Starting something I can't finish

End times theology has become mainstream pop culture. It occurs to me that this focus on end times stuff in our churches and culture has a deabilitating effect on our children. In the past, Christians built visions for the next generation...even if all they were building were Cathedrals. Our generation measures success in brief spans of time...previous generations planned works that could not be completed in a single lifetime. For instance,consider the mission fields of China that seemed barren for so long before producing an awesome harvest. I'm not wanting to focus on the cynical...just considering how short-term focused we can become. Certainly this short-term focus can hinder us from seeing God's hand in our generation...the God of the bible made promises to one generation that were fulfilled in another generation. Today we can hardly think along these lines. We study our lives with microscopes...what do we look like through telescopes?I think it might be edifying to hear some testimonies we know of where Christians are starting something they can't finish...MC

MCThis was a current theme with much of the 19th century missionary endeavour which was why Livingstone sought to open up Africa. He believed that trade would open up the continent to the gospel as preachers would be able to access areas which then had a financial and travel infrastructure. In practical terms the gospel preached in the 1st century was able to reach such great numbers of people through the Roman infrastructure of law, commerce and pax romana. The Romans eliminated piracy from the Med, built tens of thousands of miles of roads, and provided a world police force and all under the heading of pax romana. Livingstone's whole life work was to begin to build what he could not finish. This was a prevailing thought in much of Reformed missionary endeavour. Schools, hospitals, were all part of this grand vision...It is interesting that their works were also fired by their eschatology in that many of them believed in a post millennial second coming.

It is interesting that their works were also fired by their eschatology in that many of them believed in a post millennial second coming.That is interesting!I'd like to learn more about Livingston.MC

You will find the evidence for my comments in The Puritan Hope by Iain H. Murray. His gentle and honest examination of this issue is a good introduction to some of these things. I differ with his conclusions but then I don't always agree with myself.