I am neither a prophet nor the son of one.
However, we can all know from Scripture that at times, God refines his churches when they become lazy, backsliding, worldly, proud, etc.
Such times are clearly coming in the West, as Christianity moves from being a comfortable social choice to a troublesome one.
What about Kenya? The outward "church" is corrupt to the core; a den of greedy, grasping leeches masquerading as pastors whose main job is to suck money from gullible people and/or gullible foreign donors. The people are promised miracles and a life of ease. The donors are told about wonderful church growth, and if they visit they get shown hordes of smiling people filling the benches or expressing gratitude for aid hand-outs.
I've said to people here often that God will not allow his name to be blasphemed like that forever. Times of refining will come. Are we sitting back and enjoying the view - ready to fall when times of testing come? Or are we seeking and serving fervently, and being the kind of believers who will be ready to survive such refining?
A new feature on the scene in recent months has been militant Muslims, throwing grenades into churches near the border with Somalia.
Such now seems to have progressed to particular areas (where Somalians live) in the capital, Nairobi. There's been another one this weekend: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Child+killed+in+Sunday+school+terror+bombing+/-/1056/1521354/-/s1r6r2z/-/index.html
People are now beginning to think that *(in some places) it might actually be dangerous, rather than an automatic ticket to the blessing of an easy life, to go to a church. Is refining coming in the near future, or are they just isolated incidents to warn the true church, so that there's more time to be ready? The vast bulk are not ready, but those who have enough spiritual heart and head to read the signs of the times have enough to know what to do. Please do pray for the Kenyan church.
Dear David, I am saddened to hear of the troubles in Kenya, the corruption, the persecution and violence, and the misgivings you must at times feel about your mission. From a global perspective, there is indeed something wrong with the "Church": good growth in some areas, but slippage in even more. As to what it means, we can only pray, confident in God's love and faithfulness. My prayers for your personal safety.
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