There has been a lot of talk lately about the Great Reset (e.g. resetting the economic and geopolitical aspects of the world with one group of people in Davos, Switzerland, overseeing it). Those of us who are concerned about freedom, religious expression, morality, and a plethora of other topics are not fans of a Great Reset.

Let’s look here at two possible scenarios regarding the presidency and how they could affect the Church. I’m still very hopeful about the outcome of all this, because my hope is in God.

Whoever is elected — Kamala Harris or Donald Trump — I believe that something monumental will occur: The Church will be forced to reset. And she needs to; she must. It’s painfully obvious that most churches do not model themselves after the church that Christ commissioned. Often, God must break us down in order to build us up.

A Harris Presidency

A Harris win will no doubt usher in a great “reset” that leads to greater financial collapse than we are already experiencing. We are seeing signs of this already.Asin the Old Testament, a Harris presidency may mean that God uses foreign enemies to judge America (this time through the use of open borders). In the Church, we will divide us even more as the true church is forced to go underground, just as the true church in China has been forced to do. Although it may take time, it’s inevitable.

Churches with rainbow flags and positive messages will stay open, and may even be sanctioned by the government. Those that compromise God’s Word will become even more obviously irrelevant social clubs. Lives will not be radically changed in these types of churches because the false prophet is not God’s prophet.

Under Harris, social media will censor the truth: people who talk about sin, the inerrancy of the Word, Christ as the only savior of the world, repentance, and so on will be marginalized and silenced. The government will clamp down on what it deems “hate speech” and will attempt to silence pastors who don’t conform to their agenda.

All of this, however, can be the fuel that sparks a powerful revival . . . a powerful reset: That God may grant us a little reviving in our bondage (Ezra 9:8).

A Trump Presidency

A Trump presidency would mean that God is giving us another season of grace and mercy in order to expose the unfruitful works of darkness. A Trump administration will confront social media giants and other corrupt actors, but it will not come without a heavy price — there will be massive civil unrest and a huge attack from the media and the Left, designed to foster confusion and chaos. This is what many call the “new civil war,” which reminds us that freedom is never free.

A Trump presidency will also bring division to the Church. Christians will be forced to make a decision: Will they stay silent about civil unrest and thus back it? Will they have more in common with ANTIFA than with God’s agenda? Will they apologize for being white, or will they articulate the biblical view of unity?

Will Christians continue to support ungodly organizations that divide us, or will they denounce them? Will “woke” Christians finally realize that they also need to wake up?

All of these things, however, also can be the fuel that sparks a powerful revival: “Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6 KJV).

Why Does the Church Need a Great Reset?

In the same way that Jesus warned the lukewarm church in Laodicea, He warns us today:

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot . . . So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. … Do you not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked?” (Revelation 3:15-17).

I believe that the church today in America resembles the Laodicean church more than at any other time in our history. Sadly, conviction has been replaced with complacency, and God’s glory has often been replaced with gimmicks and marketing ploys. Just look at the top sermons viewed on social media today. The preachers are motivational speakers, not voices “crying in the wilderness.” They encourage the Laodicean lifestyle of being lukewarm instead of lovingly challenging it.

In most cases, these pastors only talk about having your best life now, positive emotions, and taking control of your mind. Granted, we need to be encouraged, but if that’s all we talk about, the Church will inevitably drift in the lukewarm direction. And this is where the American church finds itself today. Because the lukewarm church disdains the heat of conviction, they will label bold churches as “legalistic, rigid, and arrogant.”

Like many Christians today, the Laodiceans thought that they were in the center of God’s will. The Laodicean church was large, wealthy, and involved in the community. They looked at numbers, but Jesus looked at the heart and said they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” His strong words were meant to convict and challenge, not coddle and comfort. Again, be encouraged: God often breaks us down in order to build us up.

One thing is certain, on January 20 we will know what God’s will is, and it will separate the wheat from the chaff. This will be the great reset for the Church in 2025.

How to Stay the Course

Going forward, our overall spiritual condition will be measured by our prayer life. E.M. Bounds said that without prayer, “The church becomes a graveyard, not an embattled army.” Prayer must be our priority. I’m not talking about a quick prayer before a meal or a brief closing prayer at the end of a church service. I’m talking about prayer services. I’m talking about focusing as much time on praying as preaching. Jesus often retreated to isolated places for extended times of prayer. How are we to lead the church, our nation, and our families in these dire times if we do not cultivate a strong prayer life? We can’t!

In times of national crisis, we also see the power of prayer and fasting throughout the Bible. Joel 1:14 powerfully declares, “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly . . . and cry out to the Lord.”

God’s people had departed from Him. The call was to return through fasting, prayer, and brokenness. It’s time to seek God’s mercy and humble ourselves before Him. We must stop confusing God’s patience with His approval and seek Him like never before. He is our only Hope!

 

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the creator of the WCF Radio Network. His program, Regaining Lost Ground, points us back to God and reminds us that although times change, truth does not. His books, blogs, and sermons can all be found at ShaneIdleman.com.