What kind of time is it?

A time for everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says this:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

We are about three weeks into 2024, and it’s looking like this year will fit right in with the last three, and by that, I mean cultural chaos, a fast and furious news cycle, and a Canadian political system that looks more like the main event at WrestleMania than it does Parliamentary procedure.

As I have been listening to various podcasts, following the news, and simply having discussions with wise friends, everyone has their own ideas as to what we can expect in 2024. Will there be a snap election in Canada or not? Will a Universal Basic Income test pilot come to fruition? Will cultural conflict finally boil over into something more violent? There are many questions, and there is much speculation, to say the least.

I am no prophet, and I am not about to tell anyone what will happen in 2024. I will, however, offer what I believe Christians need to be ready to think and do this year, and what I believe is the most Christ-honouring path of obedience. For everything there is a season, and for this year, it’s time for Christians to live and engage accordingly.

Planting, gathering, and building

We live in what I am calling a post-post-Christian culture. In a post-Christian culture, even though people reject the Law of God and reject the Kingship of Christ, there is some cultural awareness of Biblical principles – the vestiges of a Christian culture. In a post-post-Christian culture, however, people have no idea who Moses is, what the Ten Commandments are, and the fact that Jesus died on a cross. All Christian moorings have been ripped out of the concrete, and there is no longer anything tethering society to the Word of God.

In Canada in 2024, it is not the time to be collecting all of the fruit from decades of faithful cultural planting. In fact, the trees have been laid bare for some time now. Generations past planted, and while we were gathering the harvest, and enjoying its blessing, we refused to engage in all spheres and industries in our country. As a result, we have run out of produce stock, as it were, and we have emptied our reserves. We must enter into what will be the beginning of a long process of planting cultural seeds, gathering stones to lay Christian foundations, and building, from the ground up, new Christ-honouring institutions.

First, the Canadian education system is a godless, Marxist, sexually deviant indoctrination industry. We need robust homeschool networks, Classical Christian Schools, Bible Colleges, and Seminaries. Several churches in Canada have already built or are in the process of building these, and we need more churches intentionally involved in the work.

Second, healthcare in Canada is a Socialistic hot mess. Many of us were legitimately afraid we would be barred from access to hospitals and medicine because of medical choices made based on our conscience. Now is the time for Christians to think about alternatives to our current medical system as it exists. That could be naturopathic care and homeopathic medicine options. It could be private member-based medical clinics. It could simply be making sure many people are first-aid trained to deal with minor issues. The time to begin is now.

Third, our economy is in rough shape, and that’s putting it mildly. While the tendency is to bury our minas in the ground to keep them safe, the Lord won’t bless that. Now is the time for Christians to build businesses and invest wisely. Those of us with businesses should consider hiring other followers of Jesus. Those of us with years of experience in the trades should encourage younger Christians to do likewise, and we should offer them apprenticeships and co-ops to assist them.

Everyone wants to enjoy living in the big and beautiful house once it’s all done. Everyone wants to buy fruit from the grocery store and enjoy it at home. Everyone wants to walk into an empty field and play some sports with others. But we are not in that time in 2024. We have to clear the stones to empty the field. We have to plant the seeds for the fruit to grow. We have to lay the foundation for the building.

Breaking down and tearing

Sometimes, things just need to be taken down and destroyed. If a house is rotten down to the foundation, you can’t just replace the drywall – you need to rip it all up. If you accidentally put rotten eggs into a cake recipe, you might not be able to salvage it – it has to be thrown out. Institutions, worldviews, and relational ties are the same, sometimes they have to go. And 2024 is a year when some of these just have to go.

Right off the bat, Christians need to be done with the Conservative Party of Canada. I’m serious – we have to commit ourselves to its dismantling. I want to see the Conservative Party burn to the ground and then proceed to do a happy dance upon its smouldering embers (I mean that metaphorically, of course). The CPC is a compromised gang of Liberals wearing blue. They court social conservatives and Christians to win elections, then abandon all of those principles to govern like pagans.

