Talking 'End Times' with Joel Rosenberg: Episode #17

I got an e-mail Monday saying, "Mr. Rosenberg has some time tomorrow morning." I was all over that.

I've been a big fan of Joel Rosenberg ever since he spoke at a Focus on the Family chapel three years ago. I'm not usually one for platitudes but he's brilliant. Yes, I know, he puts his pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us. It's just that when he does, he writes best selling novels that predict the future.

So yeah, we were excited to have him on The Boundless Show to talk about his new book, Dead Heat. The segment was so good, we alerted the media. Here's a portion of the release:

On this special episode, which releases Friday, May 16, and is available free on both iTunes and Boundless, Rosenberg discusses personal failure, his commitment to family, and his own reflections on the Last Days as described in the Bible. He gives a special charge to young adults to live intentionally in light of Christ's return, something he feels is imminent.

"What if Jesus is coming back a lot sooner than we all thought?" Rosenberg asks listeners. "Are you ready to see Jesus face to face? Are you living a life of holiness? Are you living a life of spiritual impact? This is the moment we need to get in the game."

An evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish heritage, Rosenberg was a Washington insider before leaving that fast-paced environment to write books, primarily novels. His success has come in part due to a knack for writing storylines that tend to "come true." The plot for The Last Jihad, written before 9/11, mirrors that day's tragic events.

I think you'll enjoy the interview.

I also think you'll enjoy the rest of the show. In our roundtable segment we answer the question, why quiet times? And in the Inbox we tackle one of man's greatest passions: sports. Is it possible to be a sports fanatic and a Christian? Listen in.

Also this week we've expanded the music bumpers. The music from The Museum is just too good not to.

Comments

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1. Nicole said the following at 3:27 PM on May 16:

His new book is on the top of my reading list for this summer. :)

2. Christina (in green) said the following at 6:22 PM on May 16:

Ummm...I did have a concern when he started talking about going and making disciples of the world.

Does he think there's something wrong with feeling called to do just that by serving in the church nursery?

I mean, I was on the list to go to Honduras when I was in High School. I had spent an entire year helping earn money to go with my youth group. I had the money to go, the support to go, my mother and sister were going, and my youth minister was encouraging me to go. But a month before we were supposed to leave, the youth minister scheduled meetings with each of us and asked us why we felt called to go. I told him that I didn't feel called to go overseas when there was so much that needed to be done within the church. There are MANY mission fields where there are people to make disciples. Not just Honduras, Israel, the Middle East, or China. What about our families? What about the middle schoolers and high schoolers in your church? Do you think they are all disciples? There people needed there, too... I ended up staying home that summer, taking care of my dad and brothers and making sure the house kept some semblance of order...THAT was my ministry that summer.

Was he saying that that's not aiming high enough? That they aren't just as worthy of being witnessed to? So cn is called to Israel and the Middle East, to Arabs. There are young people who feel called to overseas missions. Everyone who's called to missions seems to be called to overseas missions... but what about the person who feels called to raising others to help make disciples of the world? What about those who are called to ensure that those people are properly educated? That they are biblically grounded? Isn't THAT just as important?

Sorry...it just REALLY bothered me. I've always felt called to raise a dozen kids that are passionate about God, on fire for him, and not timid about speaking of their faith and to be involved in local church ministries. Just because I'm not in China or the Middle East doesn't make my calling any less important, any less viable, and something less than going to China or the Middle East.

3. Matthew said the following at 9:25 PM on May 16:

Christina (#2),

I didn't listen to the segment, but I want to give you a big interwebs pat-on-the-back for your passion-- my Mom once had a dozen kids (now she has 14) and that was her calling. She has led more people to passionate relationships with Christ (my siblings) than some overseas missionaries ever do. Not to brag, but she's turned out a few very intelligent, Christ-honoring kids who will be storming the gates of hell overseas and here in the next few years.

I myself feel called to unreached peoples and I wish more people were like me (honestly, I suspect that our mutual enemy are people who have a call to either the nursery or overseas and ignore it.) But what you want to do is noble, beautiful, and can have a great impact for the Kingdom. Please don't let any of us called-overseas types discourage you from the great work that the Lord has for you.

