I couldn't help noticing how it was introduced by Carter:
The Story: Step aside CIA, KGB, MI6. The most powerful intelligence agencies in the world today---at least according to some Iranian leaders---are groups like TGC, SBC, PCA. . .The title Carter gives his post is, "Is Evangelical Christianity the New KGB?"
From that wording, Carter, an evangelical Christian writing for the Gospel Coalition, obviously thinks it's a bit of a joke.
I'm with the Iranians on this one. Because when the leaven leavens the lump, the lump is indeed fully leavened. The mustard seed might look pathetically small, but it will ultimately dwarf the rest of the garden. A tyrannical Islamic theocracy is indeed threatened by the willingness of Christians to first obey Christ, and suffer for it. To bow to the heavenly ruler and not the earthly tyrant. Because as they take up the cross to die daily, the mighty power of Jesus' resurrection is at work. Christianity does actually ultimately mean the death-blow for alternative civilisations; not by military might or political power, but by something much greater: the Spirit of the risen Christ working in peoples' hearts so that such might nor power are completely transcended and outmoded.
Anyone spotted the Roman Empire lately? Nope? Is the power of the corrupt medieval papacy still stifling Europe? Going further back, how about the Babylonian or Assyrian or Medo-Persian empires? Gone too!
But it seems that the gospel is still going forward amongst the nations - which it will indeed do so when the present Iranian regime, which is a mere 30 years old, and indeed the modern secular west which looks like it'll hardly make it into three figures, crumbles. The KGB has got nothing on the Christian church... what happened to the Soviet Empire by the way? Isn't it the new KGB now, since the old communist empire with its threats to displace Christianity is now a relic of history, having crumbled under the weight of its own internal contradictions? Forward, comrades, to victory - forward into the sufferings and cross-carrying which are the mark that the victory is indeed ours. A good first step would be for Christian leaders to stop laughing at the idea that the risen Christ is actually a wee bit mightier than the KGB....
1 comment:
"In fact, the church is thriving under persecution."
Sounds familiar, it has ever been thus, just as is happening in China.
The complacent West seems to be where Christianity is losing ground the most. Maybe the zealousness of being born again has not been followed by the exhortations in 2 Peter 1:5-11. Certainly one oftens hears in Western evangelical circles the emphasis that faith saves, and nothing we can do can add to Christ's work. Unfortunately, many take that too literally.
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