I want a violent, bloody, national persecution to hit America. With blood, sword, and flame, our nation and churches need limbs cut off, eyes plucked out, skin flayed, and flesh burned.

In fact, I would rather gruesome and horrendous tortures be committed upon Christians rather than people just being shot in the head. That is the easy way out. Death by shooting squad is too easy to endure.

I am no sadomasochistic Christian nor do I wish horrendous pain upon my wife or daughter. But the stakes do need to be raised for those considering following Christ.

Christ warned his followers that the cost of following him was steep. And while Christians in America make this account more into a fairy tale in which people a long, long time ago in a far off place were required to sacrifice much, we the modern Christian don’t. Jesus understands. Your life is worth far too much and your career and family far too valuable to risk discomfort, never-mind death through gruesome pain.

Despite this modern sentiment, Christ’s words stand eternal:

The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” — Matthew 10:37

The cross—the ancient equivalent of saying “grab your electric chair, lethal poisons, and hand guns and follow me—you’ll likely be killed for what you are about to do, I was.”

The truth is, few in western Christianity are willing to even give up their comfort and stuff for Christ. So how can they even be considered to qualify for the Kingdom when we look at the kind of love and devotion that Christ demands?

To follow Christ, means to abandon everything and anything—even your life.

And when we look at the “church” on any given Sunday, the pews are filled with half-hearted, half-committed “Christians” who want an open relationship with Christ. They want to lead their spiritually promiscuous lives and once and a while come home to their betrothed fiancé to whom they are promised—Jesus Christ.

What the Church needs is a refining fire—a purging of all the filth. Through waves of physical threat and persecution, the true believer becomes more committed and devoted and the half-hearted abandon Christ (whom they never really loved in the first place).

Death and pain are the ultimate test, a clear demonstration of whom one loves more, themselves or Christ. Do you want to end pain and suffering more than endure any test for the name of Christ?

The greatest tragedy that ever occurred to the Church was the legalization and mainstreaming of Christianity. Under Constantine, that most famous Roman Emperor and Christian convert, the doors of the Church were flung wide open for all sorts of sycophantic and half-devoted “Christians.”

It is time for a purge. And it is coming.

The garden that is the church has been overgrown with weeds. Which are you?

In the words of Tommy Green of Sleeping Giant,

“Soon we will find out
who are the real revolutionaries
Someday we will see
whose in this thing for real”

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THEOLOGY21 is a co-op of authors dedicated to renovating theology for a new generation, taking the ancient truths of scripture and theology and speaking to the post-Christian culture of the 21st century. To keep up-to-date on all things THEOLOGY21, Give our Facebook page a “like”, follow our twitter page, add yourself to our email list, or subscribe to our feed!
 
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