last generation

The above image of someone holding in their hand something which looks very much like a tree made in the form of an electronic printed-circuit board, is highly symbolic.  It means that man now holds in his hands the ability to manipulate living things, by means of computer technology.  Moreover, by "manipulate" I do not mean merely to "tweak" things here and there.  But the intersection (coming together) of computer technology and biological sciences has brought mankind to the point of being capable of creating entirely new and living entities designed according to human engineering principles.  And, yes, you are free to let your imagination run wild to conceive of any possible outcome of that ~ and still be within the realm of possibility.  That rapidly emerging field of knowledge is commonly called "Synthetic Biology".


I get a lot of different responses when I tell people that this is the last generation before the return of Christ: "No man knows the day nor the hour!"  "People have always thought that!"  "How do you know?"  "Who says so?"  "It's not for us to know that."  "You're a religious fanatic!"  "*^!#_*%#!"   Although the range of responses varies, yet they all express essentially the same unbelief.  But almost NEVER does anyone respond to me like this: "Yes, I know!  And I'm seeking God for an End-time harvest, before Christ comes!"

The fact that exceedingly few people believe this is the last generation, does not alter the prophecies of Scripture which are given to signify, to the true Church, the time of the Rapture.  Nor does the prevailing spirit of unbelief change the facts of history, which confirm those prophecies of Scripture.  Importantly, the popular scorn which is provoked by the mention of Christ's soon coming, is itself a fulfillment of one of those prophecies, i.e.:

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."  (2 Peter 3:3,4)

Such "scoffers," Scripture says, shall appear "in the LAST days".  Evidently (according to Scripture), the appearance at this time, of pervasive skepticism regarding the soon-return of Jesus Christ, is a very recent phenomenon ~ one which (I can testify) has arisen only recently within this present generation.  I love to tell those scoffers ~ not a few of whom are professing Christians, that their own words are a sign, a fulfillment of Bible prophecy ~ proving that these are, indeed the "last days" spoken of in Scripture.

Any real Christian who is even remotely interested in Bible prophecy and current events should be well armed with a plethora of evidences which prove beyond any reasonable doubt that this is indeed the last generation before Christ shall return.  Why, then, do so many professing Christians nevertheless express doubt concerning the fact that this is the last generation?  Actually, the more meaningful question does not begin with asking "Why" but, rather, "Who", viz.: Who are those who, notwithstanding their profession of knowing and walking in intimate fellowship with Christ (they say they are "Christians"), yet, not only do they (by their own confession) not know the time of the Lord's coming but, furthermore, their attitude toward Christ's blessed Appearing is one of skepticism and even of displeasure at the mention of that?  I'm rather inclined to shake off the dust from my feet in the presence of all such, deceivers.

Truly, the more I contemplate the scope and the depth of the Apostasy ~ and, the more I discover by first-hand experience just how disinterested are most professing Christians I encounter, to be disabused of their deceptions: the more inclined am I to turn altogether away from those who appear to be satisfied with churchianity, in order that I may focus all my efforts to reach those whose minds may not be so cluttered with religious nonsense.  Was that not ~ as I have previously written ~ the mind of John the baptist?  Did he not utterly turn his back upon the religious system of his own time, in order to seek how that he might break through what had been, until that time, the 400-year long silence of God?

Have we not similarly been confronted with (what seems to me) a rather lengthy period of God's apparent "silence" ~ in America, at least?  I mean, not since the days of John G. Lake (who died in 1935) has America witnessed anything like the measure of divine power which was manifested in the life of that man of God.  Not insignificantly, Billy Sunday also passed away from the American scene (he died) ~ within three months of John Lake's passing.  Smith Wigglesworth died about ten years later (1947); but his ministry was largely focused in Europe.  What we've seen in America since that time, for the most part, has included the growth of denominational empires, and multifarious expressions of the still ongoing and ever-deepening Apostasy.  What remains, today, amongst the professing Christian churches, does not much resemble how genuine Christianity appeared in the earlier history of the Church, much less as Christianity is portrayed in Scripture.

