LIFTING MY VOICE: WHEN SCI FIBECOMES REALITY In 1970, Hal Li...

LIFTING MY VOICE:  WHEN SCI FIBECOMES REALITY        In 1970, Hal Li...:  WHEN SCI FI BECOMES REALITY          In 1970, Hal Lindsey published a book called " The Late Great Planet Earth " through Zonderv...

 WHEN SCI FI

BECOMES REALITY

    

    In 1970, Hal Lindsey published a book called "The Late Great Planet Earth" through Zondervan Press. The New York Times declared it to be the bestselling nonfiction book of the 1970's. It was adapted into a 1978 film narrated by Orson Welles. It has been described as a treatment of literalist, premillenial, dispensational eschatology. In other words, it deals with the literal Biblical prophetic events leading up to, and including what is referred to as the Rapture of the church, the Great Tribulation, and the Second Coming of Christ to establish His thousand year (millenial) reign on Earth - as prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

As a young Christian, I also recall that a musical album was produced by Cam Floria and the Continental Singers, called "It's Getting Late (For The Planet Earth)." I had a copy of this album at the time, although listening online recently to a couple of the songs, it sounds a little dated and even "corny" now.

As a young Christian in the seventies, I also remember meeting Barry Smith, a New Zealand evangelist, who, with his Samoan wife and children travelled to many parts of Australia, New Zealand and Pacific islands presenting the Gospel of salvation in Jesus, majoring on preaching concerning end-time prophetic events as mentioned above in Hal Lindsey's book.

Barry Smith was, at the heart of his ministry, an evangelist, whose motivation in presenting last days scenario teaching was to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, that they would have full assurance of salvation for eternity. His ministry was not without controversy, as he talked about the coming one world government, and even suggested particular people of interest to watch closely - as possible candidates for the Antichrist, whom the Bible states will lead the world, aided by one the Bible calls the false prophet (Revelation 13:11-18). He named Henry Kissinger as a person of interest, although he did say very clearly in his meetings: "If anyone goes away from this meeting, and says Barry Smith stated that Henry Kissinger is the Antichrist, I will be very angry."

    Well, as we now know, Kissinger died in November last year at the age of 100, so he is definitely out of the picture.

LEFT BEHIND

If you thought the volume of sales for "The Late Great Planet Earth" was impressive, a 16 book series in the 90's under the title: "Left Behind," starting with the first book in 1995, written by Baptist pastor Tim La Haye, and aided by bestselling author, Jerry Jenkins, had sales of nearly eighty million worldwide. These books were fictional but captured in print, what Tim La Haye believed to be  real life possibilities as the Bible prophecies of the end-times played out, beginning with the Rapture, or the "catching away" of all those who had put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 New Living Translation

The last six volumes in the "Left Behind" series debuted as Number One on all the major publishing lists including "The New York Times," "USA Today," "Publishers Weekly," and the "Wall Street Journal."

Several "Left Behind" films have also been produced, inspired by these books.

When I was first introduced to this end-times teaching in the seventies as a young believer in Christ, as much as I wanted to believe that these events would play out, according to the accounts in Scripture, the possibility of there being a one world government led by one man whom the Bible refers to as the Antichrist seemed to me to be unimaginable. Every nation appeared to have proud national autonomy, with their own distinctive leadership - some democratic, others autocratic - many with governments and leaders elected by the populous, others ruled with an iron fist by despotic dictators. I just could not imagine the possibility really of all nations agreeing to be ruled by one world leader!

Yet, that is exactly what the Bible portrays will happen! 

For many Bible-believing Christians, the last four years since the world was forever changed by the global health crisis triggered by the COVID 19 virus, has brought into much clearer focus the reality that we are on track to see a one world government led by a world leader. The response to the Covid pandemic was, in many ways, played out in similar ways throughout the nations, with enforced lockdowns, mandated Covid "jabs" as the vaccinations were dubbed - with boosters upon boosters required with often, no, or at least very little preventive benefit - and even worse, significant numbers of adverse reactions, and premature deaths.

There are those who scoff at the alarm being raised concerning adverse effects of the "jabs," but increasingly, authorities in at least some countries, are seeking to investigate honestly the statistics of those who have thus suffered.

Then there is the specter of the climate change narrative, with carefully convincingly choreographed comment from the United Nations body, the IPCC - International Panel for Climate Change. Dire predictions of global warming and disastrous effects on the environment forecast, continually bombard our senses and sensibilities with carbon dioxide "pollution" being the prince of environmental demons.

As has been stated, Australia, where we live produces something in the order of just 1% of global CO2 emissions. However, the pressure is unending to convert from fossil fuel energy (coal and gas - both of which our Creator God provided for our use) to "clean, green" energy - solar and wind power etc.

