By Dave Breese

Expressions like this and speeches centered around them are beginning to proliferate in our time. The listening multitudes are again giving applause and loud huzzas to the politicians and their promoters who are once more promising a formula by which we can create a better world. The thirst for an assured, guaranteed human future is an emotion which lives in the heart of every person. The promoter who can promise such a future, especially without much effort on our part, will certainly gain a hearing.

Politics
This will be illustrated in a big way in this very year. That, of course, because once again politics comes to the fore. The political campaigns in America are a wonder to behold. One cannot listen very long to the politician without once again having drummed in his ears the eternal theme—Utopia. “Vote for me and we will create a better world,” says one. “Throw those rascals out and put us rascals in,” says another. The political candidate, especially on a national level, then proceeds to promise new and wondrous gifts that come pouring out of the financial cornucopia, which is Washington, D.C. In politics, the outpromisers win.

“Promise them anything until you get their vote” seems to be the philosophy of the candidates of our time. One wonders that there is even a modicum of remaining trust on the part of the electorate, in that they have been betrayed so many times. Political promises are surely like pie crusts, made to be broken.

When will we ever learn that no politician can do something for you until first he takes something from you? He must then make it look like he is doing for us a great good, whereas the disappointing outcomes are always the same. When will we ever learn that true happiness is not available within the historical context? There is not enough money in America to satisfy the physical needs of everyone. One of the strange insanities of our time is that we trust government to the extent that we do. This in the face of the fact that government promises have produced the largest debt that any nation has been called upon to bear in the history of the world. Utopia cannot be built out of the ashes of disillusionment.

Business
The business community also feeds the gullible in the culture with utopian promises. Modern television inundates us with commercials, packages of promotion for what the machines have built and the cameras have photographed. Amusement has become a multibillion dollar industry in America. Interestingly, when normal amusement begins to fail, the culture must begin to promote the abnormal, the perverted, the degenerate forms of things and people. When all of this reaches the point of saturation within the culture, humanity itself begins to die. This is obviously happening as our previously great nation turns into a Toys-R-Us playpen. First we lose civility, then morality, then our claim to life itself.

Religion
What about utopian religion? Is the voice heard from the pulpits a helpful ingredient in our national dilemma? Alas, so much preaching in the Church of our time has a strong “kingdom now” flavor to it. The implication is that perfect fulfillment, total happiness, complete provision can be found promised in the message of the Bible for today. “The kingdom has already come” announces many a sermon and many a newly revised old hymn (they are changing the hymns, you know). Therefore,by this theology, kingdom authority flows from heaven to the Church and the religious leader. Out of this comes the promise of prosperity, healing, and every good thing to Christians in this time. The promise of perfection by just “having faith” is the utopia-like message of many a church. There is a string of false promises which flow from the pulpits of our time which have produced great disillusionment in the lives of many. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was given to prepare believers for the world which is to come. It was not given to make problemless and perfect this present evil world which still lies in the lap of the wicked one. A utopian religion which leaves out the cross and the finished work of Jesus Christ is hardly Christianity at all. In the light of all of this, what will tomorrow bring? The answer, from a human standpoint, is that tomorrow will bring the flowering of the principles built into the minds of young people today. If this generation can come to the place where millions of thoughtful young people come to know Jesus Christ as personal Savior, then tomorrow is filled with bright possibilities. A mighty wave of evangelism followed by a broad commitment to Christ—here is the basis of tomorrow’s bright possibilities. The Scripture, speaking about Christians, says, “that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain” (Phil. 2:15-16). Yes, “the sons of God” represent the human hope of tomorrow. If today’s thoughtful young people can be brought to Christ and then brought to the place of genuine commitment to Him, who knows what yet may happen in our world?

The Man of Sin
A person spoke to me just the other day and said, “Dave, it seems like a composite antichrist is taking shape in our time.” That is a rather provocative statement. Concerning this, you may want to take the time to read II Thess. 2 and even the 13th chapter of The Revelation. There is coming a time that we will see the rise of antichrist and many feel that that time is this time. Paul tells us that the advent of the antichrist will be characterized by developments in society. These include: apostasy (II Thess. 2:3), anarchy (II Thess. 2:7), along with strong delusion (II Thess. 2:11). The antichrist will then come to global power (Rev. 13) and for a short, brutal time, will rule the world. This will happen during The Tribulation. It is interesting that people even now are conducting discussions about a “composite antichrist.” Could this be the forerunner of the advent of the real person? We must be thinking! Remember that our testimony for Christ is utterly strategic, most important at this remarkable time. The time could come soon when that testimony would be very difficult to give.

