On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon BP oil rig explosion took place in the Gulf of Mexico. Soon eleven workers were confirmed dead, 115 were rescued, the 500 million dollar oil rig disintegrated into the water, and 8,000 barrels of crude oil a day began pouring into the Gulf. All of this happened within 36 hours! Sometimes life does not continue as expected and can change in a moment.
Many do not consider our nation to be in imminent danger, or they have confidence that it would take years for anything life-changing to transpire, but what if a severe shaking came suddenly? What if the warning signs, like the Deepwater Horizon oil rig experienced, are being ignored? What if, a “wait and see” attitude, or a “we’ll figure it out if and when it happens” is too late?
This is not a blog I want to write, but I sense the Lord is calling everyone to be ready. We have seen the warning signs for decades: government gridlock and corruption; free-falling morality; economic concerns on top of 20 trillion dollars of national debt; escalating racism; around-the-clock frivolous entertainment; the disintegration and ongoing redefinition of the family; threats from North Korea, the Middle East, and terrorists; and most disturbing to me personally, the departure of many Christians and churches from biblical values.
Like everyone, I hope for a great revival and spiritual awakening to bring correction to the dials on our national dashboard which are in the red zone. Like others, if something difficult must take place, I hope it is a gradual fall—not precipitous—with many opportunities for everyone to make mid-course corrections. But what if life in America were to change suddenly . . . in a moment?
What if the Lord has already warned us over and over? What if He chooses to bring (or allow) something quick and devastating? Are we ready for that scenario? Are our friends ready? Are our families and extended families ready? What about our local churches?
I do not have a crystal ball and I want to be open to other scenarios, but I do believe in the warnings in Scripture and the God-given ability each of us has to understand the times in which we live. Let me ask this question one more time: “What if . . . ?”
The Bible gives a number of examples of God moving suddenly including the transition of the Babylonian Empire to the Medes in a single day (Dan. 5:1-31) and the prophesied collapse of a Babylonian system (or nation) that will fall in a single hour (Rev. 18:1-24, esp. v.v. 10, 17,19). On a smaller scale, our nation has already seen a number of “what if” scenarios, such as September 11 and the 2008 economic crisis.
If life were to fundamentally change tomorrow, are you prepared to stand firm and be effective in carrying out God’s redemptive purposes?
Forerunners of America is helping Christians stand firm now and to prepare to stand firm in the midst of greater challenges ahead. We are helping people experience greater fruit now and to prepare for much greater fruit in the days ahead. If we can help you and others in your circle of influence, contact us.
(To read my thoughts on God’s “redemptive purposes” amid national shakings, click here.)