There is increasing pressure for all countries to conform to dictates from bodies such as the United Nations. Much has been said about the UN's 2030 Agenda.

Also, we must not forget to highlight the nation of Israel - a central player in all that the Bible lays out as being end-time events. It might seem like science-fiction to non-Christians, and even to the majority of Jewish people who have not recognised Jesus Christ as their Messiah - that one day, Jesus will return to rule and reign over all the earth from the city of Jerusalem as King Of Kings and Lord Of Lords, as the Bible states in Revelation 17:14 and 19:16.

TO BE CONTINUED

WHEN SCI-FI 

BECOMES REALITY

    One of the best known and loved pioneers of contemporary Christian music from the late 60's and into the 70's was Larry Norman. He produced 100 albums up until his untimely death from coronary heart disease at the age of 60 in 2008.

Some of his best known albums are: "Upon This Rock," "Only Visiting This Planet." and "In Another Land."

Larry Norman was saved at the age of five and started singing at the age of nine. He took the Gospel to the streets of San Francisco during the Jesus Revolution in the late 60's-70's, and many of his songs had raw unsanitised lyrics that offended many traditional religious Christians, but spoke to the young contemporary youth where they were at. One example of this is to be found in the song: "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus?"

Sipping whiskey from a paper cup

You drown your sorrows till you can't stand up

Take a look at what you've done to yourself

Why don't you put the bottle back on the shelf

Yellow fingers from your cigarettes

Your hands are shaking while your body sweats

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer.

You got gonorrhea on Valentine's Day

You're still looking for the perfect lay

You think rock and roll will set you free

Oh, you'll be dead before you're thirty-three

Shooting junk till you're half insane

Broken needle in your purple vein

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer

Work all night, sleep all day

You take your money, throw it all away

You say you're going to be a superstar

But you've never hung around enough to find out who

you really are

Think back to when you were a child

Your soul was free, your heart ran wild

Each day was different, and life was a thrill

You knew tomorrow would be better still

Things have changed, you're much older now

If you're unhappy, and you don't know how

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer.

Oh yes, He does, I know He does because He gave it to me,

He showed it to me, He is, He knows, He is, you got,

He is the answer.

The Jesus Revolution or the Jesus Movement saw multiplied tens of thousands of young people in America, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand - particularly, embracing the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God, the Bible - bringing salvation from sin, healings and deliverance from demonic oppression, many turning from the hippie and counter-culture drug-fuelled lifestyles, which in the end offered no solutions to their quest for truth and enlightenment.

Jesus, as they so wonderfully found to be true, personally, was Who He said He was and is: The Way, The Truth and The Life. (John 14:6) These multitudes of young people discovered that their commitment to Jesus was not just another esoteric high, but this was reality. This was what they had been desperately searching for to find true purpose in life, and true peace and joy. John Lennon wrote and sang the song "Give Peace A Chance," but sadly his inspiration for the song fell short of the reality that true and lasting world peace will only come through the rule and reign of the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I well remember the exciting days in the early 70's, when as a young Christian myself in fellowship at a Pentecostal church on the Gold Coast, that at one time, a group of, from memory, around seven young men from the surfing scene, were wonderfully saved at the same time and brought a fresh dimension of fervent desire in the church to grow in their knowledge of the Lord, and to see their friends and families also come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Long-haired, barefoot, tee-shirts and shorts, they began to come. There was no room for stuffy religiosity. They had come to know that Jesus is the REAL DEAL.  For most of them, there was no turning back! One of my best friends in the church at the time was a young man named Tom Rawls. Tom had, I think, been in the drug scene in his late teens. He was wonderfully "born again" as the Bible states in John's Gospel, chapter 3. He was delivered from demonic oppression as well, and he was on a quest to really know and love Jesus, and to make Him known to as many as he could share his new found love, peace and joy with. He was totally committed to fanning into flame his enthusiastic evangelistic fervor to reach the lost for Jesus. Tom, after several years, headed off to Bible College in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales for three years. From there, he went to Melbourne for a time to gain further ministry experience at a thriving church. Following that time, he pioneered a church in Alice Springs, spent some years as a missionary pastor in Bangkok, Thailand, and eventually with his English wife, pioneered what is now a thriving Pentecostal church in Norwich, East Anglia in the UK. 

    Tom's desire to share the Good News of Jesus and the Gospel put me to shame at times. I well remember several times, when driving up or down the Gold Coast Highway with Tom as a passenger when we would pass a hitchhiker on the side of the road. Tom would yell: "Stop the car. We could witness to this guy." I am a little ashamed to say that, at those times, I think I just kept driving.

I have not really begun to address the title theme of this blog. Keep watching this space. More to come soon!