As Christians ponder whether America is experiencing a revival, apologist Frank Turek digs a little deeper, noting that it’s important for people to be “not just spiritually regenerated, but discipled.”
He also addressed the confusion and date setting that sometimes occurs in theological discussions about the end times.
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“How do you make disciples? How do you make people who actually follow Jesus, not just people who say, ‘I’m going to heaven because I have fire insurance,'” he said. “Jesus didn’t say, ‘Go make believers.'” “Come make disciples,” he said. It means taking up your cross and doing things you don’t normally want to do. It means denying yourself and following God, which is difficult. ”
With so much spiritual activity going on, Turek was asked whether it is possible for both chaos and rebirth to occur simultaneously in America. This conversation becomes especially interesting when it comes to speculation about the apocalypse.
“I would venture to say that no one knows when Jesus will return. My source for that is Jesus,” he said. “When people keep saying, ‘Oh, yeah, I know Jesus is coming back. Oh, it’s getting worse. It’s going to happen,’ … I say, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. Jesus said no one knows the day, the hour, the hour, the season. I come like a thief in the night.’
Turek’s argument is that he believes no one knows when Jesus will return and that the details of the end are “hidden for a reason.”
“Just like at the first coming of Jesus, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2 that if these things had been known, the powers of this world would never have crucified the Lord of glory.” “When you look back at the Old Testament prophecies in the light of the New Testament, you say, ‘Oh, I see how all these passages fit together. But if you look ahead and think about it, if you were reading the Old Testament, you wouldn’t know that this was actually going to happen.’
“If Satan had known that the murder of Jesus was actually Satan’s defeat, he would never have instigated it, and the Lord kept that message veiled for a reason,” he continued.
Turek said not knowing the day and time of the week prevents people from thinking they have time, living their lives the way they want, and simply making plans for “last-minute repentance.”
The apologist encouraged people to spend more time getting to know Jesus. Although it is unknown when Christ will return, it is certain that most people alive today will die within the next 100 years.
“You know your life is going to end on this earth,” Turek said. “It’s better to deal with it than worry about when God is going to come and end the whole show.”
He also spoke about the importance of not only teaching people to believe, but also showing them why Christianity is true.
“So why should you be a Christian and not an atheist or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist? Or create your own world religion or personal religion, as many people do today?” Turek said. “The reason you should be a Christian is because it is true. There is evidence that God exists, that Jesus rose from the dead, that the Bible speaks the truth, and that you are a fallen human being.”
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