FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

In His parable of the sower, Jesus describes this by “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who are heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14). I remember coming home from school as a kid and heading immediately for the cookie cabinet. “Don’t eat too many of those,” my mom would say, “or you’ll spoil your supper.” Focusing and feasting on what our carnal world has to offer, the masses have “spoiled their supper,” possessing little hunger and desire for the eternal things of God. Distortion— These are the ones who abuse and interpret Scripture to fit their own agenda. Addressing this issue propheti- cally, Paul warnedTimothy that a “Time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3- 4). Paul’s prediction is being played out on numerous fronts today. Prosperity gospel promises health and wealth in this life, as long as one has the faith and is willing to give. The self-help enterprise, with its strong emphasis on leadership development, continues to flourish. Add to that the “Emergent Church” that has skyrocketed in popularity since the late 20 th Century. Though cer- tainly not all, many of these congregations present a product heavy on entertainment but light on doctrine. With these things in mind, let’s conclude this chapter by examining what Amos’ prophecy means for the future. Is it possible that this famine for hearing the Word of God we are ex- periencing will digress into a famine of finding theWord of God? As churches continue to water down their message in an attempt to keep people in the pews and dollars in the plate, will it become

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