Back in the 80s and 90s, atheism and agnosticism took center stage, promising liberation from the so-called constraints of religion. They heralded a godless existence as the pinnacle of enlightenment. Yet, despite their loud proclamations, many today are surveying the world’s unrest and reaching a different conclusion: We need Jesus! Their myth of living without any guiding ideology has crumbled before our eyes.

It’s becoming crystal clear that even those who claim indifference to the God of the Bible inherently adopt a set of beliefs that shape their worldview. Every life experience, and every decision, crafts a belief system: From your experiences, you craft your beliefs, and from your beliefs you make decisions and those decisions lead to consequences, whether they be fruitful or frivolous.  This intricate web of experiences and consequences forms our personal ideology or belief matrix. As we age and accumulate experiences that reinforce our worldview, changing your belief matrix becomes increasingly challenging.

Yet, belief matrices can change, sometimes slowly and sometimes lightning fast. A prime example of this transformative process is becoming a Christian later in life after you’ve already shaped your ideas, preferences, and experiences. When Jesus enters your life dramatically, everything you thought you knew is turned upside down. It begins with the realization that God is real and in place of emptiness, there’s a higher power you’re drawn to know, please, and experience. This revelation kickstarts a quest to understand what delights God, what grieves Him, what angers Him, what amuses Him, and what He is currently doing in earth. You’re now engaging with new teachings, discovering fresh insights, and adopting new behaviors. You begin to practice God’s way of doing things—you learn to forgive those who are undeserving and prioritize the needs of others over your own. Congratulations, you’ve just encountered the living God in such a powerful way he reoriented your ‘belief matrix.’

This is one example, but you could have any high-emotion event, and your brain will take in new data points and reorient what you think and believe. Alternatively, these matrices can be updated slowly as well. You can be persuaded into truth by someone you trust and respect once exposed to different ideas or arguments.

Now that we understand this individually, let’s look at it in a corporate sense. When a significant event (national emergencies, disasters, etc) happens, entire communities can be influenced almost instantly, leading to a collective belief shift. Communities can also be influenced through a sustained pattern of public persuasion. With a steady diet of pop culture, music, and movies, one could conceivably change a targeted group’s beliefs in a relatively short amount of time.

At a corporate level, this phenomenon has been happening in the church for decades. The subtle permeation of these false Christs, along with their misleading doctrines, has resulted in a church that is culturally irrelevant and disengaged from being the moral voice of clarity. These false Christs have shifted the consciousness of individuals and entire denominations away from Biblical truth and into error. 

While God has indeed raised up notable exceptions—vibrant examples that defy this trend—the general state of contemporary Christianity, unfortunately, tends to reflect this weakened condition.  

The church is approaching a wrecking ball moment of dramatic proportions, similar to the clear divisions that emerged in the political landscape shortly after Donald Trump’s election. Just as his presidency revealed where people stood on various issues, this wrecking ball moment will serve as a catalyst, unmistakably clarifying positions and beliefs within the church. It will forcefully challenge the status quo, drawing distinct lines between differing viewpoints.

When Donald Trump came down the escalator in New York, it was like flipping on a kitchen light in government and suddenly seeing bugs scatter across the floor. It was a moment of illumination that began to clarify everything: who is compromised, who is merely pretending to align with their stated values (a RINO, Republican In Name Only), who contributes to problems rather than solving them (a swamp creature), and who genuinely represents the people’s interests.

The wrecking ball for the church is upon us. It will be a challenging time. People who you thought were Bible-believing Christians are going to say something so wild you never thought it was possible. Exposure is coming. This isn’t about financial wrongdoing or even moral failings; it’s about uncovering those who are CHINOs – Christians In Name Only. 

I think the next few years will witness significant divisions within the church, and it’s essential to recognize that this separation is guided by divine intention. God will not have his Son blend in with False Christs. Please understand that this division is not the breaking down of Biblical unity because WE CANNOT have unity with a false Christ or deceptive teaching. We are called to persuade the persuadable, and we are called to dialogue, but we are not to have unity with those who are actively teaching or living in error. 

This concept will be challenging for many to accept, yet it’s important to recognize that robust debates about the nature of God are not only historical but necessary. A notable instance in the early Christian church involved the Apostle Paul and Peter. When Peter began to withdraw from eating with Gentiles to appease more conservative Jewish Christians, Paul did not hesitate to confront him. The epistle of Galatians records this conformation where Paul writes, “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision” (Galatians 2:11-14). This confrontation wasn’t behind closed doors but was public, highlighting the seriousness of deviating from the truth of the Gospel and leading others into error as leader in the early church.

Similarly, the Council of Nicaea is another significant example of early Christians engaging in heated debates. This council was convened to address the Arian controversy, which questioned the divinity of Jesus Christ. Such debates should underscore the church’s commitment to wrestling with error and protecting truth. 

A more dramatic story involves Bishop Nicholas, better known today as Saint Nicholas or “Santa Claus.” Legend has it that during a theological debate, Nicholas was so incensed by another bishop’s claim that Jesus was not fully human that Nicholas slapped the man. This act led to Nicholas being stripped of his bishop’s robes and placed in a holding cell. According to tradition, Jesus appeared to Nicholas in the cell, questioning why he was imprisoned. Nicholas replied that he was defending Jesus’s honor. It’s said that in this supernatural experience, Jesus then returned Nicholas’s robes and provided him with scriptures for study. When the other bishops checked on him the next day, they found Nicholas in his robes, reading the scriptures.

These stories from church history illustrate the importance of confronting errors and standing for truth, even when it leads to public dispute or personal sacrifice.

Amid this tumult, something else is unfolding while the wrecking ball swings.

The remnant—those steadfast churches and apostolic leaders who’ve clung to the bedrock of biblical Christianity—are rising. This isn’t just a whisper in the wind; it’s a declaration shouted from the rooftops. Despite the enemy’s attempts to paint this divine mandate as something borne out of hate or misaligned with Christ’s love, these faithful stand undeterred. They’re not just moving; they’re advancing with a heavenly power, showcasing signs and wonders that echo the days of Acts.

Watch as they become a beacon for the shattered souls, the ones trudging through life’s mire, the depressed, the downtrodden. Those who might have once stood against this divine outpouring will find themselves inexplicably drawn to it. And in that divine encounter, they’ll experience a transformation so profound—deliverance, healing, wholeness—that it can only be attributed to the hand of God.

Yet, let’s be clear-eyed about what lies ahead. This movement of God, as pure and powerful as it is, will face opposition. The media, ever skeptical, and those who masquerade under the guise of a diluted, counterfeit Christianity will levy their accusations, trying to dim the brilliance of this coming revival. But fear not. This isn’t a signal of defeat; it’s the clarion call of Heavenly victory. In the face of adversity, the truth shines brightest, and those genuine followers of Christ, empowered and emboldened, will lead the way into a future marked by the unmistakable handprint of God.