A revivalist lamented how many Americans do not have eternity in their minds and are not preparing for it because they are more concerned with the cares of this world than the life to come.
"I propose the whole of America, and the bulk of the church isn't grasping what is about to happen either. Eternity is not on the mind of most," wrote Bible teacher and revivalist John Burton for The Stream.
He contends that Christians are so preoccupied with the cares of this world that they focus much of their energy on temporal matters.
"Eternity is coming to all of us and it is of supreme importance that we talk about it. A lot," he stressed.
The trivialities of life can become distractions.
The problem, as he sees it, is that certain pastors and preachers do not prepare their congregations for the afterlife. It also baffles him why Christians spend so much time on ordinary tasks while neglecting to zero in or immerse themselves on their major point of existence.
In other words, Burton thinks that too much focus on the here and now entices believers from eternal concerns like the salvation of lost souls.
He maintains that believers ought to be prepared for a very relatively close transition to eternity instead of majoring on the mundane throughout their lifetime.
Eternity must be given priority to time-based problems.
"I've never seen such passion from people as I have in the last year," Burton goes on. "Sadly, it's not because of revival. The zeal isn't a result of encountering the Holy Spirit. People haven't been provoked by the coming of Jesus. No, people are shouting with ferocity about masks, elections, riots, and politics of every sort. They are energized by the short-term, temporal issues of this lifetime."
He sadly noted that for decades, several ministers have gotten intoxicated on growing larger congregations and lists of email addresses. Additionally, people of faith are working together to embrace the American Dream, thus compromising their faith. Idols, preoccupations, inhibitions, and conflicts, said Burton, too often distract them.
"I'm not saying we can't joyfully invest ourselves in the life God gives us. We can. We should," he countered. "There's a right and good way to deal with politics, cultural issues, our jobs, family demands, dreams, building businesses, and everything else that fills up the 70 or so years we are on the earth."
"However, the moment the land of the living takes precedence in our daily lives is the moment our lives become endangered. Everything we do must be in sync with preparing for the end-times and the coming trillions (endless) years of our eternity," he explained.
When Christian Forgets That Many Are On Eternal Death Rows
Burton is saddened by the fact that very few people get up every morning ready for the end. He said that Christians should all be preparing others for eternity because the end is near, but the nation's distractions are destroying them.
He described eternity in terms of Jesus and eternally ruling and governing alongside Him! For these reasons, believers must continue to raise the alarm and warn as many people as possible of the truth of hell and the promise offered by Jesus. It is about winning God's heart and preparing their families for the rapidly approaching end season.
"Let's reprioritize pretty much everything and look at politics, viruses, the church, our families, our dreams, our entertainment, and all the rest through the lens of eternity," he concluded.
To sum, God's agenda and plan for mankind in light of eternity must supersede temporal issues. Additionally, preparing to live with Him in glory must be every believer's prime focus.
