Last night I was talking with my brother in law: about cars (“Don’t buy a mini, they are impossible to maintain”) and my brother’s new toy car and the topic turned to what will happen in the property market. He noted that the average mortgage in Auckland is 900 000 dollars, and that the Perth Market has fallen. I noted that Brisbane looks depressed and Adelaide central is fall of layabouts smoking their hookahs.

We see a correction: we have lived through ones before.

And we know not to put your trust in wealth. You cannot take it with you, and the tax man knoweth your income. And times do not remain good forever.

Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

1 Peter 2:19-25
For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

The church can expect unjust treatment. It can expect to have its programs regulated, its properties taxed or destroyed, for the sake of the narrative.

This example was from yesterday. You can expect more.

A long-running battle over bible lessons in schools will be resurrected in court in an effort to make state schools “completely secular”.

The Secular Education Network (SEN) filed a legal challenge against religious instruction in schools with the Human Rights Review Tribunal, claiming children were being bullied over their parents’ decision to opt out of bible lessons.

While previous cases have centred on individual schools or programmes, this new case takes aim at “religious bias” in state schools and potential conflicts with the Bill of Rights Act.

The gospel is not the progressive movement. The progressive movement could be seen as a heresy that derived, as a bastard of the Marxist heresy, from those within the church who saw it as a political tool. But the narrative of the progressive movement is opposed to the gospel, and those of the gospel it will hate.

Expect opposition. In this time look after those in the church.

And do not support those who oppose Christ.