I can already hear the retort: “If Trudeau wins, Canada will be lost. We have to plug our noses and vote for Poilievre. He’s the lesser of two evils, and we can change the party from the inside. We need more time to get things in order, and the Conservatives give us that time.” I want to be clear – that sentiment (the idea, not the person who has the idea) is short-sighted and ahistorical.

That kind of thinking has not moved the Conservative Party toward conservatism over the past 50 years. In fact, the very kind of thinking I have mentioned above is precisely why we have a Conservative Party that is more progressive than the Liberal Party was just 50 years ago. Our political mess exists as the result of decades of compromise and political pragmatism. Voting without integrity has put us in this place – the same process certainly can NOT get us out of it. In fact, I would argue that the Conservative Party is no better than the Liberal Party. You might think I am insane for saying that, but just look at the evidence.

Which party pushed Bill C-4 in the House without any dissent? Which party is for mass immigration? Which party had journalists like David Menzies arrested (twice) long before the Liberal Deputy Prime Minister did? Which party supported jab mandates and lockdowns until polling made them change course? Which party had the Premier that arrested more pastors than any other Province? Which party had the Premier that fined the most churches the most amount of money during COVID? Which Provincial party passed Bill 100, which is the War Measure’s Act “Lite?” Which Provincial party passed Bill 98, giving Integrity Commissioners vast and vague powers in school boards, which has led to the censuring and suspension of Trustees that actually defend the rights and protections of children? Which party had the Premier that spent more than any other Province in Communistic fashion during COVID. The answer to every single one of these questions is the Conservative Party. Better than the Liberals – they only want you to THINK that so they get your votes.

We also need to tear down the myth of neutrality in our country. There are no such things as irreligious people. There are no such things as morally neutral institutions. Generations of believing these lies have led to the cultural collapse of which we are in the midst. Jesus was clear, you’re either with Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30). The Christian disengagement in the culture has led to a vacuum that has been filled with Satanic art and entertainment, Marxist education, pagan politicians, and lukewarm churches. We have to be honest about the fact that everyone worships a god, and everyone wants their god to rule (I have more to say here).

Speaking of churches, 2024 should be a year of what I have called, “The Great Canadian Migration” (see here). At this point, any church that bowed to the State, harmed its people, and has since NOT repented of it and sought restitution and reconciliation with its people is has committed grievous sins and may not be a true church. They denied Christ His lordship, and its elders have disqualified themselves for refusing to repent of clear and public sins. It’s time to find a faithful church, and if you need to move, it’s time to move. There really is no other option at this point (I have more to say here).

Embracing and loving

There was a curious thing that happened in the midst of the COVID era; Christians started having more children. Pastors who thought they were done decided to have more children (including my own family). Christians began to trend toward getting married earlier and have more children. Why? Because when the State and Climate Cult tell you to have fewer kids, you do the exact opposite, which is what the Lord would want. When the sexually immoral world tells you to get married later and have 1.7 children, you buck that trend and try to fill your quiver with offspring-arrows.

It's time for Christians to be Biblical, and by Biblical, I mean sexually Biblical, and by sexually Biblical I mean being united to your spouse at a younger age and having as many children as you can (taking into account legitimate health issues). Delayed marriage is the product of Feminism, not Christianity. Years of travelling and childlessness are selfish and idolatrous. It took an Antichrist State to shake Christians out of their apathetic worldliness, and I’m glad for it. We thought we could determine what our families looked like without consulting the Lord, and He used COVID to lead us to repentance.

God told us to be fruitful and multiply, and to fill the earth. Either He was right or He was wrong. How can we fire attacks deep into the darkness if we don’t have any arrows? How can we build new institutions and a Christan culture if we don’t (re)produce more workers? Young man, young woman, find a spouse who loves the Lord, for now is the time to love and embrace.

