STAND FIRM: The Future of the Church

      I want to take all that has been shared in this column for the past three years and turn to what we can do, as individual believers and in our churches, to be prepared. Again, as believers, we have Scripture to guide us and define the reality of this world, and within the Bible, we’re given the end of the maze of life. We know how things are going to end. Hopefully, these articles have helped express how much is made clear in the Bible about the end of the age. Through the Bible, we should know factually where things are headed and be able to prepare.

      In the last article, we looked at the future of America according to what we have in God’s Word. Though we lack many details we’d like to know, we know enough. The Bible tells us a lot about the church in the final years of this age. When we look at what the Bible says about the church at the end of the age, it is more about wrapping our minds around the perspective needed rather than the actual events that happen to the church.

      We do not lack knowledge of how believers and the church will be at the end of the age. In every description of it in the Bible, a paradox is presented. Nearly every passage tells of great difficulty upon the church, while at the same time great triumphs. This dualism makes me think of reading Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, which begins by saying, “It was the worst of times and the best of times.” This idea will be the case for the church — it will be the absolute worst of times, but at the same time, it will be the absolute best of times.

      We see this in Jesus’ account of the end of the age recorded in Matt. 24:9-14 (NIV): “...You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold... And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

      Did you see it — the worst of times and the best of times? Believers will be hated and persecuted. Then they will leave the faith and turn on one another. Love in the body will grow cold, but the Great Commission will be completed at that time. Are those two coincidences? No, it has been the pattern throughout history — the church flourishes the most when persecuted. This is seen in the early church and even today with persecuted groups around the world.

     This Charles-Dickensism isn’t only found in Matthew: “…I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been” (Rev. 6:9-11).

      This vision the Apostle John had, and recorded in Revelation of the church at the end of the age, is the same as what Jesus gave — one of the worst and best of times. Though they were slain, they kept their faith and upheld the Word of God.

      This worst of times/best of times end of the age church wasn’t a new construct of the New Testament but has been the reality all along as Daniel wrote: “…There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then... Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:1, 3 NIV).

      This is the clearest of the three passages I shared. In the time of the greatest distress, there will be those who shine. This is the church at the end of the age. This is the future of the church. I share this because, to be prepared, we have to wrap our minds around the biblical reality that we can truly shine in the horrific moments.

         — Jake is a state missionary and would love to share about the work in Northwest Arkansas and encourage your church to stand firm. (standfirmministries.com)