Jan Markel | Olive Tree Ministries
In September I had the privilege of traveling to Southern California to minister at the Behold He Comes conference at Pastor Jack Hibbs’ church. I also met weary remnant believers who are looking for the like-minded and often coming up short.
How can we be in these mind-numbing times and not have every single Christian asking what it all means? Maybe because the church is now in Laodicea and today’s church—with some exceptions—is more interested in conforming than transforming.
Their Church Awakened to Wokeness
I heard many express dismay that during the Covid shutdown of months to a year or more, their church went “woke.” What on earth does that mean?
I learned that many pulpits became more interested in skin color than the gospel of salvation. In just a short time, their church had a complete transformation—and not a good one. The George Floyd incident, which took place less than a half hour from my office—had changed the culture and all of society. The church did not escape.
Social justice is the new urgency and also saving the planet. Not saving souls. And certainly not looking up and listening for a trumpet blast! Many are told people have been doing that for decades and it’s a waste of time.
I learned that people talking about the excitement of the Lord’s soon return are dealing with people with short fuses, so to speak. This irritates people more than usual. Many only wanted life “to return to normal”, whatever that means.
Watching dysfunctional society seemed to cause people to cling even more to this broken planet. Perhaps this was because life was now filled with inconvenience, the threat of job losses, and alienation from loved ones over vaccine and health-related issues.
When Reality Becomes Too Frightening
People seemed to want “their best life now” rather than long for eternal rewards.
The pandemic has caused so much sorrow and change that some are not coping well. Their “best life” is evaporating. You would think that would result in loosening a grip on a broken planet.
Everyone I spoke with at this conference stated they could hardly keep up with the hourly events that are leaping out of the Bible into reality.
They acknowledge that their friends and family members who are indifferent to this truly love the Lord but choose to ignore one-third of the Bible dealing with prophecy. The root is reality has turned too negative for them.
When I returned home, I got this email from a conference attendee:
“Jan, I am viewed as crazy just by mentioning how excited I am for the Lord to return or about the times we are in. It makes me downright nervous to even mention world news and events, or end-time prophecies. The reaction from fellow believers is volatile. I am having trouble finding even one person in my life who would be willing to discuss any of today’s issues. What is most disheartening is the indifference of my church of 30 years.”
The Pace Is Quickening!
So everything has accelerated as the Bible said would happen in that last generation, but interest in the phenomenon is at an all-time low. And weary remnant watchmen are left alone and isolated! Those they mingle with are just waiting for normal to return and for life to carry on!
Now let’s throw division into the mix and it’s so volatile that many people feel even more isolated. Masks, vaccine issues, and other virus-related controversies have separated families, churches, businesses, and more.
All would acknowledge, both on the right and the left, that government is growing out-of-control. Liberties are being violated on a daily basis as politicians meet in smoke-filled rooms to scheme and deny rights to the people. In America, the Constitution has been tossed in a trash can.
Soon we will be a vaccine passport society and the unvaccinated will assume “yellow star” status. How did this happen? This is hardly the “normal” people think will return.
Prepping for Mr. Fix-It
Society is being prepped for the Antichrist and as prophecy-loving believers try to warn, the words are falling on a lot of deaf ears.
The stage is being set for a closing act. The players are getting into their proper positions. Heads of state are meeting to plot and scheme and deny even more rights. In places like Australia, Lithuania, and Austria, good people are enemies of the state even though they are upstanding citizens.
World leaders have no comprehension they are majoring in minors. To them, it makes perfect sense to obsess over carbon emissions. During the Tribulation, this will fade from their memories as they cope with Seals and Trumpets and Bowls. These will spark “climate change” they cannot imagine!
Most receiving this newsletter are “watchmen.” Ezekiel 33 tells us that if you don’t warn, the blood is on your hands, so you cannot be silent.
Brace yourself to be shocked daily by things you read and watch. Satan is getting more active and wickedness is rising, so God’s people must shine more brightly.
But for the believer, a glorious event will happen soon. It is known as the Rapture of the Church. It is any day. Any hour. Any minute. So don’t grow weary!
And yes, if a believer is a Rapture skeptic, they get the surprise of their life some day soon. Then you’ll have the privilege of saying, “I told you so.”
Won’t that be a glorious day?
