A Survivalist Guide to Christianity’s New Dark Age

The views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect the editorial opinion of The
Christian Post or its editors.
“This is what the ancients were
commended for.” – Hebrews 11:2

Many philosophers, christian theologians
and prophetic men are speaking of
Western civilization entering into a new
dark age similar to the medieval dark
ages. Human history has been short,
fickle and full of uncertainty and the
time of darkening upon the world should
concern us as christian believers.
Arthur W. Hunt says, “We cannot ignore
the parallels between the Dark Ages and
our own time. The great irony of our age
is that for all our technological prowess
we are remarkably less articulate, less
civil, and more irrational than we were
100 or even 200 years ago. The
technological shift from the printed word
to the visual image is pulling us back
into the Dark Ages.”
Morality changes with no girting in
reality or reason are just one of the signs
of the times. The Church has survived a
dark age before and the Lord says that
Satan will not overthrow the Church, so
we are certain to make it through this
coming one.
Rod Dreher, the author of The Benedict
Option says, “We see ourselves as living
in the ruins (though very comfortable
ones!) of Christian civilization, and
tasked with preserving the living faith
through the coming Dark Ages.”
Evangelical Christianity has never had
so much knowledge, resources, programs
and helps. Yet never has there been such
a lack of godly wisdom being lived out in
moral character and godliness. We live
in an information knowledge based age
with very little ability to gain wisdom in
the midst of it. We know all the facts
about faith but need to have a “living
faith” that is displayed before the world.
One might say, “Why worry about these
things and make a big deal about it?”
Yet look at our lives, how shallow,
plastic, pleasure oriented, materialistic,
self-centered. We are living for the
present world in many ways in the
modern Church and things of eternity
are not gripping us. We can test
ourselves in one way to ask ourselves the
question, “Am I living for the present
pleasures and comforts or for a future
eternity and eternal purpose of God in
my daily actions?”
We can look to Hebrews chapter 11 as a
light in the midst of the coming
darkness. There are a lineage of men in
the history of mankind that walked in
the light and left us a path to follow.
The ancients were men of faith so their
decisions revolved around “what is to
come” (Hebrews 11:10). They
“longed” (Hebrews 11:16) for something
better then the present world. They
caught the real reality of God willing to
“prepare a city for them” (Hebrews
11:16) and therefore they gladly
forfeited what all other men seek after
here below.
We can see this example of godliness
and other-wordliness throughout Church
history in especially in godly leaders in
the early Church. Yet when the first dark
ages consumed upon the Church we see
men leaving even society itself to found
monasteries where faith and practice
was kept with an eternal mindset. It is
interesting to note that the Bible itself,
literature, school, medicine and many
other things we enjoy as the Western
culture were preserved through these
Christian communities. Many departed
to the desert seeking God for Himself,
known as the Desert Fathers, when the
reality of worship was being lost.
And once we take a large lens view of
the Church of 2,000 years we can see
these communities where faith and
practice were preserved, that they
themselves were the salt and light to the
rest of the Church. Without faith that
displays itself with deeds done with an
eternal mindset we are just left with
formality of a religious kind that ends in
a lack of changed lives.
How then do we survive a coming dark
age of the Church?
In way of application and help, here are
some possible helps for you to consider
and apply to your Christian walk:
1. “Others” — Remember that Christianity
is not a religion about the individual but
rather the community. We are called the
body of Christ (Romans 12:5) and we
always need each other. Many modern
believers live as an island to themselves,
with every little meaningful relation
with believers throughout the week. One
of the marks of the dark ages and a
coming evil age is people seeking self
over others (2 Timothy 3:2). Prioritize
practicing Christianity community daily
with other believers, share your life
together.
2. “Living Faith” — How do I live out my
faith? It is actually simple, choose to
spend time practicing what we believe.
Disciplines in the Christian life are what
keep us alive and strong in our faith.
Early Church believers recited the Lord’s
Prayer meaningfully three times a day
outloud. It was a practice in christian
communities to pray 5 times a day,
called the hours of prayer. Daily bible
reading and deciding to obey what we
read instead of just reading for
knowledge. Following the commands of
Christ for believers is not burdensome
but freeing. Read Hebrews 11 again and
note how each believer was commended
in their obedience.
3. “Looking Backward” — In a time of
dark ages we must not look forward to
try and follow the newest trend in
Evangelical Christianity. But rather look
backward and find those solid time
tested principles, and examples that were
shining lights in the darkness. The
speaking of a new doctrine, new
revelation, new emphasis that apparently
the entire Church has missed throughout
history, will resound but we must not
listen to these voices. Find the solid
footing of what the Church has always
believed, what godly men stood on and
passed on to the next generation.
Source from Christian Post

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