By Gustav Krös
17/01/2025
As we find ourselves at the start of 2025, many people are speculating about what this year might deliver geopolitically, and most of those speculations hinge on President Trump’s new term in office. It is true that the global influence of the USA has a ripple effect throughout the rest of the world, and so the policies that President Trump will implement have the potential to influence most people in one way or another. Some will be impacted positively, and others negatively, but unless you form part of the small group of politicians and business elites who truly have the capability to influence such policies, there’s very little that can be done except to pray for positive outcomes.
There is one overarching positive aspect, though, that should not be overlooked, and that is President Trump’s unashamedly Christian stance and his willingness to let it influence his decision-making. America remains the biggest Christian nation in the world, but a lot of its Christian influence gets lost if the nation isn’t led by someone who professes Christ and who is open to Christian counsel. Under the Trump administration, Christianity will maintain a certain level of respect as a religious orientation on the geopolitical landscape, and that is something that should not be taken for granted because we know this will not last forever.
Scripture tells us of a future global leader who will not only exalt himself over Christianity, but over all religions. 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 says: “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
Whether this man will be a future American president, we do not know. Given the rate at which China is expanding its global influence, he may even be a future Chinese president. The reality is that we do not know who he is until he is revealed, but we know for certain he is coming. Daniel 11:36–37 also speaks of him, saying, “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.”
We thus know for certain that very challenging times lie ahead of us under such global leadership, but we don’t know when this man of lawlessness will appear or even how difficult things will become before he arrives on the scene. It could be 10 years, 50 years, or a hundred years. We should therefore not take the current situation for granted, in which the biggest Christian nation in the world is also the most powerful nation in the world, but more importantly, it is also led by someone who professes to be Christian and who allows for Christian counsel within his decision-making.
Donald Trump is certainly not a saint, and all the decisions he will make and policies he will implement will not be biblically sound, but he does render Christians a voice and respect around the most important geopolitical tables in the world. Many Christians will only realise how valuable that influence was once we have lost it, but that is why we should make the most of the current season, because we don’t know how long this season will last.
All Christians should be discerning regarding this matter, but the Church in America, even more so, should ask the Lord how He wants them to use the next four years for the strengthening and growth of His Kingdom. It is very similar to the days of Noah, for we know a storm is coming, but God has given us time to prepare for the storm. Our storm, however, will not be a physical storm, but rather a spiritual storm, where we, as Christians in the West, will lose privileges we so easily took for granted. And since our storm will look different, we will also need to build a different-looking ark than what Noah built. We need to build strong spiritual arks to carry us through the storm and help us stand firm till the end (Matthew 24:13).
I believe the ‘blueprint’ for the spiritual arks that we need to be building revolves around discipleship: the discipleship of our children, families, friends, colleagues, congregants, and employees. This should happen not by enrolling everyone in discipleship courses, but by growing into a life of discipleship. Whatever one’s calling or ministry might be, I’m sure the basis for the spiritual ark that the Lord wants you to build will start off with discipleship.
As we are thus entering another exciting new season, may we not waste the time we have been granted, and may we use our time wisely to build strong spiritual arks that can withstand whatever onslaughts the future might bring.