{"id":584,"date":"2020-07-27T05:30:59","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T10:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/denisonforum\/2020\/07\/are-these-the-last-days-why-evangelicals-are-losing-the-rhetorical-high-ground-and-two-ways-to-respond\/"},"modified":"2020-07-27T05:30:59","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T10:30:59","slug":"are-these-the-last-days-why-evangelicals-are-losing-the-rhetorical-high-ground-and-two-ways-to-respond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/denisonforum\/2020\/07\/are-these-the-last-days-why-evangelicals-are-losing-the-rhetorical-high-ground-and-two-ways-to-respond\/","title":{"rendered":"Are these the “last days”? Why evangelicals are losing the rhetorical high ground and two ways to respond"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Are these the \u201clast days\u201d? In Luke 21, Jesus made three predictions.<\/p>\n

One<\/strong>: \u201cNation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom\u201d (v. 10).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that the Russian Navy would be armed with hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones<\/a>. Such weapons would be difficult for the US to track and intercept.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Experts say the risk of military conflict between the US and China<\/a> is higher than ever. After the closing of the Chinese consulate in Houston, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated<\/a>, \u201cIf we bend the knee now, our children\u2019s children may be at the mercy of the Chinese Communist Party.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two<\/strong>: \u201cThere will be earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven\u201d (v. 11).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Regarding \u201cearthquakes,\u201d a magnitude 7.8 quake struck<\/a> off the coast of Alaska last week. Regarding \u201cfamines and pestilences,\u201d as of this morning, COVID-19 has infected<\/a> more than sixteen million people and caused more than 648,000 deaths. Experts say the pandemic has put 265 million people at risk of famine<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Regarding \u201cterrors and great signs from heaven,\u201d Hurricane Hanna made landfall in South Texas<\/a> Saturday afternoon, flooding streets and knocking out power. And Hurricane Douglas is brushing the Hawaiian Islands<\/a> this morning, bringing as much as eight inches of rain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Three<\/strong>: \u201cThey will lay their hands on you and persecute you\u201d (v. 12).\u00a0<\/p>\n

China is escalating its persecution of Christians<\/a>: Believers are being jailed for praying online and even official churches are being closed. The Communist government is supervising a new Bible translation. Chinese citizens are being urged to use an app dedicated to President Xi\u2019s sayings that gives the government backdoor access to their social media, contacts, and internet history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What does \u201clast times living\u201d look like?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

My purpose this morning is not to predict the return of Christ. God\u2019s word divides history into the \u201cformer times\u201d before the Messiah comes and the \u201clast times\u201d after his coming. Biblically, therefore, we have been in the \u201clast times\u201d since Jesus\u2019 incarnation (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20).\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Christians disagree about the degree to which the \u201csigns of the times\u201d will intensify toward the end of history, we can all agree on this fact: we are one day closer to Jesus\u2019 return than ever before.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the meantime, how are we to live in these chaotic days? How are God\u2019s people to respond to political conflict, natural disasters, and rising persecution? In other words, what does \u201clast times living\u201d look like?\u00a0<\/p>\n

After describing some \u201csigns of the times,\u201d our Lord stated: \u201cThis will be your opportunity to bear witness\u201d (Luke 21:13). \u201cBear witness\u201d translates the Greek marturion<\/em>, from which we get \u201cmartyr.\u201d We are to make public our faith in perilous days whatever the cost to ourselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n