Yet Another Warning

Welcome home.

A church is first and foremost the people. It’s not even the organization, but at the fundamental level, it’s just the souls of humans who share a commitment to the message of Jesus Christ. In that sense, it’s a group of people called together by God, and they have responded.

It’s a family. The shared DNA is a drive to please the Father; that’s the only bond. That bond can be enhanced and used to bring Him glory, or it can confused and frittered away on things that don’t really matter. The objective is His glory, day after day, night after night. Nothing else that happens matters very much, except as it serves that purpose.

By the time you’ve read any three consecutive posts on this blog, you know that I have a bone to pick with almost every entity that calls itself a “church” in this world. I’m not interested in attacking them, in the sense that I would hinder their work and try to make them look bad, to make any attempt to persuade folks they cannot be a part of that. Rather, I offer to warnings. First, to my readers a warning of what they are getting into. Go ahead and join any church to which you honestly believe the Lord has led you. It will bless me to see you engaging His calling in your life one way or another. I’m not your boss and you owe me nothing but the compassion Christ commands of all of us.

Second, I warn the churches that they are facing some serious testing very, very soon. No, I have no dates, only some rather vague expectations of events as a type, not in specific form. The fire of tribulation will fall, and we shall see if your stuff is wood, hay and straw, or if your stuff is gold and silver. Even steel can lose its temper and strength, and stones weaken from heat, but gold and silver only melt and purify in the fire.

Churches, you will be tested financially. However much of your existence depends on money and budgeting, that much is likely to evaporate. However much of your church’s existence depends on real estate and buildings, so much of your church will be taken away. However much of your church exists on human talent and activities, that much will be shaken loose and begin to crumble. However much of your church’s functions depend on government permit and protection, so much will the betrayal of misplaced trust hurt you. Can your church stay together and glorify God with nothing but the bodies containing faithful souls?

Can your church just be a family of God’s people, a local tribe of His Divine Nation? You’ll get a chance to find out.

Or, I suppose you can compromise further with political pressures and become something totally not “church” by any meaningful definition. You’ll have to pay taxes and submit to regulation you cannot now imagine. You’ll be used as a government resource to satisfy political necessities. The State will be your god and you will betray the Cross. Oh wait — some churches are already up to their armpits in political activism, to the point you serve as an alternative party headquarters. Some of you actually believe Jesus Christ is a registered member of your secular political party. That’s the kind of church that tends to believe the Apocalypse must be near anytime the opposition starts winning the elections.

Well, you won’t get to celebrate that it’s the end of world. It’s the birth of a whole new civilization. I’ll stop now, because it’s likely you’ve already quit listening, church leaders.

To my readers: God help you in the days to come. You don’t have to stand in the open as He pours out His wrath on sin. As previously stated, I don’t have anything more precise than to tell you it has already started. Surely you know that. In our virtual parish here I’ve done everything I can to help you prepare. Those of us who have shaken off our dependence on the trappings of this life will be ready to exploit this unspeakable tragedy, not for our personal material profit, but for God’s glory. In that sense, there’s nothing that could bless you more. His glory is your best interest.

If you need some kind of pointer, I suppose I could suggest some of the posts of the last two weeks. I thought it could turn into a book, but the Foul Winds Project didn’t go that way, at least not yet. Scroll down and see what I’ve written and don’t forget to see the comments. It’s the nature of revelation that good questions are a powerful agent to exposing truth. Go ahead and post questions in the comment section yourself, or by email — jhurst18 at cox dot net. Bug me — I dare you. Or ask for a referral to someone else; it’s not about me.

Let’s be as much family of God as He permits.