End times, or the Church Renewing the Nations?

There is confusion about "end-times." People have a gut feeling that the church is meant to renew the world, but passages like Matthew 24 are being misunderstood. They think these passages speak of the destruction of the world before Christ returns, and this gives them a sense of fatalism, resignation and hopelessness about the current situation.Show more

There is confusion about "end times." People have a gut feeling that the church is meant to renew the world, but passages like Matthew 24 are being misunderstood. They think these passages speak of the destruction of the world before Christ returns, and this gives them a sense of fatalism, resignation and hopelessness about the current situation.

Similarly, Paul in Thessalonians was speaking to the people of his own day when he said the temple was about to be desecrated. "The day of the Lord" (the destruction of oppressive regimes) makes way in scripture and in history for the revived church to renew the nations. This is our expectation today, when oppression will give way to repentance and renewal. The resurrection is when we all in Christ meet in the completely transformed heaven and earth at the end.

In this short video, Kent and Ruth discuss the current spread of totalitarianism across the world and what the biblical response is. God is bringing the church through it to renew the world. The powers of corruption are falling.