Mockers Have Come

 MockersHave Come By Hal Lindsey Signs of the end of the age continue to increase in number and intensity. The Bible presents many such signs, including this surprising one in 2 Peter 3:3-4. “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will comewith their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’” It’s surprising because these people should know better. They are the ones who have heard about the coming of the Lord for years. They know something about the Bible. Many of them are, or at least represent themselves as, believers.They often belong to, or even lead, churches. Yet they choose to mock. And what is the object of their mockery? The Lord Himself. “Where is the promise of His coming?” they ask. We find “the promise of His coming” in the Lord’s own words. The fulfillment of His promise depends on His truthfulness and His faithfulness. That’s why to mock His promise isto mock the Lord Himself. Jesus said it plainly. He said it often and in many different ways. In John 14:3, He put it like this. “I will come again.” What’s plainer than that? I…WILL…COME…AGAIN! Can you imagine looking into His face and mocking that which He promised? Yet one prominent Christian leader explained why he stopped preaching on Bible prophecy. He said young people “don’t want to hear that.” Are we now supposed to ignore major portions of the Bible because of what one demographic or another “wants” to hear? Should the whims of “itching ears” rule our pulpits? Jesus chided the religious leaders of His day for notunderstanding the signs of the time (Matthew16:14). What does Jesus now think of leaders who refuse to preach major portions of His message because young people “don’t want to hear that”? Hebrews 9:28 says that Jesus will appear a second time “to those who eagerly await Him.” “Eagerly await” is the English translation of the Greek word apekdechomai. It means to look-for with joyous expectation. This passageuses the phrase “those who eagerly await Him” like a synonym for “the followers of Christ.” It’s not saying that we earn salvation by having the correct attitude about the Second Coming. But it does point to the fact that eagerly awaiting His return is thenormal, healthy posture of those who follow Jesus. Yet individual churches and whole denominations now eschew any mention of the Lord’s return. Many churches that once joyously taught the Second Coming, now treat it like a bad smell. Ironically, they have turned away from theteaching of Christ’s return at a time when signs of that return are flooding the world. Contemporary events serve as vivid evidence of the Bible’s reliability and accuracy. Yet many of those who say they preach the Bible refuse to let people know what’s reallygoing on. Marketing experts should not choose our sermon topics. We must preach what Acts 20:27 refers to as “the whole counsel of God,” and we must do so consistently. The course of world events is again proving that the message God gave in the Bible is completely reliable. If we trust God, we will trust His word. When we trust His word, we are trusting Him.