What I'm continually amazed by, is my inability to see things as they are, but instead see things the way I am told they are. I’m realizing more each day how insanely powerful paradigms are. Even within my fulfilled eschatological view, which is optimistic in the long term, I can be easily battered by the winds of pessimism. I look around and see so many bad things i.e. national debt that's out of control, corporate immorality, a power hungry Marxist government hell-bent on stealing every freedom we have left, and on the news every day I see appalling acts of moral depravity…So how is it possible that we’ll ever survive against these seemingly degrading odds?

After the market's ratcheting freefall of the past few weeks due primarily to global debt concerns, specifically the EU nations (wasn't the EU supposed to house the antichrist?), I put a call into a former college roommate (CFA) who's been at the top of the money management field for many years. Yearning for some semblance of sanity, we began to talk about the current state of this country, corporate conditions and the world's potential. Every glass-half-empty argument I threw at him was countered rather dispassionately by facts that I'd not fully considered. And why had I not considered them? Because my mind had been too clouded by the pervading doom and gloom mentality that grips our national consciousness. I won't go into all the gory details, but suffice it to say, amidst the serious problems, I believe I now have a much better perspective of our potential. He presented so many advances and so much that’s positive. So how is it possible to look at things so negatively, seemingly ignoring almost anything redeeming? Paradigm.

Enter Sam's show, the first of which I heard a few weeks back. From some additional angles, Sam basically corroborated that which my friend had succinctly argued. Clearly, we do have serious issues that threaten our way of life, but on the other hand, we live in the best times history has to offer. Who would go back to “the good old days” 150, 200 or 500 years ago…when people died of tooth aches and had to wash their clothes in the river? Civil wars, world wars and the prevailing soteriology of salvation by grace plus works…

I'm doing a survey among the people I meet, many where I work out. I ask 2 questions, with #2 based upon an affirmative answer to #1.

1. Do you believe the world is going to end? If, yes, what supports your conclusions i.e. the Bible , science, sociology etc.?

2. If yes to #1, do you believe the end will come in your lifetime? (Then I usually try to get a more specific number)

So far, I've NOT encountered ONE person who has answered “NO” to question #1 and EVERY person believes that we will see THE END in their lifetime. Now let me be clear.

This survey is not geared toward Christians ONLY, quite to the contrary, although so far I've not encountered an atheist. The last responder was a nominal Christian who has not in the least been steeped in LeftBehindology. I was shocked by his negativity. “Just look around”, he said. “The carnage is everywhere. Even my grandmother says that she's never seen times this bad and as a young girl she lived through the depression.”

This survey gives me an opportunity to hopefully change the paradigms of Christians and it opens the door to share Christ with unbelievers. At any rate, the renewal of the mind allows us to see things as they are, not through the darkened perceptions of others. Whether through Nostradomus, the Bible or the Mayan calendar, it appears that many are being led astray by fatalism.

After the conversation with my friend and listening to Sam's show, I was amazed how, even one who has a positive eschatology (yours truly), can be so easily persuaded to enter the glass-half-empty world. We clearly have a lot of work to do, not the least of which is to challenge the gross misperceptions of our day, as many Christians presuppose their outlook on Scripture. It’s a vicious cycle. Thanks to Sam for interjecting a much needed dose of Biblical optimism. For goodness sakes, John spoke of being overcomers at a time when the world as they knew it was overrun by corruption and evil. Are things better now then they were nearing the destruction of Jerusalem in 70? You betcha! Are things growing worse and worse? Do we live in a Genesis 6:5 world, where the resurrection of Christ has had no redeeming impact?

Genesis 6:5 (NASB) Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

NO!

1 John 5:4-5 (NASB) 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Thanks again, Sam!