Laughing, dancing, and speaking

Considering the State of our country, one might think now is the time for silence – for hunkering down and weathering the cultural storm. Others might say that now is not the time to celebrate, but to be serious and work hard – we’ll get to party some time in the future. Now, while I agree prudence and shrewdness are important, and Kingdom-advancing is serious work, it is certainly not dour and joyless work. In fact, living in dark days is all the more reason to be joyful in our disposition.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We are commanded to be joyful and to rejoice. The joy of the Lord is our strength. The Christian life is to be one filled with joy. 2024 must be a year marked by authentic Christian joy. It starts in the home, as with most cultural things. Be intentional – I mean very intentional – in filling your home with songs, laughter, and yes, some good and wholesome silliness. Let your children know that even though the world is on fire, God deserves to be praised, and we will have a good time doing it. Get real earthy here. Make funny faces to get your kids to laugh. Tell cheesy knock-knock jokes. A home devoid of laughter will not be able to laugh in the face of evil and danger, which is what we must do.

Next, it moves into the church. The gathering of saints should be marked by loud and sincere singing. “But I don’t sing,” you might reply. Respectfully, that’s a lame excuse. Your heart is a drum beat. You walk, chew food, and even breathe in rhythms. If you are human, your body is an instrument, and you were made to make music for the King. If you have a voice, then it MUST be used to the glory of God. Otherwise, as the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:18-19, you are not filled with the Holy Spirit.

Last, it moves out into the world. This year is most definitely a year for speaking the truth of God’s Word and the glory of His Gospel. There is work to be done, and there are seeds that need to be planted if we hope to see a harvest of souls for the Owner of the Garden. Our Christian culture is no more, and as such, the trees have been picked bare. We need to plant new trees and grow new vineyards, and that means sowing the seeds of the Gospel. Our world is darker and wickeder than it has been in the history of our country. Now is the time to open our mouths, get that basket off of us, and shine the light of the Good News to a dark world.

War

2024 is also a year for war. I don’t mean global conflict and wars between nations (even though between Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine we might see worsening national wars). I don’t mean civil war (although, depending on how elections go, we might see the beginnings of one). No, I mean a cultural war, which is really a proxy for a spiritual war. We are in the throws of the most intense cultural war in the history of our country, which is to say that we are currently engaged in the greatest spiritual war in the history of our country.

You see, the Beast (the godless State) operates under the direction of and to accomplish the purposes of the Dragon (Satan). His prime directive – to come against the Church, the Bride of Christ, the Saints. He wants to destroy that which most excellently displays God’s image in the world – humanity – because he ultimately wants to rob the Lord of the glory due His name.

What does this look like? Marriage is God’s human picture of the Gospel and the love the Son has for His people. Satan is going hard after marriage to damage that institution. This is why pornography is so prevalent, adultery is so prominent, and the Red-Pilled Manosphere is so popular. If anything is against monogamous, covenantal, heterosexual marriage, it comes from Satan.

This is also why maleness and femaleness are under barrage, because male and female together make one flesh that communicates the Gospel, and because male and female together bear God’s image. What is Satan’s play here? Trans the kids. Strip male and female of objective meaning, remove male and female genitals and body parts, and make gender interchangeable, essentially normalizing androgyny.

How do we wage war on these battlefronts? First, we not only proclaim the truth of God’s good design for maleness, femaleness, sexuality, and marriage, we not only call people to repent from sexual sin and embrace God’s purposes, we train our children to joyfully accept who God has made them to be and teach them to lean into it. Teach your sons to hold the door open for ladies. Teach your daughters the importance of modesty and temperance. Show your sons how to use their strength with control and use their bodies to defend those under their care when necessary. Show your daughters how to prepare for and execute well the high-calling of carrying, bearing, and raising children.

I know this has been a longer-than-usual post, and I know there is a lot of information. I am fully aware that it seems like a laundry list of what to do and not do in 2024 and beyond. Let me offer some counsel approaching this treatise: pick one and begin there. Maybe pick the area you are weakest, or most fearful, or in most need of training. Surround yourself with godly and experienced people who can help you and hold you accountable. Ask your spouse where they think the best place to begin is. Ask your small group members, or even one of your pastors.

This year will be unlike any year we have experienced. If we take all of the mistakes, failures, shortcomings, fears, and missed opportunities of years past into 2024, not only will we rob ourselves of joy and peace, but we will also be setting ourselves up for serious failure at best and catastrophic failure at worst. Now is the time to build what is necessary and tear down what is rotten, to love and laugh in our homes, and to war with hands that have been trained by the Lord our God.