Back to the Future?
Welcome to the Future…or the end?
As you look around at the world today, in any given moment we can see headlines that read like the following:
The rumors of the threat of war
Hope for the future of the nation is growing dim in many eyes
Sexual sin is normalized
Leadership is hypocritical in government and in religion and all levels of business
Substance abuse is growing
The constant threat of terrorism keeps everyone fearful
And if the threat of a foreign enemy isn’t enough, the nations are divided ideologically and seemingly many are on the brink of a civil war.
Pastors that are supposed to be feeding the sheep are living off the corpses of the sheep.
But strangely enough, what you just read was the state of affairs in Israel – 3000 years ago. Is it possible that signs of the times aren’t what we think?
What is the solution to all of this chaos?
Max Dupree says the first role of a leader is to describe reality. So as leaders of homes, businesses and in the community - let’s look at our reality today.
We sit at the dawn of a new era, a new decade that will define the fate of human history. This decade will define us.
Let’s look at just a few predictions, trends and prophecies that seem to all be converging to become our new reality in the next ten years. To explain where we are going, Let’s look at how we got here
When the United States got off the gold standard in 1971, The US began to print money as needed and wanted. What was the result?
Bigger Houses.
Bigger Cars.
Bigger Watches.
Bigger Purses.
Bigger Military– and ultimately more debt.
And with more debt, that meant both parents had to go to work. Millennials began to be the first generation to be raised in a large part by a screen.
What will be the result of the world using debt to consume?
We are on the verge of the greatest revolution the world has ever seen. Automation is slated to take nearly half of all jobs in the coming years according to the most recent report from the White House.
What will this do to education? It’s not just the blue-collar jobs that will be affected, it’s white-collar jobs too.
In an age of self-driving trucks to deliver goods, self-driving cars to take us from here to there, tractors that are programmed to plant 1000 acres of corn, wheat, soybeans and then harvest that same 1000 acres without any need of many humans getting involved – what will be the result?
When we can order anything we want and have it delivered to us within hours, soon by drones which were just approved by the FAA, why would we go to malls - which are closing by the day, or retail stores – which are in the midst of the retail apocalypse? Self-Checkout or Free Delivery will be the norm of the future.
When Momentum Machines unveils a new 'smart restaurant' machine capable of making 360 gourmet burgers per hour. Read more: https://www.tweaktown.com/news/34846/burger-flipping-robot-makes-360-gourmet-burgers-per-hour/index.html served on a platter with a bun, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, onion and cheese.
Those robots don’t show up late, call in sick or ask for a raise. We hear demands for $15 hour/minimum wage, but remember that robot is guaranteed to be coming for the same job.
We live in an age that believes science has all the answers. Somehow while we slept, science became a religion whose dogma should not be questioned.
- Mark Hall’s Lyrics to the song “While you were sleeping” say it like this:
United States of America. Looks like another silent night. As we are sung to sleep by philosophies that save the trees and kill the children. America will we go down in history as a nation with no room for its king?
If we look at the world of healthcare, what happened to such wisdom like that of Thomas Edison in 1903 - “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
There was a day when many believed the words of Hippocrates - Let food by thy medicine, and medicine by thy food.
Throughout the world, we no longer live off the land. 100 years ago, 80% of US Citizens lived on farms – now that number is at 2%.
We are slaves to a system that tells us more is always better.
We live in concrete jungles with little exposure to anything real. It’s no wonder that so many are now craving digital detoxes, dopamine fasts, forest bathing, anything to get be reconnected with being human.
We are handing every last key of privacy over to powers with interests who don’t seem to value true freedom of conscience. Our phones, our new housemates Alexa, Siri and others who listen to our every word with the illusion of convenience and the reality of surveillance.
Freedom of Conscience, Freedom of Speech - that millions have died fighting for no longer seems free.
And let’s not forget the climate. This will be the most discussed issue in the next decade. Whether you think the sky is falling or the ice is melting or there is nothing to worry about - THIS. WILL. BE. THE ISSUE. IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
To quote Al Gore, “every night on the TV news is like a nature hike through the book of Revelation.”
Jesus said there would be markers in nature to make it clear his coming was near.
The population will continue to grow. Food shortages will eventually come to the developed world. Prices will continue to climb for the essentials of life. With all the clamor for new energy systems, energy costs will rise. It won’t be easy for everyone to live in their McMansion anymore. Imagine your electric bill costing more than your mortgage if coal is outlawed?
Will the social credit system being rolled out in China be a potential threat to America if we continue to build our digital Atlantis. Once all our fate is in the cloud, then it’s only a matter of who has the kill switch to our ability to buy or sell or get access to healthcare or whatever other convenience we now take for granted. Why would someone take away our freedoms like this? Just for what we believe or say? That’s what is taking place in China with the Uighur Muslims right now. This is not far-fetched at all. This is being beta tested.