4. Rachael said the following at 11:11 PM on May 16:

Christina wrote:

"What about our families? What about the middle schoolers and high schoolers in your church? Do you think they are all disciples? There people needed there, too... I ended up staying home that summer, taking care of my dad and brothers and making sure the house kept some semblance of order...THAT was my ministry that summer."

-->Neat, Christina...I respect you for that.

Matthew, I'm glad you can recognize the beauty in Christina's heart even though you're an 'overseas' type.

I really really really wish people's and my eyes would open to invisible servanthood more often and not elevate certain types of people above others who might serving God in their own home just as much or more as someone in an established ministry (overseas or not).

I need to become way better at invisible servanthoodness though...

Anyway, kudos to the both of you for recognizing there are multiple ways to serve God...

I didn't listen to this podcast, though, I must admit...I'm just responding to you guys, not the podcast..

5. Chris Krycho said the following at 4:23 PM on May 20:

Christina,

First, praise God that you are serving Him where He has placed you and working where indeed there is great need and great burden!

Second, an explanation of the basis of the call to "overseas" missions. (None of it is overseas to God, after all!) The question you ask is one that for a time bothered me immensely. The truth is, however, that there is a greater need for overseas missions than for ministers here in the United States. This first becomes clear by simple number-crunching: the ratio of workers-to-lost-people there versus here is drastically different. Multiple powers of ten different. The need is immensely higher: not more important, just larger.

Beyond this, and much more importantly, I believe, is the theological mandate. The Great Commission is not merely not save as many people as possible: it is to make disciples of all nations (the phrase is panta ta ethne in Greek, and it means to reach every people group). See John Piper's excellent article on the subject. So we are called first not to reach as many people as we can, but to reach as many people groups as we can. Reaching numbers is second to penetrating the Gospel to lands and peoples who have never heard it. And so the need there is greater theologically than it is in America, where we have a church on every corner. (The health of those churches is another question entirely, but no one here has any excuse: the Gospel is readily available to all. At the same time, those of us who are here have a great responsibility to actually be sharing the Gospel, not living for ourselves.)

I want to carefully reiterate: that does not in any way diminish your calling. I myself have a passion for the renewal of the Church in America - but for the purpose of reaching beyond itself. And on this we agree: that there is a desperate need to raise up those who will go. Steve Shadrach, in his excellent book on college ministry, The Fuel and the Flame, argues that if he had 2000 college students ready to do whatever was needed for the kingdom, he would send not a one of them overseas. He would, instead, send every single one of them to motivate others to go: to be kindlers of the flame and senders.

We must recognize that our own calling is equally important, but that it is in service of those being sent. Thank you for being faithful in this!

I need to listen to this podcast!

6. BDB said the following at 5:48 PM on May 20:

Regarding callings and overseas missions...one of the things that my church does is provide short-term missions opportunities that are family friendly. This allows parents to take their children to, say, Cambodia or Thailand and interact with children in an orphanage, while still having reasonable accomodations to stay in. We much more often have families go to our mission operation in Mexico. When I went last month, about 20 of the people from my church were kids. It helps children understand poverty - and frankly, understand how little "stuff" is needed to be happy. One soccer ball can be plenty to keep a bunch of kids happy all day. So it's a great way to disciple your children.

7. Candace said the following at 10:32 AM on May 21:

Let's not forget about the nations/people groups that are on our doorsteps right here in America. I have a strong passion to see the unreached come to Jesus, but I see the Lord bringing them to us in the last few years. This does not negate the importance of going overseas, but look at the opportunity we have with those in our own neigborhoods (like the Somali, Arabs, Hmong, etc.).

I'm excited to see disciples made in these people!

Thanks for the great podcast...I really enjoyed it!

8. Amy P. said the following at 9:41 PM on May 21:

I missed the time designations of each segment starting this week. I hope that the time designations will make a re-appearance next week :)

9. Jackie said the following at 12:28 AM on May 22:

Joel is great; I've heard him speak a few times. He will be in Tucson, Arizona this Saturday (May 24) @ 7 pm at the Tucson Convention Center. Free event! He'll speak about Biblical prophecy. Check out: www.pastpresentfuture.org.