Downward Spiral; Upward Call

" Blow a trumpet in Zion; And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near..."
                                                                                                                        ( Joel 2:1)




     The Pew Research Center conducted an extensive study on the trajectory of world religions over the next four decades.  The positive aspect of this study is that, as of the year 2010, Christianity was the dominant world religion consisting of approximately 2.2 billion professing believers.  The negative conclusion of  this study is that there is currently a mass exodus of people leaving the Christian faith.  It is estimated that over the next forty years approximately 106 million Christians will change their religious affiliation, resulting in the largest net loss of the study.

     The author concludes with the fact that right now Christians are leaving the faith in droves and that this trend is not projected to slow down.  He juxtaposes this analysis with the fact that the religiously unaffiliated ( atheists and agnostics) are expected to see the largest net gains by adding more than 61 million followers into their camp.  This trajectory is in part based on the fact that in the last seven years atheism has almost doubled from 1.6% of the population to 3.1% of the population.

     One of the startling realities of atheism ( as well as agnosticism, humanism, and secularism) is that the worse the atrocities in the world become, the easier it is to convince people that there is no God. After all, what kind of God would allow such horrific brutality and suffering that we witness in the world today? And, even if He does exist, who would want to follow such a God?

     To make matters worse, this study shows that if the current demographic trends continue, Christianity will no longer be the dominant world religion.  Midway through this century, Islam is expected to catch up with Christianity and become the world leader in adherents.  ( They are currently in second place, with approximately 1.6 billion Muslims in the world).

     This downward spiral in Christianity is a disaster! And, it is happening concurrently with the highest level of persecution that has ever existed.  Todd Johnson, of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, states the current number of Christians martyred annually for their faith is one hundred thousand.  He declares that there is a global war on Christianity and that the casualties are staggering.

     Unfortunately, many Christians in this nation are woefully unaware.  Ron Stults of the Voice of the Martyrs's says there is not enough awareness today in the Western Church.  He adds, " Many Christians in the West either deny or are ignorant of it, but persecution is part of present reality."

     Yet, 1 Corinthians 12:26 tells us that we are all one body in Christ.  "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it".  Still, somehow we believe we are immune.  In this country, we do not suffer from:beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, female circumcision, lack of basic human rights, and even death. However, given the current climate in this nation this trend may or may not continue.

     As the atrocities continue to multiply around us, have we completely responded to the upward call of our Heavenly Father?  We know it grieves God's heart for these innocents to be brutally abused and savagely slaughtered.  James tells us that  "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God our Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." ( James 1:27).  Based on this definition, I wonder what the true statistics of Christianity really are?

     All the while, God is calling us to respond.  The trumpet is blowing... But, our ears must be trained and tuned in to hear it.  Will the Western Church respond or are her ears clogged by: denominationalism, orthodoxy, humanism, materialism, political policy, pride, creature comforts, entertainment, or sin?  Can we hear the cries of our brothers and sisters around the world?

     If we are the hands and feet of Jesus in the world, how should our lives glorify God in times such as these?  I believe that the prophet, Joel, provides the answers for us in this generation.  Joel's message is a somber one.  He prophesies national calamity juxtaposed to God's glorious eternal kingdom.

     The major theme of Joel's writings is the "day of the Lord" and the need for God's people to be prepared.  He refers to three important events, each of which he refers to as a "day of the Lord". There is an immediate day of the Lord ( Joel 1:1-20), which encompasses God's increasing judgments on a nation.  There is an imminent day of the Lord ( Joel 2:1-27), which forecasts a future invasion by a brutal army.  And lastly, Joel refers to the ultimate day of the Lord ( Joel 2:27-3:21), which is God's final judgment on the entire world.

     Joel describes three armies that will invade a nation as a result of God's judgments.  The first army is a metaphorical one that strikes with successive blows.  These strikes include: escalating drug and alcohol use, social ruin, agricultural ruin, environmental disturbances,economic ruin, and spiritual ruin.  God would allow national poverty and calamity to reveal the deeper spiritual poverty. It is at this point that Joel calls the nation to lament and fast and pray for God's mercy.

     The second army symbolizes a real army that invades the land.  Joel tells the people to start looking for the invasion of a fierce army coming from the North.  This army would bring abuse and death to the people.  Their weapons against this invading army could only come from repentance and prayer.  It also required faith in the promises that God had given them.  If they responded in this way, God would fight the battle for them.

     The third army is an unseen and dangerous one.  This involves a demonic host that invades the earth and is bent on destruction.  Many will be oblivious to this army, the most dangerous of all the armies.

     Joel describes a sequence of events that will occur before the final judgment of God, the day of His judgment, and what happens after that day.  Before the day of the Lord, Joel prophesies there will be: worldwide judgment, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and signs in the heavens and on the earth. In the Church, there will be apostasy.  For the nation of Israel, there will be an intense time of tribulation.

     On "the day of the Lord", judgment will fall on all the nations of the earth.  This judgment will be for how each nation treated Israel.  On this day, Israel's situation with the world will dramatically change from tribulation to victory.

     After the "day of the Lord", Jesus will return to earth and begin His millenial reign.  Glory will return to Jerusalem and it will be given a new name- Jehovah Shammah. This name means "the Lord is there" (Ezekiel 48:35).  Joel promises a restored land, a cleansed people, and a glorious King.

     The prophecy of Joel begins as a tragedy but ends in triumph.  It warns us of the escalating nature of God's judgments on a nation that has departed from Him. It shows us that God is slow to anger but is progressive in the judgments He sends.   It also instructs us on how to reverse these judgments through a whole-hearted commitment to Him.

     This is a somber time in U.S history. The message of the cross is that there must be judgment for sin. Our culture is making a fatal mistake in confusing God's patience for tolerance.  I seriously wonder how prepared we are in America for the continuance of unfolding judgments. Do we see? Do we hear?  Or, are we so preoccupied that we are missing the harbingers that God is sending to us? John Piper says that " America is the first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death."

     My prayer is that as things continue to spiral downward in the world that the Followers of Jesus Christ will respond to God's upward call.  Please pray daily for our nation!!! Please be obedient to all that God is calling you to do. Don't put it off- time is too short!


" I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward."  ( Philippians 3:14).