Luke 18:8
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

this question, "when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?", is sandwiched between two parables. one is about not giving up and the other is about humility.

but what does this mean? well, first, one must know what faith is.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

this is a popular sunday school memory verse (if they still do that these days) and most "believers" have come across it a few times. what does it say? faith is substance. substance, to our carnal minds, is real. its reality. this substance is also evidence. evidence of what? evidence for whom?

these two characteristics preclude any of the wishful thinking that people engage in these days. they, indeed the world (you know, the one we are not supposed to conform to), equate faith with blindness, with wishful thinking, with simply choosing to believe something because one wants to. that is not faith.

the widow in the preceding parable had faith. that faith drove her to action. not just any action, but one which she knew would result in the outcome she sought. her faith was rewarded.

1 Peter 1
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

and again


James 2:14-26
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

let me show a picture of faith.

i need meat.

i have a gun which i have had for a long time. i have shot it many times and have practiced to the point that i know the gun well and have faith that it will put a bullet where i want when i aim it. i have ammunition. i have shot this ammunition for years. it has been reliable every time i have shot it. it never misfires and each load is nearly identical to the one before in its power and accuracy. i have used these two together and know how that load works in that gun.

i know a place where deer frequent. i have watched them season after season. i know the routes by which they come and go to their favorite spots to eat or to drink. they have never failed in the habits for years.

now, i have faith that when i take that gun with that ammunition and go to that spot where the deer are at that time of year, i will eat meat. its a done deal. it works every time. my faith has substance. my faith has evidence. my faith is not misplaced. my faith will absolutely produce meat.

but if i use someone elses gun, if i change ammunition, if injure my eye and cant see clearly, if a fire or drought comes and chases the deer off, or anything else about that which i have full faith in, if i veer off that course even slightly, and still have faith that i will eat meat, my faith is in vain. if i turn back at any point before i shoot a deer, i will not eat meat, my faith was for naught. and if i had not spent the time conforming myself to all the things that would reliably result in taking that deer(obedience over time), my faith would be no more than sport and wishful thinking, a waste of time instead of a path to life.

take heed of the ten virgins.

Matthew 25

25 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

the last verse in that passage is used frequently to win converts to the christian system (which is no more christ than the keyboard i am typing on). without the parable that precedes it, thats like buying a train ticket and just hanging out at the station, never ever boarding the train. it gets you nowhere.

so what is this oil? well, if you search the scriptures you will find that the "oil of gladness" is that which is pressed out of your life only through obedience. obedience costs you something. obedience takes time. when time is up, you better have it already.

now, back to faith on the earth. do people ever believe what the bible says except as they pick and choose? does anyone truly believe this passage?


Revelation 13:3-5
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

christ wounded the beast on the stake, but it was healed. the evil one then took back his rulership of the earth and deceived everyone. he presented himself as everything to everybody. he controls both sides of all things. he became mohammed to the muslims and jesus to the christians and moses to the jews. he made a lie of all of creation, ruling even the air we breathe.

i want to know what makes christians think they are immune to this? with everything being tainted, there is only one source by which one can come to a knowledge of the truth and that is directly from the father. no flesh and blood can reveal it - not i or any famous preacher or teacher, past or present.

this exercise is for my benefit, as it is in obedience to my father. but i can tell you, the whole world is worshipping satan, who is opposed to every good and righteous thing. there are no exceptions that i can find and gods word is true.

so

when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?