“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
~ Matthew 24:14, ESV
Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that’s forgotten what movie theater popcorn tastes like and doesn’t care.
Before I share what’s on my heart regarding this text and how I believe it relates to what’s happening now, I want to give you a quick preview of what’s to come.
In the following weeks, I plan to talk about what to do when you’re in transition. Right now, many of you are in transition, spiritually and in other ways.
This is true of myself as well.
I also plan to share an unconventional perspective on racism specifically for the body of Christ. It will go along with my previous promise concerning the remarkable book of Ephesians.
So stay tuned for those upcoming Thursday emails.
Now I’ll share what’s on my heart concerning Matthew 24:14.
As more and more Christians continue to waste the present crisis by burning mental and emotional calories on outrageous and debunked conspiracy theories, spewing hatred upon well-known people they don’t personally know and have never met, and rejecting the present call of the Holy Spirit to receive, walk in, and spread the gospel of the kingdom, people who don’t know Christ are being pushed further away from Jesus.
Christ is not being presented as the compelling Person that He is, the One who is worthy to live for and die for.
Here’s a common sentiment among unbelievers today:
“I watch Christians on my social media feed. All they do is judge each other, argue with one another, and spread ridiculous theories that are built on hatred of certain people – people they don’t even know. They are angry, narrow, selfish, and not very smart. Why do I want to be a part of that group? If that’s the fruit of believing in Jesus, I’ll pass.”
While the masses of Christian people are unwittingly caught in The Matrix, there’s a remnant of God’s people who are drawing close to Christ during the current virus crisis.
They’ve chosen not to swallow the blue pill and allow the media (in EVERY form and from EVERY outlet) to shape their minds with agendas pushed by either the Conservative Right or the Progressive Left.
And they completely ignore the Loony Fringe in the Christian camp that spread wacky clap-trap conspiracy theories that are on a par with the idea that Kanye West is the Antichrist and Kim Kardashian is the False Prophet (‘cause there’s a YouTube video that “proves” it).
This remnant hasn’t fallen for the prevailing narratives of our time – either from the Left or the Right or the Wacked-Out Christian Fringe.
You won’t see them arguing, fighting, or spreading hatred and slander against any human, hiding behind pious self-righteous rhetoric – even toward those who outright reject Jesus and advocate blatant immorality.
Like their Savior, they can’t be boxed into any political agenda or camp or social movement. They’ve taken the red pill, and thus, they’re immune to being sucked into the dominating narratives being peddled by both the Left and the Right.
Their message is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Their agenda is the kingdom of God. This is what they burn for.
They’ve put a stake in the ground to stand for Jesus Christ and His kingdom and nothing else.
When it comes to non-moral issues that Christians bicker over, they take the view of Paul when he said,
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
~ 1 Corinthians 9:20-22, NIV
They are so focused on showing Jesus Christ to others to the extent that they will gladly forgo their “rights” so they may win some to the Lord — rather than needlessly offending non-believers over issues and practices that have no spiritual significance.
In addition, they are allowing the Lord to purge their lives of all other allegiances, devotions, and passions. Their hearts are set on eternity, and they are living in the presence of the future.
This remnant is learning to be like their Lord. Specifically, to love the unlovable, to show empathy toward the ungrateful, to be compassionate toward the undeserving, and to be kind to those who are hostile to the gospel.
They are preparing themselves for the Lord’s next move, which won’t be about miracles, signs, wonders, and the other flashy things that Christians routinely chase after.
It will instead be about the spread of the life-altering gospel of the kingdom. That is, it will be all about the Insurgence.
As I’ve said elsewhere, out of the abundance of the social media feed the heart speaks. It’s not what you profess to believe that reveals what’s in your heart and what you value most.
It’s what you post on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tik Tok, etc. that reveals your passions, your hopes, your desires … and what you really love.
Just like it was during the Great Depression, World War II, the Economic Crisis of the 1970s, and the Cold War, do I think the Lord is going to return soon?
If by “soon” you mean within the next year or two, my answer is “I seriously doubt it.” Here’s why.
Because according to Jesus Himself, it’s only when “this gospel – the gospel of the kingdom” –not the gospel we so often hear today in America – is proclaimed all over the world, that the present age will close (Matthew 24:14).
As I write these words, THAT gospel has only BEGUN to be proclaimed in the United States even, let alone to every other nation.
Regrettably, few Christians talk about it on social media. Except for the remnant that I’ve spoken about above.
The Insurgence has begun. I hope none of you end up missing it.
I’ve said much more about all of the above in the following. I trust you’ll give time to these, and more importantly, take definitive action on the messages.
#75: You Cannot Serve Two Masters
#73: The Kingdom vs. Nationalism and Globalism
#71: Four Toxic Anti-Kingdom Behaviors
#68: Using Social Media to Glorify the King (15-Day Challenge)
#63: How Kingdom People Handle Crisis
#53: Transcending the Political Bloodbath
4 Reasons Why Christians Believe Bat-Crazy Conspiracy Theories
A Survival Guide for the Current Virus Crisis
See you next Thursday.
Your brother who has also swallowed the red pill,
fv
Psalm 115:1
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Radical Church, the World Has Gone Crazy & The Ultimate Issue