This is the last generation!  Not only so, but we are now in the latter days of the last generation!  Significantly, the Bible never speaks of the "last years", but Scripture always frames that (this) prophetic period in terms of the "last days"; thus signifying that momentous End-time events shall occur within a very brief period of time.  We are the living witnesses of that time, and of those events.  I began this essay by mentioning the emerging science involving "Synthetic Biology".  Do you realize that the Age of personal computers did not even begin in earnest until the early 1980s, and, that the world-wide Internet was established only about 20 years ago?  This present generation ~ which has seen human beings walking on the moon (that's old news), is now producing mice with human ears (link) and only God knows (honestly) what other kinds of monstrosities are being created in Frankenstein-esque labs around the world!  We do know that efforts aimed at creating so-called "trans-humans" ~ the integration of electromechanical and electronic technologies with human bodies, are already far advanced.  Attempts are even being made to perfect technology involving (human) head transplants.

But my main point in this essay is not to persuade anyone that this is the last generation.  Rather, I want to provoke and to inspire those, Christians, who already believe this is the last generation: to launch out beyond whatever limits of thought ~ or of culture, or of tradition, which seem to be constraining such Christians, in their own minds, from daring to think and to act in ways which are likely to be judged (especially, by other, professing Christians) to be way, way "out of the box" (as I recently wrote about that).

The life of John the baptist is the Prototype, or the model, I believe, suggesting what it will take ~ in these "last days," to become a true prophet and a forerunner of Jesus Christ (with respect to Christ's Second Coming).  Recall, if you will, that John the baptist was the most important transitional figure between the Old and New Testament economies.  Although John himself lived in the dispensation of the Law, yet, John's ministry prepared the way for the dispensation of Grace in and through Jesus Christ.  In order as God was then ready to bring in a radically new dispensation, in Christ; likewise, God is now ready to bring about another, new, and no less radical, dispensation ~ in Christ.

The two-thousand year period of the Church Age is now, literally, in its final days.  The great Apostasy is in full flower.  Darkness now covers the whole earth, and "gross darkness the people" (Isaiah 60:1,2).  And what is the Remnant to do: go along with the flow of the apostate Church?  We dare not.

What, then?  We must seek, with renewed zeal and determination, not only to "recover" Biblical truths and to "restore" foundational principles of godliness in our own families.  But we ~ as members of a holy Remnant, are thus the only ones (I firmly believe) through whom the Spirit of God may work to bring about a final harvest of souls, in America.  To pray and to labor for such a harvest of souls, I also firmly believe, should be our primary focus, during the days that remain to us in this world.  But we must ~ we must! ~ recognize that our efforts, in line with that objective, must be wisely directed, if we intend to "redeem the time"; and not be distracted, detoured, nor deterred from accomplishing that unspeakably important task (soul-winning), by reason of so many false professors of Christianity and by the monolithic institutions which they have created to impede the Gospel.

We need no man's approval or permission; we need no organization's sanction; in order to go forth with all power and authority, through Christ, to manifest the reality of Christ to the world.  A few months ago, a certain minister, who is connected with a large ministry, contacted me by phone ~ on the recommendation of another minister, who is also connected with a (different) large ministry.  Knowing something about their motives and interest in calling me, I spoke (to the caller) with sincere conviction about the urgent need for Revival.  "We have to be careful," said the minister on the phone, "because, there are a lot of loose cannons out there ~ which need to be brought under and made accountable to an established ministry".  I've never heard from him since.  I suppose he judged that I am one of those "loose cannons".  I do recall that I invited him to check out my blog....  Oh, well.

Come on, little flock!  Get out of the boat ~ though "eleven" others dare not!  If we are going to "go out to meet" Christ, it is all going to be supernatural, anyways.  Is it not?  Or, do you also not believe that this Life ~ which, we profess, lives and moves within our very being ~ is super-natural?

We are the last generation.  Are we going to continue to live as if we are not the last?  Are we going to allow others ~ by reason of the preponderance of their unbelief ~ to dominate (suppress) our faith?  Whereas I believe we have both a unique ~ and a most important ~ opportunity, that is, to "prepare the way of the Lord," with respect to his soon appearing; I further believe that we must, therefore, have a comparably unique and important responsibility laid upon us, commensurate with the greatness of our opportunity.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we will soon be called to leave everything and everyone in this world ~ and go, instantly, to Christ, with Christ.  We had better cultivate that mindset even now; else, we may then be tempted, as was Lot's wife, to cast longing glances . . . backwards, toward that 'world' which even now is coming under the judgment and the wrath of Almighty God.