor require me to change my lifestyle.”
What does God have to say about folks who lower their Christian commitment in times like these? He says that He will spit them out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16). He says that lovers of this world are of the antichrist kingdom (I John 1). In Revelation 2 God calls it a Jezebel spirit of false doctrine and sexual immorality.
How should we respond in these times? The answer is simple: repentance and devotion to the Church, Christ’s body. Whatever our status in life, to be faithful to God is first. Christ died for our salvation. To be saved we must be in Christ. In Christ we are naturally drawn to the fellowship and service of the saints. Living for Christ becomes our first nature.
Luke 8 and Revelation 1, 2 and 3 talk about listening. My hope is that you will open your spiritual ears. Listen to what the Spirit is saying. Listen and prepare for the coming of the Lord. Do not pretend that you can negotiate terms different than God’s Word. Christ died once for sin. He lives. The terms of the covenant are not re-negotiable (Hebrews 10).
Receive Christ as your Savior and become a vessel useful for His glory…today!
Prayerfully,
Pastor Bare
Hebrews 4:16