As many of you know, Paul Washer, a missionary who has served the Lord in Europe, South America, and is the founder of the HeartCry Missionary Society, spoke at the Revival Conference in Atlanta. Prophetically, he warns the Church of a persecution that is coming to our country.
Brother Washer warns how a "net is closing around you, your children and your grand children," all while we are mesmerized by the things that are in this world. He says we will further be isolated from society, falsely accused, denounced as biggots and haters. He says up until now that these things have been happening slowly, but will be quickly increasing, and unless God intervenes to stop it by means of a revival, these things will come upon us suddenly before we even realize what is happening. In response to such, brother Washer says we must fill our minds with the Word of God and live our lives in light of eternity, for we will have to be dependent upon God for a radical grace to make it through such times.
With all this I must concur. And I would like to give an exhortation to you and your local Church, that you especially focus not only on your growing in the knowledge of the word of God, but also in the spreading of it. Put aside many of your silly games, programs, and building projects. For in light of the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, we can be sure that apart from God's intervention, we will see our nation turn all the more against Evangelical Christians. If Obama lives up to his socialist tendencies, there can be no doubt that the state will greatly assault the word of God, as it seeks to contradict and oppress its message, and ridicule those who hold to it. For socialism brings with it the tendency to allow only one voice, as all other voices that contradict the state are seen as a threat to its own well being.
Therefore, we must seek all the more to do those things which ultimately are eternal in value, and will survive the fires by which all things will be tested (1 Corinthians 3). For the fires that are coming will show what works were truly made of gold, silver, and other precious metals. The fires will reveal those things which were merely wood, hay, and stubble. Though the apostle Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 4 not to judge which is what before the day in which the Lord reveals those things Himself, we should determine in our minds to the best of our abilities to do those things which we truly believe to qualify as doing a work that is truly eternal in value.
Building programs and such may have some eternal value, but being that we can find no instance of the Church building "houses of worship" in the New Testament, we can probably be pretty sure whatever value such edifices may have, they are rather small in God's eyes. One task we can be sure that the early Church was engaged in that was of great eternal value, was the active spreading of the word of God. Therefore, while there is still ample opportunity to do such with little hindrance, let me encourage you once again to put as much time as you can into openly spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As much as possible, share the gospel at work, amongst friends, amongst family, and even in the streets. As much as possible, preach, publish, and defend the gospel. For the time is coming where we will lament the days that we did not take the wonderful opportunity the Lord has given us in this present time. For unless the Lord intervenes, the time is coming where to openly share the gospel maybe difficult, and result in great personal loss.
