Err... yes. Very very spoilt. I'm with you. I will never forget how happy I was to come HOME after China. So very happy. And we're spoiled in a thousand different ways. No, you'll get no arguments from me - we're Rome in the days of bread and circuses, and as rotten-ripe to fall.
Dr. McGee was in 2 Kings because the bit I listen to is the Thru the Bible program, and it ... goes through the Bible, he was just in 2 Kings today. Incredibly informative program, most evangelical preachers don't touch quite a lot of the Bible. He skips back and forth from OT to NT, we're going into Romans next week I believe. Looking forward to it!
Elijah and the Second Coming - yes, I'm agreed that he's supposed to be one of the two witnesses during the Tribulation/prior to the Second Coming. I don't think the Second Coming = the Rapture though, the Rapture is when *we* go to *Him*, not vice versa.
Pat Robertson. Yes. I 'bout cried last night when I heard he was backing Guiliani. I'd prefer if A) We didn't back anyone, particularly this early in the game B) We backed the most moral person, not the person we thought would win. I mean... Guiliani? The commentator who wrote up the report was all "I guess evangelicals are all about conservative politics instead of conservative morals" - ugh ugh UGH. That there is pure slander. FWIW - my preacher doesn't do politics from the pulpit, the preachers I listen to don't do politics from the microphone. At least not to the point of backing particular parties or people. Certainly they're opposed to the usual things, but that's right and proper. I expect to be kept up to date on relevant current events - briefly. I don't expect to hear a whole sermon about it, I vastly prefer the style of sermon that just works through the Bible verse by verse and applies it to daily life. Both Dr. McGee and Pastor Mike do that - Dr. Stanley tends to be more topical, but it's "Christian Living" sort of topical rather than current events. (FYI, Dr. McGee died in 1987).
And yes, I'd be happy if the world changed 'round so that the preachers preached about God and the politicians listened to them because they wanted to get right with God, not because of the voting block. Then again... politics, particularly current politics, makes me ill. It's a mudwallow front to back. And that's where a LOT of the mud that lands on evangelicals like yours truly starts from. :( C'est la vie... we aren't here to discuss politics, which is a relief!
Revival - it does seem like much of the world is experiencing a polarizing. Some countries are experiencing massive revival (often where most repressed) and other countries have declared themselves "post-Christian". Other places are plain dying off. I want, desperately, to think that the US will come back from its full-scale run into "post-Christianity" but I can't see it. Not without a disaster that keeps us so busy that the "shiny people" don't have time to scoff at the honest folks. It's sad, there are a lot more salt-of-the-earth types than shiny folks, but it's as if they've/we've just laid down our arms and decided to let things happen as they will. Propaganda is the first line of attack, I guess it's been effective here.
The reason I brought it up is that my mom was saying that there was a time a few decades back when the signs and portents were building up in much the same way, and then they abruptly stopped. It's not war that makes me feel apocalyptic, although certainly the location is interesting (surely someone who could bring solid peace to the mess in the Middle East could set himself up for power and worship easily enough). It's the swirling evil - the "post-Christian" attitudes. The tighting of belts that will be coming next year, what with all the food areas that have been hard hit by weather this year. A thousand little things. And of course the general desire to have done! :) My attitude DOES color my perspective, and I'm not fool enough to lie about that. Let's face it... NAmerica, particularly the US is rotten ripe and we ARE going to fall, it's only a matter of time. I'd like to think that our fall isn't just another civilization plopping through over indulgence. /shrug. Then again, maybe I'll be moving in with you if that happens, there are not many places LESS self-sufficient than SoCal. :)
I suppose we'll know what's coming when it gets here. But it's always fun to wonder.
