For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
-1 Peter 4:17
Politics, culture, and economics are important. It is right that we discuss the philosophical underpinnings of today’s competing ideologies and the practical consequences of policy decisions. However, these things must be ranked second behind the Great Commission, the Church’s primary purpose. First and foremost, Christians are to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations.
There are times when our vision has been clouded, when we have been distracted by matters of secondary importance. Certain parts of the Church today have become little more than self-help seminars, while others have been so consumed by political questions as to seem more like Bolshevik committees than congregations of the Lord. Well, I exaggerate, but for a purpose: to hammer home the truth that it is not about us; it is about Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
I believe a time is coming when that focus will be restored to the Western Church. A fire is coming to consume our impurities, to kindle our zeal, to show us the holiness of our God. Hard times will shape us into the image of Jesus Christ; tough choices will reveal what we really believe. As this fire spreads outwards from us, the idols of the nations will fall.
This is not pure triumphalism; this is a sober message regarding the transition from where we are now to where we must be at the return of Christ. Some are more devoted than others: they have spent their lives in service to the Lord, longing for Him to bring revival and to return as the Messianic King to end the reign of the god of this age. These people will shine when the change comes. They will help the Church as leaders, teachers, servants, and spokesmen.
We are all in this together: Christ loves us all and does not want anyone to be left behind. As we all bring our gifts and labours together, we shall learn anew the teaching in 1 Corinthians about the one Body with many parts. The glory of the Lord and the persecution that Christians of all stripes will face will impress upon our hearts the Church’s early creed.
There is one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
A Church inspired by this truth and visited by the grace and power of God can turn the world upside down as it did in the days of the Apostles. The Lord has promised (Joel 2; Acts 2) that He will send signs and wonders upon His servants as a testimony before the great and terrible day of the Lord. The day of the Lord approaches. Judgment is coming on the world. The children of Israel will enter the time of Jacob’s trouble, and the Gentiles will know that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Be prepared for the refining fire: it will hurt, but it will clean us all. Be prepared for an increase in persecution from the nations: many will hate us, but some will repent and believe. The Lord does not forget history as the sons of Adam do. He remembers when Britain was the great missionary nation of the world; He knows what America has done and is doing to bring the Gospel to those in darkness. He can do greater things than our fathers witnessed: for with God, all things are possible.
All Along the Watchtower 
First and foremost, Christians are to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations – Yes, but surely the primary purpose of the Church is to worship God?
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Yes, I would agree with that sentiment. My intention is merely to emphasise that we must not let political differences and goals detract from our Christianity. The Kingdom must not be considered as an ally of conservatism or socialism but as an independent power that will ultimately be supreme on this earth.
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I absolutely agree with you. Political differences and other secular issues are secondary. Our first love must be Jesus. Our love for him must also transcend our theological or denominational differences.
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Yes: I believe God wants to bring about true unity and understanding in the Church to break down our denominational barriers. This must be done organically by His Spirit – our ecumenical efforts have largely been unproductive. Where there are formal hierarchies there is too much temptation to covet power, prestige, and position.
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I would consider political and secular (moral) issues to be the result of not informing oneself of the principle beliefs and teachings of Christianity; therefore, they are instructive and important. It is how we ‘practice’ our Christianity. And if you don’t walk the talk then what was Christianity in a person’s life other than a badge of tribalism or heredity of your family’s past history. I cannot, myself, separate faith from practice and that is a dichotomy that has occurred before but is quite prevalent in our own day. It points to a loss of faith.
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I would agree that a lot of the disputes result from poor teaching which is why they are happening at all. They ought not to be occupying the time they do, but it is necessary to address the issues before they get bigger. We can walk the walk, but I think some hard cases will only give up their attachments when God shakes the foundations. We can be as charitable as we like, but some Christians will not let go of socialism until it is fully exposed in their sight, which is happening now.
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I think the shaking has begun (especially if you watch the video I just posted. It is all going to come down like a house of cards. I am awaiting the rise of the phoenix after the present order is turned to ashes.
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Indeed – we will see these institutions collapse. They must, because they have become idols and snares. The EU is an idol for statists – they look to the state for salvation rather than to God.
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It’s a global infestation and includes the whole world. They are trying to woo the East (especially China) and they need to infiltrate and destroy America by corrupting our thoughts with socialist ideas and ideals. I don’t think they will ultimately succeed but that may be a personal expression of wishful thinking.
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I think we will see a split Europe and a split world generally. The Islamic caliphate will re-emerge for a brief final gasp, whether it directly calls itself that or not, and the nations will all have to decide what they are going to do. They will be under pressure because of oil and Muslim immigration.
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I think something of that order may take place but we really do not know what this may spark: social upheaval (already), or civil war or a purging of the Muslims from Europe. And that is only part of what will have to be purged . . . socialism has to go and all those failed ideas that so many cling to these days.
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I think such possibilities will make difficult demands of us as Christians. I will support legitimate arrests and criminal sanctions by the state, but I cannot be part of certain kinds of crowd activity that are contrary to Christian ethical teaching. We can assert that Islam is inimical to the Gospel without resorting to vigilantism and other similar practices. We must abide by the rule of law as a principle, even in times of chaos.
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Depends on how they begin corrupting the laws. With hate speech laws and an obvious bias against Christianity one will find themselves hard pressed to support certain laws especially in view of a Muslim vote or infiltration into the politics of Europe.
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Agreed – I mean more that we should not endorse mob violence. We must not become like the crowds that persecuted the Christians in Roman times.
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I don’t think you need worry about that as we are in a minority . . . especially those who believe enough to fight the good fight under Christ’s banner. It is more likely going to be a time of great suffering and we will see if we have the stomach to make this a prolonged war that will have the other side abandon at some point due to their inability to gain control of Christ and His Kingdom. It will win in the end even if only 1 person remains who holds the faith and is willing to suffer and die for the love of Christ.
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My concern is about street fighting in the UK between groups like the EDL and the Muslims. While I think Tommy Robinson is okay, it is true that there are people on the edge who could turn violent. The murder of Jo Cox a few years back suggests that things could reach a critical mass given certain circumstances.
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I think that isolated instances like that will continue and that hopefully there will be a peaceful solution but that may be pie in the sky thinking. The people who belong in jail over the rise in violence are the ones in power who created (intentionally) this situation and is probably hoping for outright bloodshed. For it is in bloodshed that a government may institute things like Marshall law and flex their power. Without the 2nd Amendment you are more likely to divide into splinter groups of competing terrorists. It may look more like Belfast than the American Civil War.
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We must return to the subsidiarity that Anne Barnhardt talks about, where people valued local connections and where God was at the centre of the community. Church gatherings were true gatherings of the community in those days, places where everyone put aside differences for the space of the liturgy, where we remembered that it was about God, not us.
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It would help but I don’t see it happening until cell phones and social media ends up in the ash can.
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The saved don’t worry about all the secular woes that you unsaved are bothered with.
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