But especially, in these days, let us take note of the promise Christ told us; “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth near” (Lk. 21:25-28).

What then should we be doing? We should be looking up for our soon-coming redemption. Beside looking up, look out at a lost mankind and determine that you will be a part of God’s program in reaching those pitiful souls outside of Christ with the message of the Gospel.

The Great Battle
Against whom are these hostilities conducted? The Scripture says, “against principalities, against powers.” So the Christian’s warfare is not a boy’s fistfight or a children’s shouting match on a corner somewhere. No indeed, it is a high-level confrontation that takes courage, strategy, diligence and other things in order to be properly conducted. This because it is conducted against principalities and powers. The word translated “principality” is ARCHE. In the Scripture it is used of government authorities. In the higher sense it refers to angels and, in this case, fallen angels. The suggestion is that there are high and mighty beings in the service of the devil against which we are to conduct a battle campaign. Upon reading this, we are instantly reminded of the vital importance of our lives and the high strategy with which these lives are being conducted.

The word for “powers” is EXOUSIA. In the Scripture, angelic beings are called powers, but also this word can refer to the authority of men, human rulers. The implication is that sometimes we must declare ourselves against certain human authorities and always against the evil, fallen angels who inhabit the universe.

As we can quickly see, this turns life into a great challenge, even an adventure. Because of the strategic nature of the battle, there is no time to play, to dream, to drift. Do you hear that distant thunder?

Consider also that it is Satan who deceives the nations (Rev. 20:3). We must, therefore, assume that every ruler on earth is the object of satanic subversion. The devil whispers into the ear of governors, presidents and kings, saying, “You’re the greatest, you’re the most.” Many, even in our time, have had their hearts lifted up by pride and they can be expected to fall into the snare of the devil.

So, the world in which we live is being constantly put upon by evil powers of which we should be aware. In the midst of all of this we are called upon to live courageous and effective lives for Christ. Wrestling against principalities and powers can turn our sojourn in this world into an exciting experience indeed.

Is Man an Animal?
One of the reasons a ministry like Christian Destiny is needed is to save the world from its utopian dreams. Nearly everyone in our educated society started out being taught the theory of evolution. Try as they will, they find it hard to rid themselves of the notion that there is an inevitable force, an elan vital, that keeps the world going and produces improvement within society. Soon the minds of millions easily acquiesced to the assumption that it all happens without God and that all of life is merely natural phenomena.

They forget that, if this were true, then all other thoughts, ideas, conversations, happenings within society are meaningless. If man is an animal and if the world is determined by purely natural things, then every concept of justice, love, bravery, purpose for living is instantly gone. Nevertheless, despite this obvious truth, most of the world goes on believing in evolution and thereby compounds its frustration about life. If we are animalistically determined, then that’s the ballgame. All rational thought disappears.

In fact, one cannot deny that the age of irrationality has now come upon us. The collection of political decisions, quasi-rational “facts” and things seen on television are so incredibly irrational as to tax the facilities of the mind. Strange insanities will proliferate so long as an increasingly demented media carries the day as the chief influencer of our ideas.

This is why, of course, the world needs the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The salvation which He brings not only saves the soul, but causes us as individuals to be “transformed by the renewing of our mind” (Rom. 12:2). The hope of eternal life is found in the Gospel and the hope of society is alone found there as well. We Christians, therefore, should daily remind ourselves of the infinite superiority of the message of the Bible above all of the foolish notions of mankind. Irrationality is a frightening thing. Society itself could die from it.

We therefore rejoice in the ministry of Christian Destiny at the privilege of continuing to reach out in radio, television, publishing and in many other ways. Your prayers for this ministry and your contributions to this outreach for Christ are having a measurable, noticeable effect upon our world. Please keep it up! We will labor to the greatest of our ability to represent you in the challenge of reaching our world.