How about the 200 Trillion U.S. Dollars in unfunded liabilities in the United States. Baby Boomers are preparing to retire and have doubled down in the stock market to get enough to retire comfortably but at what risk? Will they get to enjoy their retirement and pensions and social security as promised?
Then there’s the wealth gap – perhaps the most pressing issue.
Billionaires like Nick Hanauer in his recent Ted Talk make it clear that the wealth gap is unsustainable and if we don’t do something drastic “the pitchforks are coming for the rich”.
One author said it like this – “The very means that is now so sparingly invested in the cause of God, and that is selfishly retained, will in a little while be cast with all idols to the moles and to the bats. Money will soon depreciate in value very suddenly when the reality of eternal scenes opens to the senses of man. When the professed people of God are uniting with the world, living as they live, and joining with them in forbidden pleasure; when the luxury of the world becomes the luxury of the church; when the marriage bells are chiming, and all are looking forward to many years of worldly prosperity—then, suddenly as the lightning flashes from the heavens, will come to the end of their bright visions and delusive hopes.”
What are the Harbingers on the Horizon?
Debt in countries around the world and consumer debt is unsustainable
Climate Catastrophes and Calamities
Secularization of Society – The church is losing its influence and power. What happens when the church loses power? It reaches out to the state to help enforce its beliefs.
Church and state are merging
Author Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, and former minister describes what is taking place within the US government in the last few years ---“the empowerment of the Christian fascists. They are what comes next. For decades they have been organizing to take power. They have built infrastructures and organizations, including lobbying groups, schools and universities as well as media platforms, to prepare. They have seeded their cadre into the political system.
The Christian fascists, as in all totalitarian movements, need a crisis, manufactured or real, in order to seize power. This crisis may be financial. It could be triggered by a catastrophic terrorist attack. Or it could be the result of a societal breakdown from our climate emergency. The Christian fascists are poised to take advantage of the chaos, or perceived chaos.”
Marvin Moore, editor of the Signs of the Times magazine, in his latest book, he expressed the exact same sentiments that the religious right is rising and is waiting for a crisis to seize the moment.
Church And State
Fascinatingly enough, the Bible says something similar. Revelation 13 describes the rise of a power (the second beast) that would see Christianity merge with Government -and we can identify that power as America and Protestantism.
Perhaps the greatest “sign of the end” is a merging of church and state in America where freedom of conscience has lived for so long.
But Jesus had something He was even more concerned about
In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples were feeling their time with Jesus wouldn’t last much longer in the same way it always had. They had something pressing on their minds – signs of the end of the world.
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for [a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, [b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Notice the first thing out of his mouth was a concern that people would be deceived.
2 Corinthians 11:14 tells us what Jesus may have been most concerned about –
And no wonder! For Satan, himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Could it be possible that Jesus saw the archenemy of mankind – Satan, the chief of the fallen angels as impersonating the Messiah just before the actual promised return of Jesus.
The devil and his angels we know have been cast to the earth (Revelation 12) and they are not realizing their time is short. Are they preparing a mass deception?
Seth Shostak, a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute on NBC News on Oct 4, 2019, said---“In the next decade or so, it’s entirely possible that you’ll see a headline announcing that NASA has found evidence of life in space.”
In my view, all these [technologies] combine to increase the chances over the next decade of finding extraterrestrial intelligence. – Steven Dick - Astrobiologist
According to David Schwartzman, a biogeochemist at Howard University in Washington D.C, there is a reason not to give up on the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. (SETI)
He also outlines “What we need to do for planet Earth to be initiated into the Galactic Club.”
“Our world will change completely once we enter the Galactic Club - I submit that if we want to enter the Galactic Club, the challenge lies in reconstructing our global political economy.
A few minor side benefits should result, like no more war, no more poverty, a future for all of humanity’s children with a substantial proportion of biodiversity intact. – in other words, a call to one global governing body as a solution to war, poverty and environmental destruction
The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place.
The world is changing so fast.
“85% of careers that will exist in 2030 haven’t been created yet.” -Michael Dell
In the world of 5G and the internet of things – everything is connected including our: Appliances, HVAC, water usage, steps, heart rate, bank account, health care, self-driving cars, and more.
We are on the verge of companies like Neuralink led by Elon Musk where wetware -embedding technology into the human body will revolutionize our future. Futurist, Ray Kurzweil believes this will happen in a grand way in the coming decade.
So, in light of all of these various ‘predictions and prophecies’ – where does that leave you and I? Are you at peace? Do you have anxiety?
As we consider the warnings of Jesus about what life would be like just before His return, do you think we are living in that moment?
If so, what should that lead us to do?