Torch, Spring/Summer 2009

30 TORCH | Spring–Summer 2009 the summer of 1800. More than 11,000 people came to that meeting, which lasted for days and began the camp meeting revivals that swept Kentucky and the entire region for years to come. Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists all experienced the outpouring of God’s Spirit as souls were saved and revival spread through the entire area. Our Story The dire conditions that McGready faced did not naturally inspire hope that God would work in these circumstances. Similarly, our churches today encounter what appear to be diminishing prospects. For every report of the newest megachurch to hit the radar, statistics tell of dozens of churches closing, church attendance declining, and biblical illiteracy growing. Preaching an exclusive Gospel — “Jesus is the only way to heaven” — is generally viewed as intolerant and judgmental. The icing on the cake, so to speak, is the recent financial calamity in which the nation finds itself. Ministries are reporting declines in revenues, church staff sizes are being trimmed, and some Christian schools are losing enrollment. Two historic Christian colleges closed in the last eight months alone. In times when cultural, financial, and spiritual indicators all point in a negative direction, what should the attitude of those who follow Jesus be? Do we panic? Should we join in the general negativity, resolving to “gut it out” as best we can? The Lord gives us a different answer through the apostle Paul. Writing to the Ephesians, Paul encourages them to walk in ways that reflect their faith, characterized by love, sexual purity, thanksgiving, and wisdom. He urges them to realize they live in a special moment, one they can either lose or choose to make the most of. If they do what is easy, they will waste the opportunity, since “the days are evil.” The will of the Lord is to redeem the moment (Eph. 5:1–16). We live in such a moment. Today’s culture does not like our exclusive message, and the church as a whole seems to lack momentum. Financial and political uncertainties at home and around the world create great unease. Yet God’s character and desire to change lives allows believers to make the most of their moments. Your Story God’s absolute control of all things is not diminished in times of peril, opposition, or uncertainty. The God who brought Israel into the Promised Land was still God when the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, and Syrians attacked. He is God in times of plenty and want. He doesn’t react to circumstances: He dictates them. Take, for instance, Isaiah 46:9b–10: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” We face the circumstances we do for divine reasons, even when we may not comprehend them. God often uses times of adversity to reveal or refocus the faith and efforts of His people. We say we do not trust in our riches, but the recent financial crisis has the potential to reveal whether our words are true or not. Losses of up to 50 percent in investment funds remind us that “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” Are we blessing His name anyway? A culture whose majority thinks of Bible-believing Christians as judgmental hypocrites forces us to find ways to Make the Most of the Opportunity