Dis-hastening?

I just finished a very informative book about dispensationalists and their thoughts about (and even influence on) the future. It is my belief that this eschatological view has an inherent pessimism which limits the motivation of its adherents to make a positive impact in the physical realm.

Over the past few years I've been frightened by the reaction of ardent dispy's to bad news. To a large degree, they like it! And why wouldn't they? Bad news, for them, just means the rapture is right around the corner. For example, ever heard of the rapture index? It's a website that ranks how bad the world is using 45 categories of badness. If the world is really bad, the score is really high. Right now the score is 156 which means we should 'fasten our seat belts' and get ready for an exciting ride.

Built into this system of thought is the idea that we, as Christians, are just trying to 'hold-on' until Jesus takes us out of the worsening world. Before that day comes it's good to tell people about Jesus, but why try (for instance) to establish peace in the middle east when Armageddon is inevitable? Why not leave those left behind to deal with the messes they've made?

But what if they're wrong? What if a 19th century invention is just a 19th century invention? What if a third of America's 50 million evangelicals have un-necessarily given up on increasing the size of God's government here on earth just because they don't think it's the right era to do so? What if Christ isn't waiting for the "world" to get worse to provoke His return? What if He's waiting for the "church" to get bigger and better?

It's amazing what a change of focus can do. Since I left the dispensationalist camp, my hope in the church and in God's activity in this world have increased dramatically. Scripture has given me this hope.

Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Those verses, along with others, make me think that the Lord is waiting for 2 things before He returns: An increase in the QUALITY & QUANTITY of the church. In fact, Peter uses a very interesting phrase a few verses later. He says that by living holy and godly lives we can actually speed the coming of that great day!

It's not bad news that provokes the 2nd Coming, it's good news. It's not 'holding-on' that hastens the return of Christ, it's 'growing-up'. It's not giving up on God's world that shows we're ready to see our Savior, it's impacting His world that impresses Him.